Podcasts about WAMU

It's finally done! The D.C. Council passed the 2026 budget, but not without some hiccups along the way. WAMU's Alex Koma takes us inside the Wilson Building to tell us what those hiccups were and what DC will be spending our tax dollars on next year. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 29th episode: Framebridge Overlook Maps Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

I was born in 1970—the same cultural moment, almost to the year, that NPR emerged. My parents were daily drinkers and secular humanists who raised me in Hawaii with Carl Sagan, PBS, and an FM radio dialed to All Things Considered. Garrison Keillor. Click and Clack. Terry Gross. Diane Rehm. Kojo Nnamdi. This wasn't politics—it was affection. NPR was calm, elite, literary, but with warmth. A sherry-glass liberalism. A voice that loved America while nudging it gently forward.For decades I was the cliché NPR listener. WAMU 88.5 was always on. I attended events. I gave money. I listened from sunup to sundown. Even when I moved to Berlin from 2007–2010, I tuned into NPR Berlin on 104.1 FM—the only place in Europe where you could still hear that comforting cadence.NPR didn't just report the world. It modeled how to be in it. It embodied curiosity, restraint, and thoughtful compassion. Sure, it was Ivy League-adjacent, but it didn't perform its politics. It offered a kind of humanist moral imagination that didn't shout.But over the last decade, it began to shout.The slow turn started with Trump, but it accelerated under COVID. What once felt like public radio for the curious became a strategy hub for the perpetually aggrieved. On the Media went from fascinating to hectoring. 1A became sanctimonious. The programming seemed less about informing the public than scolding the noncompliant.It wasn't just the politics. NPR has always leaned left, and I've always been fine with that. What changed was the tone. It stopped being about persuasion and started being about purity. I started waking up not to gentle reporting, but to emotionally loaded moral litmus tests disguised as headlines.And let me be clear: I was a lifer. I lived on Capitol Hill for nine years and in Arlington for 15. I studied American literature. I taught writing. I read postwar fiction in Berlin. I've attended Big Broadcast tapings. I've seen Garrison Keillor and David Sedaris live. I once flirted with Diane Rehm on Twitter. I should have been locked in until death. But if you've lost me—you've lost the plot.I should've been paying a tithe to NPR and PBS for all 85 years of my life. Instead, I wake up listening to Your Morning Show with Mike DeGiorno, a warm, funny, right-leaning host who loves his audience and doesn't perform ideological trauma theater every five minutes. He makes me laugh. He reminds me more of old NPR than NPR does.And that's the saddest sentence I've ever written.Public media made a fatal gambit in 2016. They believed Trump was an aberration, a glitch, and if they could just signal hard enough—he'd vanish. But when he won again in 2024, after 34 felonies, after billions in judgments, after being called Hitler daily—they were shocked. Because they had stopped listening. They didn't realize his supporters saw the media itself as the enemy. That “they're not coming for me, they're coming for you” landed. That Trump, for many, isn't a savior but a middle finger.NPR had become Tokyo Rose, broadcasting at its own people from a bunker of moral superiority.Meanwhile, I'm streaming old Coast to Coast AM episodes. I watch Gutfeld!, not because it's smart but because it's stupid in the way old late night used to be. Colbert? I was a disciple. But since COVID, he's turned into a high priest of performative grievance. I can't even watch him interview celebrities anymore. If I want celebrity joy, I turn to The Graham Norton Show—where nobody cries about the state of the world before asking about someone's rom-com.Even The Daily Show knows what it has become. They joke about “TDS”—Trump Derangement Syndrome—because they know. It's not satire anymore. It's affirmation.What I miss is what radio used to be. Sweet. Surprising. Curious. Gently skeptical. What it did best was model how to be open in a closed, chaotic world. And now that voice is gone.I miss the voice in my kitchen.And I'm still grieving.

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.

