Best WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore Podcasts (2025)

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Newswrap: Comey is indicted, Kimmel returns, and a federal government shutdown looms 24:25

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3h ago24:25

24:25

It’s the Midday Newswrap.It’s been quite a week. Yesterday, at the behest of the president, a federal grand jury indicted former FBI Director James Comey, alleging he lied to a Senate Committee in 2020. Comey posted a video on Instagram last night asserting his innocence.Comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show returned to the air on Tuesday af…

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Rousuck's Review: Spotlighters Theatre's 'Topdog/Underdog' 9:41

3h ago9:41

9:41

Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom with another of her weekly reviews of the Baltimore regional stage. Today, she spotlights the new production of Suzan Lori-Parks' Pulitzer prize-winning play, "Topdog/Underdog," on stage at the Spotlighters Theatre.The play, which premiered in 2001 off-Broadway in New York City, examines the troubled …

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In new albums, Baltimore's Wordsmith crafts lyric and melody in pursuit of his truth 14:43

3h ago14:43

14:43

Baltimore artist Wordsmith is a hip-hop virtuoso, educator and activist known for crafting uplifting and thoughtful lyrics across genre-defying works.His two new albums showcase his unique technique and add something new for returning listeners. Music for Mankind and Masterpiece Theater approach themes of identity, social strife and truth with dist…

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Expectations were high headed into the Raven's season. Can they bounce back from a rough start? 14:34

2h ago14:34

14:34

Three games into the Raven's season and some are already calling it a wash. They stand 1-2 with a game this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs.Gabe Ortis joins Midday for a roundup of the Ravens. Ortis is a WYPR's afternoon host, a former political consultant and the station's resident sports guru.…

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City Schools' CTE program preps students for real-world careers 34:12

1h ago34:12

34:12

It’s Midday on Education.One measure of the quality of a public-school education is how well it prepares students to succeed in the real world after they graduate.To that end, the Baltimore City Public School System has embraced a state-wide vocational training program called Career and Technical Education, or CTE. Basically, the program offers mul…

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Acclaimed writer Ian McEwan's new novel is a literary detective story that bends genres 48:50

3h ago48:50

48:50

Acclaimed author Ian McEwan's What We Can Know is an adventure into the future, into a tumultuous world shaken by climate disaster. The novel, like McEwan's Atonement, follows characters and events separated by many years.What We Can Know is suspenseful, complex, funny and more than a little frightening. It is a brilliant peroration about how histo…

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Jill Lepore's new history of the U.S. Constitution could not be more relevant to the current moment in politics 48:30

16h ago48:30

48:30

On September 17, 1787, six years after fighting stopped in the war for independence, delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the document that has endured as the most influential exemplar in the world of government by and for the people.The U.S. Constitution is an extraordinary document. A new book by the historian and jou…

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As horrors abound in Gaza, author Peter Beinart appeals for human dignity for all and a new Jewish identity 48:30

1d ago48:30

48:30

At sundown tonight, Jewish people around the world will begin the observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Next week is Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The High Holidays are a time of connecting to Jewish heritage and traditions, and a time of reflection, self-examination and repentance. Today on Midday, we speak to the…

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Rousuck's Review: August Wilson's 'The Piano Lesson' at Everyman 6:53

5d ago6:53

6:53

The Piano Lesson continues at the Everyman Theater (located at 315 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21201) until Sunday, September 28.By WYPR 88.1 Baltimore

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Zeke Cohen on potential expansion of city bus service, and updates on Baltimore's crisis response after calls for change. 31:59

5d ago31:59

31:59

Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen joins Midday every month to gives us a look at the happenings inside City Hall.Today, will Baltimore receive funds to expand Maryland Transit administration bus service? City leaders urged state transportation officials to prioritize that funding in their plans for the next half decade. Cohen provides an …

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MONSE's Stefanie Mavronis, UPenn expert Jeremy Biddle on curbing violence in Baltimore 22:06

6d ago22:06

22:06

Joining Tom now in Studio A is Stefanie Mavronis, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, or MONSE, here in Baltimore. Her agency's mission is to implement the City’s public health approach to safety through Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan. MONSE works with Baltimore residents, commu…

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Rep. McClain Delaney on protecting farmers, and battling cuts to food aid and health care 20:19

6d ago20:19

20:19

Tom's first guest today is Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, a Democrat elected in 2024 to represent Maryland's sprawling 6th district, which includes all of Garrett, Allegany, Frederick, and Washington counties as well as a portion of Montgomery County. In Congress, Rep. McClain Delaney serves on both the House Agriculture Committee and the Hou…

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Ivan Bates on 'smart-on-crime' approach to Baltimore public safety, and his focus on 'quality of life' crimes 37:56

