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.
Welcome to one of my favorite days of the year—Opening Day at Nationals Park. Here’s our ultimate guide to eats and drinks near the park, all the nearby Opening Day food and drink specials, the new food and drink options inside, and our Navy Yard guide. Will my new neighbor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attend the game? Anyway, Let’s go Mets! (And Nats, too, I guess.)
Shelf love: Another Beltway journalist is writing a Trump book. Axios reported this morning that ABC White House correspondent Jonathan Karl is working on Front Row at the Trump Show, about his 24 years covering DJT. At least a dozen other reporters are writing Trump books.
GW grad has busy day ahead of him: Senators will consider Trump’s nomination of Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to permanently head the department in a hearing today. Bernhardt, an Arlington resident, avid hunter, and graduate of George Washington University Law Center, previously held several positions at the Department of the Interior under President George W. Bush. He’s also a former lobbyist, who, according to the New York Times, blocked the release of a report on the effect of pesticides on endangered species. The hearing is scheduled for 10 AM.
Mind the gap: According to one professor, we’ve been doing Metro escalators wrong? Mississippi State University professor Lesley Strawderman argued earlier this month that getting on and off an escalator goes faster when people stand on both sides. (The London Underground found much the same thing.) The Washington Post’s Fredrick Kunkle, who first covered Strawderman’s article, hashed out the merits (and, in my opinion, the significant flaws!) of asking everyone to stand on escalators. Sorry, professor, but until the end of time itself, true Washingtonians will demand people stand on the right so they can dash down to the platform. Move, tourists!
Happy Thursday. I’m your author, Brittany Shepherd. Email me at bshepherd@washingtonian.com and follow me on Twitter. Adia Robinson (arobinson@washingtonian.com) contributed reporting today. Please subscribe to this newsletter: After all, you were at my wedding, Denise.
Green new spiel: After losing a procedural vote on a version of AOC’s Green New Deal, Senate Democrats announced they’d create a “Special Committee on the Climate Crisis,” which will investigate, hold hearings, and issue findings on a variety of issues related to climate change. While the committee’s membership includes Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Ed Markey of Massachusetts, none of Senate’s 2020 presidential hopefuls are members. Ocasio-Cortez is scheduled to speak about the Green New Deal resolution during an MSNBC town hall with Chris Hayes on Friday.
What’s on my mind: This painfully awkward (or is it charming?) video of a local Toledo news station playing millennial lingo mad libs to calm nerves during finals season. Okur?
What we have cooking at Washingtonian:
- Trump’s DC hotel has quietly yanked merchandise displaying images of the White House.
- Chef Dominique Crenn, the first American woman to earn three Michelin stars, is coming to Washington to cook!!!!!!
- Thinking of moving to National Landing? Consider this $2 million condo.
- “Mueller Mania” is now “Mueller Malaise.”
- More bougie open houses for you to explore this weekend.
Our pick for things to do around town:
BASEBALL The Washington Nationals’ season kicks off on Thursday at Nats Park, when the Nats will take on the New York Mets with starting pitcher Max Scherzer on the mound. The regular season schedule stretches on until late September, so you’ve got plenty of time to catch a game, whether you want to expand your bobblehead collection (this year’s tchotchkes include Juan Soto on 4/12, Anthony Rendon on 9/13, and Trea Turner on 5/15), check out a theme night (Marvel Super Hero Day on 5/25, Star Wars Day on 6/15, and Oktoberfest on 9/14), or just root against Bryce Harper (the first home games against the Phillies are 4/2and 4/3). There are a few changes at Nats Park this season: all disposable foodservice ware are now certified compostable, so look for special bins throughout the park to dispose of your plates and cutlery. There’s also an expanded Red Carpet Rewards loyalty program, where fans can earn points by attending games, guessing the winner of the Presidents Race, or entering a code displayed on the scoreboard at the end of every game– and then redeem points for tickets to future games. And remember that the Nats have updated their bag policy for 2019, so leave your backpacks at home and make sure that any bag you bring is smaller than 16”x16”x8”. Be sure to check out our guides to the new food and drink options at the park and Opening Day food and drink specials nearby. $41-280, 1:05 PM.
Good reads:
Anna Nemtsova explores the options if the Russian government tries to blackmail you. Might come handy. (The Atlantic)
Andy Newman and Ana Fota visited several underground restrooms to see how the perception that New York’s subway bathrooms are rancid reflected their reality . Talk about a dirty job. (The New York Times)
Big events from Washingtonian:
Our food critic Ann Limpert chats with readers every Friday at 11 AM. It’s such a fun chat (read some highlights in this thread), and you can leave her questions in advance. Why don’t you do that right now?
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.
