Good morning. We’re likely to have rain on and off all day, with a high around 89. A flood watch is in effect until 11 AM. Storm chances continue into the early evening, then partly cloudy with a low near 74. Loudoun United play D.C. United in a “DMV Derby”—that’s pronounced “darby” on the island my wife comes from—at Audi Field. The Nationals play Philadelphia again tonight.
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I can’t stop listening to:
Bark Culture, “Palace.” This Philly trio features Victor Vieira-Branco, Joey Sullivan, and John Moran; they play Rhizome tonight with DC’s We All Witness, which promises to explore “the fusion of horror music and jazz.” Sounds like a cool night out!
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 Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they struck a Saudi ship with missiles in the Red Sea yesterday, where another ship sank after being attacked by a boat carrying explosives. In the Strait of Hormuz, a cargo ship was hit by a projectile. (AP) Eight ships made it through the strait yesterday. (Reuters) The US has used almost all of its precision long-range missiles since President Trump started a war against Iran in February. Details about the dwindling stockpile have sparked “tense conversations” within the administration about how this war could “limit the military’s ability to respond to crises elsewhere.” (Reuters)
The talks: Trump said the US, Iran, and Oman could announce yet another deal to reopen the strait today. This proposed agreement would “meet some of Iran’s demands for greater control over traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — control it didn’t have before the war.” (Axios) Iran has turned control of the strait into a “nonnegotiable red line.” (WSJ) “There are few signs that Mr. Trump’s months of dealing with Iran’s regime have given him a clearer understanding of it.” (NYT)
Pool daze: US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro brought boxes of evidence and documents to the White House Monday for a high-stakes, reality-TV-style showdown between herself, the President, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whom she accused of “misleading the president.” (NYT) Attorneys for David Hearn, the Olympic canoeist Pirro and Burgum had accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool’s lining, wrote in court filings that prosecutors defied “both decency and common sense” when indicting their client before they “obtained or evaluated the information necessary to establish a good-faith basis for the charge.” (AP) They want the case against him dismissed with prejudice. (NBC News) The botched case against Hearn is only the most recent time Pirro has “given up on a long-shot prosecution demanded by Trump.” (Politico)
Administration perambulation: Trump has lately become fixated on construction of a helipad at the White House, ordering changes that led workers to dismantle a “100-foot-wide granite presidential seal.” (Washington Post) The FAA is investigating an incident yesterday when Marine One shared the skies over DC with a commercial flight to Pensacola. Trump was en route to California for a fundraiser at the time. (WSJ) Authorities in California arrested a man outside Trump’s LA golf resort Sunday, saying he appeared to be scoping out security precautions there and had a “loaded weapon in his vehicle.” (AP) US Senator Susan Collins of Maine said she’d oppose Todd Blanche‘s bid to become the US’s permanent attorney general. (Axios) But Blanche picked up support from John Curtis of Utah and is now “just one vote shy of securing confirmation.” (Politico) The Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $150 million contract to defend children in immigration court to a Texas firm with 26 employees. None of its attorneys “list immigration law as an area of expertise.” (Politico) The State Department revoked Brazil’s ambassador’s visa, part of an escalating spat. (AP) Trump pushed senators to allow permanent Daylight Saving Time. (Politico)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Sunday was the 20th anniversary of Robert Wone‘s still-unsolved murder. His estate recently moved against two of the housemates in the Swann Street house where he died, saying they’ve defaulted on payments they agreed to make as part of a civil settlement.
Local news links:
Virginia primaries: Bert Mizusawa won the Republican nomination and will face US Senator Mark Warner in the fall. (ABC News) US Representative Don Beyer easily won the Democratic nomination in his district. (Alexandria Brief) Matt de Ferranti made short work of the county board race in Arlington. (ARLnow) Tom Perriello won the Democratic nomination for the Charlottesville-area Fifth District, and more results are in. (VPM)
• The US will spend $1.4 billion to keep National Guard troops milling about in DC until the end of Trump’s term. (NOTUS)
• Amazon will give up on a plan to build data centers at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant following “fierce voter pushback” in recent Calvert County primaries. (Maryland Matters)
• WMATA says crime is down on the system. (NBC4 Washington)
• Virginia reported its first locally transmitted case of dengue fever. Authorities believe the victim was bitten by a mosquito that had previously bitten someone who traveled internationally. (Washington Post)
• Alexandria’s new floating kayak launch went on a little paddle of its own during storms on Sunday. The Four Mile Run Conservancy’s president promised to “get it back pretty quickly.” (ALXnow)
• An Arlington woman sued a Tesla dealership, saying it gave her a vehicle set to “insane mode” for a 2024 test drive, causing her to crash into a Crystal City salon. (ARLnow)
• A tree fell on a house in Fort Washington. (DC News Now)
• A man riding an electric unicycle away from an early-morning screening of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” in Georgetown interrupted an attempted sexual assault. (NBC4 Washington)
• A bear was seen in Northwest DC on Saturday. (PoPville)
Okay, let’s talk about the goat: A man with a goat was detained outside the Navy Yard Metro station Saturday—not because he rode a train with the animal, authorities say, but because he was being sought in a different investigation. (Axios D.C.) The goat’s name is Lil Bob. The man’s name is Kyrie Givens. He walks the goat around town to “spread positivity.” Metro honcho Randy Clarke stressed yesterday that goats are not allowed on Metro. (Washington Post) Givens and Lil Bob were out for a walk the other night. (@leylaaa31/X)
Wednesday’s event picks:
• Enjoy some jazz/go-go fusion, take in an exhibit about textile art, and have food and drinks at Hillwood After Hours.
• The South Korean jazz artist Maria Kim performs at Woolly Mammoth.
• It’s “Wordplay Wednesday” at Planet Word.
See more picks for this week 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.
