On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom break down a packed stretch in D.C. politics: the mayor’s race entering a sharper new phase, new questions around labor and Janeese Lewis George’s campaign, and who Kenyan McDuffie hopes turns out to vote this year.

They also dig into President Trump’s move to take over East Potomac Golf, plus a speed round on Metro’s funding problem, D.C.’s online casino push, a chilly spring forecast, and Ben’s Chili Bowl reopening.

00:00 Intro + Labor’s Power Dinner

03:26 Inside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Scare

09:28 D.C.’s Mayor Race Hits Crunch Time

10:20 Union Power and Janeese Lewis George's Campaign Questions

19:00 Trump Moves to Take Over East Potomac Golf

23:37 Cuneyt’s Golf Swing

24:36 Commanders x Langston Golf Course?

26:02 Speed Round: Metro’s Budget Debate

27:32 Speed Round: A New Online Casino Fight in D.C.

29:10 Speed Round: Why May Might Feel Like April

29:52 Speed Round: Ben’s Chili Bowl Is Back

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner https://spotlightdc.org/.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

On this week’s Dream City roundup, Cuneyt and Tom break down the fallout from "Oppo-gate" — Brooke Pinto’s dossier release, the return of youth curfew politics at the D.C. Council, and new signs that the mayor’s race is getting more negative.

00:00 Introduction + On The Road
01:21 Brooke Pinto’s Oppo-gate Fallout
07:24 D.C. Curfew Politics Return to the Council
10:01 Robert White’s Money Problem
13:00 Why the Mayoral Race Is Getting Ugly
17:48 Kenyan McDuffie Says He Was Threatened
20:53 Jack Evans Is Out, but Mendelson Isn’t Clear
23:24 Closing Banter

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner https://spotlightdc.org/.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

On this week’s Dream City roundup, Cuneyt and Tom break down D.C.’s worsening budget squeeze, Mayor Bowser’s push to spur redevelopment of empty federal buildings, and the political fight over teen curfews as White House pressure grows.

They also dig into Cuneyt's reporting on how a proposed Tysons casino collapsed in Virginia — and what it means for the rest of the DMV. Plus, what the first cleanup work at the RFK site says about the future of the Commanders project.

00:00 Introduction

02:46 Bowser’s Shrinking Budget and D.C.’s Fiscal Squeeze

13:06 Tax Breaks for Federal Building Redevelopment

16:41 Teen Curfews Expire as White House Pressure Builds

21:57 Reporter’s Field Trip: Why Fairfax Rejected a Tysons Casino

29:46 RFK Cleanup Begins + Commanders Jersey Talk

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Tom breaks some news about growing White House pressure on D.C. over youth curfews and teen takeovers. There's also a new ethics investigation involving Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, and Cuneyt and Tom talk about the deal to keep the Nationals in Washington through 2058.

Plus: campaign season weirdness, including sign wars and what it all says about the mood of local politics right now.

00:00 Introduction

04:29 Teen Takeovers, Youth Curfews, and White House Pressure

11:27 Phil Mendelson Ethics Investigation Explained

24:19 D.C. Locks In the Nationals Through 2058

29:20 Campaign Sign Wars and Election Season Warnings

31:01 Closing Banter

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom unpack a chaotic new chapter in the D.C. mayor’s race after a heated debate between the frontrunners — plus a surprising comeback bid by former council member Jack Evans.

They also dive into a growing clash between the Trump administration and local leaders over plans to remove a key bike lane near the National Mall, and what it signals about the future of home rule.

Later, they discuss renewed concerns about large youth gatherings across the city and the political fight over temporary curfews.

In the speed round: looming parking garages in the Commanders’ RFK stadium plans, Congress targeting D.C.’s traffic cameras, Robert Mueller’s legacy (and style), and why Mayor Bowser’s upcoming budget could reshape the campaign.

00:00 Introduction + Gridiron Dinner

04:09 Mayoral Debate Goes Off The Rails

07:30 Jack Evans Comeback Bid vs Phil Mendelson

09:53 Trump Admin Wants to Remove 15th St Bike Lane

19:04 Teen Takeovers and Youth Curfews

23:19 Speed Round: RFK Stadium's Big Parking Garages

26:27 Speed Round: Congress Targets D.C. Traffic Cameras

28:52 Speed Round: Robert Mueller, D.C. Style Icon

30:30 Speed Round: Bowser’s Budget and April 1 Showdown

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie is running for mayor — and he joined Dream City for a wide-ranging conversation about affordability, crime, and how he’d deal with President Trump.

