THE NEWS:

Jack is back.

“About a week after [Ward 2’s Jack] Evans resigned in order to avoid expulsion from the D.C. Council seat he held since 1991 (and before he’d even received his final paycheck, apparently) he has filed to run again,” writes City Paper’s Mitch Ryals. “According to the D.C. Board of Elections, Evans filed to run in the June 2 primary as well as the June 16 special election that he forced when he resigned.” 

You can’t make this shit up, folks.

I’m not the only one who is at a loss for words and resorting to swearing. “This is F-ING OUTRAGEOUS,” tweeted Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau about the news that her former office neighbor at the Wilson Building is running for office. Every councilmember who reacted online to the news was unamused. Descriptions ranged from “unbelievable” to “beyond arrogant.” 

What is Mayor Muriel Bowser’s take on Evans’ run? “I won’t be getting involved in the Ward 2 race and it’s not a political calculation that I would have made,” she told the Post’s Perry Steinlast night during a public charter school board meeting.  

Looks like it’s up to Ward 2 residents to decide whether they want to keep Evans on the Council. Per City Paper’s Tom Sherwood, there’s not much that can be done on the part of lawmakers to stop Evans from being, well, Evans. 

Perhaps that’s why some Ward 2 residents are calling on one another to boot Evans off the Council for good. “Fellow DC Ward 2 voters, I hope you will join me in doing everything you can to make it impossible for unethical, shameless Jack Evans to get anywhere near his Council seat again. A lot of candidate forums are coming up- figure out your voting plan for the special election!!” tweeted Ward 2 resident Claire McAndrew. 

The next Ward 2 candidate forum is on Feb. 6. The Sierra Club is hosting and the forum will focus on environmental issues.

—Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? Email agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

CITY DESK LINKS, by Amanda Michelle Gomez:

  • Students of the alternative school Washington Met reflect on their first go at activism. They tried to stop D.C. from closing their school, but didn’t get the outcome they wanted. “This is literally a second chance for kids that really want to do well but were just misunderstood at first,” says student DuLane McGill, 16.[WCP] 

  • A dispute over a $5 debt may have led to the fatal stabbing at Union Station Sunday morning. Context: Experts agree that a lack of opportunity drives violence. [Post, WCP]

  • ThePost temporarily suspended a reporter over Kobe Bryant tweets, so the union stepped in. [Washingtonian]

  • An explainer on McMillan, D.C.’s most cursed development project. [DCist]

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

  • John Falcicchio is an unconventional pick as deputy mayor of planning. [WBJ]

  • MPD announces a new policy on handcuffing juveniles. [Twitter]

  • Virginia lawmakers approved the Equal Rights Amendment. [WAMU]

YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

Y&H is out of the office.

ARTS LINKS, by Kayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Inside Patricia Walters’ devotion to collecting African American art—which she’s now donating to Howard University, where her husband taught. [Post]

  • The Kennedy Center’s vice president of international programming and dance, Alicia B. Adams, opens up aboutBoundless: Africa, a series of literary events that will showcase African writers in February. [DC Metro Theater Arts]

  • From now to Feb. 6, you can save 35 percent on tickets for Silent Sky at Ford’s Theatre. [DC Theatre Scene]

SPORTS LINKS, by Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • What should the Wizards do with Davis Bertans? General manager Tommy Sheppard has said he has no intention of trading Bertans before the trade deadline on Feb. 6, but that hasn’t stopped teams from inquiring. [WCP, NBC Sports Washington]

  • The National Black United Front is hosting a prayer vigil for Kobe Bryanton Jan. 31 at the African American Civil War Memorial. Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other victims died in a helicopter crash on Sunday. [WUSA9]

  • NBC Sports Washington’s Todd Dybas predicts what the Nats lineup might look like, now that the roster is set. [NBC Sports Washington]

MAKE PLANS, by Emma Sarappo (Love this section? Get the full To Do This Week newsletter here. Tips? esarappo@washingtoncitypaper.com)