We sit down with Jamie Dimon for a live conversation at Radio City Music Hall, covering the incredible journey from his 1998 firing at Citgroup (where he was widely expected to become CEO) to building the most powerful bank in the world. Today JPMorgan Chase is a juggernaut — the most systemically important non-governmental financial institution in the world, with over twice the market capitalization of its nearest competitor. But it certainly wasn't always this way! Jamie takes us from his career restart at the struggling Chicago-based Bank One through how he transformed that platform into the foundation for the modern JPMorgan Chase. We dive into the “fortress balance sheet” strategy that has defined his tenure, and cover blow-by-blow Jamie's approach to the Great Financial Crisis, Bear Stearns, WaMu, First Republic and more. Tune in for an incredible conversation, live from New York City's most iconic venue!Sponsors:Many thanks to our fantastic Summer ‘25 Season partners:J.P. Morgan PaymentsVercelAnthropicStatsigEpisode image photo credit: Rockefeller CenterMore Acquired:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Check out the latest swag in the ACQ Merch Store!‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

The DC Budget still hasn't passed, but it's getting closer. The D.C. Council advanced a budget that pencils in more than $1 billion dollars for the RFK Stadium deal and approves ranked-choice voting. Plus, it rejects Bowser's proposed rollback of the I-82 tipped wage law… for now. Another vote is expected July 28. WAMU's Alex Koma is here to get into what it means for the city. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 16th episode: Library of Congress DC Sustainable Energy utility Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

WAMU's Alex Koma is here to talk about the Supreme Court giving the greenlight to Trump's mass firings of federal workers. Plus, the president is musing about taking over DC again. But it's not all bad: There are more fireflies than ever! And in a member's only fourth topic, we're going to get into DC's feelings about the Better Bus Network changes.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 11th episode: District Bridges Backroom Nace Law Group Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

The Trump administration recently announced a plan to keep the FBI headquarters in the District, reversing a decision made by the Biden administration in 2023 to move it to a new building in Prince George's County. Maryland lawmakers are now considering next steps to fight the abrupt turnaround. U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey, who represents a large portion of Prince George's County, joins the show to discuss. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court this week cleared the way for the White House to move forward with slashing the federal workforce. We ask Rep. Ivey what is being done for locals who might be at risk of losing their jobs.President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law late last week, which includes significant cuts to Medicaid coverage. In Virginia, one estimate suggests that 332,000 residents will lose their health insurance. Virginia Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who represents a large portion of Loudoun County, gets behind the mic to discuss what he heard from his constituents at a recent townhall. We'll also ask about immigration; Virginia has seen one of the sharpest spikes in ICE arrests in the country.D.C.'s Ward 8 residents are heading to the polls for a special election to fill the seat on the D.C. Council. Despite federal bribery charges and expulsion by his colleagues, former councilmember Trayon White is the frontrunner for his old seat. WAMU's Senior D.C. Politics reporter Alex Koma joins Kojo and Tom to break down the race. He'll also share the latest updates on the D.C. Council budget, expected to be released early next week, and the debate over the RFK Stadium.Send us questions and comments for guests: kojo@wamu.orgFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org

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.

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.

