Good morning. Light snow is possible this morning, then another day with gusty winds that will make the nominal high of 40 feel lower. Cold overnight, with a low near 27 and another chance of flurries in the wee hours. The Capitals host the Rangers tonight. The Wizards visit Milwaukee. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.
Congrats on just about making it through 2025. Not the easiest of years! As rough as things have been around DC over the last 12 months, I’m grateful that you allowed me to share it with you. Let’s toast tonight to a better 2026. Here’s our roundup of NYE parties.
Washingtonian Today will be off until Monday, and Kate Corliss will write it all that week. I’ll be back with you on January 12. This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
Land of 10,000 takes: The Health and Human Services Department froze child care funding to Minnesota yesterday amid accusations of fraud and an online furor kicked off by a right wing influencer. (Politico) Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill demanded the state’s governor, Tim Walz, conduct an audit of “centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis.” President Trump has called Somalis “garbage.” (AP) This seems to be part of what’s going on? (MPR) Meanwhile: ICE accused Politico reporter Josh Gerstein of “inciting violence against federal agents” after he tweeted that “the amateur effort to knock on doors of home daycares intersects with robust stand-your-ground laws.” (The Hill)
Epstein, Epstein, Epstein: The Justice Department needs 400 more lawyers to help it sort through more than 5 million pages of files regarding the disgraced, deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein. DOJ was supposed to have completed the work by December 19; it now says it should be done later next month. (NYT) Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club sent employees of its spa to Epstein’s mansion “for years” despite warnings among staffers—a practice that ended “after an 18-year-old beautician returned to the club from a house call to Epstein and reported to managers that he had pressured her for sex.” (WSJ)
Administration perambulation: Top DOJ officials pushed for an indictment of Kilmar Abrego García after the administration mistakenly deported the Maryland resident. ICE said yesterday it wouldn’t attempt to detain Abrego García again unless a judge lifted an order forbidding such a move. (AP) A DHS official complained about Abrego García’s TikTok account. (WUSA9) A federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked the administration’s plan to end temporary protected status for people from South Sudan. (AP) A federal judge in DC ordered the administration to continue funding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (NYT) Trump vetoed a federal drinking water project in Colorado, apparently “retaliation against Colorado for keeping his ally Tina Peters in prison.” The project is in US Representative Lauren Boebert‘s district. (KUSA) Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, somehow avoided an FBI background check after agents reportedly “recorded him accepting $50,000 in cash in exchange for what they believed was Homan’s vow to help get border enforcement contracts.” (MS Now) The curious persistence of Paul Ingrassia‘s career “demonstrates how ideological affinity and personal loyalty can outweigh all other considerations in this administration.” (Politico) Measles cases hit a 30-year high this year. (Axios) Former US Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona said he had been diagnosed with dementia. (Fox News) Former US Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado died Tuesday. He was 92. (AP) Trump tweeted a photo of a dead falcon and claimed it was a dead bald eagle. (The Guardian)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Dirt-cheap martini happy hours: Yes! Half-baked food halls: No! Here’s our food team’s annual list of what they loved and hated about dining in the DC area this year.
• Here’s a roundup of this year’s biggest local food news.
• Is the H Street Corridor turning into Little Nepal?
• Trump’s semiquincentennial organization will light up the Washington Monument this week.
• Here are seven great ski destinations an easy drive from town.
• Details were important at this dreamy summer wedding.
Local news links:
• Virginia State Police say someone they suspect of driving a stolen car rammed one trooper’s vehicle and that another followed her into Howard County, where she was arrested after crashing the car and fleeing on foot. (ALXnow)
• The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office says a group of men linked to Romanian organized crime engaged in a copper-wire-theft scheme. (WTOP)
• The Uptown Theatre appears to be for lease. (PoPville) Flashback: Artechouse’s owners had planned…something at the historic venue. (Washingtonian)
• Perhaps you, too, are curious how good a job Arlington’s sidewalk robots did? (ARLnow)
• RIP Richard Smallwood. The DC-raised gospel star was 77. (WUSA9)
A few New Year’s Eve event picks:
• Swing into 2026 at the Black Cat’s big band soiree.
• Raheem DeVaughn plays the Bethesda Theater.
• The Seldom Scene plays the Birchmere.
• The Flaming Lips play the Anthem with local hero Bartees Strange.
See many more picks for NYE and beyond from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.
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.
