Midday

It’s another edition of the Midday Healthwatch, our monthly conversations about public health with Dr. Leana Wen.

We'll be talking today about how, after the US Department of Energy gave oxygen to the lab-leak theory about the origins of COVID, new evidence has emerged suggesting the pandemic began because of animal-to-human transmission in a Chinese live-animal market. And what are the guidelines, and what should be the guidelines, about second bivalent boosters for people who are immunocompromised?

Plus, Dr. Wen has been writing about several other important public health topics. These include: the FDA’s decision to make Narcan available over the counter; the high numbers of people experiencing loneliness, even in this post-COVID period; and what’s best for kids when it comes to social media and screen time.

Dr. Leana Wen joins Tom on Zoom.

Leana Wen is one of America’s most trusted and knowledgeable public health experts, and she has been a regular guest on our show since her time as the Baltimore City Health Commissioner, from 2015-2018. Today, the emergency physician is a research professor of healthy policy and management at the George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health. She’s a columnist for the Washington Post, a medical analyst for CNN, and a non-resident senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. And she's the author of Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health

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

It's time again for a visit with Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom each week with her reviews of Maryland-DC's regional stage.

Today she spotlights playwright Adam Rapp's emotionally suspenseful 2018 drama, The Sound Inside, in a new production at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre.

Directed by Everyman's Founding Artistic Director Vincent M. Lancisi, Rapp's Tony-nominated play explores how two writers confront life-and-death issues, in their work and in their real lives. Beth Hylton stars as college writing professor Bella Lee Baird, and Zach Powell plays her student protégé, Christopher Dunn.

The Sound Inside continues at Everyman Theatre until April 2. Click the show link for more information.

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

Now, Tom welcomes Angela Hewitt to the program. The British-Canadian artist is an extraordinary classical pianist who has been praised particularly for her interpretations of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Here’s Ms. Hewitt performing music from Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier.

Angela Hewitt joined us Thursday on Zoom from Ottowa. Because our conversation is recorded, we can't take any questions or comments today.

Angela Hewitt will be appearing in a concert on the Candlelight Concert Series tomorrow night in the Smith Theatre at Howard Community College. Her program begins at 7:30. It will include music of Scarlatti, Bach and Brahms. For more information and ticketing, click here.

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

Today, it's Midday on the Arts. A little later in the hour, Tom will speak with the internationally acclaimed classical pianist, Angela Hewitt, who is appearing in Columbia tomorrow night. And our theater critic, J Wynn Rousuck, will review the new show at the Everyman Theater.

But we begin with the spoken word artist Wordsmith. He has released eight albums, and contributed music to several network and streaming shows, including Russian Doll and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. 

He has performed all over the world in partnership with the US State Department, and in 2020, he was named an artistic partner with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Last year, he premiered a new version of Igor Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale and a new interpretation of the finale of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

In addition to writing and performing, Wordsmith is also an educator, activist and advocate. He recently started a non-profit organization called Rise with a Purpose.

The group plans to launch a music school in Baltimore, and Wordsmith joins us now on Zoom to tell us about it…

The event to help fund the new Rise With a Purpose music school will take place tomorrow night at 6:00 at Baltimore Unity Hall. To register for the event, click here. 

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

Now, it’s Midday on the Law.  Joining Tom is David Jaros. He’s a professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law and the Faculty Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Reform.

Professor Jaros discusses the case of Adnan Syed, who was convicted in 1999 of murdering his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, and sentenced to life in prison. His case was controversial, and became the focus of journalist Sarah Koenig's award-winning investigative podcast series, "Serial." After serving 23 years of his sentence, Syed was released from prison last November when his conviction was overturned in light of new evidence in the case.

But just four months later, his case was back in the headlines after a Baltimore appellate judge on Tuesday (March 28) reinstated Syed's conviction because of a procedural technicality, and ordered a new hearing on the motion to vacate the conviction. Meanwhile, Syed's lawyer is appealing the reinstatement.

