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‘Exceptionally lethal’: Maryland’s battle over concealed-carry permits May 31, 2023

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More Maryland residents can carry guns in public after the landmark Supreme Court decision on the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen case made it easier for people to get concealed-carry permits. Since then, the number of Maryland residents with approved concealed-carry permits tripled between July 2022 and May 2023. But a law signed by Maryland Governor Wes Moore puts new limits on who can get a permit and where they can conceal carry. Co-Director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions Cassandra Crifasi comes on the show to talk about the ongoing battle over concealed-carry permits in Maryland and talks about gun violence from a public health perspective.

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'Everybody loves a campaign': Raskin weighs Senate run May 24, 2023

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Personal tragedy and political upheaval have marked the last few years for Maryland U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin. On December 31, 2020 Raksin's son Tommy died. A week later, a violent mob broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6 – forcing Raskin to seek shelter in a congressional hearing room while his youngest daughter barricaded herself in another member’s office. Two years after his son’s death on December 28, 2022, Raskin was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cancer. His cancer is now in remission and Raskin is considering a senate run in 2024. The congressman comes on the show to discuss it all.

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Another helicopter? Why choppers rule DC skies May 17, 2023

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Helicopter noise is a sonic mainstay for the D.C. region with more than 80 helicopters flying overhead per day. But for some this sound of rotor is oppressive and damaging, sparking lawmakers like DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Virginia U.S. Representative Don Beyer to demand that helicopter pilots fly quieter. To better understand the rules of the sky and how helicopters really operate, we hear from Director of Physical Infrastructure at the Government Accountability Office Heather Krause. She wrote a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind report on helicopter in the DC region.

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Why DC’s height act may fall this time May 10, 2023

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Office buildings in downtown D.C. sit relatively empty when compared to pre-pandemic vacancy rates and it doesn’t look like they'll regain their commercial tenants with the work-from-home revolution holding strong. This new real estate reality has prompted DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to launch her ‘DC Comeback Plan’ which proposes major changes to city zoning and the DC Height Act — a century-old and beloved law that keeps the city skyline low in the nation’s capital. Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Georgetown University Uwe Brandes comes on the show to shed light on what all this means for life in the District.

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Md. town 'held hostage' by White's Ferry dispute May 03, 2023

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It’s been nearly two and a half years since White’s Ferry took cars across a lazy span of the Potomac River — and residents in Poolesville, Maryland, are still counting the days. For the small town in northern Montgomery County, the shuttered ferry means a lot. On the show, Poolesville Commission President Jim Brown and Poolesville Fair Access Committee (FAC) Chairperson Link Hoewing argue the closed ferry is holding their small town hostage.

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Metro CEO remains ‘bullish’ despite looming ‘death spiral’ Apr 26, 2023

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It’s been nine months since Metro CEO and General Manager Randy Clarke took the helm at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Agency. During that time, Metro has increased its bus and rail ridership from pandemic lows, and opened six new rail stations along the Silver Line. But challenges remain. The 7000 series rail-cars have yet to fully return to the system, rail ridership still pales in comparison to pre-pandemic levels, and a looming fiscal gap threatens the system’s ability to maintain normal bus and rail frequencies. On the show, Clarke addresses each issue and speaks candidly about the future of the third largest transit agency in the country.

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Climate activists promise ‘spicy action’ this Earth Day Apr 19, 2023

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Last year, Extinction Rebellion DC hung a 20-foot banner across the Wilson Building — the seat of the District government. The banner read “NO NEW FOSSIL FUELS.” The Earth Day demonstration protested the planned installation of new natural-gas lines in the city by Washington Gas. This year, we hear from Extinction Rebellion DC organizer Reilly Polka ahead of Earth Day 2023. Polka talks about the organization's continued fight against Washington Gas, why she wants D.C. to electrify its energy grid and how she deals with the anxiety that often comes with facing a depressing environmental forecast.

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‘It’s a reckoning:’ Md. Attorney General report on child sex abuse by Catholic priests Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown released a nearly 500 page report on the child sexual abuse committed at the hands of priests, coaches and seminarians within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The report documents more than 600 victims of sexual assault by more that 150 Catholic priests between the 1940’s and early 2000’s. On the show, Attorney General Brown walks through the report’s troubling findings on abuse and a cover up scheme within the Catholic church. Brown also explains where current investigations stand and what options his office has to hold abusers accountable.

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‘It’s taking out generations:’ Inside the opioid crisis Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

The opioid epidemic is hard to understand. Those addicted to opiates and their stories are often limited to headlines. But Angel Traynor — founder and director of Serenity Sistas’ Inc. — understands. She’s a former addict, current recovery coach and mother of an addict. Her organization works with and houses addicts in Annapolis, Maryland. On the show, we talk about the opioid crisis, the lives lost and saved, what it’s like being addicted and why Angel has hope for an end to this epidemic.

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DC Attorney General on Commanders, crime and hidden fees Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

DC’s top prosecutor has had a busy start as Attorney General between the city’s forsaken criminal code, rising crime rates and the tall stack of pending cases left by his predecessor, Karl Racine. In an exclusive interview with WTOP, DC Attorney General Brain Schwalb talks about his first 90 days in office, where pending lawsuits — such as the suits against the Commanders and January 6 rioters — and how he plans to lead his office.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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