Washington City Podcast

Parasite Jul 21, 2020

The Arts Club podcast team goes on a wild ride full of scamming, flooding, and class struggle with Parasite.

Arts Club: Knives Out Jul 06, 2020

The Arts Club team tries to find out whodunit in this wildly entertaining mystery.

Next: Parasite

Daughters of the Dust Jul 01, 2020

The Arts Club team spends some time on an island with a Gullah family.

Next: Knives Out

Captain Fantastic Jun 15, 2020

The Arts Club team goes on a journey with a survivalist family in the Pacific Northwest.

Next: Daughters of the Dust

Arts Club: Billy Elliot Jun 06, 2020

The Arts Club team addresses what's going on in the world and spends some time with a little boy who just wants to be a ballet dancer.

Kayla's conversation with James Forman Jr.

Will's conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

A note from the staff and a list of resources

Next week: Captain Fantastic

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Arts Club: Locke May 22, 2020

For this week’s edition of City Paper Arts Club, arts editor Kayla Randall and multimedia editor Will Warren quarantined in a car for an hour and a half with a man named Ivan Locke. He was not having a good night. Locke, which premiered in 2013 at the Venice Film Festival and was released in 2014, is a compelling, experimental film written and directed by Steven Knight and centered on the title character’s car ride to London to be present at the birth of his child. Locke (Tom Hardy) gets into his car at the very start of the film, and he stays there for the film’s entire duration. He’s the only character we ever see. And this film’s experiment pays off in spades.

Next: Billy Elliot

Arts Club: Warrior May 15, 2020

The Arts Club team battles demons of the past and fights for family and a future.

Next: Locke

Arts Club: The Water Dancer May 08, 2020

The Arts Club team goes on a journey with an enslaved man named Hiram in Virginia.

Next: Warrior

Arts Club: Moonlight Apr 24, 2020

The Arts Club searches for love and identity in Miami with Chiron. And cries. So much crying.

Next: Ta-Nehisi Coates' The Water Dancer

Arts Club: The Entire History of You Apr 16, 2020

Do you want remember everything that ever happened to you? If Could you stop yourself from obsessing over the past? The Arts Club watches Black Mirror's "The Entire History of You" and finds out.

Next: Moonlight

After that: The Water Dancer

Arts Club: 28 Days Later Apr 09, 2020

Zombies don't have hearts, but the Arts Club does. This week, the Arts Club team searches for humanity in the empty streets of a post-apocalyptic London and unpacks the metaphors in 28 Days Later.

Next: "The Entire History of You" Black Mirror, Season 1 - Episode 3 (Netflix).

Next Book: "The Water Dancer" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Arts Club: The Plateau Apr 02, 2020

The Arts Club reads and draws inspiration from Maggie Paxson's The Plateau. We try to figure out how to find peace amidst violence, and we also respond to the author's incisive, thoughtful questions for us. The Arts Club is watching 28 Days Later for next week's episode. After that we'll be watching "The Entire History of You" from the first season of Black Mirror, followed by a discussion of the novel The Water Dancer. Read and watch along and tweet us at #CityPaperArtsClub

Arts Club: The Day After Tomorrow Mar 26, 2020

The Arts Club watches The Day After Tomorrow and asks what normal looks like after a global disaster and compares the ongoing pandemic to climate change.

The Arts Club is reading The Plateau by Maggie Paxson for next week's episode. After that we're watching 28 Days Later and reading The Water Dancer. Read and watch along and tweet us at #CityPaperArtsClub to join in the conversation.

Scenes from Florida Avenue Market May 31, 2019

On the cover of this week’s paper, staff photographer Darrow Montgomery and podcast host Will Warren looked at the rapidly changing Florida Avenue Market—the longtime home to wholesalers and produce vendors that surrounds the newer Union Market. The pair documented its sights and sounds, and you can hear conversations with people whose lives touch the market in this installment of Washington City Podcast.

Stories in this episode:

Market Value

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere used under the Creative Commons license.

Housing Is Health May 24, 2019

On this week's episode of Washington City Podcast, housing reporter Morgan Baskin talks about the relationship between housing and health. She looks at childhood asthma, which can be exacerbated by poor housing conditions.

Host Will Warren also looks at the week's news, including a true crime thriller and the art of the entree. He also recommends City Paper's "Day Tripper" issue, which is full of recommendations on ways to get out of town this weekend.

Stories in this episode:

Did The Princeton Place Killer Take Credit for a Murder He Didn't Commit?

Adrift in a Sea of Small Plates? These D.C. Restaurants Embrace The Art of the Entree.

The Best D.C. Day Trips

Doctors Blame D.C.'s High Asthma Rates in Part on Poor Housing

What Life Is Like—Still—In D.C.’s Public Housing

Nearly One-Third of the City’s Public Housing Stock Is at Risk of Becoming Uninhabitable

DCHA Says Thousands of Units Are Nearly Uninhabitable. Tenants Want to Know: What's Next?

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

Proposed Changes to D.C.'s Arts Commission Have Artists on Edge May 17, 2019

On this week's episode of Washington City Podcast, arts editor Matt Cohen talks about his cover story looking at proposed changes to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the last year of turmoil at that agency. He wrote it with Kriston Capps.

Host Will Warren also looks at the week's news, which includes a story about D.C.'s parole system and the movements galvanizing the go-go community.

Stories in this episode:

Local D.C. Courts Acquitted Him, But He Still Went to Prison

The Success of Moechella and #DontMuteDC Is Galvanizing Go-Go

Mayor Muriel Bowser Wants Big Changes for the City's Arts Commission

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

City Paper Recommends... May 10, 2019

Our annual Best of D.C. issue is on the streets and online, and it's chock-a-block with all the things that make D.C. great. Readers voted for their favorite salons and mechanics, and City Paper staffers recommended their favorite things to do and eat and see in D.C. This week on the podcast, City Paper recommends a few things you can do this weekend, this week, and this year.

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

What’s Good With … Sylvia Traymore Morrison?! Apr 26, 2019

"What's Good?!" with Haywood Turnipseed Jr. returns to Washington City Podcast. This week, Turnipseed Jr. talks with another local comic, Sylvia Traymore Morrison. Morrison is a noted impressionist, once roasted Muhammad Ali, and has been performing for 50 years.

As always, host Will Warren also brings you the week's news.

Stories in this episode:

Will Tourists Follow the International Spy Museum to L'Enfant Plaza?