Professor David Jaros join us with his analysis of the case.

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

We begin today with the two leaders of the Baltimore Chapter of the NAACP: the President, Rev. Kobi Little, and Branch Vice President, Joshua Harris.

They join Tom to discuss what’s top of mind for the local chapter of NAACP. Two recent issues in which the civil rights organization has been vocal include the deal to turn over maintenance of the city’s conduit system to its largest user, BGE, and the need for city lawmakers to pass ordinances that would guarantee inclusionary housing in Baltimore.

The Rev. Kobi Little and Joshua Harris join us in Studio A.

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

Today it’s Midday on Education, and Tom's Newsmaker guest is the president and CEO of the Baltimore City Public Schools, Dr. Sonja Santelises.

As yet another horrible mass shooting of students and staff in a Nashville school on Monday reminds us, school safety is a challenge faced by schools nationwide.And, in the first post-COVID assessment of schools by the MD state department of education, Baltimore City and Baltimore County students ranked among the lowest in the region. The percentage of students proficient in math in grades 3 through 8 dropped from 33% to 22% over the years of remote learning during the pandemic, although students demonstrated some overall progress in English proficiency.

To be sure, there are problems in our school system. But there are many gifted and dedicated teachers in our city’s schools, scores of involved and conscientious parents, and young people who are trying to achieve what they are capable of achieving.

The city's Board of School Commissioners appointed Dr. Sonja Santelises as CEO of City Public Schools in the spring of 2016; she took office on July 1 of that year. Last summer, she became the longest-serving city schools chief in the last 30 years.

Dr. Santelises joins us here in Studio A. She is with us for the hour. 

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

Today, a conversation about equity and AI. Tom's guest is Dr. Timnit Gebru, a computer scientist and tech expert who is working to reduce the negative effects of artificial intelligence.

In 2021, Dr. Gebru founded the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR), a non-profit she currently serves as executive director. Before that, she was employed at Google, where she co-led the Ethical Artificial Intelligence research team. She was fired in 2020 — although the company insists she resigned — after a dispute with Google about its suppression of some of her research, and her criticism of the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. She had previously done ground-breaking work at Apple and Microsoft.

Dr. Gebru is also the co-founder of Black in AI, a nonprofit whose stated mission is "to increase the presence, inclusion, visibility and health of Black people in the field of AI."

Her DAIR research includes studying how artificial intelligence often reinforces and amplifies existing prejudices and marginalization. She has looked at how facial recognition programs are much less accurate in analyzing faces of people of color. She has also written about the need for regulation in the tech industry, and the environmental impact of AI.

Dr. Timnit Gebru joins us on Zoom from San Francisco.

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

The 2023 MD General Assembly is in its final two weeks. Today on Midday on Politics, an update on how various bills are faring as they wind their way through the legislative session that concludes with Sine Die on April 10.

We begin with Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, who represents District 20 (Montgomery County). She’s a Democrat and since last year has served as the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus. Del. Wilkins joins us on Zoom.

Then, Tom speaks with two reporters who have covered more than a few legislative sessions, including the current one.

Matt Bush is WYPR’s news director. Pamela Wood covers state politics and government for our news partner, The Baltimore Banner.

Matt joins Tom in Studio A, and Pamela joins us on Zoom to discuss the status of major pieces of legislation as the General Assembly enters its final two weeks.

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

Midday on the Arts continues as Tom welcomes the internationally acclaimed classical guitarist, Xuefei Yang.

The artist has performed in more than 50 countries around the world, and she's playing a concert here in Baltimore tomorrow night as part of the Baltimore Classical Guitar Society series.

We're delighted that she is here with us today in Studio A, and that she has brought her guitar to play for us…

Xuefei Yang has entitled her upcoming concert program “Classical and Beyond.” It’s at the Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall on the campus of Towson University. It begins at 8:00pm on Saturday, March 25. For more information, click here.

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