Midday

The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, came to a close last night with a speech from the party's nominee for President. Donald Trump accepted his party's nomination, thanked his family and delivered a wide-ranging address similar to those heard at his campaign rallies. Lisa Desjardins , a correspondent with PBS News Hour joins Midday to discuss the convention and what the plat...

On the Midday Newswrap today, we are joined by Rachel Baye , WYPR reporter and editor. She covered the nearly $150 million dollar budget cut announced by Gov. Wes Moore last week and approved by the Board of Estimates on Wednesday . Moore, the chair of the three-member Board of Public Works that approved the cuts for the current year's budget, said the changes are designed to prioritize health car...

A new show on Apple TV is set, and was filmed in, Baltimore. Based on author Laura Lippman 's 2019 novel, 'Lady and the Lake' is a noir thriller following a pair of women whose lives intersect as they are forced to pay a price for their dreams. Maddie Schwartz, played by Natalie Portman, is a Jewish housewife seek a new life as an investigative journalist. Meanwhile Cleo Johnson, played by Moses I...

Today, a conversation with Baltimore County Police Chief  Robert McCullough . McCullough is a longtime veteran of the force, having served in several senior leadership roles, including Bureau Chief of Criminal Investigations and Eastern Patrol Division Commander before being named Police Chief last year. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski cited those decades of experience when McCullough’...

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday  to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. We discuss 'The Scottsboto Boys,' on stage at ArtsCentric through July 21 . The production is based off the history of a group of young African-American men who were wrongly accused and convicted during the Great Depression. (Photo from ArtsCentric) Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @...

Back in 2019, the Maryland General Assembly created the Prescription Drug Affordability Board. Their goal? Lowering the cost of drugs for Maryland residents. The board faced several barriers in the past couple years, including a veto from former Gov. Larry Hogan. But in 2023, Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation reaffirming the board’s cost-reduction tools. And this year, the board is reviewing six d...

Baltimore was one of the hottest cities in the nation last week. Extreme weather is becoming more common as human-driven changes to the planet's climate continue. Joey Henderson  of the Baltimore City Department of Emergency Management on how the city handles the heat and hurricanes, and how you can be best prepared. (Photo by Kylie Cooper, The Baltimore Banner) Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet...

Discussion about immigration, not always based in fact, has featured in campaigning in this election year. But what is the reality of immigration in the Baltimore region? Guiliana Valencia Banks , Baltimore County Chief of Immigrant Affairs, and Catalina Rodriquez-Lima , Director of Baltimore City of Immigrant Affairs, join Midday to discuss immigration across the Baltimore region. (Kaitlin Newman...

Concerns about President Joe Biden's health reemerged after a disastrous debate performance in June. Now, several leader in the Democratic party are considering alternative candidates. The Washington Post reports there are currently 22 congressional Democrats, including one U.S. Senator, who have called on Biden to step aside in favor of another standard bearer for the November election. Luke Broa...

A gunman’s failed attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump resulted in the death of a bystander and the injury of two others. President Joe Biden addressed the nation three times over the weekend, calling for unity and the lowering of the rhetorical temperature. Today on Midday , how are Maryland voters and elected officials reacting as political violence continues to be a scourge in t...

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday  to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. We discuss the Contemporary American Theater Festival, continuing at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, through July 28. Several plays are on stage at the festivals, do share a common theme? (Photo by Seth Freeman) Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or ca...

The ongoing conflict in Gaza continues to devastate the region. Is there a sustainable path forward for peace? Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian journalist and tourism entrepreneur who founded MEJDI Tours. Maoz Inon is an Israeli tourism entrepreneur who founded Abraham Hostels. The duo are peace activists who have come together to inspire peace in a region racked with conflict and hatred. More info...

