Good morning. This is The Washington Sun Metro newsletter for Oct. 19, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
In today’s newsletter: The Sun’s 2026 voter guide, Howard homecoming and Trump’s plans for East Potomac.
Capital Weather’s Daily Digit — 8/10. There’s a frosty start and the breeze is brisk but sunny afternoon 60s are spectacular. Full forecast from Capital Weather.
THE LATEST
Trending
With ballots landing in mailboxes across the District, the Nov. 3 general election is officially underway.
Those who followed June’s crowded primary might expect a predictable fall. Top Democratic nominees like Janeese Lewis George for mayor and Robert White for Congressional delegate enter as heavy favorites. From new ranked-choice math to a citywide ballot measure, there is still plenty for voters left to figure out.
To help you sort through your ballot before filling in those bubbles, The Washington Sun has published its 2026 General Election Voter Guide. It breaks down every contest on the fall ballot, including a mechanical quirk in the at-large race that has caused front-running candidates to adjust their traditional campaign pitches.
The guide also includes rundowns on ward-level council contests, the proposed citywide ban on foie gras and essential details on early voting centers and drop box locations.
DEEP DIVE
Mixed feelings at The Mecca: There was a lot to celebrate over the weekend during Howard’s homecoming festivities, including a win for the football team over Morehouse. But looming in the background was the stress of a fraught period for the university and real concern about the future of the school.
After Howard made headlines by unenrolling hundreds of students this summer and offering buyouts to eligible faculty members, interim president Dr. Wayne Frederick said Friday in a “state of the university” address that more changes must be made. The university is anticipating at least 45,000 applications for a 2027–2028 freshman class with 2,200 spots. Frederick said the university must reconsider offering aid packages to students from high-income households.
“One hundred percent of students who enroll at Howard their freshman year get some type of aid from us,” he said. “That has to stop. That is going to stop.”
The school kicked off its search for a new president last month, and several students told The Sun’s Shamira Muhammad they want a leader that can handle financial issues. “I would want to see better financial asset management,” freshman Elijah Bartholomew said.
Howard alum Patrice Simpson said while she understood the concern around enrollment and incoming classes, the school needed to reinvest in enrolled students. “When you come to [Howard], you should leave with your degree,” she said.
FROM THE DISTRICT
President Donald Trump confirmed his much-discussed plans to build a “world championship” golf course at East Potomac Park, with renovations starting Nov. 15 and lasting through early 2028, despite an ongoing lawsuit, The Sun’s Zara Norman reports.
The finished course will be open to the public and create “many jobs,” the president wrote on Truth Social. The post, which did not include any mention of costs, was accompanied by a rendering of an 18-hole golf course that covers the length of East Potomac, including the Hains Point recreational area.
The announcement comes just days after a federal judge ordered a halt to tree-cutting at the golf course until next week. On Friday night, Justice Department lawyers asked for U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes to be removed from the case because she has shown “open hostility” toward the government, The Sun’s Michelle Del Rey reports.
D.C.’s likely next mayor, Lewis George, urged the council to delay advancing a bill that would legalize passenger service in self-driving cars, largely because of job loss concerns for rideshare and taxicab drivers, The Sun’s Martin Austermuhle and Zara report. The bill’s author, Ward 6 council member Charles Allen, said his plans to move it forward are unchanged.
D.C.’s Department of Motor Vehicles reissued roughly 1,600 licenses and ID cards after the agency found printing defects its vendor made following a recent quality control review, The Sun’s Justice Covert reports. A resident flagged the issue on Reddit with aphoto of a letter from the D.C. DMV. It said the printing defect “may cause questions regarding the validity of your credential when presented for identification purposes” and that the department fixed the issue at the vendor’s expense.
D.C. is cracking down on unsafe electric scooter and bike riders amid an uptick in traffic fatalities across the city, Martin and Kendall Staton report.
As D.C. looks to gain control of the D.C. Armory as part of the RFK stadium redevelopment, the D.C. Preservation League has nominated the site for placement on the National Register of Historic Places in an effort to protect the building’s exterior, the Washington Business Journal reports.
John Czwartacki spent decades as a Republican political communicator. Since his multiple sclerosis diagnosis forced him to retire, he’s found a new voice through painting, The Sun’s Torrie Herrington writes.
FROM VIRGINIA
New documents indicate that Trump has dropped his plans for a military complex to be attached to his proposed triumphal arch, Michelle reports.
TRIVIA
Where did the sculpture known as “The Awakening” go after it was moved from Hains Point in 2008?
- The Wharf
- Old Town Alexandria
- National Harbor
Email us the answer — the first reader who gets it right gets a shout out. The answer will be at the end of the newsletter tomorrow.
SPORTS
At long last, the Spirit picked up a big win at home. After dropping five of six at Audi Field, Washington earned a marquee win on Saturday, topping Gotham FC, 1-0, in D.C. Lucia Di Guglielmo’s 70th-minute goal, her first for the Spirit, made the difference against the league leaders, Nicky Wolcott writes for The Sun.
“Doing it here at home with your people against a great opponent … I think it’s huge,” coach Adrián González said. “Everyone deserves to have a game like this — the players, the team, staff, fans.”
The Commanders are in primetime tonight, facing the 49ers on Monday Night Football. But before Washington’s players could begin preparing for a trip to San Francisco, they first had to move past last week’s tie with the Giants. The Sun’s Martenzie Johnson polled a few Commanders on what they did to turn the page on a deeply frustrating Sunday. Their antidotes included everything from rom-coms to pumpkin picking.
What to Watch Today
NFL: Commanders at 49ers, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
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The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Gaby Morera Di Núbila.
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