I Hate Politics Podcast

Maryland is projecting a $1.4 billion budget shortfall, the state is under federal retrenchment, and elections are this year. Sunil Dasgupta talks with two of the most powerful leaders in the state assembly, Brian Feldman, chair of the Education, Energy, and Environment Committee in the Senate, and Marc Korman, chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee in the House of Delegates, about...

In a departure from our usual worm's eye view of the world, Sunil Dasgupta talks with Cato Institute Senior Fellow Walter Olson about the extraordinary rendition of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to the United States on still shifting rationales that include oil, drug trafficking, and the changing nature of extraterritoriality of US law. Music by Kara Levchenko.

In this third installment of the Chocolate City Mixtape, Markus Batchelor talks with activist and award-winning filmmaker Merawi Gerima about his film Residue, a deeply personal reflection on his deep roots in Washington, D.C., the impact of gentrification on the community, the importance of D.C. is a broader fight for representation and freedom, and the role of art in social change.   Timestamps...

Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association is defending its right to receive county emergency transportation funds after an IG report says they are not eligible. Rockville Councilmember Adam Van Grack and Gaithersburg Councilmember Yamil Hernandez face off over the Wootton High School solution. National Park Service has RFP out for redeveloping nearly 40 acres of Rock Creek Park to ex...

In the second installment of the Chocolate City Mixtape, Markus Batchelor talks with UMBC Professor G. Derek Musgrove and the co-author of   Chocolate City, A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation's Capital to explore the history of Black culture and grassroots activism in shaping Washington DC's identity, the impact of congressional governance on local autonomy, and the ongoing struggles fo...

Maryland House of Delegates elects a new speaker and overrides 19 governor vetoes. PJM, the regional electric grid operator which includes MD, VA, and DC, holds a capacity auction that predicts sharp increases in rates but is held in check by a price cap. Frederick County Council considers whether to approve an expanded area for data center building near Adamstown. Damascus and Wootton High School...

In this first episode of a new I Hate Politics series called Chocolate City Mixtape, Markus Batchelor talks with Arrington Dixon, a pivotal figure in the march to home rule in Washington DC. With DC's self-government now contested by the federal administration, Dixon reflects on the challenges of creating a new government, the legacy of that activism, and the future of self-determination in the ci...

Governor Moore calls a special legislative session to install a new speaker. The session will consider veto overrides but not redistricting. UMBC Maryland issues poll results show a clear message on what's on the minds of residents. A new affordable housing project in Montgomery County, Md, provides 98 units for $55 million. How to advocate to MCPS. The county tries to build sidewalks in the Takom...

What's Wrong with Petitioning Your Local Government (2025-12-12) The right to petition your government is constitutionally protected and, as a part of the right to free speech, sacred in a democracy. But public input must be structured correctly to be effective. In two separate interviews, Sunil Dasgupta talks with former Montgomery County, Md, Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson, and parent activ...

MCPS faces criticism for wrong calls and "gaslighting" over snow closure calls last week. Can this be done better? MCPS has announced adjustments to its ongoing boundary and program change proposals. The teacher's union announces Apple Ballot recommendations for next year's elections much earlier than the past. Montgomery County Council staff is now projecting declining revenues from property and...

No other state in the US has Maryland's system of paying for hospital services despite its 50-year existence and the extra $2bn a year it brought. A new agreement between the state and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ends the preferential arrangement in 2027. Sunil Dasgupta asks Delegate Bonnie Cullison, Vice-Chair of the Maryland House Health and Government Operations Commi...

New state laws and lawsuits force gunmaker Glock to redesign popular pistol to prevent easy conversion from semi-automatic to fully-automatic. Maryland public health officials worry about low flu vaccine uptake. Gov. Wes Moore announces a rental assistance program for families of students who go to community schools. The Combined Federal Campaign has paused charity registration for next year. And...

Feeling disoriented after the 2024 election, suburban Maryland couple Christina and Adam Bobrow have hosted a weekly dinner for their neighbors and friends for most of 2025. Not a potluck. No RSVP. Just show up. Sunil Dasgupta talks with the Bobrows about how to do it sustainably and what lessons they learned in community-building. Music by Kara Levchenko.

