Good morning. A high of 66 today, not that temperature will count for much: It will be rainy and windy with a thunderstorm possible before 3 PM and gusts as well. Fun! More rain and wind tonight, with a low of 43. The Capitals are at the Rangers and the Wizards host Utah. 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:
Obongjayar, “Not in Surrender.” The Nigerian-British singer’s new single, with its insistent beat and ’80s art-rock flourishes, is like a power bank for me on grim days.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
Trump’s speech: The President spoke for 100 minutes before a joint session of Congress last night. (Washington Post) Most of the news from the event concerns style (his defiant style, Democrats’ attempts at interrupting his flow) rather than policy or anything like that. (NYT) If you still think such things matter, here’s a fact-check. (CNN)
Tariff-ic! “The world economy could face a crash similar to the Great Depression of the 1930s unless the U.S. rows back on its plans to impose steep tariffs on imports,” the Wall Street Journal reports after a chat with a big wheel at the International Chamber of Commerce. (WSJ) China, Mexico, and Canada buy quite a bit of what US farmers produce, and US farmers buy most of their potash from Canada. (NYT) The administration may scale back its tariffs on Mexico and Canada today. (CNBC)
Walkin’ the DOGE: The IRS plans to reduce its workforce by as much as half. (AP) Elon Musk‘s DOGE project has “barely touched the biggest sources of contract spending in the federal budget.” (NYT) Some DOGE staffers “are drawing robust taxpayer-funded salaries from the federal agencies they are slashing and burning.” (Wired) OPM now says it didn’t order the firing of probationary employees??? (HuffPost)
• RFK Jr. didn’t mention vaccines when discussing the measles outbreak in Texas. (NYT) Experts are worried about his “focus on vitamin A.” (Washington Post)
• “Business leaders can secure a one-on-one meeting with the president at Mar-a-Lago for $5 million.” (Wired)
One restaurant opening to be excited about:
The Occidental, Stephen Starr‘s much-awaited revival of the storied 120-year-old Willard Hotel restaurant, opens today with Cold War glitz, retro dishes, and stiff drinks. “In my mind, my fantasy is congressmen, senators, female spies from Israel and Abu Dhabi,” Starr tells Washingtonian’s Ike Allen. “That’s the movie in my head. I may have dentists from Virginia coming instead, I don’t know.” Read more about it here.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• GSA’s list of properties it wants to dispose of includes a lot of brutalist buildings.
• A Georgia Congressman wants to rename a street outside his district.
• Rats! Bugs! Get ready to see a lot of them this year.
• The Capitals announced some cherry blossom-inspired gear.
• The African American Civil War Memorial Museum will finally open this summer.
Local news links:
• Is DC Mayor Muriel Bowser planning to paint over the Black Lives Matter mural on Black Lives Matter Plaza? Kind of sounds like it. (Washington Post)
• Like Daylight Saving Time and pollen, spring brings residential sweet sweeping to DC residents. (DPW)
• Washington Post Publisher Will Lewis met with Washington Free Beacon EIC Eliana Johnson to discuss how Jeff Bezos‘s paper could recruit more conservative journalists. (Status)
• Hundreds of people turned out at NOAA headquarters to protest cuts to the agency. (Bethesda Magazine)
• Ed Martin won’t investigate Chuck Schumer. (Washington Post)
Wednesday’s event picks:
• Akua Allrich sings at Songbyrd.
• Heurich House Museum’s Senate Bock Release Party.
• Planet Word’s Wordplay Wednesday.
See more picks from our Things to Do writer, Briana Thomas, here.
Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s here.
Forward!
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.
