👋🏼 It's Cuneyt, back with Town Talker, after taking a spin in the Old Dominion.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin didn't get what he wanted last night after Democrats seized total control of the legislature.

Why it matters: Youngkin's flirtation with taking on former President Trump in the 2024 election — and the media's obsession — is finally coming to an end.

📣 What I'm hearing: Those around him believe Youngkin's too smart to enter the 2024 race — even if Republicans had triumphed last night and flipped the Senate.

• "I don't know anyone who knows him that thinks he's going to run for president in 2024," a person close to the Youngkin operation told me on Monday, asking to remain anonymous to speak candidly. Deadlines for several early states have passed, and more are about to, even if Youngkin publicly hasn't ruled it out.
• Youngkin's wife, Suzanne, has privately not wanted him to get into the race, according to two sources with knowledge of her thinking. She has worried for months, in particular, about putting her family in Trump's crosshairs, one person said.

Yes, but: Those in the governor's orbit expect a Youngkin 2028 campaign. (In our current political age, one might say the 56-year-old isn't yet old enough to be president.)

• Youngkin's office declined to comment.

State of play: Since Youngkin can't run for re-election under Virginia rules, he would leave the governor's mansion in January 2026 with a generous runway for a White House bid.

In the meantime, there's a Bloombergian playbook available to Youngkin.

• Not the ill-fated Bloomberg 2020 campaign, but the example the former New York mayor set over the preceding decade when he went national to raise money for gun control.
• Youngkin could do the same on conservative causes, like selling his early voting model to skeptical Republicans.

🔎 Between the lines: Perhaps one reason the former private equity exec played so long with the idea of a presidential bid: money. And the boost to his less-Trumpy, dad-vest brand.

Share this story ... Go deeper on Virginia results with Axios Richmond

The National Zoo's giant pandas are beginning their 19-hour journey back to China today.

Why it matters: It's a surprisingly early departure — the bears were slated to leave before early December, and then mid-November — that leaves D.C. panda-less for the first time in more than two decades.

Between the lines: The zoo had declined to share the panda's exact travel dates ahead of time due to security concerns.

What's happening: The three pandas — patriarch Tian Tian (26), mom Mei Xiang (25), and their 3-year-old cub Xiao Qi Ji — are headed to the China Wildlife Conservation Association in Chengdu.

Zoom in: Animal transport is common at zoos, but pandas travel with more fan-bear than most. The plan is to load the pandas into individual crates and parade them down the Asia Trail on forklifts before they're transported to Dulles International Airport.

• There, they'll board a special jumbo jet — the FedEx Giant Panda Express — scheduled to depart at 1pm.

Keep reading

Michelin just announced two new starred restaurants for D.C., plus a few notable changes in the exclusive rankings.

New one-star winners are:

• Causa, chef Carlos Delgado's Peruvian tasting counter and pisco haunt in Shaw's Blagden Alley.
• Rania, a luxe Indian spot downtown D.C.

Yes, but: One D.C. restaurant lost its star: Penn Quarter's Spanish-kaiseki Cranes from chef Pepe Moncayo.

• No restaurants moved up the star rankings.

Between the lines: One-star Reverie remained on the list, even after a year-plus closure due to a destructive fire. Chef Johnny Spero just earned his first star last year.

• Sushi Taro, the only open restaurant to lose a star last year, didn't get back on the list.

As always: Virginia's Inn at Little Washington continues to be the only Michelin-rated restaurant outside the District — living up to Michelin's "worth a special journey" three stars.

Full list of our Michelin-starred restaurants

🗳️ Acting D.C. police chief Pamela Smith was unanimously approved by the D.C. Council to lead the city's police department. She is the first Black woman in the position. (WTOP)

🔥 Shenandoah National Park has enacted a fire ban due to dry conditions as the Quaker Run Fire spreads throughout the park. The National Park Service recommends that people sensitive to smoke avoid hiking Whiteoak Canyon or Old Rag trails, where smoke is expected to reach unhealthy levels.

🚨 U.S. Capitol Police yesterday arrested a man carrying a long gun in Lower Senate Park, near Union Station and the Capitol. No shots were fired, police say. The man appeared to be experiencing mental health issues, according to police, and was taken to the hospital. (The Washington Post)

📅 Upcoming events around the city.

Pupusas for the People: National Pupusa Day at El Tamarindo on Sunday:

El Tamarindo in Adams Morgan is the family-owned and woman-run spot that first brought El Salvador's national holiday, National Pupusa Day, to DC in 2016. This annual event will include all-you-can-eat pupusa passes for $25, all-you-can-drink cocktails for $20, Pupusa-making workshops, cultural performances, and more.

The only thing better than running a race on Thanksgiving morning? Getting to be that person at the Thanksgiving table that incessantly talks about the race they ran that morning.

What's happening: There are plenty of D.C.-area turkey trots to get your steps in before the big meal.

Be smart: Be sure to sign up before Turkey Day — some races close registration or raise fees before the actual event.

America's Trot for Hunger

• Head to D.C.'s Freedom Plaza for either a 5K or one-miler benefiting So Others Might Eat. Registration is $65 for the 5K and $35 for the one-miler. There are virtual options, too.

Alexandria Turkey Trot

• This five-miler takes you through the streets of Del Ray. It's between $12.50 and $27.50 to register, depending on age — bring a canned good to donate to Alive!.

Turkey Chase Charity Race

• Choose between a 10K or two-mile race through Bethesda. Costs are $55 for the 10K or $50 for the two-miler and benefit YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rotary Club. Virtual options are available, too.

More trots.