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Middleburg's next resident: JD Vance

The vice president is eyeing a grand Virginia farmhouse as a getaway from Washington, sources tell Axios.

News

Vice President <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="JD Vance" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/06/vance-summer-trump-heir" data-vars-content-id="df4aebe3-9dd5-448c-982e-b0d8297c0780" data-vars-headline="Middleburg&#x27;s next resident: JD Vance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/06/vance-summer-trump-heir" target="_self">JD Vance</a> is eyeing a grand farmhouse in Middleburg as a getaway from Washington, sources tell Axios.Why it matters: With three kids and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="one more on the way," data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/20/jd-vance-baby-vice-president-history" data-vars-content-id="df4aebe3-9dd5-448c-982e-b0d8297c0780" data-vars-headline="Middleburg&#x27;s next resident: JD Vance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/20/jd-vance-baby-vice-president-history" target="_self">one more on the way,</a> the Vances would have more space to unwind in a private enclave.

New details drop about National Harbor's forthcoming Sphere

It will be only the second Sphere in the country.

Development

New details are emerging about the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sphere" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/03/04/sphere-entertainment-possible-nashville-expansion" data-vars-content-id="e3b434a2-9a96-44e6-a9bd-19cc012b14b3" data-vars-headline="New details drop about National Harbor&#x27;s forthcoming Sphere" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/03/04/sphere-entertainment-possible-nashville-expansion" target="_self">Sphere</a> that&#x27;s coming to National Harbor.Why it matters: The project near the MGM National Harbor Casino would be the country&#x27;s second <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sphere" data-vars-click-url="https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press-releases/sphere-entertainment-state-maryland-prince-georges-county-and-peterson-companies-announce-intent" data-vars-content-id="e3b434a2-9a96-44e6-a9bd-19cc012b14b3" data-vars-headline="New details drop about National Harbor&#x27;s forthcoming Sphere" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press-releases/sphere-entertainment-state-maryland-prince-georges-county-and-peterson-companies-announce-intent" target="_blank">Sphere</a> — a flashy new attraction Maryland says could generate <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$1.5 billion" data-vars-click-url="https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/news-events/news/sphere-national-harbor-bring-significant-economic-benefits-prince-georges-county-and-maryland" data-vars-content-id="e3b434a2-9a96-44e6-a9bd-19cc012b14b3" data-vars-headline="New details drop about National Harbor&#x27;s forthcoming Sphere" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/news-events/news/sphere-national-harbor-bring-significant-economic-benefits-prince-georges-county-and-maryland" target="_blank">$1.5 billion</a> in annual economic impact.

George Washington's $1,000 whiskey is out now

Mount Vernon just released its first bourbon from the reconstructed distillery — fewer than 350 bottles, hand-bottled on-site using 18th-century methods, as part of America's 250th.

America at 250

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="George Washington" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/09/01/george-washington-ice-cream" data-vars-content-id="c39aacc3-d154-4a96-affd-1aadfd322f39" data-vars-headline="George Washington&#x27;s $1,000 whiskey is out now" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/09/01/george-washington-ice-cream" target="_self">George Washington</a> — Founding Father, first U.S. president, big whiskey guy.Why it matters: Washington&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mount Vernon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/02/18/george-washington-mount-vernon-actor" data-vars-content-id="c39aacc3-d154-4a96-affd-1aadfd322f39" data-vars-headline="George Washington&#x27;s $1,000 whiskey is out now" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/02/18/george-washington-mount-vernon-actor" target="_self">Mount Vernon</a> distillery was one of the largest in the Early Republic, producing nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey in 1799. More than two centuries later, it&#x27;s bottling limited-edition whiskeys for America&#x27;s 250th.

Exclusive: Maryland, Virginia senators demand Trump's East Potomac golf plans

The Trump administration has yet to release final plans for the site.

