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The most high-profile person to go to trial in connection with the insurrection on January 6, Oathkeepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four of his associates went before a federal judge and jury. The Department of Justice charged Rhodes and his deputies with seditious conspiracy, alleging he planned for weeks and acquired weapons to take control of the U.S. Capitol and prevent President Biden’s conf...

We hear the story of a Rockville Maryland couple who are now indicted on charges of conspiring to help Russia in its war against Ukraine by sharing confidential health information of U.S. federal and military employees. Our Mike Murillo tells us the details of the federal indictment against the local pair. Then, we speak with Andrew Hammond — historian and curator at the International Spy Museum —...

As Hurricane Ian leaves Florida and sets it’s sights northward now as a tropical storm, we talk with NBC4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer about whether the beast of a storm delivered on its predictions and what kind of trouble it could bring to our area this weekend. Then with all this incoming rain expected, many events around town have been canceled. Our Michelle Goldchain joins Luke to offer...

We continue our conversation with the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Jeff McKay. In the previous episode, we covered crime and education but now we focus on transportation – specifically the fate of the Silver Line extension. And we also talk to the chairman about where he thinks the next Commander's stadium should be in the future. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...

Lizzo fans witnessed history in DC last night when the Grammy award-winning singer played a 200-year-old crystal flute previously owned by former President James Madison. The Library of Congress presented the flute to Lizzo on stage. Head curator of musical instruments, Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford tells us she also gave the superstar a private tour of the library’s collection and tells us the story of...

The man who leads the governing board over one of the biggest counties in our region joins us in the studio. Jeff McKay has held the title of chairman of Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors for two years and tells us he stands with the thousands of students walking out of school in protest of Governor Youngkin’s proposed rules for transgender students. McKay also says Virginia needs to improve a...

A half-ton spacecraft built and controlled by scientists in Laurel, Maryland is about to make history. It’s called DART, which stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, and it’s the first planetary defense vehicle with the goal of actually moving an asteroid. We talk to a Maryland geophysicist who helped build the spacecraft who explains how this is all going to happen. See Privacy Policy at ht...

Are snow days a thing of the past? Anne Arundel County is rolling back what many say is a simple joy of childhood. The superintendent could decide to allow a snow day but the district is favoring staying on schedule and employing virtual learning rather than adding make-up days at the end of the school year. WTOP’s Neal Augenstein tells us, students didn’t receive the news well. And WTOP’s Kate Ry...

In the last few years, the Bethesda skyline has been transformed. Buildings now tower over Wisconsin Avenue at more than 20 stories tall. Elza Hisel-McCoy is Division Chief of Downcounty Planning at Montgomery County Planning and tells us this is just the start of development in Bethesda. Across the river, things are very different. The massive growth expected in Arlington County with the arrival...

A high school football game that turned violent could change how schools in our region address security going forward. In the aftermath of the brawl, five people, including a coach, now face charges and both football teams are suspended. As Montgomery County Schools roll out an Athletic Safety Plan going into effect this Friday, we speak with WTOP’s Kate Ryan about how this happened, what we know,...

School systems across the country are navigating how to respect the rights of children who identify as transgender, while also keeping the concerns of their classmates and families in mind. In Virginia, Governor Younkin took a big step in one direction by proposing that the state’s Department of Education require kids use programs and facilities that “match the sex they were assigned at birth.” WT...

As area companies ask their employees to come back to work in-person, the DMV is seeing a shift not only in work patterns but commuting patterns. Jack McDougle from the Greater Washington Board of Trade tells us how companies are reevaluating the value of working in person. And WTOP Traffic Reporter Dave Dildine tells us how a change to hybrid work this time of year is disrupting what drivers can...

The man who police call the Potomac River Rapist is scheduled to go on trial later this year for raping and killing a woman in Georgetown more than 20 years ago - he’s also linked to a second rape in D.C. and six others in Montgomery County. Today Giles Warrick was in court and John Domen says a judge is set to decide whether DNA evidence can be presented in Warrick’s upcoming trial. See Privacy P...

Questions are swirling around the story of a litter of puppies gone missing, either stolen or sold illegally, from the DC home where their mother was being fostered. There’s a $7,500 reward for each dog - just five weeks old - but investigators are still trying to find out how this happened. We ask Chris Schindler from the DC Humane Rescue Alliance about how foster families are vetted and screened...

We’re learning of yet another mistake by D.C.’s 911 call center that caused a delayed emergency response. A man having a heart attack walking to get a prescription died despite three calls to 911 for help. We talk about the incident and the state of D.C.’s Office of Unified Communications which oversees the city’s 911 with the man who broke the story, longtime safety advocate Dave Statter. And we’...

Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares says he is forming an Election Integrity Unit to ensure the electoral process in the Commonwealth. But days after his announcement, little is known about the unit which could force prosecutions against election workers and voters. We talk about it with UVA election law professor Bertrall Ross. And while the new Election Integrity Unit could present cases h...

The man who police call the ‘Shopping Cart Killer’ went before a judge for the first time today, charged in with killing two women and transporting their bodies in a shopping cart. While he’s also a suspect in three other women’s murders in Northern Virginia and D.C., Neal Augenstein tells why Anthony Robinson is appearing in a Harrisonburg court first. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...

We continue our conversation with Popville blog creator, Dan Silverman, and talk more about how he chooses stories, his favorite spots in D.C., what he feels is the best part of living in the city, and what he thinks of his competition. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

We sit down with the Prince of Petworth, the man who founded the popular community blog Popville, which “chronicles the happenings in Washington D.C.’s neighborhoods.”Dan Silverman tells us how he came up with the idea to start the blog, where he gets his stories and why his space on the Internet has become a sounding board for D.C. residents. Then we get into a little wordplay with our favorite p...

An Uber driver who was shot at, chased and nearly run off the road by a swarm of ATV drivers in DC shares his story and we discuss the measures the city and other jurisdictions are trying to gain control over the intimidating and dangerous trend terrorizing the streets of the city for years. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#...

More than 51 years after a deputy sheriff was killed off-duty, Montgomery County Police say their detectives have closed the case, by arresting and charging a man who their predecessors interviewed shortly after the crime. They discuss who the alleged killer is and where they found him and Captain James Hall’s family shares why they never lost hope or a love for police. And Megan and Luke share th...

The world now knows the name Frances Tiafoe after the Hyattsville native upset tennis legend Rafael Nadal at the US Open Championship. WTOP’s Dave Johnson tells us how Tiafoe made it to the top of the tennis world. And we take a trip to where Tiafoe’s tennis career began in Prince George’s County. WTOP’s John Domen brings us to the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park where his former co...

Pit bulls are banned in Prince George’s County, but a Beltsville woman wants to change that. Her lawyer filed a federal suit against the county rule. WTOP’s John Domen talked to the owner and her so-called ‘dog lawyer’ about the case. And did you know that Maryland has the most recorded accounts of successful escapes from slavery along the Underground Railroad? WTOP’s Kate Ryan talks to a historia...

Tom Manger just finished his first year as Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police Department. He took the job in the wake of the January 6th insurrection, when questions of the security of our democracy and our city were at their height. WTOP’s Dick Uliano sat down with the chief and shares his interview. Manger talks to Dick about what his first year overseeing a federal force was like and the challeng...

Drivers in Virginia may not realize, but in just over a decade, they won’t be able to buy a new gas powered car. That’s because the Commonwealth is one of 17 states that ties its emission standards to California, which announced it will only allow the sale of electric and hydrogen powered cars by 2035. Now, Virginia’s governor and attorney general say they’ll work to uncouple the Commonwealth from...