The Weekly Wrap: January 25, 2026

As this posts, I’ll be sitting on my couch in DC with an unknown amount of snow on the ground outside.

I usually write these intros on Friday. It’s a nice way to wrap up the week. This week, DC has been anticipating anywhere from 0-24 inches of snow with some ice, maybe some sleet, and even freezing rain. DC often falls on the rain/snow line which makes predictions a total crapshoot. We  also have the occasional DC snow hole which means we could get nothing while the surrounding area is buried.

All of this uncertainty means we, as a city, tend to go into a panic of over-preparedness. I went shopping Friday morning (instead of our usual Saturday) with the hope of avoiding the worst of the milkening. (*laughs at self*) While everything I meal planned for was at least in stock (except for yellow bananas), the store was more crowded then I have ever seen it. Staff were restocking nearly every aisle, and by the time I checked out, there wasn’t a single cart left.

I think a lot of the chaos comes from not knowing what kind of weekend we’re facing. Will it be a few polite flakes, or are we battening down the hatches for days? That uncertainty feels bigger this time because DC public schools were already scheduled to be closed Monday for a teacher workday.(We had put our kiddo in a school sponsored day off camp, but that was cancelled on Thursday.) Kids like snacks. Snow-day kids seem to burn even more calories.  In an attempt to both entertain and feed, I bought supplies for the kiddo and I to make soft pretzels from scratch for the first time.

Snow forecasts may be unpredictable, but there’s something oddly comforting about the ritual of preparing anyway. Even if this storm fizzles out, we’ll have spent the weekend baking, slowing down, and leaning into a little winter coziness - and, these days, that feels like a win.

---

• Teaching students that AI is not their friend. [The AI School Librarians Newsletter]
• A chicken and egg problem with second screen viewing. [Glamour]
• Protest and community. [Graphic Rage]

• What AI means for Hollywood. [The Daily]
• Energy costs are unfairly carried by minoritized communities. [The Academic Minute]
• Focus! [Life Kit]
• How Carnegie shaped his philanthropy. [The Kitchen Sisters]
• The royal diamond that didn't disappear. [Noble Blood]
• On butterflies and human migration. [Atlas Obscura]
• The corruption is content. [Galaxy Brain]

• I can see why The Running Man didn't do well at the box office, but I don't care. Glen Powell is great; Colman Domingo is, as always, electric. This is a dystopian story where a corporation runs the US and keeps control through the use of entertainment. Some of the stylistic and plot choices hit different right now because of *looks around at US* "things."[Paramount+]
• We polished off Heated Rivalry and I already want to rewatch this series. The final two episodes sent me into several fits of giggly happiness. No notes. It's just perfect and exceeds the hype on all fronts. [HBO Max]
• We are way late to Breaking Bad. I don't know why we kept putting this series off. We're through season one and it's exceptional. I did think there would be far more meth cooking in the first few episodes. It is fascinating to watch as a character study though. [Netflix]

• Sundays have become slow cooker day. The husband made crock pot pineapple chicken that we served over rice. The adults add sriracha from some needed heat. This one also needs a crunch so throwing on a handful of peanuts is a good idea. I stole some of the leftovers for lunch and they reheated well in the microwave. [Eating Well]
• Winter doesn't feel like salad season, but cashew crunch salad with sesame dressing still managed to feel hearty. Anytime a dish calls for various shredded cabbages and carrots, I take the shortcut of using a bag of coleslaw mix. It's just so much quicker. We tossed some sauteed shrimp on top. I want to try dumplings next time. [Pinch of Yum]
• For the first time in forever, the kiddo raved about a dinner I made. Bucatini with Greek meat sauce was surprisingly easy for a weeknight. It does take time but most of that is simmering. There's minimal chopping with this one. I skipped the cinnamon stick and just tossed in two shakes of ground cinnamon. That spice added a nice, warming feel. [Sfoglini]