Midday

Jazz vocalist Anna-Lisa Kirby reimagines the music of a classic American musician. Kirby is set to bring her own dynamic voice to the works of Leonard Cohen tonight at An die Musik, a performance space in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood.

She is to be joined by bassist Obasi Akoto, pianist Alan Blackman and drummer Claudio Silva.

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On Midday today, we discuss two efforts to tackle development hurdles in Baltimore.

First, we speak to Mike Posko, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. He joins Midday to discuss his organization's recent milestone of 800 homes built over 40 years.

Then we hear from Chad Williams, the Executive Director of West North Avenue Development Authority, which was formed in 2021 to invigorate 14 neighborhoods along the North Avenue corridor.

(Photo by Eli Pousson)

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In the introduction to her fascinating new book, Washington Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins writes, “I've never known a winner, not one, who wasn't irritated by the lame idea that they were God-kissed with fortunate gifts.”

The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life is a rumination on why athletic icons have risen to the top of their respective sports, and what lessons can be learned that can benefit the rest of us in our respective personal and professional pursuits.

Jenkins comes to see hard work and strategic thinking, rather than latent talent, as the crucial quality to an athlete's success.

During her long career as a sports columnist and feature writer, Jenkins covered 10 Olympic games, and countless games in other sports in between. As she covered these events, Jenkins has had a front row seat to observe some of the world’s most elite athletes and coaches.

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Sam Cogen promised change if elected to Baltimore city's sheriff office. Half a year into his term, what has changed, and what has not?

The sheriff's office is responsible for protecting courthouses, evictions and enforcing protective orders. Cogen has sought to expand his agency's responsibilities, and said he wants to see his office be a "changing agent" in the housing and eviction process.

So, how does the Baltimore city sheriff’s office fit into the fabric of Baltimore’s public safety efforts?

Sheriff Sam Cogen joins Midday's Tom Hall to discuss his term, so far, and his goals for the future of his agency.

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“Peace is the duty of our time,” Phillip Berrigan told a class of college students in 1965. 60 years later, it remains so.

Berrigan was an iconic peace activist, a soldier, a priest, a scholar, and a protester who came to international prominence as part of the Catonsville 9, a group that burned draft cards in 1968, during the Vietnam war.

In 1973, Berrigan, with his wife, Elizabeth McAlister, founded Jonah House in Baltimore, a Catholic Worker House inspired by the gospel nonviolence work of Dorothy Day.

Today on Midday, a conversation about the work of Philip Berrigan, whose writing has been assembled in a new collection, A Ministry of Risk.

Brad Wolf edited the work. He is a lawyer, former prosecutor, professor, and community college dean. He is cofounder of Peace Action Network of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, an affiliate of Peace Action and a partner of World BEYOND War. Brad's writings have been published in The Progressive, Common Dreams, Counterpunch, Antiwar.com, Consortium News, and Dappled Things.

We also speak with Brendan Walsh and Willa Bickham, the founders of a Catholic Worker House in Southwest Baltimore called Viva House.

On July 4, the 2024 Peace Walk is set to take place in Washington, D.C.

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

Gov. Wes Moore pardoned 175,000 cannabis-related misdemeanor convictions on Monday.

Among the pardoned convictions, WYPR's Rachel Bay reported, more than 150,000 were for cannabis possession, and more than 18,000 for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. The governor’s office estimated that at least 100,000 people are affected by the pardons.

Baye joins Midday to discuss the sweeping move, and what it means for thousands of Marylanders with low-level convictions on their record.

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Comedian and author Paula Poundstone has starred in hit movies, authored best-selling books and hosted legendary comedy specials. She also hosts a podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, and does standup shows across the country.

Poundstone is set to appear at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis Saturday night. She joins Midday to talk about her long and illustrious career and the state of comedy today.

(Photo by Shannon Greer)

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

Invasive plants, like English Ivy, do more than just crowd out native plant species. They disrupt local ecosystems, eliminating food sources for pollinators and insect species.

A contest in Townson seeks to promote the use of native plant species in residential yards. Hosted by Green Towson Alliance, homeowners compete in several categories and are judged on how well they integrate native plants into their gardens and green spaces.

Patty Mochel is a member of the Green Towson Alliance and one of the hosts of the Native Garden Contest.

Amanda Wray is a co-coordinator of the contest and head of WildOnes Greater Baltimore.

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

Today, a conversation about community schools with Alexandria Warrick Adams, the Executive Director of Elev8 Baltimore. The non-profit works with public school students and their families throughout Baltimore.

Jada Jackson also joins the show. She is a former student at an Elev8 Freedom School, who now serves as the Extended Learning Coordinator within the organization.

On July 1, Elev8 is set to open three Freedom Schools, modeled on the schools that the civil rights icons Bob Moses, Charlie Cobb, Stokely Carmichael and others started in 1964.

The 6-week program immerses K-12 students in culturally diverse literature, helping them master reading and life skills. 

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.

Rousuck reviews Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Iron Crow Theatre, on stage through June 30, 2024.

The play, which first debuted in abroad in 2017, tells the tale of a young man who does not quite fit in with his peers. Iron Crow Theatre’s production is one of the first in the United States.

(Photo by Wilson Freeman)

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