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Josh Tulkin, executive director of Maryland’s chapter of the Sierra Club, wants environmentalists to consider the bigger...
09/10/2026

Josh Tulkin, executive director of Maryland’s chapter of the Sierra Club, wants environmentalists to consider the bigger picture of transit projects, rather than oppose all development. https://wamu.fm/3VmXtVQ

09/09/2026

This week on the Politics Hour, we reflect on 25 years since the terrorist attacks on 9-11.. and how the region changed forever. Plus, Ward 6 D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen on why he wants a second Metro station at the new RFK Stadium. Send in your questions to [email protected] and tune into WAMU 88.5 Friday at noon!

Lonnie G. Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, is stepping down from his post at the end of the year.“It...
09/08/2026

Lonnie G. Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, is stepping down from his post at the end of the year.

“It is with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude that I announce my retirement,” Bunch wrote in a statement. “I leave with pride and sadness, gratitude and joy, and with enormous confidence in the people who will carry this remarkable institution forward.”

The Smithsonian Institution — which includes dozens of museums, libraries, research centers, and the National Zoo — has been a frequent target of criticism by President Trump. In August 2025, Trump called for a “comprehensive internal review” of eight Smithsonian museums, and directed them to “celebrate American exceptionalism.”

In 2019, Bunch was named secretary of the Smithsonian, becoming the first historian and the first African American to hold the position. There he pushed forward plans for two museums – the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino, and he has been leading the institution’s fundraising efforts.

The institution’s Board of Regents have yet to name an acting chief, but have announced the beginning of a national search for a new secretary.

09/08/2026

Loudoun County Board Chair Phyllis Randall joined us on The Politics Hour this Friday. Before she left, we asked her for her thoughts on the Trump administration's plans for a $20 billion overhaul of Dulles Airport located in Loudoun.

The Department of Justice is accusing D.C. Councilmember Trayon White of jury tampering ahead of his federal trial on br...
09/06/2026

The Department of Justice is accusing D.C. Councilmember Trayon White of jury tampering ahead of his federal trial on bribery charges.

In an emergency motion filed September 3, the DOJ cited a video White recently posted on social media encouraging more Black residents to answer jury summons. He referenced a study from the D.C. federal defender's office, which found that between November 2021 and May 2022, only 35% of potential jurors who appeared in Superior Court were Black.

“It makes me think about cases like the young man in Texas, Carmelo Anthony, who was convicted by a non-black jury, 12 jurors 6 alternatives, none of them were Black. He got 30+ years incarcerated,” said White.

The DOJ is asking the judge to prevent White from making further public comments on any aspect of the trial.

White's team has not returned WAMU’s request for comment. But the Washington Post reports his lawyers say their client did nothing wrong.

Nurses in D.C. and cities nationwide protested over the sharing of healthcare data with Palantir. Court filings show ICE...
09/05/2026

Nurses in D.C. and cities nationwide protested over the sharing of healthcare data with Palantir. Court filings show ICE shared Medicaid data with Palantir in January, even after a federal judge had limited what health officials could pass along to immigration authorities. Attorneys general in more than 20 states have filed suit over the sharing of Medicaid data between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and ICE.

Gloria Steinem died Sept. 2 at the age of 92. She was a leading activist for women's rights, and a friend of D.C. Congre...
09/05/2026

Gloria Steinem died Sept. 2 at the age of 92. She was a leading activist for women's rights, and a friend of D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Steinem and Norton first worked together in New York in the late 1960s. They went on to co-found the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971. The organization was influential in increasing the representation of women in politics.

At the time there were only 15 women in Congress. Today, there are 150.

Norton became D.C.'s Congresswoman in 1991.

In a statement, Norton said she was 'deeply saddened' by her friend's passing and that "Gloria's work may be finished, but there is still much to do....we must carry Gloria's example forward the only way she would have wanted: by refusing to accept less than full equality for women, and by getting back to work."

Large sections of lawn in the National Mall closed this week for turf and tree restoration.The National Park Service sai...
09/04/2026

Large sections of lawn in the National Mall closed this week for turf and tree restoration.

The National Park Service said in a statement the closures are necessary due to "wear, soil compaction, turf loss, and damage associated both with recent permitted events and sustained high levels of public use."

This comes after a summer of heightened activity with a series of events celebrating the country's 250th birthday, including the Great American State Fair and the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.

The affected area stretches from near the Capitol building to 14th Street by the Washington Monument.

The lawn is expected to reopen to the public in late January.

09/02/2026

This week on the Politics Hour, Loudoun County Board Chair Phyllis Randall discusses the big data center debate and where she stands on a moratorium. Plus, NOTUS reporter Martin Austermuhle talks Flock cameras and Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember Trayon White's upcoming federal trial. Send in your questions to [email protected] and tune into WAMU 88.5 Friday at noon!

Cyclists gathered Saturday morning to protest the Trump administration’s plan to overhaul Hains Point and the golf cours...
09/01/2026

Cyclists gathered Saturday morning to protest the Trump administration’s plan to overhaul Hains Point and the golf course at East Potomac Park.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association organized the rally to draw attention to the massive renovation project President Trump said would begin in early September.

It comes on the heels of the federal government reportedly cutting historic cherry trees at the golf course. The Interior Department said it was routine maintenance, but many worry it means the course will soon close and construction will start.

D.C. resident Shelley Vinyard says losing this public space would be devastating.

“The idea that it could be paved over and turned into a mega golf course that ordinary residents don't have access to is offensive,” said Vinyard.

Several local organizations are suing to stop the project from moving ahead.

Ward 6 D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen says the lawsuits are the best way to protect the space.

“I’m not going to lie, there's a challenge in that this is federal land, and so the National Park Service ultimately is the one who makes decisions. But we need to be using every legal avenue that we have,” said Allen.

Organizers are asking the public to watch for and document any further construction or changes to the landscape.

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