Midday

Welcome to another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking, with two of our favorite movie mavens: Ann Hornaday, a film critic with the Washington Post, and author of the bestselling filmgoers' guide,Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theatre.

Today they'll join Tom to help sort through the new crop of summer movies, from blockbuster action films and charming animations to thoughtful documentaries on the issues of the day.

And we ask our listeners: What films are you watching this summer? 

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

It's Midday on the Arts.  Now, more music, or in this case a musical about music, in a way. Our theater critic, J. Wynn Rousuck, who visits each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage, joins Tom today to share her impressions of an unusual new production of Meredith Willson's 1957 classic, The Music Man, now on stage at the Olney Theater Center.

What sets this production apart is that half of the musical's cast is deaf, and the other half hearing, and the presentation uses ASL (American Sign Language) and English supertitles along with conventional song and dialogue. It's complicated, but effective, Judy says.

Starring acclaimed deaf actor James Caverly in the title role, the musical is co-directed by Michael Baron and Sandra Mae Frank, with music direction by Christopher Youstra and special "Artistic Sign Language" direction by Michelle Banks.The Music Man continues at Olney Theatre Center through July 24. Follow the theater links above for showtimes and ticketing information.

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

Now, Tom welcomes back to the show one of the best jazz musicians in the business. Todd Marcus is a virtuoso bass clarinetist, composer and arranger. His latest album was released last Friday. It’s called In the Valley, and it features music he composed for his nine-piece big band, inspired by Todd’s visits to Egypt, to perform and to visit family.

Todd Marcus joins us on Zoom from his home in Sandtown-Winchester…

Todd and the band will be performing in Baltimore a week from tonight - July 14th - on the Art in the Parks series in Bolton Hill. And the next night, on July 15, the band is playing in the sculpture garden of the National Gallery of Art.

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, we’ll have a review from our theater critic, J. Wynn Rousuck, and Tom will speak with the acclaimed jazz clarinetist, Todd Marcus. He released a new album with his band last week. It’s called In the Valley, and we’ll get a preview with Todd today on Midday.

But we begin with Jari Villanueva. He’s the musical director of the Hotel Paradise Orchestra, a 1920s-style jazz and swing band that performs throughout the Baltimore area.

Here’s a taste: This is the band’s 2020 take on a tune called Zulu Wail.

The Hotel Paradise Orchestra's next show is later this month, on July 24th at 3pm at the Roland Park Community Center. It’s called a “Cupcake Concert.” Admission includes a concert, and a buffet of items from each of the five dessert groups. You can reserve tickets by calling 410-235-1566 or by emailing Lynn Summerall at [email protected]. 

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

The January 6th committee will continue its series of public hearings next week.  Has the committee made the case for a criminal indictment of former President Donald Trump, based on his possible liability for the insurrection at the Capital last year, and the attempt to subvert the 2020 election?

Joining Tom now is Robert Weisberg.  He’s a professor of criminal law at the Stanford Law School and a founder and faculty co-director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center, which does research on criminal law and the criminal justice system.

He joins us on Zoom from his office in Stanford, California. 

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

A little more than a week after President Biden signed a gun safety bill that was touted as the most significant piece of gun legislation to clear Congress in 30 years, yet another young man opened fire on a crowd, this time, at a fourth of July parade in an affluent suburb of Chicago.

The shooter, reportedly disguised as a woman, fled to his mother’s home, took her car, and took off. Police apprehended him about a few hours later.

The attack appears to have been planned for several weeks. He shot 70 rounds of ammunition, killing seven people. Dozens of others were injured in the chaos.

On June 23rd, the day before the House sent the gun bill to the President for his signature, in a closely watched case in New York, the Supreme Court loosened restrictions on carrying concealed weapons. 

Yesterday, MD Gov. Larry Hogan directed Police to “immediately suspend” the criteria for reviewing applications for permits to carry concealed weapons, dumping the so-called ‘good and substantial reason’ standard. As Nathan Sterner has been reporting, Hogan said his direction was “in line with actions taken in other states in response to the recent supreme court ruling.” 

In fact, New York moved immediately to expand permit requirements and revise their statutes to limit guns in certain locations. MD Senate President Bill Ferguson has vowed to enact similar legislation in the 2023 session.

We begin today with where Congress, the Court and the country are on the subject of guns. Theodoric Meyer of the Washington Post joins me.  He is a national political reporter and a co-author of the Early 202 newsletter. He's been covering the debate over gun control legislation, as well as developments in the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

Theodoric Meyer joins us on Zoom from Washington, D.C.

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

It has by no means been smooth sailing for Maryland election officials trying to keep the 2022 primaries on track. Contentious fights about redistricting forced primary election day to be delayed from June 28th to the 19th of July, in the middle of vacation season, at a time when Marylanders are not at all used to casting a ballot.

Add to the mix the confusion over what the final district maps looks like, and threats to election workers throughout the country in 2020 that have dampened enthusiasm for signing up to work the polls.But despite all of that, early voting starts Thursday. Mail in ballots have begun to be collected at drop boxes and through the mail. Polls are scheduled to open at 7:00 AM, two weeks from today.

Today on Midday, a look at what’s different about how, where and when we will cast our ballots this year, and some historic perspective about how MD voters, vote.

