Midday

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday  to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. During today's review, a look at The Kite Runner , at The Kennedy Center thought June 30. The production is an adaptation of the bestselling novel about a boy in Afghanistan. Does it adapt well for the stage? (Photo by Bekah Lynn Photography) Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayW...

At last night’s debate, President Joe Biden missed his chance to reassure the country that he is not too impaired by age to hold the highest office in the land, and he squandered repeated opportunities to call out the former president's falsifications. Former President Donald Trump stuck tenaciously to falsehoods about the economy, abortion, drug prices, the insurrection, and the 2020 election. He...

Jazz vocalist Anna-Lisa Kirby reimagines the music of a classic American musician. Kirby is set to bring her own dynamic voice to the works of Leonard Cohen tonight at An die Musik, a performance space in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. She is to be joined by bassist Obasi Akoto, pianist Alan Blackman and drummer Claudio Silva. Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us...

On Midday today, we discuss two efforts to tackle development hurdles in Baltimore. First, we speak to Mike Posko , the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. He joins Midday to discuss his organization's recent milestone of 800 homes built over 40 years. Then we hear from Chad Williams , the Executive Director of West North Avenue Development Authority, which was formed in 2021 to invigor...

In the introduction to her fascinating new book, Washington Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins writes, “I've never known a winner, not one, who wasn't irritated by the lame idea that they were God-kissed with fortunate gifts.” The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life is a rumination on why athletic icons have risen to the top of their respective sports, and what lessons can be lea...

Sam Cogen promised change if elected to Baltimore city's sheriff office. Half a year into his term, what has changed, and what has not? The sheriff's office is responsible for protecting courthouses, evictions and enforcing protective orders. Cogen has sought to expand his agency's responsibilities , and said he wants to see his office be a "changing agent" in the housing and eviction process. So,...

“Peace is the duty of our time,” Phillip Berrigan told a class of college students in 1965. 60 years later, it remains so. Berrigan was an iconic peace activist, a soldier, a priest, a scholar, and a protester who came to international prominence as part of the Catonsville 9, a group that burned draft cards in 1968, during the Vietnam war. In 1973, Berrigan, with his wife, Elizabeth McAlister, fou...

Gov. Wes Moore pardoned 175,000 cannabis-related misdemeanor convictions on Monday. Among the pardoned convictions,  WYPR's Rachel Bay reported , more than 150,000 were for cannabis possession, and more than 18,000 for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. The governor’s office estimated that at least 100,000 people are affected by the pardons. Baye joins  Midday  to discuss the...

Comedian and author Paula Poundstone has starred in hit movies, authored best-selling books and hosted legendary comedy specials. She also hosts a podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone , and does standup shows across the country. Poundstone is set to appear at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis Saturday night . She joins Midday to talk about her long and illustrious career and the state of come...

Invasive plants, like English Ivy, do more than just crowd out native plant species. They disrupt local ecosystems, eliminating food sources for pollinators and insect species. A contest in Townson  seeks to promote the use of native plant species in residential yards . Hosted by Green Towson Alliance, homeowners compete in several categories and are judged on how well they integrate native plants...

Today, a conversation about community schools with Alexandria Warrick Adams , the Executive Director of Elev8 Baltimore. The non-profit works with public school students and their families throughout Baltimore. Jada Jackson also joins the show. She is a former student at an Elev8 Freedom School, who now serves as the Extended Learning Coordinator within the organization. On July 1, Elev8 is set to...

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday  to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. Rousuck reviews Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Iron Crow Theatre, on stage through June 30, 2024 . The play, which first debuted in abroad in 2017, tells the tale of a young man who does not quite fit in with his peers. Iron Crow Theatre’s production is one of the first in the United S...

A new book aims to rekindle the conversation about Black resistance to white supremacy in the history of the United States. We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance , is an impassioned love letter to Black resilience in our past and present. The author, Kellie Carter Jackson , is an Associate Professor and Chair of Africana Studies at Wellesley College and a cohost of This Day in Esoteric...

