While almost everyone in D.C. is glad that the government has finally reopened, it’s still a complex time with a few bright spots and many difficulties. What we saw this week:
The Smithsonian reopens
The Smithsonian museums reopened, so the first place we headed to was the zoo.
The lions didn’t seem to have missed us much:
Seeing the pandas was pure joy.
The Epstein files
The Epstein files have dominated the news. On Tuesday before the vote in the House, Representatives Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Ro Khanna held a press conference outside the Capitol, with Epstein survivors speaking.
The remnants of fall colors
The wind and rain have blown down most of the colorful leaves. One place to still see some color is the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, with its smooth reflective surfaces (note: these surfaces are incredibly smooth, optimized for wheelchair users).
There are still a few pops of color at Constitution Gardens:
By the Library of Congress:
Setting up for the holidays
Zoo Lights start tonight. A few days ago, we saw the sculptures being set up.
The traditional giant wreaths have been installed at Union Station.
The tree at CityCenter has been set up and they are working on the decorations. The tree lighting is November 29th.
The holiday market on New Hampshire near Dupont Circle is already open. The F Street Market opens today.
Surround the White House
The Refuse Fascism organization is holding “Surround the White House” rallies to try to get enough people to hold crime scene tape around the White House. Given all that is blocked off, the perimeter of the White House enclosure is two miles. On Saturday, there were enough people to stretch the crime scene tape for one mile (on 17th St. and on Constitution Avenue). On Monday, the group hopes to get enough people to go around the entire perimeter.
Mohammed bin Salman’s visit
The visit of Mohammed bin Salman this week was controversial, both because it was treated like a visit of a head of state and because of the content.
On Saturday, we saw the military cannons rehearsing on the Ellipse in preparation for saluting MBS’s arrival at the White House.
On Wednesday, we watched the Presidential motorcade get ready to transport the President and MBS to the Kennedy Center for a U.S.-Saudi investment conference.
Security was extremely tight downtown. As is common with Presidential motorcades, the Park Police helicopters kept circling the area.
