Good morning. This is the NOTUS Metro newsletter for Aug. 27, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
THE LATEST
Big tech is set to pay D.C. some big bucks. Meta will pay the District between $90 million and $130 million over the next decade to resolve a large, multistate lawsuit that accused the company of knowingly endangering children’s mental health.
The settlement is among the largest consumer-protection payouts in the city’s history, NOTUS’ Jenny Gathright reports. The tech giant will fork over up to $17 billion to dozens of states and U.S. territories. It’s a massive sum, but one that amounts to just 1% of the company’s stock value.
Trending
In addition to the money — and maybe more significantly — Meta agreed to stricter protections for teenage users of Facebook and Instagram, including hard time limits, limits on night usage and better controls over potentially harmful content.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who sued the company in 2023, said those safeguards will “fundamentally and immediately change how young people use Instagram and Facebook.”
So how will D.C. spend its share of the settlement? That’s unclear, but at least half must go toward mental health support or enrichment for young people. That investment could include boosting funds for the 988 crisis hotline, funding more outdoors and sports programs for teens, or adding digital literacy counselors to schools.
In the wake of Wednesday’s agreement, Meta is aggressively encouraging competitors TikTok and YouTube to establish similar protective measures for teens. That PR push involves full-page print ads in The New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times,according to The New York Times’ Mike Issac.
FROM THE DISTRICT
A D.C. man was arrested for filming federal immigration agents as they detained someone behind his home in Northwest, reports WUSA9. The man said he was not interfering and was knocked over by a D.C. police officer, who later arrested him. He spent the night in jail, though his charges were later dropped.
D.C. is home to the world’s only liberal arts university dedicated to the deaf community: Gallaudet University. But not every student shows up knowing American Sign Language. A three-week bootcamp at the start of the school year helps them learn, The Washington Post reports.
Return to sender: A growing number of working, would-be homebuyers in D.C. are living with their parents while they save up for their own place, Axios D.C. reports.
D.C.’s only cookbook store, Bold Fork Books in Mount Pleasant, announced it will close next month, citing economic pressures, City Cast D.C. reports.
The food hall startup Wonder is planning to have 30 locations in the DMV by the end of the year, making the region one of the food tech company’s fastest-growing markets, Axios D.C. reports.
TALK TO TOM
Tom Sietsema is back answering your questions about the D.C. dining scene. Submit your questions here.
I’m looking for a solid restaurant with a view in the city.
Look no further than Limani, the dashing, three-floor Greek oasis whose picture windows capture boats, water and more at The Wharf in Southwest D.C. The airy white interior with accents of blue makes me feel cooler just walking in, and I appreciate the consistency of the cooking. When opening executive chef Lonnie Zoeller died unexpectedly last year, his sous chef, Antonio Contreras, ably slipped into his place in the kitchen.
A meal this month reminded me of my first visit to Limani. Fried in a kettle of olive oil, the signature stack of thin, hand-cut eggplant and zucchini arrives glossy but greaseless — also hot, crisp and cooled with a dip of tzatziki. (Move over, potato chips.) Bite into the supple grilled squid and out rushes a river of tangy cheese. Loup de mer is cooked head-on, then simply brightened with capers and lemon. A trio of lamb chops is as succulent as I remember, too, and don’t be surprised when a server in a white jacket delivers a gratis gift to the table. (My party received a strawberry pavlova to share.)
In the full Q&A: Server etiquette, well-designed menus and a new spot for a good but casual meal.
SPORTS
Training camp update: The Commanders made the short trip to Baltimore on Wednesday for a joint practice with the Ravens, and NOTUS’ Martenzie Johnson reports that it did not go well.
Washington has injuries on both sides of the ball right now, but it was the offense that looked especially bad in Baltimore. Jayden Daniels was pressured and running backs were stuffed as the team struggled to move the ball. It was an ominous performance with less than three weeks remaining before Week 1.
What to Watch Today
MLB: Nationals vs. Rockies, 1:05 p.m. (MLB.TV)
WNBA: Mystics at Mercury, 10 p.m. (Amazon Prime)
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The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson. Photo by Kainaz Amaria/NOTUS.
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