Will Weymouth, 41, spread the youth movement to the news side and put the job of longtime executive editor Len Downie, 66, in play?

Does Weymouth’s promotion portend a move into the top job at the Washington Post Company, now held by her 62-year-old uncle Donald Graham?

Here’s what we know about Katharine II:

What: A black-tie gathering to watch the Academy Awards

Where: The Westin Grand, 2350 M St., NW

When: Sunday, February 24, 6:30 PM

Who: A slew of unrecognizable Washington VIPs. (Hey, VIP in Washington doesn’t always mean you look familiar.) The most awesome person we met: James McCarthy, president and CEO of the Snack Food Association. Now, that’s a fun business card.

Scene: After a welcome from “Joan Rivers” (the lucky were pulled onto a mini-stage for a sham interview), guests walked down the red carpet into one spectacularly decorated room after another. Setup had begun Thursday to transform the Westin’s breakfast nook, outdoor courtyard (tented for the event), and more into rooms representing each movie nominated for Best Picture. Some were straightforward—a giant wooden oil rig loomed in the center of the There Will Be Blood room—and others more abstract (the Juno room sported hot-pink fur-covered stools that only a teenager would buy). Speakers played each movie’s soundtrack, which drew us into the Juno area for a good chunk of the night. But no matter where you perched, you could see at least one screen broadcasting the real red carpet and award presentations. After a few hours of mingling, people actually sat to watch.

The Weekly Standard’s March cruise, featuring such speakers as William Kristol, Fred Barnes, and Ted Olson, will start in Fort Lauderdale and head for the Virgin Islands. Cabins run as much as $19,951 a person.

On the West Coast, cabins for Air America’s February cruise are just $2,760 a couple; speakers include Randi Rhodes and Paul Krugman. There’s still room aboard Rosie O’Donnell’s family-friendly gay-and-lesbian cruise up the New England coast in July.

The National Review’s ten-day May river cruise through France is sold out. It may be about $9,000 a couple, but it includes after-dinner cigars and such speakers as Bernard Goldberg and Kate O’Beirne.

The Washingtonian has obtained this industry planning memo documenting some of the cruise ideas that didn’t happen this year.

What: A black-tie dinner and dance to celebrate the 30th anniversary of luxury travel company JDB Fine Hotels & Resorts

Where: Embassy of Italy

When: Saturday, February 16, 6:30 PM

Who: A slew of travel editors, JDB execs, including COO Christopher Baer, and their guests. The real man of the hour was behind the scenes: two-star Michelin chef Pino Lavarra of Rossellinis, a resort restaurant in Ravello, Italy.

Food: Appetizers were nothing to raise your Prosecco to (95 percent of the waiters seemed to be toting cream-cheese-and-sun-dried-tomato tarts, which got a bit tiresome), but Pino pulled out all the stops at dinner, creating a salad of crisp asparagus and creamy burrata cheese, then moving to lamb-stuffed ravioli in just the right amount of mozzarella milk sauce. The olive-crusted black cod came on a bed of polenta that looked like grits (“They sure do know how to welcome us Southerners,” joked a guest from Atlanta) but—judging by the amount Mr. Atlanta left on his plate—tasted nothing like its Southern relative. Dessert emerged after the band started playing, but the chocolate-hazelnut mousse and banana sorbet were well worth missing a few minutes of dancing to “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

What: Preview Night for “Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution”

Where: National Museum of Natural History

When: Thursday, February 14, 7 to 9 PM

Who: This Valentine’s Day event celebrating the opening of the museum’s new permanent exhibit drew couples and singles alike. The mood was relaxed—no ball gowns spotted. In addition to the mostly after-work professional crowd were a few lucky kids who managed to swing a date with their parents and the butterflies.

Food: Passed appetizers included everything from sesame crab wontons to smoked trout on carrot-pasta chips. The spread on tables throughout the rotunda included a menu inspired by butterfly food. Little cards in front of each tray noted the ingredients in that dish as the food choice for a specific butterfly. The parsley-dill-and-fennel dish was a crowd favorite, and according to the card, those greens are also favorite foods of the Eastern black swallowtail butterfly. At the far end of the room was the most favorite area of all the valentines in attendance: a decadent chocolate spread, complete with chocolate shots.

What: The Washington Press Club Foundation’s 64th annual fundraising dinner for the press, politicos, and the folks who love them.

Where: The Ritz-Carlton in the West End

When: Wednesday, February 13, from 6:30 PM until late.

Who: A who’s who of the Washington press corps and media types, along with various politicians (Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell) and a crowd of whoever paid for a ticket to get in. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews stepped in as a last-minute emcee replacement for Tony Snow, who was stuck at home with the flu. Plus Miss America (standing out in a short red dress in the sea of black gowns), and a couple of actors from HBO’s critically acclaimed series The Wire. Oh, and Ted Danson. No, we don’t know why, either.

Food: Light salad, filet mignon accompanied by a risotto dollop, pastries, and the winner—a sundae bar at the after-party, complete with cherries and bananas Foster.

Drink: Open bar with standard cocktails. Our Manhattan was particularly good. Red and white wines were served at dinner.

All photos by Chris Leaman.

Want to see more photos from Washington events and parties? Click here for Washingtonian.com's photo slideshow page. 

That’s what more than 200 Washingtonians did last night, braving the frigid weather to attend a 50th-anniversary Grammy bash hosted by the DC chapter of the Recording Academy. The night started out slow, with a less-than-stellar head count for the 7 PM reception, but as the awards telecast got under way, the place filled up steadily.

A silent auction—which included electric guitars signed by Angie Stone and the members of Def Leopard—drew some interested bidders, but the highlight of the evening seemed to be the free food and drinks and, of course, the dozens of TVs and a large projection screen playing the awards show live. Partygoers sipped Haywood Merlot and golden-pear martinis—Absolut pear vodka, apple juice, and ginger ale—while servers passed around barbecue-chicken skewers, miniature pulled-pork sandwiches, bruschetta, and tiny quiches. One buffet station featured carving stations, steamed broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes; the other—which seemed more popular, judging by the lines—served make-your-own pasta dishes, with a variety of sauces, meats, and veggies to choose from.