Senators from Maryland and Virginia are demanding the Trump administration reveal details about its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="East Potomac golf course" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/28/trump-dc-golf-course-renovation-east-potomac-links" data-vars-content-id="8188ba26-78f4-49b1-a710-0ef76f9da764" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Maryland, Virginia senators demand Trump&#x27;s East Potomac golf plans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/28/trump-dc-golf-course-renovation-east-potomac-links" target="_self">East Potomac golf course</a> redevelopment. Why it matters: President Trump has vowed to transform East Potomac into a championship-level course, but key details — including how much land it&#x27;ll occupy and whether everyday golfers will still be able to afford it — remain unclear.

Moon rock, Dolley Madison history featured in rare D.C. tour

The Federal Circuit Center for Innovation & Law will open to the public for one day in July.

For one day in July, Washingtonians will get access to an under-the-radar building steps away from the White House that&#x27;s filled with artifacts spanning American history.Why it matters: It&#x27;s a chance for anyone to visit The Howard T. Markey National Courts Building complex, which houses the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and is normally reserved for scheduled student tours.

The Lincoln Memorial Undercroft is like a "cathedral"

You can finally explore the cave-like space that's been hidden beneath the memorial since it opened in 1922.

Escape the heat by going underground at the new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Lincoln Memorial Undercroft" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nps.gov/linc/planyourvisit/undercroftvisit.htm" data-vars-content-id="e196e0f9-7fa7-4ae7-9508-df4ada36ebd3" data-vars-headline="The Lincoln Memorial Undercroft is like a &quot;cathedral&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nps.gov/linc/planyourvisit/undercroftvisit.htm" target="_blank">Lincoln Memorial Undercroft</a>.Why it matters: You can finally explore the cave-like space that&#x27;s been hidden beneath the memorial since it opened in 1922, with historical artifacts nestled between its exposed concrete columns.

Exclusive: Smithsonian women's museum puts American heroines on the National Mall

As it pushes for a permanent home, the museum is launching a new augmented reality experience.

Where are the women? For decades, that&#x27;s been one of the National Mall&#x27;s most glaring omissions.<ul><li>Starting Thursday, a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Smithsonian" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/05/14/smithsonian-castle-reopening-lobster-rolls-america-250" data-vars-content-id="256b5088-decb-4385-8c6b-2b803e47e278" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Smithsonian women&#x27;s museum puts American heroines on the National Mall" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/05/14/smithsonian-castle-reopening-lobster-rolls-america-250" target="_self">Smithsonian</a> augmented reality experience will place five female trailblazers alongside some of the nation&#x27;s most iconic monuments through December — no construction required.</li></ul>

The history behind Trump's newly paved Rose Garden

The look is just the latest controversial White House revamp.

Politics & Policy

President Trump&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Rose Garden" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2020/08/22/white-house-rose-garden-flotus-melania-trump" data-vars-content-id="4da98a7f-f7fa-477e-ab0a-143d33b65674" data-vars-headline="The history behind Trump&#x27;s newly paved Rose Garden" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2020/08/22/white-house-rose-garden-flotus-melania-trump" target="_self">Rose Garden</a> revamp is complete — and it is, per POTUS, &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="very white" data-vars-click-url="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/04/trump-touts-rose-garden-remodel/85505619007/" data-vars-content-id="4da98a7f-f7fa-477e-ab0a-143d33b65674" data-vars-headline="The history behind Trump&#x27;s newly paved Rose Garden" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/04/trump-touts-rose-garden-remodel/85505619007/" target="_blank">very white</a>.&quot;Why it matters: Garden-lovers are thorny about the paving-over, though the White House Historical Association tells Axios that controversial remodels are all part of presidential tradition.

When Pope Francis visited D.C. in 2015

Pope Francis was the first pontiff to address a joint session of Congress

History

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pope Francis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/21/pope-francis-dies-easter-monday-vatican" data-vars-content-id="2fe9f67b-0127-48f4-86f5-20df0e459fb1" data-vars-headline="When Pope Francis visited D.C. in 2015" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/21/pope-francis-dies-easter-monday-vatican" target="_self">Pope Francis</a>, who died Monday at age 88, last visited D.C. in 2015 during a six-day tour of the U.S.Flashback: Washingtonians welcomed the pontiff at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, two-and-a-half years after he was elected at the Vatican.

Long before Moo Deng, D.C.'s celebrity hippo changed America's zoos

William Johnson "Billy" Hippopotamus changed American zoos.

