- Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson
- The internet decreed that this is the best picture out of the White House this week, because of that kid face-planting into a fancy couch. The family pictured is the family of a departing Secret Service agent. Hope that kid frames this picture someday.
Obama Gives a Big Speech Tonight: It will outline his administration’s plans to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He speaks tonight on primetime television at 6 p.m. here on the best coast (9 p.m. Eastern). You can also watch it online here.
To Defeat ISIS, Rivals Become Allies: The New York Times outlines an important component of this fight:
The jihadist group known as ISIS has so far thrived in part because its enemies are also enemies of one another, a reality that has complicated efforts to muster a strong response to its rampage. That factor has been a crucial consideration in war planning in capitals as diverse as Tehran and Washington, London and Damascus. But the potential threat has also forced a re-examination of centuries old tensions between Sunnis and Shiites, Kurds and Turks.
Are Y’all Tracking The Story of Scotland’s Vote for Independence? It’s coming up on September 18, and experts say if Scotland does vote to separate from Britain, it could possibly force British Prime Minister David Cameron to resign. Meanwhile, this election will be the first time people under 18 have the right to vote. TEENS!
In Seattle, New District City Council Elections: May bring forth a new kind of council candidate, if 26-year-old Planned Parenthood organizer Halei Watkins, who announced she’ll run in North Seattle’s 5th District next year, is any example. Or the rest could just be a bunch of old dudes in suits. Either way, we’re keeping an eye on Watkins.
Here’s a Question I Didn’t Think to Ask About Technology: Are the new iPhones too big for women’s hands? The Atlantic reports.
Unity Government in Palestine Has “No Credibility,” Say Critics: The two-party shared government was supposed to solve problems but instead is “mired in political infighting, allegations of an attempted coup, and anxiety over disarming and reconstructing Gaza after this summer’s war between Hamas and Israel,” reports the Washington Post.
- SDOT
- The new protected bike lane on Second Avenue in Downtown Seattle.
Protected Bike Lanes Make New York’s Traffic Move Faster: Vox writes on a new report out of New York City showing that not only did the rates of injury to bicyclists decline after new bike lanes were installed (woohoo!), but the time it took a car to get from point A to point B along the bike lane route “dropped significantly.” On average, car traffic moved 14 percent faster, and up to 21 percent faster at certain times. The results seem to be because of design, including left-turn lanes installed at intersections, not because more bikes meant fewer car users. Hmmmm. Interesting.
Independent Bookstores Are on the Rise: After years of apocalyptic predictions about how the boot heel of capitalism would crush local indie bookshops in favor of big chains and online retail, it looks like the indies are surviving—and even growing. The number of indie bookstores is rising. The sales at indie bookstores are up more than sales in the book industry in general. Zachary Karabell at Slate talks about why these stores are winning.
Teen Skateboarder Dies After Hit-and-Run by Teen Driver in Renton: Everything about this story is horribly sad.
Tacoma Family Seeks Justice for Their Lost Son: Michael Ward Jr. was shot dead on Sunday and no one knows why. They’re holding a candlelight vigil tonight at 8 p.m.
New Giant Dinosaur! New Giant Dinosaur! It’s called the Rukwatitan bisepultus and it’s a titanosaur from Tanzania. (That sounds like the beginning of a summer-camp game.)
Don’t Forget to Go to the Music Genius Night at the Frye Tonight! It will, like all the other arty genius nights we’re hosting this year, be totally awesome. Drinks at 5:30, program to follow, after-party at Vito’s. You know the drill.
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