Good morning. Most area schools remain closed as the region continues to dig out from this past weekend’s storm. Another bitterly cold day awaits, with a high of just 26 that wind could make feel as low as -3. A low near 8 degrees overnight. Suboptimal! The Wizards host Portland tonight, and the C apitals visit Seattle. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here. I can’t stop listening to: Sharp Pins, “Storma Lee.” The hotly tipped indie band brings its Creation-inspired pop to Comet Ping Pong tonight for a sold-out show with Dim Wizard. Take Washingtonian Today with you! I’ve made a playlist on Spotify and on Apple Music of last year’s music recommendations. I’ll make one for 2026 soon. Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out: Bovino meets tipping point: President Trump sidelined Border Patrol honcho Gregory Bovino yesterday as furor over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis continued. (The Atlantic) Trump, whose demands for aggressive immigration enforcement are arguably at the root of the matter, will send his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota instead. Criticism on TV convinced Trump that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is “longer the right person to be in the spotlight on immigration enforcement.” (Washington Post) Trump met with Noem and her top lieutenant, Corey Lewandowski, for two hours last night. Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration strategy, wasn’t at the meeting. (NYT) DHS reportedly yanked Bovino’s access to social media accounts, the MAGA equivalent of exile. (CNN) Trump had phone calls with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz yesterday. White House officials “view Homan’s deployment as an effort to assuage anxious Republicans.” (Politico) Trump’s latest U-turn, prompted in part by “chaotic” TV images, follows pivots on Greenland and insulting Britain’s military. (WSJ) As the administration distances itself from its clumsy attempts to paint Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” here’s how some officials, including Trump, portrayed him in the wake of his killing. (AP) On the Hill: The timing of all this couldn’t be better for congressional Democrats, whose demands for changes at DHS could scuttle Republican plans to fund the federal government by the end of this week. (Politico) Plenty of Republicans are now openly questioning Noem’s leadership. (Axios) Dems “believe they have public opinion on their side.” One big complication: The House is out this week and would need to return to approve any changes to the legislation. (NYT) Democrats in the House could open an investigation into Noem next week as a prelude to an impeachment attempt. (Washington Post) Republicans in Congress deploy subtle language to signal how freaked out they are by Trump’s sudden vulnerability on a signature issue. (Politico) Meanwhile: During arguments in Minnesota’s court action seeking a half to Trump’s crackdown, a federal judge considered Trump’s calls for “retribution” and US Attorney General Pam Bondi‘s demands for Minnesota’s voter rolls and SNAP data—it’s unclear what that information has to do with immigration—in a letter that “appeared to set conditions for the administration to wind down the surge.” She plans to rule soon. (Politico) Administration perambulation: Employees of Palantir want answers about their company’s involvement with ICE. (Wired) Minnesota Republican Chris Madel ended his campaign for Congress, calling Trump’s crackdown a “disaster.” (NYT) FBI Director Kash Patel, perhaps not entirely reading the room, said he’d investigate Signal chats that track ICE agents’ activity in Minnesota. (NBC News) Marimar Martinez, who survived getting shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in Chicago last year, can’t release evidence in her case even as the administration describes her, too, as a “domestic terrorist.” (Chicago Sun-Times) Vikings broadcaster Paul Allen apologized after he mused about “paid protesters” in Minneapolis during a segment. (People) The administration has killed 126 people in boat strikes, including eight people presumed dead who jumped off of boats during an attack on December 30. (Stars and Stripes) Republicans hope tax refunds will delight weary Americans. (WSJ) How to sled your inhibitions, by Daniella Byck: People sled on Capitol Hill in 2022. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) I recently overheard a kid making plans to sled with a friend, and it reminded me how magical this current arctic cosplay can be, especially if you have a snow day or six. After all, sledding with friends is a great reason to put your pajamas inside out and backwards, leave a penny on the driveway, or whatever rituals kids do these days to bring the snow. (No one is flushing ice cubes to peck out emails or schedule Slacks!) Our state of snowpack is sticking around for a bit, so slide on over to Washingtonian’s list of great local sledding spots, which includes everything from steep inclines (P Street Beach) to gentler hills (Pine Crest Elementary School). For our Rockville readers, I have fond memories of sledding down the slope at Robert Frost Middle School, so please do a run on my behalf. As things start thawing, you’ll have to travel further distances for a sled-like experience, driving out to ski resorts for snow tubing. Whitetail and Liberty in Pennsylvania are 90 minutes away from DC, ideal for a day trip. But true sled-heads can turn it into a weekend getaway three hours away at Wintergreen. The Virginia resort is home to The Plunge, a massive tubing run with a thrilling drop. Recently on Washingtonian dot com: • Here’s how you can score a coveted ticket to this year’s National Gallery Nights. Local news links: • Aaron Queen, the director of Arlington Public Schools’ Office of Safety, Security Emergency Management, was charged with DUI over the weekend. Police say Queen was in a school system vehicle. (Fox 5 DC) • DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton still hasn’t commented about paperwork her campaign filed that says she’s terminating her reelection campaign. (NBC4 Washington) • The Washington Post will send some reporters to the Winter Olympics after all. (NYT) Staffers at the paper are tagging owner Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, on social media, hoping to get their attention about planned layoffs. (Status) Meanwhile: The gazillionaire couple is at a haute couture week thing in Paris. (Page Six/X) • The administration canceled all its contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton because one of its former employees leaked Trump’s tax returns in 2020. (Axios) • Crooked Beat Records will close its Del Ray shop this weekend after flooding damaged its stocks. Its owner hopes to stay in the nabe. (ALXnow) Tuesday’s event picks: • Learn how to make a five-minute horror film from the comfort of your home. • “Clue” opens at the National Theatre. See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.The post Trump Tries to Demote His Way Out of Minnesota Mess, Norton Remains Silent About Her Campaign’s Apparent End, and an Arlington Schools Official Was Charged With DUI first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less