Midday

GOP nominee Shannon Wright speaks to Midday about her campaign for Baltimore City mayor in another edition of Conversations with the Candidates.

Wright has spent little money on advertising, and faces a tall task in a race against incumbent Mayor Brandon Scott. When the pair last faced off in 2020, Wright received 7 percent of the vote to Scott's 70 percent. Independent Bob Wallace received 20 percent of the vote in that race.

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Originally built in 1877 as a segregated school for African American children, P.S. 103 will soon host a new headquarters for Baltimore's public health efforts, a museum space for the life of Thurgood Marshall and the city's field office of the Maryland Legislative Office of the Black Caucus.

A 2016 fire ravaged the building, but a multi-millionaire dollar partnership with Community Services Corporation is helping to restore the historic Baltimore building.

Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Beloved Community Services Corp, joins Midday to discuss the project.

(Photo courtesy Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation)

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Dr. Leana Wen joins Tom for Midday Healthwatch. They discuss issues affecting the health and well-being of Charm City residents.

A recent trend highlights the need for safe sex education among seniors. The CDC reports that sexually transmitted infections are up exponentially in those 65 and older. Plus, tips for cutting out unhealthy processed foods

Dr. Wen is a former health commissioner of Baltimore. She is a columnist on health matters for the Washington Post, a medical expert at CNN, and a scholar at George Washington University and the Brookings Institution.

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

On today's show, we review 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' at Chesapeake Shakespeare Companythrough July 21. The production is set outdoors at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park.

(Photo by Kiirstn Pagan Photography)

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President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee Mark Anthony Thomas joins Midday today.

Founded in the 1950s, the GBC's goals are to foster economic development in the Baltimore metropolitan region. One of its most recent initiatives involves Baltimore being named a “Tech Hub,” which qualifies the city to apply for major federal grants to boost the city’s tech sector. On Monday, the Biden administration announced that the first tranche of those grants will be awarded to 12 applicants, but Baltimore is not among them. Baltimore did receive a $500,000 grant to develop a proposal for the second round of funding.

GBC recently released its All In 2035 Economic Plan, which chart's the organization's vision for the region's economy. We ask Thomas about how infrastructure fits into his organization's plan, and about the fastest growing sectors of Baltimore's workforce.

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A shaky debate performance last week caused members of the Democratic party to question if the 81-year-old incumbent is the right choice as their candidate.

A New York Times/Siena College poll showed that 69 percent of voters, including 55 percent of Biden voters, said Biden is too old to be an effective president.

Could Democrats change their plans as the party gears up for their national convention in late August?

Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution studies the presidential nomination system. She joins Midday to discuss what could happen in the coming weeks.

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One year ago, violence ripped through a cool summer night during a celebration of Baltimore's neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Five people have been charged with gun crimes and other charges, including attempted first-degree murder, related to the Brooklyn Day shooting. Four people have pleaded guilty to their charges.

Baltimore City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, who represents the district encompassing Brooklyn, joins Midday to discuss how the community is working to move forward.

Two members of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement join Midday, as well. Mark Mason, Victim Services Associate Director and Rick Fontaine Leandry, the Coordinated Neighborhood Stabilization Response Manager, outline how city government has sought to help Brooklyn recover.

(J.M. Giordano, The Baltimore Banner)

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The U.S. Supreme Court issued the final decisions of their 2023-2024 court term on Monday.

Major opinions were issued on controversial topics such as emergency abortions, bump stocks, Purdue Pharma and even controversial social media posts. This term also saw the court issue decisions on several cases related to President Donald Trump including the Colorado election ballot, January 6 defendants and presidential immunity.

Kim Wehle, a law professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, joins Midday to discuss the rulings. She is the author of multiple books, and has a forthcoming book, “Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works and Why.”

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.

During today's review, a look at The Kite Runner, at The Kennedy Center thought June 30. The production is an adaptation of the bestselling novel about a boy in Afghanistan. Does it adapt well for the stage?

(Photo by Bekah Lynn Photography)

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

At last night’s debate, President Joe Biden missed his chance to reassure the country that he is not too impaired by age to hold the highest office in the land, and he squandered repeated opportunities to call out the former president's falsifications.

Former President Donald Trump stuck tenaciously to falsehoods about the economy, abortion, drug prices, the insurrection, and the 2020 election. He framed almost every problem the country faces through the lens of immigration. By the end of the debate, they were arguing about their golf handicaps.

Two analyst joins us to break down the night.

Dr. Lilliana Mason is a political scientist on the faculty of the Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

Erin Doherty covers politics for Axios.

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