Good morning. Mostly sunny with a high of 65 today, and a low around 42 overnight. 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:
Dim Wizard, “Ride the Vibe.” With this track, Dim Wizard’s chief sorcerer, David Combs, sings about everything that comes along with choosing rock music as a career: “I wonder how much more I can take man / And give it to a daydream that swallows a lifespan.” The answer, of course, is in the title. Dim Wizard plays the Quarry House Tavern tonight with Neil and Burden’s Landing.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
Shutdown watch: The government runs out of funding on Friday. House Republicans passed a proposal last night that would keep the government open through September, then adjourned for ten days. (Washington Post) That leaves Democrats in the Senate without many appealing options. (Punchbowl News)
Department of Education bloodbath: The administration slashed the Department of Education’s staff yesterday. The department now has about half the workforce it did when President Trump took office seven weeks ago. (NYT) Staff can’t come in to work today in DC for “security reasons,” per an email. (Inside Higher Ed)
DOGE pile: A senior USAID official directed remaining staff to burn and shred documents. (Politico) “The future of a vast collection of public artwork is in doubt as the Trump administration plans to fire workers who preserve and maintain more than 26,000 pieces owned by the U.S. government.” (Washington Post) NOAA plans to cut a thousand more jobs. (AP)
One friend helping another, part 1: President Trump bought a Tesla on the White House lawn yesterday. (NYT) Trump claimed that violent acts against Tesla dealerships are “domestic terrorism.” (TechCrunch)
One friend helping another, part 2: Tesla and DOGE honcho Elon Musk would like to put $100 million into Trump’s political operation. (NYT)
Howdy, tariffs: Ontario abandoned plans to impose a 25 percent surcharge on electricity sold to the US, and Trump backed off his claim that he would double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. (CBC) Trump’s ding-dong approach to tariffs has business leaders freaked out, and they would prefer “a little bit less unpredictability” from the White House. (Washington Post) The EU announced retaliatory tariffs against the US today. (CNN)
Recession players: “Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended President Trump’s economic policies Tuesday, saying they are ‘worth it’ even if they lead to a recession.” (CBS News) Knives are out for Lutnick, apparently. (Politico) “The mixed messages from the president and his advisers have raised concerns among some Republicans that Trump lacks a cohesive economic plan.” (WSJ)
Grindset: OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pinover spent part of the administration’s first weeks in office posting fashion influencer videos filmed in her office. (CNN)
• Perkins Coie has sued the administration over Trump’s targeting of the firm. (ABC News)
• Rahm Emanuel wants to run for President. (Politico)
Meet the guy who runs Rock Creek Park
Washingtonian: I didn’t realize Rock Creek was the country’s third national park ever.
Brian Joyner, superintendent: I think in many ways Rock Creek Park suffers from geography. If we were further west, not in an urban area, this would be without question one of the places people would be like, “Oh, I’ve got to go see it.” But it’s in the middle of Washington, DC, and it fulfills the role that it was intended to: to provide respite and places of relaxation for the residents of Washington. That’s different than providing some sort of narrative and physical space for the whole nation. Despite the fact that it’s in the middle of the city, despite all the pressures that exist around here, you still have the waterway, you still have the cliffs, you still have 1,750 acres of forest.
Are there places in Rock Creek Park that have great stories people might not know?
Teddy Roosevelt used to take a lot of foreign dignitaries on walks through the park. He would take a five-mile hike and have a meeting and skinny-dip in the creek, though I do not recommend going into the creek.
Read our full interview with Joyner here.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• DC has sued the adult establishment the Cloakroom, alleging its owners created a toxic work environment and stole wages and tips.
• The Department of Education (what’s left of it, anyway) says it’s investigating antisemitism at 60 universities, including some local ones.
• Having trouble making friends? Try a blind group dinner date.
• “Queer Eye” is looking for “heroes” for a DC season.
• A brief explanation of DC’s congressionally created sudden budget woes.
Local news links:
• The House’s spending bill leaves the District of Columbia without a lot of good options for restoring the $1 billion in spending cuts Congress has effectively imposed. (Washington Post)
• The National Transportation Safety Board “called on the FAA to quickly close a helicopter route along the eastern bank of the Potomac River” near National Airport, where a deadly collision took place in January. (Washington Post)
• Employees of DC’s forensics lab ” falsified their arrival times to crime scenes nearly 700 times over a one-year period.” (Washington Post)
• A DC police lieutenant resigned and four other officers are under investigation for wage theft. (WCP)
• Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger plans to resign. (WTOP)
• Cardinal Robert McElroy was formally installed as the Archdiocese of Washington’s leader yesterday. (WTOP)
• The Heller’s Bakery mural is gone. (PoPville)
• Residents of a swanky building in Rosslyn are threatening to sue over blocked views. (ARLnow)
Wednesday’s event picks:
• “The Artist’s Experience: From Brotherman to Batman” opens at Phillips@THEARC.
• “Your Name Means Dream” opens at Theater J.
• Hardcore band Bootcamp plays Rhizome DC.
See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.
Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s here.
Halfway point. Let’s go.
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.
