Get ready for … can this be right? Snow? Yup, we’re facing a sharp drop in temperatures this week, with the possibility of snowfall just outside the city. We probably won’t see any flakes in Seattle, but be prepared for several sub-freezing days around Thursday and Friday.

Jimmy Carter’s in hospice care. The former president is 98 years old and spent the last couple of decades working tirelessly to build homes for the less fortunate.

Local twerps show faces in public. Here’s a fun video of all the mayhem surrounding the Jordan Peterson appearance in Seattle this weekend, with numerous Peterson defenders wandering the streets. A handy way to check and see if anyone you know happened to be in attendance!

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were enough houses to go around? Tomorrow at 1:30 pm, the Committee on Appropriations will hear public testimony on SHB 1110, the missing-middle housing legislation introduced by Rep. Jessica Bateman (with support from many others). This bill is Washington’s best shot at tackling the housing crisis this year, and it needs needs needs needs needs to pass. You, as a member of the public, can help push it forward, and fortunately it doesn’t require very much work. Simply use this link to sign in “pro” for SHB 1110. You don’t have to provide testimony (in fact, it’s better if you don’t, since that just slows things down), but attending the virtual meeting and showing your support is kind of an in-between version of signing a petition and voting in an election. 

And while you're at it: Sign "con" on House Bill 1363, a bill that would endanger innocent lives by making police chases easier. 

Here’s an editorial to rival the worst from The Seattle Times’ ed board. Edmond City Council member Diana Buckshnis would prefer that there not be enough housing to go around, and she published a letter to that effect this weekend. In her letter, she called for prohibiting new housing near coastlines and within “major watersheds.” She is concerned about “the privilege of fantastic views,” among other issues, and she claims that density causes “chemicals,” whatever that means. She goes on to complain that recent growth in nearby towns has caused Edmonds to “initiate a stormwater action plan,” which is a bizarre claim because all cities are required to have one of those.

Kind of a grim historical milestone. This weekend was the anniversary of two particularly awful moments in America’s history: 100 years ago, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling in United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind that resulted in the country revoking citizenship from dozens of Southeast Asians. The government decided they were not white enough to become US citizens. Then 19 years after that, President Roosevelt signed the order that led authorities to forcibly round up Japanese citizens and place them in camps. Also, today is Presidents Day, so “celebrate” as you see fit.

So long, detective. Actor Richard Belzer has passed away. He started his career as a warm-up comic on Saturday Night Live, appeared on Sesame Street in the 1970s, and also popped up in Fame, Scarface, and a Pat Benatar video. (His politics were … not great.) It was of course his appearance as Detective Munch that was his most iconic. 

Every now and then, living in Seattle feels like being an actual grown-up city. The latest word from Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm is that we might get real-time arrival info on light rail screens later this year. Like nearly everything connected to local transit, it’s coming later than needed, but that’s still better than never!

Biden’s in Kyiv. He’s meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, and he has promised that the US will continue supporting Ukraine in resisting the Russian invasion. 

Remember that driver who sped into a George Floyd protest and shot Dan Gregory? Nearly three years later, the shooter, Nikolas Fernandez, just reached a plea deal: 24 months of probation, a 30-day suspension of his license, and some court fees.

Another Tesla crash. A Tesla rammed into a fire truck in California on Saturday, killing the Tesla’s driver and injuring a passenger. No word on whether they were using a self-driving feature, which was the subject of a recent recall. Just speaking from my own experience, I’ve nearly been hit twice in the last week by Teslas while crossing the street, and now I’m wondering if I should have looked to see if the drivers had their hands on the wheel either time.

American rail is in a dire state. The derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals in Ohio has highlighted the need for more safety measures, technology upgrades, and better conditions for workers. Here's a rundown of what rail workers are saying, and oh boy it's grim.

Investigative journalism is alive and well. Intrepid reporters at UW have conducted a hard-hitting investigation into whether the school mascot is fuckable. Respondents are split fairly evenly.

Ballard Oil has outlived its usefulness. Ho hum, a nearly century-old fossil fuel company is shutting down, and the way this article is written I guess we’re supposed to feel sorrowful about it? The owner says he’s shutting down because of “regulations,” you know, the things that protect people’s lives. They also cite fewer customers (oh, fewer people producing greenhouse gasses? what a tragedy) and for some reason a bike path that hasn’t even been built yet. Bye, Felicia.

We are family. I posted a new video this weekend, this time about the long, strange journey of two gay dads from a theater in Paris to Broadway and Hollywood. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the journey from La Cage Aux Folles to The Birdcage.