Shows
City Cast DCIs DC’s Airspace Getting More Dangerous? Plus, Sandwich Guy Jurors, and More Trayon White DramaThe 51st’s Martin Austermuhle is here to chat about dangers in DC's airspace, less than a year after the DCA crash. Plus, more Trayon White shenanigans, Sandwich Guy jurors, and in a members only fourth segment, we’ll talk about Democrats boycotting certain DC restaurants.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.
Learn more about the sponsors of this Decem...
2025-12-1231 minCity Cast DCCould a Mamdani Win in DC? Plus, Youth Curfews And Sandwich Guy’s TrialAll eyes this week were actually on New York City’s mayor’s race, and as our own race for mayor heats up, we’re talking about whether DC could ever get its own Zohran Mamdani. Plus, inside chaos at Navy Yard and the youth curfew in DC, and we dig into the trial of Sandwich Guy. And in a member’s-only fourth segment, we’ll talk about the strange K-shaped real estate market in DC. Co-host Michael Schaffer chats with the 51st’s Martin Austermuhle and City Cast’s Julia Karron.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure...
2025-11-0735 minCity Cast DCThis Ride Share App Keeps Pissing Off DCThe ride share app Empower has had a whirlwind few weeks. The owner was even threatened with jail time if he didn't shut down the app and now he’s back in court. So what exactly is going on with this ride share app and why has it been so controversial? Martin Austermuhle from The 51st is here to explain.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for...
2025-10-2126 minCity Cast DCDC's Only Ice Rink Is Cursed. Will It Open?The Fort Dupont Ice Rink has been in shambles for years. But it has a storied history: it’s home to one of the oldest black hockey clubs in the states. The rink needed a little TLC but never got it, until now. But there’s another delay for when it’ll open again, and Martin Austermuhle from the 51st is here to tell us why it’s taken so long to get this historic rink back on its feet.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can...
2025-09-2925 min
Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP)Trump’s DC Plan: Safety or Scapegoating?Trump’s crackdown in Washington, DC has sparked outrage, confusion, and fear across the city. In this clip, reporter Martin Austermuhle of The 51st joins to explain how the Trump administration is using public safety as a cover for what is really backdoor immigration enforcement. From ICE raids targeting day laborers and food delivery workers, to National Guard patrols framed as “violent crime prevention,” the reality on the ground tells a much different story.
The discussion highlights how these tactics are reshaping everyday life in the nation’s capital. Immigrants who came seeking asylum o...
2025-08-2611 min
Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP)DC Residents REJECT Trump’s National Guard PlanHow do DC residents really feel about Trump’s attempt to federalize the city’s police and roll out the National Guard? In this interview clip, we break down local reactions, new polling data, and the growing debate over crime, safety, and DC statehood.
A new Washington Post poll shows that eight in ten DC residents oppose Trump’s plan to nationalize the Metropolitan Police Department. At the same time, support for DC statehood is surging, with more than 70 percent backing greater local autonomy. But beneath the headlines, concerns about crime remain a consta...
2025-08-2609 min
Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP)TRUMP’s DC Power Play ExplainedDonald Trump is testing the limits of presidential power in Washington, DC. In this clip from Luke’s interview with reporter Martin Austermuhle, the two break down what Trump can and cannot do when it comes to controlling the nation’s capital. From deploying the National Guard to federalizing the DC police, the conversation unpacks how much authority the president has over a city that lacks the protections of statehood.
DC has always walked a fine line between local autonomy and federal oversight. Martin explains how the city’s unique status makes it especi...
2025-08-2611 min
An Old Timey PodcastAmerica Can’t Figure Out Daylight Saving Time (Part 2)In his final episode on Daylight Saving Time, Norm tells us that America has flip flopped on Daylight Saving Time for decades. We love it! We hate it! We implement it; we rescind it. Will the battle ever end? Probably not! Will Norm survive the disease known as the flu? We sure hope so!
Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Austermuhle, Martin. “A History Of D.C.’s Bizarre Daylight Saving Mishaps.” DCist (blog), n.d. https://dcist.com/story/19/03/11/a-history-of-d-c-s-bizarre-daylight-saving-mishaps/.
Duster, Chandelis. “Trump Urges Congress to Make Daylight...
2025-04-231h 35City Cast DCBowser's Loophole For Avoiding $1.1B Cuts from CongressYesterday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced spending freezes and city cuts because of a massive crater that Congress created in DC’s budget and then never fixed. There’s a bill in the House that could immediately resolve this budget crisis, but the lawmakers have stalled on voting, and now they’re on break until April 28. Local reporter Martin Austermuhle is here to tell us how the cuts could affect life in DC right now.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with a...
