WYPR News Roundup

Anne Arundel County Executive-elect Allison Pickard talks about her plans as the News Roundup continues a series of conversations with newly elected leaders here in Maryland. How do Maryland residents consume their news? Radio? Television? Social media? New poll results might surprise you. Democratic gains across Southern states. What does that tell us about how the parties may approach the 2028 general election? And we hear how federal immigration enforcement may be accessing your data, despite Maryland laws on the books to prevent that from happening. Finally, celebrations of Diwali continue this weekend in Baltimore. You will hear where you can celebrate the festival of lights. Guests: Allison Pickard is Anne Arundel County executive-elect. Mileah Kromer is director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's Institute of Politics. Christopher Cooper is a political science professor at Western Carolina University and author of Anatomy of a Purple State: A North Carolina Politics Primer. Daniel Zawodny is a transportation reporter for The Baltimore Banner. Sarasi Desikan is an organizer of the inaugural Baltimore Diwali Ball. Related links: UMBC poll on local news and news consumption habits. Banner - Maryland blocked sharing driver data with ICE. A new report says it didn’t work Baltimore Diwali Ball on Instagram (@bmorediwaliball) Credits: Matt Bush is the host of WYPR's News Roundup. We had help from Megan Amoss, Sam Bermas-Dawes, Elizabeth Nonemaker and Isaac Moss. Shawn Murphy and Shanya Mapson were our studio engineers. Khaleel Rahman is the producer for the News Roundup. Amy Walters is WYPR's executive producer.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., joins us to discuss his priorities now that Democrats have regained control of the House. We hear from the first Black woman elected to Howard County executive about her historic win. We also break down the election results in Frederick County and the major influence of data centers in the race. Then, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joins us fresh off his win to share his plans for the next four years. And whether he's eyeing a new, office - maybe ovular?

Early voting ended this week and Election Day approaches on Tuesday. We have the latest with Maryland’s State Administrator of Elections, Jared DeMarinis on what you should be aware of as you cast your ballot. And this is being dubbed the first prediction market election. How could one person’s wager affect your vote? Tim Harper, project lead on Elections and Democracy for the Center for Democracy and Technology, joins us. Later, a study Johns Hopkins is carrying out with the Pentagon on women in combat. Ellie Wolfe, a higher education reporter for our news partner The Baltimore Banner, co-authored an investigation into the Pentagon's decision. She joins us to discuss. And, are you headed to Hampden for Halloween? Susannah Siger, a longtime Hampden business owner who's been involved with the event for over 20 years, joins us to preview. Guests: Jared DeMarinis is Maryland’s state administrator of elections. Tim Harper is a project lead on elections and democracy for the Center for Democracy and Technology. Ellie Wolfe is a higher education reporter for our news partner The Baltimore Banner. Susannah Siger is owner of Ma Petite Shoe and has been involved with Hampden Halloween Fest. Related links: Website for Maryland State Board of Elections Center for Democracy and Technology - Betting on the Ballot? How Prediction Markets Can Reshape the Election Environment Banner - Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab conducting Pentagon study on women in combat roles Credit: The Engagement had help from Isaac Moss, Sam Bermas-Dawes, Elizabeth Nonemaker and Malarie Pinkard-Pierre. Gabe Ortis and Shawn Murphy are our studio engineers. Khaleel Rahman is our producer and Amy Walters is WYPR’s executive producer. Join us: Want to have your voice heard on The Engagement? What should we be talking about? There are several ways to reach us: Leave us a voicemail at 410-735-1616. Leave us a voice message or a text on the Baltimore Public Media app. You can also message us on Instagram or Facebook.

