Good morning. Cloudy through mid-morning, then get ready for more showers, with thunderstorms, possibly strong, after 5 PM. The high will be near 81. A flood watch will be in effect as rain continues overnight, with more strong storms and wind gusts possible, and a low around 58.
Sports this weekend: The Nationals are at the Arizona Diamondbacks all weekend. The Mystics host the New York Liberty tonight. The DC Defenders will play their regular season finale at Audi Field Friday night. D.C. United will visit FC Cincinnati Saturday. Loudoun United FC will host Louisville City FC on Saturday. Old Glory DC’s last game of the regular season is Saturday vs. L.A. The playoffs await!
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I can’t stop listening to:
Hammered Hulls, “Boilermaker’s Notch.” A flat-out scorcher from this DC supergroup, which will play Union Stage with Pinback Saturday and Sunday.
Take Washingtonian Today with you! I’ve made a playlist on Spotify and on Apple Music of my daily music recommendations this year. It’s currently five and a half hours long. Hit shuffle and enjoy.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
Dueling rulings fueling unspooling: President Trump took aim at the Federalist Society and its former head, Leonard Leo, saying the former gave him “bad advice” and the latter was a “sleazebag.” The prompt for this tirade? Wednesday’s big ruling against Trump’s tariffs from the US Court of International Trade, made in part by one judge Trump appointed. The Federalist Society and Leo guided many of Trump’s judicial picks during his first term. (Politico) Other White House staffers raged online against the judges. Stephen Miller posted photos of them. (NYT) Plot twist: A federal appeals court paused the trade court’s ruling yesterday. The administration said it might appeal to the Supreme Court, whose most conservative members are said to be close to…Leonard Leo. (CNBC) Yet another federal judge found the tariffs “unlawful” but stayed an injunction pending appeals. (Politico) The administration has other avenues to pursue tariffs, rather than the novel application of a 1977 law the court halted, but those “typically require more time and preparation than the emergency powers that the president covets.” (NYT) Not surprisingly, heads are spinning within many businesses. (NYT) A Reuters analysis finds that the tariffs have cost companies more than $34 billion so far. (Reuters)
MAHA haha: RFK Jr.‘s “Make America Healthy Again” report cited studies that don’t exist and mischaracterized the findings of others. (NOTUS) The New York Times found more problems. (NYT) The White House blamed “formatting issues.” (USA Today) The administration scrambled to update the report, but “While the replacement references all appear to be to real sources, it’s not immediately clear whether they all support the claims the report is making.” (NOTUS) Meanwhile: An important study of drug and mental health problems in the US is endangered by administration cuts. (NPR)
Requiem for a meme: Federal workers say cuts led by Elon Musk‘s DOGE project will reverberate now that the edgelord billionaire appears to have left town. While DOGE often overstated, comically, the savings it claimed to have made, its deprivations mean that at one agency “two or three people are now needed to carry out a task that one person used to do.” DOGE stands for “Department of Government Efficiency.” (NYT) On the campaign trail with Trump, Musk was “using drugs”—including ketamine, Ecstasy, and shrooms—”far more intensely than previously known.” His personal life is also interesting. (NYT) Musk lieutenants Steve Davis and Nicole Hollander appear to be on their way out, too. (Wired) Memories: Indelible moments from Musk’s adventures in town. (Washington Post) Flashback: Davis used to own DC’s “silliest yogurt shop.” (Washingtonian) Meanwhile: Applicants for federal jobs “will soon be quizzed on their favorite Trump administration policy” as part of OPM’s “merit hiring plan.” (Government Executive)
Administration perambulation: Someone has impersonated White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in messages to “senators, governors, top U.S. business executives and other well-known figures.” One message asked for the recipient to transfer cash. Wiles says her phone was hacked. Feds are looking into it. (WSJ) Trump nominated Paul Ingrassia, who “graduated from Cornell Law School in 2022 and worked at a law firm for 10 months” to head the US Office of Special Counsel. The President described Ingrassia as “a highly respected attorney, writer, and Constitutional Scholar.” (USA Today) Remember how Trump said he would consider pardons for the men who plotted to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer? She says he promised her he wouldn’t. (Washington Post) FBI honchos Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, who are under fire from MAGA fans for failing to prove conspiracies now that they’re in power, said they’d release evidence that shows Jeffrey Epstein in fact killed himself. (NBC News) Attorney General Pam Bondi blocked the American Bar Association from vetting judges, saying it’s an “activist group.” (HuffPost) The State Department plans an “Office of Remigration.” “Remigration” is a far-right buzzword in Europe with roots in neo-Nazi thought. (The Handbasket) The FBI says a DIA employee offered to give another government classified material “out of frustration with President Donald Trump.” (Politico) A person Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed threatened to assassinate Trump appears to have been set up. (CNN)
