Morning everyone. Anyone else still sweaty from yesterday? Expect an equally warm day today with a high of 59 degrees and a 20% chance of rain. So, like a, bring-a-rain-jacket-but-if-you-don't-no-one-will-think-you-were-dumb chance of rain.
Cops raid four Seattle gay bars in a weekend: Viv reported yesterday on a series of raids on Seattle's gay bars over the weekend. Neither the Seattle Police Department (SPD) nor the Liquor and Cannabis Board gave clear reasonings for the sudden interest in the bars, though we expect a statement this morning. The LCB has yet to cite the bars for an exposed nipple and some bartenders in jockstraps, the only things that they saw as problematic during their sweeps. The Office of Police Accountability is investigating SPD's role in the raid. City Council Member Joy Hollingsworth sent out a news release Tuesday morning asking the LCB for answers about the basis for the raids and the enforcement actions taken.
Electing a bunch of authoritarian backlash moderates really sets the tone for a city, doesn't it https://t.co/IXpBmio7Ns
— Brett Hamil (@BrettHamil) January 30, 2024
Seattle City Attorney dismisses cases against Stop the Sweeps protestor: On Monday morning, Assistant City Attorney Joshua Shea said the City would not retry a Stop the Sweeps protestor who stood on an RV for 12 minutes, citing a need to save city resources. The trial for the protestor ended last week with a hung jury. This case has become a bit of a mess for the City Attorney's office, especially since at one point Shea tried to strike the only Black juror but couldn't articulate a clear reason for it, according to people present in the courtroom. The Washington State Supreme Court has said courts must recognize discrimination when attorneys try to strike jurors based on race if its pretty obvious.
Plus, the CAO's chief criminal attorney, Natalie Walton-Anderson, announced yesterday that she’d be leaving the office. The timing seems suspiciously connected to the mistrial, but CAO Spokesperson Tim Robinson said Walton-Anderson's decision to leave was "personal."
Money for cops but nothing else: Charles wrote about Seattle's rotting phase yesterday as the City government succumbs to the greed of its "corporate overlords."
You don’t hate Seattle. You hate neoliberalism. https://t.co/tdY9dLjbDS
— DivestSPD (@DivestSPD) January 29, 2024
J Pod's newest member missing, presumed dead: During a J Pod sighting this Saturday, the Center for Whale Research said they could not see the young calf, J60, swimming with the rest of the pod. Due to J60's age, he likely wouldn't be swimming alone for an extended period of time, and researchers believe he may be dead. An orca's lack of nutrition as well as the toxins that mothers pass onto their calfs during pregnancy contribute to the high mortality rate for orca calfs, according to Fox 13. I wish I'd known that before I allowed myself to love the little guy. RIP J60.
Students walk out in West Seattle after shooting death of classmate: Mobarak Adam, 15, died last week after someone shot him in the bathroom of the Southwest Pool and Teen Life Center, a City-run facility, according to KING 5. Students at Chief Sealth International High School walked out of classes Monday to call for more gun control and security at the City facility.
No more trashing batteries in Seattle: Due to the risk of a potential fire, Seattle Public Utilities has banned the practice of throwing away batteries. Seattle Fire Department Chief Harold Scoggins said the fire department responded to 79 battery fires in the past two years, according to the Seattle Times. The Times article also lists all the places you can dispose of your dead batteries instead of the trash. I personally keep them in a little plastic bag under my sink, which now I'm realizing is probably a fire hazard.
Prison labor puts food on dinner tables in the US: The Associated Press just released an article and video yesterday on the role of prison labor in our food systems. In the lead, the AP points out how the country's largest maximum security prison sits on a former slave plantation, and men imprisoned there must do hard labor for next to no payment. The US banned slavery in the 13th Amendment, except as punishment for a crime, a clause that federal lawmakers have challenged recently, according to the AP.
Drone attack kills three US soldiers in Jordan: The early morning attack hit a housing area in a US military outpost, killing the three soldiers and injuring more than 40 people. The Biden Administration believes Iran-backed militants committed the attack, and now President Joe Biden is dealing with some pressure to respond in a way that both stops the continued attacks on US forces in the region and at the same time doesn't lead to a war with Iran.
House Republicans move to impeach Biden cabinet official: House Republicans claim Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has committed high crimes and misdemeanors for his work on the US's southern border, though this seems to be mostly political theater, according to CNN. One of the Republican holdouts on the issue is Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), who says he wants to hear the evidence against Mayorkas before he decides to vote for impeachment.
Brothers in New York found with arsenal: The Queens District Attorney's Office has charged two brothers with about 130 criminal counts related to their collection of firearms and homemade bombs, according to USA Today. The brothers had a vague list of possible targets for these weapons, which included "banker scum."
Dizzying and noisy: Enjoy a little bit of Courting's "We Look Good Together (Big Words)" this Tuesday morning. It's like music Adderall, but without the focusing. So just the meth part.