Good morning. Sunny and gusty with a high around 85. Isolated showers and thunderstorms possible overnight, with more gusts and a low around 67. The Nationals are at Philadelphia this evening. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.
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I can’t stop listening to:
Youssou N’Dour, “7 Seconds.” This 1994 single from the Senegalese legend features a sound bed reminiscent of Massive Attack and a duet with Neneh Cherry. N’Dour makes a rare US appearance at the Music Center at Strathmore tonight.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
MAGA romped in DC upon the occasion of Donald Trump‘s inauguration 100 days ago, and the administration has landed hard on our area ever since. There’s no shortage of stories this morning about his second first 100 days in office, but the local impact has been severe, as Washingtonian’s 100 days story, which features lots of local voices, shows. Here’s more: A timeline of Trump’s second presidency so far. (Axios) An accounting of action on his campaign promises so far. (AP) A tracker of his administration’s actions so far. (NYT) History in the making: This period has been “the worst for the stock market for the start of a president’s four-year term since the 1970s.” (CNBC) Trump has the “lowest 100-day job approval rating of any president in the past 80 years.” (ABC News) An accounting of Trump’s executive orders and other wild actions. (ACLU) Former Vice-President Kamala Harris will speak at a gala in San Francisco tomorrow, her first major appearance since she left office. (CNN)
En garde for thee: Canadians disregarded Trump’s electoral advice and returned Mark Carney‘s Liberal Party to power just months after it “was headed for a potentially historic drubbing.” The Liberals were rescued by popular loathing of Trump’s tariffs and Trump’s frequently floated idea that the US should annex its northern neighbor. (Washington Post) Pierre Poilievre, who leads Canada’s Conservative Party, lost his own district. (NYT)
Trade into you: Trump is preparing to further retreat on his tariff policy for auto manufacturers, ensuring that “automakers paying Trump’s automotive tariffs won’t also be charged for other duties.” (WSJ) His seemingly improvisational approach to a trade war is a key factor that has him “under water with voters on his handling of the economy.” (Politico)
Urban cowboys: Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to make a list of jurisdictions that he considers “sanctuary cities” and states that won’t comply with federal immigration ukases. (WSJ) That order marks a shift in legal approach after a judge blocked a previous effort to deny funding to noncompliant jurisdictions. (Axios) A second, related, executive order is aimed at bolstering law enforcement. (NYT) Sure, why not: Trump also ordered that truck drivers should speak English. (The Hill)
You have agency: The FBI has begun to administer polygraphs to its own personnel to determine the source of leaks. (Washington Post) The administration “dismissed the hundreds of scientists and experts who had been compiling the federal government’s flagship report on how global warming is affecting the country.” (NYT) Harmeet K. Dhillon‘s reshaping of the Justice Department’s civil rights division has led to an exodus of staff. (Washington Post) Big cuts appear to be on their way to the Peace Corps. (The Guardian)
Administration perambulation: MAGA lobbyists to watch. (WSJ) Members of Elon Musk‘s DOGE project got access to “classified networks that hold highly guarded details about America’s nuclear weapons.” (NPR) The administration “opened two investigations into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review over allegedly factoring race into editorial decisions at the legal publication.” (Politico) A Navy fighter jet fell off the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea while it was avoiding fire from Houthi rebels in Yemen. (CNN)
Capitals playoff watch parties, by Daniella Byck
Skating home after a win up north, the Caps will face off against the Montreal Canadiens at Capital One Arena on Wednesday at 7 PM. If you don’t have tickets for Game 5 of the series, there are other places to watch the matchup with fellow fans. Bars around the arena such as Irish Channel and Penn Quarter Sports Tavern are playing the game with the sound on, so you can stay close to the action. Away from the rink, Franklin Hall on Florida Avenue is streaming the game with the volume up in one of its spaces. The bar is pouring an $8.95 shot and Bud Light pint combo in tribute to Ovi’s record-breaking achievement. Team spirit is rewarded at Barracks Row beer garden The Brig: Don your Caps merch for a free shot of vodka during the playoffs.
Scene report: Sharon Van Etten at 9:30
Breaking news: Sharon Van Etten went to Petworth PorchFest! After sharing this charming local tidbit with the countless sweaty, miscellaneously aged bodies crammed on the floor of 9:30 Club, she casually brought us all to indie synth-alt tears with an hour and a half of contralto belting. I really thought about it, and I have never heard a vocalist sound even better live than on their studio recording until last night. This was Van Etten’s only show in DC this tour—and her first with her backing band the Attachment Theory—but if you want your heart to ache and you serendipitously have the chance to catch them in Philly, Boston, or Brooklyn later this week, pack your inner teenager and go. —Kate Corliss
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• What you need to know about the plan DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced yesterday to bring the Commanders back to the District.
• Fun stuff happening around town this week and weekend.
• A new history of the Smithsonian unearths some wild facts about the institution.
• This year’s Virginia elections are already getting weird.
Local news links:
Stadium arcadium: How DC can afford the stadium deal, explained. (WUSA9) A stadium at the RFK site would be a lot easier to get to than the Commanders’ current home at Northwest Stadium, though that’s a “a low bar to clear.” (NBC4 Washington) The deal terms. (WUSA9) The pushback has already begun. (NBC4 Washington) Maryland Governor Wes Moore hopes the Northwest site could become a “bustling entertainment district.” (WTOP)
• Gerry Connolly will not seek reelection to Congress after a cancer diagnosis. (Washington Post)
• Hoffman-Madison Waterfront has sold the Wharf to a Canadian pension fund. (WBJ)
• Donald Trump Jr. has co-founded a new private club in town with a $500,000 membership fee. (CNBC) Some eager prospective members are “offering to pay double the listed membership fee.” (Axios)
KRISTI NOEM STOLEN PURSE UPDATE: Mario Bustamante Leiva, the suspect in the Easter Sunday burgerlary was charged in federal court Monday. (WTOP)
• Manassas’s Tyleik Williams and and Alexandria’s Robert Longerbeam were selected by the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Ravens, respectively, in this year’s NFL draft. (Northern Virginia)
• Arlington law professor Ilya Somin represents the plaintiffs in a suit that challenges the legality of Trump’s tariffs. (ARLnow)
• A WorldPride concert originally planned for the Kennedy Center will move to the Music Center at Strathmore. (Bethesda)
• A groundbreaking ceremony Monday marked the beginning of construction on the massive Potomac River Tunnel project. (WUSA9)
Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s here. Enter our Cutest Dog Contest here.
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.
