Good morning. Relief from the marauding heat finally arrives as the calendar turns to August. A high of 78 degrees today with storms possible in the afternoon. A low around 64 overnight. Goodbye, July. This newsletter wishes you ill.
Sports this weekend: The Nationals will have a homestand against the Brewers all weekend. D.C. United will play Ethiopia’s National Team at Audi Field on Saturday. The Washington Spirit are back on Sunday with a home tilt against the Portland Thorns. The Mystics will visit the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.
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:
Flowers for the Dead, “Perfect View.” The video for this DC trio’s gauzy and beautiful new single shows a mime “busking” on Metro before love finds him. I often say there’s a lid for every pot! Flowers for the Dead will play with Virtua and Mieke tonight at Comet Ping Pong.
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:
Trade publication: The White House gave dozens of countries a week to negotiate deals with the US or face high tariffs. (Washington Post) President Trump granted Mexico 90 days to make a deal but raised rates on Canadian goods not covered by the previous trade agreement among North American countries—a category that includes cars and steel. (NYT) The Falkland Islands, which faced a 42 percent tariff earlier this year, is apparently no longer on the administration’s list of worst offenders: It will pay a 10 percent tariff on its exports, which mostly comprise fish. (White House) Flashback: Leaders in the tiny British overseas territory, which has fewer than 4,000 residents, were very surprised that the US targeted it at all earlier this year. (BBC News) Meanwhile: Judges at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in DC appeared skeptical of the administration’s argument that Trump could use an emergency law to impose tariffs. Two lawsuits target the tariffs, and the case is likely to go to the Supreme Court. (Politico)
Junkyard DOGE: The White House has worked to “de-Muskify” the GSA, the latest sign that “DOGE has lost all remaining influence” in the administration following Trump’s break with Elon Musk earlier this year. (Politico) Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” project can take partial credit for another dubious achievement: The feds are now “paying more than 154,000 federal employees not to work as part of the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, according to two administration officials.” (Washington Post) Spare a few minutes today, if you’re able, to read this story about 23-year-old Luke Farritor‘s journey into the heart of DOGE-ness. (Bloomberg) Meanwhile: Despite his talk of forming a third party to take on Republicans and Democrats, Musk donated $10 million in late June “to the main super PACs backing House and Senate Republicans.” (NBC News) Another project for the weird billionaire: A hastily approved tunnel to Nashville’s airport, exclusively for Tesla drivers, that could cut their time on the road from 15 minutes to…eight minutes. (NYT)
Capitulation on display: The National Museum for American History “removed references to President Donald Trump’s two impeachments from an exhibit display.” An insider “said the change came about as part of a content review that the Smithsonian agreed to undertake following pressure from the White House to remove an art museum director.” (Washington Post)
The glitz keeps on coming: The White House announced plans to add a 90,000-square-foot ballroom at Trump’s behest. (Washington Post) “For Trump, this marks the culmination of a long quest to solve the problem of state dinners being held in tents he considers unsightly and overpriced.” (NPR) Two local firms will design and build the ballroom: McCrery Architects and Clark Construction. (WBJ)
Hot water: Trump ally Candace Owens faces a serious defamation suit by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, over her repeated claims that Brigitte Macron “is a transgender woman committing a host of crimes” and that her husband is actually her son. (The Bulwark) The DC Bar’s Board on Professional Responsibility recommended disbarring Jeffrey Clark, who’s currently reviewing regulations for the administration in OMB, over his role trying to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss to Joe Biden. (Politico)
Administration perambulation: Newly released information from Trump special counsel John Durham shows the opposite of what some Republicans hoped: Emails that purported to show Hillary Clinton approved a plan to tie Trump to Russian influence were “probably manufactured” by Russians. (NYT) “Welcome to hell”: Victims of Trump’s deportation schemes describe conditions at El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison. (Washington Post) The Justice Department’s inspector general “lost a crucial account from a whistle-blower,” raising “serious concerns from current and former department lawyers that the unit responsible for policing not just the department but agencies like the F.B.I. and D.E.A. may have gone largely dormant.” (NYT) Senate Republicans squashed a Democratic attempt to block Trump from accepting a luxury plane from Qatar. (The Hill) Trump wants to bring back the Presidential Fitness Test. (CNN) This is probably excellent news for American Music Club’s future royalty statements. (YouTube)
One snazzy open house this weekend:
This four-bedroom, two-bathroom midcentury modern house in Falls Church features floor-to-ceiling windows, vaulted ceilings, and two fireplaces. Outdoor highlights include a large deck, a patio, and a fenced yard. It’s listed at $935,000. Most of Lindsey Byman‘s picks for open houses this week are listed under $1 million.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
Up all night: What goes on in the wee hours around DC, a city that very much sleeps? We spent time with trash collectors, dancers at a strip club, and TV journalists.
• Who might run to replace Eleanor Holmes Norton, whether she decides to run for a 19th term or not? There are four declared contenders—and lots more folks that DC politics insiders are chattering about.
• Our August culture guide just dropped: 47 ideas for things to do around town this month.
• It’s Dan About Town o’clock! Here’s our party photographer’s roundup of a month’s worth of swanky dos.
• Here are the most expensive house sales around the region last month—with photos, natch.
• Exclusive August travel deals for Washingtonian readers.
Local news links:
Stadium arcadium: The DC Council will take its first votes today about a stadium deal with the Washington Commanders. (Washington Post) There are enough votes to turn it down,” Councilmember Robert White says. (WTOP) The Washington Post editorial board, which apparently still has a few people on it, urged the Council to reject the deal. (Washington Post) Mildly related: Terry McLaurin requested a trade from the team, which is upsetting news to the human who writes this newsletter. (Washington Post)
• An air traffic controller at National Airport “should have alerted the crew of a passenger jet that an Army helicopter was speeding toward their aircraft” before the air disaster over the Potomac this past January, FAA official Nick Fuller told the NTSB during hearings about the crash yesterday. (Washington Post)
• There was a lockdown at Walter Reed yesterday after someone was seen with a rifle. It turned out to be a plastic training rifle, or what’s known in the military as a rubber duck. (NBC4 Washington)
• This is not the type of headline that political professionals typically seek: “Facing GOP skeptics, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears insists she can win Virginia governor’s race.” (CNN)
• We’re still waiting on attendance numbers from WorldPride. (Washington Blade)
• The generational remake of DC theater will continue when David Muse leaves Studio Theatre in 2027. (Washington Post)
• These guys pick up dead animals. (The 51st)
• The Prince of Petworth says there’s “spectacular scuttlebutt” about a Call Your Mother location coming to Adams Morgan. (PopVille)
• • What’s next for the members of Bad Moves after their epic farewell show last weekend? (That was one of the best gigs I’ve seen in years. Gosh, I’m going to miss them.) (Washington City Paper)
Weekend event picks:
Friday: Cinema Hearts play Pie Shop with Tayls and Shelley Star.
Saturday: The National Gallery of Art’s new exhibition “American Landscapes in Watercolor from the Corcoran Collection” opens.
Sunday: It’s your last chance to see “Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern” at the Kennedy Center.
See more 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.
