D.C. could soon open the door to cannabis-infused, alcohol-free drinks under a new bill from Mayor Bowser that would let local breweries and distilleries team up with medical marijuana producers.

Why it matters: The bill connects two big trends — people drinking less and using more cannabis — opening new doors for businesses and consumers.

Driving the news: Bowser introduced the measure Thursday, creating a legal pathway for cannabis-infused, nonalcoholic beverages.

• Breweries and distilleries could partner with licensed cannabis manufacturers.
• They'd need new license endorsements to produce the drinks.

Yes, but: You won't find these at your local bar.

• The proposal limits sales to licensed dispensaries — no sales at breweries/distilleries, restaurants or grocery stores.
• Like for other marijuana products in D.C., buyers would have to be registered for medical marijuana.

The intrigue: The bill tries to solve a practical problem — cannabis companies often lack bottling and large-scale beverage production capacity.

• D.C.'s craft beverage industry already has that infrastructure, and the legislation essentially connects the dots.

Zoom in: D.C.'s once-booming craft alcohol scene has cooled. One reason: producers say younger consumers are drinking less — or swapping booze for bud.

• A wave of distilleries closed last year, while many breweries have already pivoted to seltzers and nonalcoholic options.
• Cannabis drinks could be the next evolution: Meet consumers where they are.

Between the lines: Bowser in her last term is bullish on boosting local beverage producers.

• Another recent proposal, the D.C. Hospitality Act, would allow more flexibility like distillery collaborations, new brewpubs, and increase the variety of D.C.-made products — malt beverages, alcohol-infused sweets — to be sold.

The big picture: Cannabis beverages are having a moment nationwide — but the rules are all over the map.

• Drinks containing THC — the "fun" ingredient in marijuana — are restricted to dispensaries in 24 states where pot is legal, according to Reuters. D.C. could join them.
• Meanwhile, low-dose hemp THC drinks are popping up everywhere — from gas stations to grocery stores — as beer sales slide and big alcohol companies look to capitalize.

What's next: The legislation heads to the D.C. Council for review.

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A federal judge may have halted the ballroom construction on White House grounds, but Trump's loyalists are still expected to greenlight the project's imposing design today.

Why it matters: The construction pause isn't stopping architectural review.

State of play: The National Capital Planning Commission, a federal panel chaired by a top White House official, is expected to give final approval to Trump's controversial massive ballroom addition, which would rise roughly the same height as the White House itself.

• The vote will go on because the judge's order "does not enjoin the planning process related to NCPC's meeting," commission spokesperson Stephen Staudigl told Axios.
• U.S. District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday declared that Trump is not the "owner" of the White House.
• Construction of the 90,000-square-foot addition "must stop until Congress authorizes its completion," Judge Leon added.

Between the lines: It's notable that the NCPC is about to give its blessing.

• That Trump lacked the NCPC's approval before beginning construction was a central argument in the lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in December.
• The Trump administration ultimately filed plans with the NCPC in early January, after demolishing the East Wing in October. NCPC officials have previously said they don't have a say over demolitions.

What we're watching: How NCPC chairman Will Scharf — Trump's former personal lawyer — will address the elephant in the room before the vote.

What's ahead: Judge Leon believes the case will be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court, per the NY Times.

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🚨Yesterday, the D.C. Council unanimously overrode Mayor Muriel Bowser's veto to require police to document federal officers' presence at arrests, aiming to boost transparency amid increased federal activity. Lawmakers also delayed a vote on extending a youth curfew policy — prompting the Mayor to call the legislators "soft on crime." (Washington Post)

Longtime adversaries Donald Trump and José Andrés both made appearances at the Supreme Court's birthright citizenship hearing yesterday — Trump being the first sitting President to attend oral arguments in the high court. Andrés gave a passionate speech outside promoting immigrants.

🍕All-Purpose has closed its Navy Yard location. Restaurant reps tell Axios they've sold the ballpark-adjacent space to new owners in order to focus on their pizzerias in Shaw and Bethesda, and DMV growth (a new Aventino is coming to Dulles this fall).

If being enveloped in a 15-ton "Fluffy Cloud" sounds like a 2026 vibe, you're in luck.

Driving the news: A Burning Man–born orb of sound and light lands at Berhta this week, promising a 360-degree experience akin to "swimming through sound."

Why it matters: It's escapism in a way the Polymarket pop-up could never achieve.

The vibe: Coachella meets NASA — part art installation, part wellness, part nightclub fever dream.

Choose your adventure: The installation, through April 12, has programming for everyone:

• A holistic "sound bath"
• An all-ages sensory journey
• Concerts with secret lineups
• A "Psychotic Jukebox" experience where you control the AUX (Lord help us)

The bottom line: It's weird. It's loud. You'll probably end up going.

OK, Virginia, we know you like to "stand out" by calling yourself a "commonwealth" and holding elections on odd years — but do you really need to get weird with the Easter candy?

Driving the news: DoorDash analyzed which Easter treats over-index by state — and Haribo Sour Easter Grass dominates the Old Dominion (and two other outliers, Hawaii and Delaware).

The big picture: Reese's is the national MVP, with Peanut Butter Bunnies popular across the country.

😝 The bottom line: At least Virginia isn't wild for carrot candy corn.