Something a little lighter for Monday morning: Yesterday, the Washington National Cathedral held its annual Blessing of the Pets. Photos by me, story by Maggie Penman: wapo.st/4mSa0ce

Photos: The National Guard is in DC, for @washingtonpost.com

WaPo's @jorgeribas.bsky.social and @burritodisciple.bsky.social have been talking to Americans about the real-world effects of Trump and DOGE's cuts. First episode dives into how DOGE cuts are devastating rural food banks: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CyH...

Trump's funding cuts are leaving food banks starving. In the first episode of a new series, @jorgeribas.bsky.social heads to West Virginia to see how Trump/DOGE cuts are affecting Americans right now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CyH...

Washington Post staff had some fun with this one … ⚽️⚽️⚽️ www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...

Back in my day, if Toys”R”Us was sold out, you just had to wait. For American kids today, being told you can’t pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2, but other kids around the world can... That has to be a novel and frustrating feeling. Why is the USA locked-out? Trump’s tariffs. @washingtonpost.com

A few shots from Alexander Ovechkin’s postgame media availability after breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record. For @washingtonpost.com and @postsports.bsky.social

The shot, with a gift link: wapo.st/4jp3xEh

For two decades, Alex Ovechkin has tormented NHL goalies with his one-timer. He beat Spencer Knight with it for goal No. 894 just last night. What makes his shot so unstoppable? "There’s really no words to explain it. It’s just an Ovi slap shot." www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...

Alex Ovechkin is only 5 goals away from the NHL's all-time goals record. Filmed with Nick Backstrom for this @baileyannej.bsky.social special on Ovechkin's centers over the years – just one story out of a TON of great @wshcapitals.bsky.social / Ovechkin coverage coming from @washingtonpost.com

My colleagues and I have been working to break news + write stories holding powerful people accountable. These are the top stories on our homepage right now, one of which I worked on. Our newsroom work is continuing. No one has ever told me what to write. If that changes, I’d speak out and leave.

As a hard-news journalist at The Washington Post, there's no shortage of important news to cover. I will keep digging in. As I've stated before: Nothing changes. We ask hard questions and hold those in power to account. That's the job, whether those in power like it or not.

50 games for 50 seasons. I’m so excited to share this project, which features iconic moments from Capitals history and fan-submitted memories that illustrate the bond the team has forged with its community over the past half-century. I hope you enjoy. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...

NEW: @washingtonpost.com has obtained dash-cam video of a previously unseen angle of the DC plane crash (via WaPo's Jenny Gathright):

A small snippet of Trump's falsehood-filled news conference on the DC crash, in which he blames the Obama and Biden administrations, less than 24 hours after the incident:

President Trump is currently making a series of blatantly false claims about the FAA and its employees. @washingtonpost.com was out all night reporting on the DC plane crash and first responders' rescue and recovery efforts. A bit of our coverage 🧵 The scene near the South Capitol St heliport:

Trump wraps up his DC rally, about 17 hours before his inauguration, with ... The Village People

During the 2024 campaign, Donald Trump said he was "inclined to pardon many" of the Jan. 6 rioters. @jorgeribas.bsky.social spoke with one of those rioters -- a Maryland resident who faces 18 months in jail -- days before Trump is sworn in. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGt7...

Also can someone please help this poor guy out??

Trump just hanging out with Noted Guys He Doesn't Like Mike Pence and Barack Obama

Trump confirms @jacobbogage.bsky.social, @jeffstein.bsky.social and Jacqueline Alemany's WaPo scoop from over the weekend that he may seek to privatize the US Postal Service:

Trump, at Mar-a-Lago today, says federal workers who don't return to in-person work will be "terminated," criticizes Biden administration for extending work-from-home policies:

A section of bricks from this abandoned building a few blocks from downtown DC collapsed onto the sidewalk on 11th street this morning.

GOP Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.) was asked today about Trump's controversial FBI director pick, Kash Patel. On Patel's proposal to fire agents, close HQ: "I interpret that as hyperbole." On prosecuting Trump's enemies: "I don't think it's right to continue this weaponization" of DOJ/FBI.

New episode of our podcast/vodcast: Hegseth hangs by a thread, or does he? Could Biden proactively pardon people like Jack Smith + Liz Cheney? And how did Rhonda make it out of Ohio's 5+ feet of snow to get back home to our DC studio? @washingtonpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/video/politi...