Culture

Long before <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Moo Deng" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/05/moo-deng-baby-pygmy-hippos-united-states-zoos" data-vars-content-id="f6324368-8304-4cef-8e4b-418ffc4b8d4a" data-vars-headline="Long before Moo Deng, D.C.&#x27;s celebrity hippo changed America&#x27;s zoos" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/05/moo-deng-baby-pygmy-hippos-united-states-zoos" target="_self">Moo Deng</a> mania, another baby hippo took the world by storm: D.C.&#x27;s own William Johnson &quot;Billy&quot; Hippopotamus, who was gifted to President Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s.Why it matters: In the world of celebrity hippodom, Billy walked so Moo Deng could run.

New D.C. memorials in the works to honor diverse locals

Works are planned for Petworth, Langdon and other neighborhoods.

D.C. is planning four new memorials to celebrate diverse Washingtonians across the city.The big picture: The memorials are part of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Commemorate DC" data-vars-click-url="https://publicinput.com/cwtap" data-vars-content-id="6e803111-4363-45c7-9b5a-880712d67bd4" data-vars-headline="New D.C. memorials in the works to honor diverse locals" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://publicinput.com/cwtap" target="_blank">Commemorate DC</a>, a District program working to bring public art installations honoring locals of color to neighborhoods where these types of works tend to be less concentrated.<ul><li>They will be located in Petworth, Langdon, Deanwood, and Congress Heights.</li></ul>

Hidden treasures at the Library of Congress, revealed

James Madison's crystal flute is just the start.

Historical treasures, many previously hidden in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Library of Congress" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/13/daddy-yankee-gasolina-library-of-congress-history" data-vars-content-id="783782d8-d0da-4d7e-afe8-08c0a8467a18" data-vars-headline="Hidden treasures at the Library of Congress, revealed" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/13/daddy-yankee-gasolina-library-of-congress-history" target="_self">Library of Congress</a>&#x27; vast vaults, will be on display as part of a new exhibition starting June 13.Why it matters: The Library of Congress holds over 178 million items in its collections, and thanks to a $10 million donation from philanthropist <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="David Rubenstein" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/10/26/pandas-leaving-national-zoo-david-rubenstein-habitat" data-vars-content-id="783782d8-d0da-4d7e-afe8-08c0a8467a18" data-vars-headline="Hidden treasures at the Library of Congress, revealed" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/10/26/pandas-leaving-national-zoo-david-rubenstein-habitat" target="_self">David Rubenstein</a>, some of its most precious pieces will be displayed in a new gallery.

A CIA mission, Howard Hughes: The secret history of the Baltimore bridge's crane

The Chesapeake 1000, aka "Chessy," was used in a covert CIA mission.

The enormous crane being used to clear the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="collapsed Baltimore bridge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/05/biden-visit-baltimore-bridge-collapse-recovery" data-vars-content-id="5d840e9a-6ee6-41f8-b5bf-e86806d73a3f" data-vars-headline="A CIA mission, Howard Hughes: The secret history of the Baltimore bridge&#x27;s crane" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/05/biden-visit-baltimore-bridge-collapse-recovery" target="_self">collapsed Baltimore bridge</a> Baltimore bridge has a backstory that reads like a Spielberg spy movie: Cold War espionage, a covert CIA mission, and … Howard Hughes?The big picture: A huge <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="crane" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/29/baltimore-bridge-collapse-crane-cleanup/" data-vars-content-id="5d840e9a-6ee6-41f8-b5bf-e86806d73a3f" data-vars-headline="A CIA mission, Howard Hughes: The secret history of the Baltimore bridge&#x27;s crane" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/29/baltimore-bridge-collapse-crane-cleanup/" target="_blank">crane</a> — one of the East Coast&#x27;s largest — arrived in Baltimore last month to help remove the precarious jumble of debris from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Dim sum, tea, art shows, and other D.C. Women's History Month events

Women's History Month brings a bunch of cool events to the table.

Things to Do

,,Women&#x27;s History Month brings a bunch of cool events to the table.Why it matters: The celebration of female contribution and creativity spans art, theater, food, and more.