The West African nation of Liberia has especially close ties to the United States and Maryland. The nation was founded in 1847 by freed African-American slaves. After decades of misrule by a small elite, a 1980 military coup plunged Liberia into three decades of political turmoil, including two bloody civil wars.  A United Nations-brokered peace agreement ended the fighting in 2003 and a democratically-elected government, headed by Harvard-trained economist Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has begun the process of reconstruction. Recently, WYPR's Sunni Khalid joined an International Reporting Project Gatekeepers visit to Liberia and produced the five-part series, "Starting From Less Than Zero: Liberia Rebuilds."

Program Highlights

Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast This week on Maryland Morning... The investigation of cancer clusters near Fort Detrick, the future of electric utility regulation, the lampooning of Baltimore by the Second City, the state of the State of the State, and the backstory of weather-predicting groundhogs; plus, chamber pop from Cameron Blake, diplomat Chic Dambach's new memoir, Gus Sentementes on gadgets, Mike Sragow and Jed Dietz on film, and the return of the Legislative Lightning Round. Midday with Dan Rodricks This week on Midday...Josh Sharfstein, Maryland's new health secretary; is a liberal arts education worth the cost? The growing burden of the Baby Boomers;  more African-Americans are coaching major football teams. How did that happen? Motor Week editor John Davis brings the scoop on the hottest new cars.  Is silver good for your health--unless it's just jewelry? Richard Striner of Washington College in Chestertown crosses the Bay to talk politics.  Author Craig Dilworth argues the human race is mindlessly overburdening the planet. The Signal This week on The Signal...Sunni Khalid brings us a radio postcard from his recent travels in Liberia; we hear about a new book about farmed animals living in sanctuaries and homes across the country; and we talk with Tom Flynn about his historical novel, Venable Park. Snap Judgment Snap Judgment host Glynn Washington takes listeners on a narrative journey - leaping from one person's frying pan into another person's fire. Deejay-driven musical delivery, paired with lush sound design, drops listeners into the very heart of what matters. Snap Judgment's fast-paced (sometimes dark, sometimes playful) narrative highlights people from across the globe who put everything on the line. Stories from the Stoop Archive

Radio Kitchen Coming up on Radio Kitchen...some great ideas for cold weather soups;  winter is a great time to think about exotic fruit in the marketplace; new varieties of fish are coming into the stores; a mushroom timbale and white asparagus for early Spring dinner.   Cellar Notes Coming Up on Cellar Notes....Best picks in winter beers; great values in Sparkling Wines for the Holidays; best buys for thrifty post-holiday wine shopping; Hugh reviews some of the best coming out of Washington State and Al reviews the new negotiant label Susan Fields, from RSVP WInes. Choral Arts Classics 2010-2011 Season.  On the February edition of Choral Arts Classics, we explore the genius of a young Franz Schubert, the 19th century Romantic famed for his huge collection of iconic songs.  We'll talk about one of his earliest and most popular pieces of choral music: the Mass in G Major, which shows that Schubert's instinct for beautiful melodies developed at an early age.  Tom will be joined by a frequent guest on Choral Arts Classics, Dr. Ray Sprenkle, who teaches Music History at the Peabody Conservatory.  Join Tom and Ray on Tuesday night, February 22 at 9:00.   Postcards from the Walters Join Gary Vikan, director of the Walter's Art Gallery, as he delves into the cultural and historical treasures of the museum. Monday morning at 9:35 am.   Connecting Family Every other Wednesday at 9:35 am, Meredith talks about family -- what we celebrate and what keeps us up at night.   The Environment in Focus Tom Pelton shares his perspective on the issues and people changing Maryland's natural world. Baltimore Stories From tap dancing elephants to notorious train rides, Gil's Baltimore Stories are a true gem heard on Friday mornings at 7:35 am and 9:35 am.  The Morning Economic Report Anirban Basu informs Marylanders of city, state and national economic issues including employment trends, banking and the stock market.  Weekday mornings at 7:33 am Your Maryland Covering nearly four centuries of heroes, scoundrels, floods, fires, riots, plots, athletes (two and four-legged), beautiful spies, brilliant writers, misunderstood pirates, and ghosts. All of that color, suspense, and humor is part of your Maryland with Ric Cottom.

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