Good morning. A day of rain and storms awaits, with a high around 86. Storms continue into tonight, with a low near 69. The Mystics host the Connecticut Sun at CareFirst Arena this evening. The Nationals play host to the Blue Jays again tonight.
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I can’t stop listening to:
Cruz Beckham and the Breakers, “For Your Love.” You may have spotted Beckham’s dad on TV once or twice during the recent World Cup; his band plays nicely fuzzed-out pop, and you can catch them tonight at the Atlantis.
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: The US’s war with Iran began five months ago today. Mediators in the region said they’d made headway in coaxing the sides back to the table to negotiate an end to renewed fighting, which President Trump paused over the weekend. (AP) Iran said it had turned back six ships from the Strait of Hormuz, and Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones fired by Iranian-backed groups in Iraq. (Reuters) Iran and Oman are working on a proposal that would reopen the strait and, mediators hope, “juice talks” between the US and Iran. (WSJ) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, in town for Lindsey Graham‘s funeral today, will meet with Trump at the White House. (AP) Some of Trump’s allies on the right worry that “he’s about to pitch the president on ramping up attacks.” (Politico)
At home: Only one in three Americans supports the war, according to a new poll. (Reuters) It is “unclear whether Mr. Trump can expect better results through more negotiations.” (NYT) Oil prices fell due to the pause in fighting. (CNBC) The average price of a gallon of gas in the US retreated. (AAA) Here’s a timeline of the war so far, as well as Trump’s shifting goals for it. (NYT)
The economy: Trump visited Michigan yesterday to try to convince voters there they’d ultimately benefit from his economic policies. (NYT) He told people there, “I’ve done more for you than your parents.” (NOTUS) The Federal Reserve is likely to keep interest rates as they are. (CNBC) Canadian travel to the US has declined sharply during Trump’s second term. (Axios) Some small businesses in the US are challenging Trump’s new tariff regime. (Axios) Democrats plan to stress affordability during the upcoming midterm elections. (Politico)
Immigration: The administration moved to make a dramatic change toward how immigration officers review asylum cases that “could lead to the deportations of thousands.” (LAT) Office of Homeland Security Statistics chief Marc Rosenblum resigned, citing the “war on immigrants, the war on feds, and the war on facts” he perceives in the administration. (Wired) A couple who returned to Guatemala from Missouri after the US deported one of them were “found bound and shot to death in a sugarcane field.” (STLPR)
Administration perambulation: Graham’s death has “rattled the president,” who has “returned repeatedly to the loss, publicly marveling at how someone so active could be gone.” (Washington Post) The feds’ only grand jury witness in their case against local Olympic canoeist David Hearn, whom the government has accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool, “testified that the area was already damaged and would have required repairs regardless.” (NBC News) Trump asked the Supreme Court to affirm an executive order that would “restrict the delivery of mail-in ballots in states that don’t hand over a list of eligible voters.” (Politico) The President is pressuring Health Secretary RFK Jr. to “Do more to reduce the number of shots that federal guidelines recommend for children.” (WSJ) Jay Clayton is expected to be confirmed by the Senate as the next director of national intelligence this evening. (Politico) US Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky released a new photo of him recovering from a fall and said doctors have not yet cleared him to return to work. His absence has “complicated matters for his party in the Senate.” (NYT) Attorneys for former FBI Director James Comey asked a court to dismiss his Trump-ordered prosecution over a photo of seashells, citing “common sense.” (NBC News)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• A Silver Spring company will release 600,000 mosquitos in backyards across the District and Maryland this summer. Don’t picket its HQ! The bugs are male, which means they don’t bite, and they carry bacteria that works to sterilize their female counterparts.
Local news links:
• A spokesperson for the billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin says rare documents he loaned to an exhibit in the Lincoln Memorial’s new museum are fine after experiencing high temperatures while on display. (City Cast DC)
• Police in Loudoun County say Mia Bieniemy, the wife of Kansas Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, was shot by their son Elijah Bieniemy at their Virginia home. (ESPN)
• Carla Hall and MRP Realty have pulled out of the redevelopment project at the Frank D. Reeves Municipal Center in DC (extremely local angle: my favorite place to park for Black Cat shows), and Dave Chappelle didn’t comment on a planned comedy club there. (WBJ)
• A profile of Sandy Weiswasser, a Kennedy Center tour guide who’s still showing off the arts complex despite it becoming something of a zombie operation. (NYT)
• A man was stabbed in Northwest DC during rush hour yesterday evening. (Fox 5)
• The Commanders cut loose TE coach Ben Steele, who was arrested “on suspicion of driving while intoxicated last month.” (AP) The Nationals traded third baseman Curtis Mead to Boston in exchange for pitcher Connelly Early. (WUSA9)
• Maryland authorities are on the hunt for more rabid beavers after one bit a teenage boy at Cunningham Falls State Park over the weekend. (WUSA9)
Tuesday’s event picks:
• The Mubadala DC Open continues.
• A fortnightly jigsaw puzzle competition challenges teams at Red Bear Brewing.
See more picks for this week and weekend 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.