Immigration continues to be a key issues in the run up to the 2024 election year. Polling suggests immigration is ranked as one of the most pressing topics among voters across the nation. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced several executive actions designed to clamp down on immigration . If the number of crossings surges, the new order will prevent migrants from seeking asylum. The...

Extreme heat is expected to roast most of Maryland over the next week, with triple-digit temperatures forecast for Saturday and Sunday. National Weather Service meteorologist Austin Mansfield joins Midday to discuss the heat, and what is behind the extreme weather. The first heat-related death in Maryland occurred earlier in June. Dr. Sarah Lee , an emergency medicine physician at the University o...

Last year, fans in Baltimore were gripped by the Orioles' run into Major League Baseball's postseason, success not seen in nearly a decade. As the O's attempt to continue their winning ways this season, Midday takes a stroll down memory lane. John Eisenberg , a longtime sports columnist for the Baltimore Sun , draws from decades of his interviews with baseball stars of yesteryear . He joins Midday...

Every year, the Lyric invites area students to “Dream Big” with a contest inspired by Dr. Martin Luither King, Jr in which young people are asked to reflect on the question, "What will it take for us all to be free ?" They respond to that prompt with essays, poems, videos or visual art. Tom's guest to discuss the annual contest is Denise Kumani Gantt, the director of education at the Lyric Theater...

The Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble  Sweet Honey in the Rock  celebrated their 50-year anniversary in November. Their current roster includes vocalists Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Aisha Kahlil, Nitanju Bolade Casel, and Navasha Daya, with Romeir Mendez on upright acoustic/electric bass, and American Sign Language interpreter, Barbara Hunt. Carol Maillard , a founding member of Sweet Honey in...

After weeks of speculation of the future of the long-serving head of Baltimore City Public Schools,  the school board voted to renew CEO Sonja Santelises' contract for one year .  Santelises sought a longer contract, according to reporting by the  Baltimore Banner . Liz Bowie , education reporter for the  Baltimore Banner , joins  Midday  to discuss the unusually protracted negotiation process, an...

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday  to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. We discuss Long Way Down , at Olney Theatre Center through June 23 . The production is a world premiere. Does it have a long future ahead? (Photo from Teresa Castracane Photography) Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

What needs to happen to jumpstart the local economy while the Key bridge is rebuilt. Will there be a lag until things are back to normal? Tom speaks with Mary Kane , the CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and Dr. Christina DePasquale , an associate professor of practice in economics at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School about the impact of the bridge collapse on area businesses, non-prof...

Recovery and clean up efforts continue following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. Earlier this week , the port of Baltimore's channel fully reopened following 11 weeks of demolition and scavenging to remove debris from the Patapsco River. Gov. Wes Moore joins Midday to discuss the latest. We ask him about how much of the $60 emergency funds remain unspent, and if there is the...

Jamie Costello reported stories in Baltimore, about Baltimore and its communities, for nearly 40 years. And on Friday, at the end of the 6:00pm newscast, Costello will sign off from the anchor desk at WMAR for the final time . Costello is from Baltimore, and his authenticity and experience as a story-teller have always been a hallmark of his style. He reported on thousands of stories; delivering g...

Baltimore City's public school system is led by one of the longest-serving school superintendents in the nation. Dr. Sonja Santelises joins Midday on Education to look back on the school year, which ends on Thursday, June 13. Last month, the board of the Baltimore City Public Schools approved a $1.8 billion budget, which includes a new $4.5 million math curriculum and $6 million for pre-kindergart...

Disinformation, spread far and wide online, threatens the health of a democracy. But a new book offers prescriptions for how to counter disinformation. The Death of Truth: How Social Media and the Internet Gave Snake Oil Salesmen and Demagogues the Weapons They Needed to Destroy Trust and Polarize the World-And What We Can Do About It is a new book chronicling how wild conspiracy came to be so wid...