Midday

Tom's next guest is Democratic Congressman Kweisi Mfume, who represents Baltimore City and the rest of Maryland's 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives…

...which is where, alongside the US Senate, gridlock over funding the federal government has reached a new record. At 36 days, the shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. 

But after Tuesday's sweeping Democratic ballot victories — in New York's mayoral election, Virginia's and New Jersey's governor races and even California's Prop. 50 redistricting initiative — the political landscape appears to have shifted in Democrats' favor. Will that be enough to spur bipartisan discussions to end the government shutdown?

Albert Shanker, a leading proponent of the early charter school movement in the 1980s and 90s, thought of charter schools as “educational laboratories” where teachers could try innovative pedagogical methods unburdened by standardized public school curriculum.

In Maryland, charter schools are funded by the public school districts where they operate. How much funding has been the topic of debate for two decades.

Now, state education leaders look likely to enforce new guidelines.

Alison Perkins-Cohen, Chief of Staff at Baltimore City Public Schools, joins Midday to talk about what the new formulas and what they mean for public schools.

Some charter school leaders say their districts are withholding too much funding, threatening their ability to operate. Will McKenna, an operator of two charter schools in Maryland and a leading advocate for charters, joined Midday in November to discuss the future of charter schools.

Annie E. Casey Foundation CEO Lisa Lawson says adolescent brain research suggests new strategies for supporting teens through a crucial stage of their development.

Tom's next guest is Johns Hopkins, the executive director of Baltimore Heritage since 2003, and the host of “Five Minutes of Baltimore History,” a new feature which debuts on WYPR this week.

Tomorrow, the government shutdown reaches the distinction of being the longest shutdown in American history.

Ongoing legal cases involving federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island will determine if federal food assistance -- SNAP benefits -- will be funded through the rest of the shutdown.

Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks joins Midday to help navigate the latest news on SNAP, which helps feed 690,000 people in Maryland.

Last Thursday, Gov. Wes Moore announced that he would allocate $10 million dollars to assist Marylanders whose SNAP benefits have been halted.

The money to food banks, local nonprofits, faith-based organizations, food kitchens, farmers markets, school pantries and mobile food units statewide. Moore’s decision strays from neighboring states’ plans, like Virginia and Delaware, to directly fund SNAP benefits for the month of November, which would cost Maryland around $123 million.

It’s the Midday Healthwatch with former Baltimore City Health Commissioner and Washington Post columnist, Dr. Leana Wen.

Dr. Wen joins Midday on the first Monday of every month to discuss important developments in the field of public health, and to answer your questions about medicine, health and wellness. Her latest book is Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health.

Midday's theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews the new production of Yasmina Reza's 'Art' at the Everyman Theatre.

As BMoreArt publishes its 20th bi-annual issue, founder/publisher Cara Ober and Managing Editor Chelsea Lemon Fetzer mark a decade of arts community-building and journalism.

As the latest government shutdown enters day 31, Maryland's Rep. Sarah Elfreth joins Midday to discuss the latest on negotiations and the urgent need of funding for SNAP benefits.

On Saturday, the effects of the shutdown are likely to be felt more sharply as federal SNAP benefits end for 42 million Americans, including 680,000 Marylanders.

Following our conversation with Elfreth, Gov. Wes Moore gave a press conference announcing an executive order that declared a state of emergency in Maryland, and a plan to temporarily address the termination of SNAP benefits.

Moore said the state would not cover funding for the SNAP program in lieu of the federal government while the government is shut down, but he did issue an executive order allowing the state to use $10 million dollars from the Fiscal Responsibility Fund to provide money to food banks, food pantries, and other non-profits across the state which address food insecurity.

In past shutdowns, the SNAP program has continued for needy families and seniors without interruption.

WYPR’s Sarah Petrowich is covering this story as more details about Moore's executive order are released.

Christie Dashiell, who plays Keystone Korner Baltimore tonight, is a singer/songwriter whose latest CD earned a 2025 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.