Newsletters https://washingtonsun.com/newsletters Newsletters en-US Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:31:00 GMT New Name, Same Local Flavor https://washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/new-name-same-local-flavor Martin Austermuhle, Zara Norman, Kendall Staton Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:31:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/new-name-same-local-flavor A view of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
What was once NOTUS is now The Washington Sun. (Mark Alfred/The Sun)
Good morning. This is The Washington Sun Metro newsletter for Sept. 9, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

What was once NOTUS is now The Washington Sun! While the name may have changed, what remains the same is our commitment to covering the District the way it deserves to be covered. That means sports stories from Northwest Stadium to high school gyms; local politics coverage from the streets of D.C. to the halls of the Wilson Building; food writing from Tom Sietsema; an eye on the sky from Capital Weather; and the kind of entertaining, illuminating coverage you can’t find anywhere else. We’re excited to have you along for the ride.

In today’s newsletter: A trip to D.C.’s lost and found, the best meals under $25 and Thomas Boswell on Jayden Daniels. 

Today’s Daily Digit: 6/10. Some spots have a shot at 90 degrees. But September heat isn't as harsh as midsummer, and humidity is still relatively tame. Full forecast from Capital Weather.





THE LATEST

D.C. has its own municipal lost and found, and we got a peek inside. A D.C. office known as the Unclaimed Property Unit serves as the city’s official depository of people’s lost stuff, collecting everything from millions of dollars worth of misdelivered checks to family heirlooms left in forgotten safe-deposit boxes.

As The Sun’s Martin Austermuhle reports, the unit’s staff collects and catalogues what it can, auctioning off items such as rare coins and jewelry while endeavoring to reunite personal belongings with their owners. And yes, sometimes they find strange things: gold teeth, locks of hair, a diaper and even state secrets.

“We get teeth all the time,” one worker told us, sounding none too pleased.





DEEP DIVE

DC0A3355 copy.jpg (8192x5462, AR: 1.50)
It can be hard to find good food on a budget. Tom Sietsema, The Sun’s food correspondent, believes that the best values come from restaurants where “the experience exceeds what you’re paying.”

At a time when many locals have cut down on dining out, Sietsema shares his five favorite dinners in D.C. that go for $25 or less. The list includes a perfect plate of spaghetti and meatballs at Caruso’s Grocery in Hill East and some finger-lickin’ fried chicken at The Hitching Post in Petworth.





FROM THE DISTRICT

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch will retire at the end of this year, The Sun’s Torrie Herrington reports. His departure comes after months of criticism from the Trump administration, though he said the White House did not pressure him to leave.

Rise of the machines: Food delivery robots have become increasingly popular in the District, offering contactless delivery from some restaurants in Bloomingdale, Dupont Circle and Logan Circle, The Washington Post reports.

Should D.C. keep its public pools open after Labor Day? At-Large council member Elissa Silverman certainly thinks so. With steamy summer temperatures often extending deep into September, plenty of residents would probably agree. It wouldn’t be a first: Back in 2023, Mayor Muriel Bowser kept two pools and a number of spray parks open past Labor Day, largely due to high temperatures.

City officials say the challenge is both in funding and staffing. Many lifeguards are students who have already returned to school in September. At least our canine friends are set: The annual Doggie Day Swim will take place at four D.C. pools on Saturday.





FROM MARYLAND

Will Jawando, a Montgomery County Council member and the Democratic nominee for county executive, suffered a heart attack Saturday morning during his weekly pickup basketball game, his office said on social media. Jawando is expected to make a full recovery.





FROM VIRGINIA

The Trump administration removed language criticizing a Confederate monument that previously stood at Arlington National Cemetery, The Sun’s Kendall Staton reports. The statue is set to be reinstalled next year.





PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

Philadelphia Ballet (5053x2868, AR: 1.76)
For balletomanes: Philadelphia Ballet at Wolf Trap, Thursday.

For “Succession” fans: Brian Cox in “The Score” at Shakespeare Theatre, Friday through Oct. 25.

For something a little different: Adams Morgan Day, Sunday.

For more info on this weekend’s events, read our weekly culture calendar here.





SPORTS

It’s been a long time since Washington has had a franchise quarterback. The Sun’s Thomas Boswell estimates the drought has lasted more than 50 years. But Jayden Daniels has that kind of talent, Boswell writes. So the team’s main objective this season should be pretty simple: Protect him at all costs.

There is no doubt that Daniels is Washington’s most important player. The Sun’s Martenzie Johnson ranked the 10 Commanders who could swing this season, and Daniels was a shoo-in for No. 1. Others on the list: a rookie kicker, an expensive edge rusher and a much-discussed center.

What to Watch Today

MLB: Nationals at Padres, 4:10 p.m. (MLB.TV)

NFL opener: Patriots at Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)





Thank you for reading! If you liked this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at metro@washsun.com.]]> Sunrise https://washingtonsun.com/newsletters/sunrise Evan McMorris-Santoro, Jasmine Wright Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:01:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/newsletters/sunrise Congress
The sun rising behind the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Today’s notice: Check out our new duds. Democrats sound the money alarm. OpenAI’s government stake plan may have been a hallucination. And: <Jurassic Park theme music plays.>





THE LATEST

A new Sun over the horizon. What you’re reading right now is the first edition of The Washington Sun’s flagship daily newsletter. What you’re also reading is another edition of the daily newsletter we have been honored to build with you these past couple years. We’re something different today, but also continue to be the thing we hope you’ve come to count on. New name, same great taste.

Why The Sun? Editor-in-Chief Tim Grieve explains: “You can choose your metaphor: We’re shining a light on Washington. Everything is clearer in daylight. And we’d rather light a big candle than keep on cursing the darkness. We cover politics and policy and the people who shape life in Washington — not just at the White House and in Congress, but at the Wilson Building, at Northwest Stadium and in the neighborhoods where we live.”

What this means, by the numbers: We’ve more than doubled the size of our newsroom in just six months, adding top talent up and down the masthead. If you live in the D.C. area or care about people who do, we now have incredible local reporting, restaurant and events coverage, weather forecasts from what used to be called the Capital Weather Gang and more local sports coverage than anyone else in the DMV.

