Good morning. Drizzle greets you this morning, then a mostly cloudy day with a high around 69. A low near 55 overnight. The Capitals will host Tampa Bay this evening. DC Power FC will face Sporting Club Jacksonville at Audi Field.
Thanks for reading Washingtonian Today. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.
I can’t stop listening to:
Bret McKenzie, “All I Need.” The “Flight of the Conchords” star and part-time elf has a swell new album that recalls ’70s hazy pop. He’ll play the Miracle Theatre 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:
Shutshow: The White House plans to find ways to fund federal law enforcement officers and the WIC program, moves that indicate the administration is settling in for a long shutdown. We’re on Day 14. (Punchbowl News) People serving in the US Coast Guard will also get paid, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. (NBC News) Meanwhile, President Trump’s layoffs, which he made to try to pressure Democrats to come to a deal, continue to wreak havoc: The CDC rehired about half the people laid off over the weekend, but hundreds of others are out of work, “including analysts responsible for monitoring and protecting the United States from biological, chemical and nuclear threats.” (Washington Post) Some air traffic controllers, a group of people already in short supply before the shutdown, are calling in sick rather than working without pay. (Government Executive) NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will lay off hundreds of people today. (Reuters) Layoffs will slash the Department of Education’s workforce by “nearly a fifth and leave it reduced by more than half its size when President Donald Trump took office.” (ABC News)
The messaging battle: Congress is exactly nowhere on fixing the mess. There’s no sign that any Democrats in the Senate will defect. (Politico) House Speaker Mike Johnson called the Obamacare subsidies that will expire soon—a sticking point for Democrats—a “boondoggle.” (NBC News) But some Republicans are quietly looking for ways to make a deal, as long as Trump buys in. (Politico) Seven airports declined to show a video to travelers that shows Noem blaming Democrats for travel delays, citing the increasingly quaint Hatch Act. (Washington Post) Democrats face a daunting messaging deficit: While more Americans blame Republicans for the shutdown, polls show they still trust Republicans more on economic issues. (Politico)
Discontent-agon: A group of news outlets—including the Washington Post, the Atlantic, and even Newsmax—said yesterday that they would not sign a pledge to report only on information that the Pentagon okays for release. They’ll have to vacate the building tomorrow if no one blinks. (Washington Post) Even Fox News, which once employed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, appears likely to oppose the policy. (Status) The Pentagon Press Association says most of its members “seem likely to hand over their badges.” (NYT) Meanwhile: Hegseth undeployed Texas National Guard troops who appeared a bit stout in a viral photo. (Daily Beast)
Victory trap: Trump celebrated a ceasefire he helped broker in Gaza and prisoner swap that saw all living Israeli hostages released yesterday. Now comes the hard part: Making the peace last. (AP) Trump’s declaration that a “dawn of a new Middle East” had arrived faces a reckoning: “ The Middle East is a graveyard for ambitious plans.” (WSJ)
Administration perambulation: ICE agents ticketed a Chicago man who’s in the US legally for not carrying his immigration papers with him. A law requiring foreign nationals to carry such documents was “rarely enforced” before Trump’s second term. (Chicago Tribune) Ambulance crews in Portland say federal agents have blocked their vehicles and, in one case, threatened to shoot a driver. (Willamette Week) Federal tactics in immigration arrests are “becoming more violent.” (NPR) Trump donors marketed an AI conference they planned as an official US Treasury event, a move that “ startled ethics experts.” The conference branding changed after reporters called. (WSJ) Trump’s meandering approach on China tariffs reflects dueling imperatives: His need to present tough talk, and the fact that such bluster freaks out businesses and markets. (NYT) The White House plans a $500 million drone program ahead of next year’s World Cup. (Politico)
Museums you can still visit, by Daniella Byck:
If this shutdown is an hourglass, then the sand officially stopped flowing for the Smithsonian Institution on Sunday. Whether you’re suddenly forced to replan a weekend with visitors or just a local who loves meandering around the city’s museums, you’ll have to find other places to soak in history and culture. But fret not, we’ve put together a list of alternate locations for the curious mind.
Can’t go to the National Air and Space Museum? Hop on the Green Line to visit the College Park Aviation Museum, which has a variety of airplanes and scale models next to the oldest continuously operating airport in the world. Don’t wilt if you can’t see the orchid collection at the National Botanic Garden: Marjorie Merriweather Post loved the funky flowers, and you check out a wide variety in the greenhouse at her former residence, Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Garden. While the artifacts at the National Museum of American History are currently out of view, you can splice together a few museums for a look at our nation’s past. Scope out cool innovations at the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria, explore America’s architectural history at the National Building Museum, learn about our 16th President at President Lincoln’s Cottage, and chat with holograms at the American Dream Experience. Here’s our full list of museum swaps during the shutdown.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Baek Ban is a stellar Korean restaurant in a Chantilly strip mall.
• “The Voice” gave DC singer Kenny Iko a new shot at stardom.
Local news links:
• Last night’s Commanders-Bears game ended in heartbreak for Washington after a late fumble by Jayden Daniels gave Chicago the opportunity to snatch a victory. (Washington Post)
• DC, Maryland, and Virginia are in recession or close to it, economist Mark Zandi says. (Axios)
• DC Mayor Muriel Bowser may sit out another reelection bid. (WAMU)
• Marc Maron traveled to DC to interview a local resident for his final podcast. (NBC News)
• José Andrés’s restaurants will offer free lunches to feds during the shutdown. (José Andrés Group/Instagram)
• Betting markets now favor Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in his reelection contest with embattled Democratic candidate Jay Jones. (Axios Richmond)
Tuesday’s event pick:
• Ravyn Lenae plays the first of three shows at 9:30.
See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.
We’re seeking nominations for our 500 Most Influential People list. Get ’em to us by December 5!
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.