7d ago37:56

37:56

Ivan Bates, the State’s Attorney for the city of Baltimore, joins Midday today.State’s Attorney Bates took office in 2023. Over the past two years, the city has seen a sharp drop in violent crimes. According to the State’s Attorney’s office, 2,600 violent repeat offenders have been incarcerated, and the office has won more than 270 homicide convict…

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Innocence Project clinics train law students to exonerate the wrongly imprisoned, like Jeffrey Deskovic 28:21

8d ago28:21

28:21

Today on Midday, a discussion about a far-too-common injustice in this country – the wrongful imprisonment of men and women who are innocent of the crimes for which they’ve been convicted.Experts say between 6- and 15% of the people sentenced to prison time in the United States are wrongly convicted. With approximately 2.3 million people currently …

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Baltimore poised to review PILOT agreement with its biggest nonprofit institutions 12:42

8d ago12:42

12:42

Baltimore city is taking steps to revise an agreement with its major nonprofit institutions over how much they pay annually to the budget.As nonprofits, these 14 institutions do not pay property taxes but instead have a PILOT or payment-in-lieu-of-taxes. Combined they pay $6M annually for city services like policing, snow removal, road maintenance …

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Follow-up finds progress for worker conditions at city agency. That report and more with Baltimore's Inspector General. 39:15

9d ago39:15

39:15

Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming leads her office in investigations into waste, fraud and abuse in city government. Cumming joins Midday to discuss her office's work.In the past year, her office launched high-profile investigations into poor working conditions at the Department of Public Works, a cyber-theft of more than $1.…

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Rousuck's Review: a Scottish "Ceilidh" at M&T Bank Exchange 10:22

16d ago10:22

10:22

Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews the lively Scottish musical "Ceilidh" (pronounced KAY-lee) now playing at the M&T Bank Exchange performance space next to the Hippodrome Theater.By WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore

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Limmie Pulliam, Mark Markham to perform at Sunday's "Community Concerts at 2nd" in Baltimore 13:32

12d ago13:32

13:32

Vocalist Limmie Pulliam and pianist Mark Markham will perform a program of gospel songs and arias as part of the free "Community Concerts at 2nd" series at the Second Presbyterian Church Sunday September 14, 2025.By WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore

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NewsWrap: Gov. Moore's 2nd term bid, a state police surge into Baltimore, Trump's troop threat 24:09

12d ago24:09

24:09

On today's NewsWrap, Tom surveys some of the week's top state and local developments with reporter Pamela Wood, who covers Maryland politics and government for the Baltimore Banner.By WYPR 881 FM Baltimore

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The Agora Institute's Dr. Lilliana Mason on political polarity, violence following shooting of Charlie Kirk 17:31

13d ago17:31

17:31

With the killing of the charismatic conservative activist and podcast host, Charlie Kirk, America has once again been rocked by what could be another act of political violence.There is, as of Thursday morning, no suspect in custody, and no motive for the shooting is known.At the age of 18, Charlie Kirk founded “Turning Point Action,” a conservative…

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Baltimore is seeing hundreds of million in opioid settlement. What will the city do with the money? 30:59

13d ago30:59

30:59

After a lengthy legal process, a massive amount of settlement money is flowing into Baltimore City to combat the opioid epidemic. Several opioid companies have settled with the city for more than half-a-billion dollars in a series of high-profile cases.How that money will be spent is the responsibility of Sara Whaley, the Executive Director of our …

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As nation struggles with housing crisis, what's the right response in Maryland? 48:49

14d ago48:49

48:49

Last week, Gov. Wes Moore issued an executive order entitled, “Housing Starts Here,” a four-pronged order Moore hopes will spur construction or renovation to address an estimated housing deficit of 96,000 units here in Maryland.Maryland is by no means alone in facing housing challenges. Up for Growth, a network of advocates that tracks housing data…

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Dr. Jeffrey Kahn on the ethics of a new organ transplant technique, 3-parent IVF, medical research cuts 49:16

15d ago49:16

49:16

It’s Midday on Ethics.Dr. Jeffrey Kahn is the director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.In addition to directing the Berman Institute, Dr. Kahn teaches in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.Jeff Kahn joins us from time to time to talk about some of the thorny ethical issues faci…

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BDC's Otis Rolley: a new course for Baltimore's economic future? 48:48

16d ago48:48

48:48

Otis Rolley, the new president and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corporation, the city's economic development agency, discusses the challenges ahead to prosperity and growth.By WYPR 881 FM Baltimore

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Movies: Sizing up the fall festivals' bountiful harvest of new films, including Baltimore's New/Next Film Festival 36:09

