About Washingtonian Today
Washingtonian Today is not just another political news roundup. Instead, this daily morning brief provides local context on national news, catches you up on what’s happening at Washingtonian, points you toward super duper awesome things to do around town, and lets you in on some special events going on in-house. Sign up here to receive Washingtonian Today in your inbox every morning.
Guten morgen everyone! It’s time to rise and grind! Chase that bread! Make that paper! Read that newsletter! I need about ten cups of coffee this morning. Who else is with me?
Yesterday marked the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon, and DC’s own Jeffrey Stein snagged first place for men, running a brisk (unofficial) marathon time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, 49 seconds. That’s less than five minutes, 30 seconds a mile, on a course that finishes on an uphill because, y’know, IT’S THE MARINES. At the awards ceremony, health editor Kim Olsen asked Stein about his running history, and turns out, the 32-year-old was actually a swimmer in college and just started running competitively around four years ago. Last year he took a wrong turn on the course, so this year he “had a little bit of a chip on his shoulder.”
The White House also had its Halloween celebration last night, and according to the pool report President Trump and Melania Trump walked out costumeless to a military band rendition of “Thriller” and then stood among pumpkins. Surely the trick-or-treating at Trump Tower was more lively than that! (A few years ago, one Trump-branded property in Chicago did an entire spooky blitz, with offerings like “A Room With a Boo” and “Spooky Spirits.”)
What we have cooking at Washingtonian:
- Ben Wofford attended a vigil outside the White House honoring those killed in Pittsburgh, where mourners gathered to express anger and despair—but prayed for hope.
- A juror on the “mansion murders” trial explains how unsettling it was to hear the case’s grisly facts.
- Inside the ceremony where Matthew Shephard‘s remains were finally laid to rest.
- This new athleisure store in Georgetown wants you to roller-skate down M Street—like those scooters weren’t enough of a headache for me.
- NoMa’s got a brand new art installation, and this time there’s glittery iceberg lights.
Our pick for things to do around the District:
FILM AFI Silver’s “Films Across Borders: Stories of Women” festival showcases films by and about women. The festival kicks off on Monday with the 1970 drama Wanda, a film written, directed, and starring Barbara Loden about a woman struggling to make a better life after her divorce; the rest of the festival features films such as such as the 1966 Soviet movie Wings and the 2017 film Mademoiselle Paradis about an Austrian pianist whose prowess is oddly linked to her lack of sight. Through November 21. Individual screenings $13.
Good reads:
- Alison Green recounts some of the scariest stories in our day: office Halloween party faux pas. (Slate)
- Jewel Stroman used to be homeless—now, Morgan Baskin reports, she’s running an aggressive campaign for a Ward 7 ANC seat. (Washington City Paper)
Big events from Washingtonian
We’re bringing back our infamous—and totally anonymous—Food Money Sex column: a diary about the things locals eat, the ways they spend and save, and, ahem, the ways they go to pound town (or, conversely, call it a night firmly at 7 pm)! Email ideas@washingtonian.com or reach out to me directly if you’re interested in learning more and submitting. (And check out some of my fav past submissions.)
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Brittany Shepherd covers the societal and cultural scene in political Washington. Before joining Washingtonian as a staff writer in 2018, Brittany was a White House Correspondent for Independent Journal Review. While she has lived in DC for a number of years now, she still yearns for the fresh Long Island bagels of home. Find her on Twitter, often prattling on about Frasier.
