D.C.'s Elections Get Ugly

Mayoral Sprint, a 250 Mess, and D.C.'s Crazy Expensive Fire Alarm

Will Sommer, senior reporter at the Bulwark and former Loose Lips columnist at Washington City Paper, joined the Dream City Podcast as guest co-host this week. Cuneyt and Will broke down the Kenyan McDuffie vs. Janeese Lewis George sprint to the finish — the ground game, the prediction markets, the Chipotle moment, and what ranked choice voting could mean for the outcome. Plus: DC somehow spent a million dollars on human fire alarms, Freedom 250 is a mess, and the mayoral candidates reveal their favorite DC restaurants. 00:00 Intro— Will Sommer Guest Co-Hosts 03:26 DC Spent $1 Million on Human Fire Alarms 07:09 The Mayor's Race Final Sprint 15:36 Mayoral Polls, Prediction Markets, and McDuffie's Chipotle Bump 23:18 Freedom 250 Turmoil in DC 30:50 Speed Round: Capital Weather Gang Goes Independent 32:13 Speed Round: Mayoral Candidates' Favorite DC Restaurants 34:28 Speed Round: Snake Experts Rate RFK Jr. 35:29 Speed Round: Kangaroo Boxing Club Throwback The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism [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. Music credit: Highway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/381497] The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

Why Robert White Thinks He Should Be D.C.’s Next Delegate

D.C. Council member Robert White joined the Dream City Podcast for a wide-ranging interview about why he’s running for Congress, how he’d take on President Trump, and what he thinks about some of the biggest stories right now — including that Chipotle brawl. Cuneyt and Tom talk with White about his D.C. roots, why he pivoted from a Bowser rematch mayoral run to the delegate race, and what sets him apart from Council member Brooke Pinto. Also discussed: Youth curfew zones, RFK Stadium, downtown redevelopment, Congress, civil rights, and what he'd actually say if Trump picked up the phone. This is part of Dream City’s interview series with candidates competing to shape Washington’s future. 00:00 Introduction 00:59 Robert White’s Five Generation D.C. Family Story 06:31 Why He Thinks He Would've Beat Bowser for Mayor 09:14 What Sets Him Apart From Brooke Pinto 10:23 How He’d Use the Delegate Seat’s 'Immense Power' 13:54 Why He Opposes D.C. Youth Curfew Zones 19:26 Building Influence in Congress Without Seniority 22:37 The Delegate Seat Is a “Civil Rights Seat" 23:49 What He’d Do First if Democrats Take Back the House 25:37 Why He Voted Against the RFK Stadium Deal 29:25 Could He Still Work With the Commanders? 31:13 Does He Want to be Delegate for the Long Haul? 33:08 Robert White’s Trump Strategy 35:05 What He’d Actually Say to Trump: Puerto Rico-Style Tax Break 40:01 Working With Business to Rebuild Downtown D.C. 41:57 Height Act, Casinos, AI, and Waymo The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism [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.

Metro Boss Randy Clarke Has a Message for Trump

WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke joined Dream City for a wide-ranging conversation about how he helped turn D.C.'s Metro system around, what America gets wrong about transit, and why the future of Washington depends on getting transportation right. Randy talked with Cuneyt and Tom about everything from fare evasion, permitting, and union tensions to the politics of building faster, the challenge of funding transit in a fragmented region, and what D.C. can learn from other cities around the world. They also get into RFK Stadium, the Gold Line, federal layoffs, and whether Clarke has any interest in a future Secretary of Transportation job. 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Randy Clarke's LA Visit 04:39 The Man Behind the Local Celebrity 12:56 Fixing Metro 16:27 What America Gets Wrong About Transit 20:30 Why Big Transit Projects Take So Long in America 22:13 Automation, Unions, and the Fight Over Metro Staffing 28:18 Randy Clarke vs. the Washington Post Editorial Board 30:52 Fare Evasion, Free Buses, and Who Should Pay for Transit 33:19 Why Metro Funding Is So Fragmented 36:08 The Bus Network Redesign and the Push for Dedicated Bus Lanes 41:19 RFK Stadium, the Gold Line, and Metro’s Future in D.C. 47:53 “You Either Hate the Way Things Are, or You Hate Change” 48:14 Does He Want To Be Secretary of Transportation? 53:40 Trump, Federal Layoffs, and Metro’s Future Under the New Administration 56:08 Randy Clarke’s Message to Trump The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner https://spotlightdc.org/ [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.

The Scandal Behind D.C.’s Crime Numbers

On this week’s Dream City roundup, Cuneyt is joined by Mark Segraves to break down the fallout from MPD’s crime stats scandal, what it means for Mayor Bowser’s legacy, and how it could affect trust in the police department. They also talk about growing White House pressure on D.C. ahead of this summer’s America 250 celebrations, new courtroom drama tied to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner suspect, and the latest on Trump’s plans for East Potomac Golf. And yes, they close on a lighter note: Gary Goodweather’s campaign dance moves. 00:00 Introduction + Mark Segraves Joins the Show 02:14 MPD Crime Stats Scandal and Bowser’s Legacy 21:25 America 250, White House Pressure, and D.C. Security Planning 26:12 Speed Round: White House Correspondents’ Dinner Suspect Back in Court 28:40 Speed Round: Trump’s East Potomac Golf Takeover Moves Ahead 30:46 Speed Round: DC Water Sewage Spill Cleanup and Cost Fight 33:04 Speed Round: Gary Goodweather’s Viral Dance Campaign The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner https://spotlightdc.org/ [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.

Trump's Golf Grab, D.C.’s Mayor Race Is Getting Real, and Metro's Future

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/ [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.