I Hate Politics Podcast

Sunil Dasgupta talks with UMBC political scientist Tom Schaller about his new book, Common Enemies: Georgetown BasketBall, Miami Football, and the Racial Transformation of College Sports, and with Rahul Khanna, who co-founded the Maryland Badminton Premier League, bringing an immigrant sport to a changing land. Music from the incomparable Washington area horn player and composer, Seth Kibel. Very...

This week for the Thanksgiving holiday, we bring you the history and politics of the labor movement in the Washington DC region. Sunil Dasgupta talks with journalist Louis Peck about labor politics in Montgomery County and labor leader David Rodich about organizing adjunct faculty in the DMV area, a big win for the labor movement after decades of losses in membership and influence. Music from this...

I Hate Politics Candidate Interview with Will Jawando for Montgomery County Council at-Large. Jawando is an incumbent MoCo, MD, councilmember, running for reelection. He talks to Sunil Dasgupta about the problem of inequality in the county. Music for this episode comes from Kara Levchenko, an Arlington singer-songwriter, who is the choir director in Centreville High School in Fairfax County Virgin...

This week we bring you a special voice-acted episode with unfiltered words and arguments from the frontlines of the zoning wars. These are real excerpts from thousands of social media posts across several platforms including Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter, and neighborhood listservs. The language is not always appropriate for young children. Guest produced by Mike English. Voice actors: Adam Bobrow,...

As the Washington DC metro area struggles with housing affordability, Sunil Dasgupta talks with James Hedrick, Chair of the Board of Rockville Housing Enterprises, the city's public housing authority, about the challenges they face in bringing truly affordable housing to residents. Very local news. Music from this Rockville-based Brit-pop band, The Treading lemmings.

I Hate Politics Candidate Interview with Gabe Albornoz for Montgomery County Council at Large. Albornoz is an incumbent MoCo, MD, councilmember, running for reelection. He talks to Sunil Dasgupta about health disparities in the county. Music for this episode comes from Kara Levchenko, an Arlington singer-songwriter, who is the choir director in Centreville High School in Fairfax County Virginia.

In this episode Sunil Dasgupta interviews Abhi Janamanchi, Cedar Lane Unitarian-Universalist Church in Bethesda and Steven Cenname, Sunday school teacher in St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rockville, to find surprising differences in how they Covid-19 challenges. Very local redistricting and other news. Music from Two Truths, an electronic Americana band from Rochester, NY, with DMV roots.

In a mega-episode, I Hate Politics Upcounty Reporter Andrew Saundry interviews Gaithersburg City Council candidates Dave Delgard (03:20), Philip Cook (23:50), Lisa Henderson (38:15), Yamil Hernandez (56:00), Jim McNulty (1:15:00). Note timestamps for each candidate. Music for this episode comes from Kara Levchenko, an Arlington singer-songwriter, who is the choir director in Centreville High Schoo...

I Hate Politics Upcounty Reporter Andrew Saundry interviews Gaithersburg mayoral candidates incumbent Jud Ashman and challenger Stephen Escobar. IHP Candidate Interviews focus on one issue. Ashman chose development in east Gaithersburg. Escobar chose support for veterans. Music for this episode comes from Kara Levchenko, an Arlington singer-songwriter, who is the choir director in Centreville High...

For 18 months since the start of the pandemic, Heather Dublisnke has been the COVID-19 coordinator for Montgomery County Public Schools. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Dublinske about her role and the challenges and the frustrations of working in a large school system. Very local news about zoning wars and staff shortage in schools. Music from Two Truths, an electronic Americana band from Rochester, NY...

What does grassroots organizing really mean? How is it done? Sunil Dasgupta talks to Tino Fragale of Everyday Canvassing and Anika Manzoor of Youth Activism Project about how they recruit and operate their grassroots organizations. News about local schools, test scores, real-estate project starts, and from faraway Texas. Music from local rock/metal band, Sic 'Em Buster.

After a rocky start to the new school year and grim news on the climate crisis, Sunil Dasgupta talks with local education reporter Caitlynn Peetz and local green bank president Tom Deyo for a change in perspective. Very local news about Montgomery County Police Department. Music from local rock/metal band, Sic 'Em Buster.

