U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined the show to discuss the Trump administration's threat to withhold back pay from furloughed federal workers, despite 2019 legislation guaranteeing pay in the event of a shutdown. We also asked Sen. Kaine to weigh in on this week's Virginia gubernatorial debate which pitted Democrat Abigail Spanberger against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears.

He said the differences between the two candidates were stark as they sparred over transgender rights, political violence, and immigration.

"For those who haven't made their minds up, I think the temperament issue will really tip them Abigail's way," Kaine said. "For those who have made their minds up, their minds probably didn't change."

Plus, violent text messages sent by the Democratic candidate for Attorney General in 2022 continue to shake up Virginia's statewide elections. Sen. Kaine gave his thoughts.

Protestors rallied on Wednesday, calling for D.C. police to stop collaborating with federal immigration enforcement agents. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson joined the show and said MPD's continued cooperation with ICE is eroding public trust.

He noted that District law bars police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. A recent video shows D.C. police officers and federal agents detaining several individuals and threatening several bystanders with arrest for interfering in a possible immigration arrest.

"Our MPD needs to respect what our law is. More than that, they need to respect ordinary citizens of the District," he said.

Also, the council debated emergency legislation this week that would have extended the youth curfew. Despite some drama, the lawmakers ultimately put off a final decision. We asked Chair Phil Mendelson why the vote became so controversial.

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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The federal government partially shut down for the first time since 2018. The shutdown puts the D.C. region in a particularly perilous position, considering the area's close relationship with the federal government. Additionally, President Trump is again threatening to fire more civil servants and further slash federal programs. Maryland Congressman Glenn Ivey joined the show to discuss how the shutdown will affect area residents. Plus, he explained why Democrats are holding out for a permanent extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits and why this poses a significant concern for many residents living in Prince George's County.

More than 60,000 Loudoun County residents have jobs tied to the federal government, according to a county estimate. We spoke with Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall about what a federal shutdown means for her residents. Plus, the U.S. Department of Education is alleging Loudoun County Public Schools violated Title IX when the school system suspended two male students earlier this year. We asked Chair Randall what it might mean for the schools' ability to receive federal funding, and we discussed what's next in the fight over data centers.

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Virginia's statewide elections are now in the home stretch, with both sides pouring money into the races. The lieutenant governor contest might be the most competitive, with the race earning national attention and unexpected endorsements. The Democratic candidate joined us last week; now, Republican candidate John Reid took the mic and discussed the campaign and the issues, including reproductive rights and school gender policies. Plus, we asked Reid about turning down the temperature on political rhetoric.

Protests earlier this month prompted Prince George's County leaders to pause all data center development, with a promise to assess the impacts and gather more input from residents. The move comes four years after the Prince George's County Council voted unanimously to allow data centers to be built 'by right,' meaning for most sites, developers wouldn't need council approval. Now, leaders are reconsidering that process. We asked Prince George's County Councilmember Wanika Fisher for her thoughts. Plus, we discussed the long-delayed Purple Line and how it could accelerate economic development in the county.

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After some last-minute negotiations, the D.C. Council gave its final approval to a $3.7 billion deal to build a football complex at the RFK Stadium site and bring the Washington Commanders back to the District. Supporters hailed it as a transformative project for the city, one that will bring a domed stadium, retail, housing, and green space to a site along the Anacostia River currently occupied by what's left of the old RFK stadium. Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder represents the area, and he joined the show to discuss the vote and what comes next.

We talked about the several changes councilmembers proposed before Wednesday's vote, though only minor tweaks were made in the end. Those included stricter environmental standards and stiffer penalties for missing development deadlines. Felder was able to secure an additional $60 million over the next thirty years for a community reinvestment fund. The money, he said, will help Ward 7 residents. 

"The fund will go towards housing displacement prevention, revitalization of blighted and vacant units, health programs, and create more opportunities for small and local businesses."  

Felder also said the stadium will serve as an anchor development for attracting investment. Plus, we also asked him about the council passing the RENTAL Act, which proponents hope will attract more investment in housing, and extending the city's youth curfew.

