The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi

Early voting is underway in Virginia, including for a number of tight races in Northern Virginia that could determine congressional control. The chairs of Virginia’s Republican and Democratic parties – Rich Anderson and Susan Swecker – joined us to talk about the biggest races, why the Commonwealth could be up for grabs in November’s presidential race, and the most important issues facing residents. 

The Maryland Senate race remains close between Democrat and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and former governor Larry Hogan, despite being a deeply blue state. Maryland Matters reporter Will Ford gave us the state of the race, including how Alsobrooks’ property tax errors might affect the race. Plus, what might come of a lawsuit Maryland filed against the owners of the ship that smashed into the Key Bridge earlier this year.

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Violent crime rates in the District have dropped by more than a third compared to this time last year. We asked the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves about the reasons driving this drop. Plus, he talked about the ongoing investigation into the bribery allegations against D.C. Councilmember Trayon White and the U.S. Attorney’s role in police-officer-involved shootings, like the one that took place earlier this month.

We also asked about his office’s responsibility when it comes to going after dangerous drivers. The STEER Act goes into effect next month and is aimed at stopping reckless drivers. But tougher new laws may not mean criminal prosecutions for traffic fatalities. U.S. Attorney Graves said there’s a high standard for charging someone criminally in a traffic fatality.

“What you need to prove in a criminal prosecution is that not only the person was reckless that they knew or should have known when they were engaging in the act that they were either likely to kill someone or seriously hurt them,” he said.

In most cases, this standard is not met, Graves said, and called the majority of traffic fatalities a “tragic mistake.”

Friday marks the first day of early voting in Virginia. WAMU’s Northern Virginia reporter Margaret Barthel joins us from the polls in Prince William County. Plus, the latest in the competitive congressional races in Northern Virginia.

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Another federal government shutdown could be looming. The impact on this region would be huge. But U.S. Senator Tim Kaine told Kojo and Tom he doesn't think there's going to be a shutdown, at least this year. 

"My prediction is this: We are going to get a short term continuing resolution as we usually do through the end of the calendar year. And between election day and Christmas, essentially, we will hammer out an omnibus full year appropriations bill," the Virginia Senator said. 

Plus, we got his take on this week's big presidential debate.

Recent polls have shown that Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks holds a slight lead over former governor Larry Hogan in the competitive Maryland Senate race. We asked the new UMBC Institute of Politics director and preeminent Maryland pollster, Mileah Kromer, for her thoughts on where the race stands now.

The D.C. Council heads back into session next week and will turn its focus to how to deal with Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White. He appeared in the court this week and pleaded not guilty to federal bribery charges. 

The council is set to investigate the bribery allegations before deciding what further steps it might take against the ward eight councilmember, including possible expulsion. 

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau joined the show to give us her thoughts. 

"We have a duty as a council to address these concerns because we hold elected officials to a higher standard," she said. "If he goes through the whole process with the feds and it turns out he hasn’t broken the law, I still think we are going to still have some things to say about our code of ethics."

Plus, she talked about revamping the city's troubled 911 call center. Her and others have introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at increasing the center's transparency and oversight. We also discussed the police body cam footage showing D.C. police officers fatally shooting a city violence interrupter. 

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It's back to school week on The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi.

Prince George's County shifted its bell schedule for many schools this year to help overcome bus driver shortages, which had led to some students being chronically late to class. Yet, the problem continues to plague the school system. Prince George's County Public Schools Superintendent Millard House joined the show to discuss what he's doing to fix it. Plus, we ask him about recovering from pandemic learning loss and keeping students safe in school.

 D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee got behind the mic to discuss budget battles, chronic absenteeism, cell phone policies, and DCPS's multi-million dollar tutoring initiative. 

Sorting political fact from fiction, and having fun while we’re at it. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies, and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.

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Like many school systems, Montgomery County is piloting a new “away all day” cell phone policy. County Executive (and former teacher) Marc Elrich gets behind the mic to give his thoughts on the county’s new policy. Plus, potential controversial changes that could lead to more housing, the county executive’s attendance at the Democratic National Convention, and the latest on the competitive race for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District seat.

The District continues to feel fallout after Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White’s recent FBI arrest. As residents grapple with what it means for their community, pundits, residents, and local officials try to predict the political ramifications. Alex Koma of the Washington City Paper joins the show to discuss his latest story about how Trayon White’s arrest is leading to a “political free-for-all” for his seat in Ward 8.