2025-04-1619 min
I Hate Politics PodcastMartin Austermuhle on WAMU Layoffs In yet another setback to news reporting, Washington DC public radio station WAMU closes its local news website, DCist, and lays off 16 staffers. Sunil Dasgupta talks with longtime WAMU and DCist reporter Martin Austermuhle about how mismanagement killed a popular news source. Austermuhle left the station on his own a few months before the layoffs and is not bound by a non-disparagement agreement. Music from DC garage punk band, Apollo 66: apollo66rock.com.
2024-03-0832 minCity Cast DCWhat DCist's Closure Means for Local NewsOn Friday, public radio station WAMU announced that it was killing its local news site DCist. Fifteen journalists lost their jobs, adding even more casualties to a job market that has seen steep cuts over the past year. Reporter Martin Austermuhle, who spent more than a decade with WAMU and DCist, is here to tell us what happened, and what it means for the city.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE
2024-02-2620 min
Brave Little StateWhat effect has noncitizen voting had in the Vermont cities where it's legal?
In recent years, Winooski, Montpelier and Burlington made it possible for all legal residents to vote — including asylum seekers, refugees and green card holders like our winning question-asker, Charlotte Blend. Charlotte has been excited to vote on local issues and she’s curious about the impact of the rule changes in the towns where it’s now legal. Reporter Mikaela Lefrak talks to new Vermont voters — and a lot of city clerks — about how the at-times controversial changes in local election policy have affected three Vermont cities, from their councils and school boards to their resi...
2023-11-1630 minCity Cast DCAdMo Housing Debate, Unsavory School Names, and Friday the 13thThe team chats about the latest twist in a goofy Adams Morgan development saga — and why it oughta matter to you even if you never hang out at the late, unlamented SunTrust Plaza. Plus, we’ve got some thoughts on school renamings and suggestions for how to get in a haunted mood this Friday the 13th.As always, our Friday episode is fueled by great local journalism:
Read up on the AdMo Plaza update, from this Washington Post report. And get caught up on the long saga, with our episode featuring Martin Austermuhle.
WTOP c...
2023-10-1322 minCity Cast DCNew Police Chief, Ranked Choice Voting's Fate, and World Cup Watch PartiesD.C. has a new Police Chief. Will she find a solution to the District’s crime surge? How does her appointment change the politics of the crime bill? City Cast’s Julia Karron and Dan Reed of Greater Greater Washington talk it out. Plus, we breakdown the future of ranked choice voting and where to watch the Women’s World Cup!Check out the local reporting that powers our roundups:
Peter Hermann and Emily Davies of the Washington Post have got your primer on the new Police Chief.
Martin Austermuhle at DCist has th...
2023-07-2124 minCity Cast DCMayoral Office Harassment Scandal, GOP's Traffic Meddling, and Swimply DramaIn this week’s roundup, Cuynet Dil from Axios DC and City Cast contributor Dan Reed are here to chat about the latest in the troubling saga of John Falcicchio, the top mayoral aide who abruptly left his job this spring. Plus, House Republicans have unveiled a draft budget bill that includes a bunch of riders that would change how we drive, go to the doctor, and regulate cannabis sales. And Montgomery County is up in arms over an app that allows people to rent private pools.Check out this local reporting that informed ou...
2023-06-2322 minCity Cast DCDan Snyder Picks A Buyer. Plus, Buses, Cannabis, and Georgetown TransformersAfter months of hand wringing, Dan Snyder has picked a buyer for the Washington Commanders! Audio Producer Julia Karron is here to celebrate but also caution us all against getting TOO excited yet. Then, we’ve got City Cast contributor Dan Reed and WAMU reporter Martin Austermuhle here to talk new Metro bus routes, legal cannabis rules in Maryland, and a very strange dispute over Transformer statues — yes, those Transformers — in Georgetown. Our roundups wouldn’t be possible without all the local reporting that happens:
Axios’s Cuneyt Dil broke the Snyder news to us. *Cue...
2023-04-1428 minCity Cast DCShould D.C. Public Schools Have Cops?D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says she’s redoubling her efforts to reverse the council’s move to pull police who have been serving as school resource officers out of D.C. public schools. The Metropolitan Police Department’s School Safety Division was once staffed by 100 school resource officers; it’s now down to 40, with the division set to disappear altogether by July 2025. WAMU’s Martin Austermuhle spoke to students, parents, and school resource officers to find out how folks are feeling about the effort to get police out of D.C. schools. Want some more DC news? Then ma...
2023-02-2718 minCity Cast DCHome Rule Under Attack, Plus RIP Movie TheatersThe old Metro boss is now head of transportation in Maryland — what does that mean for DC commuters? Congresspeople are scheming to overrule local voters — how likely are they to succeed? And D.C. is running out of movie theaters. Axios Reporter Cuneyt Dil and Audio Producer Julia Karron join host Michael Schaffer to chat about how they feel about it all.As always, our Friday shows are powered by some excellent local reporting:
Jordan Pascale of DCist got the scoop on Paul Wiedefeld nabbing the Maryland transportation secretary job.
Cuneyt Dil from Axio...
2023-01-2724 minCity Cast DCSnyder Explores Selling, Bad PR For MPD, and Taylor Swift‘s SnubDan and Tanya Snyder are officially considering selling the Washington Commanders football team. Twitter is buzzing, of course, as are we. The City Cast DC team chats about that, MPD dropping a bunch of gun and drug charges over an internal investigation, and Taylor Swift snubbing the DMV in a big way.As always, our Friday roundup is powered by local journalism:
Axios DC breaks down the Snyder news
WashPo Local covers the dropped charges and the controversy that got us here
And we’ve got to tip our hats to Martin Austermuhle’s Twi...
2022-11-0420 minCity Cast DCMetro Updates, A Parking Controversy, And Local Halloween CostumesWe’re going a bit transportation heavy in today’s episode. Dan Reed of Greater Greater Washington and Martin Austermuhle from WAMU are here to chat about what is going on with those 7000-series trains and how parking in the district may be changing dramatically.Let your voice be heard on residential parking permits! The DC Council public hearing about it is TODAY at noon. Follow this link to keep up.We've got more D.C. news for you on our morning newsletter. It'll be especially useful to you in t...
2022-10-2824 minCity Cast DCThe Showdown Over Adams Morgan PlazaThe battle for AdMo Plaza is being heard right now in the D.C. courts to decide if the land can be developed. Why so much hubbub over a scrappy concrete corner? WAMU reporter Martin Austermuhle walks us through it.While you’re here, check out our morning newsletter. Then, tell us what you think. We’re at @citycast_dcon Twitter, or leave us a voicemail at 2026422654.
2022-09-1219 min
Always Real Talk ShowDCIST |WAMU | Martin Austermuhle talks Mayor Muriel Bowser| Defund Police| Kwame Brown DC@AlwaysRealTalkShow| Kwame Brown & Martin Austermuhle and on the national rise of Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington DC, How Black Lives Matter to Defund Police in Washington DC, How to Change the WAMTA Compact and 2020 DC City Council 2020 At Large Council election. @maustermuhle & @kwamebrowndc
2020-07-0532 min
What's With WashingtonD.C.’s Buildings Have Peaked: The Height Rule, ExplainedWhat’s with the height limit on D.C. buildings? And if there were no limit, would the city be more affordable? Mikaela Lefrak gets a view from the top…of the Washington National Cathedral! Then, WAMU's chief zoning nerd Martin Austermuhle shares the history of this complicated rule and how it impacts affordable housing in the District.
You're invited to our live event on January 28th at NPR Headquarters! For more information and tickets, visit wamu.org/events.
Take our listener survey: whatswith.org/survey
If you LOVE What's With Washington, become a member! Head to wamu.org/donate to s...
2019-12-1719 minWhat's With WashingtonDaycare Costs How Much?! Why Childcare is So Expensive in the Washington RegionDaycare is so expensive some parents are postponing their plans to have kids. Elly Yu and Martin Austermuhle join Mikaela to demystify the hidden costs of childcare in the DMV.
To submit a question, visit wamu.org/whatswith.
The What’s With Washington podcast is made possible by our listeners. To support the show, visit wamu.org/donate/.
2019-05-0719 min
TwinSet DesignsEpisode 16 -- Thunder Snow!In which Ellen sings and is repetitive and in which we discuss Yarnover and Fiber Fest, a great review from Jasmin & Gigi, Thunder Snow!, quick trips to Ohio, Spring springing...and not, farm stuff, mouse melons, love blankets, snow and the frozen north, blended colors and intarsia, when eagerness overwhelms instinct, yarn to dye for, figure irregularities, the magic bullet and Yarnover and Fiber Fest.
Cover Art by Martin Austermuhle
2013-04-231h 00