Still cleaner than coal.
Still cleaner than coal. johan63

Spies in Seattle: The FBI has been monitoring the Russian consulate staff in Seattle for years. According to Charles Mandigo, the former special agent in charge of the Seattle FBI office, Seattle has everything to attract espionage interest from Russia. Mandigo — which is the perfect spy last name, don’t you think?— cited specifically Boeing, the University of Washington, Microsoft, and the submarine base at Bangor. The FBI estimates a third of the consulate’s staff may be involved in espionage work.

Study predicts 60ft tsunami in Washington: If an earthquake strikes you can say goodbye to parts of southwestern Washington. Or, that’s what a new quake study says. Scientists tested what a 9.0 magnitude earthquake at the Cascadia Subduction Zone could look like. Twenty to 60 feet of water could strike coastal areas. They hope the new information can help cities design effective evacuation routes.

Business leaders say “no thanks” to Seattle head tax: A group of 180 business leaders signed a letter in opposition. The City Council is considering a tax on large companies to raise money for affordable housing and homelessness services. The matter will be discussed by a council committee today. A final vote could come in May. A tax force set up by the Council is looking for a tax on employees or payroll that would generate $75 million a year. Business leaders really don’t want to pay that.

Washington joins states suing over census: The census is supposed to count every resident of the U.S. every 10 years regardless of citizenship. It provides the baseline for planning decisions, federal grant and subsidy funding, and more. The Trump administration wants to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census. Twelve states are suing because fewer people would be counted and it violates the Constitution. Washington has a large immigrant population and could face a devastating blow in federal funding and congressional representation if the census question is added, according to Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

First class of WSU medical students start rounds: Washington State University is instructing its first ever class of medical students at its brand new facility. All 60 of the students will spend six weeks of their first year on-site learning from real doctors. Many of the sites service rural and underserved areas in Spokane.

Redmond company wants to mine asteroids: Planetary Resources is the company’s name. Their mission? To mine water and rare minerals from asteroids. This seems like something out of a Doctor Who episode. But, it’s not cheesy British sci-fi, it’s real life. In the right asteroid there could be platinum, gold, and other rare materials. The water found would be used as raw material for spaceship fuel. In 2020, the company wants to send its first scouting probes to near-Earth asteroids. There are about 15,000 of these asteroids.

Seahawks release quarterback after reported assault : Trevone Boykin’s long-time girlfriend alleges that Boykin brutally assaulted her on March 20. According to her, Boykin choked her until she was unconscious and broke her jaw. The Seahawks have parted ways with the quarterback. Who will fill his spot? People are saying the Seahawks should give Colin Kaepernick another look.

Former Disney Channel star joins Trump administration: Caroline Sunshine, 22, is moving up from her position as White House intern to White House press assistant. Sunshine starred in Disney’s “Shake It Up” and had a role in 2010’s “Marmaduke.”

It’s a jungle out there: Look alive! We’ve got traffic.

Trump hates Bezos: “Techlash” is the latest phenomenon gripping D.C. as politicians turn away from West Coast tech-powerhouses like Facebook. Donald Trump isn’t focusing his energy on Facebook, however. He’s more concerned with Jeff Bezos and his rocking body Amazon. Apparently, Trump is looking for ways to hit Amazon with antitrust or competition laws. He hasn’t had any luck yet.

Facebook sued for discrimination in housing ads: According to a lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday, Facebook’s advertising platform allows advertisers to bar certain groups from receiving housing ads. These groups are women, disabled veterans, single mothers, and more. The lawsuit asserts that Facebook’s actions violate the Fair Housing Act.

Playboy gets out of bed with Facebook: It’s just the latest company to sever ties with Facebook. The tech-giant allowed a researcher from Cambridge Analytica access to 50 million users’ data without their consent. People and companies aren’t too happy about that. Other companies including Mozilla, Sonos, Tesla and SpaceX, Commerzbank, and, of course, Pep Boys, have deleted their Facebook pages and distanced themselves from the company.

Ireland’s first nude beach: If you can bear the cold you can bare it all. The nude beach opens in April in south Dublin at Hawk Cliff. Apparently, Ireland is a pretty popping spot to pop your clothes off and sunbathe in the nude. Now, finally, there’s a beach that acknowledges and allows the nudity.

Bill Gates is guest starring on the “Big Bang Theory”: Ugh.

Donald Glover claps back: Last week FX announced it wouldn’t be making the Deadpool cartoon series it had planned with Donald Glover and Marvel. FX didn’t say exactly why the decision had been made by heavily implied it had to do with Glover’s busy schedule.

Glover cleared that up with a tweet this morning:

And then he tweeted a 15-page script he’d just written.

You can tell it was just written because a lot of the current events he includes happened last week or even a couple of days ago. The plot centers around Sudan, who you’ll remember was the world’s last male northern white rhino. Glover really does have a busy schedule. He has enough time to prove a point, though.

I’m going to stop linking these tweets now. But you should really read the whole thing if you get a chance. This link should send you to the whole thread. If not, you can find it on Glover’s twitter.

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

Here’s what you’re eating today. It’s depressing.

Dan is eating tofu and sardines for breakfast. That’s something I’ve never heard of, Dan. I’m glad I know now.

Delicious
Delicious Dan B

Ellis asked me how sad his breakfast looks. How sad do you think Ellis’ breakfast looks? I think very.

All the major food groups
All the major food groups Ellis H

Jon is the exception to the rule this morning.

I got healthier just looking at this.
I got healthier just looking at this. Jon L

“That’s a discolored-but-fine pink lady Apple, Carr’s crackers, Tieton Creamery’s Black Pearl cheese, and coffee,” Jon writes.

Nathalie Graham covers anything she finds fun, weird, or interesting. You can find a lot of that in her column, Play Date. Her work has also appeared around town in The Seattle Times, GeekWire, and the...