The Weather: Friday could be the last sunny-ish day for a spell. You never know, of course, but soak it in while you can. Personally, I am ready for gray and wet.
Rabid Bat Alert: On Sept. 23, two people found a sick bat on a residential road near the arboretum. They gave the little guy some water. He seemed thirsty. Well, they shouldn’t have done that, according to Public Health—Seattle & King County. The bat had rabies, and anyone who touched the bat or its saliva could have contracted the disease. Hopefully none of those do-gooders gave it a smooch on the lips. Public Health hasn’t been able to identify the bat helpers yet. They have euthanized the bat, however.
Seven Freeway Closures: Happy last weekend of September! Sports reign supreme this weekend with a sold-out regular season finale between the play-off-bound Mariners and Dodgers and University of Washington football game against those dreaded Ohio State Buckeyes. Complicating what will already be a congested weekend is all this construction. Here’s what will suck this weekend thanks to road and bridge repairs.
Good Riddance: The bones (feet, femur, ribs, part of a finger, part of a spinal column) found in the wilderness outside Leavenworth officially belong to Travis Decker, the man who killed his three daughters in June and inspired a four-month-long manhunt. DNA evidence confirmed Decker is dead and long-decomposed (the announcement that the remains were Decker’s initially came without DNA confirmation). The Chelan coroner has yet to determine cause of death.
Comey Indicted: Former FBI Director and longtime Donald Trump enemy James Comey was accused of making a false statement to Congress in an indictment filed Thursday by US District Attorney Pam Bondi. The charges revolve around his testimony in the investigation into whether Trump and Russia colluded to interfere with the 2016 election. Comey testified in 2020 (after Trump fired him and Robert Mueller was leading the investigation) that “he never authorized anyone to serve as an anonymous source to a reporter about an investigation.” The indictment says this was a lie. Comey, in responding to the news of his indictment, maintained his innocence. “Let’s have a trial,” he said. Trump called him a “bad person.”
Let’s be Clear about What This Is: Sorry to give Mayor Pete the mic, but he’s making sense in this case. A president weaponizing federal forces to go after political enemies is not something that happens in a democracy. The ACLU called the indictment “a grotesque abuse of presidential power.”
When the President uses federal law enforcement for his personal revenge, it puts all of us in danger.
— Pete Buttigieg (@petebuttigieg.bsky.social) September 26, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Seattle Start-Up Invents Landline: But this isn’t your parent’s landline—it’s for the kids. Tin Can allows kids to stay connected with their peers and make plans without smartphones. It’s really just a landline, but it’s connected to the internet, not a phone jack. Will returning to a childhood of yore save the kids?
Oh Boy, More Tariffs! Trump announced he’s issuing new tariffs ranging from 25 percent to 100 percent on pharmaceuticals, semi trucks, kitchen cabinets, and furniture. He’s issuing the tariffs under Section 232, a provision of national security law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act that allowed him to slap tariffs on steel, aluminum, cars, and copper earlier this year. The Supreme Court will hear a case about the law this month and the legality of Trump’s tariffs issued under it. In the meantime, no one buy a foreign semi-truck. Or, sigh, a new couch.
Being a War Criminal Is Embarrassing: Before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in front of the United Nations General Assembly, dozens of delegates walked out of the room. The US delegation stayed. The US and United Kingdom only sent low-level diplomats, no one senior. During his speech, Netanyahu attempted to push back on the laundry list of actions taken against him which include the International Criminal Court’s warrant for his arrest, the European Union considering tariffs and sanctions against Israel, and the recognition of an independent Palestine state from countries like Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. In his speech, Netanyahu maintained Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Dozens of delegates from multiple nations walk out of UN hall as Israeli prime minister prepares to speak.
— Phil Lewis (@phillewis.bsky.social) September 26, 2025 at 6:15 AM
The Ladies Love It: Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones sported a new facial hair style on InfoWars this week. You may recognize it—Hitler rocked the stache back in the day. Jones said his Hitler stache was a “social experiment” to see how much the world has changed. He opined about how people should use “Nazi” as an insult and then said women were going gaga over his Hitler stache. “I thought they were about to start throwing their panties at me,” he said. “And they didn’t know why… Lex-Luthor-meets-Adolf-Hitler looks with blue eyes, and they just didn’t know what to do. They’re like, melting.”
A TikTok Deal: Trump signed an executive order Thursday paving a way to pass majority control of the app to American investors. The current framework of the deal gives Chinese parent company, ByteDance, only 20 percent ownership in the app. The other 80 percent will be American entities. So far, Trump has identified tech company Oracle as a player in this deal as well as tech entrepreneur Michael Dell and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Trump maintained the algorithm on the app with this new ownership would “treat everyone fairly,” but if he had his druthers everything would be “100 percent MAGA.” With 1 in 5 Americans now getting their news from TikTok, any sort of conservative takeover of the app a la Musk and Twitter could be detrimental.
