WAMU: Local News

At-Large D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson speaks to WAMU about the anniversary of President Trump's federal troop surge and how a year of National Guard presence is shaping city politics.

The National Guard has patrolled D.C. streets for 1 year. How are local organizers responding?

American Public Health Association's Dr. Georges Benjamin breaks down the state of the outbreak of measles in the D.C. region, recent measles politics and how to be vigilant against the virus.

This week, WAMU is looking at the different ways the National Guard deployment has impacted D.C., one year in. First in the series, WAMU's Natalie Yuravlivker spoke to NOTUS reporter Michael Brice-Saddler about his reporting that looks back on what the deployment has accomplished, and at what cost.  

This month, Maryland held track and field events in the state's Senior Olympics - a competition specifically for athletes 50 and older. WAMU's Tyrone Turner was there - and he documented the event's sights and sounds as part of his Photographers Notebook series.

This week WAMU will be marking the one year anniversary of President Trump's federal law enforcement surge with a series of stories and conversations about its impact and legacy. Plus, we're taking a look at some of the athletes who compete in Maryland's Senior Olympics.

President Trump's $22 billion plan to overhaul Dulles International Airport would retire its aging people movers and add new concourses and parking. Aviation analyst Robert Mann says the financing could push the fee airlines pay per passenger from about $10 today to more than $90 within a decade.

D.C.'s 2027 fiscal-year blueprint reflects a debate playing out around the U.S.: whether opioid settlement money should be used to free up taxpayer dollars by paying for existing responsibilities instead of new programs.

NOTUS reporter Jenny Gathright joined WAMU to discuss what the D.C. Inspector General called a "systemic breakdown" in MPD's crime data systems.

Medicaid in Virginia started covering doula care four years ago. But logistical and administrative challenges leave many expectant parents without the support of a doula.

This week on Get Out There, we're breaking down some of the best places to cool off and splash around in the District..

Virginia's environmental regulator challenged a report on pollution from a self-powered Loudoun County data center. A Politico investigation found the agency's pushback echoed talking points from the data center company itself.

D.C. councilmembers are considering a bill that would bring commercial autonomous vehicles to the District. Some residents with disabilities, particularly those who are blind, are strongly supportive. But others in the disability community are wary.

Building a new monument in Washington, D.C. is usually a painstaking process involving layers of review by federal commissions and often requiring congressional approval. The President  is trying to speed that up for the construction of a 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle. But the changes his administration is proposing could reach far beyond this project.  

This week on Get Out There, we're on the hunt for great ice cream.

Hundreds of thousands of students accessing federal student loans will be impacted by new guidelines which restrict how much debt students can take on. The U.S. Department of Education says its to curtail overwhelming debt; students worry about the programs they can pursue.

Northern Virginia is widely considered the data center capital of the world, with more than 300 data centers concentrated in Loudoun, Prince William, and Fairfax counties. We look at how the region became "Data Center Alley". And as public opinion shifts, could it lose that title? 

WAMU checks in on the data center fights in VA and MD, where residents are pushing back on big data center projects. Plus we'll look at a key vote by Metro on funding for the RFK stadium site and round up local ice cream parlors to cool off this summer.

Glen Echo Park's band organ celebrates its 100th birthday this summer, and Durward Center has made sure it has sounded terrific for more than half of its life.

The oral history project StoryCorps has launched a special initiative with NPR's Morning Edition to mark the country's 250th birthday. It's called Connect250, and participants across the country are matched with one another for virtual conversations about life, experiences, and what it means to be American today.

An ACLU report looks at the widespread use of force in immigration enforcement in the first year of President Trump's return to office. Recent fatal shootings in Texas and Maine have brought renewed scrutiny to the agency's tactics.

Washingtonian magazine's food editor Jessica Sidman speaks with WAMU about her investigation into a "mafia" of unlicensed food trucks spreading high prices, food borne illness and confusion for tourists and residents trying to just get a snack on the National Mall.

This week WAMU will be checking in on the final vote on a bill to add a surcharge to bottles and cans sold in D.C., an in-depth report on how an organized gang of unlicensed food trucks is impacting the National Mall and a look at a century of the Glen Echo Park carousel's Wurlitzer organ.

Ira Glass, creator and host of This American Life, got his start right here in Washington D.C.. He's back in the District this week for a live performance at Capital Turnaround and spoke with WAMU's All Things Considered host Tamika Smith about how his time here influenced his career. 

This week on Get Out There, we're picking some blue crabs!

Music scholar Anna Harwell Celenza talks to WAMU about her new book "On The Record: Music that Changed America," which surveys iconic American musical works that shaped the nation's laws.

This week on Get Out There, we help locals celebrate America 250.

Jason Samenow is the chief meteorologist and founder of Capital Weather. He joined WAMU host Natalie Yuravlivker to discuss the change and the outlook for the summer weather.

Conditions at an affordable housing complex in Eckington are so deplorable that District leaders are proposing a $21-million-dollar tax break to fix them. Residents (and others) say this isn't a fair solution.

Charvis Campbell, founder of HR Records and the Home Rule Music Festival, speaks to WAMU about the fifth anniversary of the Home Rule Music Festival this weekend and honoring the legacy of D.C. music.

Quincy Bareebe has loaned her congressional campaign nearly $6 million and built it around a rags-to-riches biography. But court records and her family history complicate the picture.

Democratic nominee for D.C. Delegate to Congress Robert White speaks to WAMU about his victory, what voters wanted from a delegate and his own vision for the position.

Squeezed between their young children and aging parents, the 'sandwich generation' needs help! Experts say embracing the role of caregiver can come with support and recognition that can make a difference in mental health.

Other results show that Robert White won the D.C. Democratic primary to succeed retiring House delegate Norton. Winners in down ballot races will take longer to determine, as ranked choice ballots come into play.

This week WAMU will be covering the D.C. primary elections -- from several council races to huge elections for mayor and delegate to Congress -- and we'll be looking at ways area residents can celebrate Juneteenth and Pride this weekend.

For this week's Get Out There, we're telling you how restaurants are keeping customers seats in the streets!

WAMU's Alex Koma and Washington Informer's Sam P.K. Collins get us ready for the D.C. primaries. Plus, Virginia Delegate Vivian Watts weighs in the data center tax breaks stalling budget negotiations.

Summer in D.C. is a great time for ticks. This year, you may want to be especially vigilant about protecting yourself from the diseases they carry.

Tens of millions in taxpayer dollars have been spent overhauling parks and monuments across Washington, D.C. A New York Times investigation explores how expensive no-bid contracts are key to the Trump administration's restoration work.

This week WAMU will be checking in on the D.C. Council's first vote for the FY2027 budget, responses from health officials to increased tick bites across the D.C. region and the politics at play this summer around streateries.

Popular local social media account Barred in D.C. got answers to the question everyone has been asking... what are the D.C. mayoral hopefuls favorite places to eat?

The summer in D.C. offers a great chance to get out and explore the city's jazz scene, whether you bask in the sounds of trumpets on a park blanket or enjoy a cool piano trio in an air-conditioned club.