If you live outside the city — or just don’t particularly care if it’s going to rain tomorrow — we have also added top-flight reporters covering national politics and policy, going where the story is and regularly bringing new insights to the conversation.

What it means for you, and us. On our end, we’re very excited for this next chapter. We love good stories as much as you, and there are gonna be a lot more good stories now. On your side of the screen: keep talking to us, telling us what you like and what you don’t. We’re going to be here tomorrow just like always — and you should be, too.

More: Sununu to Face Pappas in New Hampshire Senate Race • Challenge to Abortion Drug Heads Back to Court Ahead of Midterm Elections • U.S. Strikes Iranian Tankers in Retaliation for Attacks on Navy Vessels • Duffy Scolds Ford Over Deals With China in Urging More American Manufacturing

Open tabs:





FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL


Democrats’ money problems: “The money has been slower than anyone anticipated,” Bradley Beychok, co-founder of the Democratic super PAC American Bridge, told The Sun as the fall general-election spending season kicks off in earnest. Our Elena Schneider and Alex Roarty report that outside money groups backing Democrats are desperate for funds, even as polling and other data point to a great environment for their candidates. Just about everyone agrees a blue wave is possible, Elena and Alex write, but no one is sure if Democrats will have the money to help make it happen.





THE BIG ONE

Have AI explain this one to you: For months, OpenAI has been connected to the idea that it’s interested in voluntarily ceding shares to the government. The Sun’s Jeff Stein first broke that story in June.

That was then. Today, Jeff reports OpenAI CEO Sam Altman privately told a group of conservative economists on July 29 that he did not support having the government take shares in the company. To those present, Altman appeared confused why anyone could think he wanted the government to own part of the company.

Altman said that he supports some version of redistributing company shares to the American public, according to multiple sources who attended the event. “I had the sense that he did not see as big of a difference between individual Americans owning shares and the government owning shares as there is in reality,” one attendee said.

What Altman does support: A “government-administered public wealth fund,” which in a statement, OpenAI distinguished from one in which the government took a “controlling or ownership stake in AI companies, which we would not support.” Experts have a hard time understanding exactly what that means, or how it would work.





PERSPECTIVES

Today The Washington Sun rises — and with it a belief that we can reimagine the traditional newspaper for the digital age, writes Dana Milbank.





NEW ON THE WASHINGTON SUN

Paleontologists vs. the White House: Donald Trump shrank the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by more than 90% in July, removing almost 900,000 acres of geologic layers home to unusually complete dinosaur fossils. The move came as a great relief to many Republican lawmakers in Utah, The Sun’s Anna Kramer reports, and a great horror to the state’s dinosaur hunters.

These are some of the world’s greatest dino deposits. The most recent “Jurassic World” featured dinosaurs only known to scientists because of excavations there, Anna writes. But they’re also lands with potentially very valuable minerals underneath that have been locked out of development since the national monument was declared.

In a very deep dive spanning millions of years, Anna carefully scrapes away the politics around dinosaurs, energy extraction and government land protection.



More: Mega Millions-Winning Congressman Violates the STOCK Act • Central Command Says American Drone Captured by Iran ‘Malfunctioned’ • New Grand Jury Subpoenas Sent in Trump-Russia Conspiracy Probe • Air Force Base to Allow Religious Greetings After Hegseth Vowed to Intervene





NOT US





BE SOCIAL

IYKYK

https://x.com/joeperticone/status/2097361785514770837




Thank you for reading! If you liked this edition of The Washington Sun Newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If this newsletter was shared with you, please sign up — it’s free! Have a tip? Email us at tips@washsun.com. And as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts at newsletters@washsun.com.

The newsletter was produced by Thomas Burr and Andrew Burton.]]> Scoop: Trump’s National Parks Shake-Up https://washingtonsun.com/final-notus-newsletter/scoop-trumps-national-parks-shake-up Jenna Monnin, Kelly Poe Tue, 08 Sep 2026 19:42:54 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/final-notus-newsletter/scoop-trumps-national-parks-shake-up National Park Service
The nation’s 430 park units would operate dramatically differently under the proposed plan, with bigger parks given control over small ones. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for Sept. 8, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Scoop: The Trump administration is planning a major shake-up at the National Park Service and will tell officials to “avoid categorical promises” about layoffs, according to internal planning documents obtained by NOTUS.

  • The nation’s 430 park units would operate dramatically differently under the proposed plan, with bigger parks given control over small ones. 
  • The Interior Department hasn’t yet notified Congress of its intention to reorganize, which it is legally obligated to do before implementation.
Smithsonian chief Lonnie Bunch III will retire at the end of this year. He told The New York Times the decision wasn’t due to pressure from the White House, but that the back-and-forth over how American history should be told did take a toll on him.

  • “I have to be honest, it has been stressful,” he told the Times. “And at a certain point, I’d like to wake up in the morning and not look at my cellphone.”




THE ADMINISTRATION

Canada’s retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on $20 billion worth of U.S. goods went into effect Tuesday, just hours after President Donald Trump threatened to ban sales from Bombardier, a Canadian aircraft manufacturer, in the United States.

Treasury handed out new sanctions on Iran’s already heavily targeted aviation sector, the latest in a series of measures intended to cripple the country’s economy.

Icelandic officials summoned U.S. Ambassador Billy Long after Trump posted an image to Truth Social of the arctic nation and several other countries wrapped in the American flag.

  • Minister for Foreign Affairs Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir told Long — who had to apologize for calling Iceland the “52nd state” earlier this year — the post “was entirely unacceptable.”




THE HILL

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), an obstetrician-gynecologist, has sued more than 700 patients for outstanding medical bills, The New York Times reports. Patients in 81 of those cases were arrested.

  • The unpaid bills ranged from $101 to several thousand dollars. Marshall’s office routinely charged an 18% annual interest rate. Payton Fuller, a spokesperson for Marshall, said on X that “Judges issue warrants, not doctors” and called the story “an obvious hit piece.” 




THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is jumping into the midterms spending fight with a new PAC stocked with a whopping $20 million called “Ready For the Fight.”

  • The PAC’s first ad buys are against two House candidates: Rep. Max Miller in Ohio and firearms influencer Brandon Herrera in Texas.