The Virginia statewide elections are heating up, with early voting getting underway this week. The lieutenant governor's race could be the most competitive, with both sides now pouring money into the campaign. Virginia state Senator and Democratic candidate Ghazala Hashmi joined the show to discuss the race, data centers, and advocating for public schools.

The Department of Education is threatening to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding from Northern Virginia schools due to the districts’ policies of allowing students to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity. Hashmi said the federal government should not be interfering. 

We are very clear in Virginia that we have local authority over our school districts," she said. "And I trust our local school boards, our local administration to be making the decisions that are best for their communities." She called the “federal overreach” a distraction from the schools’ mission of student learning.

Fairfax voters this week overwhelmingly elected Democrat James Walkinshaw to succeed the late Gerry Connolly in Congress in Virginia's 11th district. Walkinshaw, who was sworn in on Wednesday, takes over for his mentor during a particularly tumultuous time for Northern Virginia. Congressman Walkinshaw joined the show to discuss the 51,000 civilian federal workers who live in the district, a potential regional recession, and the possibility of a federal shutdown. Plus, we asked him to weigh in on Virginia's upcoming statewide elections.

The House Oversight Committee advanced a series of bills this week that threaten to further undermine D.C.'s autonomy, including legislation replacing the locally elected D.C. attorney general with a presidential appointee, allowing youth 14 years or older to be tried for certain offenses, and ending cashless bail in the District. Introduced amendments also called for revoking the city's ban on right turns on red and prohibiting automatic traffic enforcement cameras. Also, this week, the federal takeover of D.C. police expired. Ward 6 D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen took the mic to discuss what comes next and why he believes the legislation would make the District less safe. We'll also asked about the upcoming second RFK stadium vote.

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With students across the region returning to class, local school superintendents discussed student safety, cell phone policies, and concerns over immigration enforcement.

In Prince George's County, schools continue to deal with the fallout from the federal government freezing and then unfreezing millions of dollars in education funds. While funds are expected to be dispersed by next month, more federal cuts could be on the horizon. Interim Prince George's County Public Schools Superintendent Shawn Joseph joined the show to discuss the potential implications for Prince George's County schools. Plus, we discussed bus driver shortages, cell phone policies, test scores, and how schools are preparing for a possible increase in federal immigration enforcement.

Joseph said the county experienced a decline in school attendance last year, and officials believe it’s at least in part due to concerns about immigration enforcement. 

"43% percent of our students were out of school eighteen days or more, and it's significant within our immigrant population, and we think it's because of the fear of ICE and things happening," he said.

Joseph said they are monitoring school attendance and want to send the message to the county’s immigrant population that school remains a safe place.

Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia's largest school district, is also dealing with concerns over immigration enforcement. Superintendent Michelle Reid got behind the mic to talk about how Fairfax County schools are supporting students, families, and staff. Plus, FCPS is suing the U.S. Education Department in an effort to prevent the agency from freezing federal funding due to the district's gender policies. 

Superintendent Reid said the school system's current policy of allowing students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity is both legal and in the best interest of students.

"We felt and still feel strongly that our policy is in accordance both with Virginia and federal law. And it still is aligned with the Title IX principles currently on the books," she said. 

Reid said the millions the federal government is threatening to withhold go in part to fund free and reduced-price lunches. 

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The federal takeover of D.C. police is now in its third week, and we were joined on this week’s show by guests with different perspectives on the federal law enforcement surge in the District.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore joined the show to weigh in. He has called the federal police takeover “disrespectful” and unconstitutional. Additionally, the Governor discussed his recent public spat with President Trump, with the White House hinting at the possibility of sending National Guard troops to Baltimore and potentially clawing back federal funding for rebuilding the Key Bridge.

D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton joined the show to explain why he welcomes the federal law enforcement surge in the District, which he says has helped the MPD bring down crime and improve morale among local police. Plus, Pemberton discussed why he believes the D.C. Council should go further and repeal a 2022 police reform act, which limited certain uses of police force and increased police transparency. Congress voted to block certain aspects of the bill. 