Rent Hikes May Force Longtime Residents Out of a Columbia Heights Building

Drinks Will Cost You, But Dating Advice From Seven D.C. Bartenders is Free

How To Actually Enjoy Going to an Art Museum Apr 19, 2019

D.C. is home to so many museums. Our collections house masterpieces from all over the world and across history—and many of them are free to enter. But some people, including Washington City Podcast host Will Warren, sometimes feel like a bit lost in a museum, unsure of how to get the most out of the experience and what to look for in the art. For all you trepidatious museumgoers out there, we have a few tips from regular City Paper art critic Kriston Capps and Warren, who recently went to the National Gallery of Art together:

1. Do some research, or just go.

2. Consider going on a beautiful day; it won't be as crowded.

3. Look at pieces from up close and far away.

4. Take YOUR time, whatever that means to you.

5. Gallery wall text is there for if you don't know what you're looking at.

6. The more you look, the more you get out of it.

7. Don't stress about "getting" a particular piece.

8. Go home when you're done.

Music for this episode was by Nctrnm and Lee Rosevere used under the Creative Commons license.

D.C.'s Child Welfare System Is Cutting Corners Apr 12, 2019

This week on Washington City Podcast host Will Warren and housing complex reporter Morgan Baskin talk about Baskin's investigation into D.C.'s child welfare agency. The investigation was several years in the making, and looks at the devastating effects of an agency that is cutting corners to meet requirements set by a federal lawsuit. Per Baskin's reporting, both Child and Family Services Agency employees and the children they serve suffer. She talks about her story this week.

Warren also looks at the week's news: contract fraud and a cover up at the Department of Behavioral Health, the Metro PCS go-go controversy, and our Peeps diorama contest!

Stories in this episode:

Why Did D.C. End an Innovative Program to Treat Opioid Addiction?

A City Van Claiming to Help Heroin Users Went Missing. Then D.C. Covered It Up.

The Go-Go Community Weighs In on the Metro PCS Controversy

Vote for the Winner of City Paper’s 2019 Peeps Diorama Contest

To Escape Court Oversight, D.C.'s Child Welfare System Is Cutting Corners

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

State of the Arts Apr 05, 2019

This week on Washington City Podcast, arts editor Matt Cohen and host Will Warren talk about how D.C. supports its arts community. They talk about proposed changes to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and D.C.'s new Cultural Plan.

As always, Warren works through the week's news, which includes the closure of United Medical Center's cancer clinic, winners and losers of the Jack Evans scandal, and a New Jersey lawsuit that named DC Housing Authority Director Tyrone Garrett.

Stories in this episode:

United Medical Center Quietly Closes Its Cancer Clinic

Winners and Losers of the Fall Out From Councilmember Jack Evans’ Scandal

DC Housing Authority Director Tyrone Garrett Named In New Jersey Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

D.C.'s Arts Commission Faces Major Changes in Council Shift, Mayor's Budget

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

One Day in D.C. Mar 29, 2019

A week ago, a team of City Paper reporters went all over town, capturing small scenes from a day in the life of D.C. The host of this podcast, Will Warren, helped put that project together, and today, in role-reversing episode of the podcast, editor Alexa Mills interviews him about the cover package and why this type of storytelling belongs in the news.

As always, Warren looks at the big stories of the week—the DC Democratic State Committee's efforts to figure out how to respond to the Jack Evans scandal and the return of the Wammies.

Stories in this episode:

Podcast: Subpoenas and a Reprimand for Jack Evans

Members of the DC Democratic State Committee Try to Dethrone Jack Evans

After a Three-Year Absence, The Wammies—The Region’s Long-Running Local Music Awards—Are Back

Submit Your Peeps Diorama to City Paper's Contest by March 31st

One Day

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

What’s Good With … Joel Vincii?! Mar 22, 2019

City Paper has a new Q&A series where comic Haywood Turnipseed Jr. and his guests talk about what's good in the world and D.C. We've recorded these conversations and will feature some of them on our podcast. The first of these interviews was with artist Joel Vincii, and we're presenting it here, in this week's episode.

As always, host Will Warren talks about the week's news, including the reprimand of Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans.

Stories in this episode:

D.C. Council Votes Unanimously to Reprimand Jack Evans

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson Isn’t Power Hungry

As D.C. Weighs How to Fix Its Public Housing, Families Keep Getting Sicker

What’s Good With … Joel Vincii?

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere, The Insider, and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

D.C. Establishes a Committee to Address Maternal Deaths Mar 15, 2019

D.C.'s maternal mortality rate is well above the national average, and the city has finally established a committee to review the cases of mothers who die in the District. City Paper's Kayla Randall, who previously reported on the obstacles women giving birth in D.C. face, joins host Will Warren to talk about the new committee.

Warren also discusses the week's news, which includes the Environmental Film Festival, DC Central Kitchen, and, of course, our Peeps diorama contest.

Stories in this episode:

Green New Reels: Reviews From the Environmental Film Festival

DC Central Kitchen Loses the Bulk of Its Homeless Shelter Food Service Contract

Submit Your Peeps Diorama Here!

D.C. Finally Establishes a Committee to Address Maternal Deaths

Women in D.C. Face Obstacles at Every Step of Pregnancy and Childbirth

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

Subpoenas and a Reprimand for Jack Evans Mar 08, 2019

The D.C. Council is preparing to reprimand Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans for pitching private-sector contacts from his government email address. At the same time, the mayor and councilmembers have been directed via federal subpoena to keep records regarding Evans for a separate federal investigation. Loose Lips reporter Mitch Ryals joins host Will Warren to break down the latest.

Warren also looks at the week's news, including City Paper's annual Answers Issue and the Department of Human Services' plan to exit from the motels it uses as homeless shelters.

Stories in this episode:

The Answers Issue 2019

D.C. Plans Its Exit From the Motels It Uses As Homeless Shelters

Submit Your Peeps Diorama Here!

Jack Evans Faces a Reprimand, But Some Say the Punishment Doesn’t Go Far Enough

More Subpoenas in the Jack Evans Probe

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

Why Isn't Jordan McRae in the NBA? Mar 01, 2019

In this week's episode we're talking about a professional basketball player who's caught in a sort of limbo. Jordan McRae is the leading scorer in the G League, the NBA's developmental league, but hasn't yet signed with the Wizards. Sports editor Kelyn Soong breaks it down for us.

Host Will Warren also looks at leading stories from the week, including food editor Laura Hayes' examination of a specific kind of wage theft in the restaurant industry and new revelations about D.C.'s publicly funded elections program.