THE WORLD

The United Kingdom, France and Canada imposed trade restrictions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, joining a broader coalition of 12 countries that have imposed sanctions on the communities, which are illegal under international law.

  • U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the move would “without a doubt” spur consequences from Washington.



CONVERSATION STARTER

https://x.com/DataProgress/status/2097330940808659179?s=20




Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Brett Bachman, Kate Nocera and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.]]> A Big Dig https://washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/a-big-dig Martin Austermuhle, Zara Norman Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:31:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/a-big-dig Southeast Library DC
The Southeast Library in Eastern Market. (Courtesy of the D.C. Public Library System)
Good morning. This is the NOTUS Metro newsletter for Sept. 8, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

When a century-old D.C. library is standing on nothing but stilts, it can make anyone nervous.

“One wrong move by one excavator could take the whole thing down, so the stakes were literally very high,” says Jaspreet Pahwa, the director of capital planning and construction for the D.C. Public Library system.

That was one of the pitfalls of the 2 ½-year renovation of the Southeast Library in Eastern Market, which wraps up this week ahead of the library’s reopening on Thursday.

It was built in 1922 as one of the city’s three Carnegie libraries — the others are in Takoma and Mount Pleasant — so library officials had to balance protecting the historical landmark with trying to expand one of the 10 busiest neighborhood libraries in the city.

That involved digging between 24 and 40 feet under and around the building, allowing for an expansion of the ground-floor level and the addition of a basement level that will now largely serve kids. With that, the Southeast Library will double in size but leave the original historic building largely intact.

“This was a really complex project, to say the least,” says Rich Reyes-Gavilan, DCPL’s executive director. “The need was there. It was just about finding the money and the ingenuity and the know-how.”

To ensure the new basement level didn’t feel like it’s underground, a new skylight was carved from the roof down the center of the building, drawing natural light all the way into the deepest recesses of the library. Reyes-Gavilan — who has overseen the modernization of dozens of libraries in his 13 years leading DCPL — says the skylight is the library’s “architectural marvel."

And there’s more: An extension was built in what used to be an alley behind the library, connecting it to a neighboring rowhouse and allowing for a new main entrance to be constructed along South Carolina Avenue.

The renovation wasn’t cheap. The $40 million price tag is roughly double what was originally contemplated, because of both increasing construction costs and a need to comply with historic preservation rules. But library officials say they were able to leverage federal COVID recovery funds to pay for it.

The next projects for the library system include a brand-new facility in Congress Heights and another in Eckington/Edgewood. Future renovations include libraries in Chevy Chase and Shepherd Park. To Reyes-Gavilan’s relief, none of these projects is expected to be as complicated as the Southeast Library makeover.





FROM THE DISTRICT

A federal planning commission has approved the transfer of the D.C. Armory, the headquarters of the District’s National Guard, to local control, NOTUS’ Kendall Staton reports. The transfer still has to be approved by D.C.’s mayor, the D.C. Council and Congress.

D.C.’s Department of Public Works is testing rat-proof trash bins in high-traffic areas of the city, WUSA9 reports.

President Donald Trump has become obsessed with “architectural immortality” — building monuments around D.C. that will outlast him, New York Magazine reports.

Former Kennedy Center chair David Rubenstein has purchased the large sculpture that was removed from the grounds of the venue last week, The New York Times reports. Rubenstein, a billionaire philanthropist who owns the Orioles, sat as chair from 2010 to 2025, when he was ousted as part of Trump’s takeover of the center’s board. Rubenstein reportedly paid more than $2 million for the abstract sculpture, titled “Blue.”

The grieving tree: D.C. residents have been leaving condolence messages on a large tree in Dupont Circle that was severed by last week’s wild storm.





FROM MARYLAND

All aboard! The stretch of the Red Line between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights reopened Monday after nine weeks of construction work. The project finished “on time and on budget,” Metro said in a news release.





D.C. TRIVIA


Where did the first D.C. Public Library branch open in 1911?

  1. Anacostia
  2. Capitol Hill
  3. Takoma
Email us the answer — the first reader who gets it right gets a shout-out. The answer will be at the end of the newsletter tomorrow.





SPORTS

Jayden Daniels camp AP - 26238573512493 (3872x2581, AR: 1.50)
The Commanders should have plenty of bulletin board material this season. In a roundup of preseason coverage and power rankings, NOTUS’ Alex Schiffer reports that many national analysts and pundits are down on Washington ahead of a pivotal year for GM Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn.

“Skinny quarterback who got hurt last year combined with nobody who can block?” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on a recent podcast. “I’m out.”

High school football season is fully underway, with Maryland public schools kicking off this past weekend. NOTUS’ Noah Ferguson highlights five standouts from around the area in our Players of the Week column; this week’s group includes a Quince Orchard DB who nabbed three interceptions and a Gonzaga running back who scored four touchdowns.

DMV native Frances Tiafoe has advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. The 28-year-old Tiafoe, currently ranked the No. 12 men’s tennis player in the world, will face 22-year-old American Alex Michelsen today at 1 p.m. Tiafoe is chasing his first Grand Slam title.

What to Watch Today

MLB: Nationals at Padres, 9:40 p.m. (MLB.TV)





Thank you for reading! If you liked this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at metro@notus.com.

The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson. Library photo courtesy of the D.C. Public Library system. Commanders photo by Stephanie Scarbrough/AP.]]> Down in Dallas https://washingtonsun.com/newsletters/down-in-dallas Evan McMorris-Santoro, Jasmine Wright, Jenna Monnin Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/newsletters/down-in-dallas Elections 2026 Republican National ConventionToday’s notice: What’s the message out of Republicans’ midterm convention? Nearly 70 candidates have self-funded their campaigns; most lost. Democrats eye a DOGE-ish idea. And: What's happening with the screwworm scare?

THE LATEST

There's been a lot of reporting about Republicans frustrated with White House messaging — that it’s all about Donald Trump, and not about what voters care about, or at least what to tell them 56 days from the midterms. This week in Dallas, the party’s midterm convention could provide another taste of that messaging.