Maryland's non-partisan Department of Legislative Services provides a bleak fiscal outlook, but two months ago the Board of Revenue Estimates reported high tax collections for last year. What's with the prediction swings? PJM membership votes down all 12 proposals on new data center connection rules. Prince George's County ends a 27-year old ban on the pit bulls in the county. The intersection of...

Two interviews demonstrate the political problem of expectation-setting. Sunil Dasgupta talks to Byron Johns of the Montgomery County, Md, NAACP Parents Council, and the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Excellence, about MCPS' proposal for six new programmatic regions and 30 magnet and special programs. And to Christine Condon, environment reporter for Maryland Matters, about the renewal...

Who is MD Gov Moore targeting with his new political slate? The legality of creating an 8-0 Democratic advantage in the Congressional District map in Maryland. Regional grid operator members vote on new rules for adding. Half of NIH institutes have short two-week director searches open. And more. Music by Kara Levchenko.

Two interviews that speak to what happens when the Abundance agenda meets local politics. Yesim Sayin of DC Policy Center on creating a research and advocacy ecosystem to push state-level policy to enable more housing construction. Their report: https://t.ly/jhuaF . And Declan Cullen of George Washington University on how cities deal with tech disrupters like Uber and self-driving car companies Wa...

MD Attorney General Brown has filed or is participating in over 100 lawsuits maintained against the Trump Administration. State Senate President Ferguson under pressure to allow mid-term redistricting, but is it feasible? MCPS issues  detailed FAQ on Immigration Response Protocol. As Silver Spring International Middle School moves toward closing, teachers and staff feel dislocated. Washington Coun...

On August 25, 2022, Sarah Langenkamp, 42, a diplomat and mother, was struck and killed by a driver on River Road in Bethesda, MD, while she was riding her bike. In the three years since, her husband, Dan, has devoted much of his life to improving road safety especially for bicyclists and pedestrians. With the fourth annual bike ride in Sarah's memory coming up November 16 ( rideforyourlife.org ),...

The cities of Gaithersburg and College Park vote today.  After days of persuasion, MD Gov Moore approves $62 million in state funds to make up for the SNAP shortfall. District 16 Delegate Marc Korman on how MDOT uses a road design manual to say no. Prince George's County Planning Board does not have enough members to constitute a quorum. MCPS faces continued resistance against planned programming...

MCPS' plans to expand magnet education and change school boundaries potentially turns the nation's 14th largest school system toward becoming six mini-districts. Sunil Dasgupta talks with MCPS officials leading the program changes, Jeannie Franklin and Angela McLane, about their plans, the challenges, and the possible consequences of the reorganization. Music by Seth Kibel and Flo Anito.

Maryland cuts off SNAP funding without federal reassurances of reimbursements; state eliminates 502 jobs to save $27m. Protests gather steam against deportation flight company Avelo Airlines, Silver Spring demolition firm ACECO, and Maryland Israel Development Center, a state investment agency. Montgomery County Planning Staff report survey results on why developers with preliminary approvals are...

The City of Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, MD, is holding elections November 4. Two candidates are running for mayor: incumbent Jud Ashman and challenger Tiffany Kelly. In accompanying double-header episodes, Sunil Dasgupta talks with community activist Kelly about need gaps in the city. tiffanyisrunning.com Music By Adam Bobrow.

The City of Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, MD, is holding elections November 4. Two candidates are running for mayor: incumbent Jud Ashman and challenger Tiffany Kelly. In accompanying double-header episodes, Sunil Dasgupta talks with Ashman about rent stabilization. votejud.com Music By Adam Bobrow.

Montgomery County Public Schools in MD proposes a whopping 6-year $2.7 billion capital plan that includes a countywide elementary school boundary study as enrollment numbers head downward. A school board meeting revisits a recent I Hate Politics episode with MD House of Delegates Majority Leader David Moon who proposed the state not funding school construction projects where there are open seats i...