A little later, Tom speaks with Armstead Jones, who oversees voting in the city as Elections Director at the Baltimore City Board of Elections; and Hank Greenberg, the Maryland State Director of AARP, which represents the senior demographic that traditionally votes in greater numbers than any other age group. In 2020, 51% of voters aged 18-24 cast a vote. But 76% of seniors, aged 65-74, made sure their voices were heard.

But we begin with the man who knows more about Maryland electoral history than any other person. John T. Willis served as MD Secretary of State from 1995 - 2003. In the 1990s, he served on the MD Commission to Revise the Election Code. And in 2001, he was the Chair of Maryland’s Special Committee on Voting Systems and Election Procedures, which led to landmark election reform measures. He is now executive in residence at the University of Baltimore's School of Public and International Affairs.

John Willis and all our guests join us today on Zoom…

Baltimore City residents: If you have requested but not yet received your mail-in or absentee ballot, call the Baltimore City Board of Elections at 410.396.5581.

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

We turn now to the 2022 Dream Big Contest, a competition inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s ”I Have a Dream Speech.” Students from Baltimore City and Baltimore County grades 5-12 were asked to submit poems, essays and videos describing their dreams for themselves and for their communities.

Now in its fifth year, the contest is co-sponsored by Lyric Baltimore’s Education Foundation.

Tom is joined on Zoom by two of the 12 finalists honored at the Awards Ceremony at the Lyric this past April 18 (broadcast by event co-sponsor WBAL-TV11 on Apr. 24):

Asia Webster entered as a 9th grade student at Baltimore City College. She was honored for her essay, If I Had a Dream. Asia is a Youth Cultural Arts Organizer for the Youth Resiliency Institute, where founder/artistic director Navasha Daya describes Asia as "a wonderful improvisational actor, prolific writer, and a bit obsessed with Starbucks..."

Carrie Snowden was an 11th grader at the Baltimore Design School; her submission was a video called Carrie’s Story, which you can see on this Youtube link; Carrie is a member of the Bmore Youth Arts Advocacy Council, a program of Arts Every Day, which advocates for more arts instruction and engagement in Baltimore City Public Schools.

Also joining Tom on Zoom is Denise Kumani Gannt. She is the Director of Education and resident artist with Lyric Baltimore, and one of the prime movers behind the "Dream Big" Contest.

For more information about the "Dream Big" Contest, send an email to: [email protected]

These conversation were previously recorded, so we can't take any live calls, emails or Tweets.

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

Good afternoon and happy holiday. Welcome to this Fourth of July edition of Midday. Today, on this day when we celebrate the idea and the ideals of America: conversations about social justice and civil rights. A little later in this broadcast, we’ll hear from some young people who were finalists in the Big Dream Contest held earlier this year at the Lyric Theater.

But we begin with Maya Davis and Allison Tolman, two of a group of 13 scholars who have put together a show about the history of the civil rights movement in Maryland called Passion and Purpose: Voices of Marylands' Civil Rights Activists.  It’s at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, formerly known as the MD Historical Society.

Maya Davis is the Director of the Riversdale House Museum, the former 19th Century Plantation home of George and Rosalie Calvert.  She’s an expert in African American history; she serves as a Commissioner on the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission and she is a board member of the Prince George’s County Historical Society and the Maryland Center for History and Culture.

Allison Tolman is the Vice President of Collections and Interpretation at the Maryland Center for History and Culture...

(This conversation was recorded in late June, 2022, so we aren’t able to take any calls or comments today.)

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

Maryland voters head to the polls next week. Mail-in voting has already begun. Early voting starts Thursday. Election day is two weeks from Tuesday.

Today, it’s a special installment in our series of Conversations with the Candidates 2022.  Two of the three leading candidates in the Democratic primary for Governor join Tom for the hour to discuss the issues on the minds of Marylanders.

In early June, a poll published by the Baltimore Sun identified Comptroller Peter Franchot, non-profit executive Wes Moore and former Labor Secretary Tom Perez leading a 10-person field in the Democratic primary. Those three candidates polled in the low double-digits. A large number of respondents said they had not made up their minds.

In a poll released on Tuesday of this week, commissioned by WYPR, the Baltimore Banner and Goucher College showed the race between Mr. Franchot, Mr. Moore and Mr. Perez to be even closer than it was in early June. Those three candidates are now in a statistical tie. The other candidate who is closest to them is former Attorney General Doug Gansler, who is about ten points behind.

We invited the top three candidates to appear on Tuesday of this week. Peter Franchot’s spokesperson declined our invitation citing a schedule conflict. We tried a different date, today, and once again citing a schedule conflict, the Franchot campaign declined our invitation.

And so, we are pleased to welcome Wes Moore and Tom Perez to today’s conversation. They join us on Zoom.

Wes Moore is a best-selling author who has worked in the private and non-profit sector. He was most recently the CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, a national philanthropic organization. And, full disclosure: he once hosted Future City, a public affairs show on WYPR. He has chosen as his running mate former Delegate Aruna Miller from Montgomery County…

Tom Perez is a lawyer who headed the Civil Rights Division in the US Justice Department, and served as MD labor secretary during the O’Malley administration. He was also appointed US Labor Secretary during the Obama Administration, and he was the chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He has chosen as his running mate Shannon Sneed, a former Baltimore City Councilwoman…

We begin with an opportunity for each candidate to say hello and explain why they deserve your vote.

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