WAMU: Metro Connection: Recent Episodes
Metro Connection
Each week, WAMU 88.5's Metro Connection reaches across D.C., Maryland and Virginia to gather the sounds and stories that capture the current events, culture and personalities driving the Washington region.
We'll hear the tumultuous and almost otherworldly tale of the effort to create a memorial to Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. And we'll meet the man who's now calling the shots at the Smithsonian Institution. Plus, we'll imagine what Washington will look, smell and feel like 200 years from now.
This Thanksgiving week, we're digging into the Metro Connection archives, and presenting some of our favorite stories about food, family, and traditions. Enjoy!
We'll meet a lifelong Montgomery County resident who grew up in segregated and unequal county schools, and went on to become a top-notch athlete and beloved coach to generations of students. We'll dive in to the debate over the ethics of an elite private school displacing low-income seniors. Plus, we'll hear about the building, once at the center of the Walter Reed scandal in 2007, and now slated for demolition.
We'll find out why a tiny sliver of land honoring a pop star-turned politico is getting a new lease on life. We'll go inside FreshPAC's decision to shut down the controversial political action committee supporting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. And we'll hear why a proposed bike lane is sparking heated debates about race, economics, and displacement.
We'll visit a Capitol Hill rowhouse that once was home to an influential lesbian separatist collective, The Furies. And we'll meet the woman behind the effort to grant 16-year-olds the right to vote in the nation's capital. Plus, we'll stop in at the Sunday afternoon drum circle that's been a tradition in Washington since the 1960s to hear why some say the beat just isn't what it used to be.
We'll hear from Willard Scott, who co-hosted the wildly popular show, "The Joy Boys," with the late Ed Walker. We'll visit an unusual senior community where retired Foreign Service officers keep up with current events by inviting their ambassador friends to speak. Plus, we'll meet gun enthusiasts in Virginia who buck the stereotype that gun owners are all conservative white men.
This week we're bringing you a compilation of some of our best stories from 2015, plus a story about The Big Broadcast host Ed Walker, who recently announced his retirement.
We'll hear why the former head of DDOT thinks Metro should be run like a bike-sharing system, and we'll ask whether anti-Metro angst on social media can translate to real change. Plus, we'll visit a nail salon in Prince George's County to meet one of the D.C. region's most recognizable Internet celebrities.
We go poking around Metro stations with a botanist, and find out why the Kennedy Center is teaming up with the U.S. Botanic Garden. We also visit a D.C. neighborhood where some residents say the city isn't doing enough to get rid of vacant and blighted properties.
We'll find out why D.C. is selling off some of its public housing -- in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. We'll hear from commuters who are so fed up with service disruptions and delays, they say they're quitting Metro. Plus, we'll talk with people who say they've been victims of predatory car-title lending in Virginia.
As D.C. recovers from pope-mania, we'll hear how Washingtonians welcomed the pontiff this week, from taking selfies with cardboard cutouts to quaffing religious-themed beers. And we'll catch up with '80s pop star Thomas Dolby, and hear how he's helping transform a Baltimore neighborhood.
With the oldest of the baby boomers turning 70 next year, we'll hear from Washingtonians launching new careers in their 50s and 60s... with their 20- and 30-something sons or daughters. Plus, with Pope Francis' Washington visit less than two weeks away, we'll hear how the "Francis effect" is playing out on D.C.'s Catholic campuses. And we'll travel to Russia, and find out why LGBT activists are fleeing homophobia and landing in D.C.
With Labor Day weekend here, we'll hear about a new program dedicated to helping returning citizens get jobs: by teaching them to launch their own startups after coming home from prison. We'll explore what it takes to make it as a tour guide in the nation's capital. And we'll talk with residents across the city about the recent spike in violent crime.
Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, we'll hear from a couple who packed up and left D.C. in 2006 to start a new life in New Orleans, helping flood victims rebuild their homes. Plus, we'll ask whether replacing Pepco with a publicly-owned utility might better serve D.C. ratepayers. And we'll hear how one woman became so frustrated by Washington's dating scene, she found a way to crowdsource love.
We're paying homage to the earth with a show about reducing, reusing, and recycling in the D.C. region.
We'll meet Washingtonians with a singular devotion to work, and a passionate dedication to play, as we bring you tales of duty and dedication.
We'll examine the past, present and future or one of D.C.'s most scenic spots, Hains Point, as well as other stories from around the region.
