Midday

J. Wynn Rousuck is a theater critic who joins Midday each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. This week, she reviews “Julius Caesar,” one of Shakespeare’s most familiar plays. Does this classic tale, produced by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, say anything new to us today?

Today is Midday on the Media. The local news industry continues to dwindle, with more than 3,200 local and regional newspapers closing since 2025, according to reporting by Neiman Lab. Tom speaks with the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Baltimore Banner Kimi Yoshino, Guardian columnist Margaret Sullivan, and Columbia Journalism School professor, Juan Manuel Benitez, about the changing landscape of...

Former Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter discusses her tenure in leadership and the complicated intersection of politics and performing arts.

Commerce Secretary Harry Coker Jr. sits with Tom to discuss the future of Maryland's business sector while grappling with state and federal budget cuts.

Today, Midday examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace, what it means for different generations of workers. How rapidly these changes are occurring? Midday guest host Farai Chideya discusses the future of AI with Jason Michael Perry, founder and Chief AI Officer of Perry Labs, and author of the new book "The AI Evolution: A Guide for Chief AI Officers and Business Leaders."...

Today is Midday on the Arts with artist, singer and poet Vincent Dion Stringer. Stringer is an artist, a singer and a poet. Their art work touches on different topics such as race, faith, and societal issue. My Soul is a Witness: A Journey Through Art and Spirituality, featuring a collection of Stringer's work, is running through July 20 at the First and St. Stephens United Church of Christ in Bal...

Two of Maryland's congressional delegation talk about America’s involvement in the conflict in the Middle East. A leaked Defense Intelligence Agency report contradicts the contention made by both President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran’s nuclear program was completely destroyed by last weekend’s bombing raids. What does that mean for the ongoing conflict betw...

In the summer of 2011, a story appeared in the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis about a man who was charged with criminally harassing a classmate. This person later sued the newspaper for defamation, but his case was thrown out by a judge. On June 28, 2018, seven years after the story about the disgruntled reader appeared in the paper, the man shot his way into the paper’s newsroom and murde...

Today, we spotlight Midday on Higher Education with the 15th president of Towson University, Dr. Mark Ginsberg. This university is one of Baltimore County’s largest anchor institutions, where more than 19,000 students receive undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates in more than 30 fields and professions. Many high-profile schools across the country, including Towson University,...

Yesterday, the Baltimore Police Department released body camera video of the police-involved shooting that occurred in West Baltimore on June 17. A 36-year-old named Bilal "B.J." Abdullah was killed during a gunfire exchange with police. One of the officers involved in the shooting, Devin Yancy, was shot in the foot and has been released from the hospital. Abdullah was a well-known arabber, which...

Olympic Athlete John Carlos made history at the 1968 Olympic Games. During the medal ceremony, he, along with Tommie Smith, raised a Black fist to symbolize support for Black Americans and civil rights. Carlos joins Midday to discuss his journey in sports and activism. He also reflects on the Lifetime Grand Visionary Award he will receive from the American Visionary Art Museum.

Turnaround Tuesdays began 10 years ago to connect formerly incarcerated people and others with skills and employers who hire them and help change the direction of their lives. The program was started by BUILD, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development and operates out of four locations around the city. A couple of months ago, Turn Around Tuesdays opened its newest location, in Park Heights. Me...

On July 1, Maryland is set to take the first step in a sweeping $50 million plan to rehabilitate larges swathes of vacant homes in Baltimore. The state will soon distribute the first funds to organizations vying to rehabilitate homes with the goal of completing 5000 homes in five years. Today, Midday speaks to two members of Baltimore’s Vacants Reinvestment Council, State Sen. Cory McCray and Rev....

(This Program originally aired on June 19, 2024) For Juneteenth's celebration of liberation and Black history, we revisit a conversation with author and historian Kellie Carter Jackson. Her recent book, We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance, examines the resistance that Black women had on white oppression in the history of the United States, and the impact it had in today living. Jacks...

Michael Cannell has written many books delving into the sordid history of American crime, and his latest book is no different. The setting for Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation is Brooklyn, New York, in the 1980s, and the central figures are mobsters, cops and double agents. The case of two decorated detectives, Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caraca...

Claire McCardell, a Frederick native, was one of the 20th century’s most influential fashion designers. But few know her story. Now, McCardell is the subject of an exhibition at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, and a new book by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free. Dickinson joins Midday to discuss her book, which is out today. She is an award-winning...

Last night, the Baltimore City Council passed Mayor Brandon Scott's 2026 fiscal budget, adding a few changes. Council President Zeke Cohen joins Midday to discuss the budget and last-minute edits to where money will be spent over the next fiscal year. The council authorized an additional $2 million for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs, (MIMA) up from its original proposal...

The actress Rachel Hilson grew up in Baltimore, and graduated from the Baltimore School for the Arts. She played many roles on television and in movies, including shows like This is Us and The Good Wife, and Hulu’s Love, Victor.  Her film credits include Red, White and Royal Blue and an upcoming film with Will Ferrell, Judgement Day.  Rachel Hilson joins Midday to talk about her latest project, Du...

Dr. John Chessare is set to retire after 15 years as the President and CEO of GBMC Healthcare, a nonprofit in-patient and out-patient care provider that employs more than 2,000 nurses and physicians on its Towson campus, and in several other locations across our region. Chessare joins Midday to discuss the latest health trends, including rising incidences of cancer, and how to address chronic illn...

Three of the Orioles’ five minor league affiliates are in the state, which is rare for a major league team. There’s the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds in Salisbury, the High-A Aberdeen Ironbirds, and the Double-A Chesapeake BaySox in Bowie. Beyond Orioles’ affiliates, there’s even more professional baseball in Maryland—the state hosts two teams in the independent Atlantic League - the Southern Maryland...

Yesterday, a Baltimore City judge ruled that a multi-million-dollar award in the opioid settlement trial must be significantly reduced, or the city can seek a retrial for damages. Mayor Brandon Scott acknowledged the much-awaited verdict was "disappointing" and said the city is "evaluating the decision" and exploring all options moving forward. WYPR Health Reporter Scott Maucione joins the show to...

This week, hundreds of residents, advocates, and community members held a rally and marched in Highlandtown in support of Baltimore's immigrant community. The march, organized by the immigrant advocacy group CASA, was planned in response to reports of increased immigration enforcement. WYPR Reporter Emily Hofstaedter joins the show to share her reporting from the protest and rally.

Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to review the region's current theater productions. This week, a look at “The Mystery of Irma Vep” at Everyman Theatre through June 22.

Mayor Brandon Scott and a few city council members have proposed a package of bills that would change zoning and parking regulations to allow for the development of multi-family housing. Councilman Ryan Dorsey, a proponent of the measures, says despite a decline in Baltimore’s population, there is a demand for housing, and that making it more plentiful would “increase Baltimore’s population by a m...

In Baltimore, a few words are most recognized with baseball: Orioles, Camden Yards and Cal Ripken. But, on the campus of Johns Hopkins University, Bob Babb’s name is synonymous with baseball. In the 2025 season, he finished a winning trip to the Centennial Conference baseball finals with the Blue Jays and a trip to the Division III championship. The results reflect a successful season and a great...