If last month is any preview, expect to hear about communism, liberals and how Democrats, including Joe Biden, are to blame for the current ills. Nearly 20 months into office, Trump still often mentions the former president — dropping more than a dozen references to Biden in August alone.

A White House official told NOTUS that Trump has made Biden his foil because “he’s drawing a contrast with the historic successes of his first 19 months with the Biden years.”

Former Biden White House comms strategist Andrew Bates — who’s advising multiple Democratic campaigns this cycle — says he thinks Trump’s references to his predecessor only underscore how good things were pre-Trump. Republicans “going out of their way to bring up a time when the economy was stronger and we weren’t stuck in Iran just highlights how much they’ve ripped off the American people and failed the tests they set for themselves in 2024,” he said.

Trump launched a torrent of Truth Social posts this weekend: sharing fake AI images of “Iran's Navy” on the ocean floor; claiming the moon and the Strait of Hormuz as American territory; depicting Mexico, Canada and Greenland covered in the red, white and blue; rebranding New Mexico as “New America.”

He also celebrated shiny D.C. statues and fountains, unveiled Space Force uniforms and brought George Washington to the Oval Office for a chitchat. And, of course, he posted Biden wearing a Trump 2024 cap. Those issues aren’t necessarily topping voters’ lists — It may cost me $100 to fill up my truck but dammit, have we renamed New Mexico? It could explain why so many Republicans didn’t buy a ticket to Texas.

More on NOTUS: Suspect Identified in Attack on Ohio Gubernatorial Candidate Amy Acton | Missouri Group Asks the Supreme Court to Let Former District Maps Stand | German Far-Right Party Is Projected to Win Regional Election | Trump Administration Asks the Supreme Court to Lift Block on Mail-in Voting Regulations


From the campaign trail


Self-funding and still coming up short. A record number of wealthy candidates — 69 — have so far spent more than $1 million of their own money to support their campaigns for federal office, NOTUS’ Mark Alfred reports. And as primary season ends, about two-thirds of these self-funders have already turned out to be losers. Mark spoke with some of them, and a surprisingly high number said the experience of spending millions of their own dollars just to flame out has left them hungry to run again.

From a potential future 


Democrats wanna DOGE, too. The Trump team and DOGE were “correct in identifying that people want things to work better,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger told NOTUS’ Natalie Alms. “Rather cynically, they used that sentiment to their electoral advantage, and then used it as a mandate to break things further.” She’s one of many Democrats who say there's a way to pick up the mantle Elon Musk nominally claimed — tech modernization — to showcase that liberals can make state and local governments hum. Natalie explores how some in the Democratic Party hope they’ll get the chance to unleash their own DOGE soon.


NOTUS METRO

Local news: D.C. Is on Track to Control Armory Land Near RFK Stadium, by Kendall Staton

Sports desk: National Pundits Have Low Expectations for the Commanders This Season, by Alex Schiffer

DMV High School Football Players of Week 2, by Noah Ferguson

NEW ON NOTUS

The strange case of the disappearing screwworm. The dangerous pest, discovered within the United States in June, has been targeted by the Agriculture Department with the goal of protecting cattle and other livestock herds from an infestation straight out of a horror movie. The effort was expected to take years, NOTUS’ Tyler Spence writes, but in August the USDA publicly reported that only four cases were detected, and none in cattle. Tyler writes that many people who follow the screwworm are very skeptical of this figure. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense, biologically,” a former longtime USDA official told NOTUS.

Some experts question whether the agency has the personnel and the resources to properly track and contain the screwworm, Tyler writes, and point to the significant department staff reductions from DOGE. The USDA says it’s simply very good at its job: “The low case count is a direct result of the aggressive, science-driven five-prong strategy to eradicate NWS unveiled by Secretary [Brooke] Rollins a year ago,” a spokesperson said.

More: Judge Says Trump Administration Must Provide 48 Hours’ Notice Before Arch Construction | Fetterman Dismisses Bombshell Report as ‘Smears’ and ‘Half-Truths’ | Trump’s Super PAC Drops $10 Million in Texas Senate Race

NOT US

WEEK AHEAD

Today

Primary election in New Hampshire.

Trump delivers remarks at Steel Across America.

Wednesday

The Republican midterm convention begins in Dallas.

Primary election in Rhode Island.

Thursday

Trump headlines the Republican midterm convention.

One year since the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah.

Friday

25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Monthly Consumer Price Index numbers released.

Saturday

Trump travels to Ireland.


Thank you for reading! If you liked this edition of the NOTUS Newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If this newsletter was shared with you, please sign up — it’s free! Have a tip? Email us at tips@notus.com. And as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts at newsletters@notus.com.

The newsletter was produced by Thomas Burr and Nikie Johnson. Photo by Tony Gutierrez/AP.]]> Where’s the Beef (From)? https://washingtonsun.com/final-notus-newsletter/wheres-the-beef-from Marissa Martinez Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:58:23 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/final-notus-newsletter/wheres-the-beef-from Trump and ranchers
President Trump announced action to help farmers and ranchers with meat processing. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for Sept. 4, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!





THE LATEST

Donald Trump signed an executive order today requiring country-of-origin labeling for beef. Ranchers and farm groups have been upset with the administration’s increase of lower-tariff beef imports, saying the plan undermines American producers.

  • “Ranchers and farmers have always been a number one priority to me,” Trump said in the Oval Office, adding: “They are very clean people. They’re immaculately clean.”
  • The president also said he has “close to” $1 billion in outside money, a higher figure than the $400 million cash on hand super PAC MAGA Inc. reported in a July disclosure. He will allocate “probably four or 500 million” for the midterms, he added.
John Fetterman’s Democratic peers are criticizing him after a cutting Wall Street Journal article detailed the Pennsylvania senator shirking his committee duties and dodging face time with constituents.

  • A former senior aide told NOTUS’ Igor Bobic that Fetterman was uninterested in the typical day-to-day responsibilities of the job, preferring instead to scroll on his phone, reading X and Apple News for mentions of his name.
  • A group of former Fetterman staffers “who are disgusted with what he’s become” created an X account today to share stories about the senator. NOTUS verified the authenticity of the account’s ownership.




THE ADMINISTRATION

Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a “toxic, intimidating and humiliating” workplace and repeatedly violated department policy, according to a new watchdog report.