Earlier this week, President Trump signed an executive order to give women’s health research more attention. The order establishes a Women’s Health Division at the National Institutes of Health. Host Wambui Kamau shares her personal journey with uterine fibroids interviewing Dr. Anne Peters, the gynecologist and surgeon at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center who helped treat her. Kamau also speaks with U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks about her efforts to pass the UFIGHT Act, aimed at advancing research, screening, and treatment for uterine fibroids, a bill she introduced. Then, a look at one of the fastest-growing segments of Maryland's electorate: Asian American voters. Like many voting blocks, Asian Americans are far from a monolith. Dr. Janelle Wong, the Director of the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland and Senior Researcher on AAPI Data, discussed how this demographic is being courted by politicians in both parties. Plus, at the beginning of this month a new Maryland law went into effect that could make passing property down a little easier. The law is called the Transfer on Death Deed law. N'neka Nnamdi, director with the Stop Oppressive Seizures Fund, broke it down. And as Halloween approaches, it is time for the Great Baltimore Lantern Parade. Rachel Rush, Education Director at Creative Alliance, along with a Creative Alliance manager, discusses the parade and Dia de los Muertos celebrations. For her safety, we did not use the manager's name during the interview. Maritza Solano provided Spanish interpretation during the segment.

We hear how Maryland’s lone Republican representative called police on a student journalist. WYPR reporter Sarah Petrowich was standing by. The Executive Director of Rock the Vote tells us what young voters are thinking about this election season. The University of Maryland’s suspends its tennis club after they sent out racist imagery. And what it means that Susquehanna River water is now flowing through Baltimore pipes in hopes of fighting a drought. Plus, WYPR’S brand new show, The Engagement, starts Monday.

Polls ahead of the midterms show how voters feel about the economy, the governor’s race and AI. We discuss the concerns of Black and Latino voters in Maryland and how politicians can genuinely engage with them. A former State Department official and a Maryland student activist share their reflections three years after the Oct. 7 attacks and what a U.N. commission calls a genocide in Gaza. Finally, we talk with the director of a new documentary about the Harlem Park Three, who spent 36 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of murder as teenagers.

Mayor Brandon Scott joins us to answer questions about his dispute with Inspector General Cumming, and his role as mayor ahead of the midterms. We learn more about the latest updates on the Cornell sexual assault case and hear about Maryland’s own laws on accountability for assault. And Rage Against the Machine guitarist, Tom Morello, joins us to talk about his upcoming Power to the People festival this weekend. Our partner station, WTMD, will be covering the festival and they share what attendees can expect.

This week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced a sweeping set of proposed AI regulations. A reporter from our news partner, the Baltimore Banner, breaks down how practical these proposals are. We talk about the governor's new executive order to regulate data center development. A reporter from Inside Climate News breaks down President Donald Trump's executive order revoking Obama-era protections for the Chesapeake Bay. And a Baltimore filmmaker unveils her new documentary, "Eternity One." She tells the story of one girl growing upon Tangier Island while facing an imminent risk of being wiped out by rising sea levels. Finally, we talk the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil. We're joined by the team's announcer and a Ravens fan in Rio de Janeiro ahead of Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys.

After a major shakeup, the Baltimore City Council attempts to realign on safety. We talk with City Council President Zeke Cohen about the recent ousting of Public Safety Chair Mark Conway, a new response system to 911 calls, the fight against data centers, and more. State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis discusses what the Supreme Court’s latest ruling on mail-in voting means for Marylanders. And, the 27th Baltimore Book Festival is taking place this weekend. Artist Derrick Adams and D. Watkins, host of the upcoming WYPR show The Engagement, join us to talk about the power of reading. Adams also shares how his festival event “Reading Is Freedom” supports child literacy. Stay tuned for The Engagement, premiering on Oct 19 and airing Monday-Thursday on WYPR at 11 a.m.

25 years ago today many of us woke up to a clear blue sky and what looked to be a picture-perfect day. By 9 a.m., the only thing clear was it was anything but that. Two planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York City — the two buildings collapsed — and thousands of people were killed. Another plane crashed into the Pentagon killing close to 200. And a fourth plane crashed into the ground in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. We speak with WYPR staff who were working in our offices at that time. Gov. Wes Moore comes on to tell us what he remembers and how he thinks back on it now, after helping to fight in the U.S. war on Afghanistan. We hear from a videographer who spent September 11 and the following days at the Pentagon. 25 years later, the footage she held onto has been released. We also talk to an Imam in Baltimore County who was only 10 years old in 2001. He says the events of that day - still - make a mark on his life today and we end the show with the greatest rivalry in sports – rugby. The New Zealand All Blacks take on South Africa’s Springboks in Baltimore.