Homicides in D.C. are down 28% compared to the same point in 2023, when the city closed out the year at a 26-year high in killings.

Why it matters: D.C. has a chance at ending the year with under 200 homicides for the first time since 2020, as a COVID-era crime wave reverses course.

By the numbers: There have been 176 homicides as of yesterday, according to D.C. police stats.

• Carjackings are down by nearly half, the data shows — after increasing for six straight years.
• Robberies are down 39% and assaults with a dangerous weapon are down 29%.
• Violent crime overall has declined 35%.

Catch up quick: Homicides soared from 166 in 2019 to a total tally last year of 274.

• D.C. approved a sweeping public safety bill in March and increased targeted police presence in commercial corridors like Chinatown and Anacostia.

Zoom out: New data from major U.S. cities shows homicides dropped again in the first nine months of 2024 — more than 40% in some communities, Axios' Russell Contreras writes.

• The Major Cities Chiefs Association recently released numbers from 69 law enforcement agencies showing an average 18% drop in homicides from the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

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We may have just gotten our first viral moment of the new Trump presidency: President-elect Trump eating McDonald's on his plane alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., among others.

• The photo created a stir online, especially given Kennedy has dissed Trump's diet. But as D.C. knows, it's likely only the first viral moment of many.

Why it matters: Chronically online DMV residents live for a presidential meme-able moment, and Trump's first administration offered up a smorgasbord of viral tidbits.

• Remember the lawnmower kid? The whole McDonald's being served at the White House thing? Or what about Tim Apple?

Here are some memorable ones from his early presidency.

"Soft sensuality"

No, this isn't the title of a Spotify slow jams playlist: When asked about the plans for Trump's 2017 inauguration, the then-chairman of the inaugural committee said the vision was to "surround [Trump] with the soft sensuality of the place," rather than a "circus-like celebration."

• No word yet if the January 2025 ceremony will be "soft" or "sensual," but we are softly and sensually crossing our fingers.

"Don's Johns"

The internet was puzzled over reports that the signs on portable restrooms from the Virginia-based company Don's Johns were being covered up prior to Trump's 2017 inauguration.

• While some speculated it was a literal cover-up of a name that too closely resembled the commander in chief's, a spokesperson for the Architect of the Capitol said the signs were covered to adhere to advertising restrictions on Capitol grounds.

The glowing orb

Trump put the "orb" in "Orb-al Office" when he touched a literal glowing orb in 2017 with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi while visiting a newly opened center targeting extremist ideology.

• As is standard, the internet lost it, prompting the Church of Satan to eventually tweet "For clarification, this is not a Satanic ritual," above a photo of the three leaders and said orb.

More moments!

Cordelia's Fishbar launches near Union Market on Wednesday, bringing a svelte seafood restaurant to D.C.'s hottest dining district.

Why it matters: You can add trendy conservas, dry-aged fish, and a high-energy oyster bar to a growing list of must-tries in the area.

Dig in: The wood-fired eatery is an entirely new look for homegrown Clyde's Restaurant Group, best known since the '60s for their crowd-pleasing American saloons and Old Ebbitt Grill — one of the highest-grossing restaurants in America.

• Cordelia is dinghy-sized compared to most of Clyde's massive fleet, with around 170 seats.

Between the lines: With a whopping 2 million oysters sold annually, CRG routinely tests its bivalves for bacteria — a measure that costs the company tens of thousands of dollars, but also ensures a safe product.

What they're saying: "We're pretty obsessive about seafood. Leaning in and taking our best shot at a seafood restaurant is long overdue," John McDonnell, CRG president, tells Axios.

What's on the menu?

🗳️ Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares announced yesterday that he'll run for reelection, not governor, avoiding a primary with fellow Republican, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. (Washington Post)

Two teenage girls, 13 and 14, have been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of Reginald "Reggie" Brown, a disabled man whom they attacked in D.C. last month. They face a maximum sentence of secured detention until they turn 21. (Washington Post)

A fire damaged Alexandria's new romance bookstore, Friends to Lovers, which will be closed through the rest of the year (maybe longer). The owners have started a GoFundMe to help reopen. (Instagram)

🍹 Popular Caribbean restaurant Cane just got a refresh for its fifth anniversary on H Street NE. The cozy space feels like a Trinidadian home with warm tones and artwork— plus, they'll now take lunch and dinner reservations via OpenTable. 

• The new menu expands on Trini street foods like savory beef and veggie pies, spiced shrimp wontons, curry-stuffed roti, and fresh juice cocktails. Sweet currant rolls are complimentary (Nov. 20-24).

Lookalike contests are all the rage right now — see Chicago's Jeremy Allen White face-off or New York's Timothée Chalamet doppelgänger meet-up. Which lookalike contest should D.C. host?

• The internet has thoughts: Obviously Tony P is a contender, as is the character Dan Egan from "Veep." Or, let's be real, anyone who owns one of the infamous gingham button-downs.

Axios D.C. readers, we want to know: Who do you think should be the subject of D.C.'s lookalike contest?

• Hit reply with your hot takes!