Midday

On the Midday Newswrap, WYPR's Emily Hofstaedter discusses her recent reporting on the first audit of Baltimore’s Safe Streets program. The first biennial audit for MONSE, which oversees Safe Streets, found the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement had weak processes to prevent duplicate payments and overpayments to contractors.

Ultimately, the audit found no evidence of fraud but warned that MONSE was making itself susceptible to fraud if it did not heed recommendations from the Department of Audits.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Two public servants who represent change on the Baltimore City Council join Midday.

Kristerfer Burnett was elected to represent the 8th district in 2016. He has decided to retire from the council at the end of this term, which is in a couple of weeks. His successor is Paris Gray, who served in Councilman Burnett’s office for four years as a community outreach coordinator.

We ask the pair about their work, past and future, on the city council.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production.

Today we discuss Frozen, on stage at the Olney Theatre Center through January 5. The theatre was one of the few regional venues that Disney asked to produce their own take on this animated classic.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Enrollment in Baltimore City schools continue to decline, in parallel to the city's shrinking population over the past few decades. There are nearly 10,000 fewer kids in city classrooms this year than there were 10 years ago.

With funding for schools tied to the number of students in classrooms, less students represents a challenge for school officials. Chronic absenteeism, which afflicts Baltimore schools and schools across the country, is also a pressing problem.

Meanwhile, if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his pledge to shutter the federal Department of Education, what would that mean for our city?

Baltimore City Public School system CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises joins Midday to talk about the her school system, and its future.

Santelises led the system longer than any other city CEO in the last several decades. Her last contract expired in June. Chair Ronald McFadden reportedly engaged in months-long negotiations with Santelises that ended last summer with an offer for her to continue as CEO for just one more year, while a national search for her successor was undertaken. Then, about a month ago, the board voted to extend her contract another year, through June 2026. McFadden and Roberts voted against that extension, and this week they resigned as commissioners.

Liz Bowie, an education reporter with WYPR's news partner the Baltimore Banner, reports the reshuffling of the board is the result of a power struggle on the board over negotiations on a new contract with Santelises.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Midday revisits Tom's conversation with political scientist Tom Schaller, a professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and former Washington Post columnist Paul Waldman. In February they published, 'White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy.'

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Donald Trump’s penchant for fabrication and malicious claims against immigrants and others did not seem to matter to voters in the last election. A majority of voters chose Trump to serve a second term.

My guest has been chronicling lying in politics for the past 17 years. Bill Adair is the creator of PolitiFact. We’ll talk about his latest book, Beyond the Big Lie: The Epidemic of Political Lying, Why Republicans Do It More, and How It Could Burn Down Our Democracy.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today on Midday on the Arts, a rare, Reconstruction-era masterpiece by the groundbreaking African American composer Scott Joplin is on stage at Morgan State University. Opera@Morgan artistic director Marquita Lister tells us about Treemonisha.

Plus, the violin virtuoso Qing Lee of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra joins Midday to preview her appearance at Emmanuel Church tomorrow night at Emmanuel Church.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

First District Baltimore Councilman Zeke Cohen dominated the primary and general election to become the next President of the Baltimore City Council, succeeding Nick Mosby. Cohen is a Democrat who has been on the council since 2016.

Cohen joins Midday to talk about his priorities as he assumes one of only three city-wide offices.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

It is the Midday Newswrap on today's show.

Baltimore’s go-it-alone approach to holding companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic continues to pay off. This week, the city won yet another huge judgment. WYPR’s Health Reporter Scott Maucione has the latest.

Plus, Aman Azhar of Inside Climate News reports on efforts to end Maryland’s use of energy generated by trash incineration. Advocates have long railed against waste-to-energy plants, but now lawmakers are signaling their appetite for change.

 And, we remember a titan of Baltimore politics. Mary Pat Clarke passed away this week. Former Baltimore City Councilman Anthony Ambridge reflects on her life of service.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production.

This week, we discuss Into the Woods, at the Vagabond Players through Sunday, Nov. 17.

Then we briefly take a look at another Broadway musical in town, MJ, at the Hippodrome through Sunday.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.