Good morning. Sunny with a high of 66 today and a low of 40 overnight. The Wizards are at Toronto this evening, and perhaps lightning will strike twice? Alex Ovechkin scored against Seattle yesterday and is now nine goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address at the bottom of this post.
I can’t stop listening to:
The Jam, “Monday.” No need to overthink it: The first Monday of Daylight Saving Time is a rough one!
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
It’s shutdown week. The government is funded through Friday. Republicans released a continuing resolution this weekend that would largely fund the government at its current, Biden-era levels through late September. President Trump supports the legislation, saying the party should “Fight for another day.” (Washington Post) If the measure passes the House, it will need eight Democratic votes in the Senate. (Politico) The bill could lead to a billion dollars in cuts to the District’s budget. (Washington Post)
See you at Recessions? The president didn’t rule out a recession during an interview yesterday, saying his policies may require a “period of transition.” (Washington Post)
Ready, willing, and maple: Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, said his country would continue its retaliatory tariffs on the US “until the Americans show us respect.” (NYT) Bob Ezrin, who produced Kiss’s 1976 classic album “Destroyer,” renounced his US citizenship. (CBC)
DOGE fight: Trump hopes to mediate the simmering dispute between Steve Bannon and Elon Musk, a fight that “encapsulates a key tension at the heart of Mr. Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.” (NYT) Trump’s apparent curbs on Musk “reflect how Trump is not immune to political, economic or diplomatic pressure. (Washington Post) Musk’s freeze on government credit cards has “in some corners resembled a government shutdown, federal workers said in interviews.” (Washington Post)
• Trump’s war on law firms he sees as enemies has Big Law spooked. (WSJ)
• Immigration authorities arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist, “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.” (NYT)
The best thing I ate last week, by Ann Limpert
Nha Trang, the venerable Eden Center restaurant, has been drawing fans with its pho, banh mi, and caramel clay pots for over two decades. In late January, the family behind it launched an Old Town sibling: a narrow dining room called Saigon Rolls (606 King St.). While I loved the rich pho and grilled-beef banh mi that I tried, I suggest taking a cue from the place’s name, and getting the shatteringly crunchy spring rolls in some form. Order them served as an appetizer with a heap of fresh herbs and tangy nuac cham, or sliced atop cool vermicelli with grilled pork.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• The swanky Sixty Hotel coming to Dupont Circle will feature a Mediterranean restaurant and a cocktail bar.
• The hypnotic effect of JD Vance‘s swollen face in memes.
• Get some local doughnuts.
• It sure looks like a Trump crackdown is coming to transportation in the area.
• Coffee with sprinkles and “Weird Salad”: A salute to Monica Lewinsky‘s bonkers diet.
Local news links:
• DC crews will begin to remove the mural from Black Lives Matter Plaza today. (via Allison Papson) “I just wish that it could stay, but the president wants it to go.” (WUSA9) People made special trips to say goodbye to the site this weekend. (WTOP)
• Travelers at Dulles may have been exposed to measles. (Washington Post)
• The District joined a lawsuit filed by attorneys general (AsG?) from other states about the mass firings of government workers. (NPR)
• People protested Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center. (NBC4 Washington)
• A skyscraper in Alexandria? It could happen. (WBJ)
• Congratulations to the Washington Informer on its 60th anniversary. (NBC4 Washington)
• Trump and Musk’s attacks on federal workers are causing sleepless nights in DC. (Washington Post)
Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s here.
Forward!
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.