Good morning. Sunny with a high around 80 until this afternoon, when there’s a chance of showers or even storms. The Capitals visit Philadelphia this evening. 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 m orning email newsletter. Sign up here. I can’t stop listening to: The Compozers, “Born You Well.” This British-Ghanaian group makes a stateside appearance at Union Stage 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: War news: Nearly 150 US troops have been wounded in President Trump‘s war on Iran, a figure the Pentagon said was more like 140 after Reuters reported the surprising figure. Most of the injuries were minor, and 108 of the wounded had returned to duty, the Pentagon said. (Reuters) The US said it destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels, though Trump “said in social media posts that there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz.” (AP) Well, there was at least one: CNN had reported earlier Tuesday that sources familiar with US intel had said Iran was planting mines. (CNN) France said it would send ten warships to the region to possibly escort vessels through the strait, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes. (NYT) The Pentagon said it’s looking at ways to protect ships there, which also transport about a third of the world’s fertilizer. (Reuters) Meanwhile, thanks to its control of the waterway, “Iran is exporting more oil through the Strait of Hormuz than before the war.” (WSJ) More war: US Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed on social media that the US had escorted a tanker through the strait, then deleted the tweet, which the agency later said wasn’t true. Oil prices plummeted and stocks rallied, then finished slightly down. (WSJ) The International Energy Agency floated a plan to release oil reserves to try to rein in rising gas prices. (WSJ) The US asked Israel not to hit Iranian energy infrastructure, particularly oil-related facilities. (Axios) An Iranian drone hit a US diplomatic facility in Baghdad. (Washington Post) Yikes: The administration didn’t foresee this much disruption to the oil market when it planned the war, “emblematic of how much Mr. Trump and his advisers misjudged how Iran would respond.” (NYT) Trump’s admission Monday that he didn’t really know what happened with a strike on a girls’ school in Iran was just one example of him “seeming to have a loose grasp of what’s happening on the ground in Iran.” (CNN) As it happens, the Pentagon, under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, had eliminated an office that was dedicated to preventing civilian casualties. (ProPublica) On the Hill: Some GOP lawmakers are showing concern about the economic and political effects of Trump’s war. (WSJ)  House Speaker Mike Johnson said more Pentagon funding “is inevitable” amid the war. (The Hill) Johnson also declined to condemn House Republican Andy Ogles‘s post on X that said, “Muslims don’t belong in American society,” claiming that Ogles was concerned about “the demand to impose Sharia law in America.” (Politico) Epstein, Epstein, Epstein: Another satirical statue that depicts Trump and the deceased, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein appeared on the National Mall—this one imagines the pair, who were once pals, reenacting a famous scene between Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in “Titanic.” (Washington Post) While people mentioned in the US government’s release of its Epstein files have suffered professional consequences, there haven’t been any prosecutions, something that’s unlikely to change. (Politico) A bipartisan group of US senators wants the GAO to investigate the Justice Department’s uneven release of the documents. (Washington Post) Meanwhile, a pro-Iran propaganda operation “has found viral success by tapping into the conspiracy theory that Trump attacked Iran to distract the public from the Epstein files.” (Washington Post) Administration perambulation: Chronically beleaguered administration official Ed Martin faces a DC Bar ethics investigation over a threatening letter he sent to Georgetown Law. (CNN) The $220 million ad campaign that got Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem canned cost more to produce than all but one Best Picture nominee. (People) Jeremy Carl, who believes “white people are the victims of racism,” withdrew from a State Department nomination after Republican support for him withered. (Politico) DOJ officials who haven’t had a lot of luck making cases against Trump’s perceived foes are putting pressure on prosecutors looking into John Brennan. (CNN) The DNC sued the administration, hoping to determine whether Trump plans to send armed personnel to the polls this fall. (NYT) Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans for the body to take up the “SAVE America” act next week—without a so-called “talking filibuster.” (Politico) The Social Security Administration is investigating a complaint that a former member of Elon Musk‘s DOGE project “claimed he had access to two highly sensitive agency databases and planned to share the information with his private employer.” (Washington Post) The White House asked Republicans to stop talking about mass deportations as support for Trump’s immigration policies crumbles. (Axios) Hegseth is pressuring DOD’s civilian employees to volunteer to aid Trump’s immigration crackdown. (Wired) Event Strategies, a Virginia company that helped plan Trump’s eventful January 6, 2021, rally, “has signed contracts worth over $26 million with the United States government.” (Wired) Like some other administration officials, US Attorney General Pam Bondi has moved to housing on a DC-area military base. (NYT) Former Trump personal attorney and briefly an acting US Attorney Alina Habba has “divorced her millionaire husband after nearly six years of marriage and relocated to Palm Beach.” (New York Post) Recently on Washingtonian dot com: • Metrorail turns 50 this year. We look back at the system’s history, highlight some historical quirks, and speculate about its future. • Possibly relevant to your interests today: Here are the best spots to enjoy a cocktail outdoors. • The Eckington flower shop She Loves Me has a new owner. • We spoke with Jonathan Dearden and Anthony Jones, the DC-area chefs competing on “Top Chef” this season. • The Washington Spirit’s new season begins Friday. Here’s what to look out for from Trinity Rodman Co. • Moon Rabbit mastermind Kevin Tien‘s got a new fast-casual spot at Tysons: Chao Ban focuses on pho and banh mi—with a few twists. Local news links: • DC Mayor Muriel Bowser released a long-delayed study about congestion pricing in DC and said she opposed the idea. (Axios D.C.) • Nancy Pelosi will endorse Harry Dunn in the race to replace Steny Hoyer in the US House—spurning Hoyer’s preferred candidate, Adrian Boafo. (Politico) • Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo scored 83 points in one game (wow!) against the Wizards (doh!). (The Athletic) • A confrontation on a basketball court in Dumfries, Virginia, left one person dead and four wounded. (NBC4 Washington) • A naked burglar is on the loose in Centreville. (WTOP) • US Park Police say the driver of a car they pursued threw a loaded rifle out its window before being apprehended in DC. (WUSA9) • The DC US Attorney’s office charged former FDA worker Frank Olivarria with distributing child pornography. (DC News Now) • The DC streetcar will go out of service at the end of this month. Here’s a short history of the doomed project. (Greater Greater Washington) • Compass Coffee co-founder Michael Haft has left the company amid its bankruptcy and a change in ownership; he’ll start a “workforce technology company focused on solving many of the challenges I faced while building Compass.” (WBJ) • A dead raccoon that may have bitten two people in Alexandria before it mets it end tested positive for rabies. (ALXnow) Wednesday’s event picks: • Rachel Bonds‘s “Jonah” opens at Studio Theatre. • Jonathan Spector‘s “Eureka Day” opens at Theater J. • Chris Hon performs at Strathmore. See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.The post Energy Secretary’s Incorrect War Tweet Scrambles Markets, Yet Another Trump-Epstein Statue Appears on Mall, Naked Burglar on the Loose in Fairfax first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less