Photo illustration by Emma Spainhoward with photograph by Getty Images.
Good morning. We’ll warm up to a high around 77 today under sunny skies. Mostly clear overnight, with a low near 60. 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:
John Williams, “Binary Sunset.” AFI Silver will show the entire original trilogy of “Star Wars” films today. May the Fourth be with you!
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:
Their day in escort: The US told ships in the Persian Gulf to transit the Strait of Hormuz in waters that belong to Oman. It’s part of a lightly explained initiative President Trump announced over the weekend to “escort” ships through the waters, which Iran has essentially closed since Trump started a war with Iran over two months ago. (AP) The escort service “doesn’t currently involve U.S. Navy warships escorting vessels through the strait,” and oil traders were skeptical about the plan. (WSJ) Iranian state media “characterized the announcement as part of ‘Trump’s delirium’” and one official said, “Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.” (NYT) Iran sent, via intermediaries in Pakistan, a 14-point proposal for a peace deal. Trump “expressed skepticism it would lead to a deal.” (AP)
Meanwhile, at home: 76 percent of Americans now disapprove of Trump’s job on the economy, and his disapproval rating has reached 62 percent, a record high. (Washington Post) The average price of a gallon of gas in the US is now $4.457. That’s up more than 30 cents over a week ago. (AAA) The administration has already “exhausted many of the policy levers the federal government can use to mitigate surging gas prices, and the options that remain carry other economic and political risks for the president.” (Washington Post) The dollar has weakened under Trump, something that will quietly raise prices for consumers. (AP) Carmakers said that rising costs of commodities due to the war could “cut vehicle discounts and raise prices” if the situation in the Gulf drags on. (FT)
The prosecutions: Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said people who promote the phrase “86 47” won’t be prosecuted. The feds indicted former FBI Director James Comey for posting a photo of shells that read “86 47,” though “What makes Mr. Comey’s case different, he argued, is other evidence collected, which he said he could not describe.” (NYT) Merchandise featuring the phrase has become widely available on online platforms. (NBC News) Someone spray-painted the phrase at the Reflecting Pool, which is currently being painted blue at Trump’s direction. The National Park Service said it would scrub the graffito and look for its author. (Washington Examiner) Meanwhile, US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro indicated that the feds’ investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell could continue. Pirro had dropped the matter after US Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina held up confirmation of Powell’s replacement, Kevin Warsh. (NYT)
Administration perambulation: Two US soldiers are missing in Morocco, prompting a major search effort. (NYT) Spirit Airlines shut down over the weekend. Here’s a tick-tock of the administration’s efforts to save it. (CNN) Advocates for psychedelic drugs enlisted Republicans by focusing on how therapy that involves them may help veterans. (NYT) The US quietly reversed a Trump policy that kept foreign doctors from receiving visas to work in the US. (NYT) Former New York Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is in critical condition in a Florida hospital. (NYT)
The Best Thing I Ate Last Week, by Ann Limpert:
Photo by Ann Limpert.
You may have heard about the crazy-long lines at Maru San, but there’s another nearby spot that’s drawing quite the queue: Boulangerie Saint Georges, which recently opened right by Eastern Market. The pretty French bakery makes a seriously good croissant, and there’s a long case of gorgeous little tarts, eclairs, and cakes. I loved two in particular—an oversized macaron filled with raspberries and custard, and the St. Honore, which tasted like a hybrid of a cream puff and a creme brûlée. (303 Seventh St., SE.)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• Here’s where you can celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
• Sticker designers on Etsy are preparing options for customers who might not be happy to see Trump’s face in their passports.
Local news links:
Local links news: The administration abruptly closed the East Potomac Golf Links over the weekend. As with the Kennedy Center, the closure appears to be linked to plans for renovations. (Notus) Dirt from Trump’s ballroom project previously appeared on the course, one of the few affordable places to play in the region. (WTOP) A watchdog group asked a judge to halt the closure. On Sunday, several patrons on the course flipped off Marine One as Trump returned to town from Florida. (Washington Post) A nonprofit connected to Meredith O’Rourke, a top Trump fundraiser, has circulated a document that shows West Potomac Park as the location for Trump’s planned “National Garden of American Heroes” statue park and says the course will be retooled to be “a championship golf course.” (Washington Post) The administration has approached the Washington Commanders about taking over management of Langston Golf Course in Northeast DC. (Washington Post)
• The protester who’s been atop Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge all weekend says he plans to come down soon. (NBC4 Washington)
• Flags in Virginia are at half-mast today to honor the late Cerina Wanzer Fairfax and other victims of domestic violence. (WTOP)
• A kayaker who fell out of his boat near Great Falls Sunday has died. (WTOP)
• A shooting near Nationals Park late on Sunday left one man injured. (DC News Now)
• A driver in Potomac hit seven cars in a parking lot before flipping their own vehicle Sunday. (ABC7)
• The annual Washington Area Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service will occasion street closures this morning. (WTOP)
• Spike Lee, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Doug Williams were on hand for the reopening of Ben’s Chili Bowl’s U Street location Friday. (WTOP)
• A chihuahua named Chiti won the annual Running of the Chihuahuas Sunday at the Wharf. Chiti finished second last year. (DC News Now)
Senior editor
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.