False Alarm: Police responded to reports of a shooting at Southcenter Mall in Tukwila on Saturday. However, police found no evidence of shots fired. A group of teens fighting in the food court prompted the call; they knocked over chairs and metal divider poles which caused "loud bang sounds" that people may have thought were gunshots. The mall went into lockdown. So, blame our collective trauma response as a nation where at the first loud sound in a public place we assume gunman.
Charred Cybertrucks: Four Tesla Cybertrucks parked in a Tesla storage lot in SODO caught fire late Sunday. It's unclear what caused the fire. Hopefully the cars' future owners like them extra crispy.
Shakeups at the Seahawks: I know we don't really care about sports on this blog, but local news is local news. Quarterback Geno Smith got traded to the Las Vegas Raiders where he'll be reunited with Coach Pete Carroll. Wide receiver and Eastside real-estate agent Tyler Lockett was released. Now, wide receiver DK Metcalf is going to the Steelers. Is this what they call a rebuilding year?
Tragedy at Washington Middle School: Last Thursday, an unattended SUV rolled down a hill outside the Central District school and struck and killed a 12-year-old girl. Other students witnessed her death. The school hosted a memorial walk and vigil on Friday. Currently, people have donated $15,000 to the girl's grieving family. The driver of the SUV wasn't arrested and didn't show any signs of impairment.
The Weather: No rain today. Enjoy it. We have a very soggy week in store for us.
Trudeau's Successor Elected: Economist and technocrat Mark Carney, who ran the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis and then became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England in 2013 during Brexit, was chosen by the governing Liberal Party to be Justin Trudeau's replacement. He'll be the guy who sees Canada through this era of Trump tariffs and friction with their strongest ally: the U.S. New prime minister Carney will likely call a federal election soon since he doesn't hold a seat in parliament—Carney has never been elected to office. He'll face Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party, in a federal election.
Canadian Prime Minister–designate Mark Carney:
"The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. If they succeeded, they would destroy our way of life. In America, healthcare is big business. In Canada, it is a right."
— Adam Schwarz (@adamjschwarz.bsky.social) March 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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Cheating Ski Jumpers: Two Norwegian ski jumpers were disqualified from an event at the 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships after the discovery that they illegally modified their ski jumping suits with a reinforced thread. The general manager of the Norwegian Ski Federation admitted to the cheating: "This was done knowing that this is not within the regulations, but with a belief that it would not be discovered by FIS’ equipment controller. The way I consider this, we have cheated. We have tried to cheat the system. That is unacceptable.” The skiers maintain they didn't know their suits had been manipulated.
Rubio Confirms USAID Cuts: On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration canceled more than 80 percent of all the programs run by USAID. Previously, Trump had placed USAID programs on a 90-day "pause" while his team of ne'er-do-wells reviewed whether programs aligned with his "America First" program. Now, 5,200 contracts are canceled and only approximately 1,000 remain and now will be overseen by the State Department. Rubio thanked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Collision Between Cargo Ship and Oil Tanker: In the North Sea off the English coast, the two vessels crashed. The crash caused a "massive fireball." So far, one person is hospitalized, but all the crew is thankfully accounted for. This is a developing situation.
So Much for the First Amendment: U.S. immigration authorities arrested and detained Palestinian activist and Columbia University grad Mahmoud Khalil because of his role in leading last spring's pro-Palestine protests at Columbia. A Homeland Security Department spokesperson said the arrest supports Trump's presidential orders to prohibit anti-semitism. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Khalil despite his holding a green card and being a permanent US resident. His pregnant wife, an American, did not know where he was taken. A detention tracker shows he's being held at a facility in Louisiana. In a commentary about Khalil's arrest, Marco Rubio wrote on X: "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported." Khalil has not been charged with a crime. He is being detained because those in power do not like him exercising his freedom of speech—a right he has under the Constitution. This arrest should send shivers down your spine. If we do not have our right to free speech, then we are not the country these people claim to love. This is fascism.
Meanwhile: Trump pulled $400 million in grants and contracts from Columbia University, claiming the school failed to stop anti-Semitism on campus.
Hey, College Students? Now is the time to get angry. College campuses are where movements begin. They are central to discussion, debate, and progress. This government will try, but they cannot take that away. They are scared of you. If you are not at risk—or at least less at risk—of being targeted by this administration (aka if you are a citizen and if you are white), now is the time to organize.
A Song for Your Monday: Sorry, I can't get this one out of my head unless I get it stuck in your head.
