Good morning. Sunny and hot again, with a high around 97 that heat index values could lift to 106. Thunderstorms this evening could be severe. A low near 67 overnight.
Sports this weekend: The Nationals host Seattle Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Mystics host the Toronto Tempo at CareFirst Arena on Friday and visit the New York Liberty on Sunday. Loudoun United FC host Rhode Island FC at Segra Field on Saturday.
On Sunday at noon, I’ll moderate a post-screening Q&A with Mark Becker and Aaron Schock at the DC/Dox festival showing of their terrific new documentary, “Amazing Live Sea Monkeys.” Otherwise, as usual, 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 available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.
I can’t stop listening to:
Orville Peck and Willie Nelson, “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.” The masked cowboy Peck brings his screwball act to Wolf Trap Sunday with support from Kaitlin Butts and August Ponthier.
Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
The war: Could an agreement to end President Trump‘s war in Iran really, actually be around the corner this time? After announcing on social media yesterday that the US would hit Iran “VERY HARD” Thursday night and claiming that US forces would take over Kharg Island—a great risk for American troops—and the country’s oil and gas operations in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump suddenly reversed course, saying a peace deal was nigh. (Washington Post) Trump has, of course, claimed an accord was just around the corner for months. Yesterday he complained that were Iran to surrender—as he claimed repeatedly it would, and has not yet done—he wouldn’t get credit from the “fake news.” Details on this new supposed breakthrough, meanwhile, remained scant. (AP) Iran said it hadn’t yet decided on whether to accept the framework. (Reuters)
So…what happened this time? Leaders of nations near the Gulf and in South Asia called Trump to try to talk him out of escalating the war, whose “ceasefire” has turned increasingly violent over the past weeks. The framework on the table appears to be “only an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. blockade on the vital waterway,” alongside plans to discuss Iran’s nuclear programs. The US could release billions in Iranian funds held in Qatar. (Politico) Senate Majority Leader John Thune said his chamber should “have a role” in any deal. Iran hawks in the GOP panned earlier reports of an agreement they felt “sounded weaker than former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear accord.” (Punchbowl News)
The new guy: Trump yielded to a widespread revolt over his choice of housing official Bill Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence, saying he’d nominate US Attorney for New York’s Southern District Jay Clayton to replace Tulsi Gabbard. Senate Democrats may go along with plans for a speedy confirmation “if only to push Mr. Pulte out of the acting role.” (NYT) Like Pulte, Clayton has no experience in intelligence. (MS Now) Meanwhile, some survivors of the deceased, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein said they’d oppose Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche to be attorney general. (CNN)
Kennedy Center thing keeps going: The Kennedy Center’s board appealed a court order to remove Trump’s name from the building by today. (Washington Post) Via telephone, Trump sat in on a board meeting yesterday where members he appointed “spoke positively about the president’s influence on the arts center.” (NYT) A camera set up to live-stream the removal of Trump’s name has turned a bit psychedelic this morning, but as far as I know it’s still up there. A PoPville reader spotted a KenCen shuttle bus with Trump’s name on it.
Administration perambulation: Someone marked grass near DC’s national World War II memorial with massive renderings of the numbers “86 47.” Authorities are investigating. (Washington Post) Trump wants to “expunge” his previous impeachments, which could impel “GOP lawmakers to relitigate charges of abuse of power, obstruction of Congress and inciting an insurrection.” (WSJ) The US Postal Service “has proposed a new rule that would allow it to refuse to deliver mail ballots in states that don’t turn over voter rolls to the federal government.” (NYT) Six states won’t send delegations to the Great American State Fair planned for the Mall this month. The event’s Trump-allied organizers said all states would be represented—if not by the states themselves, by a “a beloved state company or organization.” (NOTUS) The Pentagon was locked down for a spell yesterday after a malfunctioning sensor falsely indicated that anthrax was in the building. (CNN) Only 16 percent of Americans polled—and just 31 percent of Republicans—approve of Trump’s planned UFC cage match on the White House grounds this weekend. (Reuters) Mosquitos and gnats could be a real issue for the match’s fighters. (Axios D.C.)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Juneteenth approaches—here are 11 ways to celebrate the holiday around the area beginning this weekend.
• Kate Schecter of the international development organization World Neighbors looks back on her unusual experience as an American child who went to school in the Soviet Union.
• Beginning on Sunday, Snow Crane, headed by the chef Takeshi Nishikawa, will serve fancy Japanese ice cream during a six-week pop-up at Little Pearl on Capitol Hill.
• Sunday’s UFC fight at the White House will cause massive road closures. Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Local news links:
• Trump appeared to threaten DC Home Rule yesterday, saying his administration “maybe would take back Washington, run it on the federal basis” if Janeese Lewis George wins the District’s upcoming mayoral primary. He’d actually need Congress’s approval to do that. (Washington Post)
• Police in DC arrested three teenagers they say were involved in a viral brawl at a Navy Yard Chipotle last month. (WUSA9)
• Two women charged in the killing of Silver Spring resident Hilde Henderson were arrested in Ohio. One is Henderson’s daughter. (Bethesda Today)
• A falling tree killed a woman in Upper Marlboro. (DC News Now)
• A purse snatcher is on the loose in Leesburg. (DC News Now)
• How did Episcopal High School come to be host to Croatia’s World Cup squad? It all started when a school official was trying to get tickets. (WBJ)
Weekend event picks:
Friday: “CrazySexyCool,” a new musical about the group TLC, opens at Arena Stage.
Saturday: The Washington Blade’s “Pride on the Pier” event takes place at the Wharf.
Sunday: It’s the last day of the Vans Warped Tour at the RFK grounds.
There’s a lot going on this weekend. See many more picks 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.
