BREAKING: Pope Francis died Monday at 88. (Vatican News) His 12-year papacy was defined by his attempts to make the Catholic Church more inclusive, as well as his battles with traditionalists. (NYT) The pope met with Vice President JD Vance in Rome on Sunday, and he made a public appearance, overseeing the delivery of a message at St. Peter’s Square afterward: “I appeal to all those in positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear.” (Washington Post) A funeral and then a conclave will follow. (NYT) Francis appointed most of the cardinals who will vote for his successor, but “it’s far from clear whether Francis’ chosen cardinals will act as a unified bloc.” (WSJ) Photos from his life. (The Guardian)
Good morning. Cloudy with a high near 76 this Easter Monday and a low around 63 overnight, with scattered showers possible. The Capitals host Montreal tonight in Game 1 of the playoffs. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is now available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.
I can’t stop listening to:
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, “White Elephant.” I have heard from friends who’ve seen Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on their current tour that this lysergic, profane, quasi-gospel tune from the 2021 album “Carnage,” is particularly powerful live. Cave and the Bad Seeds play the Anthem tonight.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
• President Trump celebrated Easter with a message that revived his claims that he won the 2020 election, which he lost, and called his predecessor a “highly destructive Moron.” (Daily Beast)
Pete in the hot seat: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared information about a March attack on Yemen in a Signal chat that included his wife, his brother, and his lawyer. It’s “the latest in a series of developments that have put his management and judgment under scrutiny.” (NYT) John Ullyot, a former DOD spokesperson (yes, he’s the guy who defended the agency’s removal of an article about Jackie Robinson, then got sidelined after the uproar), wrote an opinion piece for Politico that said the Pentagon is in “total chaos” under Hegseth’s leadership. (Politico Magazine) “The remarkable accusations by a former official — who left only two days ago and insists he still supports the Trump administration’s national security policies — underscores the infighting and upheaval that has turned increasingly public in recent weeks.” (Politico) Following unflattering press reports, “Hegseth began to lash out and grew suspicious that senior military officials, as well as some of his closest advisers, were leaking to undermine him.” (CNN) Related: Employees at the General Services Administration shared sensitive and sometimes classified information with thousands of government employees during both this administration and President Biden‘s. (Washington Post)
Abrego García latest: US Senator Chris Van Hollen said the Trump administration was “outright defying” court orders to facilitate the return of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego García from El Salvador, where the US mistakenly deported him. (NYT) Van Hollen achieved a “full Ginsburg”with his blitz of Sunday shows. (Politico Playbook) “The mild-mannered Maryland senator has suddenly emerged as a leading figure in the resistance to Donald Trump’s norm-busting presidency.” (AP) Four more Democratic lawmakers arrived in El Salvador. (NYT) Thousands of people rallied in DC Sunday in support of Abrego García’s return. (WUSA 9)
Administration perambulation: A draft order proposes radical changes to the State Department. (NYT) Janette Nesheiwat, Trump’s Surgeon General nominee, reportedly has “over at least the last 15 years falsely represented or obfuscated facts about her medical education, board certifications, and military service.” (The Last Campaign) A federal judge in Boston ruled against the administration in a case about whether it could misidentify the gender of six people. (NYT) EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said cuts to the agency won’t affect environmental safety. (The Hill) A White House letter that set off a confrontation with Harvard University was apparently sent in error. (NYT) The administration plans to cut $1 billion more in funding to Harvard. (WSJ) Elon Musk‘s DOGE project met with leadership of the National Gallery of Art last week. (City Lab)
The best thing I ate recently, by Ann Limpert
I’m late to the Joia Burger party. The snug—but bright and airy—burger shop, owned by Purple Patch chef Patrice Clearly, opened over a year ago in Mount Pleasant (a second location, in Glover Park, debuted a couple weeks ago). But my loss, because Cleary makes a perfect smash burger, with crisp, lacy edges of American cheese and a genius topping: a chop-up of onion, pickle, lettuce, and tomato bound in special sauce, so each bite delivers a little of everything. Smashies are about the sum of their parts—the beef doesn’t need to shine the way it does in say, a steakhouse burger—but still, Cleary uses American wagyu for Joia’s patties. And the fries there are pretty great, too. (3213 Mount Pleasant St., NW; 2414 Wisconsin Ave., NW.)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Here are the winners of our 2025 Washington Women in Journalism Awards: Vivian Salama, Margaret Brennan, Francesca Chambers, and Elisabeth Bumiller.
• Step aside, cherry blossoms: It’s tulips’ time now.
Local news links:
• The Kennedy Center laid off at least a half-dozen employees Friday “as the Trump administration continues to strengthen its control of the institution.” (NYT)
• Ryan Lizza has left Politico. He plans to launch a new Substack-based publication called Telos, and Oliver Darcy reports he’ll “publish a major piece this week, which is said to be part memoir and part investigative.” (Status News)
• Virginia reported its first measles case. (Washington Post)
• Annapolis residents, some of them Naval Academy alums, have launched a project to make books banned by the Trump administration available once again to students at the academy. (Washington Post)
• Police in Prince George’s County shot a man suspected in a knife attack. He died later. (Washington Post)
• Capital One will acquire Discover. (WBJ)
• The owner of Moorenko’s Ice Cream is looking for someone to take over her shops. (WTOP)
Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s here. Enter our Cutest Dog Contest here.
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.
