Good morning. The humidity has begun to worm its way back into our lives. Still, it’ll be relatively pleasant with a high near 88. The overnight low will be around 70. The Nationals will host the Reds again this afternoon. 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:
Admas, “Wed Enate.” Admas’s 1984 LP “Sons of Ethiopia” got a fresh start in 2020, years after it became a collector’s item among people who love Ethiopian music and dusty, jazzy grooves. The band lived in DC when they recorded it—Tewodros Aklilu told Washingtonian in 2020 that he attended GW and worked as a parking lot attendant when he was here—and had mostly forgotten about their youthful project when Frederiksberg Records asked for permission to reissue the LP, copies of which were trading hands for $400 on eBay. Over the years, some of the members returned to Ethiopia, but they’ll all be in town tonight, when Admas reunites and plays Hemen’s Cigar Lounge in Alexandria.
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:
Epstein, Epstein, Epstein: Unearthed video footage and photos show that the disgraced, deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein attended Donald Trump‘s wedding to Marla Maples in 1993. CNN also found footage of Trump and Epstein “laughing and chatting together” at a Victoria’s Secret show in 1999. (CNN) “It’s time to go after people,” Trump declared Tuesday when he accused former President Obama and Hillary Clinton of “treason.” (NYT) A spokesperson for Obama said Trump’s “bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.” (Axios) Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Tuesday that his department wants to meet with Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a sentence for sex trafficking. (NYT) Anything Maxwell says will be “exceedingly difficult to corroborate,” Politico reports, a situation that “will be exacerbated by her obvious incentive to tell the Trump administration what it wants to hear.” (Politico) The House Oversight Committee got on the Maxwell train, with a subcommittee voting favorably on a motion by US Representative Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, to subpoena her. (NBC News) Flashback: Burchett gave an interview in January in which he said he believed “aliens have underwater bases on Earth.” (The Hill) House Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early to avoid votes about releasing the government’s files on Epstein. (NYT)
Remember tariffs? The President announced trade deals with Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. (Washington Post) Japan said that “tariffs on autos will also be lowered to 15% from their current 25%.” (WSJ) The Philippines and Indonesia will pay 19 percent rather than 20 percent tariffs. (Reuters)
Jersey bedeviled: US District Court judges in New Jersey rejected Trump’s appointment of his former defense lawyer Alina Habba to be US Attorney and appointed career prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace in Habba’s place. (Washington Post) The Justice Department then fired Grace. (NYT)
Administration perambulation: The White House plans to ask Congress to claw back funds for the Department of Education. (Politico) The EPA plans to nuke a scientific finding that allows the government to fight climate change. (NYT) Another day, another open letter: Employees of the National Science Foundation accused the administration of “abruptly firing workers, withholding funds and decimating the agency’s budget.” (NYT) A federal appeals court declined to overturn restrictions on coverage the administration imposed on the Associated Press, setting up a possible Supreme Court showdown. (Reuters) National Park Service workers “have flagged descriptions and displays at scores of parks and historic sites for review in connection with President Trump’s directive to remove or cover up materials that ‘inappropriately disparage Americans.'” (NYT) Trump said his settlement agreement with Paramount’s new ownership will include $20 million in advertising on top of the $16 million the corporation agreed to pay him to settle a lawsuit. (WSJ) The Defense Department plans to “monitor intimate spaces”—bathrooms—”to ensure ongoing compliance” with Trump’s executive orders on transgender people. It also plans a review of Stars and Stripes, which was designed to be an independent publication. (404 Media) Salacious Trump books aren’t selling anymore: People “don’t want to spend 30 bucks and six or eight hours of our time feeling worse,” one agent says. (Politico) Republicans in Congress floated the idea of renaming the Kennedy Center’s Opera House for Melania Trump. (Washington Post)
A first look at the renovated Air and Space Museum, by Rob Brunner
I haven’t been to the Air and Space museum in forever, though it was my favorite as a kid. On Tuesday, I attended a press preview for its partial reopening (the museum has been renovating for years), and it was striking how different the experience was from when I was in elementary school. Back then, it just wasn’t possible to appreciate, for example, how terrifying it must have been to pilot a biplane during WWI or orbit the earth in the world’s most claustrophobic space capsule. So yes, this is a recommendation to check out the museum’s five new galleries when they open to the public on Monday. But it’s also a general reminder that DC’s museums are even better when you’re an adult.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• A dog groomer in Del Ray was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after an investigation into the death of a golden retriever that was in his care.
• Want to learn how to play mahjong? Here’s where you can get a game.
• Six sundials around town.
Local news links:
• President Trump wants the Commanders to go back to their old name, something DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson called a “distraction” but said wouldn’t impede a stadium deal. (Axios) Here’s what people say when polled about the Commanders’ name. (PolitiFact)
• Some big departures at the Washington Post: “TikTok Guy” Dave Jorgenson will leave to start a new company with two colleagues. (NYT) SHAMELESS PLUG: Please peruse Washingtonian’s collection of Jorgensonia. (Washingtonian) Dan Steinberg and Steven Goff will take buyouts. (Awful Announcing) Jonathan Capehart also took a buyout. (The Wrap)
• Here we go again: Eleanor Holmes Norton said she’ll run for reelection after making similar declarations that her staff walked back. (Andrew Solender/Axios)
• Venus Williams, who is 45, is winning matches at the Citi Open. (NYT)
• The US Army says Trump’s birthday parade cost $30 million. (WTOP)
• Howard University changed financial platforms. Now some students there say they’ve been hit with large, unexpected bills. (NBC4 Washington)
• Nancy Hulkower of Alexandria will be on “Bachelor in Paradise.” (ALXnow) We spoke with Hulkower last year when she was on “The Golden Bachelor.” (Washingtonian)
• Lia Marie Johnson, a preschool teacher from Leesburg, is in a coma after being hit by a car in Argentina. (NBC4 Washington)
• TJ Oshie has left the area. (Russian Machine Never Breaks)
Wednesday’s event picks:
• Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band will play on Strathmore’s lawn.
• You can sing along with the HariKaraoke Band at the Wharf.
• Benedict Nguyễn will chat about her humorous novel Hot Girls With Balls at MLK Library.
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.
