Midday

Late last year, the O'Malley administration officials released draft regulations for hydraulic fracturing, concluding that, with proper regulation, fracking for natural gas in Western Maryland could be done safely. But are the risks worth the rewards?

Adele Levine worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a physical therapist during the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She helped hundreds of veterans returning from war zones with traumatic wounds and amputations. Levine provides a rare inside look at amputee rehabilitation with her memoir, "Run, Don't Walk: The Curious and Courageous Life Inside Walter Reed Army Medical Center."

Following up on interesting stories, people and ideas from the Baltimore region and throughout Maryland. Plus, Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker visits Studio A to talk about state aid to education and county government.

Do you love where you live? Do young Americans now move for a job or a sense of place? How important is location to happiness? Our guests: Sheri Parks, Midday’s American culture commentator; Katherine Loflin, a consultant whose research focuses specifically on "place making” and what drives human attachment to cities; and Melani N. Douglass, founder of the The Family Arts Museum and creator of an upcoming "love of place" pop-up event at the Spin City Laundromat in Baltimore. 

The pontiff garners headlines – and pushback from traditionalists -- with his atypical public commentary, his calls for tolerance of marginalized groups and his challenges to capitalism. A conversation about the Pope with Fritz Bauerschmidt, chair of the department of theology at Loyola University Maryland; David Cloutier, associate professor of theology at Mount St. Mary’s University; and Jozef Goethals, author of "Holy White Smoke: The Second Vatican Council Under Siege."

Dr. John Cmar discusses the latest news related to the measles outbreak and public health policy regarding vaccinations for childhood diseases. 

Most people learn about American history through school textbooks or by visiting famous historical landmarks like Gettysburg or Plymouth Plantation. But there is history to be found in some of the country's more unremarkable spots too. In his book, "Here is Where: Discovering America's Great Forgotten History," the writer Andrew Carroll embarks on a cross-country journey to visit some of the country's most overlooked (yet important) sites, including some in Baltimore and Maryland. Original air date 9/24/14

Open phone lines in the noon hour so Dan and listeners can catch up and comment on the news of the week. Plus, a chat with Joanna Rakoff, who used to answer all of J.D. Salinger's fan mail, and who is the author of, "My Salinger Year."

Expanding charter schools in Maryland is a top priority of Gov. Larry Hogan. But do charter schools improve public education or do they only benefit a select few while leaving some students worse off?

In his State of the Union address, President Obama argued that paid leave is not just a women's issue, but a family one. While some companies have started to offer paternity leave, societal stigma still prevents many new fathers from taking it.