The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi

WAMU 88.5

Join Kojo and resident analyst Tom Sherwood on Fridays at noon for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Each week Kojo and Tom help make sense of legislation, hold elected officials accountable and provide in-depth analysis of local issues and elections. The Politics Hour is also a vital forum for Washingtonians to engage directly with their local leaders.

7hr 47min

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Federal cuts are hitting Montgomery County hard".

Montgomery County Council President Kate Stewart explains how the county is dealing with federal cuts an shutdown. Plus, Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau explains why she decided not to run for reelection.

October 24, 202550min 28sec48.45 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on the District’s future".

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on her decision to not run again, her tenure, and who might be the city’s next police chief.

December 12, 202538min 2sec36.52 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: With Muriel Bowser bowing out, D.C. mayor’s race heats up".

Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George on jumping into the D.C. mayoral race and Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani-González on her journey to leading the council.

December 5, 202549min 33sec47.57 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: U.S. Rep James Walkinshaw on what’s ahead for Virginia".

The Politics Hour is live in Fairfax, Virginia at Fair Oaks Mall with U.S. Representative James Walkinshaw and former House Delegate David Ramadan.

November 21, 202550min 29sec48.47 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Sen. Tim Kaine voted to end the shutdown, drawing fire from some Democrats".

U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen were on opposite sides of the vote to end the federal shutdown. They join us to discuss. Plus, D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie discusses his political future.

November 14, 202550min 30sec72.61 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Virginia Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi on what’s next after Democrats’ big election wins".

Virginia Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi on what’s next after her historic victory and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell on what Democrats’ “trifecta” means for redistricting.

November 7, 202550min 58sec48.93 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Virginia’s redistricting push ahead of the election".

WAMU’s Margaret Barthel and former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis previews next week’s Virginia elections. Plus, Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon talks redistricting and funding SNAP.

October 31, 202549min 16sec47.3 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks on the local impact of the shutdown".

We talk with U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Clark Mercer, head of the regional leadership group known as COG, about how the federal shutdown is threatening the region’s economy.

October 17, 202550min 28sec48.45 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: Why a candidate's text messages are shaking up Virginia's elections".

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine talks about the continuing federal shutdown. Plus, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson talks about D.C. police's continued cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

October 10, 202538min 18sec36.78 MB

Thumbnail for "The Politics Hour: What a federal government shutdown means for the region".

U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey on the economic fallout of the federal shutdown and Loudoun County Board Chair Phyllis Randall on federal worker anxiety.

October 3, 202538min 42sec37.16 MB

The Politics Hour: Federal cuts are hitting Montgomery County hard

October 24, 202550min 28sec

Montgomery County is home to more than 50,000 federal workers and numerous federal agencies, so residents are feeling the impact of the weeks-long shutdown. Plus, the possibility remains for tens of thousands of federal employees to be fired as the shutdown continues. Local officials are sounding the alarm on rising rates of homelessness and longer lines at food banks. Council President Kate Stewart joined the show to discuss how the county is managing the crisis. She also weighed in on the Council's upheaval and Maryland lawmakers considering calling a special session of the General Assembly to redraw the state's congressional districts.

This follows Republican-led redistricting efforts around the country, triggering similar efforts by Democrats, including in Virginia. Stewart said redistricting could flip Maryland’s lone Republican seat in Congress. It’s currently held by the leader of the House Freedom Caucus, Andy Harris.

“We do need to get rid of Andy Harris. As someone who lives in the state of Maryland," she said. "Quite frankly, he does not represent the values of Maryland, and we need somebody else.”

The D.C. Council voted this week to roll back tenant rights for some renters in the city. Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau got behind the mic to explain why she thinks this was a bad idea. Plus, we ask Nadeau about her decision not to run for reelection and her "bottle bill."

The measure, introduced earlier this year, would add a ten-cent deposit to the price of most beverage containers while creating a system for people to get the deposit back when they return the empty bottles. Nadeau said fees from the big beverage companies would fund the system.

"It's all about getting litter up, and everybody hates litter. You know, this is the most effective way to cut litter off our streets, off our out of our parks, out of our rivers," she said.

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