The Trump administration is making it harder to hold builders who violate accessibility requirements accountable.

An ICE officer falsely told investigators he was being attacked with a broom and shovel before he shot a Venezuelan man during last winter’s Minnesota immigration crackdown, according to a federal indictment unsealed today.

Trump will take the Qatari-gifted plane on his trip to Ireland next week in the aircraft’s first overseas trip since July’s security scare in Turkey. The president said today that the plane will be taken out of commission in October for around 60 days to be “maxed out.”





THE STATES

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appears to have significantly violated federal ethics law when filing recent disclosures, creating confusion about his net worth and holdings, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune report.

A former Christian reality show host was arrested in Los Angeles this week on federal charges of making threats to kill the president.

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is the subject of an internal investigation by Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s office for alleged inappropriate behavior with women, the New Jersey Globe reports.

How Thursday night’s surprise storms in D.C. grew so violent — and produced nonstop lightning, Capital Weather explains.

A former RNC chair and two-term Montana governor is backing Democrat Sam Forstag in a high-profile crossover endorsement as he tries to flip a Republican-held U.S. House seat.





THE HILL

Sen. Jon Ossoff called for the Senate Leadership Fund to take down an ad that shows him having his hair and makeup professionally done, a reference to items in Ossoff’s past campaign disclosures.

  • “Congressman [Mike] Collins, of course, himself has deceptively used deepfake videos to try to lie to voters,” the Georgia Democrat said of his opponent.




AVOID THE PLAZA

https://x.com/daveweigel/status/2095932455551177183




Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.]]> Crashing the Party https://washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/crashing-the-party Martin Austermuhle, Shamira Muhammad, Zara Norman Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:31:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/crashing-the-party Waymo DC AP - 26079109671101
Autonomous vehicles could be permitted to operate in D.C. this fall. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)
Good morning. This is the NOTUS Metro newsletter for Sept. 4, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

A happy birthday to D.C.’s Department of For-Hire Vehicles, which celebrated turning 10 yesterday with a celebration at MLK Memorial Library. It was a joyful occasion, celebrating D.C.’s taxicab drivers with a live band, canapés and an awards ceremony.

But the party masked a sober reality. The industry faces a watershed moment, as autonomous vehicles could be permitted to operate in the city this fall.

“Hell no, Waymo!” chanted one attendee, disability advocate Heidi Case, as DFHV Director Jonathan Rogers took the stage for a speech.

“We’ll talk about Waymo, Heidi,” Rogers replied. “Because that’s one of the themes: We’ve had a lot of change over the past 10 years, and there’s a lot more coming. We’ll handle it together.”

DFHV was created to meet a specific moment, Rogers said. Ten years ago, the agency was charged with modernizing the city’s taxicabs and regulating rideshare services Uber and Lyft, which had recently made their entry into D.C. with few guardrails. The decade since has seen the number of active cabs on the street drop from 8,000-10,000 to around 1,400, Rogers previously told NOTUS.

“We’re in another one of those moments, where a lot is changing again because technology is not slowing down,” Rogers said.

Drivers are anxious about their livelihoods. Abeba Berhe, who’s been driving a wheelchair-accessible cab in D.C. and Virginia for 20 years, told NOTUS she thinks the entry of autonomous vehicles would be a “disaster” for her industry.

“Driver jobs are getting disappeared. … Our job income [has] shrunk,” Berhe said, adding that she already has trouble making credit card payments every month.

There will always be a role for the “human element” of for-hire vehicles, Rogers told NOTUS. The D.C. Council, including Janeese Lewis George, has expressed concern about workforce impacts and accessibility, he said.

“There’s always been disruption and new competition,” Rogers said. “There are things that humans are able to do as a driver, as an assistant in a vehicle, that AVs are not likely to do any time in the near future.”





DEEP DIVE

An update on East Potomac Park: At a hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes emphasized that she is “not the Lorax”: She does not, in fact, speak for the trees.

About 150 of them have come down at East Potomac in recent days, a removal campaign that the government called “routine maintenance” but that raised alarm with the public. NOTUS’ Shamira Muhammad reports that Reyes said Thursday she has received several angry calls, including one advocating for her disbarment if she did not stop the tree removal.

Although she previously asked the government to notify her before cutting down more than 10 trees, Reyes said that did not apply to maintenance and she had no issues with last week’s work.

An amended complaint is expected to be filed by the plaintiffs — preservationists seeking to block the park’s renovation — by Sept. 12. Reyes declined to rule on the DOJ’s recent motion to dismiss the case until she receives that complaint.





FROM THE DISTRICT

Trump arch AP - 26185088891653 (6755x4503, AR: 1.50)
President Donald Trump’s plan to construct a 250-foot arch in D.C. will move forward, with excavation work starting in the next two weeks, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Thursday. NOTUS’ Jenna Monnin reports that the project, which was displayed in miniature at the Great American State Fair this summer, will be located near Arlington National Cemetery. A lawsuit challenging its construction is still pending in the U.S. District Court for D.C.

Federal prosecutors are accusing Ward 8 council member Trayon White of jury tampering in the wake of a video posted on Instagram this week where he spoke about his upcoming trial on federal bribery charges and addressed the jury selection process, NOTUS’ Martin Austermuhle reports. Prosecutors have asked a judge to admonish White, while White’s defense team says he “expressed nothing unlawful.”

A pied-à-terre tax for D.C.? Council Chair Phil Mendelson has scheduled an Oct. 16 public hearing where lawmakers will hear testimony and debate possible revenue-raising options, ranging from a hike in capital gains taxes to new levies on second homes. With D.C.’s economy souring in the wake of sweeping federal layoffs, city revenue has dried up and lawmakers are facing a large budget deficit in the year to come.

Not a state, but still quite fair. The D.C. State Fair returns Sunday with “art, agriculture, and the culinary arts.” It’ll take place at Anthem Row (800 K St. NW) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.





FROM VIRGINIA

Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam has learned his phone calls with state Sen. Louise Lucas were monitored by the FBI and DOJ as part of a broader investigation into Lucas, Subramanyam said in a statement Thursday. Lucas’s calls with two journalists were also monitored, Virginia Scope reports.