19d ago36:09

36:09

Some other upcoming local film festivals you should check out:The Columbia Maryland Film Festival opens Monday and runs until the following Sunday.And for the 12th year, the Baltimore International Black Film Festival takes place concurrently with the New/Next Film Festival, Oct. 2-6.____________________________________________________________Next …

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Rousuck's Review: A look ahead to the 2025-2026 theatre season 11:48

19d ago11:48

11:48

Midday theater critic J Wynn Rousuck joins the show for weekly theater reviews. Today, a look ahead to the upcoming theatrical season in Maryland.Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre built a reputation for launching national tours. Rousuck takes a look at two of the new tours starting out here this season, Water for Elephants and The Great Gatsby.Plus, a…

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An inside look into the search for Baltimore City school system's next CEO 24:51

24d ago24:51

24:51

More about the community engagement events, and information about attending events, can be found through the city's school website. The meetings are intended to be an opportunity for the community to ask questions and learn more about the Board’s role and the CEO search process.The public can dial in at (855) 756 -7520, Ext. 125 847# on Monday, Sep…

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Radio Episode: Mayor Scott on fed troops, fighting crime, moving the Sisson St. dump 23:49

20d ago23:49

23:49

More about the community engagement events, and information about attending events, can be found through the city's school website. The meetings are intended to be an opportunity for the community to ask questions and learn more about the Board’s role and the CEO search process.The public can dial in at (855) 756 -7520, Ext. 125 847# on Monday, Sep…

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Balt Co Police Chief McCullough on fighting crime, assisting ICE 24:12

21d ago24:12

24:12

Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Chief of Police, joins Midday to discuss key issues at within his department including police officer retention and training, the use of drones in policing and more.In 2021, McCullough retired after 35 years with the County Police Department.Two years later, he came out of retirement to lead the agency that serve…

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Public media is at a turning point. What can it do to build trust? And what do funding cuts mean for Maryland's public television? 24:28

21d ago24:28

24:28

A conversation about the future of public media on Midday today.The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will close its doors by the end of this month, leaving some big financial holes in the budgets of public radio and television stations across the country, including WYPR and WTMD, the two stations that comprise Baltimore Public Media. Maryland Pu…

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Healthwatch: How changes in Covid vaccine policy, mass firings at CDC threaten public health 23:50

22d ago23:50

23:50

It’s the Midday Healthwatch with former Baltimore City Health Commissioner and Washington Post columnist, Dr. Leana Wen.Last month, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr. canceled almost $500 million worth of grants that funded research into mRNA vaccines, technology that is credited with saving millions of lives during the heigh…

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Don't miss out on this summer's final 'First Thursday Festival' 6:44

22d ago6:44

6:44

The final First Thursday Festival of 2025 is this week. The homegrown concert hosted by WTMD takes place every summer at the Canton Waterfront Park and features artists from Maryland.September's performing artists are Uncle Kunkle’s One Gram Band, a funk-rock group based in Maryland, and four-piece jam band Eggy.Tyler Laporte, afternoon host and As…

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Maryland could soon take action on costly prescription drugs. What's next? 15:04

22d ago15:04

15:04

Last month, the Maryland Drug Affordability Board decided to label a pair of Type 2 diabetes medications unaffordable for state and local governments. The PDAB is an independent agency created by the Maryland legislature in 2019 to conduct in-depth reviews of drug costs. The board was one of the first of its kind in the nation.By law, the PDAB can …

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'The Fate of the Day' recalls the perilous middle years of the American Revolution 48:30

23d ago48:30

48:30

(This program was originally broadcast on July 3, 2025)In this encore edition of Midday, we reprise Tom Hall's conversation earlier this summer with the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, Rick Atkinson. After a 20-year career as a reporter, foreign correspondent and editor at the Washington Post, in 1989, Atkinson — the son of a US Army Officer — be…

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In 'King of the North,' a spotlight on Dr. Martin Luther King's civil rights advocacy beyond the Deep South 48:30

27d ago48:30

48:30

(This conversation was originally broadcast on April 2, 2025)In today's encore edition of Midday, we revisit Tom Hall's conversation last April with Dr. Jeanne Theoharis, a historian and Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, and the author or co-author of 13 books on the American civil rights movement.Her latest book mak…

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In 'Spell Freedom,' a chronicle of the secret schools that fueled the American civil rights movement 48:30

28d ago48:30

48:30

(This program was first broadcast on April 30, 2025) On this encore edition of Midday, we’ll listen to Tom Hall's conversation last spring with author and journalist Elaine Weiss. Her latest book tells the inspirational story of the civil rights activists who offered “citizenship classes” to African Americans throughout the south from 1955-1970.The…

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'The Trouble of Color' author Martha S. Jones explores the color line bisecting Black family histories 48:30

