Midday

John Davis , the creator, producer, and host of MotorWeek, joins us for another edition of Midday on Cars . Now in its 44th season, MotorWeek is the longest running automotive show on TV. The show is produced at Maryland Public Television and syndicated on PBS stations across the country. Davis takes your questions and comments about all things automotive. If you’re in the market for a new car, wh...

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. This week they discuss “Avaaz” which continues at Olney Theatre Center through April 7, 2024. In this one-man show actor Michael Shayan plays his Iranian mother Roya and tells the story of her travels and triumphs in a performance that's more lovingly akin to a song. Email us at midday@wypr.or...

Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Tom's guest is Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr. He has decided to run for Congress in the second district for a seat currently held by 11-term Representative Dutch Ruppersberger who will retire when his current term ends. Mr. Olszewski has had a full plate of issues to contend with as County Executive, and we have talked about those issues regularly here on Midday. His appearance o...

Reforming the way juveniles experience the justice system has been a hot topic in the Maryland General Assembly this year. Earlier this month, both the House and Senate passed bills that address concerns about holding young offenders accountable while also offering them appropriate rehabilitation.  Tom's guests on this issue are State Delegate Luke Clippinger, former judge Andre Davis and the CEO...

Maryland Govenor Wes Moore joins us to answer your questions during this special Midday Town Hall. We have collected questions and comments from our listeners on everything from electric vehicles to state services. We'll share those comments with Governor Moore, in addition to discussing his legislative agenda in the General Assembly and his 10-year state plan. Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet u...

In today’s installment in our series of Conversations with the Candidates ,  we speak with State Senator Sarah Elfreth . She is one of several members of the Maryland General Assembly running in the 3rd congressional district race. The incumbent, Congressman John Sarbanes, will retire from the House of Representatives next January. In 2018, at the age of 30, Elfreth became the youngest woman ever...

In today’s installment in our series of  Conversations with the Candidates,  we meet one of the two leading candidates in the Democratic primary to succeed Senator Ben Cardin. Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks  has led Maryland's second largest county since 2018. She is the first Black woman to lead any county in Maryland history, and if she is elected to the US Senate, she will b...

Theater critic  J. Wynn Rousuck  joins Tom to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. This week, they discuss ' Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits ,' at Dundalk Community Theatre. The production, which runs through March 10, is a satire of Broadway's greatest stars and songs. Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is  Midday at the Movies,  our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends, with our regular movie aficionados,  Jed Dietz,  founding director of the  Maryland Film Festival ,  and  Ann Hornaday , film critic for the  Washington  Post. We discuss the contenders for this year's Academy Awards. Who will take home an Oscar? The nominees for Best Picture this year include  Oppenheimer,  ...

Can redevelopment at Mondawmin empower the neighborhood? Joining Midday to discuss this are two community leaders involved in a project to re-imagine a retail space in Baltimore’s Mondawmin Mall. The Target store at Mondawmin Mall, which closed in 2018, was purchased by The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company CEO Tim Regan along with the CEO of Exelon, Calvin Butler. With a host of nonprofit and co...

Most voters played according to the script in yesterday’s Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses. Republicans moved a step closer to nominating Donald Trump. He now has 777 of the 1,215 delegates he needs to lock up the Republican nomination. They took a giant leap in that direction this morning when Nikki Haley dropped out of the race. Joining Midday to talk about Super Tuesday, the presidential ra...

In today’s installment in our series of  Conversations with the Candidates ,  we speak with  Thiru Vignarajah . He is running in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Baltimore, and his fourth try for public office. He ran for Baltimore State’s Attorney in 2018, and he ran for Baltimore Mayor in 2020. He ran again for State’s Attorney in 2022, and now, he’s running for Mayor once again, in a field t...

It's another edition of the Midday Healthwatch  with Dr. Leana Wen . They discuss important changes made to COVID-19 guidelines by the nation's leading contagious disease authority. The Centers for Disease Control published new guidelines about how long we should isolate from others if we are infected with COVID 19. Additionally, the CDC is recommending older adults get another COVID booster shot....

Tom speaks with Donald Scoggins, a 78-year-old resident of Madison Park. They talk about the modern-day Republican party and housing problems in Baltimore.  Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

It's time for another visit with  Midday  theater critic  J. Wynn Rousuck , who joins us each week with her reviews of the Maryland, DC and Virginia regional stage. We discuss  The Oresteia  at  The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company  through March 10, 2024. Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today on Midday's News Wrap, we start with yesterday's shocking lockdown in Annapolis. Then we explore what the Maryland General Assembly has been up to as we approach the halfway mark in the 2024 Session. Today's guests include  Pamela Wood , who covers the Statehouse for our news partner, the Baltimore Banner, and  Matt Bush , WYPR’s News Director. Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayW...

Policy decisions made in the Maryland General Assembly can help or hurt the Chesapeake Bay. Allison Colden , the Maryland Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), joins Midday to talk about their organization's priorities for legislators in Annapolis. Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Are tax increment financing (TIF) packages working for development in Baltimore? Today's guest is  Melody Simmons ,  a Senior Reporter for the Baltimore Business Journal . For nearly 10 years, she has been covering the planned transformation of an 88-acre parcel of land near Hopkins Hospital by East Baltimore Development, Inc (EBDI). She gives us an update on this TIF anchored project and where it...

Midday in the Neighborhood takes a look at the more than 270 named communities in Baltimore. We focus on one or two and explore what makes each community unique. On today's show, we stroll down Read Street in Mount Vernon. Here, among funky dive bars and fine dining, Black business owners have long contributed to the neighborhood's wide range of colorful stores, restaurants and shops. Nick Thieme,...

Nutrition expert  Monica Reinagel  joins us for another edition of Midday's Smart Nutrition. According to the Food Research and Action Center, one in eight U.S. households experience food insecurity or do not have access to nutritional, affordable food. On today's show, we talk about how to fight hunger and malnutrition in the United States. Monica is a licensed nutritionist, author and speaker. S...

Two years have passed since Russia began a brutal invasion of Ukraine. In a press conference on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers and "tens of thousands" of civilians had died in the conflict, so far while many others have been injured. Estimates of Russian casualties vary widely, but US intelligence sources and the United Nations put the number nea...

There is a change of leadership at the top of Baltimore city's public library system. Heidi Daniel  has been CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library since 2017. But next month, she will become the executive director of the King County Library System in Washington State. Her replacement is  Darcell Graham , who has been with the Pratt Library for 25 years. She served as the Vice President of Public Ser...

WYPR and WTMD have been partners since 2021. Today, we are announcing the formation of a new company that will serve as an umbrella for both stations. The two stations will join together as Baltimore Public Media to serve listeners in Baltimore and beyond. We speak with Craig Swagler is the President and General Manager of Baltimore Public Media. We are also joined by Wendel Patrick is a composer,...

Midday Theater Critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews the latest interpretation of "Peter Pan" which runs through February 25, 2024.  Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.