WAMU: Local News

City lawmakers have been debating whether to implement more stringent youth curfews in D.C., following so-called “teen takeovers” that have prompted concerns about public safety. Some young people feel proponents are missing the bigger picture. 

Virginia recorded one of the steepest declines in overdose deaths nationwide over the past year. But spending reductions in Medicaid, one of the largest payers for addiction and mental health treatment in the U.S., could significantly disrupt substance use treatment programs nationwide.

Montgomery County Delegate Marc Korman speaks to WAMU about a recent milestone for the construction of the Purple Line and how a soon-to-be law in Maryland will help spur development around the light rail's stations.

WAMU arts and culture reporter Darryl C. Murphy tried five of the year's new restaurants - ones that are helping to keep D.C.'s dining scene alive. 

Researcher Crystal Foretia joins WAMU to discuss her work looking into the abuse at the House of Reformation and Instruction in Prince George's County and shares thoughts on how the state can work through this dark legacy.

ICE arrests in the D.C. region have quadrupled since the Biden administration. For families with children, that surge is raising urgent questions about what happens when a parent gets picked up.

This week for Get Out There, we're exploring D.C.'s best spots for kids with Austin Graff.

The Mystics start 2026 with a crop of fresh players, two of whom are current NCAA champions. But the team is also without a permanent GM.

Weekend Edition host Scott Simon is a lover of all pets. In his new book, "Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I've Known" Simon shares the stories and lessons learned from his pet friends.

Maryland Secretary of Health Meena Seshamani explains changes to Maryland's vaccine policies under the recently adopted Vax Act.

This week WAMU will be checking in on the state of a couple of primary elections in the D.C.-region: The race for Mayor in D.C. and the push to succeed retiring Congressman Steny Hoyer in Maryland's fifth District. Plus we look ahead at the opening weekend for the Washington Mystics.

A new exhibition in Southeast D.C. features artwork made with found objects. Plastic bags, buried debris, or almost any discarded item is fair game for creativity at Finders Keepers, currently on display at the Eye Street Gallery. 

Just blocks away from Howard University, Oscar-award winning filmmaker Spike Lee will screen his 1988 HBCU inspired film School Daze at the Lincoln Theatre this Friday. He spoke to WAMU about the film's relevance, and his ties to the District.

The Trump administration is seeking unprecedented access to the health records of federal workers — including their prescriptions, diagnoses, and doctor visits — raising alarms among legal experts and health executives about privacy and HIPAA compliance.

WAMU's Maryland reporter Jenny Abamu and visuals editor Tyrone Turner recall what it was like to be in the ballroom when chaos erupted during the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Mac N' Toss, part of a new era of feminist punk known as riot grrrl (which has roots in D.C.) says they organized the festival to be a place for women and queer people to have the freedom to express their feelings about the trauma of sexual violence.

Montgomery County Delegate Lorig Charkoudian joined WAMU to discuss a new bill to limit dynamic pricing in Maryland and how it fits into state Democrats' political concerns for the future.

Montgomery County-based record producer Zev Feldman, the "Jazz Detective," speaks to WAMU about his local roots in the record industry and some of the albums he is putting out for Record Store Day, 2026.

District Sounds is a family friendly event where students perform with established recording artists from multiple music genres. 

The quarterly publication is back after a brief hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In December, the Trump administration terminated the 50-year lease with the nonprofit National Links Trust to run D.C.'s three public golf courses. No one knows for sure what they are planning to do next.

This week WAMU will be checking in on the major cuts and spending choices in D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's Fiscal Year 2027 budget, the end of the 2026 legislative session in the Maryland General Assembly and a preview of Record Store Day with one of Montgomery County's most enthusiastic vinyl lovers.

Drummer Brendan Canty and guitarist Anthony Pirog of the Messthetics speak with WAMU about their new jazz album with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, "Deface the Currency."

WAMU's Alex Koma on the D.C. budget, VA Rep. Suhas Subramanyam on the latest on the Iran War, and Prince George's County Council Vice Chair Eric Olson talks anti-ICE legislation.

Prince George's County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha speaks to WAMU about a slate of bills the council passed this week attempting to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement and possible legal challenges to those bills.

Candidates vying to replace outgoing Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau are newly focused on issues impacting the Latino community as Trump's actions have inspired fear in neighborhoods like Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant.

The early learning centers, operated by the United Planning Organization, provide subsidized care for lower-income families, many of them in Southeast D.C. In March, UPO announced it was closing four of its 15 centers in early April, three of them in Wards 7 and 8. Parents had just about a month to find new places, and some are still searching.

Laura Grubb, legislative director for the Maryland School Psychologists Association, joins WAMU to discuss the shortage of school psychologists in Maryland and a lifeline in the form of the School Psychologists Interstate Compact.

In January, 240 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Potomac River. The aging sewage pipeline was an object of concern for years.

Maryland state and county leaders are scrambling to attract private-sector employers to soften the blow of federal cuts, which include around 25,000 federal job losses in the state.

This week on Get Out There, we celebrate cherry blossom season by giving in to our sweet tooth!

Postpartum depression affects 1 in 8 women in the U.S. For Black mothers, the risk is higher, and support is harder to find. One Prince George's County mom turned her own struggle into a lifeline for others.

A high-profile international soccer match is coming to Landover as France and Colombia meet ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Broadcaster Jamie Watson says it carries real stakes, giving teams a final chance to make their case before roster decisions.

Heavily blue Maryland looked like it would join the congressional redistricting fight on the side of Democrats. But one powerful state lawmaker is standing in the way.

Virginia Mercury politics reporter Charlotte Rene Woods joins WAMU to discuss the slate of pro-maternal health and pro-family bills that passed the commonwealth's general assembly this year as part of the second round of so-called "Momnibus" bills.

For this week's Get Out There, we take you to a city-wide festival showcasing environmental films from well known filmmakers, as well as indie-shorts that give rising talent their first taste of recognition.

For at least three more seasons, Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman is here to stay. We look at the historic contract that kept her here, changing women's soccer.

With affordability on the minds of just about every candidate running for office in D.C., contenders are scrambling to offer solutions, including the mayor's race.

Thousands of scientists have left the NIH, raising concerns about the future of medical research and the nation's ability to respond to public health crises.

For this week's Get Out There, we take you see to the exhibits at the nonprofit Art Enables in Brookland.

A multilevel parking garage in Crystal City, Virginia transformed into a bike racing course this February for the annual Garage Racing National Championships. According to one participant, “This is like racing in the rain on painted surfaces. It's fast... it's furious…it's chaotic. It's more fun than we should be allowed to have.”

This week WAMU will be checking in on the legality of a slate of bills to try and rein in ICE operatings in Maryland, the latest allegations of abuse and dysfunction at PIW, and we'll go along with photographer Tyrone Turner to a bike racing championship held in a parking garage.