Government

Baltimore city is getting ready to create its budget for fiscal year 2014--and its asking citizens how it should allocate those billions of dollars. We ask budget director Andrew Kleine how citizens can make their thoughts known through budgeting workshops.

The Sparrows Point steel mill and its surrounding communities will be recognized this weekend by the Maryland State Arts Council. We ask oral historians Elmer Hall and Louis Diggs about the significance of the towns on Sparrows Point.

Baltimore Sun investigative reporter Scott Calvert joins Midday to discuss the Sun's ongoing look into the proliferation of speed cameras in Maryland.  

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's recent unilateral power grab has sparked violent protests throughout the country reminiscent of those during the Arab Spring more than a year ago. Our panel of Middle East experts analyze the latest events in Egypt during the first hour of Midday.

Most of us have balanced a budget before … but maybe not one that totals in the billions. The City of Baltimore is getting ready to write its financial plan for fiscal year 2014, and as part of the process, it’s hosting three ‘citizen budget workshops.’  The idea is for residents to weigh in on where the city should spend money—and where it should make cuts.

Andrew Kleine on difference between city budget workshops and taxpayer nights.mp3

Andrew Kleine on citizen participation.mp3

We talk to Baltimore City Council President Bernard "Jack" Young who wants to force some city contractors to hire more city residents.

A little over a decade ago, a band called Oxes captured the hearts of Baltimore music fans with their loud guitars, weird meters, and even weirder performances. They're back with a new single. Today, they look back on their days as bassless provocateurs.

How to handle the onslaught of mammoth holiday meals.

Baltimore’s unemployment rate has lingered stubbornly in the double-digits for most of this year. As of September, the latest breakout available, it stood at 10.2 percent – down just three-tenths percent in a year.

The Baltimore Development Corporation has a new president.  Brenda McKenzie, who now works in  Boston, will be taking on the role.  We talk with Mark Reutter of the Baltimore Brew about what she's getting into, and with Thomas Grillo, a business reporter who covered her while she was in Boston.

We follow up on three major ballot measures approved by Maryland voters last week. Now that same-sex marriage is legal, will there be a gay-friendly business boom? Will more gay and lesbian couples move to Maryland? Also, a look at what happens next with the passage of casino gambling expansion. And what does the Maryland Dream Act mean for high school students, the regional economy and the effort to pass a national Dream Act?

The last time Baltimore saw a major revision of its zoning code, Thomas D’Alesandro III –“Little Tommy” -- was mayor, the Baltimore Colts were Super Bowl champs, and Baltimore-native Spiro Agnew was vice-president. That was 1971.

Web Extra: Much more of our interview with Stosur, including more on zoning for taverns, urban farming, and the port.