Esther Ciammachilli

2 weeks ago | wamu.org | Esther Ciammachilli |Jackson Sinnenberg

Here are a couple of the stories WAMU will be highlighting in the days ahead:President Trump’s new travel ban on migrants and visitors from 12 Muslim-majority countries – as well as a partial ban on seven others – goes into effect Monday. He resurrected the policy from his first term following an attack on participants at a vigil for Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado on June 1. The suspect was an Egyptian national who stayed in the U.S. past the expiration of his visa.

3 weeks ago | wamu.org | Esther Ciammachilli |Chris Remington

A chance discovery of three engraved stones in Washington, D.C.’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood sparked a two-year investigative journey for journalist Bo Erickson. The stones, resembling small headstones, bore the names Chuck, Robert, and Jacob, with dates written beneath their names. Months of door knocking and internet sleuthing led to a call from Larry Martin. A long-time D.C. resident, Martin recounted his decades long loving relationship with Chuck Winney.

3 weeks ago | wamu.org | Chris Remington |Esther Ciammachilli

Summer can be the for families who rely on free or reduced-price school meals. When classes end, millions of children lose access to reliable breakfasts and lunches — forcing households to stretch already tight budgets or seek outside assistance. The problem is even worse this summer, as local area food banks face stiff cuts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under the Trump administration.   The Capital Area Food Bank is one of them.

4 weeks ago | wamu.org | Esther Ciammachilli |Tyrone Turner

It’s 6:30 on a Friday morning. About 40 women are gathered in D.C.’s Lincoln Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The group is in a circle, doing their usual warm-up to Chappelle Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” before heading out to prance around the park. You may have heard them. Several members of the group, which calls itself Fridays We Prance, carry portable speakers that blast a curated prance playlist; ABBA, Cyndi Lauper, and Flo Rida blare through the trees. The women are hard to miss.

4 weeks ago | wamu.org | Matt Blitz |Esther Ciammachilli |Chris Remington

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger is retiring (again) this week after nearly 50 years in law enforcement. In 2021 he was asked to come out of retirement to lead the U.S. Capitol Police following the January 6th attack. The long-time local police chief’s mission was to restore stability and trust to the beleaguered force by increasing recruiting efforts, establishing an intelligence operation, and improving communication.