China AIs the Gay Away: A Chinese film studio was accused of using artificial intelligence to change a gay wedding scene in the American body horror film Together. Allegedly, when distributing the film to Chinese audiences, the studio used AI to change one of the men in the gay wedding scene into a woman.
Ground Squirrels Take Over North Dakota Town: The Richardson’s ground squirrel is small but mighty. The species, native to the Northern Plains, has exploded in population, turning the town of Minot, North Dakota into Swiss cheese with its ferocious tunneling. The pest control guy trying to fix the problem described the squirrel situation as, “one guy standing against a massive storm.” At least he’ll stay booked and busy forever.
A long read for you: Social media health and wellness influencers broadcast enviable lifestyles—and dangerous misinformation, especially for people already struggling with eating disorders. That’s what happened to 27-year-old Karolina Krzyzak who adopted a raw vegan fruit-only diet after seeing people she admired online live that way. The diet killed her.
A song for your Friday: I can just tell you’re suffering from a trumpet deficiency.
Another picture of trash, graffiti, and urban blight graces Slog AM, again!
Before Slog’s Rightist assholes arrive to suck up all the oxygen, I’ll note that 4 months isn’t enough time for Travis Decker’s worthless POS corpse to decompose into its constituent parts. Decomposition probably had help from a bear or a wolverine.
I like how the banner photos for most Slog AM posts lately highlight how trashy and shitty so much of Seattle looks. I don’t know if that’s a deliberate effort on the part of The Stranger staff. It’s probably not, it’s just that so much of Seattle looks trashy and shitty, especially up on Crapitol Hill, that pretty much any photo of the area will look trashy and shitty.
“A president weaponizing federal forces to go after political enemies is not something that happens in a democracy.” – Comedy Gold from Mudede
“Personally, I am ready for gray and wet.”
You lie, girl!
@5 Charles famously doesn’t like the summer. You really need to get that orange cock out of your mouth and pay attention.
@5 Charles and Nathalie both don’t seem to enjoy the summer. Get that orange cock out of your mouth and pay attention.
@2~”Buzzards (& bears &
wolverines) gotta eat,
same as worms.”
–Josey Wales
who wouldda spit
tobacco on Decker’s
worthless corpsecarcass
@Nathalie
Jesus, Grrrl,
7:47 in the AM?
“In his [UN] speech,
Netanyahu maintained Israel
‘must finish the job’ against Hamas in Gaza.”
Translation: Israel cannot be Safe
whilst there’s even ONE Hamas
Left on Planet Earth! so it’s
Sayonara, Palestinians!
we’re so sorry! but
it Isn’t Our Fault!
But Hamas!
But Hamas!
But Hamas!
Hundreds walked out
hundreds More shouldda
Done the Same with Eltrumpfster
these guys
are poison
6&7: Ahem, you must have first hand experience on what the color is.
@2
What about us moderate assholes?
Be that as it may I was thinking the same thing.
A human body doesn’t decompose that thoroughly in 4 months unless the process is helped along by scavenging.
@10 so you’re
Verifying @
6 and 7.
Kool.
Comey is either guilty or not but I for one would like to know and if he was and is still lying maybe an investigation would be warrented. A person in his position trying to influence an election would seem to be a rather serious charge, after all isn’t that what those on the left are always pearl clutching about relative to trump?
https://www.patriciarobertsmiller.com/2025/09/26/bsab-both-sides-and-the-slavery-debate/
If you want clean streets move to Switzerland. Here in America we have a little something called freedom. USA! USA! USA! USA!
@13. Oh please, you didn’t give a flying fuck about Comey until today, you fucking tool.
Adolf Jones’ mustache, like Elon Musk’s “ironic” inaugural sieg-heiling before it, presents a good opportunity to clock the gap between “ironically adopting Nazi tropes to pwn the libs” and “nope, they’re really just Nazis.” These days it’s generally only a matter of days or weeks before they travel from “I just enjoy seeing Woke people freak out about it” to “but seriously, we should round up ethnic minorities and put them in camps.”
First they cosplay as the thing, then they become the thing.
@17
It was just a Roman salute! Really!
@2: Hmm, four months should be enough – here’s what I found:
Fresh (0–3 days): The body starts to cool, and autolysis (self-digestion) begins. Insects like flies arrive to lay eggs within hours.
Bloat (3–10 days): Gases build up, causing swelling. Scavengers and insects accelerate tissue breakdown.
Active Decay (10–20 days): The body loses most of its mass as tissues liquefy and maggots feed extensively.
Advanced Decay (20–50 days): Remaining tissues dry out, and decomposition slows as less organic material is available.
