Good morning. The heat and humidity will begin to return today, with a high around 88. A low near 71 overnight. The Nationals will visit the Royals today. 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:
Adrian Quesada and Ed Maverick, “Afuera.” Quesada, the guitarist and producer behind the Black Pumas, released “Boleros Psicodélicos II” this year, the second volume in his exploration of the trippy vibes of Latin pop from the ’60s and ’70s, and it’s all just so fabulous. Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos will perform with DJ Pharoah Haqq at Pearl Street Warehouse tonight.
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:
Troops social: President Trump has deployed off-duty FBI agents to fight street crime in DC alongside other federal cops he mustered after one-time DOGE operative Edward “Big Balls” Coristine was mugged near 14th Street last weekend, apparently by teens, and now he may send in National Guard troops as well. (Washington Post) The President, who last sent troops to DC in 2020, posted on his social media website that he’ll hold a press conference Monday morning. Any troops he deploys will likely draw from the DC National Guard, officials say. (NBC4 Washington) Free DC plans a protest during the press conference. (Free DC) Trump also declared that homeless people must move out of public places in DC and posted photos “apparently taken from the president’s motorcade along the route from the White House to his golf course.” (Guardian) Curiously, the administration has cut FEMA security funding to the District. (WTOP) The President’s latest campaign against a US city involves painting DC as wildly dangerous. Trump aide Stephen Miller, who once reportedly threw away $80 of sushi because a bartender here was mean to him, said last week that the District was “more violent than Baghdad.” (The Hill) “The threats come at a time when [DC Mayor Muriel] Bowser’s government can legitimately claim to have reduced the number of homicides and carjackings.” (AP) DC’s typically placid Deanwood neighborhood has seen a surge of federal law enforcement. (NBC4 Washington) DC Police Chief Pamela Smith imposed a curfew for youths in the Navy Yard neighborhood over the weekend. (WTOP) Washington Post editorial board: “Ongoing public safety challenges do not justify stripping autonomy from the more than 700,000 residents of Washington.” (Washington Post) From last week: Could Trump Actually Take Over DC? (Washingtonian)
Personnel matters: The administration canned IRS Commissioner Billy Long Friday, which the Post reports followed the IRS refusal to share taxpayer data with immigration officials, citing “taxpayer privacy rights.” (Washington Post) Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni is among the candidates to replace Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, who Trump fired after that agency issued a dismal jobs report. (WSJ) Vinay Prasad returned to the FDA after Laura Loomer appears to have gotten him axed recently. (Politico) The administration is pushing the International Energy Agency to remove its No. 2 leader, retired US diplomat Mary Warlick, and has threatened to leave the effort altogether. (Politico)
Administration perambulation: Trump moved portraits of President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, and President George H.W. Bush, to a stairway in the White House where they won’t be seen easily. (CNN) The President’s plan to build a new White House ballroom has so far skipped review by the National Capital Planning Commission, as required by law. (Washington Post) Trump floated the idea of trading Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac publicly under the stock market symbol “MAGA.” (Axios) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “reposted and praised a video interview of a self-described Christian nationalist pastor whose church doesn’t believe women should be allowed to vote.” (NPR)
The best thing I ate last week, by Ann Limpert:
Wonder—the fast-growing virtual food hall that lets you order takeout from a slew of big-name chefs and restaurants—opened its first DC location last month (more are on the way). The options, heavily NYC-focused, are dizzying. You can cobble together a meal from several different menus, whether you’re in the mood for Jonathan Waxman’s roast chicken or DiFara’s pizza or SriPraPhai’s basil fried rice. The highlight of my inaugural order, though, came from a Clevelander. Michael Symon’s quartet of Greek-inspired meatballs arrived warmly spiced, impressively crispy around the edges, and set in thick, creamy tahina. The runner-up: Lemon chess pie from Brooklyn’s Four and Twenty Blackbirds. (1925 14th St., NW.)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Local TikTok star Joel Haas just had his 1,000th meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant. The former “stoner food critic“‘s High Speed Dining account has more than a million followers.
• From donations to volunteering, here are a bunch of ways you can help students and teachers get ready to go back to school this fall.
• Candlelight, a romantic vibe, and a cappella music mingled at this wedding in Georgetown.
Local news links:
• The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History removed a reference about Trump’s lies about losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden when it reinstated text that referred to his second impeachment on Friday. It also softened text about his first impeachment. (NYT)
• Police said a group of teens trashed a store in Northeast’s Hechinger Mall, where an employee was injured. (WTOP)
• Trayon White was sworn in Friday to the DC Council, to which he was reelected after being expelled following federal bribery charges. (NBC4 Washington)
• A man in Alexandria leapt to his death from a high rise Friday after authorities entered his apartment to arrest him. The warrant remains sealed. (WTOP)
• Montgomery County Public Schools employees who weren’t paid due to a systems snafu will now have to wait till Tuesday. (BethesdaToday)
• Former CIA and FBI boss William Webster died Friday at 101. (NYT)
• Amtrak’s next-generation Acela train will begin service between DC, New York, and Boston on August 28. (WUSA9)
• Atlas Brew Works will close its Ivy City location at the end of September. (PoPville)
We’re now taking suggestions for this year’s “Most Powerful Women” list. You can nominate someone 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.
