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.
Day 17 of the shutdown. So much human waste has built up at Point Reyes National Seashore that parts of the national park are now closed. Nice work, humans. Here in town, young Muslim men cleaned up the Mall Monday: “This is our country, and we have to take care of it, even if politicians are unwilling to,” VCU student Faizan Tariq told the Post‘s Rachel Chason. On Instagram, Snoop Dogg, wearing a “Make America Snow Again” toque, warned furloughed feds from voting for President Trump: “This punk motherfucker don’t care.” A nickname—here’s a fun piece on its history in Detroit, from the MC5 to Rashida Tlaib—seems to be sticking.
Wayne Rooney was arrested for public intoxication and swearing at Dulles in December, but the news didn’t break till yesterday. As Wayne Rooney scandals go, this one is pretty low-bore, but kudos to him for testing my theory that Washington’s allergy to actual celebrity would be a welcome change for him. Also: You can get arrested for swearing in Loudoun County?
Happy Monday. Brittany’s out sick (though still tweeting, so we know she’s alive). I’m your Fiji Water woman, Andrew Beaujon. Email me for or follow me on Twitter. Sign up for this newsletter here.
Tiffany Trump, Brittany’s personal Wayne Rooney, posted a photo of her new boyfriend, Michael Boulos, on Instagram Friday. Here’s a helpful explainer about who Boulos is. It’s mostly facts about Tiffany, but that seems about right. ALSO: Do you have thoughts about the Golden Globes? I don’t! Here are the winners.
What we have cooking at Washingtonian:
• Reservations will be back. You won’t be able to avoid a food hall. And get ready to see lots and lots of vegetables. Jessica Sidman shares her predictions for this year’s food trends.
• Rohini Rao and Anuraag Parikh‘s wedding looks like it was a lot of fun.
• Ann Limpert‘s advice for finding great Chinese food in Chinatown? “[J]ump on the red line at Gallery Place and get yourself to Rockville.”
Our picks for things to do around town:
BOOKS Two writers from the Sentencing Project–Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis–have written a book examining the need and morality of doling out life sentences. In The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences, Mauer and Nellis argue that prisoners pose less of a threat later in life and that their geriatric care increases the cost of imprisonment. Using examples of six people affected by life sentences, they argue that prison terms should be capped at 20 years. Hear Mauer and Nellis speak about their research and theories at Politics and Prose. Free, 7 PM.
MUSIC Mardi Gras is still two months away, but John “Papa” Gros will help you get in the mood early. While he has previously accompanied several NoLA bands such as Better Than Ezra and Anders Osborne, Gros is equally accomplished in his own solo career. The New Orleans keyboardist/songwriter will perform his funk/R&B songs at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Free, 6 PM.
Good reads:
Slate editorial director Josh Levin announced yesterday that his book The Queen will arrive in May. Levin wrote about Linda Taylor in 2013, and it’s a story worth rereading.
Big events from Washingtonian
You’re engaged?! Celebrate with us at Love Unveiled, the ultimate wedding showcase for all couples on January 27 at Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC. Visit washingtonian.com/unveiled for tickets before it sells out!
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
