Midday

Justin Fenton from our partner news organization, The Baltimore Banner, reported late yesterday that former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s defense team has asked to withdraw from her case.

In their motion to withdraw, the attorneys say that Ms. Mosby has consented to having the federal public defender’s office take over her defense. Mosby is charged with two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements on a mortgage application. Her trial is set to begin in March.

David Jaros is on the faculty of the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he is the faculty director of the Center for Criminal Justice Reform.

Professor Jaros joins us on Zoom with analysis of yesterday's legal developments.

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

It's time for another visit with Midday's theater critic, J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins us each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. Today, she spotlights Broadway Bound, the late, great Neil Simon's Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1986 comedy, getting a new production now at Baltimore's Vagabond Players theater.

Simon's semi-autobiographical comedy-drama — the last in his so called "Eugene Trilogy" — follows on the heels of Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues in exploring the creative evolution of a young man named Eugene — the playwright's stand-in for himself — as an artist and comedic writer.

Steve Goldklang directs the Vagabond Players cast, which features: Andy Belt as Stan; Isaiah Mason Harvey as Eugene; Mike Ryals Ilani (as Alternate for Eugene and Stan); Jacqueline Irving (as Alternate for Blanche); Jeff Murray as Ben; Holly Pasciullo as Blanche (Alternate for Kate); Thom Peters as Jack; Anthony Rufo (as Alternate for Jack and Ben); and Amy Jo Shapiro as Kate.

Broadway Bound continues at Vagabond Players through January 29th. Click the theater link for more information.

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We begin today with a conversation about the role of city government in the arts.

The quasi-public city agency known as BOPA, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, came under fire a couple of weeks ago when it announced it was canceling the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade, an event that had been canceled for the last two years because of COVID.

When BOPA issued a press release announcing the parade’s cancelation on January 5, 2023 — less than two weeks from MLK Day — Rep. Kweisi Mfume issued a statement calling the decision “disrespectful” and “disgraceful.” BOPA issued what it called a “clarifying statement” that seemed to put blame for the decision in the Mayor’s office. Within hours, Mayor Brandon Scott was calling for the resignation of BOPA’s director, Donna Drew Sawyer, threatening to withhold city funding if she didn’t leave.She did leave, a few days later, and the parade did take place on Monday.

There are people who know whether or not the decision to cancel the parade emanated from the Mayor’s office, or from BOPA, but they’re not talking about it. Today on Midday, we’re not going to re-hash what happened with the parade. But we do want to talk about the role that BOPA has played, and should play, in the artistic life of our city.

Should promoting the city and serving as an arts council to advocate for creative artists be functions that are combined within one organization? When it comes to events like Artscape and the Baltimore Book Festival, two of the events that BOPA has traditionally produced, how important are they to the cultural life of the city?

Tom's guests today are three arts advocates who have worked to advance the cause of the arts in Baltimore for years.

Jeannie Howe is the executive director of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance… 

Navasha Daya is an internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter, and the founder of the Youth Resiliency Institute...

And Maggie Villegas is the founding director of BCAN, the Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network.

They all join Tom in Studio A.

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

On today's Special Edition of Midday, Tom hall hosts WYPR's live coverage of the historic Inaugural Ceremonies at the State House in Annapolis, as Governor-elect Wes Moore and Lt. Governor-elect Aruna Miller are sworn in, and deliver their inaugural addresses.

We get live reports and background during the event from WYPR News reporters Matt Bush and Rachel Baye in Annapolis.We also get analysis and context from Dr. Terry Anne Scott, an expert in African American history and the director of the Institute for Common Power.  Dr. Scott joins Tom in Studio A.

For this podcast, we pick up the ceremonies after Lt. Governor Aruna Miller has taken her oath of office and been introduced by her daughters, and begins her inaugural address. Her speech is followed by the public swearing-in and inaugural address of Maryland's new head of state, Governor Wes Moore.  Both addresses are presented without editing.

We heard today's ceremonial events courtesy of a live audio feed provided by Maryand Public Television. MPT will be rebroadcasting the Inaugural Ceremonies Wednesday night at 7pm.

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

Our focus today on Black youth continues now as Tom welcomes Kristin Henning to the program. She’s an attorney and professor at Georgetown University Law School who directs its Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative. She has represented youth in Washington DC for more than 25 years.

Her new book is called The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth. She joins us on Zoom…

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Professor Kristin Henning will be speaking about her book this evening at the University of Baltimore School of Law. The event is sponsored by the Center for Criminal Justice Reform and the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts. There’s a book signing at 5:30pm. Professor Henning’s talk begins at 6:00pm. For more information and to register for the free event, click here.

