Good morninggggg. The weather today is expected to be "showers then chance showers," according to the National Weather Service. Also for tonight, "showers likely." So what we're talking about here people is rain, drizzle, sprinkles, and other sky water synonyms. High of 53 degrees. (However, I see no rain as of this moment, so I apologize if I steer you wrong.)

Strippers take Olympia: Strippers Are Workers and members of the LGBTQ+ community showed up at the Washington State Capitol Monday to rally for a bill to eliminate the rules against lewd conduct in places that serve alcohol. The bill has already passed the Senate, but supporters fear House lawmakers present the biggest hurdle. However, after a series of raids on several Capitol Hill gay bars, they may finally have the coalition they need to allow bartenders to serve drinks in jockstraps and to create liquor licenses for strip clubs. 

Show up to protest surveillance: Seattle City Council Member Joy Hollingsworth plans to hold a community safety meeting tonight from 6:30 pm to 8 pm at the Seattle Prep Great Room, 2400 11th Avenue E. Representatives from the Mayor's office and the Seattle Police Department also plan to be there. The City has given the public fewer than 30 days to submit comment on three pieces of police surveillance, so why not show up to voice your opinions at every opportunity? Or check out this great guide by Seattle Solidarity Budget about how to submit public comment. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Homelessness connected to high rents: Seattle Times columnist Naomi Ishisaka wrote the goddamn truth yesterday when she pointed out that researchers have linked high rents to people living unsheltered. We Heart Seattle, a nonprofit that picks up trash at encampments, then posted on social media a WILD response, saying people live on the street because men don't want to work to pay child support. A 2017 paper by the Washington Department of Commerce identified rising rent costs and stagnating wages as the most significant factor. 

Speaking of bad versus good takes: When did KING 5 land the Uber and DoorDash sponsorship? As Hannah pointed out on x.com, the news station has given an excessive amount of airtime to the idea that the Seattle City Council wrongly forced delivery companies to pay drivers a living wage. KING 5, I know you want to act as if prior to this fee drivers made plenty of money to survive in Seattle, but in 2022 you literally ran a story talking about how delivery drivers could be left with $20 after working for eight hours. Maybe contextualize your stories better, the way Hannah and Charles did, by pointing out how notoriously unpredictable these jobs can be and that it's far too early to make guesses about how the fee could affect workers.

Spokane cops killed more people in two weeks than in all of 2023, according to the Spokesman-Review. The City now leads as second in the country for police killings by population.

Madonna recovers after fall: A dancer fell while dragging Madonna in a chair during a Seattle performance of the singer's Celebration tour, causing the singer to tumble out of the chair, according to the Seattle Times. 

Putin hanging on to Alexei Navalny's body: Navalny, an outspoken opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died recently in a Russian prison, according to government officials. Navalny's mother and wife have demanded the immediate return of his body. Russian officials have told Navalny's family that the government will not release his body for at least two weeks, according to the BBC.

Shine bright like a black hole devouring a sun: Astronomers found something in the universe outshining our sun, literally calling it 500 trillion times brighter, according to the Associated Press. They called it a "quasar" and I searched for what that meant and honestly didn't find the answer all that illuminating, but basically it just sounds like a really bright thing in space. Either way, it's showing up our sun, so I say we go kill it.  

United Nations Security Council considers Gaza ceasefire resolutions: The US plans to veto a resolution proposed by several Arab countries, but we have a draft of our own ceasefire plan, according to the Washington Post. The plan calls for a six-week pause in fighting, phased release of hostages, and it states the US's opposition to Israel's planned incursion into Rafah. The vote on the Arab-backed ceasefire plan is scheduled for today.

When no one pays attention, go dark: My favorite album write-ups continue to come from The Line of Best Fit, which just wrote up Allie X's new album, Girl with No Face. In the review, Tom Kingsley points out that Allie X's "mixed commercial success" has resulted in her trending more dark and bizarre. I love the strategy that when people ignore you, you just up the creep vibes.