FROM MARYLAND

Maryland has lost more than $800 million by failing to collect tolls and penalties that drivers owed, The Washington Post reports.

A budding dispute: The University of Maryland is threatening legal action against a cannabis company in Colorado over its name: “Terps USA,” WTOP reports.





METRO MOMENTS

E2991D8B-876B-42BA-9FA7-653A931C333F copy.jpg (3703x2468, AR: 1.50)
Raising her son in D.C., Kainaz Amaria — NOTUS’ senior editor of visual storytelling — didn’t get a sense that kids are growing up with a shared story. Many schools have specialized curriculums these days, so there is little that is universal about how and what our kids learn. But since 2016, her son and nearly 100,000 other children across the District have had something in common: a gift in the mail every month from “The Book Lady,” Dolly Parton, Kainaz writes in NOTUS Perspectives.

We want to hear from you: Have an image from around D.C. you want to share? A question for our reporters? An “only in D.C.” moment? Tell us about it. 





SPORTS

In recent years, Thomas Boswell has found the Nationals to be almost unwatchable. So, Boswell writes, it is a testament to Washington’s new regime that the team is still entertaining at this point in the season. As long as there are some ups with the downs, the Nats retain their power to please.

Meanwhile, outfielder Daylen Lile is in the middle of a loud, elongated “up” of an up-and-down season for the Nationals. NOTUS' Jesse Dougherty writes that his recent stretch is a reason to believe Lile could be a key part of the next winning core in Washington. But, as with many baseball players, that will come down to whether Lile, an unforgiving perfectionist, can quiet the negative thoughts in his head.

What to Watch This Weekend

Friday

MLB: Nationals at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. (MLB.TV)



Saturday

MLS: D.C. United at FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. (Apple TV)

NCAAF: Maryland vs. Hampton, 8 p.m. (Big Ten Network)

MLB: Nationals at Dodgers, 9:10 p.m. (MLB.TV)

 

Sunday

NWSL: Spirit at Portland Thorns, 4 p.m. (WUSA9)

MLB: Nationals at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. (MLB.TV)





Thank you for reading! If you liked this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at metro@notus.com.

The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson. Arch photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP. Books photo by Kainaz Amaria/NOTUS.]]> Early Departure https://washingtonsun.com/newsletters/early-departure Evan McMorris-Santoro, Jasmine Wright Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/newsletters/early-departure Congress House ReturnsToday’s notice: Nice to briefly see you, Congress. Pentagon accused of eating off another agency’s plate. Life at the East Potomac Golf Links. And: Epstein survivors don’t feel heard at the new DOJ. 

Programming note No. 1: We’ll be off for Labor Day — probably laboring over a grill or buying a new air fryer the ads tell us we need — but back in your inbox Tuesday morning.

Programming note No. 2: Last chance to take our five-minute survey! Help us make a better NOTUS newsletter.





THE LATEST

What did we learn in Congress this week? America’s lawmakers came back to D.C. for a few days after their August break. It was … dramatic. And short! The last two weeks of House votes this month were hastily canceled, leaving only one week to try to legislate before the midterms. (The Senate treks in Sept. 14 and will be around until Oct. 1.) We asked NOTUS’ crack team of Hill lurkers observers what they took away from it all.

The birth of a new House rebellion and the end of an old one. Footage of Rules Committee ranking member Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts) physically turning his back on Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Washington state), after she and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) helped bail out Republicans, was more than just the traditional Democratic Disarray, NOTUS’ Paul Kane tells us. It could be a passing of the torch from one tough-to-manage majority to another.

“We (possibly) saw the last gasps of the Tea Party uprising that began in 2010 and gained steam when the Freedom Caucus flexed its power in the late 2010s and now stumbled into political reckoning this spring and summer after a series of defeats,” Paul told us.

More of PK’s wisdom: “A week that was supposed to turn into fallout and recriminations amid Republican failure turned into shock and awe among Democrats at the mini-rebellion, foreshadowing that should they win the majority and take charge next year, the next-generation leadership team will face a lot more difficulty uniting their caucus than their octogenarian predecessors had a few years ago.”

What does it means for the rest of the year? Democrats have the traditional momentum of the out-of-power party in the midterms this cycle, bolstered by a public increasingly unhappy with Donald Trump. But very soon they may find they are the dogs who finally caught the car — centrists like Gluesenkamp Perez doing everything they can to stand apart from the surging socialist wing of the party (and vice versa) does not bode well for the kind of unity Democrats will need to turn a potential protest-vote midterm win into a chance to rebuild their shattered public image.

Mike Johnson is rattled. “He’s been extra spicy/cranky this week,” observed NOTUS’ Igor Bobic. Can you blame him? Asked whether he should be held accountable for his claims that the Iran war would end quickly by CNN’s Manu Raju, Johnson called it “one of the stupidest questions” the reporter’s ever asked him. “I have nothing to do with the prosecution of a war across the globe,” Johnson said.

What this means for the rest of the year. If Johnson doesn’t have a better answer for the White House policy moves bedeviling Republicans in public polling, it’s hard to believe his candidates will either.

Looking past the election, there’s a growing number of lawmakers thinking about weeks like this one and saying something fundamental has to change. Paul’s latest column dives into all the bipartisan ideas to reform how Congress works. Like, say, mandatory training on how to handle classified materials, or maybe formally barring members and staff from using prediction markets in an attempt to return some credibility to the Capitol. Let’s see how that goes.

More on NOTUS: Trump Asks the Supreme Court to Reinstate Mail-In Ballot Rules | Missouri Supreme Court Blocks GOP Redistricting Map | Maryland Supreme Court Allows Redistricting Ballot Question to Move Forward | Trump’s 250-Foot Arch Will Soon Break Ground, Burgum Says | Trump Names New Acting Army Secretary After Tension-Filled Resignation

Open tabs: GOP lawmaker gives expected timeline for McConnell’s return (CNN) | Tucker Carlson: “I wouldn’t vote for Mike Rogers at gun point.” (X) | Pentagon temporarily rescinds guidance on testosterone screening for US troops (Reuters)





From the Pentagon


Scoop: DOD sought access to NIH’s money, Democrat says. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement to NOTUS’ Joe Gould that she found evidence the Pentagon tried to get its hands on billions of dollars appropriated for biomedical research. DeLauro described what transpired as a Pentagon “attempt” and that it was not immediately clear how much money the department was seeking, where within the DOD it would go or what it would pay for. She accused the Pentagon of effectively rifling through the government’s couch cushions to find money to pay for the ongoing Iran war and other cash-flow challenges.

