Midday

By WYPR 88.1 FM BaltimoreSociety & Culture News

Midday episodes

January 28, 2025 A former federal prosecutor on what a new Dept. of Justice means for Maryland, and the rule of law
Yesterday, acting Attorney General James McHenry fired more than 12 career prosecutors who worked with Special Counsel Jack Smith on two criminal investigations into President Donald Trump. A Justice Department spokesperson said the prosecutors could not be trusted to “faithfully implement” the President’s agenda.
Aaron Zelinsky, a Baltimore-based attorney, joins Midday to discuss this development and more. Zelinsky recently retired from the Department of Justice after more than 10 years as a prosecutor. He served as an Assistant Special Counsel to Robert Mueller in the investigation into President Donald Trump’s connection to Russia during the 2016 election.
He was also the lead prosecutor in two high-profile cases in Maryland. He was set to prosecute Roy McGrath, Gov. Larry Hogan’s Chief of Staff, before McGrath's suicide. And Zelinsky got convictions in the perjury and mortgage fraud cases against former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who is currently serving a sentence of a year in home detention.
Photo credit: Peter E., via Flickr CC BY NC SA 2.0
49 min
January 27, 2025 Baltimore's anti-violence strategy sees success. Ivan Bates says it can do even better.
The Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement's strategy, the Group Violence Reduction Strategy, is the city's effort to reduce violence in Baltimore.
50 min
January 24, 2025 Dan Rodricks reflects on the past, present and future of journalism
Dan Rodrick's final column as he announces retirement.
39 min
January 24, 2025 Rousuck Review: 'Whitechapel' from StillPointe Theatre
Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production.
StillPointe Theatre’s production of Whitechapel continues through February 1 at The Club Car at 12 North Ave in Baltimore.
10 min
January 23, 2025Steep budget cuts, uncertain federal funds menace Maryland's ambition education plans
Kalman Hettleman's recent opinion pieces for MarylandMatters:
Trump’s wrong (again): Abolishing the Education Department would be a disaster for schoolkids
The inconvenient truth about the Blueprint
50 min
January 22, 2025 Dry January goes mainstream. What are the benefits?
Dry January, a month-long stint of sobriety at the beginning of the new year, is growing in popularity in the United States.
According to data from Civic Science, 23 percent of U.S. adults 21 and over said they intended to take part in Dry January in 2023. That grew to 27 percent in 2024.
So, what are the benefits of cutting back—or cutting out—drinking? Is there a healthy number of drinks one can enjoy?
We ask Dr. Sarah Andrews, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Dr. Jessica Lee, A primary care physician, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
36 min
January 22, 2025 As non-alcoholic beverage options grow, we ask a local bottle shop about what's out there
Modern World is Laurie Hefner's bottle shop in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore.
14 min
January 21, 2025 Now that Zeke Cohen is Baltimore's City Council President, what's his plan?
Baltimore City voters selected Councilmember Zeke Cohen to lead the City Council.
Cohen joins Midday to discuss his agenda for the council in 2025 and beyond. Truancy in schools, consumer protections, improving the city’s lengthy permitting process and providing relief to citizens affected by sewer malfunctions a few of the issues the Council plans to consider in the coming weeks.
29 min
January 21, 2025 A perspective on the politics of 2025 with Nuestra Raices founder, Angelo Solera
Today, we hear a viewpoint from Nuestra Raices, Inc., which was founded in 2019 to work among the Hispanic and Latino communities of Baltimore City. In 2024, the organization created the documentary We Are Baltimore, to showcase their organization's work to preserve the diversity of the region's Latino and Hispanic cultures.
Angelo Solera, the Founder and Executive Director of the organization, joins Midday to discuss his organization's outlook for 2025, and the politics of the post-2024 election era.
21 min
January 17, 2025MLK 2025 Day of Service Spotlight: HeartSmiles and City Youth Matrix
Joni Holifield is founder and executive director of HeartSmiles.

Aaron Vetter is founder and executive director of City Youth Matrix.
39 min

About Midday

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Monday-Friday from noon-1:00, Tom Hall and his guests are talking about what's on your mind, and what matters most to Marylanders, the latest news, local and national politics, education and the…