DC Council is already pondering whether to expel Ward 8 councilmember Trayon White again if he wins his seat back on July 15 special election. But in the meantime, the voters get a say, and they actually have a few candidates to choose from. WAMU's Alex Koma is here to walk us through the state of the race.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 7th episode: District Bridges Backroom Nace Law Group Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was originally released on 5/1/2019. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 91, we finish the adult western trilogy with a focus on the period after television decimated radio's listening audience, forever altering the broadcasting landscape. Dramatic radio's time as America's number one entertainment genre was over, but it was far from dead. Our story won't conclude on that fabled date of September 30th, 1962 when radio drama supposedly ended forever. We'll push down the trail through the 1960s, 70s, and 80s as dramatic radio continued to avoid the hangman's noose. Highlights: • Dirty Saturdays • Gunsmoke Finds Sponsorship. • Gunsmoke's TV launch • NBC and Dr. Sixgun • Norman Macdonnell and CBS bring a new Western to the Air • J.B. Kendall, Luke Slaughter, & Paladin • The End of Gunsmoke • Horizon's West and One Last Gasp • Elliott Lewis—Young At Heart • Riding off Into the Sunset The WallBreakers: thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: patreon.com/TheWallBreakers The reading material used in today's episode was: • On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio - by John Dunning • Radio Rides The Range: A Reference Guide to Western Drama on the Air, 1929 - 1967 by Jack French and David S. Siegel • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953 - by Jim Ramsburg • As well as numerous passages from Broadcast Magazine On the Interview Front: • Lilian Buyeff, John Dehner, Lawrence Dobkin, Herb Ellis, Virginia Gregg, Elliott Lewis, Vic Perrin, and Herb Vigran, were with SPERDVAC, the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety, and Comedy. For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com • Parley Baer, William Conrad, John Dehner, Rex Koury, and Norman Macdonnell were with John Hickman. Mr. Hickman was the longtime host of WAMU's Recollections. Today, this program is heard each Sunday evening as The Big Broadcast. For more information, please go to WAMU.org • William N Robson was with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio. This interview can be heard at GoldenAge-WTIC.org. • Parley Baer was with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chat at SpeakingofRadio.com. •John Dehner was also heard with Neil Ross for KMPC on March 23rd, 1982. While Elliott Lewis was with John Dunning for his 1980s 71KNUS program from Denver. And Raymond Burr was with Jack Webster in 1963. Selected Music Featured in Today's Episode Was: • The Theme to A Summer Place - by Percy Faith • Mr. Sandman - by The Chordettes • Young At Heart - by Frank Sinatra • And Come Down My Evening Star - by Joan Morris & William Bolcom

This episode was originally released on 4/1/2019. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 90 and on the second part of our western trilogy, dramatic radio goes from boom to bust in a nine year period after World War II, as a group of actors become radio legends, while the radio western grows up. Highlights: • William S. Paley's Plan to Overtake NBC • The West-Coast Hollywood Actors • Robson, Yarborough, Lewis, and Hawk Larabee • Escape Moves the Western Forward • The Life and Death of Jeff Chandler • CBS Becomes Number 1 • NBC Fires Back with New Western Shows • Elliott Lewis, Suspense, On Stage, and Crime Classics • The Birth of Gunsmoke • Jack Johnstone, Jimmy Stewart, and The Six Shooter • The Networks Pull the Plug in 1954 • What's Next The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers The reading material used in today's episode was: • On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio - by John Dunning • Radio Rides The Range: A Reference Guide to Western Drama on the Air, 1929 - 1967 by Jack French and David S. Siegel • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953 - by Jim Ramsburg As well as passages from • Broadcast Magazine — 12/22/1947, 2/16/1948, 3/1/1948 • Sponsor Magazine — 10/1/1951 On the Interview Front: • Parley Baer, Harry Bartell, Lillian Buyeff, Mary Jane Croft, John Dehner, Lawrence Dobkin, Sam Edwards, Herb Ellis, Virginia Gregg, Jack Johnstone, Byron Kane, Elliott Lewis, Jeanette Nolan, and Herb Vigran were with SPERDVAC, the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety, and Comedy. For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com • Hans Conried, Howard Duff, and Elliott Lewis with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio. The full interviews can be heard at GoldenAge-WTIC.org • Jack Benny, Hans Conried, Betty Lou Gerson, Elliott Lewis, and Lurene Tuttle were with Chuck Schaden. Chuck's interviews from an over 39-year career can be listened to for free at SpeakingofRadio.com • Eve Arden, Elliott Lewis, and E. Jack Neuman were with John Dunning for his 1980s 71KNUS Radio program from Denver. Some of his interviews can be found at OTRRLibrary.org • William Conrad, John Dehner, Rex Koury, Norman Macdonnell, John Meston, William N. Robson, and George Walsh were John Hickman of WAMU for his Gunsmoke documentary. • Mr. Hickman was the longtime host of “Recollections.” A modern version of this program is heard each Sunday evening as “The Big Broadcast.” For more information, please go to WAMU.org • William Conrad was also with collector Chris Lambesis for a December 15th, 1969 interview • Jimmy Stewart was with Larry King in 1986 • And William S. Paley and Frank Stanton were interviewed for CBS's 50th Anniversary program in 1977. Selected Music Featured in Today's Episode Was: • I've Got the World on a String - by Frank Sinatra • Pyramid of the Sun & Voodoo Dreams - by Les Baxter • I'll Be Seeing You - by The Harry James Orchestra • Route 66 - by Nat King Cole