Our politics vodcast, Sidebar, tackled a lot this week: - Pete Hegseth - DOGE and Musk + Ramaswamy's visit to DC - Why is everyone acting like Trump is president already? - Biden's pardon for Hunter – and why it's surprising for a different reason than you think www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqlo...

After more meetings with senators, Pete Hegseth speaks: - "I'm a different man." - "This will not be a process tried in the media." - "As long as Donald Trump wants me in this fight, I'm going to be standing here in this fight."

Musk and Ramaswamy arriving for the DOGE meeting with Republicans at the Capitol - neither took questions:

The House task force on the attempted assassination of president-elect Trump is expected to release its report today. Acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe is testifying: "It is essential that we recognize the gravity of our failure."

Pete Hegseth is at the Capitol today, attempting to rally support for what the Post reports is a faltering bid for Secretary of Defense. Doesn't answer shouted q's about whether he will withdraw. The Post reports Trump is considering DeSantis instead: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

- Targeting gov't workers, former elected officials and members of the media - Closing FBI HQ + opening a "Deep State museum" How Kash Patel wants to change the FBI, with Trump's backing, and what is driving him, by @riegerreport.bsky.social

Via the broadcast pool at Mar-a-Lago today. Some kind of robot dog on the lawn. No further context was provided.

Just now realizing that she’s named Dora the Explorer because the Spanish word for a female explorer is “exploradora”

Biden announces Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire effective at 4 a.m. local tomorrow. "This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities."

President Biden pardons two turkeys, Peach and Blossom, named after the Delaware state flower:

GOP Senators took to the Sunday shows yesterday to signal support for Trump's secretary of defense pick, Pete Hegseth, while downplaying the allegations against him (by @riegerreport.bsky.social for WaPo):

This year's Capitol Christmas tree has arrived in DC

The Pineapple Thief, Union Stage, Washington, DC

Yesterday, I interviewed three dairy safety scientists and asked a few basic questions about raw and pasteurized milk. Drinking unpasteurized milk is “a really stupid, bad idea,” said John Lucey, the director of the Center for Dairy Research at University of Wisconsin at Madison. wapo.st/4fxPScm

Dem Rep. Sean Casten (Ill.) exclusively to WaPo's Rhonda Colvin: "It is critically important" for Ethics Committee to release Matt Gaetz report, even after Gaetz's withdrawal. Says Gaetz "can't get away from those allegations just because you've resigned."

VIDEO: Several members of the House Ethics Committee have left the meeting where they were expected to deliberate on releasing the report on Matt Gaetz. None have commented yet on what happened in the meeting or whether they voted to release the report.

"I don't know, we'll see." A concise summary from Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) of House R's response when asked by WaPo how they actually plan to carry out Trump's proposal to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Video by Anna Liss Roy/edited by Adriana Usero.

Lotta new @washingtonpost.com journalists just joined: * @erinmcunningham.bsky.social * @nickmiroff.bsky.social * @ndungca.bsky.social * @mattbaidc.bsky.social * @megkelly.bsky.social * @annamphillips.bsky.social * @jb1prod.bsky.social 100+ more in this starter pack bsky.app/starter-pack...

The Post's Fenit Nirappil visited Oregon, where some cities are already wading into the argument over flouride and whether it should be in drinking water. An excerpt from his video dispatch:

Exclusive: President Joe Biden has authorized the provision of antipersonnel land mines to Ukraine, two U.S. officials said, a step that will bolster Kyiv’s defenses against advancing Russian troops but has drawn criticism from arms control groups.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for Director of National Intelligence – the top American intel official – has spent years echoing Putin's rhetoric on Ukraine (and Syria too). Via @riegerreport.bsky.social for WaPo:

New WaPo reporting: As Trump considers hundreds of appointees, he has so far declined to let the FBI check for security threats to guard against espionage. His transition team is considering blanket security clearances to those appointees on Day One. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

A truly valiant effort by this reporter at getting President Biden to speak to the press at the G20 today (the audio is worth a listen). Is that how birthdays work? (h/t Howard Mortman of CSPAN)

WaPo's Rhonda Colvin and Ross Godwin caught up with Senate Judiciary members today. Here's what they had to say about the possibility of releasing the House Ethics report on Matt Gaetz - they were, perhaps predictably, mostly split along party lines: