To prepare for the new Commanders stadium, Metro general manager Randy Clarke is proposing a major renovation of the Stadium-Armory station, but he scuttled the idea of a new, second station at Oklahoma Avenue.

Why it matters: Transit access is top of mind at the redevelopment, with the 65,000-seat stadium expected to open in 2030 — and a future neighborhood planned with 6,000 homes.

The big picture: After the release of a new transit study yesterday, Clarke is calling for D.C. to fund an overhaul of the station's layout, including an "extended mezzanine" and more elevators and expanded entrances to get crowds moving.

• "We need to distribute that load, otherwise people will be waiting upstairs for a couple hours after a game," Clarke says on a forthcoming episode of the "Dream City Podcast," co-hosted by Tom Sherwood and me. (Full interview comes out Monday!)
• "Our current station doesn't work," Clarke adds, but the good news is that the station serves three lines — Orange, Silver and Blue. "We can run tons of trains."

The intrigue: One of the long-running neighborhood debates has been about adding a new above-ground station at Oklahoma Avenue and Benning Road NE, serving both new visitors and the existing Kingman Park neighborhood.

• Metro found that it might cost $1 billion and that technical roadblocks are in the way: the station would be on a slope and would require a sharp turn to go across the Anacostia River, Clarke says.
• "I'm not sure how this got a lot of legs in the past," he says. "It doesn't meet any of our standards where we'd build a station."

What's ahead: DDOT didn't immediately comment on whether D.C. would help fund the station expansion project.

• Metro's study says cost estimates are part of the next steps.

Watch this two-minute clip and stay tuned for the full release:

You can subscribe to "Dream City" on YouTube and podcast platforms.

A one-page document, prepared to be distributed to Senate Republicans yesterday, offers line-by-line detail of the White House's $1 billion plan for its East Wing renovation project, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The administration is making the case that the project isn't simply about funding a new White House ballroom, as Democrats have claimed, but rather that it will also fund a broad array of new security measures.

• The $1 billion would be included in a budget reconciliation package that would also fund ICE and Border Patrol.

By the numbers: The funding breakdown in the document, reviewed by Axios, includes:

• $220 million for "hardening" security at the White House complex, including "bulletproof glass, drone detection technologies, chemical and other threat filtration and detection systems."
• $180 million for a new White House visitor security screening facility.
• $175 million for Secret Service training "in the modern threat environment."
• $175 million for improving security for Secret Service protectees.
• $150 million for the Secret Service's "work to counter drones, airspace incursions, unmanned systems, biological threats, and other emerging threats through investments in state-of-the-art technologies."
• $100 million for security at "high-profile national events."

Share this story

🛫 The local airports authority is preparing a $22 billion overhaul of Dulles that would accelerate long-planned upgrades into an eight-year project ending in 2034, including expanded terminals, new concourses and a full Aerotrain buildout.

• The Trump-backed plan would also phase out the controversial "people movers" following last year's crash. (WBJ)

🦠 Maryland health officials are monitoring two residents for possible hantavirus exposure linked to a passenger from the cruise ship outbreak tied to at least 10 cases and three deaths. Officials say the public risk remains low. (WTOP)

👀 The National Guard was spotted playing the pop-up arcade games on the Mall that protest Trump and the Iran war.

🦝 Big raccoon energy happening: First entering the bar at Player's Club, now invading a Northeast elementary school.

A waterfront New Orleans-style restaurant opens in Navy Yard tomorrow.

Why it matters: Frozen daiquiris, crawfish boils, patio po' boys and a wine terrace? There's a lot to like about chef Thomas Malz's "love letter to Louisiana," as he describes Catahoula.

Dig in: The sprawling indoor/outdoor space — formerly All-Purpose — is spread across four distinct areas:

• An indoor brasserie serving upscale Cajun and Creole fare.
• A 100-seat patio — "Snake and Jake's, but a little nicer," Malz says — with dressed po' boys on Leidenheimer rolls and Pimm's Cups.
• A seasonal "boil garden" for crawfish, frozen Hand Grenades and live music.
• A 34-seat wine terrace inspired by New Orleans favorite Bacchanal.

The intrigue: Malz isn't from Louisiana — but as a Québécois chef whose lineage traces back to the Acadians, he's exploring his roots through food.

• Cajun cuisine originated with French-speaking Acadians expelled from eastern Canada in the 1700s who later settled in Louisiana.
• The menu also channels New Orleans in the '70s and '80s — think peak Emeril — with decadent throwbacks like prime rib à la Prudhomme.

Yes, but: It's not all big spender energy.

• Bar veteran Rachel Sergi designed a playful cocktail list, with many drinks in the $12–$14 range — including a bartender's take on a hurricane.

The bottom line: "We're making it fun, because New Orleans is all about fun — fun on the plate, fun in your mouth," Sergi says.

Tell a friend

👋 Mimi here, poppin' in to say I'm back after mat leave!

Why it matters: D.C. kept on D.C.-ing while I was at home acting as personal DoorDasher/Uber Driver/Amazon Prime delivery coordinator for my fave tiny dictator (aka my son, Wiley) and I want y'all to let me know what I missed!

State of play: I'm ready to hop back into the world of all things real estate, lifestyle, books and, as always, the funny and the weird.

• Got a story idea or a tip? My inbox is open! (And if you sent one of the 12,000 emails I received while I was out ... sorry, but those have all gone to the great internet landfill in the sky.)
• I'll also never say no to any suggestions re. fun baby activities, kids books or local parenting hacks. Let 'er rip!