Overview

• Axios reports that a declared crime emergency has brought more than 2,000 National Guard troops to D.C., with some units carrying firearms.
• The president plans to ask Congress for $2 billion to refurbish parks, fountains, streetlights and roads, including a pledge to re-grass public spaces.
• Trump-aligned appointees now lead major cultural levers, with the president chairing the Kennedy Center after floating a possible renaming.
• The administration has ordered a Smithsonian-wide content review to ensure exhibits align with what it calls American ideals.
• White House aides are steering the National Capital Planning Commission, which can influence marquee projects, as allies tout D.C. as a model for possible expansions to cities like Chicago and New York, a prospect described as developing.