Following the death of 19-year-old Melkin Cedillo in flash flooding in Rockville, Sunil Dasgupta talks to Eliza Cava of the Audubon Naturalist Society about the challenges of stormwater management in Montgomery County.  Very local news on schools, the pandemic, and closure of Metro stations. Music from Washington area rock and metal band, Sic 'Em Buster.

I Hate Politics Candidate Interview with Brooke Lierman for Maryland Comptroller. Lierman, who presents District 46 (Baltimore City) in Maryland General Assembly, talks to Sunil Dasgupta about her expansive view of the job of the state comptroller. Music for this episode comes from Kara Levchenko, an Arlington singer-songwriter, who is the choir director in Centreville High School in Fairfax Count...

In the hottest recorded summer in the Washington DC region, Sunil Dasgupta talks to Adriana Hochberg, the Montgomery County, MD, official who led the writing of the county's Climate Action Plan. Very local news including reopening woes in MCPS. Music from Baltimore-Washington musician and arranger Seth Kibel.

As Montgomery County wrestles with attracting new businesses to the county, Sunil Dasgupta talks with Jacob Sesker, a former county budget analyst who has proposed a $275 million jobs fund to incentivize businesses to bring high-paying jobs to the county. Music from Baltimore-Washington musician Seth Kibel.

I Hate Politics Candidate Interview with organizer and activist Kristin Mink, who is running at-large for Montgomery County, MD, County Council. Mink talks with Sunil Dasgupta about public safety and how the national movement to defund the police applies to Montgomery County. Music for this episode comes from Kara Levchenko, an Arlington singer-songwriter, who is the choir director in Centreville...

I Hate Politics Candidate Interview with organizer and activist Brandy Brooks, who is running at-large for Montgomery County, MD, County Council. Brooks talks with Sunil Dasgupta about participatory policymaking, emphasizing groups and individuals historically excluded from policymaking and power-sharing. Music for this episode comes from Kara Levchenko, an Arlington singer-songwriter, who is the...

As Maryland Governor Larry Hogan steps up pressure on his plan to add privately-built and operated toll lanes to I-270 in suburban Maryland, State House Delegate Marc Korman offers a different vision to solve the region's traffic woes. Andrew Saundry's Upcounty Report on what happens when manmade lakes drain out (Maryland has no major natural lakes). Very local news. Music from Baltimore-Washingto...

Inspired by political economist Albert O. Hirschman's groundbreaking work, Sunil Dasgupta talks with epidemiologist Katie Schenk and recently retired schoolteacher Valerie Coll about the decline in public health and education as public institutions and as professions. Very local news including on I-270 toll lanes. Music from Washington DC and Baltimore area woodwind player and music producer Seth...

The first I Hate Politics Candidate Interview with former U.S. Education Secretary John King , who is now running for the governor of Maryland in a crowded field of Democrats. Rather than playing 20 questions usual for candidate forums, Sunil Dasgupta and John King talk in depth about education and equity in education. Music from Arlington singer-songwriter Kara Levchenko.

In this episode, Sunil Dasgupta talks with Montgomery County resident Will Taylor and the county's right of way manager about more permissive use of the public space that sits in front of most single-family homes. Right of way gardens seem like a small concern but speaks to several contemporary problems of political philosophy including the nature of law-making, policing,  pollution, and how we tr...

In this July 4 episode, Sunil Dasgupta interviews urbanist blogger, Addison Del Mastro, about his road trips to North Virginia's small towns and lessons for urbanism. Local advocacy group presents pedestrian and bicycle safety demands. Andrew Saundry introduces candidates for the Gaithersburg City Council elections. Very local news: minimum wage goes up when a hot labor market doesn't push wages r...

In this episode, Sunil Dasgupta talks with education author Karin Chenoweth about her new book, Districts that Succeed, where she looks at five successful school districts that beat severe challenges, and with Richard Montgomery High School (MCPS) history teacher Jerome Price about how schools need to practice what they preach on anti-racism. Very local news. Music from The Airport 77s.