Good morning. This is the NOTUS Metro newsletter for August 13, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
THE LATEST
Ned’s Club is buzzy, exclusive — and a work in progress, writes NOTUS food correspondent Tom Sietsema.
Unlike the more established clubs in town, Ned’s reaches a wider audience. The upfront membership cost for most is $5,000, with an additional $5,000 fee annually. The result? A third of its members are under 40, a third are in their 40s and a third are over 50. The nonpartisan club has had a waitlist since it launched in February 2025 with 1,000 members, and boasts a cool clientele.
Trending
“I just introduced a Democratic governor and a member of the Trump administration in the elevator,” the club’s executive director of membership and programs told NOTUS.
Members say they love the uncommon amenities, the private atmosphere and the postcard views. But what about the food?
“It reads better than it tastes,” one member said. “But you can’t beat outside on a nice day!”
Across three trips (accompanied by members, of course), Tom found the dining experience to be a mixed bag. Breakfast was good, the sushi was fair and the service was, at times, inept. Food and drink are not included in a membership, and often come with a heavy price tag: Tom’s dinner for four in the exclusive Founders Dining Room ran to just over $1,000.
“‘You don’t really go there for the food,’” a new member says he was told by other members. “There’s some truth to that.”
DEEP DIVE
Ward 8 council member Trayon White’s federal bribery trial kicks off next month, and new court filings this week offer insights into the case prosecutors hope to make and the defense White’s attorney is expected to mount.
For prosecutors, the case is simple. They say that in 2024, White accepted bribes from Allieu Kamara, a local businessman who wanted to secure more contracts with the city. The exchanges were caught on video, and prosecutors allege White gambled away the proceeds at a local casino.
White’s defense attorney aims to poke holes in those accusations, arguing that the multi-term lawmaker didn’t do anything to actually help Kamara, and that he may actually be the victim of entrapment.
A federal judge will soon rule on final motions ahead of the trial, including whether White can openly argue that he was entrapped and whether prosecutors can show jurors pictures of trips White and Kamara took together to the Dominican Republic.
Should White be convicted, he could face more than a decade in prison, and he’d be immediately expelled from the council. That would trigger a special election early next year to fill the seat representing many of D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods.
FROM THE DISTRICT
A D.C. police lieutenant pleaded guilty last week to two felony counts of solicitation of a minor after being caught in a child-sex-abuse sting operation recorded on “Takedown With Chris Hansen,” WTOP reports.
The Trump administration plans to spend at least $900 million — much of it taxpayer money — on White House construction projects, The Washington Post reports.
A former D.C. liquor license inspector has been fined $6,000 for threatening a local watering hole with additional inspections and fines if it didn’t reduce or forgive his bar tabs. The inspector, Jeremy Zollarcoffer, left the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration in April.
In a rare move, the Justice Department has convened a special grand jury in D.C. to be overseen by one of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s top allies, The Washington Post reports.
FROM MARYLAND
Great snakes! Prince George’s County police have charged three people with stealing more than 60 reptiles from Virginia and Maryland pet stores, ABC7 reports.
TALK TO TOM
Tom Sietsema is back answering your questions about the D.C. dining scene. Submit your questions here.
As we approach Restaurant Week in D.C., what restaurants (hidden gems or expensive splurges) would you recommend?
My top recommendations this season span a world of flavors. For dinners, consider the lively Peruvian draw Amazonia in Blagden Alley ($65); the handsome Bombay Club near the White House ($55); Ceibo, a friendly source of Uruguayan fare in Adams Morgan ($65), where I never pass on the chorizo dumplings; Del Mar at The Wharf ($55) for a refined taste of Spain from the acclaimed chef Fabio Trabocchi; the typically serene Onggi offering sublime Korean in Dupont Circle (which offers three different tier-priced menus, from $40 to $65); and the alluring Dabney in Shaw for a survey of the mid-Atlantic ($65).
Hidden gems don’t stay secrets the way they used to, alas, but if you’re looking for a fresh face in the crowd, there’s the modern Filipino storefront Kayu in Dupont Circle, where chef Paolo Dungca will be serving crab noodles, pork with peach barbecue sauce and a vegetarian assembly of caraflex cabbage, summer squash and burnt coconut among his main course options ($65).
In the full Q&A: hospitality as a two-way street, how to eat well in an unfamiliar place and a foodie’s guide to Napa Valley.
SPORTS
Training camp update: NOTUS’ Martenzie Johnson reports that the Commanders mostly manhandled the Dolphins in the team’s first joint practice session Wednesday in Ashburn. Facing another team for the first time this summer, Washington played with aggression on both sides of the ball. The two teams will face off again in a more official capacity on Friday in the first preseason game.
What to Watch Today
MLB: Nationals vs. Cubs, 4:05 p.m. (MLB.TV)
WNBA: Mystics at Aces, 10 p.m. (Amazon Prime)
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The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Andrew Burton and Michael Errigo. Photo by Kainaz Amaria/NOTUS.
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