The National Institutes of Health said it and the Defense Department had explored ways to collaborate on therapeutics, diagnostics and personal protective equipment to defend against infectious diseases. “NIH enters into partnerships with numerous government agencies,” a spokesperson said.





THE BIG ONE

Justice deferred: Hope rose among some victims of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein when survivors finally got a meeting with Todd Blanche at the Justice Department’s headquarters in July. But that hope has now plummeted after weeks of inaction and lack of communication, the survivors told NOTUS’ Derek Hawkins. And it’s reinforced their belief that the Blanche-led department has no intention of pursuing the issues they brought to him.

“There’s just not an interest,” Annie Farmer, one of the survivors, said in an interview with Derek. “They want to move on and turn the page.”

For its part, the DOJ declined to answer questions about its interactions with survivors. Instead, in an unsigned email, the department told NOTUS: “We have responded to all requests for meetings w/ victims and/or their advocates.”





NOTUS PERSPECTIVES

On Tuesday, New Hampshire voters will decide whether Scott Brown gets another shot at being a senator. At NOTUS Perspectives, journalist Bill Donahue, who joined him on the campaign trail, argues that Brown embodies the fraught position of Republicans in 2026: locked in a destructive embrace of Trump with no real way out.





NOTUS METRO

Sign up for our local newsletter, written by Martin Austermuhle and Zara Norman.

Local news: Prosecutors Say Trayon White Is Trying to ‘Tamper’ With Jury Pool, by Martin Austermuhle

Sports desk: Daylen Lile, Nationals Cornerstone? By Jesse Dougherty





NEW ON NOTUS

“We’re still here!” That was the refrain from duffers playing through at the East Potomac Golf Links this week, the one that was supposed to mark the closure of the federally run D.C. public course Trump wants to demolish and rebuild as PGA worthy. NOTUS’ Sam Fortier talked to the golfers and the staff as they sounded off on the renovation project currently tied up in court and considered their role in the president’s grand plans to leave his mark on their city.

More: Lev Parnas Used Congressional Campaign Funds to Pay Cleaning Company, Makeup Artist | Jim Justice Is Considering Leaving the Senate to Run for Governor Again | A Democratic Reckoning on Data Centers Is Coming | Energy Jobs Fell in Almost Every Sector Last Year





NOT US





Thank you for reading! If you liked this edition of the NOTUS Newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If this newsletter was shared with you, please sign up — it’s free! Have a tip? Email us at tips@notus.com. And as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts at newsletters@notus.com.

The newsletter was produced by Thomas Burr and Andrew Burton. Photo by J. Scott Applewhite/AP.
]]> Fog of War https://washingtonsun.com/final-notus-newsletter/fog-of-war Marissa Martinez Thu, 03 Sep 2026 20:30:52 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/final-notus-newsletter/fog-of-war Vice President JD Vance references a media outlet seating chart before selecting a reporter for a question during a press briefing at the White House.
Vice President JD Vance's comments during a White House press briefing today further obscured the administration’s approach to eventually ending the hostilities. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for Sept. 3, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

JD Vance says the Iran conflict isn’t a “war.” Donald Trump says it is. The vice president’s comments during a White House press briefing today further obscured the administration’s approach to eventually ending the hostilities.

  • Vance also batted away a reporter’s question about supporting potential 2028 campaigns by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) or Pete Hegseth: "I'd encourage any Republican, if you care about the country, and I think all of us do, you should be focused not on a job a few years from now. You should be focused on the midterms."
House GOP leadership canceled the last two weeks of September votes. After members depart the Capitol in mid-September, they will not return until after the midterms — meaning the House will have been in session for just four weeks total between July and November.

  • The chamber today adopted a resolution calling to block federal aid to colleges if they engage in commercial or academic boycotts against Israel, with 33 Democrats voting in favor of the GOP-led measure.




THE HILL

Hakeem Jeffries says he’s leaning toward changing the strict footwear rules for the Speaker’s Lobby should he lead the chamber next year.

  • Congressional Sneaker Caucus Chair Jared Moskowitz told Final NOTUS that while members are allowed to wear sneakers, that standard doesn’t apply to staff or media. “That adversely affects the female staffers and reporters who stand there all day in heels,” the Florida Democrat said in a statement. “One could argue I could dramatically benefit from a three-inch heel, but let’s move the rules into the future.”
An increasing number of Republicans say they plan to skip Trump’s Dallas midterm convention next week.

Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois) wants to lead the centrist New Democrat Coalition next year, NOTUS’ Oriana González scooped, coinciding with an expected wave of new progressives hoping to expand the chamber’s left flank.

You have to hand it to him. Minnesota Democratic candidate Matt Little has a big goal: He wants to break the world handshake record.

  • He’s going to try this weekend at the Minnesota State Fair, where he estimates he’ll need to shake an average of 29 hands a minute for eight straight hours.


THE ADMINISTRATION

The Pentagon has “temporarily rescinded” the clinical guidance draft published yesterday detailing its new testosterone screening policy for service members.

Howard Lutnick apologized for claiming no American service members have died supporting military operations in Iran, saying he accidentally conflated the conflict with the U.S. operation in Venezuela.

Excavation for Trump’s arch will start over the next two weeks, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced today.

The U.S. Forest Service will close 23 research facilities as part of Trump’s effort to trim costs and concentrate agency resources in Western states.





THE COURTS

Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer is suing the DOJ and Todd Blanche over being “unlawfully removed” from government service. Oyer says she was fired for not recommending actor Mel Gibson’s gun ownership rights be restored as a “political favor.”

Federal prosecutors charged an ICE officer, Christian Castro, with allegedly lying to investigators about an incident in which he was accused of shooting a Venezuelan man in the leg while on duty in Minnesota earlier this year.





