Podcasts about WAMU

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!

Prince George's County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha has a lot on her plate as she starts her one-year term. She's looking to make child care more affordable, housing more obtainable, and the county safer. The council's new leader will try to do all of this while navigating a growing budget gap. Chair Oriadha joined Kojo and Tom to discuss her priorities and whether data centers could be an answer to the county's money challenges.2025 was certainly an eventful year in national and local politics. We were joined for the last Politics Hour of the year by WAMU's Regional Politics reporters Jenny Abamu, Margaret Barthel, and Alex Koma to talk about the year's top stories and what's ahead in 2026.Send us questions and comments for guests: kojo@wamu.orgFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org

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.

We already know Mayor Bowser isn't running for another term, but both Councilmember Anita Bonds and MPD Chief Pamela Smith also just announced their retirements, meaning a real shakeup is coming for the DC government. WAMU's Alex Koma is here to explain what all of these resignations mean for the city and why the 2026 field is looking so crowded. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 9th episode: Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

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.

Muriel Bowser has announced that she's going to hang it up after 12 years in office. What happens now? And what should we make of the decade-plus that Herronner has spent dominating DC politics? City Cast's Michael Schaffer, Bridget Todd and WAMU's Alex Koma explain every juicy detail.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.  Learn more about the sponsors of this November 26th episode: District Bridges Nace Law Group Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

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.

They don't cut cleanly along party lines, but data centers, and where they get built, became an election issue in Virginia. With so many more data centers to build, are we looking at a new trend?  Guest: Margaret Barthel, reporter covering northern Virginia for WAMU.  Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They don't cut cleanly along party lines, but data centers, and where they get built, became an election issue in Virginia. With so many more data centers to build, are we looking at a new trend?  Guest: Margaret Barthel, reporter covering northern Virginia for WAMU.  Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They don't cut cleanly along party lines, but data centers, and where they get built, became an election issue in Virginia. With so many more data centers to build, are we looking at a new trend?  Guest: Margaret Barthel, reporter covering northern Virginia for WAMU.  Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They don't cut cleanly along party lines, but data centers, and where they get built, became an election issue in Virginia. With so many more data centers to build, are we looking at a new trend?  Guest: Margaret Barthel, reporter covering northern Virginia for WAMU.  Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They don't cut cleanly along party lines, but data centers, and where they get built, became an election issue in Virginia. With so many more data centers to build, are we looking at a new trend?  Guest: Margaret Barthel, reporter covering northern Virginia for WAMU.  Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They don't cut cleanly along party lines, but data centers, and where they get built, became an election issue in Virginia. With so many more data centers to build, are we looking at a new trend?  Guest: Margaret Barthel, reporter covering northern Virginia for WAMU.  Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

Virginia Democrats had a big night in Tuesday's elections, sweeping all the statewide races and winning a supermajority in the House of Delegates. We broke down the historic election from all angles. We dove into the results with WAMU's Northern Virginia reporter, Margaret Barthel, and David Poole, founder of the Virginia Public Access Project.We were then joined by one of the big winners, Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi, to discuss what it means for Virginians and her historic election victory as the first Muslim woman to win statewide office in the U.S.During the campaign, Hashmi dealt with comments about her background, including from her Republican opponent, John Reid, who suggested she was supported by "radical Islamists." Hashmi said voters made clear they disagreed with that rhetoric. "It was Virginians who made their choice known, and the ugliness of the bigotry that my opponent was targeting me with was soundly rejected on Tuesday night," she said.Hashmi said that, as Lieutenant Governor, she plans to focus on housing affordability, energy concerns, and healthcare. Finally, Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell took the mic to discuss what the Democrats' "trifecta" means for governing, constitutional amendments, and the much-discussed redistricting plan. He cautioned that Democrats will need to navigate significant budget challenges, which could hamper the party's agenda."A lot of these new policies require money in order to implement," he said. "And given our budget situation, we're gonna have to figure out what we can afford and what we can prioritize."At the top of the agenda when the General Assembly reconvenes in January will be raising the minimum wage, banning assault weapons, and paid family leave.Send us questions and comments for guests: kojo@wamu.orgFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org

November 1 marked the start of open enrollment for 2026 health plans bought from Affordable Care Act marketplaces in most states. But this sign-up season is like no other in the health law's 15-year history. It remains unclear, even at this late date, whether expanded tax credits launched during the pandemic in 2021 will be continued or allowed to expire, exposing millions of Americans to much higher out-of-pocket costs. In this special episode of “What the Health?” from KFF Health News and WAMU, host Julie Rovner interviews KFF vice president Cynthia Cox about the past, present, and possible future of the health law and how those who purchase ACA coverage should proceed during this time of uncertainty. 

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!

All eyes are on Virginia ahead of next week's statewide elections. Recent polls continue to show Democrat Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, while both the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General races are in virtual dead heats. We previewed Virginia's upcoming elections with WAMU's Northern Virginia reporter Margaret Barthel and former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA). A split ticket remains a possibility, said Davis, meaning that members of different parties could be elected to the three statewide offices. "Divided government can work very well when you have adults at the helm," he said. "When you don't, it just makes gridlock even worse."Plus, we discussed Virginia Democrats' push for redistricting.Maryland Governor Wes Moore is also considering supporting plans to redraw Maryland's eight congressional districts, but some Democratic leaders are considering blocking the move. House Majority Leader David Moon (D-MD), who represents Montgomery County, joined the show to discuss why he also supports redistricting efforts. On late Friday afternoon, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration must continue to fund SNAP benefits during the shutdown, giving the administration a deadline of Monday to respond. In the meantime, states like Maryland have been debating how to help those who could lose food assistance starting Saturday. Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced Thursday he's allocating $10 million in state funds to local food banks. But many Maryland lawmakers wanted the governor to do more, including stepping in to fully fund federal SNAP benefits. Del. Moon said leadership is considering tapping into the state's rainy day fund.“To get people through Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, I think that's really the question, whether we can do a little bit more to at least keep some of the benefits,” he said.Moon said funding uninterrupted food assistance would cost Maryland $130 million per month. Send us questions and comments for guests: kojo@wamu.orgFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

We're talking about the jockeying for DC's House seat and the explosive controversy over crime stats. Plus, your ideal shutdown itinerary of non-federal DC attractions, and in a members only fourth segment, the latest on whether federal workers will get back pay if this thing ever ends. WAMU's Alex Koma joins City Cast's Michael Schaffer and Julia Karron. 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 October 10th episode: Wise Folger Shakespeare Library Nace Law Group The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University Public Welfare Foundation National Center for Victims of Crime Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Voters in New Jersey and Virginia are casting their ballots in their states' gubernatorial elections. We discuss the major issues at play and whether federal politics are affecting the races.This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, WNYC senior reporter Nancy Solomon, and WAMU reporter Margaret Barthel.This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After nearly a month of federal law enforcement and military personnel patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., President Trump says the District is a “crime-free zone.” We discuss what's really going on in the city, as well as the pressures on the majority Democratic city's Democratic mayor.This episode: politics correspondent Sarah McCammon, national justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and WAMU senior politics reporter Alex Koma. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy