This past weekend, President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. It was a history-making turn of events that could have far-reaching implications for the District. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joins the show to discuss why she also supports Harris, and what it would mean to have a woman of color in the White House. Plus, former president Donald Trump continues to threaten to overhaul the federal workforce by replacing civil servants with political appointees. We ask the Mayor what this could mean for District residents.

In the hours after President Biden’s announcement, a number of Democratic delegations nationwide pledged their support to Vice President Harris. That includes Virginia’s delegation, which unanimously voted to endorse Harris’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago. The Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, Susan Swecker, weighs in on why delegates got behind Harris so quickly. Plus, could Virginia once again be a swing state?

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Facing tough economic realities, Maryland state officials gave the thumbs up this week to Governor Wes Moore's proposal to slash $150 million from the budget. Moore joined Kojo and Tom to explain why the cuts are necessary. Plus, Moore made the case for cooler rhetoric after the failed assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump and explained why he's sticking with Biden as his party's presidential nominee.

The Prince George's County Council finally approved permanent rent stabilization legislation, capping rent increases at 3% plus inflation. The agreement comes after compromises and even some animosity between the more moderate and progressive blocks on the council. District 6 Councilmember Wala Blegay weighed in. Plus, the latest on next month's special election to replace councilmember Mel Franklin, who resigned last month and is facing embezzlement charges.

Last month, tech executive and NEWSMAX commentator Mike Clancy secured the Republican nomination in Virginia's 10th congressional district. He's now set to challenge Democratic nominee state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam in November's general election. Clancy got behind the mic to discuss the race and whether Virginia could swing red in the fall.

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The Republican-proposed "Project 2025" plan calls for replacing over fifty thousand civil servants with political appointees. While presidential candidate Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from it, many believe he'll enact much of the plan if elected. Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin joined the show to discuss the impact Project 2025 could have on the local workforce. Plus, local lawmakers are debating whether President Biden should step aside. We asked Rep. Raskin to weigh in.

Last month, Alexandria voters chose Alyia Gaskins as their Democratic mayoral candidate. If elected in the fall, she will be the first Black woman to serve as the city's mayor. Gaskins got behind the mic to talk about her top agenda items should she win in November.

The D.C. Council passed emergency truancy legislation at its last meeting before the summer recess on Tuesday. The measure aims to lower truancy rates at District high schools by sending frequently absent teens to social service programs instead of court. Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto explained how the new program will work and what comes next. Plus, why have carjackings dropped by nearly 50%?

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The D.C. Council conducted a hearing this week to learn more about the mayor’s legal council’s internal investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against former aide John Falcicchio.

During the hearing, a tense debate erupted between Vanessa Natale from the Mayor's Office of Legal Counsel and Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker over the office's ability to share information and documents from the investigation with D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb. Natale called into the show to clarify why there's certain information the office declined to share with the Attorney General.

Then, Parker got behind the mic to explain his concerns and what he’d like to see next in the investigation. Plus, he talked about reparations for Black District residents and the D.C. Council’s investment in LGBTQ+ programs.

Last week, Arlington residents used ranked-choice voting to select their Democratic nominee for the Arlington County Board. JD Spain Sr., former NAACP Arlington Branch president, is the big winner. He now faces Republican candidate Juan Carlos Fierro and perennial independent candidate Audrey Clement for the seat. Spain joined the show to talk about his victory, the most pressing issues in Arlington, and November’s general election.

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This year's Virginia primary elections were competitive and, at times, contentious. Voters made history with a number of their choices, including nominating a Democratic candidate who is likely to be the first Black woman to be Alexandria's mayor. We looked back and ahead to the general election with WAMU's Northern Virginia reporter Margaret Barthel.

One of the most closely watched races was the Democratic primary in Virginia's 10th congressional district. The projected winner, state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, joined us. We discussed why he thinks district residents chose him and his plans for the general election in the fall.

Rent control is once again on top of residents' minds in Prince George's County. The county council is debating legislation to permanently cap rent hikes to three percent, plus inflation. However, some councilmembers think the bill doesn't go far enough. Prince George's County Council Chair Jolene Ivey joined the show to weigh in. Plus, she gave her take on long-time councilmember Mel Franklin being charged with embezzlement.

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After more than a month of early voting, the Virginia primary elections are finally here. The Washington Post’s Teo Armus broke down the biggest Northern Virginia races for us, including for Congress, Arlington County Board, and Alexandria City Mayor.

Last month, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb introduced legislation aimed at revamping how D.C.’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services works. The Attorney General joined the show to discuss the bill, plus why D.C. is part of a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and how the Office of the Attorney is helping to enforce the STEER Act.

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D.C. residents went to the polls this week, and the city's most contested race proved to be close with only a few hundred votes separating the top three candidates. On Thursday night, the Associated Press finally called the Ward 7 race for ANC Commissioner Wendell Felder. D.C Board of Elections Executive Director Monica Evans took us behind the scenes of how the votes were tallied and counted. Plus, she explained the concern for safety at the polls as angry callers besiege D.C. elections for following a new law that allows non-citizens to vote.

Then, Washington Post reporter Michael Brice-Saddler explained why status quo prevailed in the D.C. primary elections with the all of the incumbents emerging victorious.

Earlier this week, Montgomery County school officials announced they will have to lay off teachers and other school staff if they are to close a $30 million deficit. Councilmember and Chair of the Education Committee Will Jawando got behind the mic to give his thoughts. Plus, how is the county preparing for future incidents of extreme weather?

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Last week, in tight financial circumstances, the Prince George’s County Council approved its $5.6 billion budget, with an emphasis on public safety. Councilmember and chair of the public safety committee Wanika Fisher joins the show to walk us through the budget and explain why she is advocating hiring more law enforcement. Also, what the council can do to get more kids attending school?

The D.C. Council gave its initial approval on Wednesday to a $21 billion budget calling for tax hikes that will help avoid some big cuts proposed by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. Chairman Phil Mendelson breaks down the tax increases, who they might impact, and his response to Bowser’s “significant concerns” about the proposed hikes. Plus, Mendelson discusses why the city looks to be finally deciding to end its sports betting monopoly and allow private sportsbooks to operate in the District as soon as this summer.

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