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

Today on Midday, a focus on Black youth.

A little later in the show, Tom speaks with Kristin Henning, a lawyer with the Juvenile Justice Center at the Georgetown law school about her book, The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth.

But Tom begins with Faith Leach, Baltimore City Deputy Mayor of Equity, Health and Human Services. She oversees the program that went into effect last week to provide alternatives for Squeegee workers in Baltimore.

Part of that program includes banning the practice of squeegeeing at a half a dozen intersections in the city. Part of it includes incentives and opportunities for the squeegee workers that will allow them to find sustainable work.

Faith Leach joins us on Zoom from her office in City Hall.

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

On this special edition of Midday honoring the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we’ll meet three people for whom every day is a day of service, and whose animating force and deep-seated passions are centered, as Dr. King said, in the broader concerns of humanity.

Tom's first guest is is Sharayna Christmas, an artist, teacher and activist who is the founder of MUSE 360, an organization that works with young African Americans to increase their life skills and broaden their understanding of Black history.

Tom's next guest is Cjay Philip, the founder and artistic dirctor of Dance & Bmore, and creator of Bmore Broadway Live, a performing arts group that taps into the talent of local youth.Tom's final guest is Phyllis Gilmore, president of the Woodbourne-McCabe Community Association and Vice President of the York Road Partnership.

Today's conversations were recorded, so we're not taking any live comments or questions.

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We open this segment of Midday with music by Antonin Dvorak, from his Symphony No. 9 ("From the New World") performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Joining Tom now is Mark Hanson. Last spring, he was appointed the President and CEO of the BSO, and job number one for him was hiring a new music director. In July, the BSO announced it has signed a five year contract with Jonathon Heyward, a 30 year-old African American musician who grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. He will become the first Black maestro to lead a major symphony in the United States.

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

WYPR's news partner at the Baltimore Banner reports this morning that Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates has dropped the case against Keith Davis, who has already been tried four times for the murder of Kevin Jones in 2015.During his campaign for State’s Attorney, Bates had indicated that he would drop the charges against Davis. He recused himself from the review process of the case, which took place after he took office early this month. Former State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has long held that Davis is guilty of this crime, and she was planning on re-trying him in May of this year. In two of Davis’ four trials, juries were not able to come to a unanimous verdict. In the other two trials in which juries did reach a guilty verdict, judges overturned those verdicts.

The Banner is also reporting that yesterday, The Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges against two Baltimore Police officers who shot and killed Donnell Rochester. That shooting was the subject of several protests. An investigative report concluded that in February of last year, Rochester, an 18 year-old from Odenton, was driving in the direction of an officer when police opened fire. Prosecutors concluded that the shooting was lawful self-defense.

This week, there were leadership shake-ups at two city agencies. Jason Mitchell, who came to Baltimore from Oakland, California, 20 months ago, announced that in April, he will resign his position as the Director of the Department of Public Works.

And Donna Drew Sawyer, the CEO of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and Arts was forced out of her position after Mayor Brandon Scott demanded her resignation.

For some informed perspectives on these developments, Tom turns to two Baltimore City Councilmen: Zeke Cohen, who represents District 1 in south Baltimore, and Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer, who represents District 5 in northwest Baltimore. They join us on Zoom.

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

Today on Midday, it’s Midday on Immigration. 

Last week, the Biden administration announced new policies designed to help stem the surge of migration across the nation's southwestern border with Mexico. The policies include a combination of pathways to legal entry into the country and expanded expedited removal of those who cross into the US unlawfully.

The President visited the border for the first time as president on Sunday, and then he travelled to Mexico City for what is known as the “Three Amigos Summit,” where he met with his presidential counterparts in Canada and Mexico.

Today, Tom speaks with three people with keen insights into America's complex and persistent immigration problem.

His first guest is NPR White House Correspondent Franco Ordoñez, who joins us on our digital line from NPR headquarters in Washington.

Tom speaks next with Krish Vignarajah. She is the President and CEO of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Krish Vignarajah joins us on Zoom from her office in Baltimore…

Next week, Maryland will inaugurate its first African American Governor, its first South Asian Lt. Governor and its first woman comptroller. Our state’s first Black Attorney General was sworn in last week. Marylandis the most diverse state on the eastern seaboard, and it’s fitting that we have state leadership that reflects the demographics of our citizens.

In November, 2021, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr., acknowledging that his county is becoming more diverse, appointed the County’s first Immigrant Affairs Outreach Coordinator, Giuliana Valencia-Banks, who is Tom's final guest today. She joins us on Zoom…

How do you think the US should be handling the waves of migrants seeking entry at America's southern border? 

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