WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio

11/29/2025

Many cities have struggled to meet their Vision Zero goals, including D.C., where fatalities rose steadily every year for the past decade. But in 2025, the District has recorded more than a 50 percent drop in traffic deaths compared to the same point last year.

Many cities have struggled to meet their Vision Zero goals, including D.C., where fatalities rose steadily every year for the past decade. But in 2025, the District has recorded more than a 50…

11/28/2025

D.C. At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds may not run for re-election next year. The move could shake up a key citywide race and put an end to the career of one of the city's longest tenured politician.

Bonds, who has been a fixture of D.C. politics for the last five decades, is considering not making another bid for the at-large race and endorsing a longtime aide.

11/26/2025

Two National Guard members were shot near the White House in Washington, D.C. Wednesday afternoon, according to authorities.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X that she was praying for the two guardsmen who were shot. The Metropolitan Police Department said one suspect is in custody.

In a post on Truth Social, President Trump wrote that the two guardsmen have been “critically wounded.”

“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen … is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” he added.

In an emailed statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump has been briefed on the incident. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the President requested an additional 500 National Guardmembers be sent to D.C.

“The White House is aware and actively monitoring this tragic situation,” Leavitt added.

This is a developing story.

11/26/2025

🎙️ Talk That Matters: An Evening with Jenn White

What’s it like to host a live radio show right now? How do you handle guests with passionate — or sometimes misinformed — views? And how do you balance perspectives when every decision is under a microscope?

Join Jenn White, host of 1A, and NPR’s Natalie Winston for a candid conversation about navigating tough topics and using words to build bridges in divided times.

📅 Thursday, December 4
🕕 6 p.m.
📍 Planet Word Museum
🎟️ Get tickets: wamu.org/events

WAMU 88.5 is Washington’s NPR station, featuring local news on education, transportation, politics, and more as well as programs like 1A.

11/25/2025

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says she won’t run for reelection next year, ending months of frenzied speculation about her future and setting the stage for a wide open race to replace her.

In a video announcing her decision, Bowser said that she’d accomplished everything she set out to do since first winning the job back in 2014, calling it “the honor of my life to be your mayor.” She specifically cited the stadium deal to bring the Washington Commanders back to D.C. as one of the key accomplishments that convinced her she was ready to move on.

However, Bowser added that she still plans to “run through the tape” before leaving office in 2027. https://wamu.org/story/25/11/25/dc-mayor-muriel-bowser-wont-run-for-reelection/

11/25/2025

Non profit “So What Else” says that over seven days, November 20-26, their locations in Maryland and D.C. aim to provide 30,000 holiday meals to local families. Co-founder Dave Silbert says if they can provide a break to families in terms of the cost of food, then they can can possibly make it through a tough time, “…and they can get back up on their feet.”

11/25/2025

A proposed data center development in upper Montgomery County would use the Potomac River--which supplies over 75 percent of the region’s drinking water-- for cooling. Locals, environmental groups, and state officials consider the opportunities and risks it poses for the water and the nearby community.

It's a chilly fall morning along the C&O Canal Towpath in Upper Montgomery County as people stroll and bike through a corridor of red, yellow and green foliage. In the distance, tall cylindrical smokestacks rise from what used to be the Dickerson coal-fired power plant.

Barbara Velarde and her husband Mike Olszak walk this path at least three times a week.
“You can watch the beavers building their little dams,” Velarde says. “There is a lot of wildlife, nature, and history. This is something we should hang on to and just not spoil the rivers.”

The former coal plant is the proposed site for a data center development, those windowless buildings that store the cloud and power artificial intelligence.

The couple are worried about what it will mean for their quiet corner of the county.https://wamu.org/story/25/11/18/proposed-montgomery-county-data-center-would-use-potomac-river-water-for-cooling/

11/23/2025

Rodriguez Rodney Norman is a violence interrupter, which means he de-escalates conflicts in D.C.’s neighborhoods so they don’t reach a tragic end. Much of his time has been spent in Ward 8, where he grew up. “Ward 8 made me who I am, a man trying to change the same streets that raised me,” Norman says.

This month for Voices of Wards 7 and 8, Norman spoke with WAMU’s Darryl C. Murphy and photojournalist Dee Dwyer about what it really takes to keep the peace when violence can seem like an easy choice. https://wamu.org/story/25/11/17/voices-ward-7-and-8-violence-interrupter/

11/22/2025

D.C.’s moved to a new system to accept applications for rent relief—but the city is still experiencing some very old problems.

The city opened its Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP, Thursday morning. Within a matter of hours, tenants began complaining about a series of problems reaching anyone at the agency managing the program, leaving hundreds unsure whether they’d be able to access money to keep them in their homes this winter. The snafus closely mirror those the city’s seen in past years, with previous rollouts dogged by technical issues.https://wamu.org/story/25/11/20/d-c-once-again-sees-technical-glitches-surging-demand-for-rent-relief-program/

11/22/2025

It’s been a challenging year for Mayor Muriel Bowser, navigating a complex relationship with President Trump during his second term – one that’s reshaping life in D.C.

From the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department this summer, to the removal of Black Lives Matter Plaza and beyond, the Mayor has juggled appeasing the President while representing the interests of a city that voted overwhelmingly against him. Washington Post investigative reporter Jonathan O’Connell’s latest piece takes a behind the scenes look at these negotiations, as well as the political pressures shaping Bowser’s response.

During an August press conference, Mayor Bowser praised the federal government's crime crackdown. In a meeting with White House officials prior to that press conference, Bowser was assured the crime emergency would come to an end after 30 days. And during the meeting, she was asked directly by the President to praise the administration’s crackdown, drawing the ire of residents and community leaders continuing to document immigration raids targeting the District residents.

11/20/2025

This week on the Politics Hour, we are live from Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia! U.S. Representative James Walkinshaw joins Kojo and Tom to discuss federal cuts, redistricting, and what it all means for the future of Virginia. Plus, former House Delegate and member of Gov.-elect Spanberger's transition team David Ramadan breaks down the challenges ahead for the new governor.

11/14/2025

Next week, The Politics Hour is live in Fairfax. Join Kojo Nnamdi, Tom Sherwood & special guest Rep. James Walkinshaw (D‑VA) as they dive into Virginia’s elections, the government reopening, redistricting & more. Plus, you'll have a chance to be part of the discussion.

👉 Register now at wamu.org/events
🗓️ Friday, Nov. 21 | 12 p.m.
📍 Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax