Long-time Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly passed away unexpectedly this week. He was a fierce advocate for federal workers, a former chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and a frequent guest on The Politics Hour. Former U.S. Representative Tom Davis - and the man who held the 11th congressional district seat before Connolly was elected - shared his memories of the congressman.

Connolly had an outsized impact on Fairfax County, from his work on the Board of Supervisors to representing Virginia's largest county in Congress. Virginia State Sen. Dave Marsden, representing parts of Fairfax County, joined the show to discuss Connolly's legacy. Plus, he talked about the commonwealth's financial future amid massive federal cuts and after the U.S. House passed a huge tax and spending bill. He'll also discussed what might be on the docket for next year's legislative session.

A shooting on Wednesday night in front of the Capital Jewish Museum has many community members concerned. Ward 5 D.C. Councilmember Zachary Parker discussed how the District is keeping the public safe. Plus, we asked him to weigh in on the RFK stadium deal, the mayor's budget proposal, how the city will prepare for President Trump's massive military parade, and World Pride, which starts this week.

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Virginia's primary races are heating up, most notably the lieutenant governor's race. While the Republicans have a presumptive nominee, six Democratic candidates are vying for the post. WAMU's Northern Virginia Reporter Margaret Barthel broke down the lieutenant governor's race, as well as the Democratic candidates for attorney general. She also shared why the governor's race is also being closely watched.

Loudoun County has more data centers than anywhere else in the world, earning the county the nickname "Data Center Alley." Residents and elected officials have recently looked to limit data center construction. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted in March to eliminate by-right data center development. Vice Chair Michael Turner got behind the mic to explain what this means, how it impacts future development, and why the board felt it was necessary.

Plus, he weighed in on recent investigations into Loudoun County schools and the financial burden of the President visiting his Loudoun County golf club.

Montgomery County appears to be moving forward with a plan to nearly fully fund schools without raising taxes. Council President Kate Stewart explained how it will work and why it's a better solution than hiking the county's income or property tax. Plus, she weighed in on the recent Supreme Court case that looks likely to change school policy around allowing students to opt-out of lessons for religious reasons, as well as how the county is managing increased federal immigration enforcement efforts.

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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed repealing Initiative 82 earlier this week, reigniting the fight over D.C.'s tipped minimum wage law. But given that voters passed the measure twice, the mayor could have trouble getting support from the D.C. Council. Chairman Phil Mendelson got behind the mic to give his thoughts.

He said overturning Initiative 82 again is politically difficult for the council. 

"I have to see where the members are going to be," Mendelson said. "And at the moment, I don't think the members are supporting repeal." 

He said he still opposes I-82, but he is going to leave it to Mayor Bowser to take the lead in lobbying his council colleagues.

We also asked about the mayor's proposed deal with the Washington Commanders. The nearly $4 billion deal to build a new football complex as well a large area of development at the RFK stadium, with the city contributing just over a billion dollars. Mendelson has opposed taxpayer funding for such projects in the past. We asked what would sweeten the deal for him and skeptical council colleagues, who ultimately need to approve the deal.  

If the agreement gets the green light, the Washington Commanders would depart their Prince George's County home. County leaders have long prepared for the possibility. Prince George's County Council President Edward Burroughs weighed in and tells us what options could be on the table for the site. Developers are already pitching county leaders on what's next. 

"I have seen some of the proposals, some of their renderings, and they honestly look a lot better than the stadium, to be quite honest with you," Burroughs said. "And so it's, still in the early stages, but we look forward to working with them." 

The Commanders have entered an agreement with Prince George's County to demolish the old stadium within 90 days of the team's first home game at the new site.

In addition, the county also looks likely to lose the new FBI headquarters. Also, we asked him why the closing of Six Flags in Bowie is a big deal, and how the county is planning to make up a $170 million budget shortfall.

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On Monday, the District announced the city had struck a nearly $4 billion deal with the Washington Commanders to build a new football stadium and a massive mixed-use development at the old RFK site. The city is chipping in about $1 billion in infrastructure improvements to the site, including two parking facilities. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined the show to share how the agreement came together and why she thinks it's a good deal for the District. The deal still needs approval from the D.C. Council; we asked how she plans to sell the idea to skeptical lawmakers.

Mayor Bowser said this would be the largest private investment in the city's history. “The square footage there is equivalent to four Wharfs," the Mayor said. "So, imagine making that area vibrant with activity for a sports district, an entertainment district, housing, hotels, and jobs for D.C. residents.”

Mayor Bowser said she’s been briefing the Council and has asked them to approve the deal by July 15th.

It's becoming increasingly unlikely the U.S. House will vote to fix their own error --one which prevents the District from using its own revenue to finish out the 2025 budget year. The lack of action will force the city to cut hundreds of millions of dollars over the next several months. We asked the mayor how she's grappling with this needless crisis . Plus, we asked about her 2026 budget.

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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Washington Commanders are reportedly close to striking a $3 billion deal to build a new football stadium anchoring a massive mixed-use development at the old RFK site. It's believed to include at least $850 million from the District for parking and preparing the site, with the team paying to build the stadium itself. And the price tag could raise with an addition of a Metro station. However, not all city officials support using taxpayers' dollars to help finance a home for the Commanders. Ward 6 D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen joined the show to explain his long-time opposition to building a new sports venue at the RFK site. 

