WAMU: Local News

Art All Night kicks off this Friday in all 8 Wards with art installations, performances, and activities to help folks connect with their community. However, will the surge in federal federal law enforcement presence in the District affect the event?

We aren't in a buyer's or seller's market – we're in what Bright MLS chief economist Lisa Sturtevant calls a “stuck market.”

In the high-profile mayoral election cycle, not a single candidate has jumped into the race ahead of next spring's primary. Mayor Bowser, the three-term incumbent, has yet to announce her plans.

Immigration crackdowns are underway in D.C. and across the region. Our Politics team shares their reporting, from the limits of so-called sanctuary cities to conditions at the local ICE processing center.

This week on Get Out There, we're checking out the alternative comedy scene around D.C.

Potomac Oaks Condominium was destroyed by a massive gas explosion in November 2022. For the 25 households displaced and struggling to avert homelessness, the incident took a severe financial and emotional toll.

Andy Shallal's new memoir chronicles his arrival in the U.S. from Iraq, his entry into the restaurant business, and his founding of the iconic local restaurant chain Busboys and Poets.

This week on Get Out There, we're looking at some of the not-to-miss shows at the 2025 DC Jazz Festival.

Stories WAMU is following this week include how residents of Wards 7 and 8 are reacting to President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers, the possible increased costs for families needing back to school shots, and a look at celebrating the DC JazzFest this weekend.

The Washington Post reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are now accompanying MPD officers on moped traffic stops.

With a Black governor charting his own path, a powerful Black caucus pushing to override his veto, and a lawsuit testing whether the courts will weigh in, Maryland is reckoning with reparations but it's not clear that everyone will be happy with the outcome.

The new U.S. attorney for D.C. has argued for the reversal of several D.C. laws meant to help people accused or convicted of crimes when they were young, claiming they've impacted youth crime rates in the city. Experts doubt her claims.

State officials will face choices around implementing new work requirements and using state funds to fill new gaps.

We heard from you during this historic week in D.C.

The Youngkin administration is targeting the food assistance program's benefits error rate to try to avoid paying a $270 million penalty.

Federal officials in Washington, D.C. swept through a large homeless encampment Thursday and dismantled it. It's part of the Trump administration's purge to crack down on crime across D.C.

There's a list of local artists featured on the walls of Shanklin Hall, which serves as an art gallery for regional talent thanks to co-founder and curator Imani Shanklin Roberts.

Less than 40% of schools nationwide have a registered school nurse on staff. A veteran school nurse describes the challenges in hiring, training and retaining personnel.

While D.C. and federal lawmakers implement curfews and other "tough on crime" measures, one nonprofit is training youth to prevent violence in their own communities.

Stories WAMU is following this week include President Trump's increase of federal law enforcement and troops in D.C., the potential impact on area food banks from SNAP cuts and the local burden of the national school nurse shortage.

Maryland went from a record surplus to fiscal crisis in just three years. Now, massive federal cuts are hitting as the state struggles to implement its education reform plan known as the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.

This week on Get Out There, we take a trip to Commanders' training camp and get you ready for some football.

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum opened 5 new galleries earlier this week – a big milestone in a multi-year revamp that began in 2018. The museum has seven more galleries to renovate before the July, 2026 deadline. 

This week on Get Out There, we're exploring D.C. while saving a few bucks.

Members of the D.C. Fire and EMS Marine rescue unit were among the first to respond to the aircraft that crashed in the Potomac River. Some are still struggling with what they saw and experienced that night on the Potomac.

Parkour combines elements of gymnastics and martial arts. It uses the urban environment as a kind of playground, with athletes balancing on handrails, flipping off structures, and bouncing off walls.

The city hopes to renovate the home of the Mubadala Citi DC Open tennis tournament, but people living near the facility say it will increase traffic, illegal parking, and other headaches.

This week for Get Out There, we're scoring some summer restaurant deals.

The Virginia Court of Appeals will decide whether a developer who has built ‘missing middle' housing in the county should be allowed to join the lawsuit.

At the end of May, I accompanied a group of tandem (two person) cyclists with the Metropolitan Washington Association for Blind Athletes,(MWABA) on a biking and camping trip. MWABA connects visually impaired athletes with opportunities around the metro D.C. region to cycle, run, and do other physical activities.

As hundreds of public radio and television stations brace for federal funding cuts, WAMU's leadership says the station has operated as a fixture in Washington D.C. for 64 years and will continue its mission of serving the community.

Stories WAMU is following this week include diving deep into the missing middle housing issues in Arlington and Alexandria, Prince George's County's 180 on nonprofit funding and reviewing Metro's Better Bus Network

Betsy Thibaut Stephenson's son Charlie died by suicide in 2022. Her memoir helped her grieve, and she hopes it will help dispel the stigma around depression and suicide.

The D.C. Council is debating whether to wait for White's January trial on bribery charges or try to force him out of office again in the wake of his special election win.

After a turbulent year in which Trayon White was indicted, reelected, and then expelled from the Council, he is now projected to win the Ward 8 special election held Tuesday. Residents are hoping to move forward.

As immigration arrests skyrocket in Northern Virginia, legal aid groups are scrambling to provide communities support and preparation for possible arrests.

The D.C. Council chair's budget would reverse some of Mayor Muriel Bowser's cuts, but only minimally. Many initiatives remain unchanged, with the exception of a new tipped wage proposal.

This week on Get Out There, we cool down from the summer heat with a dip in the pool, a swim in the bay, a lick of ice cream, and a swing at indoor putt putt.

Massive cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs will create gaps already strained state and local governments say they won't be able to cover. Meanwhile, some higher-income residents will see tax breaks.

The July 15 special election was prompted by White's expulsion from the D.C. Council. Although he hasn't made much of a public case for why he deserves another chance, he's still the frontrunner.

Mayor Muriel Bowser is proposing to only fund these raises for one more year, arguing that declining revenues have forced her hand. That could have big consequences for the city's daycare system.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of Montgomery County parents who sued for the right to remove their children from elementary school lessons featuring LGBTQ+ books, overturning the district's policy that had eliminated those opt-out provisions. The landmark decision divided the progressive Maryland suburb and raised concerns about broader implications for curriculum decisions in public schools nationwide.