Good morning. Sunny with a high around 78 today. A low near 54 overnight. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.
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I can’t stop listening to:
Hamilton Leithauser, ”Burn the Boats.” The DC native plays My Body My Festival, an event that benefits the DC Abortion Fund, tonight at 9:30, where he’ll share the stage with Yaya Bey, Nourished by Time, Bartees Strange, and Deakin.
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: Iran appears to have launched missiles and drones against Kuwait this morning. (AP) The strikes followed more skirmishes between Iran and the US on Wednesday. The US shot down four drones it said Iran fired at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz and attacked a station on the ground that a senior US official said was about to launch another attack. (Axios)
Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? President Trump‘s war in Iran began three months ago today, and an agreement to end the conflict remains elusive. Asked about a report that Iran and Oman were discussing operating the strait and charging tolls as part of a peace deal, Trump threatened to bomb Oman. (Politico) He also mused that Iran was trying to outlast him by keeping the pressure on before elections this fall. “I don’t care about the midterms,” Trump said. (ABC News) A gulf between the US and Iranian positions on $12 billion in Iranian funds that are frozen in foreign banks suggests that “Tehran and Washington are far apart on a peace agreement.” (NYT)
The cost: The price of oil rose and stocks trended lower globally amid the dust-ups. (AP) The average price of a gallon of gas in the US is $4.426. (AAA) Meanwhile: Trump didn’t visit 14 US soldiers who were injured during the war when he went to Walter Reed Tuesday. (CBS News) The White House is “pursuing funding deals with a group of drone companies,” including one associated with Donald Trump Jr. (WSJ)
The revenge tour continues: The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, who has successfully sought millions in civil judgments from Trump over a sexual assault that he denies and a subsequent defamation claim. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who as Trump’s personal lawyer defended the President, has recused himself from the matter. (CNN) CBS News declined to renew the contract of Sharyn Alfonsi, a journalist who reported on torture in Salvadoran prisons to which the administration had deported Venezuelan men. (NYT) On Capitol Hill, Trump’s successful defenestration of US Senator John Cornyn of Texas in a primary Tuesday has rankled Republican senators, who are “questioning why they should bend constantly to Mr. Trump.” (NYT)
Construction criticism: The National Park Service found that the administration is overpaying a Virginia firm Trump tapped to paint the bottom of the Reflecting Pool with a blue substance. (NYT) NPS is using money from fees paid by visitors to national parks to fund Trump’s “beautification” projects in DC. (NYT) Congressional Democrats introduced long-shot legislation they hope will block construction of Trump’s planned Triumphal Arch near Arlington Cemetery. (Washington Post)
Administration perambulation: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said his department was “drawing up plans” to end the processing of international flights at airports in so-called “sanctuary cities.” (Hill) The Pentagon has everything in place for an assault on Cuba and is waiting for Trump to order one. (Politico) The White House ” has quietly instructed federal prosecutors in Miami to avoid pursuing criminal investigations into Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez.” (AP) Thirty-five former federal judges asked the judge in the matter of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS to reopen the case. (NYT) California Governor Gavin Newsom vowed to levy a 100 percent tax on any funds Golden State residents received from the nearly $2 billion slush fund Trump negotiated with himself to end the matter. (Politico) A company run by Elliott Broidy, whom Trump pardoned in 2021, has received a $106 million contract to use AI to monitor prisoners’ phone calls. (Guardian) Federal prosecutors say former CIA officer David Rush squirreled away 300 gold bars that belong to the US in his home and lied about his credentials. (NBC News) The White House posted a tribute to Harambe. (White House/X)
Hidden Eats, by Ike Allen:
It may not be the most hidden of eats, but I’m feeling a little concerned that not enough people know about Chaatwala in Herndon. I recently revisited this Bollywood-themed strip mall spot, which is among the very best emporia of vegetarian Indian street food in the DC area. What happens to chickpeas in this place is something very special. Try whatever else you like, but get either the stuffed chole kulcha (curried chickpeas tucked into puffy bread pockets softer than any Martin’s potato bun) or the chole bhature (savory chickpeas scooped up with pieces of gigantic air-filled fry bread). (1050 Elden St., Herndon, Virginia)
Take Hidden Eats with you! Our new map will show you which out-of-the-way mom-and-pop eateries Ike has highlighted near you.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Amid bullying from GOP colleagues and criticism from some on the left, US Representative Sarah McBride of Delaware wants to “fight for a politics of grace.” A profile of the first trans congresswoman by Sylvie McNamara.
• Here’s how you can get tickets to the new museum under the Lincoln Memorial when it opens next month.
Local news links:
• DC paid contractors $1 million to “manually watch for fire” for nearly a year at the Marion Barry Building while it repaired the facility’s automatic system. (WCP)
• Waymo has begun to map streets in Northern Virginia, a terrifying sign that robot cars could soon operate in the commonwealth. (Wired)
• A pregnant Ghanaian woman has been detained at Dulles for more than a week, lawyers at the ACLU say. (WUSA9)
• American University President Jonathan Alger will step down next month. David Marchick will be the school’s interim president. (WTOP)
• A Forestville bank robbery suspect “walked directly inside and at one point appeared to look straight into surveillance cameras,” police in Prince George’s County say. (Fox 5)
• Alexandria police say Sharon Lee embezzled $4.5 million from Invictus International Consulting, her former employer. (ABC 7)
• Police in Arlington charged Cristobal Vasquez Sanchez with the assault of a woman in a parking garage on Columbia Pike on Friday. (ARLnow)
• Police in Montgomery County arrested Terrance Brainell Williams of Silver Spring in the shooting death of Quentin Tyrone Davis at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center earlier this month. (WUSA9)
• 14-year-old Zwe Spacetime of Fort Washington has advanced to the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He made it to the round by correctly spelling the word “palosapis.” (DC News Now)
• Sweetgreen will debut its take on a drive-thru in McLean. (WBJ)
• A baby porcupine was born to mother Beatrix and father Quillbur last week at Smithsonian’s National Zoo. (WTOP)
Thursday’s event picks:
• José Andrés discusses his new book, “Spain My Way,” at the Lincoln Theatre.
• David Wallace-Wells leads a conversation about environmentalism and Jewish identity at the Edlavitch DCJCC.
• Nil Bosca dances “Euphrate” at La Maison Française.
See 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.
