Seattle’s last remaining mobile-home parks are in danger: Tucked away between Aurora Avenue and Haller Lake are two mobile-home parks that house mostly seniors who have been there for decades, reports the Seattle Times. This tight-knit community is fighting back against developers who want to convert the lots into townhouses. Mobile-home owners are especially vulnerable because although they own their homes, they rent the land the home sits on for about $650 a month, so the landowners are incentivized to sell to developers. Residents are trying to get the area permanently rezoned to protect their community.
60 Minutes with Howard Schultz: The former Starbucks CEO didn’t formally announce last night, but he strongly suggested that he will be entering the 2020 presidential race as a centrist independent if he does. Democrats are pissed. He could be the “spoiler” candidate they’ve been dreading. Tina Podlodowski, chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, said, “Howard Schultz running as an independent isn’t about bringing people together. It’s about one person: Howard Schultz.” How about we take a quick break from billionaire presidential candidates? This last one didn’t work out very well.
If he runs, Schultz says it will be as a “centrist independent” even though he has long identified as a Democrat. pic.twitter.com/EsIIbMCp1m
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 28, 2019
Government is open for business (kind of): Today is the first day back at work for many furloughed employees, so now legislatures can start doing some legislating! Right? No, they’re just going to keep fighting? Awesome. Democrats want to push through a pay raise for civilian federal employees, and Republicans are introducing a Middle East policy bill. Oh, and there’s still not going to be a State of the Union.
Pointless shutdown cost $11 billion: The 35-day shutdown cost double the amount of money Trump’s pointless wall would cost and slowed fourth-quarter growth. About $3 billion of that will never be recovered. Workers who aren’t being paid can’t spend money they don’t have. And when there’s 800,000 furloughed workers, it can really add up.
Final week of the Squeeze: By now, the Seattle Squeeze Stockholm syndrome has set in and the Squeeze feels more like a warm hug, but that’s coming to an end after this week when the new 99 tunnel opens. Was this overhyped? Maybe. Did it suck? Probably. Is this new tunnel going to fix everything? Definitely not.
It’s dry: Too dry. But at least we’re not in the Midwest where it’s going to be cold as shit (scientific term). I’m going to call my family and ask them why they still live there.
Another dry day on tap. Remaining clouds will continue to scour out for afternoon sun (for real this time 🤣). Rain returns Thursday. #wawx pic.twitter.com/r5xMlXugTp
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) January 28, 2019
Puerto Rico gets a chance to rebuild: More than a year after Hurricane Maria decimated the island (which is a territory of the United States and don’t forget it), they are receiving $20 billion from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to rebuild. NPR wrote a pretty incredible story on how government officials are taking every precaution to make sure this money is used wisely and where it will have the most impact for the next round of hurricanes.
Denmark is building a wall: “They’re bringing disease, they’re bringing crime, they’re pigs.” This is what Donald Trump would have said if he was the president of Denmark because they are building a wall fence to keep out German wild boars. Denmark has two pigs for every person in the country, so protecting the herd against African swine fever is the number one priority.
Washington attorney general suing LuLaRoe: Washington State attorney general Bob Ferguson is prepared to sue the California-based clothing company for allegedly tricking people into “buying into its pyramid scheme with deceptive claims of high profits and refunds for unsold merchandise.” People never got those refunds and were stuck with mountains of clothes. I figure it’s only a matter of time before I get caught up in a pyramid scheme. On an unrelated note, does anyone want to live to 120, because I’ve got the supplement for you?
Watch this: It’s from last week, but this 16-year-old is my hero.
16-year-old activist @GretaThunberg, who has been camping outside the World Economic Forum in Davos, urges politicians to act on climate change pic.twitter.com/AtQTuUZTuc
— The Guardian (@guardian) January 25, 2019
Then watch this if you’re feeling shook:
“Here with his side of the story is a man you look at and instantly think, I trust this guy. Please welcome Roger Stone.” #SNL @SteveMartinToGo pic.twitter.com/qGh2XOcz0j
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) January 27, 2019
Tonight’s best Seattle entertainment options include: The Children’s Film Festival Seattle, a talk with New Yorker staffer and former Washington Post reporter Katherine Boo, and an indie rock show with locals Snail Mail.
