Midday

When fans go to Camden Yards to cheer for the Baltimore Orioles, the team's players are often the main attraction. by the game. But any and everything else we might be excited about at Orioles Park is the responsibility of Catie Griggs, the President of Business Operations for the Orioles. Griggs comes to the Orioles organization from Seattle, where she became the first female team president in Ma...

Rapid changes to the Earth’s climate have communities across Maryland racing to adapt. Today, we zoom in on three consequences; flooding, forest fires and anxiety. In Ellicott City, two once-in-a-millennia floods within the span of two years inundated downtown. Can ambitious construction efforts to divert severe rains coexist with the historical character of the charming town? Reporter Julekha Das...

At the end of last month, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green held a subcommittee hearing entitled, "Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable," in which Katherine Maher, the CEO of NPR, and Paula Kerger, her counterpart at PBS, testified. David Folkenflik, media correspondent at NPR, covered the hearing. He joins Midday to discuss what he heard.

Dr. Leana Wen joins Tom for Midday Healthwatch, where they discuss issues affecting the health and well-being of Charm City residents. Dr. Wen discusses the measles outbreak in several states and the use of artificial intelligence by doctors. Dr. Wen is a former health commissioner of Baltimore. She’s a columnist on health matters for the Washington Post, a medical expert at CNN, and a scholar at...

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends with movie aficionados Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Max Weiss, film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Baltimore Magazine. We hear about the chilling new Netflix series Adolescents, Mickey 17 and more. Plus, controversy over the latest adaptation of Disney's Snow White.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. This week, we review Shucked at The Hippodrome Theatre through Sunday, April 6. Rousuck also previews the upcoming season at Hippodrome, which includes Water for Elephants. These shows are among the offerings in Hippodrome’s 2025-2026 season.

On Midday with the Mayor, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joins the show to discuss his recently proposed billion-dollar budget. His plans include the largest investment in capital spending in 20 years with money for new housing, city parks and schools. Interested in having your say in the city budget? Taxpayers’ Night is Wednesday April 23 from 6 to 8pm. Sign up to give public testimony online or i...

This week, the White House announced plans to withhold more than $400-million dollars in promised pandemic-era relief funds. Dr. Joshua Michael, President of Maryland's Board of Education joins Midday to explain how the unexpected funding loss will impact the state's 24 school districts.

Paula Poundstone has been a regular panelist on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me for many years. She hosts the podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, tours all over the country doing stand-up, and contributes to some big-time movies including the popular animated series "Inside Out." Poundstone joins Midday in advance of her show tonight at the Senator Theatre.

Jeanne Theoharis is a professor at Brooklyn College and is an author of many award-winning and New York Time Bestselling books. Two of her most famous works are The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks and A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Right History. In her latest release, King of the North she discusses the lack of guidance and support that Northern activists...

Recent polling reveals approval ratings for U.S. Congress remains low at 29%. In February of 2021, in the wake of the insurrection at the Capital, the approval number was 6 points higher. The 118th Congress began in turmoil in 2021 and remained in turmoil for the next two years. In terms of number of bills passed, it was the least productive Congress in more than 40 years. But not only was it unpr...

Opening Day for the Baltimore Orioles begins Monday afternoon. The Orioles face the Boston Red Sox in their home opener following a four-game stint in Toronto. The series got off to a walloping start last Thursday, when the Orioles ruined the Blue Jay’s opening day with an overwhelming win that included 6 home runs, an opening day record. Baltimore begins the 2025 season full of promise. What are...

A grist mill in Monkton has been transformed into a creative hub for art, theater and music. Angelo Otterbein is the driving force behind Manor Mill, he joins Midday along with Vanessa Eskridge, director of the Manor Mill Playhouse. Upcoming events include a performance of a classical string quartet, an a cappella ensemble and a collection of one-act plays.

The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn the 2025 session on April 7, a week from Monday. State law requires the legislature to pass a balanced budget before then, but consensus among lawmakers has yet to be reached. The state House passed its spending plan a couple of days ago, and the Senate is likely to begin debating their version on Monday. Del. Jason Buckel, the Republican House Minority...

When lawmakers convened in Annapolis in January, they faced a deep budget deficit. What the state's budget should look like, and how best to address the $3.3 billion deficit, is the subject of ongoing debate in the State House, even as the 2025 General Assembly session nears its close. Gov. Wes Moore joins Midday to discuss his perspective on the budget, the future of tech sector in the Maryland e...

The White House's initiative to reduce the federal workforce could result in thousands of Marylanders finding themselves without a job. This morning, the Department of Health and Human Services announced 10,000 workers were to be laid off. Another 10,000 will take early retirement or buyout offers. Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu joins Midday to discuss mounting unemployment amidst a sluggis...

The National Security Cabinet and other senior officials were caught using a Signal group chat to discuss sensitive information regarding a U.S. military aerial attack in Yemen. Yesterday, The Atlantic published most of the lengthy exchange between the officials. Tom Nichols, a staff writer for The Atlantic joins Midday to discuss the news. He is a professor emeritus of national security affairs a...

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Maryland’s second longest bridge was built in five years, opening in 1977. It took only seconds to come crashing down in the early hours of the morning of March 26, 2024, after being struck by a cargo ship, the Dali. Alejandro Hernández Fuentes, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Miguel Luna, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval,...

A recent review of Department of Homeland Security data by The Guardian found that February 2025 saw more arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement—ICE— than any other month in the past 7 years. Here in Maryland, the uptick in immigration enforcement is clear to immigrants attorneys and their advocates. Detained immigrants held in the downtown holding rooms used by the Baltimore Field Office...

Jefferson Holland is a man of words. He is the Poet Laureate of Annapolis, a newspaper columnist and Co-Founder of the singing folk group, Them Eastport Oyster Boys. He no longer sings with the group but continues to perform his poems and storytelling around Annapolis. Jefferson, inspired by the Chesapeake Bay and his dogs, decided to publish a book of his columns from the Capital Gazette that des...

Maryland continues to grapple with its bail system. When someone is arrested for a crime, a judge can decide if they can be held in jail until trial. These defendants are legally innocent until their trial is held, but judges can decide to detain people who are deemed a flight risk, or a threat to public safety. The criminal justice system works this way across the country. However, in Maryland, a...

Today, theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday with her review of Rarefied Air,. The story is centered around an affluent Black family grappling with the idea of "safety" during the time period of the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Rarefied Air continues through March 30 at The Strand Theater Company.

This month, the Baltimore City Council is tackling the latest Inspector General report on the Department of Public Works, the impact of overspending on overtime pay and challenges to student success in public schools. City Council President Zeke Cohen joins Midday to help us understand the most important issues on the council agenda this month.

This week, the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore (DPOB) released their annual State of Downtown report which highlights the transformation of downtown and 13 other surrounding neighborhoods the city's central hub. The dimensions of downtown growth that are measured in the report include employment, office space, residential living and tourism. Shelonda Stokes, the President of DPOB, joins Midday t...

In the midst of her third season as Music Director of Frederick Chorale, Heidi Ackerman joins Midday to discuss their upcoming performance Saturday night, March 22, and Sunday afternoon, March 23, with the Frederick Symphony Orchestra and Charm City Sings. The concert will feature the major works for chorus and orchestra, including Dona nobis pacem, a beautiful cantata by the English composer, Ral...