29d ago48:30

48:30

Dr. Martha Jones' book is The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir.By WYPR 88.1 Baltimore

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Writer Amor Towles' 'Table for Two' filled with characters old and new 24:22

30d ago24:22

24:22

(This interview was originally broadcast on April 23, 2025)Best-selling writer, Amor Towles, is the author of three novels, including A Gentleman in Moscow, which was adapted for a television series on Paramount+ starring Ewan McGregor. Towles joined Midday last April to discuss the writing of his latest work, a brilliant compilation of six short s…

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Ruth Franklin's new bio of Anne Frank offers novel insights on the famed teenage memoirist 23:56

1M ago23:56

23:56

(This interview was originally broadcast on April 23, 2025)Journalist and author Ruth Franklin joins Midday. Her biography of the writer Shirley Jackson won the National Book Critics Circle Award nine years ago.Franklin's latest book, The Many Lives of Anne Frank, is another biography. She writes about Frank, the young Jewish girl whose diary, publ…

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How do you monitor your mental health and well-being? 48:49

1M ago48:49

48:49

Today, Midday is focused on mental health maintenance. Guest host Farai Chideya explores the ongoing work of checking in with ourselves and others for optimal mental health.Farai's guests — Kerry Graves, the executive director of the Metro Baltimore chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Dr. Ernestine Briggs-King, the vice-pr…

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In Eve, author Cat Bohannon traces the 200 million-year evolution of the female body 48:30

1M ago48:30

48:30

Why do women live longer than men? Is the female brain much different than the male brain? Cat Bohannon, a researcher and author with a Ph.D. from Columbia University in the evolution of narrative and cognition, joins Midday to discuss the human female body and its unique 200 million-year history. Her award-winning 2023 book, Eve: How the Female Bo…

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Kellie Carter Jackson details Black women's resistance in 'We Refuse' 48:30

1M ago48:30

48:30

Author and historian Kellie Carter Jackson explores how Black women fight against white supremacy, showcasing both their loud and quiet forms of resistance.By WYPR 881 FM

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'Dream Count' is the latest story about human desire and identity by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 48:30

1M ago48:30

48:30

Award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie returns after 12 years with her latest novel, chronicling the hopes and aspirations of women in "Dream Count."By WYPR 881 FM

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Midday revisits Ann Patchett's annotated version of 'Bel Canto' 48:30

1M ago48:30

48:30

Midday revisits a 2025 interview with Ann Patchett, who released an annotated version of her 2001 novel, "Bel Canto."By WYPR 881 FM

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As reported crime falls, what's working and what's not? We ask a community organizer and the State's Attorney's Office 35:59

1M ago35:59

35:59

As of August 1, homicides in Baltimore are down 24.3% compared to 2024. Mayor Brandon Scott says says many different sources deserve credit for the reduction, including the police department and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE). But what role does the City State’s Attorney’s Office play in curbing the violence? Additionally,…

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Baltimore sports: The Orioles wind down and the Ravens ramp up 12:52

1M ago12:52

12:52

Midday guest host Gabe Ortis gets the latest news on Baltimore sports with Cordell Woodland from 105.7 The Fan, who joins the show live from Camden Yards. They discuss the current state of Orioles baseball and the upcoming preseason game between the Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys.By WYPR 88.1 Baltimore

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Rousuck's Review: 'Floating Down to Camelot' at Spotlighters 9:26

2M ago9:26

9:26

Every week, theatre critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to review the latest productions on stage across the region.Today, Judy discusses 'Floating Down to Camelot,' a Baltimore Playwrights Festival production continuing at the Spotlighters Theatre through August 17.By WYPR 88.1 Baltimore

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Governor Moore criticizes deploying National Guard in D.C. 13:06

1M ago13:06

13:06

Gov. Wes Moore joins Midday to share his perspective on the deployment of National Guard and additional officers to patrol the streets of Washington. In a White House press conference on Monday, President Trump announced a federal takeover of the Washington, D.C. police department and the deployment of the National Guard, intending to restore order…

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Everyone is talking about utility costs. What's behind the rise, and is relief on the way? 25:20

1M ago25:20

25:20

From the halls of the state capitol in Annapolis to the corner dive bar in Baltimore, it seems like everyone is talking about rising utility costs.It is more expensive to turn the lights on, run air conditioning or bake cookies in the oven.On June 1, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco all raised their rates, yet again. The prices fo…

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Young people in Maryland are struggling with mental health. What can be done to help? 23:53

1M ago23:53

23:53

Many young people report experiencing depression and anxiety and struggling with identity and purpose. Dr. Charissa Cheah is here to help.Cheah is a professor of psychology at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She directs the Culture, Child and Adolescent Development Lab at UMBC and she serves as the President of the Society for Research on…