Costco union reaches tentative deal: A contract between America's favorite superstore and a union representing 10% of its workers was set to expire on Friday. Workers had authorized a strike to fight for better benefits and wages in the face of inflation and cost of living increases. Before the contract expired, Costco and the union reached a tentative agreement. Separately, on Friday, Costco announced a raise for all non-union hourly workers to $30 an hour. 

SODA fizzling so far: Passed swiftly and urgently by the Seattle City Council last year, the "stay out" zones for people arrested on drug-related offenses (a law known as SODA) would bar certain people from places around the city such as Belltown, Downtown, Pioneer Square, Chinatown International District, Capitol Hill, and the University District. The law allows police to arrest people banned from those areas. Only, the law isn't being used. According to the Seattle Times, SODA has been used only once by a judge. So, why the hoopla over passing this useless law? Of course, our council of moderates and our Republican city attorney will blame it on not having enough police. 

A Head and Shoulders-type weekend: 'Cause we got some flakes, right? Right?? But just some. The snow fell, then it melted. It fell again. It may have turned to black ice overnight. More than 90 school districts in western Washington will have delayed starts this morning. More snow could fall again Monday, but don't expect a lasting winter wonderland. And don't be gaslit by that climate change-denying groundhog. 

Live footage from the snow storm:

 

 

Deportation protests in West Seattle: More than 200 protesters marched along West Seattle's waterfront on Sunday to protest President Donald Trump's threats of mass deportation. They learned about the march from TikTok and Instagram. 

Deportation protests around the country: Thousands of protesters shut down the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles. They waved Mexican flags and blasted Mexican music. Their signs read things like “Trump eat caca! Beware the Nazis," Where did the American Dream go!," and "I drink my horchata warm because fuck I.C.E," referring to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Despite a hefty police presence, no arrests were made. Protesters also gathered to decry mass deportation in San Diego, Dallas, Atlanta, and elsewhere. 

 

 

No weekends off in hell: We do not have the luxury of ignoring whatever the fuck is happening. Case in point: this weekend. There is so much. Is any of it good? Um. You tell me. 

DOGE commandeers USAid: Members of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) tried to access sensitive data from the US Agency for International Development (USAid), which is the world's largest single donor and doles out 42% of all humanitarian aid worldwide. When senior security officials at USAid attempted to stop the DOGE crew from accessing employee emails, personnel files, turnstile data, and control of a system that locks out employees, they were put on administrative leave. Sources also fear DOGE attempted to access "Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities, or SCIFs, and servers used to access sensitive cables with top-secret classifications." More than 100 USAid workers were put on leave through the weekend. Musk believes the agency should be "shut down" and called it a "criminal organization."

Making matters worse: The people in charge of this hostile takeover of USAid's computer systems are six computer engineers between the ages of 18 and 24. To make matters EVEN worse, this morning Musk said that Trump has agreed that USAID should be shut down.

More power for Musk and his cronies: Treasury Department officials who are affiliated with Musk and who are liaising with DOGE (god, I hate typing that stupid fucking acronym) now have access to the treasury's payment system, which contains information on people who receive government payments. That includes anyone receiving Social Security, tax refunds, grant recipients, and any federal workers or contractors. The longtime career official who ran the system, David Lebryk, resigned Friday after going head-to-head with Trump officials over this access. Now, a team led by Tom Krause, the CEO of Cloud Software Group and current Treasury Department worker and doge liaison, has access. By the transitive property—despite what they claim—we can assume there's a good chance Musk now has that information. 

Trump tariffs: Signaling he doesn't give a shit about how much it costs to be alive in this country nor does he care about our allies or our neighbors, Trump signed tariffs against Canada and Mexico. Canada turned around and put 25% tariffs on American goods. Canada has urged its citizens to buy Canadian. Ontario's leader said he was ripping up the province's contract with Starlink because "Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy." Canadians are booing the American national anthem at sporting events. Mexico and Canada are teaming up to deal with the bullshit our country is causing. Meanwhile, Trump said Americans could "feel some pain" from the tariffs, going back on one of his multitudinous farcical campaign promises. He also hinted at tariffs for the European Union and the United Kingdom. I don't know about you, but I do not feel good about billionaires blowing up the global economy just because they can.  

 

 

 

 

Other worrying tidbits: Trump ordered traditional news outlets such as NBC News, The New York Times, National Public Radio, and Politico to vacate their offices in the Pentagon. Instead, that office space will operate on an "annual media rotation program.” This year the media in the Pentagon will be One America News Network, the New York Post, Breitbart News Network, and HuffPost. 

Another plane crash: A small medical transport plane carrying a child patient crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood on Friday evening. All six people on board died. 

There was too much news: I didn't have time to fully share this story about a Los Angeles-area bear that's too fat to tranquilize. 

The Grammys: I will try to squish in some culture among the political news onslaught. Beyoncé finally won her first Album of the Year Grammy for "Cowboy Carter." Kendrick Lamar won Record of the Year and Song of the Year for his diss track "Not Like Us." Chappell Roan won Best New Artist. Yay, music! 

A Grammy performance of note: I've already shared these songs before, but every time Doechii performs them it's just so good, so I must share this latest version. Also, she won best Rap Album for her album "Alligator Bites Never Heal," becoming only the third woman to ever win the award. Here's her performance from last night:

 

Okay wait one more: Lady Gaga being back foretells the impending recession.