Police and Transparency Feb 22, 2019

This week, on the podcast, we're looking at the Metropolitan Police Department and transparency. Loose Lips reporter Mitch Ryals reported a story for the paper about D'Quan Young. An off-duty officer shot and killed Young in May of 2018, and few details, including the officer's name, have emerged in ensuing nine months. Ryals and host Will Warren talk about MPD's policies and how they differ from police departments across the country.

Warren also brings you the latest news about a lead paint hazard remediation program and a whites-only yoga Meetup "experiment."

Stories in this episode:

D.C. Chronically Failed to Spend Federal Funds to Remediate Lead Paint Hazards, HUD Says

D.C. Yoga Teachers of Color Respond to White Woman's Whites-Only Meetup Group 'Experiment'

Vote for Best of D.C. 2019

Nine Months After an Off-Duty Cop Shot D’Quan Young We Still Don’t Know the Officer’s Name

As Homicides Continue to Rise in D.C., Parents of Gun Violence Victims Reflect on Their Open Wounds

All About D.C.'s Public Housing Feb 15, 2019

City Paper's housing reporter Morgan Baskin has been writing about D.C.'s public housing stock for months, covering the conditions in those units and the dire updates they need. She joins host Will Warren to talk about the DC Housing Authority and the uncertain future thousands of its residents face.

Warren also looks at the week's news, which includes deep dives into Union Kitchen's accelerator and the people and organizations that donated to Mayor Muriel Bowser's inaugural committee.

Stories in this episode:

Bowser’s Inaugural Committee Took in Nearly $1 Million in Seven Weeks

Food Entrepreneurs Have Much to Weigh Before Tying Their Fates to Union Kitchen's Accelerator

Vote for Best of D.C. 2019

Spring Arts & Entertainment Guide 2019

What Life Is Like—Still—In D.C.’s Public Housing

Nearly One-Third of the City’s Public Housing Stock Is at Risk of Becoming Uninhabitable

DCHA Says Thousands of Units Are Nearly Uninhabitable. Tenants Want to Know: What's Next?

Vote for Best of D.C. 2019

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

The Future of Women's Basketball and Housing News Feb 08, 2019

This week sports editor Kelyn Soong profiled ESPN's No. 1 basketball recruit for the class of 2021. High school sophomore Azzi Fudd is sensational. She's already drawing comparisons to all-time greats and being heralded as "the future of women's basketball." She's also shy, and reluctant to step out of her comfort zone. Soong and host Will Warren try to get to the bottom of what, exactly, makes her so great.

Warren also looks at the latest in housing, as reported by Morgan Baskin. D.C.'s troubled Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs has a new director, and Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau wants to bring the also troubled D.C. Housing Authority under the Office of the Mayor.

Stories in this Episode:

Brianne Nadeau Introduces Bill to Strip Public Housing Authority of Independent Status

What Life Is Like—Still—In D.C.’s Public Housing

Nearly One-Third of the City’s Public Housing Stock Is at Risk of Becoming Uninhabitable

Bowser Nominates Ernest Chrappah, Interim DCRA Director, to Serve As Agency’s Permanent Chief

Vote for Best of D.C. 2019

Azzi Fudd Steps Out of Her Comfort Zone and Into the Spotlight

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

A Promising Opioid Overdose Treatment Program and a Whole Lot of News Feb 01, 2019

This week on Washington City Podcast, we take a long look at the mysterious fate of a promising opioid overdose treatment program. Contributor Joshua Kaplan joins host Will Warren to talk about why the District didn't continue its Heroin SBIRT program.

Warren also brings us the latest in D.C. news, touching on the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability, development, and salaries in public education.

Stories in this episode:

Allen Quietly Rejects Mayor Bowser’s Nominees to Government Ethics Board

Construction Companies Open East-of-the-River Offices to Win Lucrative Contracts

A 'Preference Points' System Was Supposed to Help a Ward 8 Business Owner. It Didn't.

D.C. Charter Administrators Have Some of the Highest School Salaries in Town; Their Teachers, Some of the Lowest

Why Did D.C. End an Innovative Program to Treat Opioid Addiction?

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

Grading the Oscars, from Black Panther to A Star Is Born Jan 25, 2019

City Paper has a rotating cast of all-star film critics who review movies big and small in the paper and online. With the nominees for the 91st Academy Awards coming out this week, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to sit down with one of our critics and talk about some of the biggest movies of the year. Film critic and City Paper contributor Alan Zilberman chats with arts editor Matt Cohen about the nominees for Best Picture. And yes, they assign a letter grade to every film and fight about A Star Is Born.

Host Will Warren also talks about the latest news in D.C. politics, including Metro fare evasion and Michael A. Brown's potential return to politics.

Stories in this episode:

D.C. Council Overrides Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Veto of Metro Fare Evasion Decriminalization

Back From Bribery?

Ask Us Your Burning Questions About D.C.

The Iranian Film Festival Enters Its 23rd Year With a Diverse Glimpse of Iran's Film Scene

Vote for Best of D.C. 2019 Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

Mayor Bowser Vetoes a Bill, the Shutdown Continues, and the Future of Langston Golf Course Jan 18, 2019

This week on Washington City Podcast, contributor Fredora Kamara talks about the uncertain future of the historic black golf course Langston, which is facing a bidding war. She talks about its important role in American history and the D.C. community, and how it may change.

Host Will Warren also brings you the latest news from D.C., talking about the mayor's decision to veto a bill decriminalizing Metro fare evasion and the effects of the ongoing shutdown.

Stories in this episode:

Mayor Muriel Bowser Vetoes Bill to Decriminalize Metro Fare Evasion

The Furloughed Federal Employee's Guide to the 2019 Shutdown in D.C.

As Shutdown Stretches On, Despair and Anger Deepens Among Workers

A Historic Black Golf Course Faces Uncertainty as a Bidding War Over Its Future Begins

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar used under the Creative Commons license.

Furlough Phone Line Jan 11, 2019

Washington City Podcast opened its phone line for furloughed workers, contractors, and non-feds affected by the shutdown to call and complain. And they did. We hear from them in this episode, and also catch up on local news. Mitch Ryals talks about growing frustrations with Ward 4's Councilmember Brandon Todd, and host Will Warren talks about the ripple effect of the partial shutdown, as well as changes to the Council's committees.

You can still call the Furlough Phone Line: (202) 681-9756

Stories in this episode:

Frayed Ends

D.C.'s Taxi, Uber, and Lyft Drivers Suffer Severe Cutbacks in Pay During Shutdown

The Furloughed Federal Employee's Guide to the 2019 Shutdown in D.C.