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

This episode was originally released on 3/1/2019. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 89, we explore the birth of the dramatic radio western show, specifically targeted to adult audiences. This is the first of a three-part mini-series on adult western radio shows. Highlights: • Back to the Very Beginning • What is a Western Show? • The Birth of Western Dramatic Radio Shows • Empire Builders • Death Valley Days • The Western show on local stations • ...And in syndication • Lux Presents Hollywood • The Triumph and Tragedy of Buck Jones • Americana and the Cavalcade of America • Howard McNear and Romance of the Ranchos • The First Western Soap Opera • The War Ends and the Western show grows up • What's Next? The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers The reading material used in today's episode was: • On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio - by John Dunning • Radio Rides The Range: A Reference Guide to Western Drama on the Air, 1929 - 1967 by Jack French and David S. Siegel • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953 - by Jim Ramsburg • Hello Everybody! The Dawn of American Radio by Anthony Rudel & • The Network by Scott Woolley On the interview front: • Don Ameche, Joan Fontaine, Hans Conried, Rudy Vallée were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio. The full interviews can be heard at GoldenAge-WTIC.org • Agnes Moorehead and Anne Seymour were with Chuck Schaden. Chuck's interviews from an over 39-year career can be listened to for free at SpeakingofRadio.com • John Dunkel and William N. Robson were with John Hickman for his WAMU program “Recollections.” A modern version of this program is heard each Sunday evening as “The Big Broadcast.” For more information, please go to WAMU.org • Ruth Woodman was with Ida Blackburn in 1961 for KOCO. The full video clip can be seen on the Oklahoma Historical Society's Youtube page - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOnsye8K4SEsY9Ssi8EzzHg • and journalist Robert Bendiner was with Westinghouse for their 1970 50th Anniversary program. Selected music featured in today's episode was: • The Colorado Trail Opus 28 by Elizabeth Hainen - http://www.elizabethhainen.com • The Last Rose of Summer by Tom Waits • Morning Prayer by Kenneth Little Hawk • All Mortal Flesh Be Silent by Deirdre Fay • Across the Wide Missouri, by Mathias Gohl, Molly Mason, Jay Unger, and Andy Stein • Jefferson and Liberty by John Owen Lardinois • Amazing Grace by Leta Rector • Across the Alley from the Alamo by the Mills Brothers I'd also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman. Listen to their shows on the Yesterday USA radio network. WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers URL - thewallbreakers.com Online Store - jamesthewallbreaker.com/shop/

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.