He said the city doesn’t need to subsidize a stadium to attract development. "The public investment on this is going to be more than a billion dollars already and I don't think that's a good deal for DC," he said.

Allen also said the deal should include moving its headquarters from Virginia to the District.

Plus, what could be on the chopping block as D.C. grapples with Congressionally-mandated budget cuts?

The U.S. Supreme Court considered a Montgomery County case this week that would allow religious families to opt their kids out of public school lessons with LGBTQ-themed books. It's a case with national implications. Montgomery County Council Vice President and chair of the county's education committee, Will Jawando, got behind the mic to weigh in. He also weighed in on County Executive Marc Elrich's proposal raise income taxes rather than property tax rates. The county-level income tax increase was made possible by a change in the tax structure by the Maryland General Assembly earlier this month. 

Jawando said he supports the income tax bump.

"I make $150,000 a year. I'll pay $150 more in income tax next year if this passes. It's $100 per $100,000 in taxable income is the increase. It's a very small amount, but it'll allow us to fully fund our schools and our teachers," he said.

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D.C. and the Washington Commanders are reportedly closing in on a $3 billion deal to build a new stadium on the old RFK stadium site, which would bring the NFL franchise back to the District. While numbers reportedly are not finalized yet, the framework has the team paying a majority of the costs associated with building the new stadium. NBC 4's Mark Segraves first broke the story and he joined the show to break down what's in the deal and what may happen next.

Metro has recently experienced some of its highest ridership in years, spurred by return-to-office mandates and the spring tourist season. Plus, last week, the local public transportation system announced it was again increasing service, including expanding weekend hours.

Despite all the good news, Metro's future is uncertain. A shrinking federal workforce, worrisome budget challenges for localities across the region, and increasing federal oversight are threatening to knock Metro off the rails of its much-publicized comeback. General Manager Randy Clarke got behind the mic with Kojo and Tom to weigh in on the future of the Metro. Plus, we asked about the upcoming overhaul of Metro's bus system.

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Alexandria is dealing with the impacts of a shrinking federal workforce on its economy, tax base, and ability to fund even some basic services. Mayor Alyia Gaskins sat down with Kojo and Tom to discuss the local challenges that come with cutting thousands of federal positions. Plus, Mayor Gaskins explained why Alexandria is not a sanctuary city.

Washington Capitals legend Alexander Ovechkin broke the long-held NHL scoring record this past weekend. The hockey superstar has played his entire 20-year career in the District, and local fans have bonded with the Russian-born athlete. Washington Post columnist Marc Fisher got behind the mic to talk about the city's special relationship with "Ovi," despite the superstar's uncomfortable relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And the Maryland General Assembly wrapped its 90-day session earlier this week with compromises on the budget, immigrant protections, and cuts to the state's massive education reform plan.  Maryland Matters' reporter Will Ford broke down what passed - and what didn't - during the General Assembly's final chaotic days of its 2025 session.

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The Trump administration laid off thousands of employees working at federal health agencies this week, including many at the National Institutes of Health in Montgomery County. The firings are expected to have far-ranging effects on the local workforce, county revenue, and public health. County Executive Marc Elrich joined Kojo and Tom to discuss what the continued shrinking of the federal workforce means for Montgomery County. Plus, he explained why he is proposing an increase in property taxes in this year's budget.

Late last week, President Trump issued an executive order creating a task force aimed at crime and immigrants in the District. While many details remain vague, D.C. officials are on high alert awaiting a House vote on a bill preventing a billion-dollar cut in the city's spending. Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto weighed in on Republican attempts to exert more control over the District. Councilmember Pinto also broke down why she supports legislation allowing the Council to hold more meetings in private and her new plan to reduce crime.

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President Trump signed an executive order Thursday night aimed at reducing crime and increasing immigration enforcement in the District.  Kojo and Tom talked about what it means for D.C. and what might happen next.

Maryland is on the verge of approving its state budget, but it came with contentious debate over tax increases, cuts, and changes to its ambitious education plan, Blueprint for Maryland's Future. Governor Wes Moore joined Kojo and Tom to explain what is - and isn't - in the state budget this year. 

And it's been a year since the Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed. We asked Governor Moore what is being done to prevent a tragic accident of this nature from happening again.

There was a sudden shake-up in Prince George's County Council leadership this week, elevating Edward Burroughs to Council Chair and Krystal Oriadha to Council Vice Chair. It's a move expected to have significant political ramifications on the county as it grapples with "difficult" budget debates, a county executive election, and the likely loss of a new FBI headquarters. Council Vice Chair Krystal Oriadha got behind the mic to talk about her priorities and what the future holds for Prince George's County.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed a raft of Democratic-supported legislation this week, including a proposal to increase the minimum wage and one creating a retail cannabis market. Virginia State Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell weighed in. Plus, what to expect next week when the General Assembly heads back into session to hammer out a budget.

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Maryland state Sen. Will Smith joined the show to discuss the plan to bring in $1billion in new revenue,  and what lawmakers are doing at the state level on immigration, including two bills that made it through "Crossover Day." 

And D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson appeared on the show to talk about the District's budget limbo, as the city awaits a fix the House of Representatives is expected to take up when they return from recess Monday. 

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