Time’s up… maybe: It has now been 96 hours since the missing OceanGate submersible dove down to view the Titanic wreckage, meaning the five passengers may have run out of oxygen. Despite the 96 hours of oxygen supply acting as a deadline for the search efforts, experts say the estimate is imprecise, and they could have more air left depending on how they are breathing. So the search continues. This morning an undersea robot finally reached the seafloor and more help is on the way.
Hindsight 2020: Several passengers from previous OceanGate dives shared their experience on the trip down to the Titanic wreckage. The passengers said that OceanGate submersibles lost connection with the host boat on every dive. With that in mind, some counted themselves lucky not to have faced the same fate as the missing passengers.
More ocean stuff: If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been totally consumed by the thought of being stuck in a little metal tube deep in the pitch black ocean. Sounds pretty bleak, but there have been survivors. Former British Royal Navy pilot Roger Mallinson survived the deepest underwater rescue in a vessel that sat more than 1,500 feet below the surface. Mallinson may have been rescued, but he told Insider he has a “horrible feeling” about the fate of the passengers in the OceanGate submersible.
Gorge shooting: Court documents allege that the suspected Gorge Amphitheater shooter was hallucinating on shrooms when he killed two women and injured three other people over the weekend. The Seattle Times has more.
For those who do not check their weather app before getting dressed: We are finally out of that gray slump from last weekend. Today you can expect nothing but sun and temperatures in the low to mid 70s.
Belltown shooting: Yesterday the King County Prosecutor’s Office charged the man cops arrested at the scene of the fatal shooting of a pregnant woman in Belltown. The prosecutors charged him with murder in the first degree with a gun and attempted murder in the first degree with a gun. In an email from the Prosecutor’s Office, prosecutors, cops, and the Medical Examiner are still deciding whether or not the baby was “born alive,” which would allow prosecutors to charge him with a third homicide.
A more diverse County: New census data shows that 100% of the King County’s net gain in population from July 2021 to 2022 was from people of color. Why? FYI Guy has some theories.
Ballard Dan: Earlier this week, the 43rd Legislative District Democrats voted not to endorse City Council Member Dan Strauss in his run for re-election. The two districts really only overlap in Fremont, so its not a huge loss, but, from what I’ve seen, LD Democrat groups typically endorse incumbents, especially when they have a pro-business challenger running to their right. For example, the LD gave its blessing to incumbent Port Commissioners Fred Felleman and Sam Cho, King County Council Member Girmay Zahilay, and Seattle City Council Member Andrew Lewis. My guess is that Strauss lost some fans over his vote supporting the prosecution of public drug use and possession earlier this month. But, the LD also did not endorse anyone in the District 3 council race or the District 4 King County Council race.
Very normal behavior from Council Member Sara Nelson: The Seattle City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday supporting raises for human service workers who almost got fucked over in the last City budget negotiations. Everyone thought this resolution was a good idea except for conservative Council Member Sara Nelson, who opposed it. She opposes progressive resolutions all the time, saying they are a non-binding wastes of time (it takes just as long to vote yes as it does to vote no lol) and that they are often out of scope. However, this resolution sits very clearly within the scope of her job. Plus, restating a commitment seems politically valuable when you consider the fact that the Mayor tried to override previous legislation that promised the workers raises with cost of living increases. I guess she opposes raises for human service workers for a different reason…
Naughty, naughty Amazon: The Federal Trade Commission accused Amazon of signing up its customer for a $15 Prime subscription without their consent. Not only that, the Commission alleged that Amazon tricked customers into renewing the subscription automatically and making it difficult to cancel it. Amazon argued that customers just really love the service and the alleged trickery is just the company trying to make it easy to sign up.
Omfg Amazon internally nicknamed its Prime cancellation process as ‘the Iliad’ after the long and arduous journey of Homer.https://t.co/B82nLKc5Tz
— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) June 21, 2023
Republicans win: After several attempts, the U.S. House Republicans censured Rep. Adam Schiff for calling out the former president while he was under investigation for his relationship with Russia. Recently, more than 20 Republican representatives sided with the Democrats to reject the censure, but just enough flipped sides when the bill’s sponsor removed language that would have stuck Schiff with a $16 million fine if the ethics committee finds that he lied.
Speaking of Republicans: Self-described “dark horse” candidate and former Texas Congressman Will Hurd announced he’s running for the GOP presidential nomination. Get in line, buddy! You’re like the ninth candidate who thinks they will pull off some sort of underdog victory.
Sweetheart deal or business as usual: Republicans think that the president’s adult son, Hunter Biden, avoided jail on a felony gun charge too easily when he pleaded guilty to his tax misdemeanors. The experts Politico consulted are split; some argue that he should have gotten the book thrown at him and others said the judgment was pretty standard.
Yinchuan explosion: At least 31 people died in a gas-leak related explosion at a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, China last night. Another seven people were injured, one of whom remains in critical condition.
DidyoutakehimtothepierinSantaMonicaforgettobringajacketwrapupinhimcauseyouwantedto: In honor of Pride weekend, enjoy this classic Hayley Kiyoko banger.
