Good morning. Cloudy with a high around 87 today and a low near 67 overnight. The Nationals host the Cubs again this evening, and the Mystics will get a visit from the New York Liberty. 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:
Sleigh Bells, “Locust Laced.” This Brooklyn duo’s overstuffed anthems (wait for it) “feel like dynamite.” They’ll play a sold-out 9:30 Club this evening with Sophie Hunter and Atomic Life.
Take Washingtonian Today with you! I’ve made a playlist on Spotify and on Apple Music of my daily music recommendations this year.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
Sorry, we’re closed: President Trump instituted a fourth version of his travel ban, preventing visits from people from Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, and Eritrea among others. “We don’t want ’em,” the President said of travelers from those nations. (Washington Post) Trump’s stated reason (in addition to the above quote) is that the countries affected don’t perform proper vetting of their residents. Framing the ban as a national security measure during his first term was what finally got it past the Supreme Court. (Politico) Here’s the list of countries whose travelers are banned, and others for which visas are restricted. (NYT)
Trump, universities: The administration went after Columbia University’s accreditation Wednesday, arguing in a letter to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that the school “violated civil rights law over its handling of campus antisemitism.” (WSJ) Trump proclaimed that he would restrict international students from attending Harvard University and asked the State Department to revoke visas for international students who are already studying there. It’s not exactly clear how this ban might work, and Harvard is “all but certain to challenge the legality of Mr. Trump’s action.” (NYT) Harvard called the move “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights.” (The Harvard Crimson) The administration demanded that Texas stop offering in-state tuition to students who aren’t documented, which the state has done for decades. It complied immediately. (Texas Tribune) Trump wants his presidential library in Florida, and Florida Atlantic University is a possible location, apparently because it offered free rent. (WSJ)
While he was at it: Trump also ordered an investigation into what he believes to have been a conspiracy by Biden administration officials to cover up the former President’s cognitive decline. Again, it’s not clear how this might work, but the move “reflects his fixation on Biden, who defeated him in 2020, an election that Trump never conceded and continues to falsely claim was rigged against him.” (AP)
You hate to see it: The Trump-Elon Musk breakup has entered the “senior White House officials” speaking on background phase of its evolution, like this report on how the President is chagrined by Musk’s attacks on the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” currently making its way through Congress. The spurned billionaire’s attacks increased in tempo and intensity yesterday. (WSJ) Republicans in the House are pretty nervous about the whole thing. (NYT) “He’s a complete joke”: GOP lawmakers talked smack about Musk (anonymously). (Axios) A few Democrats hope to swing Musk leftward. I’d say that’s nuts but also I’m alive in 2025 so who knows. (Politico)
Meanwhile, the bill: The House’s version will add $2.4 trillion to the deficit and pluck health insurance from nearly 11 million people, the Congressional Budget Office found. (AP) The CBO also found that Trump’s tariffs (remember those?) would cut deficits by $2.8 trillion—but would also shrink the economy and increase inflation. (AP) Republicans have stepped up attacks on “the economists and budget experts who have warned about the costs of the party’s tax ambitions.” (NYT) Senate Republicans want changes, particularly to SALT. (Punchbowl News)
Administration perambulation: Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old recent University of Texas at San Antonio grad, is now in charge of the Department of Homeland Security’s “main hub for terrorism prevention.” (ProPublica) Economists are concerned about the quality of US economic data following sharp cutbacks at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (WSJ) Cutbacks at the BLS include gathering data on consumer prices, a move that could affect the inflation data the Fed uses to determine interest rates. (NYT) ICE has rescinded guidance that its agents should “avoid violating state and local laws while carrying out civil immigration arrests” while conducting raids on people in courthouses. (Wired) Edward “Big Balls” Coristine is now an official government employee. He’s a GS-15. (Wired) Trump made a deal with the Saudis to bring two Arabian leopards to the National Zoo. Trump is fascinated by the big cats’ “personality,” zoo director Brandie Smith says. (NYT)
Hidden Eats, by Ike Allen
Northern Indian restaurants that specialize in bottomless thalis (tray meals featuring lots of small dishes) serve some of the most generous and flavorful vegetarian feasts around. Jodhpur, a “royal vegetarian experience” in a Herndon business plaza, takes the thali a step further: each night of the week, the restaurant serves only one thali focused on the typical cuisine of a certain city or region— like Old Delhi or Rajasthan. On a recent Wednesday, it was the classic thali of Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal. The stainless steel platter contained tiny portions of more than 20 dishes, of which some of the tastiest were a paneer makhanwala, made with housemade soft cheese; fresh roti and puri; and Agra-style petha, a totally unique, nearly transparent sweet made from candied ash gourd. If you want more of any one dish, just ask—servers circulate with steel bowls to dole out seconds. (1114 Herndon Parkway, Herndon, Virginia.)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Marcus Samuelsson has opened his new restaurant Marcus DC in NoMa.
• The race to replace Trayon White got kind of weird the other night.
• Here’s what’s up with that monument to fired feds in Silver Spring.
• It is extremely arguable that television began in DC.
• The bride and groom split for Italy after this Italian-inspired wedding.
• Ovi, Michael Chiklis, Phil Mendelson: It’s Dan Swartz‘s roundup of fabulous party photos!
Local news links:
• Kim Sajet is still running the National Portrait Gallery despite Trump’s recent proclamation that he fired her. (Washington Post)
• Dozens of Congressional Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have signed a pledge to avoid restaurants including Le Diplomate, Rasika, and Osteria Mozza whose employees have unionized. Their union says the restaurateurs have engaged in union-busting. (Axios D.C.) Flashback: “Workers at Some of DC’s Best-Known Restaurants Move to Unionize.” (Washingtonian)
• Former Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dropped her Democratic party affiliation and will release a book about what she calls a “broken White House.” (Washington Post) “Everyone thinks this is a grift,” says one former official in this extremely enjoyable festival of score-settling. (Politico)
• Michael Sullivan, the interim chief of Phoenix’s police force, will become chief of the US Capitol Police. (WUSA9)
• The DC Council approved a $61.7 million tax break for the massive and long-delayed River’s Edge project in Navy Yard. (WBJ)
• The teachers union in Prince George’s County expressed a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Millard House II, citing “problems with payroll, staffing shortages, building safety, and a lack of strong school leadership.” (WUSA9)
• Those purple flags on the National Mall are intended to draw attention to the plight of migraine sufferers. (If you need comment from us, sorry, we’re lying down in a dark room praying for unconsciousness.) (WTOP)
• A couple in Laurel was somewhat dismayed to find their home had been listed as an all-night weed dispensary on Google Maps. (NBC4 Washington)
• Al Ain FC, a soccer club from the UAE, will train in Alexandria during the FIFA Club World Cup. (Alexandria Living)
• VDOT plans to extend the 495 toll lanes from the Mixing Bowl to across the Wilson Bridge. (FFXnow)
• Apparently there are enough people living in National Landing now to require a hardware store. (WTOP)
• Freddie Lutz, who owns Freddie’s Beach Bar, will marry his partner, Johnny Cervantes, on a float during this weekend’s Pride parade. (ARLnow)
Thursday’s event picks:
• This month’s Phillips After 5 is a “Party With Pride.”
• Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe kick off a three-city tour at the Anthem.
• The International Pride Orchestra and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC perform at Strathmore.
See more picks 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.
