Midday

This hour, we take a look at U.S. military leadership from WWII and Gen. George C. Marshall to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the leadership of Gen. David Petraeus. Leading us through this discussion is Thomas Ricks, a veteran journalist and former Washington Post Pentagon correspondent, who argues that today’s military leadership is far inferior to what it was in the past. Ricks is the author of the controversial new book “The Generals: American Military Command from WWII to Today.”

Karen Avrich tells about the life of activist and feminist Emma Goldman and her lover, Alexander Berkman, the anarchist Sasha said to have carried out the first terrorist act in the U.S. when he tried to assassinate industrialist Henry Clay Frick in 1892. Avrich finished Sasha and Emma, the book her late father, scholar Paul Avrich, started. Original air date 01/17/13

A review of top stories of the region with the reporters who covered them and some of the newsmakers behind them.

This hour, we open the phone lines to our listeners to react to the suprise announcement this week that Pope Benedict XVI would resign at the end of this month.What’s next in papal succession and what, if anything, does it mean for American Catholics? Guests include NPR senior European correspondent Sylvia Poggioli; Fritz Bauerschmidt, chair of the department of theology at Loyola University Maryland; and David Cloutier, professor of theology at Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg.

Analysis of the first address of President Obama's second term with Max Hilaire, associate professor and chair of political science at Morgan State University; Barry Rascovar, political columnist for The Gazette; and Heather Harris, associate professor of business communications at Stevenson University and co-editor of "The Obama Effect."

This film, starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, has been nominated for Academy Awards, praised for its authentic portrayal of people struggling with recovery from mental illness and criticized for its "OK to be weird" conclusion. The Atlantic called it, "Love In The Time of Bipolar Disorder." We've asked psychiatrist Mark Komrad to take a look. Dr. Komrad, on the clinical and teaching staffs at Sheppard Pratt and Johns Hopkins hospitals, is the author of "You Need Help: A Step-by-Step Plan To Convince Your Loved One to Get Counseling."

Governor O’Malley has proposed one of the most aggressive gun reform packages in the nation, prompting hundreds of protestors to turn out for a hearing on them last week in Annapolis. In another of our series on guns in the wake of the Newtown massacre, we return to the debate on the governor’s proposals with Matt Daley, lobbyist for the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association, and Casey Anderson, spokesman for Maryland Against Gun Violence.

Will 3-D printing change the world? That’s a question being posed in the wake of a flurry of recent technological developments that are making 3-D printing cheaper than ever. Midday on Science contributor John Monahan explains the phenomenon, how it could transform traditional manufacturing, and the ethical questions it raises. 

Special guest Donna Crivello of Donna's cafes and coffee bars joins John Shields of Gertrudes and Henry Hong of Wasterfront Kitchen to discuss the secrets of baking bread and other doughy delights.

A review of top stories of the region with the reporters who covered them and some of the newsmakers behind them. This hour, WYPR State House reporter Karen Hosler details Gov.