Good morning. A high around 86 today with showers possible this afternoon. Rain chances continue overnight with a low around 66. The Nationals are at the Braves 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:
Water From Your Eyes, “Life Signs.” The lovely vocals and jangly but also sort of math-rock guitars work so well on this Brooklyn band’s new LP, “It’s A Beautiful Place.” Water From Your Eyes plays the Atlantis tonight with Her New Knife and Aunt Katrina.
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:
Quack to the future: President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promoted “unproven and in some cases discredited ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism” at a rambling press conference yesterday. (AP) Trump, who struggled to pronounce “acetaminophen” during the event, “urged pregnant women to ‘tough it out’ when in pain.” (NYT) Trump also spoke about vaccines, saying, “’They pump so much stuff into those beautiful little babies. It’s a disgrace,’ he said. ‘It looks like they’re pumping into a horse. You have a little child, little fragile child, and you get a vat of 80 different vaccines, I guess, 80 different blends, and they pump it in.’” (NBC News) “Monday’s tableau was reminiscent of the last time Trump played the role of physician-in-chief” during the Covid pandemic, when he suggested that people might inject bleach. (WSJ) Experts are alarmed and dismayed. (NPR) Kenvue, which makes Tylenol, faces a “public relations nightmare.” (NYT)
Beyond compère: ABC will allow Jimmy Kimmel to return to work tonight, ending a nearly weeklong unplanned vacation for the late-night host following right-wing outrage over remarks he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Consumer pressure to reverse the decision ensued. (NYT) “Over 400 actors, musicians and film directors have signed an open letter organized by the American Civil Liberties Union” protesting the decision. (NPR) Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for the New York mayoralty, canceled a planned town hall with WABC scheduled for later this week, citing the decision. (AMNY) Maryland-based broadcasting giant Sinclair, which owns WJLA locally, said it would preempt Kimmel’s show. (CNN)
Shock and law: People inside the Department of Justice are “afraid,” advocates and former employees say, after Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute his enemies and fired a US Attorney in Virginia who couldn’t find enough evidence to make cases against James Comey and Letitia James. (NPR) Trump chose his lawyer Lindsey Halligan, an insurance lawyer by trade with no prosecutorial experience, to replace that prosecutor, Erik Siebert. “In a sign of how rushed the replacement process was, the internal Justice Department email announcing Ms. Halligan’s arrival misspelled her first name.” (NYT) Even without successful prosecutions, the burdens of such investigations are heavy on their targets. (Washington Post)
Administration perambulation: The US Supreme Court allowed the administration to fire FTC commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter while she challenges her dismissal. (NYT) It’s the latest victory for the administration at the nation’s highest court, which he reshaped during his first term in office. (NBC News) Trump plans to meet with Democratic leaders in Congress as a shutdown approaches. (Politico) The Wall Street Journal asked a federal court in Florida to dismiss Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit, which he filed after the paper reported he sent a letter to former pal Jeffrey Epstein where he drew a naked lady, wrote “may every day be another wonderful secret,” and signed his name in a manner to suggest pubic hair, which Trump denies. The Journal’s attorneys said the release of the documents in question, which were made in the early 2000s before Trump launched his political career, showed the article was correct. (Deadline) The administration “canceled grants for street safety measures, pedestrian trails and bike lanes in communities around the country this month, each time offering a simple rationale for yanking back federal aid: the projects aren’t designed for cars.” (Bloomberg) Tech execs decried the administration’s new visa fees, which “many saw it as a major blow to a sector that contributed millions to his re-election campaign.” (Reuters) Conspiracy theories about Kirk’s death are rocketing around the far-right, and FBI Director Kash Patel is “actively courting” people who spread conjecture. (The Bulwark) Let’s just enjoy this headline: “White House Denies Homan Took Bag of Cash in F.B.I. Inquiry” (NYT) Who really runs DHS: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, or “her de facto chief of staff, Corey Lewandowski”? (New York)
Start making plans for fall getaways, by Daniella Byck:
Monday marked the official start of fall, which means you’re legally obligated to put on a sweater and grab something pumpkin flavored—even if the weather doesn’t agree quite yet. According to Smoky Mountains’ Fall Foliage Prediction Map, the region will likely hit peak colors in late October, so now is the time to plan those leafy day trips and crisp weekend getaways. We’ve compiled great itineraries within a three hour drive of DC to help you make the most of fall, from scenic hiking and biking trail in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to the charming streets of Middleburg, where you can channel “Gilmore Girls” while strolling with a coffee in hand. Other destinations include Sperryville, an ideal base camp for adventures in Shenandoah Park, Charlottesville and its lovely surrounding wineries, and the towns of Garrett County, Maryland, featuring fun treehouse accommodations.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• US Representative Elise Stefanik listed her Capitol Hill townhouse for $2.195 million ahead of a potential run for governor in New York next year.
• Naja, a Lebanese restaurant that pays tribute to the whipped garlic sauce toum, has opened in the former Kirby Club space in the Mosaic District.
• The Seine is now open for swimming. Why aren’t the Potomac and the Anacostia?
Local news links:
• Jacob Samuel Winkler of DC was charged with aiming a laser pointer at Marine One when Trump was aboard the helicopter on Saturday. Winkler was “shirtless and loudly talking to himself” when authorities said the incident occurred. US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro said people who abuse laser pointers in such a manner “will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” (AP)
• The Trump administration vaporized more than 15,000 federal jobs in Maryland. It’s the “largest such decline in the country.” (Washington Post)
• The planned new neighborhood near the Commanders’ new stadium on the RFK campus “will take longer than expected, after a last-minute zoning tweak scrambled plans.” (Axios D.C.)
• “The U.S. Department of Transportation appears to have wrested control of retail and office leasing at Union Station from Amtrak.” (WBJ)
• Gary “Zeek” Dziekan, a DC firefighter, talked about being shot during an attempted robbery over the weekend. (WTOP)
• The former site of Carolina Restaurant in Columbia Heights could be redeveloped as multifamily housing. (WBJ)
Tuesday’s event picks:
• “Strategic Love Play,” “Succession” writer Miriam Battye‘s exploration of the absurdities of modern dating, opens at Signature Theatre.
• Harpist and composer Mary Lattimore kicks off Songbyrd Music House’s tenth anniversary showcase.
See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.
Know a local hero? Nominate them to join our next class of Washingtonians of the Year. We’re looking for anyone who makes our area a better place. Nominations are due by September 30.
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.
