Midday

Bill Henry is the comptroller for Baltimore city. Last month, the Comptroller broke precedent and took the unusual step of abstaining when the Board of Estimates voted to send the budget to the City Council for its consideration.

Midday asks him about that move, and ongoing discussions about PILOT, payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, agreements with some of Baltimore's most powerful educational and medical institutions.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joins Midday to discuss changes at the Department of Juvenile Services. Vincent Schiraldi is out as DJS Secretary. Schiraldi says he has resigned because of negative media attention impacting the mission of his agency. Betsy Fox Tolentino, Managing Director of Young Adult Justice Initiatives at Roca, takes his place.

Will new leadership mean a new way of doing things for the department? And with a severe budget deficit, does DJS have the resources it needs to help young people?

The Chesapeake Bay's aquatic life are the fabric that make up the ecologic web of large estuary. Those animals, like fish, oyster and crab, are chief drivers of the region's economy, and are harvested to feed people in Maryland and beyond.

For oysters and blue crab, population fluctuation has caused alarm among environmentalists and harvesters alike.

This year, the bay's blue crab population decline to its second-lowest level since record-keeping began in 1990.

Ashley Sterner hosts a conversation on Midday with Dr. Allison Colden about this decline. Colden is the Maryland Executive Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Then, we turn to the bay's oysters.. We speak with Olivia Caretti, Coastal Restoration Program Manager at the Oyster Recovery Partnership.

Later in the show, a long-time fishing technique developed in Japan could change how Maryland harvests the bay's fish. Andrew Tsui, the Executive Director of the Ike Jime Federation, joins us to talk about ike jime, a method for killing and handling fish that preserves its taste. Could the method of preparation soon become more widespread within Maryland’s fishing industry?

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends with movie aficionados Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic at the Washington Post.

This week they discuss Mission Impossible, Lilo and Stitch, The Phoenician Scheme and a documentary about comedic actor Paul Reubens titled Pee Wee As Himself.

Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom in the studio to review one of our region's current theater productions.

This week, a look at Gospel with Audacity at Arena Players. The new production, on stage through June 8, weaves together faith, melody and comedy.

WTMD’s First Thursday Festival returns tomorrow. The homegrown concert takes place every summer at the Canton Waterfront Park and features artists from Maryland.

June's performing artists are Baltimore's own Rex Pax, the groovy Brooklyn-based outfit Brandi & the Alexanders and headliner Craig Finn.

Tyler LaPorte, afternoon host and WTMD Interim Program Director, joins Midday to discuss the upcoming event and what visitors can expect.

Since reopening in August 2022, The Peale describes itself as Baltimore's "Community Museum." Midday talks to new executive director John Suau about where he wants to take The Peale next.

Midday on Sports talks Orioles baseball and Ravens football. Plus, as the NBA Finals are set to kick-off, the WNBA held a game at CFG Bank Arena absent Caitlin Clark, but not absent plenty of enthusiasm.

What do you think is at the heart of what the O's need to do to turn things around this year? How do you feel about the decision by the Ravens to punt Justin Tucker before a league report looking into accusations of inappropriate behavior is released? Tucker denied those allegations following the Baltimore Banner's investigation.

WYPR’s afternoon host and sports aficionado Gabe Ortis joins me in Studio B.

Midday is also joined by the Baltimore Banner's Kyle Goon, a sports columnist, and Daniel Allentuck, who covers the Orioles for the Banner.