President Trump is expected to issue an executive order focused on crime and homeless encampments in the District. Some fear this could be a first step toward the White House stripping away the District’s ability to govern itself. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson joined the show to weigh in.

Plus, we asked Mendelson’s thoughts on the long-term future of the RFK Stadium site. The question of using taxpayer dollars to subsidize the construction of a multi-billion dollar stadium is expected to be a major sticking point in the conversation. At Thursday’s community meeting in Ward seven, D-C Mayor Muriel Bowser alluded to the possibility of the city spending money to sweeten the deal for the team.

Mendelson disagrees with using public money andited his long standing view on the issue. “I think there are a lot of advantages to a stadium. But we also know from research in city after city after city… public dollars don’t have that return,” he said. The stadium would likely anchor a larger development including a sports and entertainment complex, retail, and housing.

A Virginia House subcommittee this week tabled the much-discussed Fairfax County casino bill. Does this mean the effort to bring a casino and entertainment complex to Tysons has gone bust? We asked WAMU’s Northern Virginia reporter Margaret Barthel. And what’s the future of the Virginia Democratic Party now that Susan Swecker is stepping down after a decade at the helm?

Maryland is one of the states suing the Trump administration over recent executive actions, from ending birthright citizenship to granting Elon Musk access to sensitive Treasury Department data. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined Kojo and Tom to break down the legal strategy and why it is necessary.

“Elon Musk is in the central payment system. Maryland gets eleven billion dollars through that system and Marylanders get fifty-one billion,” Brown said. “So, the 1.5 million to protect Marylanders and defend the interest of the state are well worth it.”

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A federal judge paused the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" offer hours before the Thursday deadline. Many of the particulars of the offer remain unclear, including if it is even lawful. U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D) joined the show to weigh in on what it means for the region and what lawmakers are doing to help local federal workers.

Plus, the Congressman explained why the White House's recent immigration enforcement actions could be illegal and his thoughts on legislation that would repeal D.C.'s self-governance.

Debate is raging over a proposal in the Virginia General Assembly to bring a casino to Fairfax County. Supporters believe it will bring economic development and jobs to the county, while detractors argue it does not have the public's backing. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay got behind the mic to weigh in on the debate.

He said he does not favor the legislation that passed the Virginia Senate earlier this week, noting it turns a potential casino into a “ATM” for Richmond with little economic benefit to the county.

"The way the bill is currently written right now, what passed the Senate, is absolutely not a good deal for Fairfax County," McKay said. "It’s a great deal for the Commonwealth of Virginia."

Plus, how the Trump administration's push to shrink the federal workforce could affect the county's economy.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore delivered his "State of the State" address this week where he focused on the growing financial challenges facing his state. He called on bipartisan compromise and the need to make "tough choices" to address the state's $3 billion budget gap. We asked Maryland Matters' founding editor and reporter Josh Kurtz to break down Governor Moore's remarks and explain Maryland lawmakers' agendas. And we said goodbye to the long-time Maryland politico, who announced this week he's moving on.

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On Wednesday night, a Blackhawk helicopter collided with a regional passenger jet over the Potomac River landing at National Airport in Arlington. There are no survivors, and 67 people are believed to be dead. U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) discussed the latest on the deadly plane crash.

He said the crash has further heightened his concerns over air traffic control staffing. A preliminary F-A-A report confirmed staffing levels at National Airport’s air control tower were below what they should have been on Wednesday night. It’s been the case for years, with a workforce nearly a third below-targeted staffing levels per a 2023 workforce plan.

Warner is also warning that President Trump’s push to shrink the federal workforce could further deplete staffing levels. He worried about workers taking the White House’s delayed resignation offer.

“If a few thousand aircraft controllers say ‘we’re done with this, too much stress, too much hassle'... I don’t know how we operate airspace in America," Warner said.

Plus, we asked his warnings against adding flights at DCA.

Prince George's County is also helping with recovery and is closing sections of National Harbor as officials continue to recover debris. We asked Prince George's County Councilmember Wala Blegay about her county's role. And what does the White House's push to shrink the federal workforce mean for Prince George's County?

The District continues to offer support in the plane crash recovery operations. But it's doing so without an ice-breaking fire boat that's been out of service since 2022. We asked D.C. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen his thoughts. Plus, how does the confusion over the White House's federal funding freeze impact D.C?

And Allen talked about D.C. Council's vote next week on whether to expel Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White. He was arrested in August on federal bribery charges and the Council is expected to vote in favor of dismissing him from the legislative body. While Allen is saddened to have to make this choice, he said the penalty is needed.

"All of the rules of our code of conduct was violated. And I think it is clear as day and, obviously, on video," Allen said.

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