07.02 - and the home of the brave
what’s going on in d.c.
After a year with no fireworks, get ready for a much closer to “normal” 4th of July weekend in the Nation’s Capital. There’s a ton going on - Washingtonian compiled a bunch of watch parties and food evens in the region and a map of great spots to watch the fireworks (if you don’t want to trek to the Mall).
The Kennedy Center’s REACH is hosting a weekend festival, Relax | Relate | Release, with DJs, yoga, dance classes, and other activities.
If you’re a Eurocup fan, NoMa’s Wunder Garten is hosting weekend watch parties for the quarterfinals in partnership with the countries’ embassies.
looking ahead: Next Saturday (the 10th) is the District Warehouse Sale, a sample sale featuring local D.C. shops and brands, including Salt & Sundry, Shelter, and Handmade Habitat. Register here to get a link to shop next weekend.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: The No-Salmon Royal Palm from Call Your Mother (a tried and true weekend option)
There’s a bunch of new area restaurants - here’s a list of 15 that have opened recently (I’m most excited about Lupo Pizzeria on 14th St). And, here’s a list of 18 “most anticipated” openings - the majority of which are yet to open this summer.
If you haven’t yet, mark your calendar for 5 PM on Sunday when preorders drop for Rose Ave Bakeries’ unfathomably good Asian pastries. The options sell out in minutes, so set that timer.
what’s on our minds?
The problematic Washington Football Team received a $10M fine from the NFL for operating a highly unprofessional and sexist workplace, stemming from the racist/sexist actions of its owner, Dan Snyder. Highlighting journalists’ powers to bring stories organizations would rather have untold to light, the investigation only began after a Washington Post expose last summer detailed a highly sexist environment for full time employees and the organization’s cheerleaders. However, the NFL is not making its findings public, much to the frustration of the lawyers representing former employees - finding the process to be “a slap in the face” to those who came forward. And - Dan Snyder will be replaced for day-to-day operations by his wife, Tanya Snyder, so I’m sure a huge cultural shift will come from that. Anyway - go Nats?
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
No, You Can’t Recycle a Bowling Ball (But People Sure Keep Trying) - per Curbed, “Why do 1,200 balls end up at New York City’s main recycling plant each year?” (ed. note: just read this one - even if you don’t really care about bowling or recycling, you’ll have a great new dinner party fact.)
I Learned How to Cope with Agoraphobia. The Pandemic Eroded It All - per Vice, “As the country reopens for ‘Hot Vax Summer,’ I’ve had to face the crippling fears I avoided for more than a year.
The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master - per Bloomberg Businessweek, “Authorities say Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, perfected a simple internet scam and laundered millions of dollars. His past says a lot about digital swagger, and the kinds of stories that get told online.”
The Lazarus heist: How North Korea almost pulled off a billion-dollar hack - per BBC, “In 2016 North Korean hackers planned a $1bn raid on Bangladesh's national bank and came within an inch of success - it was only by a fluke that all but $81m of the transfers were halted. But how did one of the world's poorest and most isolated countries train a team of elite cyber-criminals?”
what are we watching/reading?
Lupin on Netflix. The French caper show premiered on Netflix in January, but I only started watching after the second part of the show premiered a few weeks ago. The show, set in present day, stars Omar Sy as a suave, clever cat burglar seeking to avenge his father.