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Charles Ramsey - Eight Is Enough?

April marks eight years on the job for DC Police Chief Charles Ramsey. While any big city chief is subject to a high level of scrutiny, Ramsey has found himself under the microscope a lot lately. With Mayor Anthony Williams out of the running, some are wondering whether his tenure will continue under a new mayor. There are plenty in DC who respect and admire his work, but others are highly critical - including the rank and file. This tug of war can be seen in the candidates' take on Ramsey. At least one says he'd find a new chief. And NONE of them are solidly in Ramsey's corner. WAMU's Lisa Nurnberger reports.

DC's Bucknell Posse

We may be only two weeks into spring, but in just over a month many colleges will be letting out for summer. As students start treading the delicate line between studying for finals and laying out their blankets on the quad, we thought it would be a good time to check in with DC's first ever "Posse" at Bucknell University in Central Pennsylvania. Some listeners may remember this group of ten students from a story we aired in August. For those who don't, the Posse Foundation places small groups of diverse, talented students from urban high schools at colleges throughout the U.S. For the students, the Posse is a support group. For the colleges — many in rural areas — it's a way to diversify. Or...that's the hope. WAMU's Sidsel Overgaard spoke with the Bucknell Posse to see how those ideas have been panning out.

Commentary by Fred Fiske - Immigration

WAMU Senior Commentator Fred Fiske has been around for a while, and remembers when immigration meant coming off a steam ship and registering with the authorities. Nowadays, the issue has changed, not only in how immigrants arrive, but in what Congress is going to do about people who immigrate by breaking the law.

DC Scores

Soccer and creative writing...might not sound like a natural combination. But a program called DC Scores is making that union happen - bringing academic and athletic training to kids throughout the DC Public School system. During the school year and over the summer, students participate in poetry slams, creative writing exercises, and yes, soccer games. The plan is to get kids' grades up and body fat counts down. WAMU's Stephanie Kaye donned her cleats and hit the turf at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan, the school where DC Scores started 11 years ago, and spoke with Holly O'Donnell, director of the program.

Women's Soccer

While we're on the subject of soccer, we focus now on the dozens of amateur women's teams that play in organized tournaments around the region. For some, the games are a chance to shake off the week's worries and just play ball. But for those who grew up in countries where women's soccer was not encouraged, the games are a chance to fulfill a lifelong passion. WAMU's Sarah Hughes reports in this story that originally aired last summer. Mariana Eberle also helped report this story.

Cryptologic Museum

It sits in the shadow of the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland, down at the end of a little winding road, tucked behind a gas station in a modest building that hasn't changed much since it was an old motel. The National Cryptologic Museum is one of the NSA's only public spaces. It covers some of the same ground as DC's high-tech Spy Museum, but in many ways it's the anti-Spy museum. There's no fancy architecture...no extra frills around the display cases. But the history of code making and breaking on display is, quite simply, mind-blowing. And being on the grounds of the NSA adds an extra dose of reality to the proceedings. We traveled north and met Jeff Bagato at the museum - he's the author of "Mondo DC: An Insider's Guide to Washington DC's Most Unusual Tourist Attractions."

Music Review by Mark Jenkins - "Visit Pell Mell"

It's not unusual for indie-rock bands to split a record or CD with a like-minded group. It's a friendly gesture, and also a way to cut each band's costs in half. That's what "The Monorail" and "People Chasing People," two DC quartets, did on their recent eight-song CD, "Visit Pell Mell." But according to critic Mark Jenkins, these two bands are more closely aligned than most.

The new CD is called "Visit Pellmell." Half Monorail, half People Chasing People. Mark Jenkins also reviews music for Blender and The Washington Post.