For decades, Baltimore fans of operetta have had the opportunity to see and hear many Gilbert and Sullivan shows at the Young Victorian Theater Company. Known by many as “Young Vic,” the theatre company has produced 14 of the famed plays over the course of their 25-year collaboration. Ruddigore first opened in 1887 in London, England. The bawdy operetta's humor and wit comes alive through the Youn...

Ultra marathon swimmer Katie Pumphrey is an accomplished athlete. She swam the English Channel twice, circumnavigated Manhattan and completed the DC Marathon Swim. And in June, she added to her impressive accomplishments in local waters. Pumphrey swam the 24-miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into Baltimore's Inner Harbor, a route no one else has completed before. She says her love for Baltimore...

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 dig into several films, including The Bikeriders , Thelma and Kinds of Kindness . We also discuss the Paramount merger with SkyDance, and what the move...

From tax preparation to SNAP benefits, health care to housing, a myriad of government services have been privatized in the name of cost savings and efficiency. But the cost to taxpayers and to recipients is high, and the impact on corporate influence in government is undeniable. Anne Kim writes about the money made on America's poor, in her new book Poverty for Profit: How Corporations Get Rich of...

In January, the Baltimore Sun was purchased by David Smith, an executive chairman of Sinclair, Inc. The media company is based in Hunt Valley and owns more than 200 TV stations across the country. Smith purchased the paper for an undisclosed amount with a conservative commentator, Armstrong Williams. Smith made the purchase with personal money, and the paper is not part of the Sinclair company’s h...

GOP nominee Shannon Wright speaks to Midday about her campaign for Baltimore City mayor in another edition of Conversations with the Candidates . Wright has spent little money on advertising, and faces a tall task in a race against incumbent Mayor Brandon Scott. When the pair last faced off in 2020, Wright received 7 percent of the vote to Scott's 70 percent. Independent Bob Wallace received 20 pe...

Originally built in 1877 as a segregated school for African American children, P.S. 103 will soon host a new headquarters for Baltimore's public health efforts, a museum space for the life of Thurgood Marshall and the city's field office of the Maryland Legislative Office of the Black Caucus. A 2016 fire ravaged the building, but a multi-millionaire dollar partnership with Community Services Corpo...

Dr. Leana Wen joins Tom for Midday Healthwatch . They discuss issues affecting the health and well-being of Charm City residents. A recent trend highlights the need for safe sex education among seniors. The CDC reports that sexually transmitted infections are up exponentially in those 65 and older. Plus, tips for cutting out unhealthy processed foods Dr. Wen is a former health commissioner of Balt...

Theater critic  J. Wynn Rousuck  joins  Midday  to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. On today's show, we review 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'  at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company through July 21. The production is set outdoors at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park. (Photo by Kiirstn Pagan Photography) Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us...

President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee Mark Anthony Thomas joins Midday today. Founded in the 1950s, the GBC's goals are to foster economic development in the Baltimore metropolitan region. One of its most recent initiatives involves Baltimore being named a “Tech Hub,” which qualifies the city to apply for major federal grants to boost the city’s tech sector. On Monday, the Biden adm...

A shaky debate performance last week caused members of the Democratic party to question if the 81-year-old incumbent is the right choice as their candidate. A New York Times/Siena College poll showed that 69 percent of voters , including 55 percent of Biden voters, said Biden is too old to be an effective president. Could Democrats change their plans as the party gears up for their national conven...

One year ago, violence ripped through a cool summer night during a celebration of Baltimore's neighborhood of Brooklyn. Five people have been charged with gun crimes and other charges, including attempted first-degree murder, related to the Brooklyn Day shooting. Four people have pleaded guilty to their charges. Baltimore City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter , who represents the district encompassing...

The U.S. Supreme Court issued the final decisions of their 2023-2024 court term on Monday. Major opinions were issued on controversial topics such as emergency abortions, bump stocks, Purdue Pharma and even controversial social media posts. This term also saw the court issue decisions on several cases related to President Donald Trump including the Colorado election ballot, January 6 defendants an...