WAMU: Local News

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News features from the Washington, DC Metro Area.

WAMU


    • Jul 29, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
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    Latest episodes from WAMU: Local News

    Six months after the DCA plane crash, D.C. first responders still need help

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2025 4:00


    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.

    Mapping D.C.'s rapidly changing parkour scene

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2025 4:08


    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.

    Upgrades for Rock Creek Tennis Center are in the works. Neighbors say they've had no input

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2025 3:42


    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.

    Get Out There: Summer Restaurant Deals

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2025 3:51


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

    Court considers the role of developers in Arlington ‘missing middle' housing suit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2025 3:50


    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.

    Photographer's Notebook: Biking and camping with blind athletes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2025 7:41


    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.

    WAMU says it's prepared to weather the loss of federal funding

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2025 3:56


    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.

    WAMU's Week Ahead: Arlington and Alexandria's missing middle, Prince George's County nonprofit issues, Metro's Better Bus Network

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2025 4:03


    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

    A conversation about ‘Blackbird: A Mother's Reflections on Grief, Loss, and Life After Suicide'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2025 3:47


    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.

    Lawmakers could again expel Trayon White now that he's been re-elected. The prospect is complicated

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2025 3:55


    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.

    Voices of Wards 7 and 8: With Trayon White back in the council, residents say it's time “to heal”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 1:23


    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.

    ICE arrests surge in Northern Virginia, prompting emergency planning among immigrant families

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 4:00


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

    D.C. budget update: Tipped minimum wage compromise fails, ranked choice voting funded as budget advances

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2025 1:11


    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.

    Get Out There: Summer Cool Down

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2025 3:55


    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.

    What massive cuts in the federal spending plan mean for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 7:23


    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.

    Despite bribery charges and a bare-bones campaign, Trayon White favored to win Ward 8's special election

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 3:51


    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.

    A program that provides pay boosts to D.C. childcare workers faces an uncertain future

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2025 3:33


    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.

    Montgomery County Schools grapple with parent victory in Supreme Court LGBTQ+ curriculum case

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2025 4:02


    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.

    WAMU's Week Ahead: D.C. Council budget conference, Virginia Republicans rally and, RideOn is now free

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2025 3:53


    Stories WAMU is following this week include the D.C. council's final conference on the 2026 budget, the first full-ticket rally by statewide Republican candidates in the 2025 election and a change in Montgomery County's RideOn bus.

    Get Out There: Learn to repair your own bike at one of the D.C. region's many local clinics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 3:59


    Nothing is a bigger bummer than having a mechanical issue derail a bike ride. These organizations help you learn to fix your own wheels.

    Voices of Wards 7 and 8: The Well at Oxon Run – a place for food, community, and quiet reflection

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2025 3:58


    At The Well, a community farm in Ward 8, people have access to fresh produce and green space. Volunteers say being at the farm – growing food and new friendships – is helping them live healthier lives.

    Metro needs billions to stay on track, but local leaders say a regional tax is not the answer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2025 3:38


    Amid a gloomy economic outlook, local leaders are trying to find a sustainable way to fund Metro.

    WAMU's Week Ahead: Major changes to Metrobus, a firehouse primary in Fairfax and D.C.'s DIY bike repair clinics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2025 3:55


    Stories WAMU is following this week include the major reorganization of Metrobus routes coming Sunday, the firehouse primary to find Gerry Connolly's successor and DIY bike repair in D.C.

    D.C.-area temperatures expected to soar into the 100's. Here's how to prepare

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2025 3:59


    Temperatures in the D.C.-region are expected to break 100 degrees this week as a heat dome traps humidity and intense warmth in the atmosphere. The Capital Weather Gang's Jason Samenow shares his forecast.

    Get Out There: A weekend of D.C. musical celebration with Home Rule Fest and Positive Force

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 4:00


    The Home Rule Festival and Positive Force's 40th Anniversary celebrations will allow music fans to explore the past, present and budding future of homegrown music in the D.C.-region.

