👋🏼 It's Cuneyt, back with Town Talker — my column on money and power.

D.C. United wants to expand Audi Field with up to 10,000 more seats and add a new roof, two sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: Everyone in D.C. wants a new — or better — stadium.

• The Commanders are talking about the RFK Stadium site, after Ted Leonsis scored $515 million last year for Capital One Arena. The Nationals have ideas, too.

🥅 D.C. United regularly sells out games — and expects to at its season opener this Saturday versus Toronto FC.

• Women's soccer teams Spirit and DC Power and the city's other (American) football team, DC Defenders, also use Audi Field.
• The stadium opened in 2018, and last year averaged 18,137 soccer fans. That's 90.7% of capacity at 20,000 seats.
• But newer MLS stadiums trend bigger, and Jason Levien, the CEO and co-chairman of D.C. United, has said they need to "catch up."

✍️ What I'm hearing: A roof could enable about 100 more events a year at Audi Field — which is mostly empty for the winter — creating a climate-controlled venue for concerts and preventing rainouts, said one source who asked for anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak about the talks.

• The concept involves a partially retractable roof, sources say.
• For soccer diehards, putting a roof on a stadium amps up the atmosphere. Imagine every chant and song reverberating off the dome. Audi Field is already an intimate stadium. Fans sit (or stand, in a beer-soaked supporters section) close to the pitch with uniquely steep stands.
• The team has been talking with the District for a year about the expansion idea, two sources said. What remains unknown is the potential price tag or whether the team will ask the city for subsidies.

💰 Follow the money: To build Audi Field, the District government agreed in 2014 to spend $150 million to get the once-industrial zone construction ready. The club kicked in more to build the stadium.

• Levien, a lawyer and sports executive, was savvy when negotiating with the city for a public investment. But it was also a time when D.C. had a rosier economic outlook — and fewer sports teams actively vying for taxpayer dollars.

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President Trump says he wants the federal government to run D.C., telling reporters late last night that Mayor Muriel Bowser is "not doing the job."

The big picture: Trump savaged the city on the campaign trail — making exaggerated claims of graffitied streets, rampant crime and urban mismanagement. Now, he's revived that rhetoric, after months of detente with Bowser.

Driving the news: "I think that we should run it strong, run it with law and order, make it absolutely flawless," Trump said, per a White House pool report. He said the city has a "great police department," but it's "not utilized properly."

• Trump claimed D.C. has "too much crime" and "too many tents on the lawns," a swipe at homeless encampments, some of which are already under federal control on National Park Service land.
• "I like the mayor, I get along great with the mayor. They're not doing the job," he said. "We should govern D.C."

Zoom in: Even with stepped up Republican intervention in D.C., worries of a takeover were dialed down after Trump and Bowser met at Mar-A-Lago in late December. The mayor called that a "great meeting."

What they're saying: After news broke, Bowser said on X, "Washington, DC is a world-class city."

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More home listings in the DMV have HOA fees than the nation at large, according to a recent report.

Why it matters: For many homebuyers, HOA fees are another financial hurdle in an already tough market.

The big picture: HOA dues typically cover maintenance and amenities like pools and gyms, plus other costs that keep a community running.

• Friction point: HOAs often enforce strict rules on everything from holiday decor to lawn care, with fines for residents who fail to comply.

By the numbers: 61% of Washington homes listed for sale on Realtor.com in 2024 had HOA dues, with the median monthly fee being $167.

• Nationwide, only 40.5% had HOA fees, up from 39.2% in 2023.
• Meanwhile, the national median monthly fee climbed to $125 from $110.

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📁 D.C. unemployment claims increased: The week ending on Feb. 8 had 1,780 claims filed, up 36% from the week before and 322% year-over-year, according to U.S. Labor Department data. Experts say it's hard to say it's a coincidence with the Trump administration's cutting of federal jobs. (WTOP)

🗓️ The Kennedy Center, now chaired by President Trump, canceled a concert in May that would have featured the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C. ahead of World Pride 2025. (Washingtonian)

📉 D.C. reported under 200 new cases of HIV in 2023 for the first time since the 1990s, but the success also means the city will be eligible for fewer CDC funds. (Washington Post)

🏛️ See who's hiring around D.C.

1. Director, Legislative Affairs at NACWA.
2. Retail Customer Service Associate at FedEx Office.
3. Director of Health Care at Arnold Ventures.
4. Senior Officer (Protocol, Events and Advocacy) at the Embassy of Canada in the United States.
5. Vice President, Federal Government Affairs at Tremont Strategies Group.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a Job.

Cana in Adams Morgan doesn't feel like a bar — even at 6pm on a weekday, the warmly lit Brazilian boteco hums like a good house party.

Why it matters: If you want to escape the city, this transportive hotspot is a quick fix.

Dig in: The owners, bar vets who launched Dupont Circle's Residents — another vibey spot — channel Rio de Janeiro in the sultry green-and-gold bar fueled by strong caipirinhas and a retro vinyl player spinning Brazilian funk.

• Since opening last fall, it's hardly flown under the radar. Cue a recent James Beard semi-finalist nomination for Best New Bar, a first-time category with 20 national contenders.

Best sips: Anything with cachaça, Brazil's signature spirit distilled from sugar cane juice. Caipirinhas (classically cachaça, sugar, lime) are poured over perfect pebble ice, including a tasty tangerine version.

Best bites