Dream City Podcast

Cuneyt and Tom dig into one of the strangest fights on D.C.’s otherwise sleepy November ballot: Initiative 86, which would ban the force-feeding of ducks and geese to produce foie gras.

Celebrity chef José Andrés has come out against the measure, while Butterworth’s owner Bart Hutchins is responding with a $150 four-course foie gras tasting menu — complete with a foie gras “Twinkie.”

Then, they preview Election Day, the transition to a likely Janeese Lewis George administration and Robert White’s expected move to Congress — before turning to another big money question: whether D.C. should put $300 million toward expanding and roofing Audi Field.

00:00 D.C.’s Foie Gras Food Fight

08:39 Election Preview: JLG, Robert White, and the Transition

12:15 Ranked-Choice Voting Gets Confusing

14:09 What’s Next for Kenyan McDuffie?

16:13 Audi Field’s $300 Million Expansion Fight

26:20 Commanders and Nationals Sports Check

29:06 Hacks and Flacks Returns

The Dream City Podcast is supported by 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.

Music credit: Highway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions

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

The Dream City Podcast digs into a troubling sign for the local economy: D.C.’s tourism industry is struggling during a year that was supposed to bring a historic influx of visitors.

And with Election Day just weeks away, Cuneyt and Tom look for clues about how mayor-in-waiting Janeese Lewis George could govern.

00:00 Why Tourists Are Staying Away From D.C.

05:21 National Guard Troops at D.C. Ballot Drop Boxes

09:53 JLG Wins Her Campaign Finance Fight — Now What Happens to OCF?

15:10 Is Therme’s D.C. Mega-Spa Dead?

18:28 D.C.’s New Parking Enforcement Fight

The Dream City Podcast is supported by 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.

Music credit: Highway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions

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

Cuneyt and Tom dig into the fallout from Trayon White’s federal bribery trial after a hung jury resulted in a mistrial. White acknowledged taking $35,000 during the trial — raising a separate question for the D.C. Council: even without a conviction, will his colleagues censure, reprimand or even try to expel him again? Tom shares what he's hearing.

Then, they turn to RFK Stadium, where residents of nearby Kingman Park are fighting plans for an enormous eight-story, 3,600-space parking garage stretching nearly 800 feet along their neighborhood.

Plus: D.C.’s surprisingly serious plan for a roughly 500,000-square-foot waterfront spa at Poplar Point. Tom thinks it’s a terrible use of prime Anacostia River land. Cuneyt makes the case that every great civilization deserves its bathhouse.

00:00 Inside D.C.’s Political Boat Party

03:38 Will the Council Punish Trayon White?

10:00 RFK Stadium Has a Massive Parking Problem

17:03 Does D.C. Really Need a Giant Waterfront Spa?

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.

Music credit: Highway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions

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

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom preview Ward 8 Council member Trayon White’s long-awaited federal bribery trial.

They also dig into a stark warning from D.C.’s chief financial officer that the city’s economic and revenue signals are “flashing red."

It points to Janeese Lewis George's biggest task ahead: rebuilding D.C.'s economy.

00:00 We're back + Cuneyt's Travels

02:59 Tom vs. Bowser Over the IndyCar Race

04:41 Trayon White Heads to Trial on Bribery Charges

11:39 The Council Returns: Waymo, Taxes, Budgeting

14:41 D.C.’s Finances Are “Flashing Red”

22:54 Five Ways D.C. Could Start Acting Like a State

34:11 Commanders vs. Eagles + Closing Banter

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

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

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom (happy 80th!) take stock of the many ways President Trump is physically reshaping Washington.

They talk about the two-year Kennedy Center renovation, new blinged-out images of Trump’s White House ballroom, and plans to surround Lafayette Park with a new fence.

00:00 Trump’s Two-Year Kennedy Center Makeover

07:13 Gold, a Six-Story Bunker, and Trump’s New White House

11:32 The Fight Over Fencing Off Lafayette Park

15:38 National Guard Deployment Becomes a Long-Term Reality

18:52 Whatever Happened to Washington’s Quiet August?

21:01 Trump’s IndyCar Race Takes Over the National Mall

24:54 Vacation Talk + Tom Sietsema’s Bowser Dinner

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

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

Washington Post reporter Paul Schwartzman joins Cuneyt as Tom Sherwood celebrates his 80th birthday.

They talk about President Trump’s $22.5 billion plan for Dulles Airport, in the context of Trump's desire to play the part of big city mayor.

Then, they turn to why Congress’s effort to restrict D.C.’s taxation a felt like a sneak attack, the business community’s anxiety over mayor-in-waiting Janeese Lewis George, and the city's biggest question: How does Washington rebuild as the federal government shrinks?

