WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio

07/03/2025

Kilmar Abrego Garcia will remain in jail in Nashville instead of being released from custody of the U.S. Marshalls.

The Prince George's County resident was illegally deported by the Trump administration. The government has admitted that Abrego Garcia was wrongly deported. He was brought back to the U.S. last month to face human smuggle charges.

The federal judge presiding over his case in Tennessee granted his attorneys' request for him to remain in Marshall custody. The request came from concerns that the Trump administration would try to deport Abrego Garcia to a third country if he was released.
The court will reconsider Abrego Garcia's detention at a hearing later this month.

This courtroom sketch depicts Kilmar Abrego Garcia sitting in court during his detention hearing on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (Diego Fishburn via AP)

07/02/2025

D.C.’s minimum wage rose on Tuesday July 1.

The base wage for workers increased from $17.50 an hour to $17.95 an hour. The District’s minimum wage is tied to the cost of living, so it regularly rises by small amounts.

Notably, the city did not increase its minimum wage for tipped workers just yet. The District was set to do so Tuesday after a ballot initiative passed mandating regular increases until it matched the standard minimum wage.

But the D.C. Council paused that increase until at least October, as lawmakers debate a proposal from Mayor Muriel Bowser to repeal the tipped wage increases entirely.

07/01/2025

D.C.'s well-regarded program to deliver raises to childcare workers faces an uncertain future, thanks to Mayor Muriel Bowser's budget proposal. Funding for the program could soon disappear, forcing big changes to the city's daycare sector. https://wamu.fm/45K6fk6

07/01/2025

Mayor Muriel Bowser says the city doesn't have the money to keep paying for raises for daycare workers beyond 2026. Lawmakers seem unlikely to find funding to save the program, prompting alarm among childcare advocates. https://wamu.fm/45K6fk6

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.

06/29/2025

D.C. lawmakers broadly agree: The city’s violence interruption efforts aren’t working as well as they could be. There’s less agreement on the question of what to do about that.

The latest debate has spilled into the city’s latest round of budget deliberations, further complicating a process already slowed by D.C.’s worsening revenue picture.

Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who chairs the council’s judiciary and public safety committee, proposed eliminating the attorney general’s violence interruption office, known as Cure the Streets. She wants to move that money over to Mayor Muriel Bower's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, though the plan has attracted fierce pushback.

Pinto’s plan only serves as a recommendation to Council Chair Phil Mendelson, who will develop the Council’s final budget proposal next month. Lawmakers have until the end of July to pass the full budget.
https://wamu.org/story/25/06/25/d-c-wants-to-reform-its-violence-interruption-programs-despite-years-of-debate-lawmakers-still-cant-agree-how/

06/28/2025

Cuts to the DC Healthcare Alliance and Medicaid in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget could disrupt health care for thousands of residents.

Immigrants and low-income residents, including those with chronic, life-threatening illnesses are particularly vulnerable. City administrators say the programs are unsustainable.

Residents who are 21 and older would be phased out of programs like the DC Healthcare Alliance under the mayor’s proposed budget starting October 1, 2027. Councilmembers are trying to raise the age limit to 26.

The Alliance currently covers about 28,000 adults. Many of them are immigrants, including those without legal status.https://wamu.org/story/25/06/25/thousands-of-d-c-residents-could-lose-their-health-insurance-through-budget-cuts/

06/28/2025

At The Well at Oxon Run, a one-acre community farm in Ward 8, residents get access to fresh produce and green space. Volunteers say they're growing food and new friendships at the farm, and it's helping them live healthier lives.

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…

06/27/2025

Local members of the conservative group Concerned Women For America were seen praying early Friday morning on June 27, before a slew of Supreme Court decisions were announced. The cases of their concern include Mahmoud Khalil’s status in the U.S., and parental rights in regard to school curriculum.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 opinion along ideological lines, said parents can opt their kids out of grammar school and middle school classes that use books with gay characters.
At issue was whether public school districts must allow parents to pull their children out of certain classes because the course material conflicts with the parents' religious views. The case started in Montgomery County in 2023, when a small group of parents sought to opt their children out of classes with LGBTQ curriculum.

School officials feared everyone would want to opt out of something, leading to frequent disruptions in classes. On Friday, the Supreme Court sided with the parents.

06/26/2025

Amid a gloomy economic outlook, local leaders are trying to find a sustainable way to fund Metro. The DMV Moves Task Force, convened last year, has been tasked with addressing that issue by identifying a dedicated funding source for Metro. One long-floated idea has been a regional sales tax, but most don't want it. Instead, many are pushing for an option where each jurisdiction comes up with its own method of providing the needed money.

While not completely off the table, the fraught political nature of pushing a region-wide sales tax through Virginia’s and Maryland’s legislatures makes it a hard sell. https://wamu.org/story/25/06/26/metro-needs-billions-to-stay-on-track-but-local-leaders-say-a-regional-tax-is-not-the-answer/

06/26/2025

Join us Friday, June 27 at noon for The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi. This week our guests include Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman, Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto, and District 6 Montgomery County Councilmember Natali Fani-González.

You can join the conversation by commenting your questions below or calling in during the live show at (800)-433-8850. https://wamu.org/story/25/06/26/the-politics-hour-d-c-councilmember-brooke-pinto-discusses-controversial-changes-to-the-citys-violence-interruption-programs/

06/24/2025

Climate activists are alarmed over Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposed cuts to environmental programs in her budget. She argues that they're necessary to cover energy costs and spur development in the city.

The mayor is facing tough budget choices, and says the changes are necessary to boost the city’s growth in a slowing economy. But several lawmakers are pledging to fight the proposals.

06/23/2025

Fairfax voters head to the polls this week for a high-stakes primary to fill Rep. Gerry Connolly's seat.

Both political parties in the district are nominating candidates to succeed Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died in May.