Good morning. Rainy and humid today with thunderstorms possible after 2 PM and a high around 81. Rain chances continue overnight with a low near 64. The Nationals visit Cleveland this afternoon. 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:
Juan Manú, “Mi Ranchito.” The DC-based Latin folk artist is Strathmore’s artist-in-residence for May. He’ll play a set of original songs there 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 “is projecting confidence that he’s closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory.” (AP) The recent strikes against Iran seem unlikely to scotch negotiations. (WSJ) Iranian sources said the initial deal would gradually open the strait, and that “More difficult issues such as Iran’s nuclear program would be negotiated in a second phase.” (Reuters) That state of affairs would stop far short of the goals Trump declared for the war he started in February, and his social media posts over the weekend did not make anything clearer. (NBC News) Gulf states are in no rush to heed his demand that they join the Abraham Accords as a precondition for peace. (Politico) Iran’s leaders began to lift internet restrictions yesterday. (NYT)
Texas reign: Thanks to Trump’s last-minute endorsement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated US Senator John Cornyn in a Republican primary runoff election last night. (Politico) Paxton’s victory “was the latest example of the widening gulf between Trump’s grip on the GOP base and his sway with Senate Republicans in Washington.” (Punchbowl News) In Cornyn, Trump guaranteed himself another Republican with nothing to lose in the Senate for the rest of the year. (NYT) Paxton will face Democrat James Talarico in the general election. Other Texans who will lose seats include Democratic US Representative Al Green, who lost a primary to US Representative Christian Menefee and GOP US Representative Chip Roy, who gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for state attorney general. Democratic US Representative Julie Johnson lost to Colin Allred in a primary for Allred’s old seat.
The redistricting wars: South Carolina’s state senate effectively killed a push to redistrict the state’s lone Democratic-held congressional seat out of existence. (Post and Courier) A federal appeals court in Alabama temporarily blocked a GOP gerrymander. The state will appeal to the US Supreme Court. (Notus)
Administration perambulation: Federal workers could be forced to sign NDAs as the administration tries to crack down on leaks. (Washington Post) The FBI ousted Deputy Assistant Director Emily Morales. Morales was part of the team that investigated the 2017 shooting at a GOP congressional baseball practice in Alexandria. That investigation infuriated some Republicans when it didn’t designate the shooter as a domestic terrorist. (MS Now) The winning design for New York’s Penn Station doesn’t show it with Trump’s name on it—though his name will be engraved on a wall next to a presidential seal. (Gothamist) Trump appointed former US Attorney General Pam Bondi to an AI panel. (Axios) He may go to a Knicks game. (NYT) RFK Jr. handled some snakes at Dr. Oz‘s house. (USA Today)
A wine-country day trip, by Daniella Byck:
My most recent purchase? I’m so glad you asked. It’s a rhinestone tank top that says, “On My Diet Wine Is My Fruit.” It’s the kind of wardrobe staple that needs an official debut, so a weekend winery visit is in order. The lynchpin of this day trip is a visit to Bluemont Vineyard, which has beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy both the setting and a tasting flight. You could stop there, but the area offers options for additional things to do. It’s nearly strawberry season at Great Country Farms, less than five minutes from the vineyard. Soak up the sun during a pick-your-own session, and then head to the winery to toast a fruitful harvest under an umbrella. Or take a mini winery crawl and hop over to Good Spirit Farm, seven minutes from Bluemont. The family-owned winery has a relaxed vibe and often live music on Saturdays.
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Benny Peterson‘s new novel, “The Maidenheads,” is set in DC’s early-2000s music scene.
Local news links:
• A UFC arena is going up at the White House. (WTOP) FIFA will install a World Cup “fan zone” on the National Mall. (Axios D.C.)
• The Washington Post is looking to sublease some of its vacant office space, including an events center. (WBJ)
• The Scripps National Spelling Bee kicked off yesterday in Constitution Hall. Spellers are adjusting to the new venue. (AP)
• Montgomery County Public Schools will offer a $12K retirement incentive to eligible teachers ahead of budget cuts. (BethesdaToday)
• Hot dog news: Nationals hot dog hats are going for insane amounts of money on the secondary market. (PoPville) The Costco food court in Pentagon City will close for eight to ten weeks, severely limiting $1.50 lunch options in the neighborhood. (ARLnow)
Wednesday’s event picks:
• Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band play Nationals Park.
• US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut discusses his new book, “Crisis of the Common Good,” with Jonathan Capehart at Sixth and I.
• Watch “National Treasure” outdoors at Alethia Tanner Park.
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.
