Midday

Today's host, WYPR News Director Matt Bush, speaks with WYPR's Baltimore County reporter John Lee about the big changes this week in the contest for the next Inspector General.

Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom in the studio to review one of our region's current theater productions. This week, she gives us an inside look into plays on stage at the Contemporary American Theater Festival. The festival runs through August 3 at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Baltimore City Councilmember Mark Conway, chair of the Public Safety Committee, joins Midday to share his perspectives on the recent spate of police-related deaths. He also addresses the danger of underground fires and the opioid overdose crisis.

Maryland's Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joins Midday to provide an update on recent congressional and political matters. He discusses the $9 billion rescission vote, which affected public broadcast funding, and the deportation case of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

International students in the United States are adapting to recent changes to visas and travel that may impact their higher education goals. Today on Midday, we speak to reporters and members of the international student community about the challenges these students face in completing their studies. Karin Fischer, a reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Ellie Wolfe, a reporter for th...

Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen joins Midday to discuss renewed scrutiny of the city's crisis response system. A recent series of police shootings of people experiencing mental health problems has residents and officials asking why alternatives to law enforcement were not used. The city council has held hearings recently related to police accountability, and last night Cohen announced...

Maryland is home to world-class colleges and universities—shining ivory towers of learning and research. Institutions like Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland are not just places of learning. They are also major drivers of the state’s economy, creating tens of thousands of jobs and bringing in research grants and other opportunities for development. Now, restrictions on interna...

Amanda Litman's new book is a manual for young leaders with advice on how to navigate the changing demands of running nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Now in her mid-thirties, she’s begun to notice that she was no longer the only young person heading organizations and companies like hers. Drawing on her own experience of balancing her professional demands and the demands of motherhood, and...

Guest host Farai Chideya explores how AI-generated content can target and harm individuals and entire communities, and examines the efforts of advocates and policymakers working to address these threats. Kristen Griffith, an education reporter for The Baltimore Banner, joins Midday to share her reporting on a local example of an AI-generated deepfake used to harm the reputation of local school pri...

Midday theater critic J Wynn Rousuck joins our show for weekly theater reviews. Today, she shares a review of Young Vic's production of "The Yeoman of the Guard." The story is set at The Tower of London and includes a planned execution, a secret marriage, and a brave escape. "The Yeoman of the Guard" runs through July 20.

In the early hours of the morning, the U.S. Senate voted to approve President Donald Trump's rescission package, which includes the elimination of $1 billion for public broadcasting. The package will now move forward with the possibility of final approval from Congress by Friday. If the package is approved, how will the public broadcast industry face this funding challenge? Joining Midday to discu...

Midday goes Back to the Garden as the summer reaches its peak. Farmer Chippy and Farmer Tiara from Plantation Park Heights and Carrie Engel from Valley View Farms join Midday to help you choose the right plants for the summer. They share their best tips on how to care for your garden, and answer your questions about peppers, fruit trees, cucumbers and more.

On Midday today, are ask listeners about their aches and pains. Dr. Miho Tanaka is an orthopedic surgeon and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. She is also the Director of the Women's Sports Medicine Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Miho joins Midday to discuss your body's fitness and how injuries can impact your sports performance. What is the best way to prevent injuries of...

Baltimore's Inner Harbor features a long, nearly uninterrupted stretch of public promenade running along the water. The five-mile walkway begins at the Baltimore Museum of Industry on Key Highway and snakes past downtown and on to Canton. The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore envisions a new chapter for the promenade, with new opportunities for local residents, and new attractions for tourists....

President Donald Trump's domestic agenda became law in one “big, beautiful bill” passed earlier this month. The legislation includes new work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP benefits, new funding for border security and an increase in defense spending. Cuts to clean energy programs were paired with extending the tax cuts that were passed during Trump's first term. On Midday today, a conversatio...

Today, Midday explores the future of energy in Maryland. The push for sustainable sources of electricity faces new hurdles. Federal support for solar and wind energy has evaporated, and in Maryland, Governor Wes Moore vetoed several important climate-related initiatives. How will these changes affect projects across the state? Guests on this program include: Nathanael Miller, WYPR Frederick Report...

It's Midday at the Movies! This summer, Jaws is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and will re-release on IMAX and in 3D. Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post, join Midday to discuss what is new in the film-industry and review the latest films.

Last month, the Library of Congress announced it has acquired a treasure-trove of the work Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim’s music and lyrics were made available for public viewing and more items are expected to be added over the next few months. Midday theater critic J Wynn Rousuck and Mark Horowitz, Senior Music Specialist at the Library of Congress, discuss the collection.

Midday on Grammar talks words, syntax and phonology. If you have a question about words or writing, we have answers. Our guest is Ellen Jovin, a grammarian and author of a terrific book, Rebel with a Clause. The roving grammar guru takes her pop-up advice on the road across the U.S. to explore the power language holds to unite us.

On today's Midday on the Law, Prof. Kim Wehle joins me to review some of what the high court decided this term, and analyze what it will mean for democracy and the rule of law moving forward. In her most recent book, Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works-And Why, Wehle argues that Trump’s inappropriate use of the pardon power could have a devastating effect on our democracy.

WTMD’s First Thursday Festival returns this week. The homegrown affair takes place every summer at the Canton Waterfront Park and features artists from Maryland. Tyler LaPorte, WTMD's Assistant Program Director and Afternoon Host, joins Midday to preview this month's artists, which include Dan Deacon, LandisHarryLarry, and Eyas.

Dr. Leana Wen joins Midday for our monthly series, Healthwatch. This month, she discusses public concern for future access to flu, COVID, and measles vaccines. Additionally, she provides federal resources beyond the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for reliable information on vaccines and health.

Rick Atkinson is the author of seven narrative histories about five American wars. Today he will take us back in time discussing the American Revolution written in the The Fate of the Day: the a of America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1778. This is the second book from his trilogy and sees the most desperate phase of the Revolutionary War. The British Are Coming is the first volume of the...

Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu joins Midday to discuss the latest employment numbers and support for a growing number of unemployed federal workers. We ask her about employment picture in our state, and what laid-off federal workers can expect as they enter the job market.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joins Tom to talk about issues important to Charm City residents. The Baltimore Police Department were recently involved in the deaths of three people, each believed to be in a mental health crisis at the time of their interaction with officers. Could diversion programs have prevented these tragedies? Can existing response teams trained to deal with mental health cris...