Good morning. A high of 50 today with sun in the morning and breezy this afternoon. A low of 34 tonight. The Capitals are at Calgary at 9 PM. I am a collection of paper cuts held together by Curad products, you can find me on Bluesky, and there’s a link to my email address at the bottom of this post.
I can’t stop listening to:
Björn J:son Lindh, “Billathi Askara.” Despite finding this in possibly the least admirable way to discover music (Shazaming a song I heard in an Apple commercial during a football game), I am very much digging the mystical, futuristic flute vibes from this late Swedish artist’s 1978 LP “Bike Voyage II.” Intriguing: There doesn’t seem to have been an album named “Bike Voyage.” Facts like that cement this tune as My Kind of Thing.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
• The White House paused all federal grant and loan payments, though not “assistance provided directly to individuals” like Social Security and Medicare. The move appears to be a significant power grab from Congress, and it’s unclear how yanking trillions of dollars, intended to curb spending on “financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal” will land on Americans. (Washington Post)
• The administration purged Justice Department officials who worked on Jack Smith‘s prosecutions of President Trump. (Fox News) Ed Martin, the interim US Attorney for Washington, announced he will investigate the department’s January 6 investigation, the largest in its history. (WSJ) “Everybody’s a sitting duck,” one career employee said. (Politico)
• Also on ice: dozens of career officials at the US Agency for International Development. (Reuters)
• Trump is using tariffs “make gains on issues that have little to do with trade.” (NYT) Some countries in his sights are looking to K Street for help, though some lobbying firms are wary of taking clients who might antagonize Trump. (NYT)
• He’s made another move toward drumming transgender people out of the armed forces. (Washington Post)
• Scott Bessent was confirmed as treasury secretary. (AP)
• Trump’s geographical rebrandings will put a spotlight on the US Board on Geographic Names. (AP)
Try these winter after-hours museum events, by Daniella Byck
If you can’t play hooky to visit a museum during the day, consider taking a note from the Ben Stiller movie for an event after dark. Anacostia Community Museum will host its first free evening program of the year on February 6 with typewriter poetry, s’mores, and a celebration of 20th century Black artists. For word nerds, pair language-related games and puzzles with wine and beer at Planet Word’s Wordplay Wednesday ($5-$25) on February 12. (It’s Valentine’s-themed, so you may even meet a linguist love.) The next NMWA Nights event at the National Museum of Women in the Arts is on February 19, and you can wander through works by Frida Kahlo, Alma Thomas, and more with a cocktail in hand. The $25 tickets go on sale February 5.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Visit these classic DC spots for Restaurant Week.
• Life Alive DC, a vegetarian fast casual spot, opens in the West End today.
• Some notable parts of ESPN’s story about Dan Snyder.
• Would Trump be happy with his name being on an airport where Pepsi has pouring rights?
• Jessica Sidman visits Marufuji, a huge new Japanese supermarket in Tysons.
• Molly Parks hung out with Commanders fans in Philly.
• A tea-inspired wedding.
Local news links:
• The DC Council will hold a hearing on whether to expel Trayon White. (WUSA) FLASHBACKS: Some of the allegations in White’s federal indictment last year. What will happen if he gets bounced?
• RIP WTOP anchor Dimitri Sotis. (WTOP)
• DC could ban cell-phone use during the school day at public schools (Axios D.C.)
• How to pronounce the pandas’ names. (Washington Post)
• David Sacks has bought a place in DC. (Axios D.C.)
• Kennedy Center honcho Deborah Rutter plans to leave this year. (Washington Post) FLASHBACK: I interviewed Rutter in 2019, when the Reach was new.
• Stewart Rhodes is no longer banned in DC. (Washington Post)
• Washington Post journalist Drew Goins was on “Jeopardy!” Also, Goins appears to live in proximity to a harp. (WashPostLife)
• DC Water is dropping people onto rocks in the Potomac, where they’ll drill samples. (WTOP)
• Mah-Ze-Dahr has closed in Crystal City. (ARLnow) That was the New York concern’s last location in the region it once had plans to conquer. It appears Washingtonian Today’s love of brioche doughnuts wasn’t enough.
• Free robotic pets for seniors. (Washington Post)
Tuesday’s event picks, by Briana Thomas:
• The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Lunar New Year celebration at Strathmore features the world premiere of Viet Cuong‘s “Elevators.” ($14+).
• “Job” opens at Signature Theatre. ($40+)
• Feast on fortune cookies while you watch a performance from Hung Ci Lion Dance Troupe. (Free)
See more of Thomas’s picks here.
BONUS LINK: Washingtonian’s Sylvie McNamara profiled Pat Ryan for GQ.
Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s here. If you love your workplace, now’s your chance to nominate it for Washingtonian’s next Great Places to Work contest. Register here to get the ball rolling.
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.
