Good morning. Hot and uncomfortably humid with a high around 91 and thunderstorms possible after 2 PM. Storm chances continue overnight with a low near 74. The Nationals will visit the Royals again this afternoon, and the Mystics will host the Golden State Valkyries 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:
Heaven Forbid, “Too Dumb.” These urban cowpokes make me want to order a nonalcoholic beer just so I can cry in it. Heaven Forbid will play on the rooftop of MLK Library this evening alongside Erasergirl and Home Remedies.
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:
Occupy DC: National Guard troops began to deploy in the District Tuesday, joining federal police from various agencies in patrolling the city, moves that President Trump claims are necessary to crack down on crime. A handful of Guard troops appeared at the Washington Monument for a couple of hours; an Army spokesperson said more troops would be stationed at other monuments and in Anacostia. (NYT) DC Mayor Muriel Bowser “pledged to work alongside the federal officials Trump has tasked with overseeing the city’s law enforcement, while insisting the police chief remained in charge of the department and its officers.” (AP) It’s not abundantly clear who’s in charge of the DC police, with little communication from the administration. Chief Pamela Smith “has been supplying ideas about how federal law enforcement could be used by D.C. — not the other way around.” (Washington Post) MAGA influencers continued to paint DC as a blood-soaked hellscape to bolster Trump’s position. (Washington Post) Here’s a fact-check of some of the lies, exaggerations, and misleading statements Trump and administration officials have deployed to describe the complex and very real problems of the District. (NYT) White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said homeless people in DC would face arrest if they didn’t accept addiction or mental health treatment. (Washington Examiner) Related: The administration is mulling a plan to establish a quick reaction force that could deploy to US cities where it declares similar emergencies. (Washington Post)
Content management systems: The administration “plans to conduct a far-reaching review of Smithsonian museum exhibitions, materials and operations ahead of America’s 250th anniversary to ensure the museums align with President Trump’s interpretation of American history.” (WSJ) The museums the White House will focus on: “the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.” (Washington Post) Meanwhile: Trump plans to announce the first class of Kennedy Center Honors recipients since he took over the institution. Staff there say they weren’t informed before his announcement. (NPR) Kiss, George Strait, and the actor Michael Crawford could get nods. (Washington Post) Serious question: Does anyone in the administration follow Paul Stanley on socials? (Guitar.com)
Attention economist: Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the previous head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after a jobs report that made him look bad. E.J. Antoni, his pick to replace her, said in an interview that the agency shouldn’t issue monthly reports. (Washington Post) Antoni “doesn’t appear to have published any formal academic research since his dissertation” and “Much of his commentary on the Heritage website praises Trump’s policies and economic record.” (WSJ) One economist documented times when Antoni “misinterpreted or mischaracterized economic statistics” on social media. (Slow Boring) National Review compiles a bunch of those incidents. (National Review) It’s called the dismal science for a reason: Trump also opined that Goldman Sachs should replace its top economist because he doesn’t like what the guy said about tariffs. (WSJ)
D’OH-GE: DOGE has claimed it’s saved taxpayers $52.8 billion, “but of the $32.7 billion in actual claimed contract savings that POLITICO could verify, DOGE’s savings over that period were closer to $1.4 billion.” (Politico) Sad trombone: A 4th Circuit appellate panel said DOGE could access sensitive data at OPM and the Treasury and Education departments. (Washington Post)
Administration perambulation: Inflation kept inflating, fueled by tariffs. (Washington Post) Trump whisperer Laura Loomer has set her sights on Stefanie Spear, a top aide to Health Secretary RFK Jr. Loomer says RFK Jr. is planning a presidential run in 2028, which a “senior HHS leader” didn’t deny. (Politico Playbook) CDC employees blame Trump and RFK Jr. for the rhetoric that apparently fueled the actions of a shooter at its Atlanta HQ—and note that Trump isn’t deploying troops there. (Washington Post) The Library of Congress will hand out paper copies of the US Constitution at tomorrow’s Live! At the Library event and at the National Book Festival after it says it inadvertently deleted portions of the Constitution from an online annotated version. (LOC/Instagram) Dana White says a UFC cage fight is likely to take place at the White House lawn on July 4, 2026. (WSJ)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• The Department of Agriculture spent $16,400 on banners that compare Trump favorably to Abraham Lincoln.
• Opus, Politics and Prose’s self-publishing service, has a waitlist of more than a year for aspiring authors, many of whom live in Northwest DC.
• Diosa opened Friday on 14th Street, offering Latin-flavored cocktails.
• The pleasures of estate sales.
• This wedding’s vision: “Whimsical overgrown-Japanese-garden dreamscape fresh out of a Studio Ghibli film.”
Local news links:
• George Washington University is the latest educational institution the White House has targeted, claiming it “failed to adequately address antisemitism on campus.” (Politico) The university says it will respond soon. (The Hatchet)
• Elliott Ferguson, president of local tourism booster Destination DC, is worried that Trump’s characterization of the District could lead to a drop in meetings and visits. (WBJ)
• Democrats in Virginia plan to reintroduce a measure to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day. (Virginia Mercury)
• Montgomery County mothballed a robotic cop that patrolled a parking lot after complaints from politicians. (Washington Post)
Wednesday’s event picks:
• The Arlington County Fair returns today through Sunday.
• Dance Institute of Washington will perform under a tent at Hillwood.
• Dance the night away at AfroTón.
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. 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.
