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DMV Download from WTOP News

DMV Download is the only daily local news podcast created for Washingtonians. Every weekday afternoon, hosts Megan Cloherty and Luke Garrett go beyond the headlines with WTOP’s team of reporters and sources to bring listeners more on the biggest stories impacting the D.C. region.

Latest Episodes

‘Digging through a mountain:’ Ellicott City’s flood plan & Blame game over Md. gas tax

Once in a thousand year floods aren’t supposed to happen in the span of two years. But it happened in Ellicott City back in 2016 and 2018. Today, Howard County is moving forward with a plan for an enormous tunnel meant to spare the historic district from devastating floods. WTOP’s Neal Augenstein talks about it. And, the gas tax in Maryland is set to rise and both the governor and comptroller think the other should do something about it. WTOP’s Kate Ryan tells us what this blame game is about and how much more you could see prices rise at the pump.

Standstill on DCA tarmac: A tale of what’s to come this summer travel season

Hundreds of travelers spent 4+ hours on Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s tarmac last night. WTOP’s Acacia James explains what happened to American Airlines passengers who finally got off their planes around 4 a.m. Monday. We address your rights as an airline passenger and speak with CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg who offers predictions and tips for a smooth trip this Memorial Day weekend.

Loudoun school board sues to halt Younkin investigation & Reimagining Penn. Ave as a park

A Virginia school system is standing up against an executive order from Governor Glenn Younkin instructing his Attorney General to investigate how Loudoun County’s school board handled two sexual assaults last year. The county contends the governor is overstepping his bounds. The government says there’s clearly a cover-up going on. WTOP’s Neal Augenstein helps us navigate the complicated local case. And the woman behind the plan to redesign Pennsylvania Avenue shares the three leading options and how everyone from skateboarders to national performers are weighing in on the makeover of America’s Main Street.

DC looks to a quarry for water security & ‘Bamboozled’: Indian Head Highway name remains

The drinking water for Washington, D.C., Falls Church, and Arlington is vulnerable as there’s no Plan B if the Washington Aqueduct becomes compromised. WTOP’s Neal Augenstein tells us about the quarry water officials are looking to as a potential answer to the question, where can we keep a reserve? Augenstein explains the logistics behind creating what could be a 17-billion gallon backup. And, a few weeks after the Piscataway Tribe of Prince George’s County thought it ended a seven-year fight to change the name of Route 210 from Indian Head Highway to Piscataway Highway, they’ve learned that state lawmakers only dedicated the road, they didn’t rename it. WTOP’s Mike Murillo explains how lawmakers’ confusion let a lot of people down.

Will COVID ruin summer? Plus, meet the DMV’s video gaming symphony

COVID cases continue to increase across our region but will a return to mandates come along with the uptick? WTOP’s Kate Ryan tells us why Montgomery County is focusing on a new r-word this time around – recommend. And how that’s playing out in schools. Plus, have you ever heard of a video game symphony? An orchestra in our region is arranging and performing original and classic video game music. The Washington Metropolitan Gaming Symphony Orchestra music director tells us how it came to be and how to get involved.

End of the line for Metro GM & Catholic U.’s fight for ‘Wizard of Oz’ dress

There’s a lot going on at Metro – mounting train delays, the GM stepping down and real worries from riders about safety. We talk to NBC4 Transportation Reporter Adam Tuss about whether heads rolling at the top will really change anything at the transit system that he says is plagued by a history of failure. And Judy Garland’s blue gingham dress — worn in the Wizard of Oz — is at the heart of a legal battle between the surviving family members of a Catholic University priest and the school itself. We talk to WTOP’s Mike Murillo about the costume controversy.

Local moms help each other find baby formula & Preventable delays hit Metrorail

Parents in the DMV are banding together to find baby formula as the national shortage has some retailers limiting how much you can buy. WTOP’s Kyle Cooper reports on where parents are posting what they find and how you can help parents in need afford the expensive formula. Then, some Metrorail riders now face worse delays as 72 train operators are pulled from service due to expired certifications. WTOP’s Luke Lukert spoke with riders and explained how long to expect a delay on the Yellow and Green lines.

Politicizing protests outside Justices’ homes & Opioid overdoses increase, stigma persists

Thousands are expected to protest on the Mall Saturday in response to the leak of a draft opinion out of the Supreme Court on Roe v. Wade. But as the protests moved from outside the court to outside the Justices’ homes in the suburbs, the question over how to protect them while maintaining protesters’ rights turned political. WTOP’s Neal Augenstein explains. And more than 107,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses last year. Gary Mendell, who lost his son to an opioid overdose in 2012, turned his pain into action. He talks about how to combat and treat the disease that prompted him to start a non-profit for families facing addiction.

Inside the Van Ness sniper investigation & A Va. nurse 'scared' of effects of staff shortage

D.C.’s Police Chief is sharing the details of the investigation so far into Raymond Spencer, the man who opened fire from his apartment in Van Ness three weeks ago, injuring four people before killing himself. He shares what they’ve learned about Spencer since the shooting. And nursing has long been a difficult profession, but amid a staffing shortage, nurses rallied in downtown D.C. to call attention to the risk they take on a daily basis. On this nursing week, we talk to a Fairfax County nurse about the challenges she faces each day, and we get reaction from her hospital’s management about how it is working to support its healthcare workers.

Family of officer killed by friendly-fire reaches settlement & young investors meet volatility

Prince George’s County settled a lawsuit with the family of Jacai Colson – a police officer who responded to an active shooter outside his police station in 2016 and was killed by friendly fire. All these years later, his family settled with the county but say they still want justice. We speak with John Domen about how this case could move forward. And the financial markets are not doing great right now. How should young investors, who have seen record gains in the last few years, react to this volatility? We connect with Lynx Investments founder Peter Tanous about how this crowd should navigate this roller coaster of a market.