Good morning. Showers and storms likely today, with humid air and a high around 89. Rain is likely overnight as well, with a low near 72. The Washington Freedom play the Los Angeles Knight Riders this evening in Dallas. RIP Bonnie Tyler. The “Total Eclipse of the Heart” singer was 75. Get your tickets now to Best of Washington—Washingtonian’s premier food and drink celebration—which features top local restaurants, unlimited tastings, and an open bar. How well do you know the District? Play our new geography game and test your local knowledge. 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: The Max Rebo Band, “Lapti Nek.” Hey, at least it’s better than the Ewok song. Emil de Cou will lead the National Symphony Orchestra through a tour of the “Return of the Jedi” soundtrack tonight at Wolf Trap. 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: The US struck targets in Iran for the second day in a row, and Iran launched strikes against neighboring countries as the ragged ceasefire in the region frayed further. The US appears to have struck Iranian bridges; President Trump again threatened civilian infrastructure in statements on social media. (AP) Trump’s murky messaging about the conflict—the ceasefire is “over,” he says, but talks continue; these attacks don’t mean we’re back at war, though they’re not exactly what you’d call peace—reflect the miasma he finds himself in after he started this war in February. (NYT) Trump’s “choices are limited and mostly bad, analysts say.” (Reuters) Negotiators are scrambling to save the peace deal framework. (AP) The President left a NATO summit in Turkey on an older airplane because the Secret Service advised him against traveling that the luxury jet Qatar gave him. (NYT) Iranians held signs that called for violence against Trump on Thursday as they moved to bury former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the early days of the war. (Reuters) The fallout: Oil prices are “significantly higher than they were before this week’s clashes.” (WSJ) The administration opened 25 gas stations around Philadelphia, with prices set at $3.47 per gallon—lower than the national average—and posted video of drivers thanking Trump. (USA Today) Behind closed doors at the summit in Turkey, Trump’s bellicose public tone changed noticeably—he reportedly told European leaders “We want to remain with you.” (Politico) Back in court: A judge ordered the release of a $5.8 million judgment Trump owes to writer E. Jean Carroll, whom a jury determined he had sexually assaulted and defamed. Trump’s lawyers appealed, despite the fact that the Supreme Court recently declined to step in. (AP) Trump also said he would ask the high court to reconsider its recent decision that zapped his birthright citizenship executive order, “a request that the justices are highly unlikely to take up.” (NYT) Administration perambulation: Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch disputed a White House report’s criticisms of the National Museum of American History in an email to staff. (Washington Post) Trump denied emergency aid to four states led by Democrats, a decision the White House claimed had nothing to do with politics. (Politico) The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the Houston man killed by ICE agents Tuesday, called for an independent investigation of his death. (Texas Tribune) Hannah Dugan, the former Wisconsin judge who led a defendant sought by immigration officials out a private door last year, won’t serve any time in jail. (AP) Graham Platner ended his senate campaign following allegations of rape that he denies; Maine Democrats have until July 27 to agree on a replacement. (Washington Post) Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear asked US Senator Mitch McConnell for information about his health. (Politico) Hidden Eats, by Ike Allen: Photo by Ike Allen. A full Turkish breakfast spread, serpme kahvalti, starts with black tea in glass cups. From then on, the procession of little plates can vary, but it’s always generous. At My Cravingz Bakery Cafe in Manassas, the serpme consists of simit (rings of sesame bread), rolls, kaymak (clotted cream) with honey, jams made with apricot and tart berries, several roasted pepper spreads, olives, nuts, cucumbers, tomatoes, three different cheeses, grapes, cigar-shaped börek, zucchini fritters, and your choice of two hot egg dishes served in iron pans. We went with menemen (tomato-pepper scramble), and slices of sucuk sausage with eggs. Feel free to bring a crowd to help finish it all—the next table from us was a party of 16 Turkish guys. (7381 Sudley Road, Manassas) Take Hidden Eats with you! Our wildly popular new map will show you which out-of-the-way mom-and-pop eateries Ike has highlighted near you. Recently on Washingtonian dot com: • Hana S. Sharif‘s abrupt departure from Arena Stage has prompted stories of her purported shortcomings as its artistic director. But there are other stories, too, about the deep resistance she faced from the theater’s staff and board from the beginning. Trey Graham reports on the mess. • Trump can’t slap his name back up on the Kennedy Center while the administration appeals an order to remove it, a judge said yesterday. And yet, Jenna Lee reports, the tarp remains. • Cynthia Erivo, Ann Patchett, and Martin Scorsese are among the big names scheduled to appear at this year’s National Book Festival, which begins next month. • Ever feel like…just floating away? You can go tubing a short drive away from town. • These are some of the region’s standout spas, salons, and beauty professionals. Local news links: • National Guard troops from Minnesota will leave the District ahead of schedule, and Michigan may recall its troops. (AP) • A federal judge doinked Trump Media and Technology Group’s defamation suit against the Washington Post. (NOTUS) • Could DC get a monument to Thomas Paine? US representatives Jamie Raskin and Victoria Spartz introduced legislation to plonk a memorial to the pamphleteer onto the Mall. (City Cast DC) • Montgomery County has a new portal where residents can report ICE activity. (NBC4 Washington) • DC plans to tack a 20 cent fee onto third-party food deliveries. (NOTUS) • Hayfield Secondary grad Aiden Mattauszek wore an outfit made from duct tape to his prom. Now he’s a finalist for a $10,000 scholarship. You can vote for him here. (WTOP) Thursday’s event picks: • The Shakespeare-inspired musical “Something Rotten!” opens at Atlas Performing Arts Center. • There’s a pop-up comedy event at Edgewood Community Farm. See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.The post Blue States May Pull National Guard Troops From DC, Smithsonian Boss Pushes Back Against White House Report, and We Could Get a Thomas Paine Memorial first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less