Maryland Morning Podcast on WYPR

After months of public hearings, private meetings, and political maneuvering, a deal to provide Tax Increment Financing to create the infrastructure for the massive Port Covington development appears to be headed for approval by the Baltimore City Council. A final vote is scheduled for Monday night. Tom speaks with Bishop Douglas Miles, a co-chair emeritus of Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), one of the groups of community activists who negotiated what many are calling an

We’re just about seven weeks away from the election, as one of America’s most divisive and unpredictable presidential campaigns continues to challenge political norms. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton blast each other as unfit for office, as charges of “deplorable” and “racist” and “hateful” fly from both camps. The tumultuous presidential campaign has led to uncertainty up and down the ballots of both major parties. Washington Post syndicated columnist E.J. Dionne joins Tom to try make sense of

We begin with a conversation about the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking . There are some who believe that if this type of gas drilling were allowed in Western Maryland, it could generate up to 3,000 jobs and at least $5 million in annual tax revenues. But many have concerns about the impact on the environment and public health. We’ll hear from Dr. David Vanko , the former head of the Maryland Fracking Commission, and co-host Nathan Sterner talks to Dr. Brian Schwartz,

T he NFL opened its season last night, amid a controversy surrounding San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick , who has protested inequality in communities of color by refusing to stand during the playing of the national anthem. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist ER Shipp joins Tom for a conversation about protests and patriotism. Plus, our Movie Mavens, Jed Dietz and Ann Hornaday , on this summer’s epidemic of “sequel-it is” and the Obama effect: how the first family has transformed tinsel

For the finale of our Focus on the Counties series with a look at Kent County . The smallest of Maryland’s 23 jurisdictions, it’s home to Chestertown , a popular destination for retirees, and Washington College. K ent County is one of nine counties in the state that does not have a county executive, instead administrators are appointed by a board of elected commissioners. Tom is joined by Kent County Administrator Shelley Herman Heller and Chris Cerino, the mayor of Chestertown , to talk about