McDuffie opened up about growing up in Stronghold during the crack epidemic, losing friends to gun violence, and the experiences that shaped his public safety agenda. He argued he's the most prepared candidate in the race, pointing to his housing record, public safety legislation, and push for “baby bonds” to address generational poverty.

Cuneyt and Tom pressed him on tough questions — from police staffing levels and property tax relief to campaign strategy and criticism that he hasn’t been visible enough on the trail.

They also talked about the future of Washington: redeveloping federal buildings downtown, funding Metro, robo-taxis and AI.

This is part of Dream City’s interview series with candidates competing to shape the city’s next chapter.

00:00 Introduction to the Dream City Podcast

00:54 Growing Up in Stronghold + D.C.'s Crack Epidemic

07:43 Trauma, Gun Violence, and Losing Friends

10:21 Postal Service Job That Changed His Life

15:15 From Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Office to Civil Rights Lawyer

18:14 Why He’s Running for Mayor

19:06 Making D.C. the “Most Affordable City”

21:36 His Housing Record vs Bowser + Opponents

27:53 Property Taxes, Parking Tickets, and Campaign Missteps

34:52 Baby Bonds and Breaking Generational Poverty

43:35 The NEAR Act + Public Health Approach to Crime

50:46 Police Staffing, Overtime, and Public Safety Debate

55:10 Campaign Strategy + “Low Energy” Criticism

01:00:37 How He’d Handle President Trump

01:03:41 Redeveloping RFK, Union Station, and Federal Buildings

01:09:35 Metro Funding and Economic Growth Strategy

01:11:02 K Street Transitway, Bike Lanes, and Transportation Vision

01:14:15 Waymo, AI, and Height Act

01:18:53 Management Style + Staying Grounded in Politics

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

In a wide-ranging interview, D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto shares her journey from childhood in Connecticut to her political career, why she wants to represent D.C. in Congress, and how she would deal with President Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Pinto is running to succeed retiring Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton in a crowded race that includes her council colleague Robert White. She explains what sets her apart — pointing to her public safety record, her role passing the Secure DC crime bill, and her strategy for building influence in Congress despite the delegate’s lack of a vote.

Cuneyt and Tom cover a lot of ground, from crime trends and ICE in D.C. to the politics of the delegate race and the challenge of negotiating with a Republican-controlled Congress.

They also dive into the future of the city: the Height Act, the expansion of gambling parlors in D.C., the future of Waymo, the redevelopment of federal buildings downtown, and what Pinto would tell Trump ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

This is part of Dream City’s interview series with candidates shaping the future of Washington.

00:00 Introduction to the Dream City Podcast

00:37 Growing Up in Connecticut + Early Influences

02:41 The “Saltine Crackers” School Story

05:11 The “Believe in Magic” Sign + Ikigai Philosophy

07:31 Coming to DC, Georgetown Law, and Working for Karl Racine

11:32 Why Pinto Ran for DC Council

15:02 Why Her Campaign Color Is Pink

17:10 Why She’s Running for Congress

17:54 Her Case Against Robert White

20:44 Her Secure DC Act + Reducing Crime

22:50 How Will She Represent Black Washingtonians?

29:36 How a Non-Voting Delegate Builds Influence in Congress

33:24 Negotiating With — or Confronting — Republicans

41:45 Campaign Fundraising and Momentum

43:03 What She’d Say to Donald Trump

48:40 Future of Downtown Development + Federal Buildings

52:07 The Height Act and Building More Housing

54:16 Gambling and Casinos

56:58 Waymo and Futuristic Tech

59:21 Closing Remarks

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

Cuneyt and Tom talk about D.C.'s mayoral candidates throwing jabs as the election heats up. Plus, the city's finances are a mess, now made worse by Congress overturning the city's tax code.

In the speed round, Cuneyt talks about a new effort to get rid of the Height Act while Tom finds a Gallup survey that says basically no one wants to go back to the office.

00:00 Introduction

02:13 Overheard at DC Restaurant: Iran Strikes

05:51 A Simmering Mayor's Race

09:08 Kenyan McDuffie Meets With Adrian Fenty

15:43 Zohran's Oval Office Stunner

20:54 DC's Financial Challenges

25:17 DC Could Use a Tabloid

26:59 "Let DC Build" Wants Height Act Nixed

28:43 Basically No One Wants To Go Back To The Office

30:48 Local Tea Success Story

31:49 In memoriam: Graylan Hagler

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.