Have you voted in today's special election on I-135 yet? Listen, I get it. You're busy and have got places to go, people to see. But we've made the decision on how to vote pretty easy for you. Go read our endorsement on why you should absolutely support social housing, fill out your ballot, and then drop it in a nearby drop box on the way to buying those roses you definitely forgot to pick up this afternoon.
She's running:Â Republican Nikki Haley, that is. For president, lol. The former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador will go up against her old boss in the GOP presidential primary, and she's calling for "generational change." Haley announced her candidacy in this (typically) batshit video; watch if you feel like having extra brainworm this morning.Â
He's running:Â Tech lawyer Rob Saka, a rumored recruit of Mayor Bruce Harrell, is running to replace Lisa Herbold in the seat that represents southwest Seattle. Read Hannah's interview with him here.
Absolutely horrific:Â A gunman killed at least three students and wounded five others on Michigan State University's campus yesterday, reports NBC News. After a manhunt through the city of Lansing, the suspected gunmanâ43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRaeâshot and killed himself. Police have not yet determined a motive for the shooting, though McRae has no known affiliation with MSU.Â
4,000 Seattle City Light customers in South Seattle lost power last night during that freaky storm: As of this morning, 450 customers were still without power as the public utility continues to work on the issue into this morning, reports the Seattle Times.Â
Something to consider:
â depths of wikipedia (@depthsofwiki) February 13, 2023
Bad news for the seismophobes out there:Â 1,141 masonry buildings are at risk of collapsing like a bad soufflĂŠ if the Big One ever happens. Of that number, 647 are particularly vulnerable because they have "no visible retrofitting at all." According to KUOW, the city released their new inventory of unreinforced masonry buildings (URM) and have now hired a URM program coordinator to oversee the process of requiring masonry building owners to retrofit their vulnerable properties. Here's the list if you wanna freak yourself out.Â
Do you live in a 15-minute neighborhood? Not to brag, but I do. Research scientist Nat Henry made a color-coded interactive map of Seattle that shows walking timesânot accounting for hillsâto places like coffee shops, supermarkets, parks, libraries, and buses to downtown. According to Henry's calculations, a whopping 99% of Seattleites can walk to a park within 15 minutes, reports the Seattle Times. It's a fun map!
Ok, it's now time to acknowledge that today is Valentine's Day: Not to be that guy, but this holiday is definitely made up by greeting card companies to sell more shit to us, or whatever that Gen X complaint is. All the weather blawgs are pointing to a sprinkling of snow on this day of love, so I hope you're into that kind of thing.Â
âď¸ SNOW ON THE WAY âď¸
â Seattle Weather Blog (@KSeattleWeather) February 14, 2023
A quick-moving band of light to moderate snow will sweep across Seattle around 7 am. Sidewalks & roads will temporarily be whitened with a coating of snow!
Speaking of love:Â I would give anything to see this historic gathering of Vermeer paintings at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Dutch master's brushwork is probably the closest thing to embodied love for me.Â
I will never step foot on an airplane ever again:Â A United Airlines flight taking off from Maui last year plunged from 2,200 feet to within 800 feet of the Pacific Ocean just 71 seconds after takeoff, reports NBC News. Luckily, the plane recovered and ascended back to 2,350 feet in less than a minute and landed in San Francisco with no further hiccups.Â
49% of Washington health care workers plan to ditch their jobs in the next few years: According to a new poll from the Washington Safe and Healthy Coalition, 79% of 1,200 healthcare workers say they "feel somewhat or very burned out," reports KING 5. Most attribute their workplaces being short-staffed as one of the top reasons to leave.
Update on the Ohio train derailment disaster:Â New data shows that there were more toxic chemicals onboard the train than previously reported, reports ABC News. On top of vinyl chloride, transport company Norfolk Southern revealed that ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (can cause eyes, skin, nose, and throat irritation as well as blood in urine), ethylhexyl acrylate (a carcinogen), and isobutylene (which causes dizziness and drowsiness) were also present in the wreckage and subsequent "controlled burn."
I had no idea the Seattle Police Department used AI to analyze body cam footage:Â But they apparently were doing a trial run with a company called Truleo's technology. And now, SPD is ending that practice following criticism that it could increase government surveillance, reports Axios. ACLU of Washington's Jennifer Lee said SPD and Truleo's partnership raised concerns about "how police departments could potentially use the footage they collect and store for many purposes, including surveillance."
The government has recovered the wreckage from that Chinese balloon, including antennas, sensors, and other electronic pieces.Â
Might I suggest a movie? You can watch Chunking Express on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, and Kanopy.
âď¸đđ pic.twitter.com/Sgo9R2yBuS
â Criterion Collection (@Criterion) February 14, 2023
For your listening pleasure:Â The most beautiful thing I've listened to all week: Kelela performing "Enough for Love" on Jimmy Fallon. Are you tough enough for love?