This week, Virginia Democrats went to the polls for primaries, choosing state Senator Ghazala Hashmi as their candidate for Lieutenant Governor this fall. Sen. Hashmi joined the show to discuss her primary win, what it means for Northern Virginia residents, and how she will approach November's general election, where she will face Republican radio talk show host John Reid.Virginia voters selected Jay Jones as the Democratic nominee for Attorney General; he'll go up against incumbent Republican Jason Miyares in November. WAMU's Northern Virginia reporter Margaret Barthel got behind the mic to break down the results. Plus, she set the stage for the widely-anticipated governor's race in the fall. Margaret also previewed the Democratic firehouse primary set for later this month to fill Virginia's 11th Congressional District seat after the death of longtime Congressman Gerry Connolly.The D.C. Council is deep into budget hearings, with hundreds of residents coming out to express their views on proposed cuts, the deal to build a new football stadium, and a pitch to repeal the tipped minimum wage increase. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen joined Kojo and Tom to discuss his priorities in a tight budget year. Plus, Allen weighs in on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's push for stricter youth curfew laws.The bill calls for an 11 p.m. citywide summer curfew for 17-year-olds or younger. Currently, the curfew starts at midnight and applies to those 16 or younger. The proposal also would allow D.C. police to create special zones where the curfew could be set as early as 7 p.m. for 15 consecutive days. However, Councilmember Allen questioned the strategy."Are we pulling away MPD resources to go enforce a curfew that we need them in other places,?" he asked.Allen also said a tougher curfew shouldn't be passed as emergency legislation and without public hearings. The Council is expected to consider it early next month.Send us questions and comments for guests: kojo@wamu.orgFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org

Despite the administration's hype, Trump's military parade fell short of expectations. WAMU reporter Alex Koma was on the ground covering both the parade and the protests and he's here to break down what actually went down in the streets and how it impacts the city.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 17th episode: Alliance Francaise Gala Theatre Nace Law Group Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

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."

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.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

With fewer job postings being listed and people eating at home more – DC is on edge money-wise! It's had us all anxiously awaiting more information about DC's 2026 budget. Now, Mayor Bowser has finally unveiled her proposal. WAMU's Alex Koma is here to tell us what's in it and what's not.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this May 28th episode: Mosaic Theater District Bridges Williamstown Theatre Festival Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diane Rehm started her career at WAMU 52 years ago as a volunteer.  In 1979, she began hosting WAMU's local morning talk show, Kaleidoscope, which was renamed The Diane Rehm Show in 1984. The Diane Rehm Show grew from a local program to one with international reach and a weekly on-air audience of nearly 3 million. In 2016, Diane decided to step away from daily live radio, and brought her unique mix of curiosity, honesty, intimacy and four decades of hosting experience to the podcast world with On My Mind.In 2020, during the heart of the pandemic, Diane launched a new project to help engage an audience stuck at home. The Diane Rehm Book Club met monthly on Zoom and featured panel discussions, as well as author interviews. Guests included Ann Patchett, Isabel Wilkerson, Anthony Doerr and Isabel Allende.  Now, she takes the microphone one last time at WAMU to say farewell.You can find an archive of interviews from The Diane Rehm Show and On My Mind at dianerehm.org. You can find an archive of book club discussions on Diane's YouTube channel.

Host Diane Rehm sat behind the mic at our home station, WAMU, for nearly 40 years. Her eponymous news talk program aired from 1979 to 2016 to nearly 3 million listeners each week.In some ways, her success in radio defied the odds. In 1998, she was diagnosed with the neurological condition spasmodic dysphonia. It gave her the distinct voice that over time became synonymous for many with civil conversations on frequently tough topics.In 2014, President Barack Obama presented Diane with a National Humanities Medal in recognition of her work. In 2016, she stepped away from her live show, handing the reins to 1A and making the move to her own weekly podcast.Now, she's saying goodbye to public radio for good, with the end of her podcast and the start of new independent projects. She joins us to talk about what her tenure in radio and news.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This is Diane's final episode of On My Mind. She will be moving on from WAMU on May 2, after more than 50 years at the station. So, who better to have as her guest for this last interview than Susan Page? Susan Page and Diane have both traced the comings and goings of Washington for decades, Page at USA Today, Diane in public radio. And they often had the good fortune of sitting down together to talk about politics, and more importantly, what the actions of our government mean to you, the public. Diane says she can't think of another time in the history of this country when those types of conversations that lay out facts and seek truth meant more than they do today. Susan Page joins Diane as she bids farewell to public radio to talk about the first hundred days of the Trump presidency – and what to expect from the next hundred.