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The Moore Administration’s housing bills tie density and affordability, open the door to state preemption of local zoning law, and provide gap financing for projects that may be stuck. With the General Assembly weighing the proposals and local opposition building, Sunil Dasgupta talks with Maryland Housing Secretary Jake Day about the logic and expectations of housing reform. Previously as mayor of Salisbury, Day expanded housing starts in his city. Key bill: https://t.ly/99LgN. Music from DC garage punk band, Apollo 66: apollo66rock.com

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics. This week: Raskin endorses Alsobrooks in the MD US Senate race. Community voices speak on the possibility of closing down three MCPS programs: the Montgomery Virtual Academy, extended school year pilot, and the social-emotional learning curriculum Leader in Me; MCPS orders a spending freeze because of surprising cost increase; teachers of year candidates and SMOB finalists for 2024-25. Music from DC songwriter and composer Oren Levine and the band Lucky So & So: https://ohljazz.com.

Neighborhood gift exchange groups are wildly popular and satisfying and offer many lessons in community building, conservation, and bridge the digital and in-person worlds. For this Valentine’s Day weekend episode, Sunil Dasgupta talks with local Buy Nothing group admins Lisa Silverman and SJ Ikle-Khalsa to learn about the most wholesome corner of Facebook. Music from DC garage punk band, Apollo 66: apollo66rock.com

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics. This week: The sale of the biggest media company in Montgomery County raises the specter of yet another decline in local news. Will county governments gain more direct control over school districts because of Maryland's Blueprint education reform legislation? No new taxes says the governor, but some legislators are trying to fix the revenue problem, says the MD Legislative Coalition. The lowdown on local and state primary races and what it means when Democrats want to run against Trump in solidly blue districts. Music from DC songwriter and composer Oren Levine playing with the band Lucky So & Sos: https://ohljazz.com.

To address worsening housing unaffordability, the Moore Administration in Maryland has proposed a set of housing bills, opening the possibility of preempting land-use and zoning law long seen in the assembly and in the counties as the preserve of local government. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Delegate Vaughn Stewart, Chair of the Land-Use and Ethics Subcommittee in the state house, about whether the “Housing Session” of the General Assembly will deliver. Local news about the aftermath of the Beidleman scandal in MCPS and an update on state bills from MD Legislative Coalition. Housing Bills: https://t.ly/tX-VV, https://t.ly/FUyYO, https://t.ly/3Co_Y. Music from Washington DC power pop band, Dear Daria’s brand new EP, Solastalgia: deardariaband.com.

For 50 years, the famously liberal City of Takoma Park has not built multifamily housing and remained unchanged in population even as the region has grown dramatically. Could a new plan to redevelop a former hospital site be the lever which finally ends the block on affordable housing in the Washington DC suburb? Sunil Dasgupta talks with Takoma Park Mayor Talisha Searcy about the Minor Master Plan passed by the city and now up for vote in the Montgomery County Council: https://t.ly/23V4F. Local news: MCPS, firefighter/EMS short staffing woes, state bills update from MD Legislative Coalition. Music from Washington DC power pop band, Dear Daria’s brand new EP, Solastalgia: deardariaband.com.

Confused about the new changes to FAFSA–Free Application for Federal Student Aid–which is undergoing its biggest overhaul in four decades? Sunil Dasgupta spoke with UMBC’s Financial Aid Director Andrea Cipolla to find out about the changes and their impact on financial aid decisions. Local news Montgomery County school board seeks to oust superintendent for mishandling sexual harassment scandal. State bills update from MD Legislative Coalition. Music from Washington DC power pop band, Dear Daria’s brand new EP, Solastalgia: deardariaband.com.

Montgomery County, MD, has fashioned a $100 million housing production fund to intervene in the local housing market with low-cost capital to rescue market-rate projects that are stuck and then using the equity to extract more low-income units. Sunil Dasgupta finds out how Zach Marks, who manages the fund on behalf of the county’s Housing Opportunities Commission, cracked the affordability problem. State news: budget drop and upcoming bills with MD Legislative Coalition. Music for this episode comes from 1923; sound recordings from that year just entered the public domain. National Jukebox: https://t.ly/DDGgx.

In December 2023, a Montgomery County jury heard a disability discrimination case against one of the world’s largest medical science philanthropies, the Chevy Chase-based Howard Hughes Medical Institute, in a lawsuit brought by one of its former research scientists, Vivian Cheung. Sunil Dasgupta asked Cheung about the case and its implications for scientific rigor, peer review, and disability accommodation. Local news: new statewide housing legislation shapes up. Music for this episode comes from 1923; sound recordings from that year just entered the public domain. National Jukebox: https://t.ly/DDGgx.

The 2024 session of the Maryland General Assembly starts January 10 with a difficult revenue situation, big spending needs in education and transportation, and a reticent governor. Sunil Dasgupta talks with Aileen Alex and Jimmy Tarlau of the Maryland Legislative Coalition and Monica O’Connor of the Climate Justice Wing for a preview of what is coming up in the state legislature. Music for this episode comes from 1923; sound recordings from that year just entered the public domain. National Jukebox: https://t.ly/DDGgx MD Legislative Coalition signup: https://t.ly/HSeB4 Climate Justice Wing Summit Jan 6-7: https://t.ly/gCEV1.

One of the biggest local stories of 2023 were the Muslim protests demanding the right to opt out students from reading LGBTQ-themed books in public elementary schools. In Montgomery County, this was not just a fight between conservatives and liberals. The controversy frayed the Democratic coalition itself. Sunil Dasgupta’s interview with protest leader Wael Elkoshairi was the most downloaded episode (#121) of the year. We rerun the interview and update the story with the latest news. Music from Arlington roots music singer-songwriter Valeria Stewart and her band Crooked Sparrow: youtube.com/@valeriastewartmusic. Episodes 141 looked at coverage of the coverage and several shows between #130 and #141 carried student reviews of the controversial books. Don’t forget to check them out.

2023 Holiday Weekend Special with local music featured on the podcast and local nonprofit stories: Artists and bands in order of appearance: Shanika Freeman, Adam Bobrow, Finster, Kara Levchenko, Reggie Right-Eye, Gabrielle Zwi, Ammonite, Catscan!, Jackie and the Treehorns, Grey Swift, Collide, Drew Pictures, Steven Gellman, Oren Levine, Valeria Stewart and the Crooked Sparrow, Seth Kibel, Rockambo. Nonprofit orgs: Martha’s Table, Community Farmshare, Asian American LEAD, MoCoPAAN, Friendship Place, Montgomery County Special Olympics, The Civic Circle, and Urban Adventure Squad. Links at ihppod.org.