In Washington, hugely profitable companies feed at the trough of taxpayer subsidies.
In Washington, profitable corporate behemoths feed at the trough of taxpayer subsidies. Thanks, state legislature! Sergei Bachlakov / Shutterstock.com

Half a Billion Dollars in Corporate Welfare for Washington Companies: According to a new report from the state, the Washington legislature offers more than 600 different types of tax breaks to 1,900 companies, worth $550 million in 2014 alone. Six hundred additional companies benefit from tax breaks, but we don't know how much money they rake in from them because they're not required to disclose the amounts. Boeing saved $305 million in 2015, Microsoft saved $163 million in 2014, and Amazon saved $35 million. The UW saved $86 million, KUOW reports.

Drone With Camera Crashes Into Couple's Window: A couple said they heard a crashing sound in their living room at 7:30 a.m. and found a white drone, still recording, lying outside their dining room window. No one was hurt. Police are investigating.

How Capitol Hill Could Get a Safe Consumption Site: Here's everything you want to know about how Capitol Hill could be selected as a location for the country's first-ever safe consumption site (for drugs like heroin and cocaine), thanks to Josh Kelety.

More Cuts to Plans to Build Seattle Bike Lanes: "It took only two weeks for Seattle’s Department of Transportation to cut the only significant center city bike lane from their already-scaled-back 2016 plans," Seattle Bike Blog reports. "It’s ultimately up to Mayor Ed Murray to direct SDOT, and he’s either not doing that or is actively impeding their work."

Downtown Seattles $80 million tunnel boring machine has been foiled by a barge.
Almost halfway there. Washington State Department of Transportation


Bertha Is About Halfway Through Under the Viaduct: "Bertha has moved 182 of the 385 feet required before WSDOT will reopen the viaduct," Seattlish reports. The tunnel machine hasn't gone past a key pillar that's just fifteen feet away from the drilling zone, though, "so we’ll know pretty soon if the entire waterfront is going to cave in or whatevs."

Woman Groped on Burke-Gilman Trail: A 21-year-old told police a bearded man approached her from behind and groped her on Sunday morning. Anyone with information is asked to call UW police.

Some Pharmacist in Ballard Supports Trump: KUOW managed to turn up a Trump fan in Seattle: Keian Dayani, who converted to Christianity from Islam and backs Donald Trump's plan to ban Muslims from the United States. Dayani called the plan "a smart move in uncertain times."

Trump Will Be Here Tomorrow: Trump will be in Lynden, just 90 minutes away, on Saturday. Whatcom County Democrats have called for a massive protest.

KPLU Has Raised More Than 80 Percent of the $7 Million It Needs to Go Independent: The NPR affiliate reports raising a record $1,456,076 during the GiveBIG nonprofit fundraising campaign this week alone. The station has two months left to raise another $1.3 million and outbid the University of Washington and avoid acquisition by KUOW.

This Week on Blabbermouth: Our week-in-review podcast talks basketball and the council vote on the arena proposal, pregnancy loss, and the Fight for $15 with SEIU's David Rolff. Listen here.

The Viaduct as Death Star:

Subscribe to the Slog newsletter here. All the best posts, delivered to your inbox every afternoon.