The tenth-hour switch to bring in Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate was a breathtaking power play by the Democratic Party. In contrast, the Republican Party has been unable to remove Donald Trump even when party leaders have said that the former president is a threat to the party. Sunil Dasgupta talks with UMBC Political Science Professor Tom Schaller about the role of political parties in this moment. Music for this episode comes from Alexandria, Virginia, alt-rock band, Jackie and The Treehorns.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics: Washington Metro and the National Education Association, NEA, the country’s biggest union, reach labor contracts with their own unions. Metro to reopen the Glenmont Red Line section as planned September 1. Three Maryland leaders get primetime speaking roles at the DNC, one of them Angela Alsobrooks is tied in a close race against former state governor Larry Hogan. The MCPS superintendent Thomas Taylor has a music video for the new school year.

Maryland Democrats have articulated ambitious goals for education, transportation, and more. Governor Moore announced that the Red Line transit in Baltimore will be light rail, not bus rapid transit, a more expensive option. But state revenues face headwinds. Projected deficits loom large and statewide elections in 2026 means any tax raises become increasingly harder. Sunil Dasgupta talks with veteran statehouse reporter Bryan Sears of Maryland Matters. Music for this episode comes from Alexandria, Virginia, alt-rock band, Jackie and The Treehorns.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics: Falling for COVID-19 for the first time in four years. Maryland Department of Health ends grant program supporting wastewater testing as nation and region experience worst summer Covid wave in two years. Rental commission rules change: Buyers must negotiate fee with their own agents instead of depending on the seller’s offer. Music from Silver Spring band The Airport 77s.

Aside from president and senator, the most important votes in Maryland this November will be ballot questions. In Montgomery, a ballot question could reduce the possible tenure of the county executive from 3 to 2 terms. In Baltimore, the mayor and city council are suing to keep the “baby bonus” question off the ballot while other petitions want to cap property taxes and reduce the size of the city council. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Andy Ellis, who as a Green Party activist and a Baltimore Charter Commission member, has developed a keen understanding of the politics of referendums in the state. Music for this episode comes from Alexandria, Virginia, alt-rock band, Jackie and The Treehorns.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics: Tropical Storm Debby brought needed rain to the DC region which has been on drought watch, but also flooded low-lying areas of Old town Alexandria, by the Kennedy Center and the Watergate Building in Washington; and Dock Street in Annapolis. The NEA, the largest union in the country, has locked out its own staff for six weeks now. Rockville Mayor and Council of end discussion on a new rent stabilization bill prompting one councilmember to pen an oped about how he changed his mind; MCPS welcomes 42 special education teachers from the Philippines, the first big batch hire in the school district. And more. Music from Silver Spring band The Airport 77s.

No one likes to pay taxes. We do because we must. Governments raise taxes in infinite ways to meet seemingly unending demands from the people. With many states and local governments headed toward a few years of fiscal imbalance, Sunil Dasgupta asks Michael Sanderson, Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Counties, about where local and state taxes come from? Music for this episode comes from Alexandria, Virginia, alt-rock band, Jackie and The Treehorns.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics: Persistent dry spell leads to drought watch in the Washington DMV area. Local governments ask residents to conserve water. Fortune Magazine declares Silver Spring In Montgomery County, MD, to be the best place for families to live in all of the United States. Wallet Hub declares Maryland to have the third best public education system in the country. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Laurie Halverson of Potomac, Cara Fletcher of Germantown, and Eric Weissman of Takoma Park about community and community-building from three different perspectives. Music from Silver Spring band The Airport 77s.

In 1988, Benjamine Spencer, a young black man in Dallas, TX, was wrongfully convicted of the murder of Jeffrey young, a young white man, the son of a prominent Ross Perot supporter, by prosecutors trained by Henry Wade, the Wade in Roe v Wade. Washington DC journalist and author Barbara Bradley Hagerty, whose 2018 reporting led to Spencer’s release has now written a book, Bringing Ben Home, (https://a.co/d/6w5uHll) and talks with Sunil Dasgupta about the case and its implications. Music by Alexandria alt-rock band Jackie and the Treehorns.

Maryland and Washington DC are reporting high levels of Covid in wastewater but not Pennsylvania and New York. Montgomery County expands a subsidy program for companies renting office space in the county. Frederick City to become the second locality in Maryland to adopt ranked choice voting. Quince Orchard High School to ban smartphones, but how will this be enforced? And more. Music from Silver Spring band The Airport 77s.