How should we remember Maryland's Confederate history? What would you pay to get from D.C. to Baltimore in 15 minutes? What secrets lie beneath an empty Georgetown lot? We'll seek answers to these questions and many more.
We'll dive in to a new summer series on the history and changing demographics of D.C.'s free public pools. Plus, we'll find out how a local food bank is using technology to find hidden pockets of food insecurity. And we'll hear from a Virginia couple giving away their 35-acre farm for 1,000 words.
Three months before the Baltimore police trial in the death of Freddie Gray, we'll take a walking tour of the city and see how it's faring after the riots. Plus, we'll check in on efforts to curb a critter eating away at our region's ash trees, and visit Virginia's newest charter school.
We'll follow efforts to save one of Virginia's most endangered places, and visit a D.C. school with an ambitious goal: to create a model for educating city kids and erasing the achievement gap.
We'll explore some of our region's trickiest problems — and meet people working to find solutions to those problems — on this week's show.
We'll bring you stories of the moments that define and change our lives, with a show we're calling "Milestones."
We'll explore the nation's capital as an international crossroads of cultures and people.
We'll tour the D.C. region's music scene this week in a special collaboration with WAMU's music site, Bandwidth.fm.
We'll take an audio tour of Virginia's most heavily-populated county, and meet some of the 1.1 million people who call it home.
From astronomers to female barbers to a dominatrix in D.C., we'll step aside from our usual thematic approach to bring you one of our Wild Cards show.
Now that you can use small amounts of marijuana in the nation's capital, we'll explore how it's affecting the city, the region, and the national debate over the legalization of pot.
We'll bring you stories of the secret and surreptitious, from underground vaults to off-the-record dinner parties to what happens behind the scenes at the White House.
We'll get ready for Earth Day with a show about reducing, reusing, and recycling in the D.C. region.
As residents in D.C.'s Ward 8 head to the polls this month, we'll look at life in the neighborhoods once represented by mayor-for-life and D.C. Council member Marion Barry.
We'll meet Washingtonians with a singular devotion to work, and a passionate dedication to play, as we bring you tales of duty and dedication.
From the D.C. Jail to the tiniest town in Maryland, we'll trek across our region in pursuit of "Perseverence."
It's a show chock-full of favorite stories from the past few months -- from the tale of a nearly-forgotten figure in local history, to a jam session featuring a 15th-century musical instrument.
Route 1 is one of the D.C. region's oldest highways, cutting through Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. This week we meet the folks living and working along the route, and talking about how they're making it better.
This week we're turning warehouses in to museums, agriculture in to art, and ex-offenders in to registered voters, as we explore all kinds of changes in the D.C. region.
With homelessness on the rise in D.C., we'll hear how city officials are tackling the issue, and how homeless residents are coping with the struggle.
We'll tip our hats to Valentine's Day with tales of both romantic love and the fervor Washingtonians feel for their jobs and hobbies.
We'll look at everyday life in the place where people work and play just steps from the center of American political power.
Block by block and neighborhood by neighborhood, D.C. is in the midst of major redevelopment. What are we gaining and what are we losing in the process?
We'll bring you stories about "Second Chances" this week — from choosing a new path after you lose a job to recovering from a serious injury, to rebuilding your life after war.
We'll go theme-free this week, as we bring you stories that run the gamut — from a look inside one of the District's last large-scale public housing projects, to the tale of a local guitar maker who made it big.
Metro Connection marks the 40th anniversary of home rule in D.C. What's next in the push for voting rights and statehood?
From how deaf people learn language to how skiing helps injured individuals heal, here are some favorites from 2014.
Wonder what's become of some of the people and places we've featured in shows past? This week we'll bring you the latest update.
As we celebrate this Most Wonderful Time of the Year, it's our annual look at customs and rituals across the D.C. region, from Jewish ritual baths to Senatorial soup.
From condos to communes, we'll explore the meaning of home, sweet home in the Washington region.
We'll delve into our region's sharp increase in heroin abuse, as we talk with dealers, doctors, parents and recovering addicts.
Washington may be known as a government town — but plenty of people say it's becoming a major hub for technology, as well.
From old maps and vintage postcards to dilapidated buildings and piles of cash, we'll look at all kinds of collecting.
As election day approaches, we'll delve in to some perennial questions about politics in the National Capital Region.
