The Polar Pioneer Is on Its Way to Seattle Right Now: That's one of Shell's oil drilling rigs, which the company plans to use to drill in the Arctic later this year.
The Rig Is Expected to Arrive Around 5 p.m.: It's likely to be met with kayaktivists today and even more kayaktivists over the weekend.
Here's the scene on a marine-traffic-tracking app this morning.
State Legislators Will Get an 11 Percent Raise over the Next Two Years: That'll bump them from about $42,100 annually to $45,500 this fall and $46,800 next September. Considering the legislature is likely to hand out much smaller raises to teachers and state workers, the Seattle Times reports, the timing is awkward.
Joseph McEnroe Won't Face the Death Penalty for Carnation Murders: The same jury that convicted McEnroe for killing six members of his ex-girlfriend’s family on Christmas Eve 2007 has recommended he be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Advocates for Municipal Broadband Presented to the City Council Yesterday: They believe at least a quarter of the city would have to sign up to make it financially viable. Read more about what it takes to make municipal broadband a reality right here.
Uber's System in Seattle Went Down Yesterday: Some drivers couldn't log on and others' rides weren't showing up in their payment history, leaving them wondering if they are going to get paid for rides they already gave. (And it looks like the same thing happened in Phoenix.) Some drivers gathered at the company's Pioneer Square office, but it was closed, Crosscut reports.
About 100 Nurses and Health-Care Workers Are Striking in Tukwila: They say they're too short-staffed to care for patients. They join hundreds of hospital workers who walked off the job in Bellingham yesterday amid stalled contract negotiations.
A Cuddle Club Opened in West Seattle: It costs $45 for a half hour of cuddling.
You Know Those $20 Car Tab Rebates for Low-Income Drivers? They can cost the city as much as $37 each.
ICYMI the Mayor's Big Ol' Housing Affordability Committee Gets Another Month to Finish Its Work: Daniel Beekman at the Seattle Times reports that the group, which now has until the end of June to make policy recommendations, is likely to recommend "utilizing public land for housing, enacting tenant protections, cutting red tape for developers, tweaking zoning in mid- and low-rise zones and increasing Seattle’s housing levy" but "is unlikely to recommend a second category of policies, such as rent control and the use of municipal bonds to finance a large amount of affordable housing."
