Washington can still ban AR-15 sales: A federal judge denied an attempt to stop the ban. The Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation filed its injunction the same day Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation to ban the sale of dozens of semi-automatic weapons in Washington. Judge Robert Bryan wrote that it was appropriate for governments to protect the public from these guns, given their use by many mass shooters.

Lewis Switcheroo: In a 5 to 4 vote, Seattle City Council voted down a War on Drugs policy that would have allowed the City Attorney’s Office to prosecute possession and public use. Seattle already struggles with its caseloads, and this measure would have made that problem much worse. Plus, the criminal justice system isn’t what you’d call conducive to solving addiction. The swing vote was Andrew Lewis, who public commenters repeatedly called out. Ashley was there, so read her account.

Gender identity is real, Florida judge rules: Clinton appointee Judge Robert Hinkle temporarily blocked parts of an unscientific (and likely unconstitutional, in his view) Florida law that bans puberty blockers for trans kids. He found the state had no “rational” reason to deny their treatment. While his ruling only prevents the state from prosecuting the families involved in this suit, it could in effect bar Florida from enforcing the ban altogether. Hinkle’s rebuke is satisfying. “Nothing could have motivated this remarkable intrusion into parental prerogatives other than opposition to transgender status itself.” 

Whatcom sheriff's deputies arrest Blaine School Board candidate for child rape: Authorities charged 51-year-old Tana Perkins Reneau with child rape and child sexual assault. The Blaine mother of six is a candidate for the local School Board and a former Kennewick teacher. Reneau adopted four of her six children and has a history of involvement with the North Whatcom County Young Life ministry, leading a program for young teen mothers. Authorities have not released details of the alleged crimes. She remains in custody with a bail amount set at $500,000.

Will the real aliens please stand up: A 36-year-old ex-Air Force intelligence worker says the US government covers up UFO/UAP crashes and funds a top-secret program to retrieve wreckage and non-human pilots, which is awesome if true. The whistleblower, David Grusch, isn’t some rando–he used to be the National Reconnaissance Office's representative to the UAP Task Force. But his claims are obviously pretty big.

Is intelligent life visiting Earth? I’m not ruling it out, but why are they always crashing? Learn to drive. I’m still waiting for answers after all that balloon business and jet scrambling elicited a “just kidding” from world leaders. I’d also like to know about the two speedy red dots I saw dancing above Twin Falls, Idaho the early morning of July, 28, 2022.

Queer orgs are pissed that Target capitulated to homophobes over Pride merch: More than 200 LGBTQ organizations including GLAAD, The Human Rights Campaign, and the National LGBTQ Task Force are demanding that Target speak out. A far-right scare campaign over tuck-friendly swimsuits and ironic Satanist merchandise began with edgelord TikTok meltdowns and threats to employees and ended with real bomb threats, which I’d argue is more “cancel culture” than anything they’re usually whining about. But you could also call it something punchy like “domestic terrorism.” The groups are calling on Target and the business community at large to reject these tactics, to actually protect their employees–instead of throwing queers under the Rainbow Colored™ bus–and to start selling their full Pride line expeditiously.

CNN's chairman and CEO is out: Chris Licht stepped down today after a 15,000 word Atlantic article unleashed a fury. Licht wanted CNN to be a place for serious journalism. In his view, that meant it wasn't skeptical enough of the woke left and progressive ideas about race, gender, and sexuality. The Washington Post's Perry Bacon Jr. wrote this great column analyzing that ideological shortcoming.

480 eggs, never scrambled: A driver apparently didn’t notice 30 to 40 egg cartons tumble from their truck to the pavement in a kind of free-form omelet display on the I-90 westbound ramp from the I-405 in Bellevue. After the splat, the eggs apparently started to cook. Ground score!

New York says fuck you to writers in prison: Last month, the agency that runs New York state prisons quietly implemented an arduous months-long approval process to restrict what incarcerated writers and artists can publish or get paid for. The directive from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision allows prison superintendents to block work that mentions the author’s crime or that portrays the agency in a way that could “jeopardize security,” also known as “telling the truth.” The directive does not mention journalism, but the agency told New York Focus it does apply.

Send In the Clowns (Former Governors): Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie filed his second bid for President of the United States. Former Vice President Mike Pence announced today. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum joined, too. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson have been in the race. I predict they’ll all soon be former presidential candidates. God, I can’t believe we’re already here.

Burn bans mean it's almost summer <3: Pierce County’s limited burn ban for unincorporated areas of the county went into effect this morning. We tell y’all about burn bans for a reason–please DON’T light shit you SHOULDN'T be lighting on FIRE!!! I guarantee that everyone will hate you and be super mad. The National Weather Service says early heat and a dry spring will increase the fire risk statewide this summer. 

Mom! Boeing threw up again: The airplane maker discovered another manufacturing flaw in the 787 Dreamliner. The issue with an attachment to the horizontal tail, also called the stabilizer, is not an immediate flight risk even though it sounds like one. Boeing says in-service Dreamliners can still safely fly, but the defect will delay new jet deliveries as mechanics fix a paper thin gap in the attachment. Shims to fill that gap were too small.

Eternal Bossa Queen dies at 83: The line of every Astrud Gilberto obituary in the world is about her irresistibly hummable “The Girl from Ipanema.” But while I've got your attention, listen to 1966’s “A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness” front to back and enjoy her magical collaboration with the keyboardist Walter Wanderley. People too often dismiss Bossa as a schlocky elevator muzak. They’re dead wrong. RIP.