New Year, New Committees

Frustrations With Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd Grow

Phone Sound Effects:

Voicemail beep

Hanging up phone

Picking up phone

Where to Eat in 2019, Plus Housing News and Our Fiction Issue Jan 04, 2019

Happy New Year, D.C.!

We've spent some time reflecting on the past year, but we're also eagerly looking ahead to this one—at least when it comes to restaurants. Food Editor Laura Hayes wrote about 10 restaurants opening in 2019 that not only excite her, but come together to tell the story of dining in D.C. She joins host Will Warren to break down her list and talk about what we can expect from D.C.'s food scene this year. Spoiler alert: Small plates aren't going anywhere.

Warren also brings you news that you might have missed if you unplugged over the break. A judge appointed a receiver for a Brightwood Park apartment building, and we published an issue devoted to fiction of and about D.C. Listen to learn more!

Stories in this episode:

Judge Appoints Receiver for Brightwood Park Apartment Complex

After a Fire and a Flood, Brightwood Park Tenants Navigate Their New Reality

The Fiction Issue 2018

Open Tables: 10 Thrilling Restaurants Coming to D.C. in 2019

Hospital and Housing News, the Year in Photos, and the Sleigher Dec 21, 2018

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The time when City Paper staffers and contributors grab a mug of hot cocoa, gather around the proverbial fire, and rip those who dare try their hands at performing festive tunes. Every year a few brave musicians succeed, and avoid our withering words. Most do not. Welcome to the Sleigher.

In this special podcast episode we lend our critical ears to William Shatner, Memphis Ukulele Band, Why Don't We, John Legend, and Ingrid Michaelson. Did we gain any new holiday standards? You'll have to listen to find out.

Host Will Warren also brings you the latest on the ever-evolving effort to build a hospital in Ward 8 and the first replacement shelter for DC General. Staff photographer Darrow Montgomery is also in the mix, talking about his year in photos.

Stories in this episode:

Confusion Turns to Compromise as the D.C. Council Moves Forward on the Construction of a New Hospital

Maintenance Issues Persist in Ward 4’s Brand New Homeless Shelter

2018

William Shatner, "Jingle Bells"

Memphis Ukulele Band, "Mele Kalikimaka"

Mike Love, "Finally It's Christmas" (feat. Hanson)

Michael McDonald, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

John Legend, "Christmas Time Is Here"

Ingrid Michaelson, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"

The Monkees, "Unwrap You At Christmas"

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, "Little Drummer Boy"

Telly Leung, "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

Jon Batiste and Danielle Brooks, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

Engelbert Humperdinck, "A Christmas for the Family"

From Kris Kringle The Musical, "The Kringle Curse"

Initiative 77 Again, First Source, and Swimming Phenom Phoebe Bacon Dec 14, 2018

This week on Washington City Podcast, Kelyn Soong brings us a story about a high school swimming phenom whose biography is, almost to a literary extent, intertwined with that of Olympian Katie Ledecky. Listen to Soong so that you know about Phoebe Bacon before she's a household name.

Host Will Warren also brings us the week's news, talking about surprising turn of events in the ongoing saga of Initiative 77 and criticisms of D.C.'s First Source law.

Stories in this episode:

Save Our Vote Campaign's 25,000 Signatures Are Moot Due to Technicality

D.C.’s Development Boom Exacerbates Frustrations With First Source Law

Swimming Phenom Phoebe Bacon Is Breaking a Former Schoolmate's Record

A New Chancellor, Our Guide to Giving, and a Health Care Saga Dec 07, 2018

This week on Washington City Podcast, Mitch Ryals breaks down the saga that is the Ward 8 hospital. After a series of surprises and some legislative drama, George Washington University Hospital threatened to remove itself from negotiations to operate a new hospital in Ward 8. Loose Lips reporter Ryals explains why.

Host Will Warren also talks about the newly named chancellor of DC Public Schools, and our guide to shopping local this holiday season.

Stories in this episode:

Bowser Picks Indianapolis Superintendent to Lead DCPS

Buy D.C. 2018

George Washington University Hospital Walks Away From a Deal to Run a New Hospital in Ward 8

Wedding in the Archives, the Line Hotel, and Christina Sturdivant Sani Nov 30, 2018

This week on the podcast, Christina Sturdivant Sani talks about the experience of being a black journalist in D.C. She wrote a cover story for Washington City Paper about her experience and the experiences of others black journalists who cover local news. Hear her talk about her story, which examines why in D.C., a city where 47 percent of residents are black, so many newsrooms are overwhelmingly white.

Host Will Warren also catches you up on local news, including a wedding at the National Archives and new details about the circumstances surrounding the Line Hotel's final occupancy certificate.

Stories in this episode:

Power Play Safety Issues May Have Delayed the Line's Final Occupancy Certificate The Reality of Being a Black Journalist Covering Local D.C. News

Strengthening Rent Control, Green-lighting Hospitals, and Tucking in with Michael Twitty Nov 21, 2018

We're bringing you this week's episode early, just before Thanksgiving, because our guest, Michael Twitty, is a culinary historian. You can listen to him and creative director Stephanie Rudig talk about food and identity, growing up in D.C., and a memorable anti-Thanksgiving dinner in their wide-ranging conversation. Host Will Warren is also here to catch you up on the news. The Council is considering a deal that would clear the way for the George Washington University Hospital to operate a hospital in Ward 8 and expand in Foggy Bottom, and it unanimously passed a bill that, should it become law, would strengthen rent control.

Stories in this episode:

The D.C. Council Has a Deal to Put a New Hospital in Ward 8

Council Passes Watered-Down Measure to Strengthen Rent Control

The People Issue 2018

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar, used under the Creative Commons license.

A Bevy of Bills, Mental Health in the Restaurant Industry, and Neal Henderson on Hockey Nov 16, 2018

This week on Washington City Podcast, we look at a slew of bills the Council considered during a mammoth legislative day. The Council got into, among other things, Metro fare evasion, the statute of limitations for prosecuting sexual abuse, who gets to vote, and hedgehog ownership. Host Will Warren catches you up on all that before Food Editor Laura Hayes joins him to discuss her cover story on mental health in D.C.'s restaurant industry.

Later in the episode, Sports Editor Kelyn Soong interviews Neal Henderson. Henderson is the founder of the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club and was a finalist for the NHL's prestigious community award this year. The pair talked about his life as a hockey coach and fan as a part of our annual People Issue.

