Midday

Discussion about immigration, not always based in fact, has featured in campaigning in this election year.

But what is the reality of immigration in the Baltimore region? Guiliana Valencia Banks, Baltimore County Chief of Immigrant Affairs, and Catalina Rodriquez-Lima, Director of Baltimore City of Immigrant Affairs, join Midday to discuss immigration across the Baltimore region.

(Kaitlin Newman, The Baltimore Banner)

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Concerns about President Joe Biden's health reemerged after a disastrous debate performance in June. Now, several leader in the Democratic party are considering alternative candidates.

The Washington Post reports there are currently 22 congressional Democrats, including one U.S. Senator, who have called on Biden to step aside in favor of another standard bearer for the November election.

Luke Broadwater, a congressional reporter with the New York Times, joins Midday to break down the latest.

Has the assassination attempt on Mr. Trump changed how you think about his chances in the November election? And what about the addition of Ohio congressman J.D. Vance to the Republican presidential ticket?

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

A gunman’s failed attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump resulted in the death of a bystander and the injury of two others.

President Joe Biden addressed the nation three times over the weekend, calling for unity and the lowering of the rhetorical temperature. Today on Midday, how are Maryland voters and elected officials reacting as political violence continues to be a scourge in the public square?

Democratic lawmaker Kweisi Mfume, who represents Maryland's 7th District in the U.S. Congress, joins the conversation.

Midday is also joined by Neil Parrott, a Republican running for Congress to represent Maryland's 6th District.

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

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production.

We discuss the Contemporary American Theater Festival, continuing at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, through July 28. Several plays are on stage at the festivals, do share a common theme?

(Photo by Seth Freeman)

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

The ongoing conflict in Gaza continues to devastate the region. Is there a sustainable path forward for peace?

Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian journalist and tourism entrepreneur who founded MEJDI Tours. Maoz Inon is an Israeli tourism entrepreneur who founded Abraham Hostels. The duo are peace activists who have come together to inspire peace in a region racked with conflict and hatred.

More information about Sunday's conversation at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation can be found here.

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For decades, Baltimore fans of operetta have had the opportunity to see and hear many Gilbert and Sullivan shows at the Young Victorian Theater Company. Known by many as “Young Vic,” the theatre company has produced 14 of the famed plays over the course of their 25-year collaboration.

Ruddigore first opened in 1887 in London, England. The bawdy operetta's humor and wit comes alive through the Young Vic’s production, opening Sunday afternoon.

Brian Goodman, who cofounded Young Vic 50 years ago, and Catrin Davies, the company's artistic director, join Midday to talk about Ruddigore and what's next for the intrepid theatre company.

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

Ultra marathon swimmer Katie Pumphrey is an accomplished athlete. She swam the English Channel twice, circumnavigated Manhattan and completed the DC Marathon Swim.

And in June, she added to her impressive accomplishments in local waters. Pumphrey swam the 24-miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into Baltimore's Inner Harbor, a route no one else has completed before.

She says her love for Baltimore energized her every stroke through the Patapsco River's waters.

“I love this city so much,” Pumphrey told Baltimore Banner. “Baltimore should be proud of our city. I want more people to talk about how awesome it is. So, if my swim helps to highlight everything that the city is and has been and can be — I’m just honored.”

Pumphrey joins Midday to talk about her momentous journey, and what it means to her to open water swim in her city's own backyard.

(Kaitlin Newman, The Baltimore Banner)

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

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 Max Weiss, film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Baltimore Magazine.

We dig into several films, including The Bikeriders, Thelma and Kinds of Kindness. We also discuss the Paramount merger with SkyDance, and what the move means for the movie industry.

(Photo by Kyle Kaplan, Focus Features)

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

From tax preparation to SNAP benefits, health care to housing, a myriad of government services have been privatized in the name of cost savings and efficiency. But the cost to taxpayers and to recipients is high, and the impact on corporate influence in government is undeniable.

Anne Kim writes about the money made on America's poor, in her new book Poverty for Profit: How Corporations Get Rich off America’s Poor.

“These companies are not neutral administrators of government programs," Kim writes. "They’re a silent but powerful pillar of the poverty bureaucracy.”

Kim is a lawyer and public policy expert and former Senior Writer at the Washington Monthly, where she still serves as a contributing editor.

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

In January, the Baltimore Sun was purchased by David Smith, an executive chairman of Sinclair, Inc. The media company is based in Hunt Valley and owns more than 200 TV stations across the country. Smith purchased the paper for an undisclosed amount with a conservative commentator, Armstrong Williams. Smith made the purchase with personal money, and the paper is not part of the Sinclair company’s holdings.

At a tense meeting last January, according to reporting in the Baltimore Banner, Smith encouraged the Sun staff to emulate the journalism of the flagship station in the Sinclair chain, Fox45 in Baltimore.

In recent weeks, stories by Fox 45 reporters have begun appearing in the pages of the Sun. This prompted a letter posted on social media from the Baltimore Sun Guild, the union representing the Sun staff, to Smith and Armstrong. The letter raised concerns about a lack of transparency about the paper's new relationship with Fox 45 is, and about what it might become in the future.

Christine Condon, an environmental reporter for the Sun who serves as the Unit Chair of the Guild, joins Midday to discuss the situation at one of Baltimore's oldest newspapers.

We invited the Sun’s co-owner, Armstrong Williams, to join the show. He did not respond to our invitation.

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