Seattle area third gayest in United States: First off, no one knows how many same-sex married couples there are in the United States. The Census Bureau is still figuring out how to track it. Tax returns are the best indicator, currently. Analyzing IRS data shows that Washington is pretty gay. There are about 9,300 gay married couples in the Seattle area. That’s 1.1 percent of all married couples. We’re tied with Delaware. When was the last time you thought about Delaware? Massachusetts and Vermont lead the pack.
Escalator temporarily stairs: When an escalator is out of order, what do you do? Groan a little and take a slightly slower route to your destination. Not if you’re Sound Transit. Last week, the UW Station suffered a double downward escalator closure. Instead of letting passengers trudge down a metal staircase, officials cordoned off the escalators and directed people to the elevators. People waited 40 minutes in line to take the elevators just to the train platform. Sound Transit was worried about safety; they specifically cited steepness as a factor, even though the elevator steps are just one inch taller than concrete steps.
Gingerbread house filled with porn: No, that’s not the title of a new Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It’s simply an example of the disgusting world we live in. The “Fairy Cabin” is a curiosity illegally built eight feet off the ground in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It’s eerie and kind of magical. Inside, it’s horrifying. The interior is decorated with framed pictures of young girls. Child porn. It’s child porn. Aside from the framed photos, there was also a memory card with thousands of similar images on them. Daniel Wood, 56, has been charged in connection to the case.
Tax hike in Central District: It’s threatening long-time residents. The Central District is a historically black neighborhood. Recently, that’s been changing as rents increase and home prices skyrocket. Now residents have been hit with huge property tax increases. One couple saw their taxes jump from $5,300 to $8,200.
Starbucks wants an eco-friendly cup: The $10 million NextGen Cup Challenge is aimed at mitigating at least some of the waste Starbucks creates worldwide. It wants a coffee cup that is compostable. Coming up with a truly eco-friendly cup isn’t some walk in the park, though. The lining of the cup contributes the biggest problem to compostability.
West Seattle loves community and coffee: Over the last two months, 500 West Seattle residents came up with $77,240 to save a struggling coffee shop. They did it out of love for the C & P Coffee Company. With that money, the owners will be able to buy the historical bungalow the coffee shop is based in and no apartment buildings will be built in its place.
Suspect in Austin bombings kills himself: Mark Anthony Conditt, 24, was the prime suspect in the mysterious bombings that have racked Austin this month. He killed himself this morning by detonating an explosive in his car while law enforcement closed in. Authorities don’t know if any bombs remain or whether Conditt acted alone.
Your hipster friends were right all along: #DeleteFacebook is a new movement that’s trending, born out of reports that Facebook gave personal user information to Cambridge Analytica. The cofounder of WhatsApp has joined the chorus of people announcing the end of their Facebook profiles. All of your hip, Facebook-less friends are rolling their eyes. Your hip friends and your dad who said he never wanted Facebook but really wasn’t tech-savvy enough to figure it out are saying “I told you so.” Meanwhile, Facebook’s investors are suing over the the scandal.
Zuckerberg will break silence: #WheresZuck is another trending hashtag. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, has been keeping a low profile since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke. Facebook’s stock has dropped sharply in the past few days. Still no Zuck. Now a spokesperson says Zuckerberg will be making a statement in the next 24 hours. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the Social Network sequel.
Oh, we weren’t supposed to congratulate Putin? Donald Trump wishes someone had told him congratulating a dictator on a rigged election was a bad move. He was just being a good sport. For the last time, there was no collusion! If someone would have just told him —
Trump ignored warnings from his national security advisers when he congratulated Putin, including a section in his briefing materials in all-capital letters stating “DO NOT CONGRATULATE.” https://t.co/vEcwhGeEMQ
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 20, 2018
It could happen to anyone: A UK man died after getting his head caught in reclining movie theater seat. He dropped his phone between two seats, went to pick it up, and the seat’s electric footrest clamped down on his head. Staff and other moviegoers tried to free him and finally did after breaking the chair. The man suffered cardiac arrest and died later from complications. Reclining movie theater seats are the devil.
Tonight’s best Seattle entertainment options include: The opening of Basquiat: Untitled, an Obscenely Obscure DJ night (featuring the Stranger‘s own Dave Segal), and an art talk on Capturing Bertha & the Biggest Tunnel in the World through Photography.
Now, what you’re eating:
David is on a strictly liquid diet.
Frieda is enjoying a hotel continental breakfast.
“I like to think oatmeal is the Alan Alda of breakfasts,” says Joe.
