News & Politics

Washingtonian Today: All’s Well That Ends ████

Photograph by Evy Mages

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.

Finally, ████ can  ████ the unedited ████ report, right? Think again. Yes, the entire(ish) report of Robert Mueller‘s investigation is now public, but it is, as expected, heavily redacted. Our staff combed through the entire report and pulled all the references to Washington bars, restaurants, and the city itself. The Westin in Alexandria was mentioned once and the Mayflower Hotel was mentioned 11 times! (Protect the Edgar bar at all costs!) There were, somehow, no mentions of Cafe Milano. Here’s a handy dandy searchable version of the PDF, where you can check if your local bar was ever a no-collusion hotspot. The Washington Post’s book version (along with an audiobook) is set to be released on April 30. An audio CD of the report, appropriate since the report was initially delivered to Congress via CD-ROM, is nearly $40! The price to pay for democracy, I suppose. Yesterday, we put together a list of folks who might narrate the audiobook. My vote always was and forever will be Cher.

Hello again, it’s your ████████ [HARM TO ONGOING MATTER] Brittany Shepherd. Happy Passover and Easter. Email me at bshepherd@washingtonian.com and follow me on Twitter, where you can share thoughts on today’s dispatch. Kaila Philo (kphilo@washingtonian.com) contributed reporting today. If you haven’t already, subscribe to this newsletter.

Finally, some progress in the US Capitol. Two Confederate statues on Capitol Hill are being replaced with statues of civil rights activist Daisy Bates, who was fought for integration in Little Rock, and musical legend Johnny Cash, who spent much of his career advocating for prison reform. The icons will replace Civil War political figures Uriah Morton and James Paul Clarke in the National Statuary Hall collection, thanks to a measure signed last week by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. Still, other Confederate figures remain under the dome, including a statue of Robert E. Lee.

Dating in Washington is already bad, so let’s make it even more uncomfortable! There’s a new dating app made by DC-area residents that forces you to video-chat with your matches. Spottle is essentially a virtual game of spin-the-bottle: You sign up on Thursday or Saturday nights at 9 PM to play, and after each spin, you’re set up for a 30-second video chat. Much, DCist notes, like a mobile Chatroulette. It’s sure to be fun, and not at all awkward, right? 

Do you have questions about our list of best bars for a first date? Wondering where to start cracking now that it’s crab season? Or maybe you just need a dinner recommendation. Join Ann Limpert at 11 AM for her weekly chat with readers.

Now for something completely different: If you haven’t already, meet Mr. Butts, the pug skateboarding around DC.

What we have cooking at Washingtonian:

  • The culture of the new may be killing restaurants in Washington.
  • Here are the 100 Washington Zip codes where houses sell for the most, and a dozen of our favorite neighborhoods within them.
  • A local artist does the impossible task: transforming Metro stations into gorgeous landscapes.
  • Surprise: the Mueller Report indicated how often Trump insiders—you may know them as the people now demanding apologies from journalists—lied to the press.
  • Centrolina’s Amy Brandwein explains the struggles of being a woman chef and owner.

Our pick for things to do around town:

FESTIVAL The National Cannabis Festival is this weekend (of course, because Saturday is 4/20). The festivities kick off Friday with a Policy Summit at the Newseum: Learn what’s going on with weed advocacy during this discussion with representatives from business, healthcare, and civil rights organizations about policy challenges and opportunities. On Saturday, the festival moves to the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds, with educational pavilions (learn about state and federal law—plus, get growing tips), a wellness pavilion (join in a yoga session or learn about cannabis’s effects on oral health), and a concert featuring headliners Ludacris and Action Bronson. Policy Summit: 4/19, free, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Festival (21+): 4/20, $49.50, 12 PM – 8 PM.

Good reads: 

Our friends at 730DC ranked several logos of government agencies. It’s a delightful and educational read! (730DC)

Big events from Washingtonian:

Sip sip rosé! Join us as we toast to spring at our Rosé Soirée on Thursday, May 16, at Long View Gallery! It will be an evening full of wine from local and national vendors, light bites, and music. Use code brittany for 15 percent off your ticket at washingtonian.com/rose.

An evening under the sea: We’re celebrating the best restaurants in the Washington area at Best of Washington, presented by Lexus, on Thursday, June 6, at the National Building Museum. Tickets are selling fast to the kick-off party of the summer, so get yours today at washingtonian.com/bestof. Want 20 percent off your tickets? Use code bestofbrittany.

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.