Good morning. A high of 45 with increasing sun throughout today, and a low of 29 tonight. This morning’s commute should be interesting, but at least you don’t deliver linens in Philadelphia. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address at the bottom of this post.
I can’t stop listening to:
Zwei Null Zwei, “Hate This Feeling.” I was mesmerized by this DC-expat supergroup’s set Friday night at DC9, and a cold Monday morning is the correct venue for lyrics like “I don’t want what I’ve got / I don’t want anything.”
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
All of this stuff actually happened: President Trump announced Friday night that he would name himself chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board, apparently replacing David Rubenstein. (AP) “I get reports they were so bad,” he said about the center’s programming, which he also said he hadn’t taken in. (WUSA) The President also said he’d eliminate the penny (NYT), declared Sunday “Gulf of America Day” (The Hill), and attended the Super Bowl. Related: Where to find a strong drink around DC.
• Today could be the new deadline for federal workers to accept the administration’s “deferred resignation” offer, but that depends on what happens in court. (Washington Post)
• Supposedly some tariffs are coming, this time on steel and aluminum. As with every item in this post, this news could appear quaint by noon. (WSJ)
• The administration admits a mistake: They now seem to agree they shouldn’t have accepted the resignation of a DOGE staffer who made racist posts. (Washington Post)
• New OMB head Russell Vought effectively shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this weekend. (AP) The agency helped a lot of consumers. (NYT) The National Treasury Employees Union is suing over the shutdown. (NBC News)
The best thing I ate recently, by Ann Limpert
Here’s something many people don’t consider about the life of a food critic: mediocre and bad food come with the territory. Lately, when I’ve come home from one of those bunk meals, I’ve grabbed one thing out of my fridge: Little Sesame’s new preserved-lemon hummus, which you can get at Whole Foods. Like all of the local hummus-maker’s packaged dips, each bowl is comprised of two layers: rich, creamy hummus, and something extra—caramelized onions, or jammy tomatoes—underneath. But these thin, juicy slices of salt-preserved lemons are the chickpea dip’s most perfect match yet.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
Norm Eisen talked about beating DOGE in court.
Cafe Shuga brings African coffee beans to Silver Spring.
Willowsong opens Wednesday on the Wharf. Here’s a preview.
Local news links:
• What could Trump and Elon Musk’s adventures in federal cost-cutting mean for the Virginia governor’s race this year? (AP)
• Arlington Tesla driver in hot water after wild drive. (ARLnow)
• Amtrak will pay $505 million to take over Union Station. (Washington Post)
• Fairfax legislator sues over sexual assault allegations. (WTOP)
• ICE arrested a man before Alexandria police could accuse him of stealing money from a church. (NBC4 Washington)
• Things aren’t looking great for the Rock Creek Park Horse Center. (Washington Post)
• There was an interfaith service at National Cathedral Saturday for victims of the plane crash. (NBC4 Washington)
• A profile of Tom Goldstein, the SCOTUSblog founder and top Supreme Court advocate whom the government has accused of tax evasion. (Air Mail)
• RIP Murphy the Komodo dragon. (Washington Post)
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.
Okay, let’s get to it.
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.