Weekend show preview: Break the Current at St. Stephen’s
“In DC, a lot of punk music is politically charged. But people don’t always know how to get involved,” says Augusta Smith, a 15-year-old rising sophomore at DC’s McKinley Technology High School. On Saturday, she hopes to help address that disconnect with a concert she’s organized called Break the Current, a showcase of local bands with young members. Birthday Girl DC, Tidal Wave GoGo, and Smith’s own group Petrichor will be among the performers at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Columbia Heights, where organizations like Girls Rock! DC, FreeDC, and Positive Force will host tables with information on how people can help out. Smith met Positive Force co-founder Mark Andersen through Girls Rock! DC, and he offered the space and a sound system for Saturday’s show.
The current political climate is not fabulous for dissent, and Smith says part of the reason she wanted to put on the show is that she has the resources to do so. For instance, she says, her mom helped her with some of the organization. “I’m going to try my very best to take the privilege that I have and give it back,” she says. (Break the Current will take place Saturday from 11:30 AM-3:30 PM at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton Street, Northwest. Admission is free.)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Here’s how our reporter got into the Naisho Room, a “secret” Tokyo-style cocktail bar at Tysons.
• Our WorldPride-heavy guide to cultural events in June.
• Deals for our readers on summer travel.
• We found three great open houses for you to see this weekend.
• The floral patterns! The whimsy! The wedding!
Local news links:
WorldPride is upon us: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the District is the “gayest city in the world” as she welcomed the celebration. (WUSA9) Eighty-eight bars will be allowed to stay open 24 hours during Pride and the Club World Cup. (WUSA9)
• Bowser also moved to repeal a law that declares DC a sanctuary city. (The 51st) Here’s what’s in her budget proposal. (The 51st)
• The Capital Jewish Museum reopened. (Washington Post)
• An email from the Capitals said Alex Ovechkin‘s next season would be his last with the organization. The team says it went out in error. (ESPN)
Dept. of Unintentional Metaphors: Our region could be in for a very hot, very long summer. (Washington Post)
• Florida Congressman Greg Steube proposed renaming WMATA as WMAGA and would require Metrorail to be renamed the Trump Train. (Axios)
• The Army is likely underestimating the cost of Trump’s birthday military parade. (The Intercept)
• Interim US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said DC “will again become a shining city on the hill” under her watch. (ABC News)
• The Kennedy Center fired Floyd Brown after CNN reported on his history of statements against homosexuality and former President Obama‘s birthplace. (CNN)
• The new Dave Thomas Circle is here, and it pleases Martin Austermuhle. (The 51st)
• Will work on Columbia Pike ever end? (WUSA9)
• Willie Mae Avery, DC’s oldest resident, turned 110 this week. (Fox 5)
• Wet weather and fungus have screwed up strawberry season in Northern Virginia. (NBC4 Washington)
• A SWAT team will train at the empty Key Bridge Marriott this weekend. (ARLnow)
• Prince George’s officials cannot explain a casket by the side of the road in Upper Marlboro. (WUSA9)
Weekend event picks:
Friday: Street Fest kicks off at Union Market. Festival-goers can binge-watch more than 70 films at Light Reel Film Festival, groove at a Queer Dance Party, browse art at pop-up galleries, and watch movies outdoors.
Saturday: Shakira welcomes WorldPride with a concert at Nationals Park.
Sunday: Project Glow lights up RFK Festival Grounds for the second day.
See lots more picks for the weekend from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.
We’re now taking suggestions for this year’s “Most Powerful Women” list. You can nominate someone here. Know someone we should consider for our Tech Titans feature this year? Put their name forward here. Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s 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.
