At last night’s Texas rally, President Trump offered some varying numbers on the size of the crowd. He told supporters that 10,000 were inside the venue, but the El Paso police say the figure was closer to 6,5000. As the Washington Post pointed out last fall, Trump has become increasingly unreliable with his crowd estimates.
Good Tuesday morning. I’m your author, Brittany Shepherd. Email me at bshepherd@washingtonian.com and follow me on Twitter. Sign one pal up for this newsletter here.
Something you may have missed: Staff from the GW Hatchet, the George Washington University student newspaper, found more than a dozen photos of students in blackface or KKK hoods in old yearbooks. One particularly unsettling photo is from a fraternity yearbook reenacting a slave trade.
What’s on my mind: Four years ago the Washington Post published an article listing the best places around town to cry. I shared this article on Twitter recently, and as one of my eagle-eyed followers pointed out, the story was written by a New York-based writer. I think it’s time to revamp this with suggestions from folks who actually live in the District. So where is the best place to cry around DC? Email me your responses! I’ll start: the benches outside the Capitol visitor’s center.
What we have cooking at Washingtonian:
- I love to watch the snow but I absolutely hate commuting in it. So am I part of the DC problem of residents being too sensitive? Congressman Peter Welch and reporter Arch Campbell debate it out.
- You can probably score a nice table at Maydan during the next snow day.
- Pat Collins finally gives us the lowdown on his stick.
- A look at the DC law firm retained by both Brett Kavanaugh and Justin Fairfax.
Our pick for things to do around town:
BOOKS Author and DC native Chris Wilson will talk about his memoir, The Master Plan: My Journey from Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose, at Politics & Prose at the Wharf. Convicted of murder at 18 and sentenced to life without parole, Wilson used his prison time to be as productive as he could, getting through his ongoing to-do list of reading, language-learning, and fitness sessions that he called his Master Plan. In his mid-30s, he petitioned a judge to reduce his sentence; now Wilson lives in Baltimore, where he runs a furniture restoration business and a construction company that employs returning citizens. Free, 7 PM.
Good reads:
Wedding expos want you to believe a great wedding ain’t cheap, and a perfect wedding is near unattainable. (The Atlantic)
Big events from Washingtonian:
Join me and Brad Jenkins, a veteran of both the Obama administration and Funny or Die’s DC office, for a discussion on what it’s like to work in the White House, how Americans get their information, how to make policy entertaining, and more! Listen: The bar will be open, the laughs will be plentiful, and the karaoke optional. This is a great opportunity to mingle with folks in the know. Plus you get to meet me, which is often a memorable experience. It’s happening on February 27. Get tickets here.
Brittany Shepherd covers the societal and cultural scene in political Washington. Before joining Washingtonian as a staff writer in 2018, Brittany was a White House Correspondent for Independent Journal Review. While she has lived in DC for a number of years now, she still yearns for the fresh Long Island bagels of home. Find her on Twitter, often prattling on about Frasier.
