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🎂 Happy birthday to our member Steven Patrick!

Today’s newsletter is 1,087 words — a 4-minute read.

D.C.'s likely next delegate, Council member Robert White, is taking the statehood fight on the road, canvassing to unseat nearby Republicans ahead of next week's midterms.

Why it matters: Control of Congress could determine how aggressively lawmakers challenge D.C.'s autonomy over the next two years.

The big picture: Through his "Defend DC" initiative, White is shuttling volunteers from D.C. to battleground congressional districts in neighboring states, including the Harrisburg area of Pennsylvania, where they canvassed on Saturday.

• A charter bus full of volunteers and six additional cars made the 2.5-hour drive.
• Their target: Rep. Scott Perry, who has "voted against D.C. every single time he's had the opportunity in Congress," White tells Axios. The Republican is in a "dead heat" with Democratic candidate Janelle Stelson in central Pennsylvania, per the Philly Inquirer.
• White wants electeds who are "beating up on D.C. to know that we're not going to sit here and take it."
• "We're going to punch back."

White also sent D.C. volunteers to central Virginia, where Republican John McGuire is running for a second term against Tom Perriello, a former one-term Virginia congressman.

• McGuire has voted in favor of bills like restricting D.C.'s ability to set its own taxes.

The big picture: White is likely to win next week's general election to succeed Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who's held the seat since 1991.

• A Democratic House majority could improve the freshman member's chances of building influence in the non-voting position.

What's ahead: White plans to return to Virginia for the final weekend of the campaign, coordinating with activist group Free DC.

• He says the effort will continue beyond the midterms: "When there are anti-D.C. votes, we are mobilizing. … There will now be consequences to voting against D.C."

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Council members didn't sound sold on spending $300 million in public funds to put a roof over Audi Field and expand the stadium.

Why it matters: D.C. United says a bigger, covered stadium could bring more concerts here and support the growth of women's sports.

• But the request comes as the city is already spending heavily on other sports venues.

Friction point: With $1.5 billion in taxpayer money already committed to the Commanders stadium and Capital One Arena's modernization — and new upgrades proposed for Nats Park — council members questioned if the Audi Field expansion was really necessary.

• "It sounds like we need to do a lot more studying," Council member Elissa Silverman said during last Friday's hearing, to gauge financial returns on the city's investment and also neighborhood concerns like added traffic.

State of play: D.C. United said the project would support a shift in the MLS calendar that will have more games being played during the winter. It's a $620 million plan in full — including financing for an affordable housing project for seniors across the street.

• It would expand the stadium to 30,000 seats and add new amenities and space to support the Washington Spirit, which are in the final year of their lease.
• The growing portfolio of teams also includes another women's soccer team, DC Power; the XFL football team DC Defenders; and a women's volleyball team launching next year, DC Flight.
• "The roof opens the door to much more," D.C. United CEO Jason Levien said.

What's ahead: The outgoing Bowser administration is calling for more economic modeling. "How did the number $300 million come about?" asked deputy mayor for economic development Nina Albert.

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Ⓜ️ Metro trains could run without a human at the wheel as early as 2033, under a $1 billion automation plan being advanced for the Red Line. Metro has been using a partially automated system to help regulate Red Line speeds since 2024, and expanded it to some other lines last year. (AP)

🐀 It's D.C.'s forever war, and now it's time for likely-next mayor Janeese Lewis George to take the lead. We're talking about rats. She joins a long list of city pols who've promised to vanquish rodents. JLG's ideas include appointing a rat czar and upgraded trash bins. (WaPo)

💸 As D.C. spends more on sports stadiums, the city is approaching its debt limit. The Washington Business Journal found that the District government's debt servicing is projected to peak at 11.96% in fiscal year 2032. That's just a hair under the 12% limit, which exists to keep the city's borrowing costs from spiraling.

D.C.'s famous High Heel Race takes over Dupont Circle tomorrow. But the city's biggest night in drag might be the Halloween extravaganza you've never heard of.

Why it matters: The Dupont Social Club's 38th annual Miss Adams Morgan Pageant draws around 1,500 revelers to the Washington Hilton for an outrageous drag competition and costume party — a decades-old D.C. tradition that's only recently strutted into the public spotlight.

Flashback: The pageant began in 1988 with a group of friends at LGBTQ+ landmark Annie's Paramount Steak House, born partly out of defiance after its founders experienced a homophobic attack while in drag.

• What began as a celebration of self-expression was also a refuge at a time when being openly gay or associated with drag could jeopardize careers and personal safety.

The intrigue: For decades, tickets circulated through friends. No social media, no online ticket portal, no press — just word of mouth and a coveted invitation.

The big picture: The Dupont Social Club has raised more than $500,000 for LGBTQ+ causes, supporting 34 local organizations.

What to expect: Seven amateur queens compete for the crown amid elaborate costumes, campy performances and plenty of D.C. humor.

• Many contestants have day jobs in Washington's professional world, including politics, which inevitably finds its way into their acts.
• The audience is every bit as extravagantly dressed as the performers, turning the ballroom into a sea of sequins, wigs and outrageous costumes.

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Punk takes the Mall: An estimated 60,000 fans packed the National Mall Saturday for Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile's free concert near the Monument — potentially the biggest punk gathering in decades.

• The massive mosh pit doubled as a fundraiser, raising more than $240,000 for humanitarian relief in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon.

🌶️ Anna is snacking on Mom's Kimchi (a Dupont farmers Market fave).

🤔 Cuneyt is glad it was a bye week for the Commanders. Can't lose when you don't play!

📚 Mimi is finally reading "Whistler" by Ann Patchett.

Today's newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia Orozco.