    WAMU's Week Ahead: Virginia primary election, environmental protests in D.C., sound of resilience on Juneteenth

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 3:53


    Stories WAMU is following this week include Virginia's primary election on Tuesday, a protest against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposed environmental rollbacks and a Juneteenth concerts preview.

    Get Out There: Immersive theater comes to the Folger Shakespeare Library

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2025 4:00


    An immersive theater experience exploring love in the nation's capital comes to the Folger Shakespeare Theater, and is the subject of this week's "Get Out There."

    WAMU's Week Ahead: Trump's travel ban, DC military parade, and an immersive theater experience

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2025 3:59


    Stories WAMU is following this week include the potential impact on President Trump's new travel ban on Afghan refugees staying in and seeking to come to the U.S., the emerging details on Trump's military parade and a new immersive theater experience.

    Get Out There: Exploring LGBTQ+ history at Congressional Cemetery

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025


    This week on Get Out There, we learn about Peter Doyle, Leonard Matlovich, and D.C.'s gay history at Congressional Cemetery.

    Could a private company help build a new D.C. jail? Local leaders see pros and cons

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2025 4:01


    Mayor Muriel Bowser says her plan would speed up the replacement of the troubled jail. But some are concerned about possible tradeoffs with such a deal.

    Voices of Wards 7 and 8: Providing a “safe haven” for youth in Southeast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2025 3:51


    Beverly Smith created the nonprofit Momma's Safe Haven to give youth a place to learn, play, and heal. “It's okay to laugh, it's okay to have fun. This is a safe space,” Smith says. “I think our youth are so busy. They have been traumatized. They've lost friends and family members and they're living through some tough times.”

    ‘Rhythms of Resistance and Resilience' chronicles Black musicians' and athletes' push for equality in D.C.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 4:08


    Georgetown history professor Maurice Jackson discusses Marian Anderson's Lincoln Memorial concert and other episodes of the fight for Civil Rights in Washington made by musicians and athletes.

    U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger discusses retirement and protecting the Capitol

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 3:58


    U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger on why he came out of retirement in 2019 to lead the U.S. Capitol police, how the agency is far better prepared than in 2021, and in what ways policing has evolved over the last five decades.

    Bowser's budget slashes safety net programs, reflecting tougher economic times ahead.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 3:46


    The widespread impact of federal layoffs have forced D.C. officials to consider painful cuts to social services. A long fight is just beginning over how much to trim these programs.

    New film ‘Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round' spotlights those who fought to integrate Glen Echo Amusement Park

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 6:57


    These D.C.-area federal health care workers affected by job cuts grapple with an unexpected future 

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 4:06


    Thousands of federal workers have left their positions through a mix of layoffs and buyouts. Federal health workers also took a big hit, and are now facing an uncertain future.  

    What the six Democratic candidates for Virginia lieutenant governor say on the issues

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 3:47


    Democratic voters have choices to consider in the June primary, while Republicans already have their presumptive nominees--plus a write-in candidate.

    The 2026 race for D.C. mayor is quietly heating up. Will it be a Bowser-White rematch?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 2:17


    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser looks to be planning a bid for a fourth term, while At-Large Councilmember Robert White may challenge her a second time.

    ‘Shocked!': D.C. Catholics share their initial reactions to the first American pope

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 1:19


    Priests and parishioners gathered at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in downtown D.C. the afternoon of the announcement of Pope Leo XIV.

    WAMU's Week Ahead: Travel disruptions in Northern Virginia, D.C. emergency rental assistance, EU Open House weekend

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 4:16


    Stories WAMU is following this week include a facelift to the Roosevelt Bridge, the REAL ID coming online at airports and Arlington National Cemetery, an emergency renting bill at the D.C. council and the EU open house weekend.

    ‘The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue:' A new book tracks the climate change on one Takoma Park block

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 3:59


    WAMU spoke to local environmentalist and author Mike Tidwell about his new book, "The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue: A Story of Climate and Hope on One American Street."

    Get Out There: Saturday, May 3 is D.C.'s event-topia!

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 3:59


    This week on Get Out There, we help you plan your perfect D.C. day, minute by minute.

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