The Virginia Supreme Court blocked the voter-passed redistricting amendment on Friday, sending shockwaves through the Commonwealth and the nation. The ruling dramatically alters Democrats' plans to take back the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who represents Virginia's 10th Congressional District, joins the show to give us his take on the ruling and what comes next for his party.

Maryland's own redistricting push appeared to be dead, but could recent rulings revive it? We ask WAMU's Maryland reporter Jenny Abamu what she's heard. Plus, the race to replace retiring Prince George's County Congressman Steny Hoyer is heating up. Nearly two dozen candidates are vying for the seat, including state legislators, county councilmembers, and former county executives. Jenny breaks down the huge field of candidates for us.

A scandal has erupted in the Metropolitan Police Department over alleged crime data manipulation. Interim Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll has informed 13 MPD leaders that they are on administrative leave and are likely to be terminated for their alleged role in altering crime reports to classify them as lower-level offenses. WAMU's Senior D.C. Politics reporter Alex Koma gets behind the mic to break down what happened, the fallout, and its political implications.

Montgomery County lawmakers are at odds over a proposed property tax hike to help fund schools. This week, the Montgomery County Council expressed its opposition to County Executive Marc Elrich's plan to raise property taxes by more than 6%. Instead, Council President Natali Fani-González is leading the charge for a progressive income tax as she explained recently on The Politics Hour. County Executive Elrich joins us to explain why he thinks the council's tax pitch is a "con job." Plus, we get Elrich's take on Councilmember (and candidate for County Executive) Evan Glass's proposal for a six-month moratorium on data center permitting.

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After months as the main roadblock, it appears Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson is softening his position on redistricting. The recent Supreme Court decision weakening the Voting Rights Act and Maryland Governor Wes Moore notably leaving Ferguson off his list of political endorsements appear to be two big factors. WAMU's Maryland reporter Jenny Abamu gets behind the mic to tell us about what she's hearing from lawmakers about Maryland redistricting.

Virginia Democrats are throwing a Hail Mary in hopes of saving their redistricting efforts. On Monday, they asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency injunction and for an order overturning the Virginia Supreme Court's decision to throw out redrawn congressional maps. We ask Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell where the last-ditch effort stands, what comes next, and why Democrats remain optimistic about the midterms. Plus, we get the Virginia Democratic leader's thoughts on Governor Abigail Spanberger's veto of a collective bargaining bill.

Homelessness is on the rise in the District, according to a new city report, with advocates blaming human services program cuts and the aggressive clearing of encampments. Some fear that further slashing proposed in this year's budget could lead to an even greater increase in homelessness. We ask Ward 3 D.C. Councilmember and chair of the Human Services Committee Matt Frumin what the council is doing to help city residents most at-risk. Plus, we talk with him about how his ward could decide the city's mayoral race and the deepening crisis in the Metropolitan Police Department.

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A new report from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments revealed that the D.C. area federal workforce is its lowest level in nearly 40 years. The Trump administration's 2025 cuts led to the loss of more than 60,000 federal jobs. Clark Mercer, who leads the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, joins the show to discuss what drastic job losses over the last year means for the region's economy, annual budgets, and social services.

The D-C Council plans to vote yet again next week on an emergency measure to extend an enhanced youth curfew. But some councilmembers think there are better ways to stop so-called “teen takeovers.” Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker joins the show to give us his take on curfews and why he thinks there are other, better ways to deal with large gatherings of teens. Plus, we discuss the latest drama in the D.C. mayor's race and who he is endorsing in the city's biggest races.

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