Good morning. Still awfully hot today, with a high of 97. Storms are likely in the afternoon—some could be severe— and then it cools way down to 60 overnight. The Nats host the Mets again. The Washington Spirit visit CF Pachuca in Mexico in a W Champions Cup semifinal. Staff writer Ike Allen here, filling in for Andrew today.
How well do you know DC? A new game from Washingtonian will be the judge of that. We launch Districted today. I did pretty well, so I think it’s great.
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I can’t stop listening to:
Beam Zillion and Jerry Russo, “Burn Ow!” Some really interesting pop from this DC project. Beam Zillion opens for Memorials tonight at Pie Shop.
Take Washingtonian Today with you! We keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
War news: Israel and the US initially had a secret plan to install hardline former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran’s new leader after a strike meant to free him from house arrest, but the attack injured him, and he has since disappeared. (NYT) Senator Bill Cassidy, fresh off a primary loss, switched his vote to side with Democrats in a push to limit Trump’s war powers, which may get a vote today or tomorrow in the House. (CBS News) Driven by the inflation caused by the Iran War, US Treasury yields have surged to their highest levels since 2007. (CNN)
Audit-immune: The IRS is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons, or the Trump organization, as part of a settlement deal with the DOJ resolving its $10 billion lawsuit against the agency. (NPR) Can someone really be “forever immune” from audits? Tax experts say the provision may be illegal. (NYT)
Endorsement rush: Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican often willing to challenge Trump, lost his House primary in Kentucky last night to a Trump-endorsed challenger. (AP) Another Trump enemy, Brad Raffensperger, failed to make it to a runoff in the Republican primary for Georgia governor. (Politico) Last night signaled how much the president’s endorsements still matter to Republicans which means things don’t look great for Texas Senator John Cornyn, who Trump spurned yesterday in favor of a last-minute Truth Social endorsement of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton. Republican Senators are livid about the endorsement, (NYT) and Democrats are feeling hopeful about the chances for their nominee, James Talarico. (NOTUS)
Administration perambulation: Senate Republicans expect the $1 billion in Secret Service funding for Trump’s White House ballroom to be eliminated. (Punchbowl News) Meanwhile, Trump called a lengthy impromptu press conference yesterday to show off the ballroom construction site. (The Independent) He now says it will be a “shield” protecting a military hospital and research facilities. (ABC News) Transportation secretary Sean Duffy’s road trip reality show in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday certainly sounds like fun for him, but lawmakers had serious ethical questions. (Politico) David Schutzenhofer, the guy who manages Trump’s Bedminster, NJ golf club helped plan the renovation of the Reflecting Pool. (NYT) JD Vance claimed that the DOJ is investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar over immigration fraud, saying “it certainly seems like something fishy is there.” (CBS News) Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, an intelligence official and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s daughter-in-law, is stepping down from two administration posts over the Iran War. (Washington Post) Trump signed an executive order requiring banks to scrutinize their clients’ citizenship status. (AP) The Pentagon will shrink the pool of military assets available to NATO during a crisis or war. (Reuters) Researchers found prescription rates of an unapproved treatment for autism skyrocketed after Trump and RFK Jr. recommended it. (Gizmodo)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
•What might be next for Muriel Bowser? Here’s what DC’s six past mayors have gotten up to after leaving office.
•A Miami-born donut chain with creative flavors comes to Georgetown.
• Five of the saddest DC restaurant closures in recent years.
Local news links:
•City Cast DC conducted the first citywide poll of the mayor’s race. It shows Janeese Lewis George ahead by five points among registered democrats. Robert White has a 17-point lead over Brooke Pinto in the race for congressional delegate. Seventy-six percent of respondents said the cost of living is “very important” for the next mayor to focus on; only 56% said standing up to Trump was “very important.” (City Cast DC)
•Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger plans to veto a bill that would create a legalized marijuana marketplace in the state. (WTOP)
•Complaints against the MPD rose by 25% during the federal surge last year. (Washington Post)
•A Southwest Airlines pilot bought pizza for all of his passengers during a delay at Reagan National airport. (Fox 5)
•The Navy Yard Chipotle, the site of a brawl last weekend, has quickly become a prop in the mayor’s race— Kenyan McDuffie held a press conference there yesterday (WUSA 9)
•The man accused of throwing a keg through Georgetown Cupcake’s window seems to have vandalized another M Street business in April. (WUSA 9)
•A political fight over data centers could lead to Virginia’s first-ever state government shutdown. (NBC 4)
•Police want help finding a person who stalked children while wearing a Pink Panther costume and cowboy boots in Fredericksburg. (WTOP)
•A Buc-ee’s travel center might be coming to I-95 in Stafford County. (DC News Now)
•Neighbors still smell sewage four months after the Potomac River spill. (NBC 4)
Wednesday’s event picks:
• This month’s NMWA Nights features dancing, tattoos, and art-making activities.
• “The Gardener” shows at Miracle Theatre.
• Capital Harvest on the Plaza is back downtown.
See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.
Ike Allen covers politics, food, culture, and transportation in DC and writes the monthly Hidden Eats column for the magazine. He grew up in DC.
