WYPR: Midday with Dan Rodricks Podcast

Should Maryland have a nickel deposit on glass, aluminum and plastic beverage containers? Some lawmakers in Annapolis believe a refundable deposit program eventually could help the state triple the number of containers that are recycled or reclaimed here. Leaders of the beverage industry and some government officials oppose the measure, claiming it will hurt local single-stream recycling efforts.

The women who died trying to shield first-graders at Sandy Hook Elementary from a gunman’s bullets now share a place in American legend along with the first-responders of 9/11. The iconic images of women protecting children provide a reference point for our look at the steadily growing influence of women in not only the gun debate but a range of national and global issues beyond those that concerned the soccer moms. Midday’s American culture commentator Sheri Parks leads our discussion of women and politics, after Newtown and the 2012 election.

Dogs have become a ubiquitous part of our culture; in some families, they’re treated as honorary humans. In "What’s A Dog For? The Surprising History, Science, Philosophy and Politics of Man’s Best Friend," John Homans looks at the complex relationship between dogs and people, and tells the story through his own experiences as a life-long dog owner. Homans is executive editor of New York magazine.

In the midst of partisan stalemate, the budget sequester and a renewed debate over guns, here comes legal scholar Louis Michael Seidman with a provocative idea: Ending our disobedience to the 225-year-old Constitution. Seidman says the time has come to acknowledge the failings of our treasured legal document and its archaic, idiosyncratic and harmful provisions. Seidman has taught constitutional law at Georgetown University for nearly 40 years. He is the author of "On Constitutional Disobedience."

According to the New York Times, Rio de Janeiro, Marseille and resorts in Nicaragua are among the top spots to visit this year. Dan Saltzstein, assistant travel editor for the Times Travel section, runs through some of 2013's top destinations. Also, Ilan Stavans, professor of Latin American and Latino culture at Amherst College, shares his thoughts on "reclaiming travel."

House Speaker John Boehner says there is no easy way to stop the budget cuts -- known as the “sequester” -- that began taking effect Friday, and he voiced uncertainty about how Washington can solve the fiscal problems that have consumed the nation’s politics for more than two years. Sequester threatens nearly 50,000 jobs and many programs in Maryland. Andrea Seabrook, former NPR congressional correspondent and now the host of her podcast, DecodeDC, explains how this whole thing began and how it might end.

In the second of a two-part series, Midday on Health contributor Dr. John Cmar gives an insider’s tour of how a hospital works. From the who’s who of hospitals to what to expect when you’re admitted to what to ask before you leave. Also, with “match week” coming up for fourth-year medical students, we get a primer on hospital residency programs.

The General Assembly is considering legislation that would raise Maryland’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10 by 2015. President Obama wants to see the national rate at $9. But would raising the minimum have adverse effects on the nation's economy? Our guests: Sen. Robert Garagiola (D-Montgomery), one of the Maryland bill’s co-sponsors; David Cooper, analyst with the Economic Policy Institute; Michael Saltsman, research fellow at the Employment Policies Institute, which opposes minimum wage increases; and Roxie Herbekian, president of the Unite Here union in Baltimore, representing low-wage workers.

A treat for lovers of American folk music, a visit by the singer-songwriter before his weekend performances in Maryland. Winner of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Tom Paxton has been writing and singing songs for 50 years. Many other performers, including Pete Seeger and Judy Collins, have sung his songs. Tom Paxton performs as part of the Common Ground On The Hill concert series on Friday March 1 at Brown Memorial Woodbrook Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, and Saturday, March 2 at the Carroll County Arts Center in Westminster.

What's the difference between a suicide bomber and an American mass killer such as Adam Lanza? Not much, according to criminologist Adam Lankford. Suicide terrorists and rampage shooters have far more in common than has been recognized, he says, a controversial conclusion that has turned conventional wisdom about mass murderers upside down. Lankford teaches criminal justice at the University of Alabama. He is the author of The Myth of Martyrdom: What Really Drives Suicide Bombers, Rampage Shooters, and Other Self-Destructive Killers.

Untreated mentally ill people are more likely to be arrested, more likely to be incarcerated and more likely to commit another crime after release. In this hour of Midday on the Law, Judge Gale E. Rasin talks about the Baltimore Circuit Court's special effort to reduce violent offenses by providing defendants with community-based treatment instead of incarceration or probation. With Baltimore attorney Jim Astrachan.

Last month, U.S. military leaders formally lifted the ban on women serving in combat. Journalist Tanya Biank joins Midday to discuss this historic change, as well as the evolving role of women on the front lines. Biank is the author of Undaunted: The Real Story of America’s Servicewomen in Today’s Military and Army Wives: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage, which was turned into a Lifetime TV series.

Conventional wisdom holds that it takes years of hard work and some luck to rise to the top of your chosen field. But is there more to it? Through conversations with an array of successful men and women, some of them celebrities, authors Camille Sweeney and Josh Gosfield strive to determine if there's a formula for success. They are co-authors of The Art of Doing: How super achievers do what they do and how they do it so well.

Last week, the commissioner demanded a full review of how city police officers use their weapons following the accidental shooting of a Baltimore Police Academy trainee. Batts joins Midday to discuss that matter and other challenges he's discovered since taking over for Frederick Bealefeld last fall.

The series of federal budget cuts known as sequester are set to begin on Friday effecting millions of Americans and threatening the jobs of nearly 50-thousand Maryland residents. We discuss the scope of sequester with our guests: Melissa Deckman, chair and professor of Political Science and the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs at Washington College and Barry Rascovar political columnist for the Gazette and a communications consultant.