Israel Breaks Ceasefire: Early Tuesday morning, Israel âlaunched a major assault on Gaza,â killing more than 400 people, according to AP. The attack broke the ceasefire agreement that began on January 19, and a Palestinian health official says itâs the âdeadliest day in Gazaâ since October 2023 and âat least 263 of the 404 people confirmed dead so far Tuesday were women or children 18 and under.â Hamas says two of their political officials were killed.Â
People are Pissed: France, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have condemned the attack. Turkey called it âgenocide.â Freed Israeli hostages are upset. Trump? Not so much. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt (who allegedly never repaid more than $200,000 in illicit campaign donations, btw!) told Fox News, âThe Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza.âÂ
Speaking of Ceasefires: Trump and Putin are talking today about a possible ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.Â
Hereâs a Terrifying Headline: âLawyers and advocates say 48 people are unaccounted for after ICE raid in New Mexico.â In related news, Trump âinvoked wartime legislationâ to deport more than 200 immigrants he believes are members of a Venezuelan gang. A federal judge blocked their deportation, and Trump did it anyway! This is a big fucking deal!Â
Donât Forget: Colombia student and legal green card holder Mahmoud Khalil is still being held in an immigration facility in Louisiana.
Speaking of ICE: Did you know you can order 1,000 âKnow Your Rightsâ red cards for just $55 through Immigrant Legal Resource Center? Or you can print âem out yourself for free! Then you can stuff a bunch in your wallet or bag and hand them out to everyone! No one is stopping you!
Trump to Release Kennedy Papers: Trump announced that âhis peopleâ will release âabout 80,000â pages of âunredactedâ files from the John F. Kennedy assassination investigation today. He says theyâre âinterestingâ but admits he hasnât read them. (Probably because he canât. Read, I mean.) This feels a lot like when a cartoon burglar tries to break into a house and distracts the dog with a big, fat, and juicy steak. Donât fall for it. Call, email, and write to your reps and demand they grow a fucking spine and stand up to this criminal.
We Could Have Had Universal Healthcare??? Yesterday, Tobias Coughlin-Bogue reported that two bills, Senate Bill 5233 and House Bill 1445, died in committee during the current legislative session. Those bills would have established a system of universal healthcare for Washington State residents. Coughlin-Bogue asks the important question, âSo, if everyone loves universal healthcare and all the politicians involved say they do too, why the hell didnât it get a hearing?â
Another Earthquake! This one hit Vashon Island last night, and people reportedly felt it from Tacoma to Shoreline. You might be thinking, âWow, weâve had a lot of little earthquakes this year!â But KING 5 points out, âThis is normal for a region as seismically active as Washington state.â
Drakeâs No Good Very Bad Year Continues: In January, Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against his own label, Universal Music Group, because they promoted Kendrick Lamarâs diss track âNot Like Us,â which calls Drake a pedophile. (âNot Like Usâ was released via Interscope Records, which is owned by Universal Music Group.) Now Universal is asking that the case be dismissed, claiming the only reason Drakeâtheir artist, remember!âis suing UMG is because he âlost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.âÂ
Buy Me Some Teriyaki and Cracker Jacks: Yesterday, everyoneâs favorite local teriyaki expert J. Kenji LĂłpez-Alt, not-so-subtly hinted on Instagram that he was working with T-Mobile to bring Seattle-style teriyaki to Mariners games this season. Delicious! Related: I miss the grilled teriyaki tofu from Ballet every single day of my life. If anyone has their recipe or brand of sauce, email me.
How Do You Like Them Apples? In an effort to become more affordable to middle-class students, Harvard announced that they will waive tuition for students whose families make less than $200,000 annually. They will also cover some costs, including housing, for students whose families make less than $100,000. The policy will start in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
Sounds Fishy: The restaurant Sushi by Scratch, which Michelin-starred chef Phillip Frankland Lee opened in 2022, was closed by the King County Health Department for ârepeatedly operating without a valid permit,â according to the Seattle Times. The restaurant has just 10 seats, and the chefâs menu is $185 per person. According to the health department, the kitchen lacked the refrigeration and prep sinks necessary to safely run a sushi spot. Lee called the shutdown âcompletely dumb.âÂ
Taco Takedown: The county has been shutting down more than just expensive sushi in recent months. In November, the Seattle Times also reported that the health department shut down nearly 100 mobile food vendors in 2024, which, at the time, was âon pace to quadruple last yearâs totalâand already exceeds the previous five years combined.â Whatâs the problem!? Let the people eat tacos cooked under a tent on Aurora if they want to!Â
Brent Jones Is Out: Seattle Superintendent Brent Jones announced heâs leaving. About a month ago, he signed a one-year contract extension, agreeing to stay through June 2027. Now, his last day will be September 3.Â
Weâre Monthly, Motherfuckers! Sorry for calling you a motherfucker, Iâm just very excited. This year, The Stranger is publishing a new issue every month! Every first Wednesday is New Stranger Day. Our current issue is our Spring Art + Performance guide, which is packed with previews of this season's best art, performance, books, music, and food happenings. Find a copy at one of these hundreds of locations all over the Puget Sound region!Â
Lucy and Julien Sitting in a Tree: In honor of Lucy Dacus confirming her long-rumored relationship with boygenius bandmate Julien Baker, letâs enjoy a couple of songs from their respective upcoming records, shall we? I love love!Â