Midday

Former USA Today reporter Maria Goodavage takes war coverage in a different direction by sharing the stories of military dogs and the roles they played over the years in combat. Goodavage is the author of "Soldier Dogs: The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes."

Part II of a conversation about gun violence with Baltimore County Chief of Police Jim Johnson, one of the state law enforcement officials flanking Governor Martin O’Malley when he announced aggressive proposals for firearms reforms following the Newtown massacre. Johnson is chairman of the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence.

INTERVIEW EXCERPTS:

Yesterday, Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold was suspended from office after a judge found him guilty of two counts of misconduct in office. The verdict came down after sordid details were revealed during the trial that accounted how Leopold used his staff to conduct personal and political tasks, which included emptying his catheter bag and keeping a dossier on political opponents. This hour, we examine the verdict, and discuss its repercussions with Andrea Segel of The Baltimore Sun and Allison Bourg of The Capital.

In his inauguration speech, President Obama highlighted equal pay for women as a priority for his second term. It has been 50 years since another Democratic president, John F. Kennedy, signed the Equal Pay Act, which mandated compensation equality between the sexes. While women have made gains in pay, they still lag 18 to 20 percent behind their male peers.

After saying little about it during his campaign for re-election, President Obama put global warming front and center during his second inaugural address, saying failure to address the problem would betray “our children and future generations.” But what exactly does he plan to do? Midday on Science contributor John Monahan returns to continue our coverage of climate change following the hottest year on record in the U.S. in more than a century. Also joining us is New York Times environmental blogger Andrew Revkin.

This month marks 150 years since President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the Confederate states midst the Civil War. Three historians tell the story of Lincoln's order and its pivotal significance in the war and the abolitionist crusade.

Maryland's high court likens Ticketmaster fees to a form of scalping; a judge's ruling leaves a massive, long-planned redevelopment project in Baltimore in doubt; the General Assembly takes on dangerous-dog liability, Lance Armstrong's confession to Oprah -- what are the legal ramifications? Attorney Jim Astrachan joins us. Guest Host Korva Coleman

Four years after a state commission recommended capital punishment's abolition in Maryland, Gov. Martin O’Malley has joined the NAACP in pushing for repeal of the death penalty; it’s the second time he’s introduced such legislation in the General Assembly. We hear arguments from both sides: Sen.

Columbia-based psychiatrist and author Gordon Livingston talks about violent behavior and the ability of mental health professionals to predict and prevent it; and about the various legislative proposals -- some welcome, some contentious -- to keep guns away from the mentally ill. Dr. Livingston is most recently the author of "That Thing You Think You Cannot Do: Thirty Truths About Fear & Courage."

President Obama has proposed sweeping reforms to limit firearms violence in America. How much public support will the Obama administration enjoy against the organized and well-financed opposition of the gun lobby? What effect will the president’s actions have on Maryland and other states that enact gun control legislation of their own?