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said this week she appreciates the additional federal resources, and she shared numbers showing violent crime, and specifically carjackings, have decreased significantly in the city since the surge began.

However, several D.C. Councilmembers have come out strongly against the federal law enforcement surge. Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George got behind the mic to weigh in on the federal takeover of local police and what she’s heard from residents. 

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President Trump announced this week he was federalizing the D.C. police and sending in the National Guard to curb what he calls "out of control" crime in the District. The move comes as violent crime in D.C. is down 26% compared to this time last year, according to Metropolitan Police Department data. Hundreds of federal law enforcement officials and the National Guard have already been brought in, and have been seen patrolling D.C. streets.

Residents across the region have lots of questions and thoughts about what D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is calling an "unprecedented" move by the administration.

So, we talked about it.

Host Kojo Nnamdi, analyst Tom Sherwood, WAMU's Senior D.C. Politics reporter Alex Koma, and D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson joined for a WAMU News call-in special. They answered your questions and heard your thoughts about what it all means for your community.

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It's likely that the Washington Commanders will be leaving their current home in Prince George's County for a new stadium in the District. What would happen to the Northwest Stadium site? How about the land currently home to Six Flags, which is closing close to the end of the year? Prince George's County Executive Aisha Braveboy weighed in, saying the county is already preparing for the team’s departure from the 200-acre-site. Redeveloping the land, Braveboy said, could be a boon. 

“We didn't really get to yield the kind of revenue that, let's say a National Harbor, yields for us. I mean, we make about 70 million off National Harbor and 14 million off the Commanders," she said.

Braveboy also noted the redevelopment of the soon-to-be-closed Six Flags, which sits on 500 acres, could also provide additional tax revenue for the county. 

Arlington County was the first local jurisdiction in the region to end single-family-only zoning, but the county is now embroiled in a lawsuit over the change. As other counties and cities make similar moves, Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffey joined the show to share lessons learned and the challenges that lie ahead. The D.C. area is feeling the effects of the federal cuts and job losses as unemployment claims rise and layoffs increase. We asked County Board member Coffey what it means for local budgets and how Arlington County is preparing for an uncertain financial future.

We also discussed the Arlington Housing Commission potentially asking the Virginia General Assembly to make it easier for houses of worship to build affordable housing on their land.

Coffey said the legislation could be a win-win. 

"I think it's reasonable to look at these properties. Faith communities own a lot of property," Coffey said. "Faith attendance is down, and a lot of these congregations are really struggling to even keep up the properties that they do have." 

However, Coffey noted the bill would mandate all Virginia jurisdictions to allow for this type of development. 

Plus, we discussed President Trump's renewed threats for the federal government to take over policing the District.

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After two days of hearings, the D.C. Council took a first vote on the much-anticipated multi-billion-dollar RFK Stadium deal. WAMU's Senior D.C. Politics reporter Alex Koma joined us live from the Wilson building to give us the latest. He also broke down this week's final vote on the budget, which included a controversial compromise on the future of the tipped minimum wage.

The Trump administration has opened multiple investigations into George Mason University over alleged discriminatory policies, including into actions by the school's faculty. We asked Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell to weigh in. 

Sen. Surovell also explained why the General Assembly is mulling a return to Richmond for a special session next month, and we got his thoughts on Virginia's 11th Congressional District race to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly, who passed away unexpectedly this spring.  

The Montgomery County Council recently approved a "missing middle" housing plan. It's drawn backlash from some residents, as well as from County Executive Marc Elrich. He shared his take on the zoning change that will allow developers to build more types of housing in certain areas of the county.

County Executive Elrich also discussed the county's efforts to manage the increasing instances of flash flooding. Maryland has had 51 flash food warnings to date this year, already the most since 2020. Elrich warned that current systems won’t be adequate for what’s coming, and the county is researching fixes, including stormwater retention areas. 

"This, for us, is going to be challenging because these are capital expenses that no one thought we were going to be making," he said. "So this, in my mind, alters the trajectory of future budgets."

Elrich said the county has already installed dozens of flood sensors to help warn when water is rising. 

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