I Hate Politics Podcast

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MD Tax Revenue Outlook, RFK Stadium Delay, $66 on I-66, Speed Camera Tickets Sep 30, 2025

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MD Board of Revenue Estimates issues surprisingly strong tax outlook, but state leaders highlight caution. DC Council okayed the RFK stadium deal and almost immediately project leaders say there might be delays. As MD considers a VA proposal to put toll lanes on the Wilson Bridge, an 18-minute drive on I-66 cost $66. New MD law hikes to speed camera tickets take effect Oct 1. And more. Music by Dear Daria.

The Moon Plan to Condition State Aid for School Construction on Capacity Utilization Sep 26, 2025

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School construction money is never enough and Maryland has reported 80 percent of its school buildings are unreliable and or in need of repair. Sunil Dasgupta talks with the state's House Majority Leader David Moon about his plan to link state aid for school construction to how efficiently counties use existing school capacity, encouraging school boards to change attendance boundaries before they build new. Music by Drew Pictures and the Lead Extras.

Chesapeake Bay, DC Home Rule, H1-B School Teachers, Lice Outbreak Sep 23, 2025

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The 7-state Chesapeake Bay Watershed agreement is up for renewal, but environmental activists are unhappy with the new text.The federal takeover of DC has lapsed, but 14 Congressional bills still pose threats to home rule. The plight of H-1B schoolteachers who were recruited with promises of green cards. Not on your fall bingo: a lice report. And more. Music by Dear Daria.

MCPS Plans High School Enrichment Overhaul, But Can it Deliver? Sep 19, 2025

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MCPS is reorganizing its high school specialty programs, ending countywide recruitment for its marquee magnets, and introducing 30 separate programs and 84 pathways across 6 regions. Sunil Dasgupta talks with parent volunteers Rebekah Kuschmider and Audra Dove, members of the Opportunity Design Team organized by MCPS to engage the community, about whether MCPS can really deliver on its promises on equity and learning. Plan details: https://t.ly/TirIX Music by Drew Pictures and the Lead Extras.

MCPS Swatting Incidents, ICE Action Near Schools, PTA Meeting Spaces Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

School district security chief Marcus Jones on swatting. Eyewitness accounts of ICE action near Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring and over 450 people signed a letter to MCPS asking for help defining protocols in case of ICE action immediately outside of schools. MCPS school administrators and PTAs are flummoxed by changes in rules and fees for PTA use of school space. And more. Music by Dear Daria.

Can Grassroots Budgeting Save Democracy? Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

As the fall local government budget season comes up, Sunil Dasgupta talks with author Celina Su, professor of political science at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and Brooklyn College, about her new book Budget Justice: On Building Grassroots Politics and Solidarities (https://a.co/d/7uX3b0R), where she uses the experience of participatory budgeting in New York, Barcelona, and Porto Alegre, Brazil, to create a different vision of the budget process and of democracy itself. Music by Drew Pictures and the Lead Extras.

DC Mayor v AG, New Housing Targets, MDOT Capital Budget, False Viral Story Sep 09, 2025

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Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb have responded differently to the Trump takeover. MD Governor Wes Moore orders creation of new county level housing targets and opening of state land to housing. MD Department of Transportation issues its new 2026 capital budget plan. In Montgomery County, a viral story about ICE turns out to be false. And more. Music by Dear Daria.

A Mother's Grief Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

Charlie Stephenson, 21, of Alexandria, Va, died by suicide while at college in Fort Worth, Tx, in July 2022. His mother, Betsy Thibaut Stephenson, wrote a book that was recently published, Blackbird: A Mother's Reflections on Grief, Loss, and Life After Suicide (https://a.co/d/haDI8ml). She joins Sunil Dasgupta for this episode. Call or text 988 for the National Suicide Helpline. Music by Drew Pictures and the Lead Extras.

Trump's MD Lawsuit, Ghost Gun Jury Award, Rain Gauge Network Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

A Trump-appointed federal judge dismisses the Administration's lawsuit against the entire bench of the federal District Court of Maryland. Baltimore wins a $62 million jury award against ghost gun dealer. The Maryland Public Service Commission looks likely to propose a longer period of review for a controversial high voltage power transmission line between Baltimore and Frederick. In Northern Virginia, a project connecting 68 rain gauges seeks to improve rescue operations and stormwater planning. And more. Music by Dear Daria.

To Kill A Spotted Lanternfly Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

The USDA has been promoting its "Stomp It" campaign for some years now to try to control the spread of the invasive Spotted Lanternfly, but the plant-hopping insect, a native of Southeast Asia, has continued to travel out from the Mid-Atlantic where it first arrived in the United States, and is threatening fruit trees and vineyards. As the insect embarks on another annual mating season come September, Sunil Dasgupta talks with Penn State University entomologist Julie Urban about the effort to kill them. Music by Drew Pictures and the Lead Extras.

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