Midday

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has been called one of Maryland’s most important cultural institutions. Today we hear from two of the talented people involved in their work. Jonathon Heyward is the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He is finishing his inaugural season, including a final show in the Symphony in the City series . The free concert at Fort McHenry will be dedi...

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 discuss some current releases, including Furiosa , and look at recent poor box office numbers across the United States. Email us at midday@wypr.org, twe...

On today's Midday News Wrap, a look at the aftermath of severe weather in Montgomery County where residents are taking stock following reports of tornados, downed power lines and property damage. Midday host Tom Hall speaks with Jim Brown , president of the Poolesville town commissioners, about last night's storms. Then, there are new laws on the books. The Maryland General Assembly passed 1,053 p...

Jason Gay , a sports and humor columnist for the Wall Street Journal , talks basketball, baseball and more. After a long layover, the games begin again tonight with the start of the NBA finals. Plus, we discuss the moment the WNBA is experiencing this season. And in baseball news, Major League Baseball issued bans and suspensions to professional players alleged to have participated in sports betti...

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. Rousck joins Midday to review Love/Sick , onstage at Spotlighters Theatre through June 9 . (Photo by Spotlighters Theatre/Jonathan Hemphill) Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

On Midday today, a look at the life and legacy of Sen. Charles Mathias. He was a liberal Republican popular in Maryland for more than two decades and was known by his colleagues as the “conscience of the Senate.” A new collection of essays about Sen. Mathias by staffers who worked with him and elected officials who served with him paints a portrait of a principled man who put country above party a...

A controversial piece of legislation passed by the Baltimore County Council Monday night attempts to restrict development near overcrowded schools. The effort seeks to address rampant overcrowding in county schools, but critics of the bill say it will do little to relieve crowded classrooms and will only worsen the county’s affordable housing crisis. WYPR Reporter John Lee covers Baltimore County...

Bakari Sellers was the youngest African American elected official in the country when he won a seat in the South Carolina state legislature at the age of 22. Sellers is a civil rights attorney, a CNN political analyst, and the author of two books. The latest is an essay on race, politics, and equality, and a prescriptive call for how to address the challenges our country faces living up to its sta...

A new feature on WYPR seeks to highlight the bright side of the news headlines and celebrates the good in all of us. The Good News, hosted by former head of the NAACP Dr. Benjamin Chavis will broadcast on WYPR and WTMD. The daily radio commentary and headline news review will seek to offer timely and unique perspective on the headline news of the day across America and throughout the world. Chavis...

Dr. Leana Wen joins Tom for Midday Healthwatch for their monthly discussion about the public health of Charm City residents. Today, Wen answers questions about menopause. What therapies are effective, and what do women need to know? Plus, with the 2024 Olympics set to get underway next month, is the World Doping Agency doing its job? Wen is a former health commissioner of Baltimore. She is a colum...

A New York jury unanimously found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to influence the 2016 presidential election, marking the first time a former president has been found guilty of a crime. Washington Post columnist  E. J. Dionne  joins  Midday  to share his analysis of the conviction and how it may impact the presidential election. Email us at midday@wypr...

City officials are considering Mayor Brandon Scott's proposed fiscal budget for 2025. The Mayor said his budget contains few cuts, with more money going to schools, the Department of Recreation and Parks and public safety. Bill Henry , Baltimore City's Comptroller, joins  Midday  to discuss the proposed budget, reforms to the city's procurement policy and more. Henry sits on the city's Board of Es...

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. This week, we take a look at The Matchbox Magic Flute, continuing at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington through June 16. Special note: Songs used in this interview were performed by the cast of The Matchbox Magic Flute at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.   (Photo by Liz Lauren) Email us a...

Jury deliberations in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump's alleged hush money payments resumed today. The twelve jurors, all New Yorkers, asked to reheard testimony and some of the judge's instructions, according to reporting from AP News . Midday host Tom Hall spoke to Maryland Law Professor Mark Graber and prominent Baltimore-based defense attorney Warren Brown about the latest...

In 2018, Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate won nearly 20 million more votes than their GOP opponents, but Republicans gained two seats and established a 53-47 majority. This is one example of the disintegration of majority rule cited by Mother Jones national voting rights correspondent Ari Berman in his new book, Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People and the Fight...

Journalist and best-selling author Erik Larson joins Midday to discuss his latest book on the years leading up to the U.S. Civil War. The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War is a granular look at the events taking place in the five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860 and the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April 1...

Political scientist Tom Schaller , who teaches at UMBC, and former Washington Post columnist Paul Waldman have written a book that examines how rural communities wield out-sized political influence. Going even further, to the chagrin of their critics, Schaller and Waldman assert that, quote, “white rural voters pose a growing threat to the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.” But critics of t...

Anne Lamott is a best-selling author whose large body of work resonates with millions of readers. She writes both fiction and non-fiction and she has just published her 20th book, , Somehow: Thoughts on Love. It is a kind, fun, personal reflection on love. Can love lift us out of despair, and right us when we falter? Lamott answers that question with a resounding “yes.” Anne Lamott joined Midday i...

A sentencing hearing for Marilyn Mosby, a former two-term Baltimore State’s Attorney, was held today in a federal court in Greenbelt. Mosby was convicted of perjury and mortgage fraud  in February. Debbie Hines joined Midday to discuss the latest. She is a former prosecutor and trial attorney, and the author of Get Off My Neck: Black Lives, White Justice, and a Former Prosecutor’s Quest for Reform...

Will new approaches to preventative care lead to fewer cases of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension? John B. Chessare , MD, MPH, is the President and CEO of GBMC HealthCare joins Midday to discuss how the medical center is attempting a more proactive approach to treating patients in the Baltimore region with diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @Mi...

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. This week, we discuss the classic play A Midsummer's Night Dream, on stage at the Everyman Theatre through June 9. One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, Midsummer often sees theaters make creative changes to the script. Is that the case at Everyman Theatre? Notes: > Everyman Theatre's...

The warm and sunny weather is here, and many Marylanders are headed outdoors to tend to our gardens. Two seasoned pros join Midday for a seasonal conversations about what we can grow around our homes, in our yards and our community gardens. Carrie Engel ,  the veteran plant specialist and Greenhouse Manager at Valley View Farms Nursery and Garden Center in Cockeysville, Maryland, joins us for your...

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March caused some environmental advocates to worry about potential impacts on marine life and ecosystem of the Patapsco River. But concerns surrounding pollution and environmental hazards near the port predate the bridge collapse. Communities near Baltimore's port have long expressed concerns about pollution in their neighborhoods . Dr. Sacoby Wilson...

The musical duo Griefcat joins Midday for a live performance. Their latest album, Late Stage Capitalism , showcase the biting humor of the pair of performers. Their funny, satirical songs explore an array of subjects, from crypto currency and the environment, to wealth and religion. Griefcat's Annie Nardolilli and Louisa Hall join the show. Their next schedule performance is tomorrow, May 22, at t...

More than 26 million passengers traveled through BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport last year. The airport continues to grow, with an increase in international passengers and international airlines. Upgrades were added to the airport's facilities including new bathrooms that have already earned awards for design and cleanliness. Ricky Smith , the CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration who oversees...