Photo illustration by Emma Spainhoward with photograph by Getty Images.
Good morning. Sunny, with a high around 60 and even more flippin’ wind. A low around 52 tonight. The Capitals are at Carolina tonight. Alexander Ovechkin scored against Boston last night and is now four goals away from Wayne Gretzky‘s record. The Nationals are at Toronto, and the Wizards host Sacramento. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.
It’s down to the wire! Vote now in our first-date-bar bracket.
I can’t stop listening to:
Marvin Gaye, “Piece of Clay.” It’s Marvin Gaye’s birthday, so I dug out the DC legend’s posthumous 2019 release “You’re the Man,” the socially conscious follow-up LP to “What’s Going On” that Motown declined to release in 1972. Yep, holds up.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
A rare good morning for Democrats: Elon Musk‘s attempts to influence a judicial election in Wisconsin ended in a major faceplant last night—voters resoundingly chose Susan Crawford over his preferred candidate, Brad Schimel. (Washington Post) People Who Know Things viewed that election, and two special elections in Florida, as early referenda on President Trump’s second term, and they see warning signs. (Politico) Musk’s super PAC yanked ads that showed one of the winners of his $1 million giveaway saying she got the money for voting. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
A bad day for public health agencies: Thousands of workers lost their jobs yesterday as Trump slashed health agencies’ headcount. (CNN) Many CDC employees lost their jobs. (Stat) “A sense of havoc descended on agencies that oversee food and drug safety, manage the nation’s response to infectious-disease threats and drive biomedical research.” (Washington Post) “The way people are finding out whether they are RIF’d this morning is to go through this very long process to get to the building and to go through security, and then badge-in at the main atrium. If their badge doesn’t work, they are corralled in front of everyone to wait for an escort to their office to pick up their things.” (Federal News Network) Some fired workers were directed to contact someone who died last year. (Washington Post)
A big day for Trump’s tariff plans: He plans to announce a big package of trade levies in the Rose Garden this afternoon. (Washington Post) The planned tariffs have some of the President’s allies “privately squirming.” (Politico) What will the market think? (WSJ)
Doge days of April: A US dstrict judge allowed DOGE to transfer the United States Institute of Peace’s building to the federal government. The government says it needs the office space. (Wired) Agencies are “offering buyouts and eliminating entire offices as the Trump administration’s deadline to downsize approaches.” (NYT) How did Musk learn about a supposed planned arrest of someone for Social Security fraud? (ABC News)
Remember Signalgate? Probably not; it happened last week. Anyway, national security adviser Mike Waltz, who kicked that whole thing off by inadvertently adding Atlantic Editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a military-planning group chat, and his staff apparently use Gmail to conduct government business. (Washington Post)
More targets: The administration cut funding to Princeton. (NBC News) Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (the firm that hired Doug Emhoff) cut a deal with the administration. (Politico) “We’ll pay you more than Denmark does”: The government is pricing out how much it would cost for the US to take over Greenland. (Washington Post)
See a man about a hoarse: US Senator Cory Booker spoke for more than 25 hours on the Senate floor, breaking a previous record. (Axios) Booker ended his speech by tearfully invoking John Lewis: “He said he had to do something.” (AP) Booker stopped eating and drinking water over the weekend to prepare for his marathon speech. (Manu Raju)
• US Senator Adam Schiff plans to put a hold on Ed Martin‘s nomination to be the US Attorney for DC. (CBS News) Martin is currently “pursuing an inquiry into whether former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was competent to pardon his family members and others during his final days in office.” (NYT) Sort of related: Hunter Biden lost his license to practice law in DC. (New York Post)
One great watch, by Rob Brunner
Photograph by Jessica Brooks via Netflix.
“The Residence” (Netflix)
I’m a bit surprised by how much I’m enjoying this goofy locked-room mystery, which is set inside the White House. On top of the sharply funny writing and Uzo Aduba‘s perfectly dry delivery, it’s also an engaging look at the behind-the-scenes workings of the White House, with accurate details mined from Kate Andersen Brower‘s book on the subject.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• It’s the beginning of the month, which means it’s Hot List time: Read about the ten restaurants our food team is excited about right now.
• Albi got a makeover, and chef Michael Rafidi is leaning in to his Palestinian heritage.
• Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde spoke with us about what it means to love your neighbors.
• What you need to know about the anti-Trump march planned for Saturday.
Local news links:
• The DC Council voted to make it easier to hold secret meetings. (Washington Post) Just two members voted against the bill. (Axios D.C.)
• Monday night’s storm killed peak bloom. (Capital Weather Gang)
• The Center for Public Integrity is shutting down. (CJR)
• The Julia’s Empanadas shop in Dupont Circle has closed. (PoPville)
• Buzz Williams is Maryland’s new men’s basketball coach. (Baltimore Banner)
• Alexandria’s Trevor Russell won a Neal Augenstein impression contest. (WTOP)
• Poppy the baby hippo made her outdoor public debut in Richmond. (Washington Post)
• Obama photobombed a family by the Tidal Basin. (NBC 4 Washington)
Wednesday’s event picks:
• Larissa FastHorse‘s new play Fake It Until You Make Itopens at Arena Stage.
• The Bonnie Hammerschlag National Capital New Play Festival begins at Round House Theatre.
• The Disney film Wish shows at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library in Alexandria.
See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.
Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s here.
Thanks for everything, Val Kilmer.
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.