Photo illustration by Emma Spainhoward with photograph by Getty Images.
Good morning. Foggy early, then cloudy today with a high around 53. A low near 40 overnight. The Capitals host Edmonton tonight, and the Wizards visit Minnesota. 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:
Jake Shimabukuro, “Ave Maria.” Ukulele virtuoso Shimabukuro is terrific live, and if his “Holidays in Hawai’i” tour doesn’t get your bells a-jingling, nothing will. Shimabukuroplays the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center 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:
Bone saws and harmony: President Trump was all smiles when he hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House last night—until a reporter asked about the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which US intelligence assessed Mohammed ordered. “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about. Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said, adding that “You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.” (Washington Post) Trump “heaped praise and state-dinner-style honors upon the crown prince,” whose thugs dismembered Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi regime, with a bone saw. (NYT) The President engaged in more press criticism during the event, attacking ABC reporter Mary Bruce for asking about Khashoggi’s murder and allegations of Saudi support for the 9/11 hijackers. It’s the second time Trump has lashed out at a female journalist in recent days; he barked “Quiet, piggy” at Bloomberg News reporter Catherine Lucey when she asked him whether there was anything in the government’s Jeffrey Epstein files that might incriminate him. (AP)
And then it was time for dinner. Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Cristiano Ronaldo were among those who lined up to pay tribute to Mohammed at a dinner Trump threw for the prince. (NYT) Elon Musk slunk back in, too, months after his relationship with Trump imploded publicly and he tweeted that Trump “is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.” (The Hill)
Speaking of which: Congress voted overwhelmingly to send a bill to Trump that directs the US government to release its files on Epstein. Trump, who could order the files’ release without any legislation, has said he’ll sign it. (NYT) The only member of the House who voted against the release was US Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana, a figure “no stranger to controversy.” (AP) What’s that quacking sound? (CNN) A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds Trump’s approval at 38 percent, his lowest during this term, “with Americans unhappy about his handling of the high cost of living” and how he’s handled the Epstein issue. (Reuters) Here’s what’s next for the government’s documents about Epstein. (WSJ)
Annals of rake-stepping: Federal judges in El Paso blocked Texas’s partisan redistricting plan, potentially thwarting Trump’s plans to maintain Republican control of the House during next year’s midterm elections. Texas plans to appeal to the US Supreme Court. (AP) California voters approved a similar gerrymander that favors Democrats, and it “now looks like Trump and House GOP leaders may have been better off not doing anything at all.” (Punchbowl News) Republicans are suing to stop the California plan, but their case has a problem. (Slate) But: If the Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act, as appears likely, Southern states could redistrict aggressively in favor of Republicans. (Politico)
Administration perambulation: Trump “has signed off on C.I.A. plans for covert measures inside Venezuela.” (NYT) The President’s campaign to dismantle the Department of Education is moving along. (Washington Post) Trump won’t consider extending Covid-era subsidies for Obamacare plans, which are likely doomed. (NBC News) The Office of Personnel Management plans to consider civil servants’ loyalty to Trump “as grounds for stripping tens of thousands of federal employees of their civil service protections.” (Government Executive) Trump’s lawsuit against CNN went kerblooey. (CNN) An ICE employee was arrested in a sting of men who allegedly sought sex from a teenager. The immigration staffer announced, “I’m ICE, boys,” when arrested, police in Minnesota say. He got collared anyway. (CBS News)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• DC restaurants’ star power stagnated at an event last night where Michelin announced the starred and Bib Gourmand eateries in town. Shaw’s Your Only Friend and Bloomingdale’s PhoXotic are now Bib Gourmand selections.
• Mirai has opened downtown, bringing omakase, ramen, and robata to the Square.
• Here’s where you can get a festive tea this season.
Local news links:
• The White House agreed to pause its plans to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white while a judge considers a lawsuit. (Josh Gerstein/Bluesky)
• Metro rolled out its tap-to-pay program on buses yesterday. (Washington Post)
• The NTSB found that errors by police with the Maryland Transportation Authority led to the deaths of construction workers when a ship hit the Key Bridge last March. (DC News Now)
• Police charged a 17-year-old with shooting five people at Howard’s Homecoming celebration last month. A student was among the victims and was paralyzed. (WTOP)
• A former employee of DC’s Department of Employment Services has sued, saying she was fired after she reported a superior for allegedly creating a toxic work environment. (WCP)
• Recreational weed sales in Virginia could start as early as next fall. (Virginia Mercury)
• A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a train in Germantown yesterday. (BethesdaToday)
• Three people were hospitalized after a driver crashed a car into a Hip Hop Chicken and Fish in Hyattsville. (WUSA9)
• A massive home addition in Fairfax’s Greenbriar neighborhood has tongues a-waggin’ and county officials involved. (Northern Virginia Magazine)
• Next Tuesday will be an extremely challenging day for Thanksgiving travel. (Axios D.C.)
• Does our region have…another rather fancy bird? (Reddit) Flashback: Alexandria’s social-media-famous Lahore pigeon has a new home. (Washingtonian)
Wednesday’s event pick:
• Tonight’s edition of NMWA Nights will explore the exhibit “Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, 1600-1750” at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
See more picks for this week from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.
Senior editor
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.