Student loan forgiveness is still in limbo: But today the Biden administration has put out a new "student loan safety net" proposal overhauling the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) plan for federal student loans. According to CNBC, the proposal would "reduce monthly obligations by as much as half" and require borrowers to only pay 5% of their discretionary income rather than 10%. It could potentially save borrowers $2,000 a year when implemented on July 1, 2024. Not as good as canceling it all, but it's progress. 

The Washington State Legislature is back in session: I know you nerds are excited. Axios reports that there are a record number of women serving this year—68 women in the 147-member Legislature. That's around 46%! We jumped from ninth to fourth place in the State Legislature gender parity rankings, trailing Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. I don't wanna stop until we get a full-blown matriarchy. 

Did you know the Golden Globes were today? I certainly didn't! The controversy-prone awards ceremony was dropped by NBC in 2021 after The Los Angeles Times dropped a damning investigation into the body's racial, financial, and ethical lapses. Now, they're back on a Tuesday—ILOVEMAKONNEN would be proud—to avoid clashing with Sunday night football and Jerrod Carmichael acting as host. I'll just watch clips on Twitter. 

Train derailment! Last night, a train came off its tracks near Colorado Ave S and South Spokane St and collided into a power station, knocking down several power lines, reports KING 5. There were no injuries reported. 

It's official: Leesa Manion was officially sworn in as King County Prosecutor yesterday in a "packed courtroom," reports the Seattle Times. She's the first woman and first person of color in the position. 

Jair Bolsonaro is the hospital...again: According to CNN, the former president of Brazil is being treated for complications from an old stab wound. Bolsonaro high-tailed it out of his home country just two days before the inauguration of his successor, President Luiz Inácio da Silva, and is currently in Florida. Nothing says "welcome to America" like an exorbitantly high hospital bill!

Speaking of Brazil: There's still major fallout from pro-Bolsonaro rioters storming the country's capital of Brasilia last weekend. Across the country, tens of thousands of people took to the streets condemning the rioters' terrorist actions and calling for Bolsonaro's arrest, reports the BBC. For those of you following along at home, the former president still hasn't technically conceded the election. (Sound familiar?) So far, around 1,500 people are being held in connection with the riots. 

God, sorry, I'd like to think I'm above royal trash, but I love celebrity gossip: I'm a Gemini. I would never deign to actually read Prince Harry's new memoir Spare, but I absolutely would—and did!—read The New York Times' 11-point roundup. Again, I blame this interest on the People Magazine and US Weekly mags that sat atop the toilet in my childhood home. 

ICYMI: Ballard's Splintered Wand abruptly shut down last week with no explanation. Stranger contributor Meg van Huygen looked into the matter and uncovered some juicy tidbits about the fake Harry Potter restaurant. 

Another sad closure in north Seattle: Northlake Tavern and Pizza House will close at the end of the month after nearly 65 years, reports KING 5. Owner Abdoullah, who has worked at the joint for 45 years and who has owned it for the past six years, cited health issues as the reason for closure. "My heart and soul will always be with Northlake Tavern," he wrote in an Instagram post. But never fear—Big Mario's is slated to take over the business, giving current staff an opportunity to stay on as the restaurant changes hands. 

Weather update: Prepare for some spring-like weather today! And don't forget your sunnies at home. But the Seattle Times reports that these conditions won't last for long, as we're set to receive an atmospheric river coming up from California later this week. Reminder: It's always best to live in the moment. 

In California: At least 15 people have died statewide as torrential rains and floods have forced the evacuation of "tens of thousands" of residents, reports The New York Times. More than 34 million people are under flood watch. The National Weather Service warns that winds could reach up to 60 miles per hour. The threat of mudslides loom over coastal places like Montecito as rainfall over the next days in the state "could reach seven additional inches."

Incidentally, The planet is melting. The last eight years were the hottest on record, according to the New York Times' analysis of a new report from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. 

Real smart team they got over there: The House Republicans' first bill since the House Speaker debacle is a doozy—it guts $80 billion in funding for the Internal Revenue Service that was set aside in the Inflation Reduction Act, reports Yahoo. The bill has basically no chance of passing in the Senate, but it just goes to show how much of a fuckin' joker they think you are. Wish I could get paid to enact my personal vendettas on the Congressional floor!

Meanwhile, in the White House: After discovering classified documents at his private office last fall, Biden and his White House legal team say they don't know what those documents contain. The reason? Biden said he never looked at them. 

Freedom dies in Quebec: Since July, more than 20 dairy cows have been on the run from farmers after being spooked by a thunderstorm on a farm near Saint-Barnabé, reports CBC. They've apparently been "grazing wherever they liked" and "wreaking havoc on farmers' fields nearby." For the past month, a team of farmers have captured more than 13 cows and two calves after a team of local rodeo cowboys failed to do the job. FINE, I understand that these cows on the lam caused a lot of damage, but I wish they could still be autonomous and free. 

For your listening pleasure: Taking it back to 2013 with Les Sins' "Grind." A forever favorite.