Stories in this episode:

Jump the Metro Gate and You Might As Well Be Taking $2 Out of Councilmember Jack Evans’ Wallet

Actually, Looks Like the D.C. Council May Not Give 16-Year-Olds the Right to Vote

D.C. Council Pushes Forward Bill to End Statute of Limitations for Prosecuting Sexual Abuse

D.C. Council Passes Controversial Home-Sharing Regulations

Sonic Had His Day at the Dais: D.C. Council Moves Toward Legalizing Pet Hedgehogs

Workers Staffing D.C.'s Restaurant Boom Seek Ways To Care For Their Mental Health

The People Issue 2018

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar, used under the Creative Commons license.

Breaking Down the Election and Pops Mensah-Bonsu Talks Basketball Nov 09, 2018

Local elections happened on Tuesday in D.C., and Washington City Podcast will tell you everything you need to know about this week's vote. We look at the outcomes of a few ANC races we've been following and the impact the House of Representatives flipping might have on D.C.'s weed laws. Then, Mitch Ryals joins host Will Warren to talk about the outcomes of big races and what comes next.

City Paper also published its annual people issue this week. We've recorded some of those conversations and are presenting the first of these here. Pops Mensah-Bonsu is the inaugural general manager of the Capital City Go-Go, and he joins Kelyn Soong to talk about his career as a journeyman, his goals for the Go-Go, and hotel rooms. You won't want to miss it.

Stories in this episode:

Local Socialists Get Five D.C. Candidates in Office

Jewel Stroman Sets Her Sights on Elected Office

ANC Election Results Roundup: Incumbents Out, New Faces, and a Fight Over Lemonade Stands

With Dems Controlling the House, D.C. Could Fully Legalize Marijuana

Election Day 2018 in the District: City Paper Has You Covered

Now What?

The People Issue 2018

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar, used under the Creative Commons license.

DC General Closes, Lowering the Voting Age, Urban Farming, and Energy Healing D.C. Homes Nov 02, 2018

This week on a Washington City Podcast news roundup, Morgan Baskin joins host Will Warren to talk about housing. Mayor Muriel Bowser closed DC General this week, and Baskin wrote a feature in the paper about energy healers who are cleansing D.C. homes. This episode also explores a bill that would lower D.C.'s voting age, and an effort to increase urban farming in D.C.

You can also hear a preview of our annual people issue, which comes out next week.

Stories in this episode:

Neighbors Have Questions As The City Solicits Proposals For Two Urban Farms

Judiciary Committee Passes Bill to Lower D.C. Voting Age to 16

Without Ceremony, Bowser Shutters DC General

Meet the Gentrification-Wary Shamans Who Will Energetically Cleanse Your Home

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar, used under the Creative Commons license.

Investigating the Church, ANC Races, and the D.C. Council Deals with Issues of Race and Religion Oct 26, 2018

Another busy week in D.C. is coming to a close. Here's what you need to know before the weekend starts.

Attorney General Karl Racine has launched a probe into the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Listen to the podcast to find out why. We also take a look at a prominent advocate for homeless families who is running for ANC, and Loose Lips reporter Mitch Ryals joins the show to talk about his reporting on the Council's efforts to better deal with issues of race and religion.

Stories in this episode:

Karl Racine Officially Launches Probe Into Catholic Church Abuses in D.C.

Jewel Stroman Sets Her Sights on Elected Office

D.C. Democratic Socialists Are Going Hyperlocal for the Upcoming General Election

The D.C. Council Wants to Find Ways to Deal With Conflicts of Race and Religion

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere and Jahzzar, used under the Creative Commons license.

Initiative 77 Repealed, Sealing Evictions Records, and Museums Right Past Wrongs Oct 19, 2018

All the week’s news on this first Friday edition of Washington City Podcast.

This week, the D.C. Council officially repealed Initiative 77, advocates for evictions reform saw more progress, and City Paper published a long piece on a collaborative effort between the Smithsonian Institution and indigenous communities to repatriate human remains and sacred objects. Host Will Warren breaks down the news, and City Paper’s City Lights editor Kayla Randall talks about her cover story.

Second Vote on Initiative 77 Repeal Bill Seals the Deal 8-5

Mary Cheh Introduces Bill to Seal Eviction Records, Give Tenants Notice of Eviction Filing

The U.S. Marshals Service Will Unveil Changes to Eviction Proceedings in D.C.

How the Smithsonian Is Reuniting Thousands of Human Remains with Indigenous Communities

Ep. 35 - Planning for the Future of D.C. Schools Oct 16, 2018

Big news! Washington City Podcast is going to be doing more news, so we’re going to be coming at you every week, on Fridays, with the latest D.C. news and original City Paper reporting.

To kick it off, Rachel Cohen, a regular City Paper contributor and writer about school policy, joins the show to talk about her recent cover story. Her piece examines the city’s process for planning and investing in public school and charter school facilities. It’s a story that uncovers transparency issues in a planning process that could shape the balance between neighborhood schools and charters.

Listen to Cohen and host Will Warren discuss her story. And make sure you’re subscribed, because our next episode comes out on Friday.

Bad Moves Make Powerful Power-Pop Sep 17, 2018

Veterans of the D.C. music scene teamed up in 2016 to create the power-pop power group Bad Moves. The band’s debut album, Tell No One, drops on Friday, Sept. 21 and tells serious stories wrapped in cheery chords and shout-along-able melodies.

Washington City Podcast host Will Warren talked to guitarists David Combs and Katie Park and bassist Emma Cleveland (you’ll have to listen to their music to hear drummer Daoud Tyler-Ameen, who wasn’t available to talk at the same time as the rest of the band) about their hopes for the new album, writing songs from an adolescent perspective, and voice acting on animated show Craig of the Creek.

Ep. 33 - Hard Labor Sep 04, 2018

City Paper recently published the cover story “Women in D.C. Face Obstacles at Every Step of Pregnancy and Childbirth,” a piece telling the stories behind D.C.’s high maternal mortality and morbidity rate.

This week, on Washington City Podcast, Kayla Randall, who wrote the piece with Kaarin Vembar, joins host Will Warren to discuss the piece and the state of maternal care in D.C.

Ep. 32 - We're Feeling Crabby Aug 23, 2018

There are few things that say summer in D.C. like getting seafood at the Maine Avenue Fish Market. Guests may swing by this still-standing institution once a week or once a summer, but it’s a day-in, day-out gig for the workers who sell and serve crustaceans from floating barges for seven straight days. This week, on Washington City Podcast, food editor Laura Hayes joins them.

