Bey and Barry: The Washington Post walks away from another great opportunity and says it will not report on President Barack Obama having an affair with Beyoncé, even after French media said the D.C. paper would publish the juicy, but apparently entirely imaginary, story. -3

Street Smarts: It seems Metro has a good policy on the books: Passengers cannot bring unwieldy items that will inconvenience other passengers, like a mattress, onto a bus.  +2

Lethal Combo:Firefly near Dupont Circle will start serving brisket ice cream. While foodies may rejoice at news of this concoction, the thought of something resembling the taste of cold, frozen brisket in the winter is far from appealing. -1

Weather Worries: There is a good chance that 5 inches or more of snow will fall in D.C. this week, which means that Washingtonians should expect the worst of their neighbors’ weather anxieties. -1

Friday’s Needle rating: 38 Today’s score: -3 Today’s Needle rating: 35