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The FBI arrested Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember Trayon White on bribery charges this past weekend. The shocking turn of events had many in the District reacting and dealing with the fallout. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson got behind the mic to weigh in on the allegations against his council colleague and to explain what comes next.

Earlier in the week, the Chairman said he was forming a council committee to determine what action the council will take after White's arrest.

On Friday's show, he announced At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie would head the group. The committee will include the entire council, minus White. Council rules say there are three possible sanctions that could be levied against White: reprimand, censure, or expulsion. The committee has until December 16th to make its recommendation.

Mendelson suggested on Friday a recommendation could come sooner.

"This is not just a criminal matter, but a political problem," he said. "And, for the politics, we’d like this to be resolved as quickly as possible."

Mendelson also said that the council does not have to wait for the federal judicial process to play out to take their own action.

Plus, what can the D.C. Council do to prevent more tech problems at D.C.'s 911 call center?

Local leaders converged in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair Deshundra Jefferson was there as a Virginia delegate. She joined the show to tell us what she saw and heard on the convention floor.

Plus, she talked about a new poll showing Harris now holding a slim lead over former President Donald Trump in the race for the White House. Jefferson said she believes reproductive rights will continue to be an issue driving voters to the ballot box.

"Virginia is the vanguard of the South," Jefferson said. "We have clinics that have waitlists, that have delays because we have people coming from other Southern states here to seek reproductive care."

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Like its neighbors, Fairfax County is now looking for ways to regulate the proliferation of data centers. Concerns about noise and energy use are creating debate in the community. The Board of Supervisors had to delay a vote on a zoning amendment this week because they hadn’t followed public notice requirements, but the board will take it up again next month. Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay joins the show to explain what the county is trying to do and how data centers can help with much-needed tax revenue. Plus, will county residents be able to stomach a meal tax? 

Prince George’s County residents are heading to the polls next week to vote in a special primary election for a new at-large councilmember. The Washington Informer’s Richard Elliott breaks down what’s at stake, who’s on the ballot, and what to watch for in the upcoming election to replace the departed Mel Franklin.

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This past weekend, President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. It was a history-making turn of events that could have far-reaching implications for the District. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joins the show to discuss why she also supports Harris, and what it would mean to have a woman of color in the White House. Plus, former president Donald Trump continues to threaten to overhaul the federal workforce by replacing civil servants with political appointees. We ask the Mayor what this could mean for District residents.

In the hours after President Biden’s announcement, a number of Democratic delegations nationwide pledged their support to Vice President Harris. That includes Virginia’s delegation, which unanimously voted to endorse Harris’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago. The Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, Susan Swecker, weighs in on why delegates got behind Harris so quickly. Plus, could Virginia once again be a swing state?

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Facing tough economic realities, Maryland state officials gave the thumbs up this week to Governor Wes Moore's proposal to slash $150 million from the budget. Moore joined Kojo and Tom to explain why the cuts are necessary. Plus, Moore made the case for cooler rhetoric after the failed assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump and explained why he's sticking with Biden as his party's presidential nominee.

The Prince George's County Council finally approved permanent rent stabilization legislation, capping rent increases at 3% plus inflation. The agreement comes after compromises and even some animosity between the more moderate and progressive blocks on the council. District 6 Councilmember Wala Blegay weighed in. Plus, the latest on next month's special election to replace councilmember Mel Franklin, who resigned last month and is facing embezzlement charges.

Last month, tech executive and NEWSMAX commentator Mike Clancy secured the Republican nomination in Virginia's 10th congressional district. He's now set to challenge Democratic nominee state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam in November's general election. Clancy got behind the mic to discuss the race and whether Virginia could swing red in the fall.

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The Republican-proposed "Project 2025" plan calls for replacing over fifty thousand civil servants with political appointees. While presidential candidate Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from it, many believe he'll enact much of the plan if elected. Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin joined the show to discuss the impact Project 2025 could have on the local workforce. Plus, local lawmakers are debating whether President Biden should step aside. We asked Rep. Raskin to weigh in.

Last month, Alexandria voters chose Alyia Gaskins as their Democratic mayoral candidate. If elected in the fall, she will be the first Black woman to serve as the city's mayor. Gaskins got behind the mic to talk about her top agenda items should she win in November.

The D.C. Council passed emergency truancy legislation at its last meeting before the summer recess on Tuesday. The measure aims to lower truancy rates at District high schools by sending frequently absent teens to social service programs instead of court. Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto explained how the new program will work and what comes next. Plus, why have carjackings dropped by nearly 50%?

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