WAMU: Local News

In 1985, D.C. punks sought to reset the politics and music of the D.C. punk scene. 40 years later, punks carry Revolution Summer into middle age.

WAMU arts and culture reporter Darryl C. Murphy paid a visit to some of the region's top record stores to find out what new albums from 2025 topped their favorites list, as well as some local acts to look out for in 2026. 

WAMU's arts and culture reporter Darryl C. Murphy searched the region for some of the finest chocolatey sips, and put together a short list of the best!

In WAMU's series Hidden City, we uncover the stories behind the history, people, and places in our region.

Dr. Glenn Wortmann, Medical Director of Infection Prevention at the MedStar Institute of Quality and Safety, joins WAMU to discuss how to prepare for the upcoming flu season, which he and other medical experts warn will be a "tough one."

This week on Get Out There, we're getting out on the ice.

This week WAMU will be taking a region-wide look at critical issues surrounding data centers, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will be our guest on The Politics Hour, and a guide to top ice skating spots this winter.

This week on Get Out There, we celebrate the season with a holiday theater preview.

Hundreds of people live in D.C. without shelter, despite available beds. As winter sets in, the city's bridge housing programs may be critical to keeping homeless people safe and indoors, but they have limited capacity.

The local chapter of a socialist party has drawn hundreds of people to protests and meetings opposing data centers, sparking action by the county council.

This week on Get Out There, we're getting ready for Thanksgiving with some of the best places to enjoy a meal away from home.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser faces the difficult task of appeasing the interests of a President her city voted overwhelmingly against. Washington Post investigative reporter Jonathan O'Connell shares how she has she fared one year into his term.

Stories WAMU is following this week include a data center project in Montgomery County generating controversy, a vote on Metro funding, and The Politics Hour hitting the road.

City agencies overspent their budgets by more than $300 million last year. Strong revenue in past years helped blunt the impact, but recently it's becoming more difficult for lawmakers to cover the gaps.

Federal cutbacks to the social safety net and a flagging Northern Virginia economy will be major challenges for Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger and the Virginia General Assembly in January.

Stories we are following this week include an outlook on the challenges facing the victorious Virginia Democrats, possible changes coming to consumer credit scores vis-a-vis medical debt and a look at Thanksgiving catering options in the D.C. region.

Three Arlington public schools are offering free dinners to families every weekday during the ongoing government shutdown.

Fairfax Democrat Dan Helmer led the campaign to expand his party's majority in the Virginia House of Delegates. He speaks with WAMU about Democrats' big wins in Virginia.

In WAMU's new series Hidden City, we uncover the stories behind the history, people, and places in our region.

Stories we are following this week include the Virginia general election, changes this year to open enrollment in the Affordable Care Act and WAMU's new series "Hidden City."

This week on Get Out There, we're going leaf peeping!

Artwork, old newspapers, postcards, brochures and other forms of media illustrate how artists outside the mainstream literally made places for themselves to create and display their work from the 1970s through today.

Health care has been a consistent talking point in the campaign for governor in the commonwealth.

The unprecedented Democratic primary challenge to the civil rights icon suggests a growing consensus that after three decades representing D.C. in Congress, Norton should step aside.

Montgomery County Council President Kate Stewart explains how the county is dealing with federal cuts an shutdown. Plus, Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau on why she decided not to run for reelection.

Some federal workers are also helping others, setting up dedicated food drives for fellow government employees now in need.

Four weeks into the federal government shutdown and there's little sign of compromise. KFF's Julie Rovner explains why healthcare remains the key sticking point for Democrats.

District leaders used creative accounting to spend hundreds of millions in revenue, despite federal lawmakers holding up the money.

For more than seven years, Geri Mitchell has been a familiar voice on WAMU 88.5.

The D.C. region has been preparing for an economic slowdown. But surprisingly, the outlook isn't all bad, and there may even be some bright spots, including for defense contractors in Northern Virginia.

The Bright Center was already operating on a shoestring. Now the program's sustainability is even more in doubt.

For this week's Get Out There, we celebrate all things fall.

Virginia is just weeks away from electing a new governor, but the government shutdown and an explosive text message scandal in the race for attorney general could reshape the election.

As research funding is cut and thousands of federal scientists lose their jobs, the biohealth hub that took decades to build faces an uncertain future.

The three-term mayor is discussing the possibility of stepping aside, despite months of speculation she planned to mount a bid for a fourth term.

Within the last year, over 50 new dispensaries have opened in neighborhoods across all eight wards. Both newcomers and veterans of the industry are wondering how stable the cannabis business will be, moving forward.

Stories WAMU is following this week include the government shutdown's encroaching impact on the economies of D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia, the future of the biotech industry in Montgomery County and a thorough lesson on the invasive Spotted Lanternfly.

This week on Get Out There, we're hitting the concession stands!

Virginia is just weeks away from electing a new governor, but the government shutdown and a recent text message scandal could reshape the race.

The Trump administration abruptly cleared numerous homeless encampments in less than a month during its federal takeover of the District. Nearly two months later, many people are still in the region, sleeping outside.

The new documentary "Cracked Shells" explores the impact of gentrification on D.C.'s Black residents and how it's changing the demographics of "Chocolate City."

We spoke to KFF Health News reporter Paula Span and Montgomery County mortician Lily Buerkle to get the basics of green burials and why they're on the rise in the region.