The Weekly Wrap: February 8, 2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about my Washington Post subscription. Between Jeff Bezos’ disappointing leadership, the recent staff cuts, and the ongoing uncertainty about the paper’s future, it would be easy to cancel my subscription on principle. Plenty of people already have. My neighborhood list-serv is awash in people complaining, talking about cancelling, and finding ways to support the journalists who've been let go. 

My gut wants to me cancel. I don't want to support Bezos' choices.

But I'm not cancelling.

Part of that is simple: I live in DC. For me, The Washington Post isn’t just national news - it’s my local paper. It covers my neighborhoods, my city council, my Metro, my local elections, my local scandals, and the everyday civic life that actually shapes my day-to-day reality. (And don't even get my started on the amazingness that is Capital Weather Gang.) National coverage may get the attention, but local reporting is what keeps a community informed and functioning.

And we’re losing that kind of reporting everywhere.

Across the country, local newsrooms are shrinking or disappearing altogether. Entire towns have become news deserts. When local journalism erodes, corruption grows, civic engagement plummets, and misinformation fills the gaps. That's partly by design. You can't fight when you don't know something is wrong.

So - yes - I’m frustrated by the mismanagement at the top of The Post. I’m angry about the disregard for journalists doing essential work. But the solution, at least for me, isn’t to withdraw my support from the people who are still showing up every day.

In 2017, The Washington Post adopted the tag line "Democracy Dies in Darkness." That's even more true today than it was then.

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• I might need to change which gen AI tool I default to. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• Extending critical thinking beyond, "That's AI!" [The AI School Librarians Newsletter]
• Speaking in wine. [Wine Folly]
• Looking for family history in a country that didn't want you to have it. [The Atlantic - gift link]

• What happens when you can gamble on everything? [The Daily]
• There's more than one way to rest. [Life Kit]
• The power and creation in clothing. [Articles of Interest]
• Using tear gas is considered a war crime, but it is allowed in policing. [Science Vs]
• The much maligned em dash. [99% Invisible]

• I agree with the caption. I need this on Spotify. [thepotatosaurus]
• All Olympics. All the time. For the next two weeks, our screen will be turned to sport. Any sport. It doesn't matter if I know nothing about it. During the Games, we watch everything. Also, I've got three family members at the games and I want to follow along with their adventures. [Peacock]

• I love shrimp, corn, and black bean salad. It's only four major ingredients and customizable. I ate mine wrapped in tortillas with cheese and crema. My husband and kiddo turned theirs into nachos. You could even eat this over lettuce or rice. [My Evernote]
• When our kiddo sat down to eat the pasta carbonara with peas I made, she was skeptical. I told her it was fancy mac and cheese with bacon. Still skeptical, but at least she started eating. Every few bites or so, she asked for more bacon. I love the flavor of carbonara, but I every time I make it, I'm terrified that I'll scramble the eggs. I successfully avoided that fate this time. [Dinner then Dessert]