Stay tuned... Aug 20, 2018

Stay tuned for a new episode of Washington City Podcast this Thursday!

Ep. 31 - Perspectives: Velonte Chambers Aug 06, 2018

Our perspectives series returns with a conversation with 20-year-old D.C. native Velonte Chambers. Chambers is a rising high school senior, and considers himself a public speaker. In this conversation with host Will Warren, he talks about gentrification in D.C., why students skip class, and middle school love.

Ep. 30 - Tennis Player Frances Tiafoe Is Home Jul 23, 2018

Tennis player Frances Tiafoe is back in his hometown after making it to the third round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career. Although he’s just 20, the young Hyattsville native’s name has been on the tongues of tennis fans for years.

Tiafoe’s father was a maintenance worker at the prestigious JTCC tennis training center, and Tiafoe and his twin brother, Franklin, grew up around the sport. Tiafoe quickly proved himself both talented and dedicated, becoming the second highest-ranked junior in 2014. He’s now a pro and caught up with City Paper’s sports editor Kelyn Soong for this week’s Washington City Podcast. Together, the pair talked about playing in front of your hometown, what it takes to make it as a professional, and a game they once played (Tiafoe was 13, Soong was in his 20s—you’ll have to listen to the interview to hear who won).

Ep. 29 - Poet A.B. Spellman Loves Love Jul 09, 2018

This summer we’re launching a new perspectives series—a string of interviews with D.C. residents young and old. You won’t find breaking news in these conversations, but we hope you’ll find warmth and humanity here.

A.B. Spellman is a celebrated poet and long-time D.C. resident and the first guest in our perspectives series. In this episode of Washington City Podcast, he sits down with our editor Alexa Mills. Listen to him share some of his poetry and talk about everything from how a grade-school crush convinced him that there was no such thing as God to his secret to making it through life’s twilight years.

Ep. 28 - James Forman Jr. Jun 25, 2018

James Forman Jr. is the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America, a book that’s rooted in his experience as a public defender in D.C.

He considers public defense to be civil rights work and was surprised to find that D.C., despite its black political leadership, judges, police officers, and jurors, was home to a harsh criminal justice system. He explores this unexpected reality in his book.

In this episode of Washington City Podcast, Forman joins our City Lights editor Kayla Randall for a discussion of his book. The pair also gets into the challenges of telling this story without exonerating white supremacy and the idea of prison abolition. Listen, subscribe, learn, and enjoy.

Ep. 27 - All About Initiative 77 Jun 11, 2018

On June 19th, D.C. voters will be asked if they want to eliminate the tipped minimum wage. Currently, employers must pay tipped workers a base wage of $3.33 per hour. If the workers’ tips do not bring them up to the minimum wage of $12.50, the employer must make up the difference.

Initiative 77, brought by Restaurant Opportunities Center United, would eliminate the lower tipped minimum wage, if passed. Supporters of the initiative say it would bring financial security to workers and curb sexual assault and racism in the restaurant industry. Opponents argue it would cut tipped workers’ pay.

City Paper hosted a live forum at Black Cat all about the initiative. Food editor Laura Hayes and Loose Lips reporter Andrew Giambrone moderated the conversation between supporters and opponents of the initiative. If you were unable to attend the forum or have lingering questions about Initiative 77, this is the podcast for you. When you're done with that, learn more about the initiative

In print and online City Paper is answering audience questions that we weren’t able to address during the forum. The first set of those questions is available online, and the second will be in print this week. You can also learn more about the initiative by reading our May cover story on the issue.

Ep. 26 - Femme Fatale Makes Space for Art Projects and Entrepreneurship (and Unicorn Throw Up) May 29, 2018

Washington City Podcast is back!

After a few weeks off while working on new episodes, we’re excited to kick off with an audio postcard from Femme Fatale DC’s third pop-up. At Femme Fatale’s pop-ups, women artists and entrepreneurs gather to create indoor murals, spray paint couches, sell their products, and network. In this episode, City Paper’s creative director Stephanie Rudig talks to some of the women behind Femme Fatale and about making art in D.C.

Ep. 25 - Sanford Capital and D.C.'s Cultural Plan Apr 30, 2018

This week on Washington City Podcast, we look at news from around the District. Last week the notorious landlord Sanford Capital came to an agreement with the District of Columbia. The settlement stipulates that Sanford Capital make every effort to leave the D.C. market and bars it from re-entering for the next seven years. Andrew Giambrone, who has reported on Sanford for years, joins the podcast to explain where this agreement came from and what it means.

In the second half of our show we look at D.C.’s new cultural plan. The Cultural Plan, which is currently in draft form, is the city’s attempt to strategically support D.C.’s creative community. Art director Stephanie Rudig and arts editor Matt Cohen spoke with artists about the plan, sharing their criticisms and praise in the paper. Rudig joins the podcast now to talk about the plan and what artists in D.C. make of it.

Ep. 24 - Replacement Shelters and the NEAR Act Apr 23, 2018

This week, on Washington City Podcast, a quick look at some of the District’s biggest news stories. Housing reporter Morgan Baskin has been covering the District’s efforts to close D.C. General, the District’s family homeless shelter, and replace it with smaller shelters across the city’s eight wards. On the show, she reports on a small group of residents that are challenging the site of Ward 5’s shelter and the progress of the other sites in D.C.

Later in the show, City Paper’s arts editor Matt Cohen updates us on the NEAR Act, a comprehensive policing bill the D.C. Council passed in 2016. It turns out that the Metropolitan Police Department hasn’t been collecting data on stop-and-frisks in the way this act requires.

Ep. 23 - An Acting Teacher and Her Students Apr 16, 2018

Vera Katz has taught at both Howard University and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts during her long and storied career as an acting teacher and coach—a career that has seen her teach many of Hollywood’s biggest stars including Taraji P. Henson, Anthony Anderson, Phylicia Rashad, and Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.

In this episode of Washington City Podcast Katz sits down for two conversations with two of her students—Lynda Gravatt and Dawn Ursula. Both Gravatt and Ursula have gone on to have successful careers, particularly in the theater, and in these conversations with Katz they reflect on the craft of acting, diversity in entertainment, and being an artist in D.C.

Ep. 22 - Riot. Rebellion. Resurrection. Apr 09, 2018

Last week Washingtonians remembered the days and years following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in our cover story "Riot. Rebellion. Resurrection." Was it a riot or a rebellion? In a series of oral histories people living in D.C. at the time of King's murder and those who moved here later that year try to answer that question figure out where D.C. and our country is headed.

