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.
Good morning and happy Monday.
Long time listener, no time apologizer: Fox News host Tucker Carlson is not backing down from comments he made during call-in segments of the radio show Bubba the Love Sponge between 2006 and 2011. In audio obtained by Media Matters, Carlson unleashes a number of misogynistic comments, such as asserting women are “extremely primitive” and advising women to “be quiet and kind of do what you’re told.” Take time to read through the transcripts, but Media Matters’ Madeline Peltz describes one of the most concerning exchanges: “After Bubba the Love Sponge described underage girls at Carlson’s daughter’s boarding school experimenting sexually with each other, Carlson said, “If it weren’t my daughter I would love that scenario.” The Fox News host refused to apologize via a message that appears to have been written on the iPhone Notes app. Instead, he challenged those who disagreed with his views to come on his show and explain why. Big name companies are still running ads on his program. The revelations come during Women’s History Month, which has not been one of Carlson’s strong points in the past.
Tomorrow evening Stormy Daniels (remember her?) will be at the Wing Georgetown for a Q&A as part of her nationwide tour. The event looks tiny—according to the booking site, there are only 22 RSVPs. (Update: Looks like this was a members-only internal event, where over 600 women sent in their RSVPs, according to organizers at The Wing.) She’ll mostly hit strip clubs but is set to perform at one comedy showcase in Dallas. Maybe she’ll give folks a taste of her stand up set tomorrow?
I’m your author, Brittany Shepherd. Email me at bshepherd@washingtonian.com and follow me on Twitter. If you subscribe to this newsletter, I can* guarantee you’ll never have a delayed Metro ride.
Cleanup crews are removing 8,000 bottles of ranch dressing from a Maryland creek after a tractor-trailer transporting the sub-par condiment crashed earlier this month. This is a kind of Boston Tea Party I can see myself getting behind.
What’s on my mind: While it may be a dead-on-arrival idea in the Republican-held Senate, Democrats are pushing to make DC the 51st state. This Osita Nwanevu piece captures how there’s once again energy in the fight for DC statehood.
(*I can’t guarantee that at all!)
What we have cooking at Washingtonian:
- Lobbying in the age of Trump means an “audience of one” strategy: reach the President and the few people he listens to. Which is why one consultant says he “geofenced” Javanka‘s Kalorama house to serve them targeted digital ads.
- One couple in Washington partnered with Lin-Manuel Miranda to help inject serious cash into Puerto Rico.
- Ann Limpert‘s review of El Sapo Cuban Social Club has convinced me to travel to Silver Spring.
- Melania Trump weed grinders. That’s all. That’s the post.
- Guarantee no drama will happen at your wedding by getting hitched at the Institute of Peace.
Our pick for things to do around town:
DISCUSSION Musician and 19-time Grammy award-winner Emilio Estefan will speak on Monday at the Library of Congress Coolidge Auditorium, discussing his experiences and success as a musician and producer. He will be in conversation with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden; on Wednesday, Estefan and his wife, Gloria Estefan, will receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first time this award has been given to a married couple or to musicians of Hispanic descent. Free, 7:30 PM.
Good reads:
• José Andrés‘s apparently boundless energy is practically its own character in this awesome GrubStreet profile of the DC chef who’s pursuing not one but 15 new projects in New York. (GrubStreet)
• Your houseplants may be Instagram-friendly, but they don’t do much for your air quality, sorry. (The Atlantic)
Big events from Washingtonian:
Do you really love the slow drip coffee from Swings? Adore the sweets at District Doughnut? 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 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.
