Good morning! We’ve got a day of soft weather ahead of us: a rainy morning, a cloudy afternoon, and highs in the low 50s. Go outside, get a little mist on your face, touch some moss.
It’s Day 31 of the Trump administration, and in those 31 days, the New York Times has tallied 260 “major moves” in the administration. That’s 8.3 major moves a day. Even if you’re paying attention to half of that, you should be exhausted. Let’s try to cut through some of it. I’ll be quick.
Another Power Grab: Last night, Trump signed an executive order that tries to extend his authority over regulatory agencies that Congress has intentionally made independent from direct White House control—agencies like the SEC and the FCC. The order requires them to accept the president’s and the Justice Department’s interpretation of the law, and to send any regulation changes through the White House. Unlike a lot of his orders in the last few weeks, experts say this one feels well thought out. “This one reads like it was under preparation for a long time,” Deborah Pearlstein, a constitutional scholar at Princeton University, told the WaPo. “It is deliberately teeing up a major question of constitutional law that will go to the Supreme Court for review.”
The Floor Is in Hell: Yesterday, the White House posted a video of people being deported, in chains, from Boeing Field with the caption “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” The  Seattle Times called it “gleeful.”
RFK Lied: In the leadup to his confirmation, RFK Jr. told a key Republican holdout (Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD) that he wouldn’t make any changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, which includes inoculations for things like measles, polio, diphtheria, RSV, and hepatitis. But yesterday, addressing the whole HHS staff for the first time, he announced his plan to investigate the schedule. “Nothing is going to be off limits,” he said. In addition, he announced that pesticides, food additives, microplastics, antidepressants and the electromagnetic waves emitted by cellphones and microwaves also would be studied. We’re not surprised that anyone in this administration lies. But we do wish Senator Cassidy had realized that a few days earlier.
Speaking of RFK: Want to do a deep dive with The Stranger’s Vivian McCall? Yesterday, she helped break down why the guy with worms in his brain and a dead bear carcass isn’t a joke—he’s genuinely dangerous. In the era of “medical freedom,” medical truth and safety are on us, now.
Muskdate: Woof, I won’t attempt another Elon pun again, I promise. Musk has celebrated his Department of Government Efficiency as “maximally transparent,” which is a totally normal thing to say when you’re acting transparently. The reality is that it’s been near impossible to get clear information about DOGE, even for government employees who stand to lose their jobs while Elon’s teenagers sweep through the federal government. Multiple court cases are providing a small window into the department, though. They’re some of the only firsthand accounts of what’s happening inside DOGE, and, as NYT reported: “they paint a picture of a tightly managed process in which small groups of government employees have swept in and out of agencies, grabbing up data in apparent pursuit of larger political projects.” In one filing, the government attempted to protect Musk by claiming that he’s not legally the head of DOGE, nor is he one of its employees.
Local Companies Cater to Trump: After a February 5 executive order that told the US attorney general’s office to investigate private companies, universities and nonprofits using “discriminatory DEI” practices, local companies are hopping on the Trump train. According to the Seattle Times, Amazon scrubbed sections on their website titled “Equity for Black people” and LGBTQ+ rights.” Starbucks scrapped the words “inclusion and diversity.” “The organizations that stick by their values—if it is their values and it’s not just window dressing—they are going to see the real win here,” UW business professor Elizabeth Umphress told the Seattle Times. “Employees are watching and paying attention to these subtle and not-so-subtle actions of their leaders.”
Wanna think about literally anything else? We’re in the season of great TV again. Severance is back. The White Lotus is back. And for a little local color, Yellowjackets Season Three started last weekend. I’m stoked. So’s Megan Burbank, who gave us a rundown of the last two seasons, since we haven’t been out in the woods with those cannibal queens since 2023.
One More Palate Cleanser: A baby seal got lost on the mean streets of New Haven, Connecticut, more than 1,000 feet from the nearest river. Police scooped him up, gave him a little smooch (unconfirmed), and brought him to a local aquarium. “We assumed he was here to try the clam pizza but I can’t confirm that, we’re just happy he’s safe,” wrote a police spokesperson.
State of the City: Yesterday, Mayor Bruce Harrell gave his annual State of the State address at Benaroya Hall. In his speech, he patted himself on the back for a banner 2024: crime rates down, parks restored, downtown bustling; but carefully avoided mentioning his humiliating loss at the ballot box earlier this month. Wouldn’t want people thinking he’s vulnerable this November. Stay tuned, Stranger contributor Tobias Coughlin-Bogue will have more on it later today.
The Great Vanishing DMs: Turns out, since 2021, Washington State agencies have allowed their Microsoft Teams messages to disappear after seven days. What’s the big deal? It probably violates the state’s Public Records Act. In January, the State paid out a $225,000 settlement for this policy in the Department of Children, Youth and Families, and now Governor Ferguson has decided to wise up and change the policy for the whole State government. The willful destruction of public records is a Class C felony in Washington, and while felonies don’t disqualify you from governing these days, it’s not the felony we’d choose.
The Race for D2 Is on: Yesterday, Eddie Lin threw his hat into the ring for the District 2 city council seat. The seat is currently occupied by Mark Solomon, who was appointed by city council in January after losing (badly) to Tammy Morales in 2019. But that seat opens back up in the November election, and the games have begun. Lin is an assistant city attorney, primarily working with the Office of Housing. According to Stranger contributor Nathalie Graham, he’s a champion of affordable housing, progressive revenue, and creating a city where, as he put it, "artists and bike messengers and baristas and educators can all afford to live here." Read more of his campaign-launching interview with us here.
As a Treat: Cynthia Erivo is going to be Jesus in a short run of Jesus Christ Superstar in LA, because sometimes we get to have nice things. Here’s a little reminder of what we’re in for, but ya know, even gayer:
