Good morning. Another bitterly cold morning yields to a better afternoon, with sun and a high of around 40. A low near 34 overnight. The Capitals visit Vancouver tonight. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is availab le as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here. I can’t stop listening to: Herman’s Hermits, “Henry the VIII, I Am.” This British music hall chestnut mixed nicely with British Invasion pop, didn’t it, mate? Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone play a sold-out show at the Birchmere tonight. Take Washingtonian Today with you! I’ve made a playlist on Spotify and on Apple Music of last year’s music recommendations. I’ll make one for 2026 soon. Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out: Installation failed: The star-crossed Lindsey Halligan era came to a close in the Eastern District of Virginia yesterday, as two judges said the lawyer Trump installed as acting US Attorney must leave her post. Another judge previously found that the administration “had used an unlawful maneuver to install” Halligan, a former personal attorney for President Trump who had no prosecutorial experience and carried out Trump’s orders to pursue flimsy prosecutions against perceived enemies like James Comey and Letitia James. (Washington Post) “For weeks, judges have pressed Ms. Halligan to explain why she continues to identify herself in court filings as the U.S. attorney.” (NYT) One judge directed a clerk to post a help-wanted ad. The other said an earlier administration defense of Halligan “contains a level of vitriol more appropriate for a cable news talk show” than for a court of law. (AP) Greenland new deal: Bond prices plunged, the stock market took a dip, and the dollar fell against the euro as Trump’s intense push for the US to buy Greenland prompted investors to flee from US assets. (CNBC) Investors say the “sell America” trade is back. (NBC News) US Treasury yields rose as the price of the securities dropped, “undermining the administration’s efforts to move interest rates lower.” (NYT) Indeed, mortgage rates rose. (Yahoo! Finance) More Republicans are falling in line about Trump’s desire to acquire the territory. (NYT) Democrats in Congress plan votes next month about the tariffs Trump has threatened on allies who aren’t on board. (Politico) Trump jetted off to Davos, Switzerland, to try to persuade world leaders to allow him to annex Greenland. Canadian PM Mark Carney spoke about a “rupture in the world order, the end of a nice story and the beginning of a brutal reality” in a speech there yesterday. (Washington Post) It’s not clear whether Trump will make it to his planned speech in the Alps in time—his plane had to turn around due to an electrical issue. (NYT) DOGE of menace: People working for Elon Musk‘s DOGE project made a secret agreement with an unnamed PAC to share “Social Security data with the aim of overturning election results in certain states,” the Justice Department admitted in a court filing yesterday. (Washington Post) DOJ also acknowledged that Musk lieutenant Steve Davis, the former owner of DC’s absurdist frozen yogurt shop Mr. Yogato, “was copied on a March 3, 2025 email that included a password-protected file containing private information of about 1,000 people contained in Social Security systems,” though it’s not clear whether he opened the email. (Politico) Administration perambulation: Trump held forth for nearly two hours yesterday to mark his first year in office. He took the occasion to say Somalis are “very low IQ people” and that their homeland is “not even a country.” (TPM) He also said ICE’s killing of Renee Good was “a horrible thing” but claimed Good’s father was a “tremendous Trump fan,” though he allowed his enthusiasm for the President may have dipped recently. (NYT) Administration prosecutors subpoenaed documents from more top Democratic officials in Minnesota. (NYT) Vice President JD Vance will visit Minnesota this week. (NBC News) The FAA banned drone flights around ICE operations, criminalizing attempts by protesters to document immigration agents’ actions. (404 Media) ICE stopped paying third party medical providers last October. (Popular Information) The Pentagon plans to scale back US participation in some NATO operations in Europe. (Washington Post) Plans for a SCIF at Dakota State University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, have baffled current and former DHS officials. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was previously governor of the state. (Politico) The US moved closer to losing its status as a country that eliminated measles yesterday. (The Hill) Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, announced they’re expecting their fourth child. (CNN) Beat the blahs with a winter winery outing, by Daniella Byck: We’re well past holiday whimsy, moving briskly through the fresh feeling of January, and—what’s that in the horizon? Ah, yes, the familiar darkness of the winter doldrums. Rather than resigning yourself to fantasies of 6 PM sunsets, it’s a good time to lean into the season and enjoy what the colder months have to offer, including a day trip to a winery with a winter twist. Plan accordingly: The following options all require reservations. Potomac Point Winery in Stafford has heated tents where groups of up to 12 people can hang out in a private space decorated with boho furnishings. Pair wine with cheese, charcuterie, and more. Secure a table for two in the bright red gondolas at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg. The terrace structures aren’t heated, so bring a blanket or purchase from the winery. (Also worth noting: The gondolas are stationary—if yours starts moving, perhaps it’s a sign to drink some water.) For groups big and small, Old Westminster Winery in Westminster, Maryland, has heated greenhouses, some accommodating a maximum of six people and others up to 12 guests. The tiny houses get decked out with lights, offering some additional ambience for wine and wood-fired pizzas. For more cozy wineries, check out our list of three nearby vineyards with fire pits and fireplaces. Recently on Washingtonian dot com: • Here it is, folks, our annual list of the 100 Very Best Restaurants in the area. Bon app! • “We are in a bad situation and this should not be happening”: A National Guardsman talks about his deployment to DC. • Here’s what we know so far about the plan to install a “mini-Sphere” at National Harbor. Local news links: • Democratic lawmakers in Virginia moved to probe how VMI has handled a report that found “widespread discrimination” at the university. (Washington Post) • The DC Council voted to install Doni Crawford, a former staffer for Kenyan McDuffie, as an at-large member now that McDuffie is running for mayor. She’ll hold the seat at least through June. (Washington Post) • Kirk McPike won the Democratic primary in Alexandria to run for the House of Delegates seat being vacated by Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, who is running to replace state Senator Adam Ebbin, who will join Abigail Spanberger‘s administration. If McPike bests Republican nominee Mason Butler, as is likely in the deep-blue jurisdiction, a third special election will be necessary to fill McPike’s city council seat. (ALXnow) • Passengers on a bus from New York to DC were diverted to Vienna, Virginia, apparently at the whim of a reportedly agitated driver. A viral thread on Bluesky described the unplanned journey. (People) • A Walgreens in the greater Dupont/Adams Morgan/Kalorama region closed permanently after a health inspection found a “pungent smell along with mouse droppings” throughout the establishment. (WUSA9) • A child with measles visited Inova Fairfax Hospital (full disclosure: I was born there) for treatment. (FFXnow) • DC’s E-Bike Incentive Program will return. (PoPville) • A group dedicated to identifying John and Jane Does via DNA announced a Baltimore man named Edward “Eddie” Octavis Devone was the person whose remains were found along the BW Parkway in 1981 and whose identity has eluded law enforcement ever since. (WUSA9) • Customers of Old Town’s Zen Press Juice have launched a petition to allow owner JuAnn Wong to continue to bring her emotional support dog, Coco, to work following a health inspection. (ALXnow) Wednesday’s event picks: • NMWA Nights returns to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. This month, you can make some art and get a guided tour to the museum’s “Ruth Orkin: Women on the Move” exhibition. • “Gabby’s Dollhouse Live” comes to the National Theatre. See more picks for this week from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.The post Lindsey Halligan Loses Job, Bus Takes DC-Bound Passengers on Wild Ride, and the Mr. Yogato Guy Popped Up Again first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less