Good morning. Freezing rain early, then rainy and windy with a high of 48 today, and a low of 39 overnight. The Capitals are at Philadelphia tonight. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address at the bottom of this post.
I can’t stop listening to:
Almost Monday, “Coast to Coast.” Sorry, but if you have a sun-bleached vibe, I’m probably going to like your song. You’ll never get rid of me. It’s awful. Anyway, this Cali band plays the Atlantis tonight.
Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:
Deadline day: As icy weather slickens streets and roads this morning, many area school systems have delayed openings and the US Office of Personnel Management says it’s a day for unscheduled telework. Which, on the date by which federal workers have to decide whether to take the administration’s “fork in the road” deferred resignation offer—the deadline is 11:59 PM—is a reminder that many federal offices don’t have enough space for all workers to return to in-person work. (Washington Post)
Meanwhile, Elon Musk‘s “Department of Government Efficiency” project is looking to cancel leases. (Washington Business Journal) That’s just one reason many federal workers are unsure whether the buyout is really a buyout, and whether it’s an offer they can trust. (Washington Post) In fact, staffers at the Energy Department were told the offer might get canceled after they accept it. (NBC News) “If you have to send us 10 emails that say this is totally not a scam, then it’s probably a scam,” one fed says. (Politico)
So what happens next? The Trump administration is signaling that those who choose to stay could face deep cuts. (NYT) More than 100 EPA employees will be placed on leave. (WSJ) Musk’s DOGE is burrowing into more agencies. (Washington Post) It plans to get into the nation’s air traffic control system today. (Politico) And federal workers are deploying spoon emojis to protest the “fork” movement. (MSNBC)
• Demonstrators protested against Trump’s cuts across the country yesterday. (AP) And unions are beginning to push back harder. (NYT)
Hidden Eats, by Ike Allen
Hajara’s Kitchen
You may feel that you should have reached North Carolina by the time you get to exit 156 on I-95 south, but a quick drive down Town Center Road—past an Ethiopian Orthodox church, a Salvadoran consular office, and an organic supermarket—makes it clear that Woodbridge is still very much in the DMV. You’ve come all this way for the suya pizza at Hajara’s Kitchen. Chef Hajara Sesay, raised in northern Nigeria to parents from Sierra Leone, started off with a cottage food business out of her home, and has since won awards for her jollof rice. But her signature innovation came when she started using thin slices of Nigerian-style spiced grilled beef (suya) and nearly-burnt red onions to top pizza. It’s an addictively spicy homage to the less-destination-worthy previous occupant of the space: Brooklyn Pizza. (14506 Smoketown Road, Woodbridge, Virginia)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com:
• It’s HOT LIST O’CLOCK! See where our food critics are excited to eat right now.
• Capital One Arena will host a star-studded figure-skating event next month with proceeds to benefit families and first responders affected by last Wednesday’s air disaster.
• Area therapists talk about how you can get through a stressful time.
• Are Trump and Musk coming for the weather now?
• Hakan Ilhan‘s Georgetown eatery Alara is finally open.
• Be careful with that snow shovel.
• Kostas Fostieris says he won’t leave the Greek Deli until the new owners “know all of my recipes.”
• Are the astronauts unhappy that they’re stuck in space? No, they’re probably good with it.
• A lovely wedding at the Willard.
Local news links:
• There was a vigil in Alexandria yesterday to mark the one-week anniversary of the Potomac air disaster. (WTOP)
• Two Virginia members of Congress—a Democrat and a Republican—hope to exempt military spouses from the administration’s return-to-work order. (WUSA9)
• Facebook blocked posts from ARLnow and ALXnow for a spell yesterday, and the platform wouldn’t say why. (ARLnow)
• A swanky boutique hotel will open soon in Georgetown. (WTOP)
• The Wizards traded Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Kuzma. (AP)
• RIP Gunther, the zoo’s 33-year-old gray seal.
• How’s your Neal Augenstein impression? (WTOP)
• Dear hunting is unlikely to come to Falls Church anytime soon. (ARLnow)
Thursday’s event picks, by Briana Thomas:
Craft friendship bracelets, make puzzles, and sip Valentine’s drinks at a love-themed Phillips after 5.
Scena Theatre recreates Ajax at Atlas Performing Arts Center through Sunday.
See more of Thomas’s picks here.
Did you miss our 100 Very Best Restaurants List? It’s here. If you love your workplace, now’s your chance to nominate it for Washingtonian’s next Great Places to Work contest. Register here to get the ball rolling.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