From the workplace to the home to the stage, we explore Washingtonians' dedication and commitment, often in the face of some daunting odds.
We'll go theme-free with stories that run the gamut, from a look at a local birth photographer to the latest twists in the debate over guns in D.C.
From Colonial Dames to members of the Patawomeck Tribe, we meet families whose roots run deep in the D.C. region.
From the famous to the unsung, we'll present stories of people who pushed for what they believed in -- and left a legacy for others to follow.
Block by block and neighborhood by neighborhood, D.C. is in the midst of major redevelopment. What are we gaining and what are we losing in the process?
From sharks in the Potomac to burial grounds for contrabands, we're bringing you stories on what lies beneath.
With Labor Day behind us, we're celebrating Washington's workaday world and the people who keep our city going.
As kids head back to school, we'll look at the lessons we learn in the classroom — and beyond — with a show we're calling "Learning the Ropes."
We'll bring you stories of older Washingtonians who've spent their lives pursuing their passions and leaving a lasting legacy.
More than a decade ago, the District began sheltering homeless families in the city's abandoned public hospital, D.C. General. This week, we visit some of those families, talk to the kids, and get some updates on the future of the hospital.
We'll sweat it out with "Feeling the Heat," our annual show dedicated to summertime in the city.
From Korean bagels to vegan donuts to mambo/mumbo sauce, we'll dig in to food, glorious food in the National Capital Region.
We'll bring you stories of the secret and surreptitious, from underground vaults to off-the-record dinner parties to what happens behind the scenes at the White House.
We're throwing our usual thematic approach to the wind this week and shuffling up a deck of "Wild Cards."
We'll celebrate Independence Day with stories of adventurers and iconoclasts of all kinds.
It's time for our annual look at the cultures that coexist, combine and cohabitate in the DMV.
This week we'll look at the moments in life that can lead to big changes, from the home front to the workplace.
We'll press the rewind button on our time machine as we bring you stories about our region's bygone days.
We'll meet people exploring the ocean floor and climbing to the clouds with a show we're calling "Land, Air and Sea."
More than a decade ago, the District began sheltering homeless families in the city's abandoned public hospital, D.C. General. This week, we visit with some of those families, talk to the kids, and learn of the past and future of the hospital.
We'll celebrate the unofficial start of sultry summer this Memorial Day weekend by "Breaking a Sweat."
We hit the water as we explore the people and places around the Chesapeake Bay, including watermen, boat-building, crab-picking, and rain tax-paying.
We'll bring you stories of older Washingtonians who've spent their lives pursuing their passions and leaving a lasting legacy.
We're paying tribute to those who shake things up, go against the grain and otherwise march to their own beat.
This week we’ll visit some of the more rural reaches of our region, from a western Maryland swamp to an Eastern Shore town that’s home to one of the nation’s oldest ferry lines.
From barrier islands to bluegrass music, we'll revisit some of our favorite recent stories on this week's show.
We're going back to square one, turning back the hands of time, and getting at the root of the matter with a show we're calling "Origins."
Join us for an audio tour of Silver Spring, as we explore the community's past, present and future.
We'll go ward by ward through the city as we take a pre-election look at where the District is now, and where it's headed.
We're tossing our usual theme aside and going wild, with stories about everything from unearthing streams to brewing beer to maneuvering the military out of Afghanistan.
From the Appalachian Trail to the Chesapeake Bay, we'll beat this winter's cabin fever by revisiting favorite Metro Connection stories from the great outdoors.
We'll meet people defying the improbable and breaking new ground across the D.C. region.
This week we'll present stories of recovery and recuperation, from local spinal cord patients hitting the ski slopes, to prison inmates rehabilitating with paintbrushes and canvases. Plus, we'll meet an actor who confronted blindness by road-tripping across America — with a film crew in tow. And we'll head back to Virginia's barrier islands, to hear how scientists are restoring the area's ecosystem.
We'll meet people leaping past roadblocks and overcoming obstacles — like the folks fighting for transgender rights in Maryland, and the people challenging the boundaries of race in local theater. Plus, we'll visit Virginia's barrier islands and talk with residents who were forced to flee those islands more than 70 years ago.
We'll bring you tales of life in wintry Washington as we present our annual "Out in the Cold" show.
In this hour-long documentary, WAMU 88.5 explores the legacy the crack epidemic that swept D.C. in the 1980s and 90s and how the city continues to grapple with its effects on families, neighborhoods, politicians, policemen, and schools.
We'll meet folks blowing away the cobwebs, shaking things up, and seizing the day as we bring you a show all about "Fresh Starts."
From the folks who build horse-drawn carriages to old-time radio geeks, we'll press rewind and whiz back in time with a show we're calling "Throwbacks."
We'll look at the changing ways we make and think about money in the Washington region.
As we mark that time of year when we all vow to be the best we can be, we'll bring you a show about "Resolutions."
With 2014 around the corner, we'll pause to toast some of the great characters we met and places we visited in 2013.
We'll bring you the second act of some of our most memorable stories, from the struggling monks of Holy Cross Abbey to the rapidly disappearing Dyke Marsh.
With the holiday season upon us, it's time for "Traditions," our annual look at rituals and customs of life in Washington.
We'll dream a little dream this week, as we revisit some favorite stories about Washingtonians' wishes and aspirations.
We'll talk with Washingtonians young and old about lessons learned and knowledge gleaned from life's daily challenges.
We'll look at the places that shelter us and the symbolism behind our humble abodes as we bring you a show about "House and Home."
From its history as a post-Civil War community of freed slaves to the riots that nearly destroyed the neighborhood, from a 100-year-old barbershop to new restaurants shaping the area's culinary scene, we explore the ups and downs of one of D.C.'s most historic and complex neighborhoods: Shaw.
From the environment to school lunches to a local campaign designed to get us dancing in our underwear, we'll bring you an eclectic array of stories on this week's "Wild Cards" show.
We'll gear up for some ghost hunting as we bring you our annual celebration of the region's creepiest and spookiest.
From rappers and tappers to phones and food, we'll look at the ties that bind us, as we bring you a show about "Connections."
As the partial government shutdown slogs through its second week, we'll look at the ripple effects on our region's residents and businesses.
From the roller coaster ride of the government shutdown to a woman who teaches aerobatics in the sky, we take a look at "ups and downs."
This week we reflect on Monday's shooting at D.C.'s Navy Yard, explore an interactive video aimed at helping veterans get jobs, and continue our series on the future of Smith Island.
From politics to food to the arts, we'll explore the scope of the region's growing, vibrant Latino community.
This week we'll delve into stories of famous and infamous Washingtonians, and once-celebrated but nearly-forgotten history.
As local kids head back to school, we'll bring you a show about "learning" — both inside and outside the classroom.
From pregnancy and adoption to sibling struggles and bullying in schools, we'll look at the many issues moms face as we bring you a show about "Motherhood."
We returned to the archives this week, to pluck out stories about people we simply cannot forget.
We'll reach into the Metro Connection archives this week and bring you some of our favorite stories from the past year.
From crime in our neighborhoods to dangerous driving on our highways, we'll focus this week on safety and how we learn to live with risk.
From mussels to moussaka, we'll focus on food and drink as we bring you our annual show about the D.C. region's culinary culture.
From alien souvenir stands to clothes diets, we go theme-less in a summer "Wild Cards" show.
As summer interns descend upon the District, we tip our hats to the newbies, novices and neophytes among us.
This week we'll bring you stories of things you can make, keep, or even carry to the grave: secrets.
We're "Winging It" this week, as we bring you stories about experimentation, play, and winged creatures of all sorts.
From pregnancy and adoption to sibling struggles and bullying in schools, we'll look at the many issues moms face as we bring you a show about "Motherhood."
From "green chemistry" to curbside composting to Chesapeake Bay skipjacks, we'll revisit some of our favorite topics as we "look back" at stories from the past few months.
From sky-high college loans to unwieldy mortgages, we'll meet people working hard to repay their obligations — both financial and personal.
You can have it, you can keep it, or you can break it. It can be an act, or it can be a leap. In other words, we're talking about faith.
From uranium mining to solar panels, we'll explore how we'll fuel our region's future with a show all about "Energy."
We explore the many ways design affects our lives — from architecture and fashion to inside local schools and the doctor's office.
We'll get outdoors, get our hands dirty, and get a bit of sun as we celebrate the arrival of the spring season.
From the politics of parking to the tale of a little theater with big ambitions, this week we'll bring you one of our free-wheeling, theme-free "Wild Cards" shows.
