What's With Washington

By WAMU 88.5Society & Culture

What's With Washington episodes

November 12, 2019 The Georgetown Metro Myth
As far as neighborhoods go, Georgetown has a bad rap...for public transit. The usual refrain? Georgetown residents didn't want a Metro station because they thought it would introduce crime to their community. Transportation reporter Jordan Pascale takes several field trips and joins Mikaela to explain the REAL reasons why Georgetown has no Metro station.
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To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
21 min
November 05, 2019 Virginia Is For (Ham) Lovers, And Other Iconic Foods From The Washington Region
A listener asks whether D.C. has any "iconic" foods -- since Maryland's got the blue crab and Virginia has ham. Dish City hosts Ruth Tam and Patrick Fort join Mikaela to deconstruct the idea that our city has no iconic foods. Then, the group shares some crabs and learns why the ham is so important to the state of Virginia.
You can learn more about D.C.'s foods on Dish City, available wherever you get your podcasts.
If you LOVE What's With Washington, become a member! Head to wamu.org/donate to support the show and more great podcasts from WAMU.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
20 min
October 29, 2019 How Go-Go Became D.C.’s Unofficial Soundtrack
As a musical genre, go-go is hard to capture with words. But walking through D.C., its beats are instantly recognizable. Mikaela and All Things Considered Host Jonathan Wilson dig into go-go's history and legacy, and DCist Senior Editor Rachel Kurzius talks about recent efforts to suppress go-go and the resounding "nope" that is the Don't Mute D.C. movement.
Bonus: We head to the go-go to check out W.H.A.T. Band.
If you LOVE What's With Washington, become a member! Head to wamu.org/donate to support the show and more great podcasts from WAMU.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
Songs in this episode:
"Mr. Magic" by Chuck Brown
"Da Butt" by Experience Unlimited
"Bouncin' Around" by Sirius Company
"Hello" (Adele Cover) by Backyard Band
21 min
September 24, 2019 Watergate Salad Is Made Of What?! What A Retro Dessert Can Teach Us About D.C.’s Past
Despite its name, this once-popular dessert doesn't include a single vegetable. It does, however, share its name with one of D.C.'s most famous buildings. In this mini episode, Mikaela and editor Gabe Bullard dive into the retro delicacy's history and explore how it got its distinctive name. There's also a taste test (beware: mouth sounds abound). Season 2 launches October 29.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
The What’s With Washington podcast is made possible by our listeners. To support the show, visit wamu.org/donate/.
15 min
May 07, 2019 Daycare Costs How Much?! Why Childcare is So Expensive in the Washington Region
Daycare is so expensive some parents are postponing their plans to have kids. Elly Yu and Martin Austermuhle join Mikaela to demystify the hidden costs of childcare in the DMV.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
The What’s With Washington podcast is made possible by our listeners. To support the show, visit wamu.org/donate/.
19 min
April 30, 2019 A Crest, a Breast, and a Hot Mess: The Story Behind the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia Flags
A listener wants to know why the Maryland flag is such a mesmerizing mess, leading Mikaela to look into the three main flags of the DMV. DCist's Rachel Sadon tries to figure out why the district's flag is everywhere and vexillologist Jack Lowe joins Mikaela to share some history and explain what his title even means.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
The What’s With Washington podcast is made possible by our listeners. To support the show, visit wamu.org/donate/.
21 min
April 23, 2019 A Wombat Can Dream: Why the National Zoo Prefers Elephants to our Favorite Fuzzy Wuzzy Chubby Cutie Snuggly Marsupial (an Exposé)
When a listener writes in asking why the National Zoo doesn't have a wombat, you can count on Mikaela to confront the zookeepers about their decision-making. Then, Poncie Rutsch joins Mikaela to talk about the surprising history of the National Zoo. Hint: It includes a taxidermist, a bison hunt and a menagerie of animals on the National Mall.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
The What’s With Washington podcast is made possible by our listeners. To support the show, visit wamu.org/donate/.
20 min
April 16, 2019 Do Pizza Boxes Go to Heaven? Your DMV Recycling Questions, Answered
So you think you recycle...but where do your plastic bags, jam jars, and soda cans actually go? Jacob Fenston joins Mikaela on a field trip to the recycling plant to find out once and for all. Bonus: a local artist finds a way to recycle what the region can't!
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
The What’s With Washington podcast is made possible by our listeners. To support the show, visit wamu.org/donate/.
19 min
April 09, 2019 Bikes, Pedestrians, Scooters, Oh My! Why Aren’t Sidewalks for Walking Anymore?
Bikes often end up on the sidewalks in the DMV even where there are bike lanes. Tyrone Turner joins Mikaela to get to the bottom of a question posed by a frustrated pedestrian. And an urban planner tries to make sense of the chaos.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
The What’s With Washington podcast is made possible by our listeners. To support the show, visit wamu.org/donate/.
18 min
April 09, 2019 From Duke Ellington to Blues Alley: What’s With D.C.’s Jazz Scene These Days?
"Are there still jazz clubs where up-and-coming artists perform?" Sasha-Ann Simons joins Mikaela to answer a question from a recent transplant to Damascus, MD. And we learn what role one embassy played in D.C.'s jazz history.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
The What’s With Washington podcast is made possible by our listeners. To support the show, visit wamu.org/donate/.
18 min

About What's With Washington

From the publisher's feed

What do you wonder about the Washington region and the people who call it home? As part of What's With Washington, you submit the questions that inform the stories that WAMU reporters go out and…