Latest news with #PhilMendelson
NBC Sports
5 hours ago
- Business
- NBC Sports
Adjusted D.C. stadium deal could be approved soon
The deal could soon be done. Apparently without anyone squeezing the Commanders to change their name. Via D.C. Council chairperson Phil Mendelson reached an agreement with the team to adjust the financial terms of the deal struck between the Commanders and Mayor Muriel Bowser. The revised agreement opens the door for D.C. Council to vote on the stadium proposal in 'a matter of days.' The vote is expected to happen after public hearings set for July 29 and 30. Bowser separately said she has no problem with the changes to the deal. Having a vote and having a successful vote are two different things. But implicit in the new reports is the notion that the changes to the deal are more likely to get it done. The goal is to get the stadium open by 2030. If the deal is approved by the end of the month, that timetable likely remains very realistic. Coincidentally or not, progress has been made in the aftermath of President Trump insisting that the team change its name, and then suggesting that he may refrain from helping the team get a deal done if it doesn't. Through it all, the Commanders have remained quiet. And while it appears a stadium deal may be finalized without the team being squeezed to change its name, it's safe to assume that the Commander-in-Chief will periodically rattle the R-word cage. If only to distract from the E-word.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
DC official weighs in on Trump's push to have Commanders change nickname back to Redskins
President Donald Trump threw a curveball into the NFL world over the weekend when he threatened to put the Washington Commanders' RFK Stadium site in jeopardy if they didn't change its name back to the Redskins. Phil Mendelson, the Washington, D.C., Council chairman, suggested to 106.7 The Fan in D.C. on the "Grant & Danny" show he would have "no problem" with a potential name change. "He suggested the past DC opposition of the team moving back into the city while named Redskins had more to do with Dan Snyder than the name," radio host Grant Paulsen wrote about Mendelson. "Suggested he would have no problem with DC welcoming the team back with the name Redskins now." It appeared to be the latest nod of support for the move since Trump fired off two Truth Social posts over the weekend about the nickname. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, who played for the Redskins, backed the move on Sunday. "The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this," Trump wrote first. "Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past. "Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!" Then, he threatened to put the Commanders' deal to take over the old RFK Stadium site in jeopardy if they didn't revert to the name. "My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way," Trump wrote in a second Truth Social post. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone." Daniel Snyder changed Washington's team name from the Washington Redskins to the Washington Football Team before the start of the 2020 season amid a summer of racial tensions. The team eventually became the Washington Commanders, and Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris. Harris said on Fox News Channel's "Special Report" in April that the team would not bring back the Redskins name even with plans to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C. "The Commanders' name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building," Harris responded to Bret Baier's question about the Redskins name coming back as part of this new stadium deal. "So, the people that certain types of players that are tough, that love football, are delegated Commanders and Jayden [Daniels], for example, is a Commander, and they're ranked. "And, you know, the business staff has gotten into it, and obviously, we're in a military city here. There's more military personnel than anywhere else, so we're kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back."
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Trump adds pressure on new stadium deal for NFL Commanders
The former Washington Redskins, who dropped the controversial nickname many saw as racist in 2020, adopted Washington Football Team before rebranding to the Commanders in 2022. Trump said he wants to see the team restore the old nickname and called upon Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old nickname of Indians in weekend social media posts. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington," Trump posted. Washington's City Council is studying plans before voting on final approval for a deal struck by the club and Mayor Muriel Bowser to build a new 65,000-seat domed venue on the site of RFK Stadium, the club's former home before it moved to the Maryland suburbs. Asked Monday about Trump's threat, Bowser said a name change by the club would not alter her support of the deal. Instead, she ripped the council for delays on approving the stadium deal that would rely on about $1.1 billion in taxpayer funds. "What I'm concerned about is we haven't done our part and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work so that local businesses can get hired so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders' stadium," Bowser said. Phil Mendelson, chair of the DC Council, said in a statement that Trump's threat would not push the council's timeline for considering all aspects of the deal, including at a hearing next week. "I am focused on getting the best deal for District taxpayers and getting the deal across the finish line," he said. "I have heard from no -- zero -- District residents complaining about the name change or saying this is an issue in connection with the stadium." The RFK Stadium site for the proposed new stadium is on federal land but US lawmakers gave control of the site to the city last year. Trump, who said the team would be more valuable by reverting to its prior nickname, could impact the deal through US federal committees that approve DC construction projects.
The Hill
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Oversight Chair Comer warns DC council to approve Commanders stadium before August recess
A top House Republican is urging Washington, D.C., leaders to expedite approval of redevelopment plans for the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium site before district lawmakers break for the month of August. 'The federal government transferred administrative control of this valuable property with the clear expectation that the D.C. Council would act decisively to maximize its potential,' House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) wrote in a letter to D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson on Thursday. 'The Committee understands the need for deliberation and the availability of financial analyses and expects all required votes to be completed before the Council's August recess.' Congress approved legislation last year to help facilitate the redevelopment of the area known as the RFK Stadium site and the Washington Commanders' return to D.C. after playing in Maryland for nearly three decades. The D.C. Council recently delayed finalization of its RFK Stadium deal amid public pressure over costs and housing priorities. Mendelson said in a statement to The Hill that the Council is 'moving as quickly as possible' to finalize a deal. 'I've had and am continuing to have meetings with representatives from the Commanders and those meetings have been very productive and pleasant and constructive and we're working well together,' he said. 'The Council is trying to move towards a positive vote on the stadium.' The Commanders franchise vowed a $2.7 billion private investment in exchange for the redeveloped site. In a tentative agreement, the District said it would invest $1.1 billion over eight years to build a new stadium, housing and green space on the federal owned site along the Anacostia River. Comer urged the Council to promptly act 'without unnecessary and politically motivated delays.' WTOP News reported this week that the D.C. Council missed a crucial deadline to vote on the site, possibly jeopardizing the $3.7 billion project. Legislation formalizing the deal is scheduled for public hearings later this month.
Axios
14-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
D.C. Council unveils new budget: RFK Stadium funding and I-82 repeal
The D.C. Council's latest budget would pencil in more than $1 billion for the RFK Stadium deal and replace Initiative 82 with a new minimum wage for tipped workers. Driving the news: Council Chair Phil Mendelson on Sunday unveiled changes to the fiscal year 2026 budget ahead of its first vote on Monday. The big picture: The proposal would repeal Initiative 82, which gradually increases the base minimum wage for servers, bartenders and other tipped workers to reach the citywide minimum wage (currently $17.95 per hour). It would implement a new $8-per-hour tipped base wage — down from the $10 that employers are currently required to pay under I-82. The minimum wage for tipped workers would also rise to $20 per hour — so if they don't make up the $12 difference through tips, the employer would need to pay the rest. It would also cap service fees at restaurants — which have confused diners — to 10%. Between the lines: The wage "compromise," as Mendelson called it, could face pushback from progressive council members. Advocates say I-82 has led to fairer practices, arguing that the tipping system can be discriminatory and attract bad actors who've stolen wages and tips. Meanwhile, while the budget contains funding for the Commanders stadium, it does not yet green-light the project. Mendelson said a vote on the project would happen after public hearings on July 29 and 30. And lawmakers are expected to make revisions to the deal negotiated between Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team. The timeline has upset the Commanders and Bowser, who wanted the deal approved by July 15. The intrigue: Mendelson did not rule out taking a vote during the August recess, which he previously said would be unlikely. The council can meet virtually via Zoom, amid vacation travel for lawmakers. Mendelson is proposing a new rule change that would allow council committees to hold markup meetings during the recess, which "provides flexibility" for the Commanders deal.
