☀️☀️☀️: Good morning, Stranger readers. Today will be a nice change of pace from the recent gloomy weather. Around noon the sun will peak out of the clouds and then come into full force for the rest of the day. You’ll still need a jacket considering the temperature will stay in the low 60s. To me, that’s the perfect weather for a PSL and a little walk in a rich neighborhood to see if they have any halloween decorations up. I would recommend the areas surrounding Volunteer Park. 

ICYMI: Here's some thoughtful analysis on how climate change has brought heavier rain to the PNW and what that could mean for the snobbery around umbrellas in Seattle since y'all like Mudede's weather takes more than mine. I am a woman of the people. 

Real estate money: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) dumped more than $225,000 into four Seattle City Council campaigns. NAR used the money to pay for mailers and online ads for District 2 candidate Tanya Woo, District 3 candidate Joy Hollingsworth, District 4 candidate Maritza Rivera, and District 7 candidate Bob Kettle. You may think, “Oh, how nice! Realtors love housing, these must be the pro-housing candidates,” and you would be wrong. The real estate industry loves making money selling single-family homes, not solving homelessness. On top of its less than altruistic motivation, Chicago-based NAR also, in general, sucks. Redfin recently left NAR over the association’s sexual harassment allegations and two anti-trust lawsuits.

Real estate money x2: Besides, these four candidates promote the least density-friendly platforms. Woo has advocated for down zones, Hollingsworth fought against small apartment buildings as recently as 2020, Rivera promotes the weakest version of the City’s zoning overhaul, and Kettle is part of noted NIMBY group, the Queen Anne Community Council. 

More on money: So far, the big business and landlord money far outpaces money from labor, the other big spender in races. Politicos expect labor to start a PAC for Amazon’s greatest enemy, Maren Costa, in District 1 soon, but as of this morning the disclosure reports show no independent expenditure money for her. The lack of labor spending at this point could mean trouble for the left(ish) candidates. Labor’s huge contributions to council races in 2019, in combination with voter backlash from Amazon’s attempt to buy the election, won that year's so-called progressive sweep (except for in District 4 tsk tsk). Without hundreds of thousands of dollars in outside money for progressives, the council could get much, much worse. 

I wish all workers a very pleasant settlement: A bunch of Washington employers are about to get rightfully fucked for not complying with the new state law requiring them to advertise a pay range on job postings. One Seattle attorney filed 30 lawsuits just this week against non-complying businesses, including Adidas and Albertsons. However, since the law only went into effect 10 months ago, these cases will be the first of their kind, so we really don't know how much the courts will enforce the law and side with workers. Stay tuned!

Spokane, I love you:

New speaker: While Rep. Steve Scalise got the GOP nomination for Speaker of the House yesterday, he still does not have the widespread support he needs to win the position in a floor vote. He only beat his somehow more conservative opponent, Rep. Jim Jordan, 113 to 99, so some argue he will need to make concessions to the more extreme members of his party to secure the votes. This could put him in the same position as the former speaker, who went through 15 rounds of voting and concessions before the far-right bloc caved, CNN reports. 

BLM Garden update: Join Black Star Farmers at the Black Lives Memorial Garden in Cal Anderson tonight at 7 pm to prepare for the City’s attempt to destroy the community garden. The City could start clearing the garden as soon as Friday, but if we work together, there’s still hope to save one of Seattle's last enduring monuments to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

Whew! Honestly, I had started to second-guess myself. Waaaaay back, more than a year ago, I spread the rumor that the Mayor had recruited Rob Saka to run for City Council. The claim made sense based on his platform and a lot of credible chattering, but the Mayor had endorsed in almost every council race but his. Was I spreading misinformation? Me?? Of all people??? Well, it looks like my sources did not steer me wrong. Yesterday, Saka announced that the Mayor endorsed him. I feel so valid uwu.

Israel’s attacks on Gaza: Overnight, the Israel Defense Forces hit 200 targets in Gaza in what Al Jazeera called the “heaviest bombing campaign in recent memory.” Since Saturday, the IDF has killed at least 1,300 Palestinian civilians, wounded 6,000 more and leveled 1,000 homes to punish them for Hamas’ attack, which killed 1,300 Israelis. Palestine's death toll is expected to rise, as Israel cut Palestine’s access to food and fuel, starving the civilians out and leaving hospitals with only three days of power left to treat the wounded. Israel is also planning a ground invasion of Gaza. 

Doxxing at Harvard: Yesterday, a billboard truck drove around Harvard displaying the names and faces of students who signed onto a statement by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee that blamed the Israeli government's ongoing, violent colonization of Palestine for Hamas's retaliation. The group later clarified that they oppose violence against civilians. The billboard truck marks the latest episode in a doxxing campaign wherein four websites have posted personal information about the students. CEOs have called on Harvard to release a full list of names so they can blacklist them from jobs at their corporations. According to The Crimson, at least eight of the 34 student groups who signed the statement retracted their signature following the backlash and harassment. 

Correcting the record: The White House walked back President Joe Biden's comment that he has seen photos of children beheaded by Hamas. The unverified rumors went viral over the last few days after reports in Israeli media and after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a claim about beheadings. However, an Israeli official also told CNN this morning that the government cannot confirm the claims Netanyahu made about Hamas beheading children. It does not look like Israel will try to substantiate the widespread claim. The IDF said it will not investigate, saying that solider's testimony is sufficient evidence. 

Jaw dropped:

This needs to be said: I thought about submitting an I, ANON because I know how you freaks love to get ass mad about mundane shit, but I need to go on the record with this one. PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO EXIT THE LIGHT RAIL BEFORE YOU ENTER IT. You genuinely look so goofy, like a lost puppy, when you huddle around the train, faces basically pressed against the windows, while people try to leave. I have to do breathing exercises, name five things I can see, four things I can touch, etc., to avoid screaming or shoulder-checking one of you absolute silly billies. I won’t shoulder-check you–that's way too aggressive for my quietly hateful ass. But I am only partially joking when I say this is more annoying than doing drugs on the light rail. Sorry!

Lil music for your morning because I love and care about you: This week 10 years ago, Royals by Lorde held the number one spot on the charts, according to Top10songs.com. I can think of 10 Lorde songs I like more than Royals, but we must celebrate the classics.Â