Good morning. Sunny with a chance of showers after 5 PM and a high around 80 today. Showers likely and a thunderstorm is possible overnight, with a low around 66.
Weekend sports: The Capitals face Montreal at the CentreBell tonight and Sunday. They lead the Habs 2-0 in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Both games so far have been thrilling. The Nationals will host the Mets all weekend. The Washington Spirit will host Gotham FC at Audi Field Saturday afternoon. D.C. United will visit Philadelphia Saturday. Loudoun United FC will visit Lexington SC Saturday. Old Glory DC will visit the Houston Sabercats on Saturday. The DC Defenders will play the Arlington Renegades Sunday in what sounds like a local contest but will in fact require a trip to Texas if you wish to attend.
It’s WHCD weekend, if you care about such things. There are, reportedly, “no/low expectations” for this year’s event, which will feature neither the President nor a comedian. Here’s a list of events.
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:
Gang of Four, “I Love a Man in a Uniform.” This was one of the first “cool” songs I remember hearing on the radio as a young maggot, when the band stopped by WHFS and chatted with Weasel (I think? This memory is pretty old) about how this single had the misfortune of appearing around the time Britain went to war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Erstwhile Washingtonian Ted Leo has joined the influential postpunk band for their current tour, which arrives at the 9:30 Club tonight. I didn’t buy tickets in time so hmu if you have a spare!
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
Dirtysomething: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had a “dirty” internet line set up in the Pentagon so he could use Signal on a computer and avoid the Pentagon’s security protocols. (AP) Hegseth became agitated by leaks about a planned classified briefing for Elon Musk and threatened his subordinates with polygraph tests. “Pentagon officials said this week that they were no longer sure who they should be working with inside Hegseth’s team because of what one described as the ‘revolving door’ of staffers.” (WSJ) Hegseth’s former chief of staff, Joe Kasper, “who played a central role in a power struggle that gripped the Pentagon,” has left. (Politico) “The circle of top advisers in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s orbit has shrunk in recent days to little more than his wife, lawyer, and two lower-level officials.” (Politico)
Funnel vision: President Trump instructed the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue, a major source of campaign cash for Democrats. (NYT) Trump claimed ActBlue and similar platforms “have been willing participants in schemes to launder excessive and prohibited contributions to political candidates and committees.” (Washington Post) Meanwhile: “Buyers have poured tens of millions of dollars into President Donald Trump’s meme coin since his team advertised Wednesday that top purchasers could join Trump for an ‘intimate private dinner’ next month.” (Washington Post)
Branch dressing: A federal judge rejected parts of Trump’s executive order about voting, noting that “the Constitution gives the power to regulate federal elections to states and Congress — not the president.” (AP) The judge “also dinged the administration for making misrepresentations to court.” (TPM)
Annals of government efficiency: The Partnership for Public Services estimates that the actions of Musk’s DOGE project—”firings, re-hirings, lost productivity and paid leave of thousands of workers”—will cost taxpayers “upward of $135 billion this fiscal year.” (NYT) Trump took steps to fund 250 statues for his “National Garden of American Heroes,” which will include Elvis, Alex Trebek, and Andrew Jackson (NYT) Federal lawyers accidentally published a list of flaws in the administration’s case against congestion pricing in New York City. (Gothamist) They’re, uh, no longer on the case. (NYT)
Science Friday: The feds will “restore funding to the Women’s Health Initiative” after an outcry. (NYT) “The project has produced a series of important discoveries.” (NPR) Sethuraman Panchanathan, the director of the National Science Foundation, resigned early, saying, “I have done all I can.” (Science) HHS says it won’t compile an autism registry after all. (Stat)
Administration perambulation: Trump pardoned Michele Fiore, a Nevada politician “awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.” (AP) Trump announced he would sit for an interview with three journalists from the Atlantic, including Jeffrey Goldberg, who broke the Signalgate story after a Trump official mistakenly added him to a group chat where attack plans were discussed. (ABC News) A Labor Department official threatened staffers with criminal prosecution if they speak to the media. (ProPublica) Trump’s planning huge new flagpoles at the White House, which he says he’ll pay for. (AP) The President “is expected to have a ‘third-tier seat’ at Pope Francis’ funeral mass despite being among the first to confirm that he would be attending the service.” (Daily Mail)
See some grand houses in Georgetown this weekend:
Looking to glimpse some captivating architecture this weekend? The Georgetown House Tour is back for its 92nd year this Saturday and will spotlight seven historic houses, including one built in 1818 for John Cox, the former mayor of Georgetown. Most of these grand estates feature recent updates by local architects and designers, including Anne Decker, Dale Overmyer, and Christian Zapatka. Houses are open between 10 AM and 5 PM, and the tour begins at St. John’s Church. Tickets ($60 for advance purchase and available here) include access to a parish tea. —Eric Wills
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Our culture guide to the merry, merry month of May.
• Attention looky-loos: Four fun open houses this weekend.
• DCity Smokehouse’s new Anacostia location will feature a cocktail made with mumbo sauce.
• Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman‘s “Predator DC” series won them another lawsuit.
• Arlington will finally get a yak-meat restaurant. (Note: I apologize in advance if there are other places in the county to get yak meat when you’re out and about; Washingtonian Today’s Monday edition will include any necessary corrections.)
Local news links:
• Moody’s downgraded the District of Columbia’s bond rating, citing the administration’s efforts to tank the local economy. (Washington Post) Housing starts in DC have plummeted. (Bisnow)
• Police in Fairfax say they shot and killed a man Wednesday after he shot two police officers during a traffic stop. (Northern Virginia)
• The District closed its 50th illegal cannabis dispensary. (Axios D.C.)
• Loudoun County will rename two schools whose current namesakes have “connections to the Confederacy, slavery, or racial segregation.” (Northern Virginia)
Fun read: What happened to Jeff Bezos‘s conquest of Washington, DC? The tycoon saw that the rules of Washington had changed, Michael Schaffer writes. (Politico Magazine)
Weekend event picks:
Friday: See Colin Jost do standup at the Theater at MGM National Harbor.
Saturday: Cherchez les deals from boutiques, restaurants, galleries, and cafes at the annual Georgetown French Market.
Sunday: Take in the “Print Generation” exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art on its last day.
Bonus pick from me: The Main Street Chamber Orchestra will present Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Berryville on Saturday, joined by the Piedmont Singers and the Winchester Musica Vivia plus four soloists. There’ll be almost 100 people onstage! Tickets here.
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. 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.
