Good morning. Sunny with more freaking gusty winds and a high near 49. A low around 31 overnight—I object, your honor! The Dodgers are at the Nationals this evening, and the Wizards are at Indianapolis. 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:
Kylie Minogue, “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” Beyond this song’s pandemic-level catchiness, I appreciate that Minogue drives a de Tomaso Mangusta in the video. “Mangusta” means “mongoose” in Italian, and the model was supposedly named such after a failed merger with Carroll Shelby, who made a car called the Cobra, and a mongoose is not afraid of a cobra. Minogue, who plays Capital One Arena tonight, is probably not scared of cobras either.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
Index fun: It was another wild day on Wall Street, where an index informally known as the fear gauge “rose to levels last seen during the pandemic-induced sell-off in March 2020.” (NYT). President Trump warned people freaked out by his tariffs not to be “Panicans.” (The Hill) A bogus post on X about Trump pausing tariffs briefly caused a market rally. (CNN) The President threatened China with even more tariffs. China says it plans to “fight to the end.” (AP) Republicans are getting nervous. (Politico) More GOP senators signed on to a bill that would make it harder for Trump to impose tariffs. (The Hill) Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick‘s attempts to run point on tariffs with business leaders are not going great. (WSJ) Elon Musk tried to convince Trump not to impose tariffs, but it didn’t work. (Washington Post) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tried to convince Trump to reveal his endgame on tariffs. (Politico) Foreign governments want to negotiate. (NYT) People are hurriedly upgrading their iPhones before tariffs hit. (WSJ) Trump staffers “feel like everything is going according to plan.” (Politico)
Supreme thwart: Chief Justice John Roberts said the administration didn’t need to meet a midnight deadline to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Maryland from El Salvador, where the administration admitted it deported him in error. (AP) The full Supreme Court handed Trump a win in the matter of Venezuelan migrants the administration deported under the Alien Enemies Act, but it also said people the administration hopes to deport must get notice and hearings first. (NYT) “I’m struggling to see exactly how this SCOTUS ruling is a win for the White House.” (Kyle Cheney) Attorney Amir Makled, a US citizen who represents someone arrested at a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Michigan, was detained at Detroit Metro Airport over the weekend. (Detroit Free Press)
Fluoride man: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants the CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water. (NBC News) RFK Jr.’s supporters in the MAHA movement are upset that he recommended getting vaccinated against measles. (The Bulwark)
Marshal law: Elon Musk‘s relationship with the US Marshal Service is getting weird. (Mother Jones) Liz Oyer, the pardon attorney the administration fired from the Justice Department in March, told the US Congress the department sent “armed deputy marshals to her house to deliver her a letter warning her against testifying.” (AP)
Administration perambulation: The administration plans to roll back several of President Biden‘s gun-contr0l measures. (NYT) A court ordered the reinstatement of the heads of the Merit Systems Protection Board and the National Labor Relations Board. (NYT) The law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft appears to be the next in Trump’s sights. (NYT) Trump plans an executive order that would ” support the struggling coal industry.” (Politico) The National Park Service bowdlerized a web page about the Underground Railroad. (Washington Post) It restored the page after the Post’s story. (Washington Post)
The best first date bar in DC, by Daniella Byck
UConn and Florida aren’t the only new champions in our midst. The winner of Washingtonian’s best first date bar bracket is Jane Jane on 14th Street, Northwest, which was crowned by reader vote. The snug cocktail spot was the decisive champ, clinching 59 percent of votes in a victory over Bar Charley. However, Jane Jane had to overcome a tough competitor to get there: the bar faced off against All Souls in the Final Four, beating out the Shaw spot by a mere nine votes. All 16 bars in the bracket are great destinations for a first date, whether you’re looking for games (Board Room, Players Club), wine (Bar a Vin, the Eastern), or a pretty patio (Calico).
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• RFK Jr. bought a place in Georgetown.
• The DC Bar said it wouldn’t investigate an ethics complaint about interim US Attorney Ed Martin.
• Tech workers at the Washington Post formed a union.
• Alex Ovechkin celebrated his historic goal at Balos Estiatorio in Dupont Circle. Plus: A roundup of celebrities who congratulated him.
• Speaking of Balos, founders Stefanos Vouvoudakis, Joe Ragonese, and Tom Tsiplakos will open Bar Angie in the West End on Friday.
• A visit to George Mason University’s “body farm.”
Local news links:
Trump parade watch: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the feds would have to pay for damage from tanks—and test whether the 14th Street Bridge can support tanks—if Trump wants to go ahead with a military parade on his birthday. (District Links) The White House says no parade is on the schedule yet, though local leaders say the administration met with them about it. (Politico)
• At least two dozen DC cops are under investigation for allegedly taking out bogus PPP loans during the pandemic. (Washington Post)
• A DC man was found guilty of aggravated assault after shooting someone in an argument over a leaf blower. (WUSA9)
• Why has it taken a quarter of a century to redevelop a parking lot in DC’s Takoma neighborhood? The answer has to do with a “small number of vocal neighbors.” (Washington Post)
• Office space for Voice of America hit the market. (WBJ)
• Area man hides cash around the area. (Washington Post)
• Horse spotted on U Street. (PoPville)
Tuesday’s event picks:
• Volunteer at the Arc Farm.
• Adopt or foster a dog at Prince George’s County Animal Shelter.
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.
Happy birthday, Mom!
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.