We pay homage to our fair city and its one-of-a-kind culture with a show we're calling "Homegrown D.C."
In honor of Valentine's Day, we devote this week's show to the complex, often mysterious realm of "Chemistry" — from the science lab to the dating scene.
From career transitions to the revitalization of neighborhoods, this week we're all about "Makeovers" — personal, professional and everything in between.
On this week's show, we'll meet people relinquishing all sorts of things — from a dangerous addiction, to an over-reliance on technology.
From the debate over gun control to experimental treatments for spinal-cord injuries, this week we'll bring you stories about Taking Chances.
From the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean to a chilly ski slope in Virginia, this week we'll take you "Out in the Cold."
From psychics to scientists to swashbuckling superheroes, this week we'll meet people charging "Into the Future."
Is it true that "an hour of public radio a day keeps the doctor away"? We'll find out, as we bring you some of our favorite Metro Connection stories about Health and Wellness.
Before we ring in the new year, we'll look back and bring you some of our favorite stories from 2012.
This week we'll circle back to some of the Washingtonians we've met over the past few years, and get updates on their stories — from an opera star to stinkbug scientists to kids struggling with obesity.
From high-wattage holiday displays to personal family rituals, it's time for our annual look at "Traditions."
We'll dive head-on in to the life-altering, all-consuming world of parenting, as we consider how we conceive, engage with and educate our children in the nation's capital.
This week's Metro Connection is about communication — from the language we speak to the mixed signals we send.
We'll look back at some of our favorite interviewees of 2012: from a "living legend" of the D.C. jazz scene to one of the world's first pilots.
We bring you stories from the home front, and talk with people who are lacking shelter as winter approaches.
With the election now behind us, we'll bring you a show all about "New Beginnings" — from the political to the personal to the environmental.
From the political to the deeply personal, this week we bring you a show all about "Choices."
From things that go bump in the night to actors whose job is to scare us out of our wits, we'll bring you tales of "Haunted D.C." this week.
We'll bring you a show all about people "On the Move" — from a road-tripper visiting the graves of dead presidents to soldiers learning to move after devastating injuries.
From the courtroom to the science lab to the kitchen, we'll engage in some "Trial and Error," all across the Washington area.
In light of recent events overseas, this week we'll focus on D.C.'s global side with a show about "Diplomacy." We'll talk with foreign service officers about the challenges of modern diplomacy, and hear the unusual tales behind some of our city's ambassadorial digs.
We'll mark the start of autumn with a show about "Falling" — from falling supplies of homes for sale, to falling head over heels in love.
We'll bring you a veritable cornucopia of stories this week — from a teacher who's venting his frustrations in a very public way, to an artist who's finding inspiration by painting strangers on the street.
As students across the region head back to school, we bring you a show about different kinds of learning, from educational to organic to entrepreneurial.
As the summer ends and the electoral campaigns heat up, we take a look at power — from the political arena to the realm of real-life super heroes.
From Piscataway Park to Panama, we'll head across our region and beyond as we bring you a show all about the passage of time.
As we head into the waning days of summer, we'll soak in some rays, breathe some fresh air, and head into "The Great Outdoors."
From Loudoun to Frederick to the West Virginia panhandle, we're all about Suburbia on this week's show.
We're turning back the clock and casting a glance in the rear view mirror as we look back on the personal and cultural history of Washington and Washingtonians.
From scientists studying fire to lifeguards working in the blistering sun, we meet people who are "feeling the heat" around Washington, D.C.
We bring you a bevy of stories about the roles our neighbors play in our lives — whether it's across the back fence, in the church pew, or on the basketball court.
From Trappist monks to drive-in movie owners to young Washingtonians with HIV, we'll meet people fighting to survive and thrive.
"An hour of public radio a day keeps the doctor away." We'll test that theory as we bring you some of our favorite stories about health and wellness.
It's our annual "Down the Hatch" show, where we present an hour of stories and interviews all about eating and drinking in the D.C. region.
From feistily independent artists to visually impaired students living on their own, we'll get a jump on Fourth of July celebrations with a show about independence.
This show is for the "moonlighters" among us: Washingtonians who split their time between full-time jobs and part-time passions.
This week's show is for the night owls among us, as we bring you stories about D.C. after dark.
This week we bring you a "Wild Cards" show, in which we cast aside our usual thematic approach and bring you stories that are all over the map.