Later in the week, City Paper hosted a live event at the LINE DC Hotel. At the event, writer of "Riot. Rebellion. Resurrection." Michon Boston interviewed E. Ethelbert Miller, Tom Fong, Esther Siegel, and Michael Tabor, all of whom were featured in our article, as well as historian Marya McQuirter. In this episode of Washington City Podcast we present a condensed version of that live event. You'll hear panelists remember those four days in 1968 and think about the future.

Ep. 21 - Opening Night at Kaliwa on The Wharf Apr 02, 2018

This week on Washington City Podcast we go behind the scenes at Kaliwa, a new restaurant on The Wharf. Food editor Laura Hayes and host Will Warren got a behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant's first day open to the public. The two reporters sat in on a pre-dinner meeting and talked to Chef Cathal Armstrong and his staff to learn just what goes into opening a new restaurant in D.C.

Also in this episode, Morgan Baskin, City Paper's housing reporter, gives an update on the city's plans to close down D.C. General, the District's largest homeless shelter.

Ep. 20 - Students Stand Against Gun Violence Mar 26, 2018

This weekend all eyes were on the National Mall as hundreds of thousands of people attended the March For Our Lives. At the march two local students spoke out against gun violence, and prior to the march students and local lawmakers highlighted gun violence in D.C. at the Rally for D.C. Lives. City Paper’s arts editor Matt Cohen was at both of these events and he joins the podcast to discuss pro-gun control activism. But first, students who have been researching gun violence for a project with the nonprofit Mikva Challenge share their thoughts and feelings about gun violence in D.C. and the nation as a whole.

Ep. 19 - State of the District Mar 19, 2018

Last week Mayor Muriel Bowser reflected on her term as D.C.’s mayor and offered her vision for the next year (and the four years after that, assuming she wins a second term) during her annual State of the District speech. During the address she touched on jobs, education, and housing. This week, Loose Lips reporter Andrew Giambrone joins Washington City Podcast to help put her speech in context.

Ep. 18 - School Transfers, Food Trucks, and TOPA Mar 12, 2018

This week’s Washington City Podcast looks at some of the biggest stories in D.C. We explore the scandal involving former D.C. Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson that continues to raise questions within and outside of the Wilson Building with politics reporter Andrew Giambrone. Later in the episode, our food editor, Laura Hayes, shares her new reporting on food trucks, and our housing reporter, Morgan Baskin, walks us through a change to D.C.’s long-standing Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act.

Ep. 17 - Submit Your Diorama to Our Peeps Contest! Mar 05, 2018

Make a diorama with Peeps, win eternal bragging rights. That’s the deal with Washington City Paper’s second annual Peeps diorama contest. After taking the contest over from The Washington Post last year, we’re happy to provide a colorful, seasonal outlet for our creative and crafty readers for the second time. We will feature winning projects in our print paper, and the physical dioramas will be displayed at Cherry Blossom Pop Up Bar in Shaw.

You can find the rules and guidelines for submitting your diorama here.

Ep. 16 - What's in a Street Name? Feb 26, 2018

For our annual Answers Issue, one of our readers asked how to pronounce Ingraham Street. In this episode of Washington City Podcast we try to find an answer. The quest for an answer takes us back in time to the 1800s and to present day Ingraham Street NW.

Ep. 15 - Ibram X. Kendi Opens American University’s Antiracist Research & Policy Center Feb 19, 2018

American University’s Antiracist Research & Policy Center is in its “year 0.” Ibram X. Kendi is the center’s founder and the author of Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. The center is ramping up now, and last week launched its first initiative, a year-long celebration of abolitionist Frederick Douglass in his bicentennial year. City Paper talked to Kendi for our 2017 people issue. In this podcast episode, hear him talk about his research on racism in America, AU’s new center, and local media.

Ep. 14 - Audio Scenes From an Auction of Jim Graham's Estate Feb 12, 2018

On a Saturday in February, bidders raised their paddles in the basement of Sloans & Kenyon’s auction house to purchase the late Councilmember Jim Graham’s possessions. A prolific collector, Graham amassed a sizable supply of banks, art, bookends, pottery, furniture, erotica, ephemera, and "unusualia" over the course of his life. Over the rhythmic speech of an auctioneer, people remembered Jim Graham—an advocate for the poor and D.C.’s LGBTQ community, a collector, and a friend—and tried to win something to remember him by. Sloans & Kenyon will host a second auction of Graham's estate on March 10th.

Ep. 13 - Cuneiform Records Takes a Break Feb 05, 2018

For nearly 34 years Cuneiform Records has released new and archival music from experimental and cutting edge artists. In January the label announced that it was laying off several employees and would not be releasing new music for a year. It’s not clear if the label will resume releasing music after its year-long break. City Paper arts editor Matt Cohen talked to Cuneiform’s founders, Steve Feigenbaum and Joyce Nalewajk Feigenbaum, about the label’s history and their decision to stop releasing music.

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To ask the podcast a question, call (301) 531-5271.

Ep. 12 - And the Nominees for the 90th Oscars Are... Jan 29, 2018

Last week the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 90th Academy Awards. The nominees ranged from traditional Oscars bait to a human-monster love story. City Paper reviews many new releases that play in the D.C. area, and this week arts editor Matt Cohen sat down with City Paper film critic Alan Zilberman to sort through the nominees. The pair makes predictions, picks apart best picture favorite Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and explains why Get Out is the film of 2017. They also summarize all of the potential best picture winners and talk about what movies like The Post get right and wrong about D.C.

Ep. 10 - Status: Unprotected Jan 15, 2018

The Trump administration recently announced that it was ending temporary protected status (TPS)—a program that permits nationals from countries facing armed conflict, environmental disasters, and other extraordinary conditions to live legally in the United States—for 200,000 Salvadorans. El Salvador received TPS designation in 2001 following a series of earthquakes, and unless Congress acts, these long-term residents will have to find ways to remain in the country, legally or without documentation, or leave. This decision’s impact resonates throughout the D.C.-area, which more than 30,000 affected residents call home.

Jaime Contreras, the vice president for SEIU 32BJ, immigrated to the United States at age 13, escaping El Salvador’s civil war. He has since become a citizen, served in the Navy, and now advocates for immigrant and workers’ rights as a union leader. Contreras joined Washington City Podcast to respond to the Trump administration’s rationale for ending TPS and to discuss the impact the decision will have on the region’s residents, economy, and neighborhoods.

