Good morning. Some patchy fog this morning, then partly sunny today with a high around 69. A low near 49 overnight. The Capitals host Philadelphia tonight, the Wizards visit Cleveland, and D.C. United visits Toronto.
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I can’t stop listening to
Buck Forty Nine, “What’s That Smell?” These area cowpokes pay tribute to a common local fragrance in this tune; they play VFW Post 350 in Takoma Park tonight.
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
President Trump took the US to war against Iran eight months ago today, promising a swift victory. Instead, the war has become mired in stalemate, cost taxpayers more than $48 billion, and widened to other countries in the region—and many Republicans fear its economic effects will shape voters’ choices next week’s midterm elections. The change to cheaper winter-blend gasoline held down fuel prices a bit in the US last week, but consumers are still paying an average of $4.24 a gallon. (AAA) Trump is now “leaning toward a large postelection attack that could target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites.” (WSJ) Mediators from Qatar gave Tehran a new peace proposal Sunday. (Reuters) Oil prices rose yesterday after the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked Saudi Arabia’s biggest refinery. (CNBC) Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said yesterday that he hadn’t seen evidence that Iran has tried to fix or rebuild its nuclear facilities since the war began. (AP)
Court bouillon
A grand jury in DC refused to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. The botched prosecution of Hutchinson, who “testified that Trump urged his supporters to march on the Capitol” on January 6, 2021, “despite knowing they were armed,” was another extraordinary failure for the Department of Justice in its pursuit of the President’s perceived enemies. (Washington Post) A federal judge in DC dismissed a new charge DOJ brought against two former FBI officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who “have been targets of withering criticism from allies” of the President. (NBC News) An FBI agent testified yesterday that FBI Director Kash Patel encouraged the investigation, which changed to one about the truthfulness of their testimony to Congress after an investigation into whether China helped Joe Biden defeat Trump in 2020 fell apart. (NYT) In Los Angeles, a judge said Bill Essayli was “unlawfully serving as a ‘de facto’ United States Attorney.” (AP) And elsewhere in California, a different judge “expressed skepticism about the Trump administration’s effort to force California to set aside some 20,000 mail ballots that the federal government claimed were sent to noncitizens.” (NYT) Related: Federal agents “raided a Beverly Hills mansion connected to” former US Representative Eric Swalwell yesterday. (Washington Sun)
Midterms mélange
Larry Sabato‘s Crystal Ball predicts that “Democrats have the inside track to a Senate majority.” (Center for Politics) GOP lawmakers in the Senate “see Iowa moving their way and Ohio slipping, with pessimism growing over Alaska and Kansas.” (Axios) Health Secretary RFK Jr. hit the campaign trail, where on Monday he made the easily disproven claims that Muslims “don’t win the Nobel Prize” and “don’t produce literature.” (NYT) Hackers attacked the Federal Election Commission’s website this week. (Reuters) US Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a Republican, endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins in the state’s gubernatorial race. (Alaska Public Media) Brent Taylor, the GOP nominee for a US House seat in Tennessee, acknowledged that he “has sent unsolicited nude photos as recently as 2021.” (Nashville Scene) The news has “rattled” the race, which Taylor is favored to win. (NYT)
Administration perambulation
The US will grant a visa to Flávio Bolsonaro, who reportedly fled Brazil after he lost the country’s presidential contest. (AP) The administration plans to roll back Biden-era “regulations meant to reduce emissions of methane.” (Washington Sun) The White House “is exploring a new concession to Russia: lifting sanctions on the country’s flagship government investment fund.” (NYT) Neil Young once again sued Trump for using his tune “Rockin’ in the Free World” without permission. (Washington Sun)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com
• Rick McCormack, an early designer of Cheesecake Factory restaurants, talks about the chain’s abrupt entry into the culture wars.
• The DC Bird Alliance says its members, too, will be affected by President Trump’s plans for a golf course renovation at East Potomac Park.
• The cozy Buck’s Wine Bar has opened next to Buck’s Fishing & Camping, but you should probably check its Instagram account before you head over.
• Just four embassies will welcome trick-or-treaters this year.
• Dupont Circle’s “Barcode House” is for sale. Take a peek inside.
Local news links
• Robert White, DC’s likely next delegate to Congress, hopes the DC Council will quickly change an obscure law that renders him ineligible for the position. That seems unlikely, and he may have to resign from the council before next Tuesday. (City Cast DC) “I’m not going to jeopardize going into Congress,” White said. (Washington Sun)
• Prince George’s County officially approved the Sphere. (Axios D.C.)
• A Camp Springs elementary school will close after dozens of students and staffers reported “influenza-like and gastroenteritis-like symptoms.” (WTOP)
• Kenny Monroe won last night’s 17th Street High Heel Race. (DC News Now)
• Yesterday, the Trump-pardoned January 6 rioter Bryan Betancur was found not guilty in Arlington of touching a woman’s hair on the Silver Line. Betancur was convicted of a similar incident in the District, where he faces a separate stalking charge. (ABC 7)
• Waymo is mapping Arlington’s streets. Best of luck with that one, robot. (ARLnow)
• DC Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled a statue of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson at the now officially former Dave Thomas Circle. (NBC4 Washington)
• The University of Maryland named Aazarr Abdul-Rahim as the interim head coach of its football program. (WUSA9)
• Caps star Alex Ovechkin is in a scoring slump, and data shows that “at least for now, the Capitals are a better team when Ovechkin is on the bench rather than on the ice.” (Athletic)
• It’s your annual chance to name a DC snowplow. But don’t worry if a name you hate gets chosen instead—you may never see it, har har. (WUSA9)
Things to Do
• The family festival PumpkinPalooza—where you can pick up a gourd and pet an alpaca—rises over Alethia Tanner Park.
• There’s a pet costume contest at this evening’s Spooky Block Party at the Stacks.
See more fun ideas for the 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.
