Poll shows most people in Seattle feel safe: In a new Seattle Times/Suffolk University poll, 85% of respondents said they felt generally safe in their neighborhoods. More than half said crime stayed the same in the last year. One woman in the Times story said she didn't worry about gun violence until Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz held a press conference talking about the number of guns on the streets.

Senator Maria Cantwell says to prep for wildfire season: During a Thursday meeting of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Cantwell said Washington can expect severe wildfires from July to September, according to MyNorthwest. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) forecasted “above normal” wildfire risk this summer.

The weather today: Mostly cloudy but gradually turning sunny with a high near 74 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Alex Pedersen trolls us on his way out: Council Member Alex Pedersen "proposed a dinky capital gains tax" that's revenue-neutral and also impact fees on developers, according to Hannah's story. Though his capital gains proposal would eliminate the City's regressive water tax, some argue that eliminating the tax acts as a tax break for homeowners who water their lawns, since people with low incomes qualify for utility payment assistance. 

Tunnel to keep sewage out of ship canal completed: Running alongside the Lake Washington Ship Canal from Wallingford to Ballard, the new tunnel will store 30 million gallons of untreated sewage and polluted stormwater, according to the Seattle Times. The tunnel should prevent the liquid from spilling into waterways when Seattle's storm drains can't handle the volume of rainwater.

Zooey Zephyr made an appearance at Trans Pride in Seattle: She and her fiancee, Erin Reed, traveled to multiple pride events over the weekend. The power couple rate among some of the most prominent advocates in the world of LGBTQ+ advocacy, according to the Associated Press. Vivian wrote about the Montana State Legislature censuring Zephyr back in April. 

The pressure is working: As expected based on their reactions during oral arguments, in a 6-3 ruling SCOTUS declined to endorse the kooky "independent state legislature" theory propagated by Trump advisor John Eastman. The theory holds that the US Constitution gives state lawmakers sole authority to structure federal elections, according to the Washington Post. But in the majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts argued that the Elections Clause in the constitution does not exempt state legislatures from normal legal constraints. If the Court had sided with North Carolina lawmakers, state legislatures might have had total authority over federal election rules and congressional maps. The three justices who were cool with that idea? Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch. 

Putin miffed about mutiny: Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered an angry address Monday about the Wagner mercenary group's weekend rebellion and stressed the stability of his government, according to the New York Times. The hired guns marched on Moscow, stopping within 125 miles of the the country's capital. Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prighozhin said he didn't want to seize power, he just wanted to protest Russian military leadership over their treatment of his fighters and the handling of the invasion of Ukraine. Prighozhin agreed to end the mutiny in exchange for exile in Belarus, though Russian media says a criminal case against him remains open.

Trump discussed confidential documents in audio recording: The recording appears to capture the former president discussing and showing several people classified information about a Pentagon attack plan on Iran, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors view the recording as key evidence in the indictment of Trump for mishandling classified information.

A fifth of America's political elite descend from slave owners: A new Reuters investigation lists the congressmen, living presidents, Supreme Court justices, and governors who's ancestors enslaved Black people. In addition to compiling a database about each politician's connection to slavery, Reuters recorded how each person responded when journalists reached out for comment. Washington's US Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) made the list.

Malaria contracted inside US borders: The CDC issued an alert for the first time in two decades after the agency confirmed five cases of the disease in people who hadn't traveled abroad, according to the Washington Post. Four cases were found in Florida, and one was found in Texas. The disease transmits through mosquito bites, and the CDC encourages people to use bug spray and screen doors. 

Dance the pain away: Milky Chance dropped a new album just in time for summer. I hope this song gets overplayed in drug stores across the country.