Hundreds of parents protested outside of a Montgomery County school board meeting yesterday, calling on the district to allow families to opt out of a new curriculum that includes LGBTQ+ books.

Why it matters: Fights over what kids can read in schools, particularly when it comes to gender and sexuality, have become a conservative rallying cry across the nation in recent years — this time in predominantly blue Montgomery County.

• Virginia's Loudoun County pulled a memoir about gender identity from its shelves last year.

Driving the news: Parents and religious organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Family Rights and Religious Freedom Coalition, are demanding that the district restore its opt-out option for the school curriculum.

• Conservative group Moms for Liberty, which the Southern Poverty Law Center named an extremist group, has also joined in.
• The district tightened security protocols at the building where yesterday's meeting was held. The school board didn't have plans to discuss the opt-out policy on its agenda.

Catch up quick: The school district adopted a no-opt-out policy in March for its updated K-12 curriculum that includes books featuring LGBTQ+ characters and topics such as "The Stonewall Riots" by Gayle Pitman and "Uncle Bobby's Wedding" by Sarah Brannen.

• The change in policy has led to a months-long outcry from some parents as well as a lawsuit against the district filed in May.

What they're saying: The materials are part of MCPS' "goal of providing more inclusive texts and resources in support of curriculum standards," the district told Axios in a statement.

• Those materials, the district said, have undergone a rigorous evaluation process to ensure they're age- and developmentally appropriate.

The other side: Zainab Chaudry, director of the Maryland CAIR, says the campaign to restore the opt-out policy is about religious freedom and ensuring the district honors families' "sincerely held beliefs."

• "It is not about banning books," Chaudry told Axios.

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An emu cocktail is the latest wild drink at downtown hotspot Silver Lyan.

Why it matters: London-based barkeep Mr. Lyan is ranked among the world's best, so if anyone can turn a tough bird into a tasty drink, it's his bar team.

• Silver Lyan collaborated with local distillery Cotton & Reed to produce a rum distilled with emu neck meat — only eight months and three government approvals in the making.

Zoom out: Silver Lyan is housed in an old bank vault, but migratory paths inspired the new cocktail menu — birds, yes, but also Vikings, deep space probes and "salmon cannons."

Zoom in: The Emu Queen tells the cock-tale of Australia's Great Emu War of 1932, a battle between roughly 20,000 emus and the Aussie army in their migratory path (spoiler: emus won).

How it works: "Emu pechuga" borrows from Oaxacan mezcal de pechuga, where the spirit is distilled with a chicken breast for flavor and texture.

• Here, rum is distilled with USDA-approved emu meat from Tennessee, plus fresh raspberries to mimic Australian riberries. The final highball is mixed with mezcal and homemade mulberry soda.

Thought bubble: I thought the cocktail would be meaty but it's bright and refreshing, with just a little more body (literally!) from the bird.

• It's worth ordering an optional $4 pechuga side splash — you'll get nuances of berry, spice, and game that don’t feature strongly in the drink ($19).

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With student loan interests set to resume in the coming months, borrowers will need to prepare to make payments.

State of play: It's been more than three years since millions of borrowers have had to make payments on their student loans. Servicers may have changed during that time and portal logins may have been forgotten.

• Meanwhile, Biden's sweeping student debt relief plan remains in limbo, as the Supreme Court prepares to issue a verdict this week, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes.

When do payments resume?

• Student loan interests will restart on Sept. 1, and payments are expected to be due starting in October, per the Department of Education.
• The department will notify borrowers before their payments start again.

How do I find my loan servicer?

• To find out who your loan servicer is, you can log into the federal student aid website and use the "Ask Aidan" virtual assistant feature to quickly find your information.
• Alternatively, call Federal Student Aid at 1-800-433-3243.

More of your questions answered

🥯 Bon Appétit has named Call Your Mother bagels among the best in the U.S., calling them reminiscent of New York deli bagels and a little "Montreal-sweet as well." (Bon Appétit)

🎥 An undisclosed Marvel movie is filming some scenes in D.C. this week, and it's shutting down streets. (WTOP)

🚨 No one was hurt after a fire broke out at a building along the busy H Street corridor yesterday, but smoke could be seen all over D.C. billowing from the scene. (NBC4)

⚖️ A former Laurel police chief was sentenced to life in prison for setting fires in Howard County that authorities say were part of a string of arsons in Maryland. (Baltimore Sun)

🍼 A new D.C. bill would require insurance companies and Medicaid to cover infertility treatment. (Washington Post)

😎 New job, new me. Check out the latest job openings.

1. Membership Associate at American Society for Public Administration.
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4. Senior Communications Manager, Rebuilding Trust in Government at The Partnership for Public Service.
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The Axios D.C. panda has a name!

Why it matters: We asked you to christen our team's mascot — who you'll soon be spotting around town — and you came through with some great suggestions (aww, Bearak Opawma).

The bottom line: It came down to George Pawshington vs. Go-Go — and the latter won by a landslide.

• This panda-about-town will bear the name Go-Go!