DAN RODRICKS

Picking up on the Occupy Wall Street movement that is inspiring nationwide activism, Occupy Baltimore protestors have been in the Inner Harbor’s McKeldin Square since October 4th. They aim to call attention to the glaring inequity between the 1 percent of Americans who own 40 percent of the nation’s wealth and the rest of us: what they call “the 99 percent”. This hour: a look at the Occupy Movement. Is this the long awaited rise of the left? Can growing populist anger over corporate greed and money’s influence on politics actually effect change? Is this the left’s answer to the Tea Party?

The debate over religious beliefs.  We may share more similarities than differences.  William Egginton, author of In Defense of Religious Moderation, is our guest.

Today we open up our phone lines and discuss jobs - the search process, the struggles, and where to find jobs.  Also, a chat with Vanessa Bliss, deputy director of Good Jobs Better Baltimore.

Roscoe Bartlett, the 85 year-old Republican from Buckeystown, has represented Maryland’s sixth district since 1993. But his traditionally conservative territory could shift to favor Democratic voters if a new congressional map is approved during the General Assembly’s special session next week. As proposed by Governor O’Malley’s redistricting commission, the new district map has met criticism from Republicans and even some Democrats who say that it dilutes the African American vote. Maryland redistricting: blatant gerrymandering or a reflection of shifting population in the past decade?

Midday’s science contributor John Monahan shares the latest news - from smart grid systems to the link between Mad Cow and Alzheimer’s disease.  Plus, the stranger side of science.

Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Stephen Breyer, author of Making Our Democracy Work. He talks about the responsibility of interpreting Constitutional questions.

Midday's legal affairs show, with Baltimore attorneys Jim Astrachan and Julie Rubin.

Despite strong opposition from the United States and the threat of the loss of millions in funding, the board of Unesco — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — gave initial approval Wednesday to a Palestinian bid for membership, another step toward Palestine's campaign for U.N. statehood. Palestinians have held observer status at the United Nations and Unesco since the mid-1970s. But on Sept. 23,  President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, formally requested full United Nations statehood for his still undefined country.

Russell and Kim Hurd lost their 26-year-old daughter, Heather, in a January 2008 crash in Florida attributed to a truck driver who was sending or receiving a text message. After the tragedy, the Harford County couple made it their cause to ban texting while driving in Maryland, testifying in Annapolis for a new law. On October 1, a full ban on texting while driving went into effect here.

An estimated 195 million children are affected by malnutrition worldwide and the deaths of millions of children from starvation and malnutrition could be preventable if a shift in approach is made. Currently, food provided by international food aid donors (the U.S. is the world’s largest) are a corn and soy blend that may relieve hunger, but does not meet basic nutrition requirements for young children.