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Artwork for WAMU: Local News

WAMU: Local News

WAMU
Washington, D.C.
Virginia
Washington, DC
Maryland
Prince George's County
Federal Government Shutdown
Muriel Bowser
Trump Administration
National Guard
Donald Trump
Montgomery County
Medicaid
Washington D.C.
Affordable Care Act
Abigail Spanberger
Washington, United States
Government Shutdown
Potomac River
Data Centers
Metropolitan Police Department

News features from the Washington, DC Metro Area.

PublishesDailyEpisodes90Founded17 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
News

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Artwork for WAMU: Local News

Latest Episodes

This week for Get Out There, we wanted to find out what’s popping this fall at our local restaurants. So we spoke to the food critic with all the best recommendations, Tom Sietsema.

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Registered nurses in D.C. and other cities nationwide protested the company Palantir last week, arguing the firm's technology is helping ICE track down immigrants using Medicaid records. Court filings show ICE shared Medicaid data with Palantir even ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Brad Heath
Enterprise Reporter for Reuters
Reuters
Episode: A year into its D.C. deployment, the National Guard is largely missing from crime data
Akua Allrich
Jazz singer and artist
Self/Bonya project
Episode: D.C. jazz singer Akua Allrich on the mission and message of her new album ‘Bonya’
Stephanie Armour
Senior correspondent with KFF Health News
KFF Health News
Episode: A new DOJ opinion raises concerns for families receiving at home disability care
Amanda DeSimone-Shabrack
Mother caring for Mason with autism
Fairfax County, Virginia
Episode: A new DOJ opinion raises concerns for families receiving at home disability care
Jared Harrington
Southeast resident featured in the episode
Community resident
Episode: Voices of Wards 7 and 8: How the federal takeover of D.C. impacted Southeast
Glenda Lee
Southeast resident featured in the episode
Community resident
Episode: Voices of Wards 7 and 8: How the federal takeover of D.C. impacted Southeast
Jasmine Wilson
Southeast resident featured in the episode
Community resident
Episode: Voices of Wards 7 and 8: How the federal takeover of D.C. impacted Southeast
Ty Hobson-Powell
Southeast resident featured in the episode
Community resident
Episode: Voices of Wards 7 and 8: How the federal takeover of D.C. impacted Southeast
Kaya Chatterjee
Co-founder and executive director of Free DC
Free DC
Episode: ‘We grow more united’: Free DC Executive Director on the 1-year anniversary of the National Guard deployment

Hosts

Spencer Bryant
Host of the program; WAMU 88.5
Esther
Host (closing/interaction) across multiple appearances; digesting segments
Tameka Smith
Host at WAMU; Local News segment presence

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 25 ratings
  • Love This

    Great local news; always keeps me up to date!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bengal Kat the Cat
    United States4 years ago
  • Great program / interesting content

    I love listening to this podcasts deep dive reporting to answer the questions we locals want to know!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    zdbdc
    United States7 years ago
  • Inconsistent Volume

    The stories on the feed need to be normalized so the volume is consistent. I have sound check enabled, but it can only do so much.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Tylast
    United States14 years ago
  • They really need to fix this feed.

    The news content is fine, but the feed is really terrible. There are tons of downloads that just fail, and the worse, sometimes they will release the same news story several times. The titles will be different, but the story will be the same each time. Then you never get the stories that correspond to the titles. This has been going on for a long time. Clearly, nobody at WAMU is listening to what they are putting out.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    jjviii2501
    United States16 years ago
  • Great podcast

    This is a great Podcast! It has all the local news of DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland you could ask for. I listen to it on my morning commute.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    New DCer
    United States16 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the local-focus and actionable policy context.
The show is praised for deep-dive reporting on regional issues and the mix of data with human stories.
Some listeners note inconsistent episode delivery quality and feed reliability.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

D.C. jazz singer Akua Allrich on the mission and message of her new album ‘Bonya’
Q: help us understand how the Pan-African community really shaped who you have become as a musician in the DC region
Allrich describes living as a Pan-African and as an African woman as foundational to her perspective, suggesting that her artistry is inseparable from cultural pride and liberation within the DC community.
A year into its D.C. deployment, the National Guard is largely missing from crime data
Q: What did you learn about where the Guard is stationed and where they are not, and how that relates to crime activity?
The reporting shows guardsmen are around subway areas and monuments, but are not involved in the highest crime neighborhoods east of the river, suggesting their deployment does not align with the areas experiencing the most violence or the biggest crime reductions.
A year into its D.C. deployment, the National Guard is largely missing from crime data
Q: Based on your analysis, what role has the National Guard played in DC's criminal justice system over the past year?
Brad Heath explains that the Guard's role has been small in terms of direct enforcement; they are visible and numerous but rarely appear in arrest-related cases, with much activity centered around preventing offenses rather than making arrests, and coordination with MPD limiting independent action.
One year of the National Guard in D.C.
Q: How has the expansion of federal personnel affected policing and daily life in DC?
The presence of federal officers and the Guard has made policing more complicated, with armed officers who are less familiar with local neighborhoods, creating a chilling effect and a sense of occupation among residents, while local officers maintain community ties.
One year of the National Guard in D.C.
Q: Now that we've learned the extension is going to 2029, what do you see moving forward or predicted impacts?
Predictions depend on events or crimes that could shift attention to how the Guard is deployed, but for now the expectation is more of the same: Guard presence in commercial metro areas and neighborhoods, with limited changes to policy unless major incidents occur.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About WAMU: Local News

What is WAMU: Local News about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program delivers in-depth local news features focused on the Washington, DC metro area, blending policy breakdowns with on-the-ground reporting. Episodes often center on regional politics, infrastructure, public health, and technology, featuring voices from journalists, policymakers, advocates, and subject-matter experts to illuminate how decisions at the local level affect everyday life. A standout is the careful navigation of complex funding, regulatory, and governance questions—offering listeners practical context for understanding budgets, oversight, and service delivery in the nation's capital region.

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How many listeners does WAMU: Local News get?

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How many subscribers and views does WAMU: Local News have?

To see how many followers or subscribers WAMU: Local News has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to WAMU: Local News?

These podcasts share a similar audience with WAMU: Local News:

1. City Cast DC
2. The Daily
3. 1A
4. Fresh Air
5. Today, Explained

How many episodes of WAMU: Local News are there?

WAMU: Local News launched 17 years ago and published 90 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact WAMU: Local News?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for WAMU: Local News?

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What guests have appeared on WAMU: Local News?

Recent guests on WAMU: Local News include:

1. Brad Heath
2. Akua Allrich
3. Stephanie Armour
4. Amanda DeSimone-Shabrack
5. Jared Harrington
6. Glenda Lee
7. Jasmine Wilson
8. Ty Hobson-Powell

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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