Good morning. A high around 91 today, with rain and thunderstorms possible in the late afternoon. A low near 75 overnight. The Nationals are at the Royals again this evening. 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:
Open Mike Eagle, “Michigan J. Wonder.” A slyly rousing tribute to being yourself when no one’s looking by Open Mike Eagle, whose new album, “Neighborhood Gods Unlimited,” is ace. He’ll play the 9:30 Club Saturday with Clipping and Cooling Prongs.
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 probably couldn’t block out:
Police and peeves: President Trump took over DC’s police force yesterday and ordered National Guard troops to the city in what he claimed was a response to a crime emergency. Waving around printouts that he said showed DC was more dangerous than Lagos and Bogota, he called DC a “horror show” and contradicted the government’s own statistics during a weird press conference in which he also claimed his administration would remove slums, fix potholes, and protect women’s sports. (The 51st) Trump named DEA head Terry Cole commissioner of the DC police and invoked a section of the 1973 Home Rule act that allows feds to seize control of the department when emergency conditions exist. (Washington Post) Cole was confirmed by the Senate this past spring despite questions about his role in two high-profile operations that went wrong years ago. (CNN) Trump has long planned to take over DC, insiders say. (Washington Post) He tried to boost tourism after discussing “how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting” he finds DC. (NYT) Here’s what the law says about Trump’s latitude in local matters. (AP)
Let’s insert a line break for readability. The problem with Trump’s analysis is that it’s—normally I’d say “incomplete” here but actually it’s wrong. As he has done many times in the past, Trump threw facts, lies, and cherry-picked data into a word-salad spinner to produce a narrative he hopes will force his political opponents to try to argue that crime isn’t as bad as he says, leaving them little room to address the larger power grab he’s attempting, not just as President of the United States and the broker of high-stakes business deals but also as chairman of the Kennedy Center board, the guy who will beautify medians in the District, and the head of a task force on the Summer Olympics. High-profile crimes do, of course, exist. But that heartbreaking reality, which local officials are in fact working to change, does not reflect overall trends post-Covid when crime in DC has gone down or the fact that there’s nothing simple about solving problems with multiple inputs and unpredictable outputs. When you’re trying to inject nuance into the debate, though, you’re on Trump’s turf, a place he dearly wants you to be. But just for the sake of acknowledging reality, here’s what the data do say. (AP) (Axios D.C.)
Okay, one more line break. Trump’s decision to take over the cops took local officials by surprise, with Mayor Muriel Bowser saying she would “work every day to make sure it’s not a complete disaster.” (WUSA9) The city’s police union supported the move, but said it should be temporary. Most other local leaders slammed it. (Fox5 DC) Some residents rallied near the White House during the press conference. (WUSA9) A man was killed in Logan Circle a few hours after the press conference, not far from the sites of two murders Trump cited during his talk. (Washington Post) This is the third time Trump has deployed the National Guard since he took office in January, “the latest in a series of moves by Trump to push the boundaries of how U.S. troops can be deployed in American territory.” (WSJ) The troops here won’t perform police functions but will support law enforcement officers. (NYT)
Administration perambulation: Trump named Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics after he fired the previous head following a poor jobs report. (Washington Post) He also delayed tariffs on China for another 90 days. (CNBC) Small businesses are trying to make plans to get through the tariffs. (NYT) He claimed he would go to Russia to meet its president, Vladimir Putin. In fact, he’ll head to Alaska. (NYT) The Congressional Budget Office said Trump’s tax law would “result in less income for the poorest Americans while sending money to the richest.” (AP) Harvard and the administration are close to a deal. (NYT) A deposition in Laura Loomer‘s suit against Bill Maher reveals her ambitions: A cushy job with the administration, a TV contract, perhaps heading a foundation. Also there was some discussion of roast beef. (The Bulwark) Former Trump friend Elon Musk accused Apple of “antitrust violations related to rankings of the Grok AI chatbot app.” (CNBC) The Supreme Court will take up a case that asks them to review the decision that allowed same-sex marriage in the US. (ABC News) Cheryl Hines has a new memoir. (WSJ)
See a meteor shower, by Daniella Byck
You can tease the sensation of a meteor hitting Earth during the peak of the annual Perseids meteor shower, the night of Tuesday, August 12, into Wednesday, August 13. The cosmic show has been taking place since mid-July and will continue through August 23, but tonight is the main event. According to NASA and the American Meteor Society, there are typically around 25 meteors an hour under dark skies throughout the shower. However, during the peak, that number can double or even triple. One thing to note: The moon will be 84 percent full tonight, so only the brightest meteors will be visible. Some timeless tips members of the National Capital Astronomers have shared with Washingtonian for past showers: get as far away from city lights (a dark park or field will do in a pinch) and plan to be awake past midnight through dawn.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Days before Trump’s announcement, DC’s attorney general warned area hospitals to prepare themselves for increased involuntary hospitalizations.
Local news links:
• Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church sued a New York-based chapter of the Proud Boys for trademark infringement. (WTOP) A reminder: The church won the group’s trademarks in court in February after Proud Boys destroyed Black Lives Matter signs there in during a December 2020 rally for Trump when he claimed falsely that he didn’t lose that year’s election to Joe Biden. (Washingtonian) The church has since repurposed the logo for merchandise. (Washingtonian)
• The Sierra Club fired former Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous “following extensive evaluation of his conduct.” (Politico)
• There was a mass fish kill in Four Mile Run over the weekend following a water main break. Fun fact: I kayaked in Four Mile Run this weekend, so that’s awesome. (ARLnow)
Tuesday’s event picks:
• “Play On” opens at Signature Theatre.
• The Jonas Brothers play Jiffy Lube Live.
See more picks for this week and 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. 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.
