Transit takes #MeToo to the streets: There has been an upward tick in sexual misconduct reports from riders on King County Metro since the #MeToo movement began in October. Riders reported 66 cases of sexual misconduct last year. The Seattle Times found that half of these occurred after the #MeToo movement started. It’s encouraging more people to speak out and Metro doesn’t expect the reports to decline with the conversation about sexual harassment and misconduct continuing nationwide.
Police start patrolling the Russian Consulate General: Yesterday was the deadline for Russian diplomats to pack up and leave the Russian Consulate General in Seattle. The closure of the consulate was ordered by Trump at the same time he expelled 60 Russian diplomats last month. By April 1, everything had to be out of the consulate. Documents and material objects were transferred to the residence of the Consulate General. All Russian diplomats had to leave that residence before midnight on April 24th. According to what I hope is a reputable site called Sputnik News, police patrols began around the Consulate General’s residence last night once the last person had left.
Issues at Hanford have gone on for years: The effort to build a waste treatment plant at Hanford has been ongoing. Complications have arisen. The latest complication comes from a 31-page report done by the Government Accountability Office. According to the report, upper managers on the project sometimes alter quality-assurance findings in order to meet cost and schedule findings.
Sen. Patty Murray’s opioid bill passes Senate committee: It’s that bipartisan one I mentioned yesterday. You know, the aptly named Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018. There are about 40 different proposals included in the bill that would hopefully tackle the opioid crisis. Funding hasn’t been attached yet and lawmakers will have to figure that out during the appropriations phase
Disgraced King County Democrats Chair resigns, will receive $37,700: Bailey Stober is that motherfucker who refused to resign his position amidst a flurry of harassment and bullying claims and investigation findings. The internal investigation found he also mismanaged party funds. After an internal trial earlier this month, Stober resigned. He will receive $37,700 in severance. Stober is barred from ever working for the County again, but the County won’t tell his future employers about his misconduct. Instead, they’ll praise him as “an overall high performer.”
Microsoft and Princeton University win suit to keep DACA: What is this, a crossover episode? Microsoft and Princeton joined powers in the pursuit of goodness and what is right. A U.S. District Court Judge ordered the Trump administration to keep accepting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewals. The Department of Homeland Security has 90 Days (the same amount of time people have to get married in that TLC show “90 Day Fiancé”) to make a case for rescinding DACA or the program will be restored in full.
Get ready for some weather whiplash: Cling tightly to these warm days. They’ll stick around for the rest of the week. But, Thursday’s venture into 80 degree temperatures will be the peak of the heat crescendo. We’ll steadily fall back into seasonal norms with some predicted dips into the 50s.
Just one of the guys: This video killed me.
This game has everything, including Mitt Romney taunting Westbrook lol pic.twitter.com/dGmu2v9RFy
— R😴b Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) April 24, 2018
Updates from President Macron’s visit: I’m reading a New York Times article about it that sounds like soft core slash fiction. They exchanged a tender kiss on the cheek. Trump said he liked Macron a lot. Trump brushed some dandruff from Macron’s shoulder. Macron placed his hand on Trump’s knee. They apparently got along as thick as thieves.
Trump could preserve Iran agreement: President Macron had a goal during his U.S. visit. He wanted to convince Trump not to dump the Iran nuclear program. Preserving the program would allow “American and European negotiators to create side deals intended to further restrain Tehran,” according to the New York Times. Iran has also mentioned that they might resume their nuclear extracurriculars if the U.S. pulls out. After meeting with Macron, Trump says he’s open to brokering a “new deal.”
Just some tidbits: Some comedy gold, really.
HAHAHAHAHA!!
Look at the tentative way he begs for her hand with his little pinky. She legit HATES himpic.twitter.com/8dKlDTVcG8
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) April 24, 2018
THE HAT pic.twitter.com/wNsrjSed2T
— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) April 24, 2018
Teens can’t tell time: Some U.K. schools are removing analogue clocks from classrooms since teenagers can’t read them. Having a traditional clock could be a form of stress for students while taking exams.
Iranian women march unveiled out of protest: A video surfaced of so-called Iranian “morality police” beating a young woman whose veil was insufficient. Other women have taken to the street to protest. They are defying the Iranian law that mandates women must cover their hair in public. It’s called #WalkingUnveiled and dozens of women are participating. They are risking verbal, and sometimes physical, abuse.
EPA puts limits on science: Key data is off limits for scientific research at the EPA. Anything that is “underpinned by confidential medical and industry data” cannot be used when crafting regulations. This is because it’s confidential and not-transparent, Scott Pruitt and all the businesses that will benefit from this are saying. Ex-EPA officials say this data is vital for crafting rules and regulations and that restrictions would significantly “weaken the agency’s ability to consider all the scientific information needed,” according to Reuters.
Dogs can’t get autism: The British Veterinary Association had to come forward to make that statement after the “anti-vaxx” movement spread to pets. That’s a big thing right now in the U.S. Canine autism doesn’t exist.
Tonight’s best Seattle entertainment options include: Vox Mod, The Spider Ferns, Nearby at Barboza, an evening with Sonia Renee Taylor and Seattle Civic Poet Anastacia-Reneé, and Burgers & Brews at Maslow’s.
Now, what you’re eating:
Bethany is from Austin, Texas. “My RSS reader took my subscription to Savage Love and transmogrified it into a subscription to everything The Stranger publishes,” Bethany writes, “so now I know as much about Seattle’s local politics as I do about Austin’s. Win-win.”
This morning she’s eating “two s’mores Pop Tarts (toasted) and my morning concoction of cold brew + chocolate milk.”
Lissa is eating “raisin pecan toast with peanut butter, (because I am choosy I chose Jif ) raspberries and, of course, a big ass cup of coffee.”
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