AN HONOR, INDEED

https://x.com/aidnmclaughlin/status/2095596623883591891?s=20




Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Brett Bachman and Jonann Brady. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.]]> Ballot Blues https://washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/ballot-blues Martin Austermuhle, Zara Norman Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:31:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/ballot-blues Stickers reading
President Donald Trump’s push to make voting by mail harder has injected fresh uncertainty into November’s elections. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
Good morning. This is the NOTUS Metro newsletter for Sept. 3, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Are you going to get a ballot in the mail for November’s D.C. elections?

Under normal circumstances, the answer would be simple: Yes. Since the pandemic, the D.C. Board of Elections has been mailing every registered voter a ballot ahead of every election, and voters seem to have embraced voting from home. In the June primary, 63% of voters opted to use a mail ballot instead of heading to a polling place.

But President Donald Trump’s push to make voting by mail harder has injected fresh uncertainty into November’s elections. He’s ordered the U.S. Postal Service to increase its scrutiny and handling of mail ballots, prompting warnings and litigation from some groups that say the plan will create chaos — and potentially disenfranchise many voters.

“Until we hear otherwise, we’re proceeding as we otherwise would,” says Monica Evans, the director of the D.C. elections board. She tells NOTUS that continued uncertainty as to whether Trump’s plan will come to fruition won’t interrupt the work her office has to do to mail out more than 450,000 ballots to D.C. voters at the end of September.

“Being in elections, we’re used to being flexible,” she adds. “Sadly, it’s one of the things the powers that be don’t understand: There’s lead time to anything, so you can’t waive a magic wand and do something. There are some processes you can’t just undo.” Evans says D.C. has already paid a vendor to handle mail ballots for November; should Trump upend those plans, the city cannot recoup that money.

The main concern from some quarters is that USPS just wouldn’t be able to do what it’s been charged with, including creating master lists of voters who are permitted to get mail ballots. Evans shares that worry. “I have no earthly idea how USPS is equipped with maintaining accurate registration data that is real-time and current,” she says.

For now, all Evans can hope for is a final answer on how November’s elections will be conducted. “Things are changing almost daily,” she says. “Every morning I am checking my email to see where we are.”





FROM THE DISTRICT

Kennedy Center statue removal AP - 26245517002624 (6000x4000, AR: 1.50)
The Kennedy Center has removed a famous outdoor sculpture from its grounds, the latest in a series of changes made as part of Trump’s takeover of the storied arts institution, NOTUS’ Avani Kalra reports.

Ward 8 council member Trayon White is speaking out ahead of his upcoming trial on federal bribery charges. “I feel really good and encouraged about my trial. I’m in good spirits. … I trust my legal team,” he said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

White also encouraged D.C. residents to answer jury summonses, arguing that while the District is plurality Black, those numbers aren’t reflected on city juries. “I can’t do this without getting the opportunity to have a jury of my peers. I’m not going to say that all Black people support me, all non-Black people do or don’t,” he said. “I want to make sure those in my community ... take this very seriously.”

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is suing a prominent and well-connected local developer over what he says are “shocking” conditions at a residential building in Northeast. Schwalb is asking a court to order the developer, Buwa Binitie, to make immediate repairs at Delta Pearl on Florida Avenue Northwest and offer restitution to residents.

A sports-centric game plan: In a news conference Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Destination D.C. — the city’s official marketing organization — said they expect a crowded slate of major sporting events will breathe new life into the District over the next year, NOTUS’ Shamira Muhammad reports. The city will host the NFL draft in April, and officials expect around 1 million visitors. The District will also host the National Women’s Soccer League final in November and men’s college hockey Frozen Four in the spring.

The hope is that these events will create business and jobs. Bowser said expecting a one-for-one return of federal jobs was “foolhardy.” “So all of our focus in attracting jobs is on the private sector, be it sports, hospitality, tech, across higher ed, hospitals, across all industries,” she said. “We’re recruiting.”





FROM VIRGINIA

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Virginia’s new limits on local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities until a legal challenge is settled, WTOP reports.





FROM MARYLAND

Are you fur real? The Maryland Renaissance Festival has banned furries from attendance this year, City Cast D.C. reports. The anthropomorphic costumes were making people uncomfortable, organizers said — and they're ahistorical anyways.




TALK TO TOM

Omakase @ Barracks Row (7225x4817, AR: 1.50)Tom Sietsema is back answering your questions about the D.C. dining scene. Submit your questions here.

My husband and I are going out to celebrate our 10th anniversary — without our two kids, for the first time in ages. Can you recommend some grown-up restaurants? 

High on your list should be empire builder Stephen Starr’s tribute to old-school fine dining, the dashing, multistory Occidental near the White House, where servers in white jackets navigate the dining rooms, ferrying elegant pigs in a blanket, playful crab-stuffed avocado, fine steaks, and such oldies but goodies as ham with pineapple rings and pheasant under glass. Dessert is practically mandatory, especially anything prepared table-side and featuring fire.

For Italian, look into the bustling L’Ardente, home to such whimsical dishes as the 40-layer lasagna and a menu that hews to owner David Deshaies’ “simple but elegant” mantra; for French, I adore the tiny Lutèce in Georgetown, which uses the old name for Paris and offers some of the most artful cooking this side of The Inn at Little Washington. If you want something that puts you on a trip to Tokyo, Omakase @ Barracks Row seats guests at a long marble counter, behind which the star of the show, chef Ricky Wang, creates wonders from raw fish while a service director narrates the performance.

In the full Q&A: Eating invasive species, planning a high school reunion and finding caviar that won’t break the bank.





SPORTS

The Commanders have finally found some relief from the injury bug. Starters K'Lavon Chaisson, Nick Allegretti and Bill Croskey-Merritt all returned to practice this week after extended absences. Linebacker Odafe Oweh will return to practice next week, which means every presumed starter will be back in the fold ahead of a Week 1 meeting with the Eagles.

“I’m excited for the group to get together,” coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday. "It's challenging, for sure, because there's timing that goes with it. There's movements, but it's nice to see that.”





Thank you for reading! If you liked this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at metro@notus.com.

The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson. Kennedy Center photo by Mark Schiefelbein/AP. Talk to Tom photo by Kainaz Amaria/NOTUS.]]>