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Loose Lips can remember rolling his eyes so hard he nearly popped a blood vessel when the preliminary terms of the District’s deal to keep the Capitals and Wizards in the city became public in early April.
Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis asked to not pay taxes that benefit other pro sports teams in D.C., in a very funny bit of sniping at his colleagues with the Nats and Commanders, and he had a whole host of demands about how the city would reshape the Chinatown neighborhood to his liking to keep him at Capital One Arena. No detail was too small in the billionaire sports owner’s wish list—even one specific restaurant’s streetery was targeted for removal simply because Leonsis didn’t like it.
So LL was relieved, if largely unsurprised, that the city has refused (or convinced Leonsis to abandon) many of his most outlandish requests in the final version of the deal, which Mayor Muriel Bowser officially submitted to the Council for approval on Friday. The full details are still trickling out, but the proposal at least appears to be more advantageous to the District than the one initially advanced in the spring. The city is forking over $515 million to overhaul an arena that is hardy falling down, after all, so this is perhaps the least Leonsis could do.
“There has to be compromise,” Leonsis told reporters Monday morning. “The leagues have to compromise. The city has to compromise. We have to compromise. The only people so far who don’t compromise are the agents. And we can get through it.”
But it’s not like Monumental won’t get anything out of this deal. For a full look inside the good, the bad, and everything in between in the new Capital One deal, check out our full story online.
—Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

- The 24-year-old who attacked two Commanders fans following the team’s game against the Ravens in Baltimore turned himself in to police. John Callis, of Sarasota, Florida, is charged with multiple counts of assault for the incident that was caught on viral cellphone video. Police say they have more video of Callis attacking another person minutes before the viral video begins. Callis also has been accused of beating up a person in Towson in 2021. [Post, Banner, X]
- Joseph Coles was one of the first people in D.C. to face charges following legislation that makes strangulation a stand-alone felony offense. One of the 12 jurors “was not convinced by the account” of the woman survivor. Instead of re-trying Coles, federal prosecutors offered him a plea deal of simple assault. Coles will now serve 45 days in jail, rather than the maximum five years. [Post]
- In a new law journal article, Georgetown professor Josh Chafetz takes aim at the Supreme Court’s lenient and arguably contradictory interpretation of public corruption and the definition of “official acts.” “Justices keep letting corrupt politicians off the hook,” Chafetz argues. [NYT]
- WNBA All-Star (and Maryland native) Angel Reese says her $73,000 salary from the league doesn’t cover her living expenses. Instead, she (and many other WNBA players) must supplement their relatively low pay with endorsement deals. The highest paid player in the WNBA last year made just over $250,000; Steph Curry is the highest paid NBA player at $51.9 million. [NBC Washington]
By City Paper Staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

- Former parents and officials at Eagle Academy say there were warning signs suggesting the charter school was in bad financial shape before its sudden closure earlier this year. But there still wasn’t enough oversight or early intervention to prevent its dissolution. “We were under the impression that the school was in good standing,” said board member (and former Council contender) Dionne Bussey-Reeder. “Then to hear that we were in financial ruin was devastating.” [Post]
- A former D.C. contracting manager received a seven-month prison sentence after admitting to awarding contracts to her friends’ businesses. Bridgette Crowell was ordered to re-pay $100,000 to the city and forfeit a Ford Bronco she received as part of the scheme. [WJLA]
- The Council advanced legislation Monday that would ban child marriage in the District. The bill from Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto aims to bring the city in line with other states around the country in barring minors from getting married. [WTOP]
By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

- &Pizza is facing calls for a boycott after the local chain rolled out a marketing campaign for a new dessert called the Marion Berry Knots. The campaign plays on the Mayor for Life’s arrest for crack cocaine, with lines like “so good it’s a felony,” and enough powdered sugar to “force the DEA to look twice.” Barry’s widow, Cora Masters Barry, called the ad “outrageously racist.” &Pizza CEO Mike Burns reacted with a shrug. “We can’t wait for D.C. to try it,” he said. [Washingtonian]
- An Aldi grocery store is slated to open on H Street NE next year after Amazon pulled out of a deal to occupy the ground-floor retail space below the Avec apartment building. [WBJ]
- ’Tis the season of apple cider doughnuts and here are seven spots offering the best of these deep fried, cinnamon sugar-coated treats. [Post]
By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)


Sleeping Giant’s Cosmic Horror Is Just Outside the Door
Steve Yockey’s Sleeping Giant at Rorschach Theatre presents an ancient monster and metaphors to today’s terrifying political climate.
Greek-ish Drama The Pliant Girls Breaks With the Past to Give Women Characters the Spotlight
Meghan Brown’s The Pliant Girls underscores the dangers of writing someone else’s story.
- Petworth’s burger and punk music joint Slash Run is closing at the end of the week. Owner Christine Lilyea shared the news on Instagram yesterday: “as we get closer to the lease ending 😢I have decided not to renew my lease as it has been a trying last two years, I hung on so tightly to slash because I love this place and I have sacrificed so much of my life and time with people I ❤️ to make Slash Run a special place.” Lilyea made no mention of the restaurant’s sister venue, the Runaway, which almost closed in January, then didn’t, then became just a bar, and then went gently into that good night. Lilyea took over as owner of Slash in 2018. [Instagram]
- National Geographic has announced plans to open a massive, 100,000-square-foot museum on its Dupont campus. It’ll have a theater, restaurant, a “nighttime courtyard experience,” and educational center. It will focus on showcasing exploring expeditions through photos, storytelling, augmented reality, and—my personal favorite—immersive experiences. [Axios]
- I don’t know if my first choice for D.C.’s World Pride welcome concert headliner would be Shakira. Call me a crazy queer, but I’d pick someone who, ya know, is queer (and/or out). But Shakira will kick off the event on May 31, 2025, at Nats Park. [WUSA9]
By Sarah Marloff (tips? smarloff@washingtoncitypaper.com)
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