Amazon Echoes are made by Chinese teens: The company that assembles most of the gadgets we're familiar with, Foxconn, has come under fire for the goings-on at its Chinese plant. Wages are low and as of last year had been determined too low to live off of. Those were recently slashed again this year. Overtime was through the roof and over the legal limit. And, a lot of the labor depended on high school interns. They have been working 40 to 60 hour weeks and their "internship," at least according to one girl, is to put a protective film over an Amazon Echo on an assembly line. So like, not quite child labor but teen labor.
"Everett is more worried about bikinis than drugs and our homeless crisis" : That's what the sign outside a bikini barista stand in Everett says. The city is trying to make its bikini baristas cover up. A recent ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supported Everett's choice to make the bikini baristas follow a dress code despite a lower court initially blocking that move. The baristas are upset and feel this is not only a violation of their rights but that the city has bigger fish to fry than a little skin showing around some hot coffee.
The Seahawks played a game against Denver: Oh no. Football season is here already? Fuck. The Seahawks beat the Broncos in a preseason match at CenturyLink on Thursday 22-14. I don't know which details are important here besides there's this new running back people seem to like named Xavier Turner.
Meanwhile: Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, has been denied work for 889 days since he started a movement by kneeling during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice in the U.S.
Whoa, some southern flavor for our weather: Thunderstorms! Here? Alright. I'll bite.
An unstable atmosphere will lead to the development of thunderstorms across the Cascades later today, a few of which could drift into the lowlands, mainly east of the I-5 corridor. The chance for severe storms will remain to our south across Oregon. #wawx pic.twitter.com/S81rCEpDpH
ā NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) August 9, 2019
The maximum-security juvenile jail in Washington is short-staffed: This place in Chehalis is eerily called the Green Hill School and the Green Hill School is not a good place to be a prisoner or to work. During a two year period, there were over 400 assaults at the facility. One of the reasons for those assaults is that there just wasn't enough staff to keep the situations under control.
BREAKING: It's the last day to vote for the (UNOFFICIAL) new Seattle flag. Be part of the movement. Cast your vote.
Today's the last day to vote for your flag, Seattle! Slog polls are civically binding! https://t.co/UVGoeMjPoY
ā The Stranger š (@TheStranger) August 9, 2019
A tale of two Walmart stories: The first is that an alleged copy cat to the El Paso shooter was detained on Thursday in Missouri. A white male in his 20s donned body armor and military fatigues outside a Springfield, Missouri Walmart. He walked into the store with loaded tactical weapons and just pushed a cart around. Police showed up in minutes. A manager pulled the fire alarm. People, including the suspect, raced outside. A retired firefighter held the suspect at gunpoint and detained him.
And then there's this Walmart story: This guy said fuck it and rode his golf cart through a Florida Walmart.
A man was arrested after driving a golf cart through this Florida Walmart.
Some customers were treated for injuries at the scene, though none were admitted to hospital. https://t.co/X58bQeoNzk pic.twitter.com/b5JrvcE6Z2
ā ABC News (@ABC) August 9, 2019
You just can't make this shit up: "Grinning Trump gives thumbs-up with the baby whose parents were shot dead in El Paso terror attack." Reports also showed that the baby, who was orphaned during the shooting, had already been discharged from the hospital and was brought back at the request of White House staff entirely for the photo-op.
Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson police five years ago today: Brown was senselessly gunned down by a police officer in St. Louis County, Missouri. He was 18. His death sparked a movement for racial justice and police accountability. In St. Louis County, it caused people to band together to elect the first African-American prosecutor. He has set up a program to investigate cases where police use deadly force.
Biden does not look good in this Freudian slip: He made a quick cover up but it's pretty easy to tell that he made a mistake when he said, "Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids."
Joe Biden slip-up in Iowa tonight.
"Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids."
Yikes...have fun mitigating that one. pic.twitter.com/m2VxZbnFHF
ā Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) August 9, 2019
Trump's campaign donors get lambasted: Presidential candidate JuliƔn Castro's brother, Texas Representative Joaquin Castro, released a list of 44 San Antonio residents who have donated as much as they can to Trump's re-election campaign. Conservatives do not like this added scrutiny. Many heavy-hitters and perennial donors like the Koch brothers say that it will have a "chilling effect" on free speech.
Foul odor disrupts order at Kenya's Homa Bay County Assembly: Kenyan assemblies have had a rough go of it this week. On Wednesday, at a county meeting, lawmakers had to stop proceedings because someone farted. It was a putrid stench that required someone to run and get air fresheners. Many accused each other of having produced the fart. However, as the age-old saying goes, whoever smelt it dealt it. Then, on Thursday, Kenya's parliament ordered one of its members to leave for bringing her baby to work.
Undocumented workers still employed by Trump: Despite his repeated assertations that he does not want migrants entering the country illegally and his moves to tighten immigration at the U.S. border, Trump still relies on undocumented immigrant labor. One of his most reliable construction crews was made up mostly of undocumented people.
Happy almost-weekend: Here are some itty bitty animals.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD: Belgian wildlife park proudly announces arrival of adorable twin baby giant pandas, saying that mother Hao Hao has given birth to "two small 'pink shrimps.'" https://t.co/ANnKbXnVLi pic.twitter.com/XaKXQ5YK8j
ā ABC News (@ABC) August 9, 2019
A fun fact for your Friday: Hitler had bad breath.
The best Seattle entertainment options this weekend include: The South Lake Union Block Party, a chance to feast on smoked meats at Jack's Low and Slow Festival, and the #MeToo-catered opera Rigoletto.