I Hate Politics Podcast

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : ELECTION DAY 2024! Voting update including provisional ballot information. The social psychology roots of Maryland "creepiest" mailer this election season. White supremacists break with Trump. New state law allows Prince George's County tenants to jointly sue their landlord. Music from Washington DC post-punk band Grey Swift.

Owner Jeff Bezos unexpectedly stopped the editorial board of the newspaper from endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race. What happened and what will be the consequences? Sunil Dasgupta talks with former Post columnist and Metro Editor Robert McCartney. Music from Washington DC rock 'n' roll band 7 Door Sedan.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : Washington Post's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate in this year's election leads to subscription cancellations. But another institution, the Maryland Democratic Party, went the other way, stepping into nonpartisan school board races. The charged political atmosphere looks like it will increase turnout. We have the latest local voting...

The first offshore wind farm on the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia coast, off Ocean City, Maryland, has received FERC approval and has submitted an application to Maryland's public utility regulator. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Jeff Grybowski, CEO of US Wind, the project developer, about what it takes to build infrastructure in the United States. Music from Washington DC rock 'n' roll band 7 Door Sedan.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : If you can't knock on doors or phonebank, writing political postcards to voters might be helpful and give you purpose. Business associations and labor unions sue Montgomery County over upcoming rule to ban gas appliances in new construction. The company tasked with building a new high-voltage power transmission line from Baltimore to Frederick releas...

American elections are run by states where election administrators are recruiting the public to fight against fake news, misinformation, and disinformation while having to reassure the same public that the franchise is secure. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Maryland's election administrator, Jared Demarinis, about the challenge even in a deep blue state. Music from Washington DC rock 'n' roll band 7 Do...

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : A conflict-of-interest story drops into Maryland's US Senate race. The Montgomery County Muslim Council releases election recommendations with no choice between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The first ever UMBC state politics poll. And Maryland Housing Secretary Jake Day weighs in on the meaning of democratic input in housing policy and a new plan...

With electricity rates expected to go up significantly, Sunil Dasgupta talks with Frederick Hoover, Chair of Maryland's Public Service Commission, about the consequences of power deregulation and need for the state to step back into the investment planning process now in the hands of an independent entity tasked with managing the 13-state regional grid from New Jersey to Illinois. Music from Finst...

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : A year after the Oct 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza and Lebanon, American institutions struggle to meet the moment. How the incrementalist approach to zoning reform may be holding back the housing affordability agenda. Less than 30 days to the November 5 elections, we have dates and deadlines. And more. Music from Washington DC pos...

Sunil Dasgupta talks with Baltimore area school teacher and comedian Alexa Sciuto who has become a TikTok star by lampooning Moms for Liberty, the anti-public education group which has been attacking teachers countrywide. Find her on TikTok @scooteredu. Music from Finster.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : Arlington County judge strikes down new zoning law allowing more housing. Gaithersburg approves a new redevelopment plan for Lakeforest Mall. Reform Jews for Justice members from around the country gather in Washington DC to protest the ongoing and expanding Gaza War. Musicians from Washington DC's own National Symphony Orchestra went on strike last...

With school boards around the country under attack from right-wing extremists, a veteran Silver-Spring based education reporter and author, Karen Chenoweth, has founded a resource to help school board candidates and school board members fight back. Sunil Dasgupta talks to Chenoweth about her website democracy-education.org and her mission. Music from Finster.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : Delmarva beaches reopen after cleaning, but who dumped medical waste and garbage into the ocean? What is the effect of rent stabilization law housing supply? A new paper has startling conclusions. Two-thirds of Maryland 18-year-olds are registered to vote, a report finds. Washington DC area  bikeshare service shows sustained growth. MCPS leans into c...

In 2023, Montgomery County, Maryland, began using drones to respond to 911 calls for faster response, triaging ability, and cost reduction. But big issues of privacy, mass surveillance, and transparency remain. The courts are redefining old assumptions about privacy in public spaces and a decade ago shut down an aircraft-based mass surveillance program in Baltimore. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Jay S...

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : Medical waste and plastic garbage wash up on mid-Atlantic Delmarva shores, closing beaches. The DC Auditor's Office releases a bombshell report on police officer shortage in the city. Three DCPS fourth-graders join us to talk about their campaign to get the red-backed salamander as Washington DC's official amphibian. Music from Washington DC post-pun...

One way of solving the problem of housing affordability is to build more, but developers are holding back. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Wooldridge of the NRP Group, a top 10 developer of multifamily housing in the US, and Brian Anleu, of the Apartment and Office Building Association, about their complaints regarding rent stabilization and new building energy standards they argue must be eased to enco...

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : DC and Maryland Attorneys General sue 3 Rockville gun shops for straw gun sales. Maryland House Environment and Transportation Committee Chair Marc Korman reacts to the state's capital budget draft for transportation projects. Fairfax County to start a bus route from Tysons to Bethesda. Montgomery County announces partnership with Instacart to delive...

To mark the new school year, Sunil Dasgupta dives into professional development with MCPS teachers: Danielle Affinito of Farquhar Middle School, Rehana Ahmed of Hoover MS, and Daniel Ottalini of Redland MS. What is teacher PD? How does it work? What is the latest thinking on pedagogy and how teachers can use and harness AI? Music from Finster.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : Maryland Supreme court blocks the "baby bonus" and tax cap referendum questions from the ballot. Washington Metro reopens Red Line between Glenmont and Takoma Park stations after summer closure. EPA releases stormwater discharge analysis for the Chesapeake Bay and only Washington DC and West Virginia of the 7 jurisdictions in the watershed passed com...

The tenth-hour switch to bring in Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate was a breathtaking power play by the Democratic Party. In contrast, the Republican Party has been unable to remove Donald Trump even when party leaders have said that the former president is a threat to the party. Sunil Dasgupta talks with UMBC Political Science Professor Tom Schaller about the role of political parties...

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : Washington Metro and the National Education Association, NEA, the country's biggest union, reach labor contracts with their own unions. Metro to reopen the Glenmont Red Line section as planned September 1. Three Maryland leaders get primetime speaking roles at the DNC, one of them Angela Alsobrooks is tied in a close race against former state governo...

Maryland Democrats have articulated ambitious goals for education, transportation, and more. Governor Moore announced that the Red Line transit in Baltimore will be light rail, not bus rapid transit, a more expensive option. But state revenues face headwinds. Projected deficits loom large and statewide elections in 2026 means any tax raises become increasingly harder. Sunil Dasgupta talks with vet...

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : Falling for COVID-19 for the first time in four years. Maryland Department of Health ends grant program supporting wastewater testing as nation and region experience worst summer Covid wave in two years. Rental commission rules change: Buyers must negotiate fee with their own agents instead of depending on the seller's offer. Music from Silver Spring...

Aside from president and senator, the most important votes in Maryland this November will be ballot questions. In Montgomery, a ballot question could reduce the possible tenure of the county executive from 3 to 2 terms. In Baltimore, the mayor and city council are suing to keep the "baby bonus" question off the ballot while other petitions want to cap property taxes and reduce the size of the city...

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics : Tropical Storm Debby brought needed rain to the DC region which has been on drought watch, but also flooded low-lying areas of Old town Alexandria, by the Kennedy Center and the Watergate Building in Washington; and Dock Street in Annapolis. The NEA, the largest union in the country, has locked out its own staff for six weeks now. Rockville Mayor and...