00:00 Tom Sherwood Turns 80 + Paul Schwartzman Joins

00:55 Trump’s $22.5 Billion Dulles Airport Makeover

10:56 Trump’s Builder Mythology + Reflecting Pool Mess

14:57 Who Will Pay for the New Dulles?

17:33 Congress' Sneak Attack

23:30 Business Anxiety Over Janeese Lewis George

26:56 D.C.’s Economic Upheaval and Identity Crisis

31:37 Mendelson, Bowser, and City Hall’s New Power Structure

38:31 New York Bagels and D.C. Pizza

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

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

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Tom returns to break down why D.C. activists are calling for a DoorDash boycott after the company supported congressional legislation restricting the District’s ability to change local taxes and fees.

Cuneyt and Tom also explore the once-in-a-century opportunity to remake Southwest Washington’s sprawling federal enclave, including the possible demolition of the hulking Forrestal Building and plans for new housing, offices, schools and cultural attractions.

Plus: former DOGE staffers become government contractors, Trump addresses the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a possible revival for White’s Ferry, and a new report detailing how MPD’s crime-statistics safeguards broke down.

00:00 Tom Returns

02:14 Why D.C. Activists Are Boycotting DoorDash

09:04 Is Robert White Doing Enough With Republicans?

11:11 Southwest’s Once-in-a-Century Redevelopment Opportunity

22:42 Speed Round: Former DOGE Staffers Become Federal Contractors

25:15 Speed Round: Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

27:42 Speed Round: Could White’s Ferry Finally Reopen?

29:49 Speed Round: What Went Wrong With MPD’s Crime Stats

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

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

Waymo’s head of policy for the east, Matt Walsh, joined Dream City to make the company’s case for operating in D.C., right as council members debate one of the country’s most ambitious robotaxi bills.

Cuneyt presses Walsh on labor’s warnings about lost driving jobs, the company’s safety record, and whether a multibillion-dollar technology company is prepared to make a significant investment in D.C.

They also get into Waymo’s response to labor's accusations that it is trying to “steamroll” the city, the possibility of a deal with unions and Janeese Lewis George, and when riders might finally be able to take a driverless car to DCA or Dulles.

00:00 Introduction to the Dream City Podcast

01:14 Getting Over the Fear of a Driverless Car

05:08 Is D.C. Falling Behind Other Cities?

05:49 Charles Allen’s Robotaxi Bill, Vehicle Caps, and New Fees

09:15 Why D.C.’s Robotaxi Report Is Years Late

11:52 Waymo, Tesla, Uber, and the Robotaxi Competition

13:28 How Many Driving Jobs Could Be Lost?

16:22 Waymo Responds to Labor’s “Steamrolling” Charge

21:30 Waymo’s Investment and Job Plans for D.C.

24:26 Are Robotaxis Really Safer Than Human Drivers?

27:31 Waymo’s Collision Record in D.C.

28:12 Robotaxis, First Responders, and Motorcades

30:50 Are Waymos Learning to Drive Like New York Cabbies?

33:19 The Cameras, Lidar, and Radar Behind a Waymo

35:05 No, Waymo Cannot See Through Your Clothes

35:35 When Could Waymo Reach DCA and Dulles?

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

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

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Mark Segraves of NBC4 break down Vice President JD Vance’s plans to rent a sprawling estate in Middleburg — including questions about the property’s owner, the lease, and what the Veep's arrival could mean for the quiet Virginia town.

They then dig into the coming fight over legalizing Waymo and other robotaxis in D.C., as labor unions raise concerns about jobs and City Hall prepares for a marathon hearing.

Plus: the valuable naming rights and seat licenses included in the Commanders stadium deal, and the surprising local history behind “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as the song enjoys another World Cup-fueled revival.

00:00 Introduction + JD Vance Eyes a Middleburg Estate

10:05 Waymo and D.C.’s Coming Robotaxi Fight

17:17 Robotaxis, Union Opposition, and the Future of Driving Jobs

21:11 Commanders Stadium Naming Rights and Seat Licenses

24:08 The Local Roots Behind “Country Roads" + Its World Cup Fame

29:54 How “Country Roads” Became a Royalty Goldmine

33:50 Mark Segraves’ After Dark Fund

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

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

President Trump is calling out Janeese Lewis George — attacking her as a "communist," but says he'd meet with her. In this week's Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom break down whether D.C.’s incoming left can find any workable ground with the White House.

Plus: The next major battle at the Wilson Building will be over taxes.

They dig into the pressure to raise new revenue after the city’s budget crunch, what kinds of tax hikes progressives may pursue, and how much room they really have with Congress still looming over D.C. affairs.

00:00 Trump Calls Janeese Lewis George a “Communist”

03:24 Can JLG Actually Work With Trump?

07:31 The Next Big D.C. Fight: Taxes

13:13 Will the Left Raise Taxes on the Rich?

19:39 Fourth of July Sendoff

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

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