Ep. 9 - Crisis of Faith Jan 08, 2018

The election of Donald Trump and the policies his administration pursued throughout 2017 elicited a multitude of emotions—fear, anger, sorrow, excitement (though not so much in D.C., where only 4% of voters cast a ballot for the reality TV star). But for some, the election hit more deeply.

As the senior leader of the Washington Ethical Society, a humanist congregation in Shepherd Park, Amanda Poppei has seen people struggling with the election and its meaning firsthand. As a non-theistic organization, congregants at the Washington Ethical Society don’t necessarily believe in a god, but they do believe in the goodness and worth of all people. Trump’s rhetoric and policies, and the support of his base, have challenged some of her members’ ability to see that goodness in others. Listen as Poppei and Genevieve McDowell Owen, a member of the Washington Ethical Society, join Washington City Podcast to talk about how they’ve reconciled the 2016 election with their personal beliefs.

Ep. 8 - A Year of D.C. Dining Dec 28, 2017

In this episode of Washington City Podcast, food editor Laura Hayes talks with Kathy Hollinger, president of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. RAMW is a trade association that represents restaurants and the foodservice industry in the D.C. area.

For five years, Hollinger has observed and navigated massive changes in the city’s food scene—from the Michelin guide to the current pop-up craze. 2017 brought more of the same for D.C.: a slew of new openings and accolades. Hayes asks Hollinger about how the industry struggles to staff its many new openings, what The Wharf means for D.C. dining, and the realities of being a dynamic, growing industry in a major city. They had this conversation as a part of City Paper’s annual People Issue, which came out last month.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes to ensure you get all our episodes as soon as they come out. (Non-Apple users can use this link.)

Music for this episode was by Lee Rosevere, used under the Creative Commons license.

Ep. 7 - A Tour of the Kennedy Center with an Architectural Critic Dec 18, 2017

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, nestled between Interstate 66 and the Potomac River, has stood as a national and local center for the arts since its opening in 1971. “The most deep-seated worry,” The Washington Post wrote in a 1978 article on the institution’s architect, Edward Durell Stone, “was not that the the cultural center would dwarf the national monuments, but rather that it would become a national monument in itself, and thus not be a place where fluid culture thrives.” But despite its design flaws and changing tastes in urban design, culture does indeed thrive at the Kennedy Center; it plays host to the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera. More than two million people enjoy its paid and free programming each year.

Now, for the first time since 1971, the site is seeing major construction once more. An expansion is underway that will provide the center with rehearsal spaces, classrooms, more public spaces, and a connection to the river.

In this episode Amanda Kolson Hurley, City Paper’s architectural critic and author of recurring column Concrete Details, reviews the Kennedy Center on-site, inside and out. She notes that its location and design isolate the center from neighboring Foggy Bottom, the National Mall, nearby Georgetown, and the Potomac. This isolation, coupled with the building’s size and opulence, has been the source of criticism since its construction.

Ep. 6 - The Sleigher Dec 11, 2017

Every year City Paper celebrates the holidays with its favorite tradition: The Sleigher. The Sleigher is an opportunity for City Paper staffers and contributors to critically examine the year's new holiday music, providing our readers with salient details about covers of classics and attempts to write the next "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Some efforts pay off and we gain a new holiday standard. Most do not, and we're obligated to point out where they fall short.

This year, in addition to publishing our reviews online, we discussed some of 2017's best and worst holiday compositions for our podcast. Listen to City Paper's staff consider the merits of Bret Michaels' "Jingle Bells," Lacy J. Dalton's "Carl the Christmas Dog," Josh Groban's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," Joe Scarborough's "The Drumpf," Sia's "Santa's Coming For Us," and The Piano Guys' "Ode to Joy to the World."

Ep. 5 - Frankie and Sherry Meneses Dec 04, 2017

As we prepare to put out our annual Buy D.C. gift guide, we've been thinking about local business and the city's creative class. D.C.-area natives and long-time members of that creative class Frankie and Sherry Meneses founded Soul & Ink, a mobile screen printing company that has taken them everywhere from New York to Germany. The couple talked to City Paper's Stephanie Rudig about their work, the state of creativity in D.C., and social justice and the arts. Listen to the pair reflect on the so-called "squares" in the District, their collaborations with local distilleries, and more.

Ep. 4 - April Reign Nov 27, 2017

It’s Oscars Season, which means millions of Americans are flocking to movie theaters, sizing up the films that will dominate conversation in 2018. According to April Reign, the latest guest on Washington City Podcast, 2018 isn’t shaping up to be a good year for marginalized communities.

Reign created the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag and co-created #NoConfederate. The longtime D.C.-area resident talked to City Paper’s Kayla Randall about the effect these hashtags have had on the film industry and diversity in filmmaking in general. The pair also talked about hashtag activism.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes to ensure you get all our episodes as soon as they come out. (Non-Apple users can use this link.)

Ep. 3 - Cyndee Clay Nov 20, 2017

Cyndee Clay started with HIPS, an organization that serves people involved in street economies, as a volunteer in college. Today she's the organization's executive director. As HIPS prepares to celebrate its 25th year, she and City Paper's Housing Complex reporter Andrew Giambrone talked about D.C.'s opioid crisis, issues facing the transgender community, and HIPS' approach of not judging their clients on what they're doing, but rather helping them prevent harm.

Ep. 2 - Brother Ah Nov 13, 2017

Brother Ah (aka Robert Northern III), a local jazz musician, once played flute for a blue crane who was struggling to lay its egg at the National Zoo. He has played with jazz greats like Sun Ra, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane, hosts “The Jazz Collectors” for WPFW, and has plans to go on the road next spring. Hear him and City Paper arts editor Matt Cohen talk about what Brother Ah learned by listening to nature, D.C.’s jazz scene, and his long, storied career.

Ep. 1 - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton Nov 06, 2017

For the first episode of our new podcast, we present D.C. 101—backbone information for future listening, delivered by the most Washington of Washingtonians. This is Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s 14-term congresswoman. She recently celebrated her 80th birthday, and is a 3rd generation resident of the city. We talked about what the past year in Congress has meant for D.C., how she advocates for the District's interests, and some of the issues facing the city and its residents—gun control, statehood, and development.

Introducing: Washington City Podcast Nov 02, 2017

Washington City Paper has two big announcements. First, we're launching a podcast—the Washington City Podcast. Every week we'll bring you a conversation with an interesting Washingtonian that will help you better understand our town and the local news. Learn more about the show at www.washingtoncitypaper.com/podcast.

Second, we're relaunching our love and lust classified ads. It costs $5, and you can place an ad at www.washingtoncitypaper.com/love.

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