Washingtonian Today: Trump to Lose Only Black Cabinet Member

Good morning, and happy Fat Tuesday!

Ben Carson told Newsmax TV yesterday that he plans to leave his post as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by the end of President Trump’s term. After Carson’s departure, Trump will have no African-American cabinet secretaries—a blow to an Administration already lacking in racial diversity. Also, I believe Carson is the only member of a presidential cabinet to have been the subject of a made-for-TV movie: You guys remember 2009 biopic Gifted Hands, right? No? Just me? Back on the 2016 campaign trail, Carson also gave us my favorite viral moment: when he walked off camera during a live CNN interview to look for his luggage. (#MyLuggage)

Pat Collins, Beatnik Star: NBC Washington’s very own Pat Collins made a cameo on John Oliver‘s Last Week Tonight. In a recurring segment called “And Now This”, Collins’ much-beloved local newscasts were played to a soundtrack of light jazz, transforming his dispatches into spoken word poetry even I’d snap for. Watch the entire video here; it’s worth it.

I’m your author, Brittany Shepherd. Email me at bshepherd@washingtonian.com and follow me on Twitter. Subscribe to the newsletter, and I promise to never demand documents from you.

What’s on my mind: Oh, joyous day. Bald eagles Liberty and Justice are back together. According to DCist, the pair—whose fraught relationship has been making headlines of late—were spotted mating Saturday afternoon. Who said Washington didn’t have tabloid culture?

What we have cooking at Washingtonian:

• Believe it or not: Michael Cohen has his own #resistance swag.
• Philadelphia will soon suffer (or be blessed by) the same fate as Washingtonians—dockless scooters. But for a city like Philly, are scooters the same sort of plague they are down here?
• Mad at Philly taking Bryce Harper? If you donate your Harper clothing to the Big Stick, they’ll comp you a drink to drown out your sorrows.
• Petworth’s Himitsu has pledged to source everything from behind the bar to women-owned and operated retailers.
• Move over Impossible Burger. New York’s wildly popular veg meat substitute Superiority Burger is coming to DC’s Elle for one night only. Walk, don’t run (and get there early).
• “We’re not the newest and youngest group in town any longer.” The owner of 14th Street mainstay Home Rule explains why he’s closing up shop for good.
• This young professional makes a Van Ness studio apartment seem larger with neutral tones and creative design.

Our pick for things to do around town:

PARTY Celebrate Mardi Gras at the Whittemore House with masks, hors d’oeuvres, dancing, and an open bar (yes, it’s Tuesday, but laissez les bons temps rouler!). Local band Perfekt Blend will play. To help justify your Wednesday morning hangover, some of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Trust for the National Mall. $65, 8 PM.

Good reads:

What’s Stacy Abrams second act? She’s not ruling out another run: “Now I’m not saying I would be the best candidate, but I’m not going to dismiss it out of hand the way others do.” (New York Times)

Big events from Washingtonian:

Do you really love the Sedgwick pizza from All Purpose? Love the colorists at Immortal Beloved? Our annual readers poll is now live–take it and let us know your favorite things in Washington. You could win two tickets to our fabulous Best of Washington party in June.

Brittany Shepherd

Staff Writer

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.