Dry/Skeletal (50+ days): Only bones, cartilage, and some skin remain. Full skeletonization can take months to years.
@10:
Or maybe he’s seen the Epstein Files.
I think the operational information about his decomp being assisted by wildlife is that there are entire parts of his body missing, not that it’s in advanced stage of decay after 4 months of exposure during the hottest part of the year.
Count me in for clouds, rain, and 50s temps. I didn’t move to the PNW for sun.
I don’t care about Comey one way or the other, but given that his indictment obviously stemmed from Trump’s very public flogging of Bondi for her reluctance to take up the case (and doubtless much previous hectoring, which Comey could uncover) I expect the case will be quickly dismissed.
Is it possible the banner photos are a subtle but effective troll on the conservative commenters?
@23 – If you want us to point out how obviously trashy and shitty Seattle looks, I guess. Way to go!!!
tHirTeEn12 fOr tHe WiN
Aww… the sad piggy rice steamer has a little Hitler mustache, just like Alex Jones.
@23. That’s a clever thought, but I’m fairly certain it’s a reflection of TS general posture on graffiti as; trangressive act toward the notion of property, giving voice to the marginalized, an expression of cultural energy and vibrancy.
TS regularly carps about anti graffiti policies, so there’s that. But take my word for it. Charles has waxed philosophical on the subject, and he he hits all the above marks while wandering around Rome whilst throwing shade at Harrell.
https://www.thestranger.com/city/2024/04/02/79448981/rome-is-a-real-city-a-world-city-and-it-has-graffiti-everywhere
@26,
“I’m fairly certain it’s a reflection of TS general posture on graffiti as; trangressive act toward the notion of property, giving voice to the marginalized, an expression of cultural energy and vibrancy.”
I’m actually 100% certain you’re wrong as usual, and this particular picture is a reflection of nothing more subversive than their enjoying the funny face drawn on the slow cooker.
This banner photo discussion is interesting because I’m getting the sense that some people only see these photographs, maybe even photography in general, as a form of documentation and not something that can also be aesthetically pleasing even if the subject matter isn’t. Some people are able to find beauty all around us while others aren’t and they seem to be really resentful about that. This is one of those “2 kinds of people in this world” situations and it explains so much.
@27: Photography is art so I would say you only have a difference of opinion.
@29,
No, I can absolutely guarantee you I’m correct in my read on the reason the picture was chosen here.
If you want to argue biped & kossack have legitimate cause to use the picture as a jumping off point for whining about graffiti around town then fine, I won’t argue. But if you seriously believe there’s a chance that Nathalie (or whoever selected it) chose the picture for any reason other than the slow cooker with the funny face drawn on it, you’re stupid as shit.
@30: I won’t belabor the point but your nerves shouldn’t be frayed over this.
I honestly did not see #1’s comment before I posted my comment at #3, so I’m not the only one noticing.
@28: I would edit that to say: “Some people are able to find beauty and other meaning all around us while others aren’t and they seem to be unaware of such perspectives.”
You were unaware that people have different tastes than yours? I guess i’m not surprised because that also explains so much.
Have yall ever thought about getting a fucking life beyond obsessing over a small alternative newspapers blog and commenting on it every fucking day like a bunch of lunatics?
Pheebs you understand we are a big city now right? This is what a big city looks like. Get used to it.
If you want pristine trashcan infrastructure, move to fucking Bellevue girl, or Puyallup
@34: You misread @33. There’s no beauty in the photograph, but there is humor.
@12 kristofarian and @20 COMTE, re @10: lol Wow–ol’ Calvin really stepped into a pile of something orange and brown, didn’t he? ;-D
I’ll take a little rain; our region needs it and autumn and cooler weather are here. We were blessed with a lovely summer! 🙂 Hopefully we still have some sunny fall days before it’s time again to put my beloved VW back into seasonal hibernation for fall and winter, before the storms hit.
I’m not ready for pumpkin in anything just yet, though. September (for me, anyway) is too early.
It’s like what the Peanuts kids say about Christmas decorations and merchandise being so heavily pushed by October: “But it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!”
38: VW bugs are great in snow, you twit
I sure hope Slog today mentions that when you google the name of the church shooter from yesterday most of the pictures of are him wearing a MAGA shirt that say Make Liberals Cry Again on them.
I’m sure Coolidge and Biped don’t care about the people he shot though.
@40: Au Contraire, I love Mormons. What a horrific tragedy.
@40 – I think he should be publicly executed by a firing squad for his crimes, but that kind of already happened.
@39: Hard pass, Calvin. I agree that I have a sweet little car that can ably handle snow.
But there are WAY too many idiots out on the roads in winter. And they never seem to figure
out why their vehicles always end up in a body shop when it snows.
Are you one of them?