Good morning. Sunny with a high around 81 today. A low near 63 overnight. The Nationals host Kansas City again this evening. A technical snafu yesterday delayed the email version of Washingtonian Today by several hours—I apologize for the wait. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Sig nal, 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: Kels, “Daddy’s Not the One.” The Atlanta-based indie soul singer plays Songbyrd 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: What’s in the peace deal? The US and Iran virtually signed an agreement that establishes a framework to end the war President Trump began on February 28. The deal’s contents remain opaque, and how it addresses issues like Iran’s nuclear program, whether Iran will require ships in the Strait of Hormuz to pay fees for passage, and financial relief for Iran is still not clear. (NYT) Here’s a good list of unresolved questions about the text. (Axios) Republicans in the Senate have a lot of questions. (Politico) CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly told Trump that US intelligence raises “serious doubts about Iran’s willingness to make the nuclear concessions the U.S. is seeking.” (Axios) Early reviews are not great: The NYT editorial board writes that the deal shows Trump lost this war. (NYT) Its counterpart at the Wall Street Journal calls it a retreat. (WSJ) The economic fallout: Consumers are unlikely to see relief anytime soon, as prices for food, gas, and flights that rose because of the war tend to retreat slowly. (AP) The shipping industry is wary about the reopening strait. (Politico) It could take weeks to remove mines from the vital waterway. (Reuters) Meanwhile: Israel’s leaders view the deal as a “catastrophe”—and it’s a big question whether PM Benjamin Netanyahu will back it. (Washington Post) D’oh! J: California Governor Gavin Newsom said federal agents are investigating him and his wife. (NYT) The Justice Department’s leadership abandoned an investigation into Paramount’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery “before career staffers who were concerned about the acquisition had an opportunity to object.” (WSJ) DOJ dropped a case against the Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after word got out that Trump’s attorney Boris Epshteyn had joined his legal team. Epshteyn denies he was involved. (WSJ) Administration perambulation: World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s crypto concern, “is expected to soon be allowed to operate like a bank — a decision that would give U.S. companies a new route to steer money to the president.” (NOTUS) Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Health Secretary RFK Jr. have links to a company that sells kratom—and both have argued against restricting the addictive product. (NYT) Republicans in the Senate won’t include a voter-ID bill Trump wants passed when the chamber maneuvers to reauthorize a key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. (Hill) Several lawmakers warned the administration not to move ahead with Trump’s planned Triumphal Arch project without consulting Congress. (NYT) Take an eerie paddle, by Daniella Byck: Photograph by Flickr user Ron Cogswell. Kayaking is cool, but kayaking through the eerie remains of around 200 World War I-era shipwrecks? Now that’s just objectively cooler. An hour’s drive away from DC in Nanjemoy, Maryland, the Ghost Fleet in Mallows Bay—the largest ship graveyard in the Western Hemisphere—is certainly among the creepiest kayaking spots in the region. Some of the rusted wreckage juts from the water, offering a landing place for osprey, bald eagles, and herons. The remains of other ships are just under the surface, their presence a spooky shadow to glide past. There are no paddle rentals at the bay, so you’ll either need to bring your own equipment or sign up for a tour with Atlantic Kayak. The outfitter runs tours in tandem kayaks for two hours ($65 per person) or three hours ($85 per person), providing some more information about the history and ecosystem. Recently on Washingtonian dot com: • Moon Rabbit’s Susan Bae won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef at a ceremony last night. • The Reflecting Pool’s new color may be helping to turn its water green. • Jessica M. Goldstein‘s time-traveling new novel, “Retro,” examines why the promises of the tech industry can feel so seductive. • More DC restaurants are abandoning reservations. Restaurateurs hope diners will embrace spontaneity. • Chaia cofounder Suzanne Simon explains why the vegetarian taco restaurant introduced chicken to its menu. Local news links: • It’s primary day in DC. Voters will choose the Democratic nominee to replace Mayor Muriel Bowser. Kenyan McDuffie and Janeese Lewis George are the frontrunners. Voters will also choose a replacement for Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC’s non-voting delegate to Congress. (Washington Post) It’s the first time DC voters will experience ranked-choice voting. Here’s our guide to how that will work—and a reminder that it will likely be days before we know who won. • A group of local cultural organizations sued over the Trump administration’s plans to build a “National Garden of American Heroes” statue garden at West Potomac Park. (Washington Post) • A small earthquake shook Maryland yesterday. (WTOP) • Trump announced DC’s July 4 celebration will be a rally that celebrates him. (Axios) • The UFC thing on the White House lawn will come down by the end of next week. (DC News Now) • The National Savings Trust Company Building at 15th Street and New York Avenue, Northwest, may get a big reno that includes replacing its redbrick façade with a “floor-to-ceiling glass curtainwall.” (UrbanTurf) • Netflix took space in the Woodie’s building. Its new DC digs will include an event space and a screening room. (WBJ) • A Wingstop in Lorton fired an employee a customer said wrote a racial slur on her order. (Fox 5) • A new law in Virginia will allow local and state police to enforce traffic laws on federal roadways, including the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Don’t expect speed cameras anytime soon, though. (FFXnow) • Police in Prince George’s County say a driver struck a man on a scooter last night, killing him. (DC News Now) • Here’s something new and fun to freak you out: Invasive Joro spiders, the “largest garden spider anybody’s ever seen,” should begin to appear in area gardens this summer. The beasts travel by way of wind, “ballooning” their way to new locales. Apparently they’re relatively harmless and eat spotted lanternflies, another invasive species. Anyway, have fun in the DC area this summer—I’m moving up plans to spend it somewhere spiders don’t fly. (WUSA9) Tuesday’s event pick: • The Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries building reopens today to host the new exhibition “Voices and Votes,” about democracy in the United States. The building will remain open through September 7. See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.The post Primary Day in DC, Lawsuit Targets Trump’s Planned Statue Garden, and Giant Invasive Spiders Are On Their Way to Town first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less