Government

Perspectives on news and trends, interviews with newsmakers and authors, quick takes on some of the week's most interesting regional stories with the Maryland journalists who covered them.

Tom Hall reaches out to people in Garrett County and on the Eastern Shore for an update on post-Sandy conditions.

One of the referenda on the ballot next week that has gotten less attention than others is the Congressional redistricting map. Marylanders will be able to decide whether to abide by the obviously gerrymandered map. Sheilah talks with a law professor and journalist about the controversial map.

Tropical storm Sandy has arrived. Tom Hall talks to Maryland Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Ed McDonogh about what you should be doing to stay safe, and how to get to safety if the storm damages your home. And, Nathan checks in with BG&E spokesman Rob Gould.

Then, should Baltimoreans vote for ‘mayor’ at the same time they're voting for U.S. president, rather than the year before, as they do now? The change is on the city ballot. We hear from Councilwoman Rikki Spector, who's pushing for it, and community activist Doc Cheatham, who wants a different change.

Incumbent Republican Roscoe Bartlett is facing a tough challenge from Democrat businessman and political newcomer John Delaney in the race for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District seat. It is one of the most hotly contested races this fall, with district lines redrawn to include more Democrats and the party hoping to chip away at the Republican majority in the House. John Delaney joins us this hour for a one-on-one interview about what he hopes to accomplish if he wins on November 6. (Rep. Bartlett declined Midday’s invitation to appear on the show.)

A recent state audit of Baltimore City Public Schools found abundant problems with how the school system handles its finances. City Schools CEO Andres Alonso is here to discuss the audit's findings, as well as how he plans to resolve the issues.

Tom talks to Corey Williams, the filmmaker behind a documentary that chronicles the efforts of people in the Baltimore and D.C. area trying to make a living in the film industry, and to Harford County-based actor Marili Mejias.

Midday continues its focus on the ballot questions facing Maryland voters on Election Day. We hear from both sides of the Civil Marriage Protection Act that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the state of Maryland, championed by Governor Martin O’Malley, passed by the legislature and petitioned to referendum by opponents. Our guests: Derek McCoy, leader of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, and Del. Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City).

We talk about the lawsuit between Baltimore Comptroller Joan Pratt and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and examine how it's affecting the functioning of city government.

How many books can you fit into a library the size of a birdhouse? We ask Lesley Noll, library services coordinator at The Village Learning Place. They're planning to bring "little free libraries" to Charm City.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is sitting down to a Board of Estimates meeting this morning with Comptroller Joan Pratt. It’s the first one since Comptroller Pratt filed a lawsuit against the mayor’s administration to stop her from moving forward with her plan to replace city phones.