Frank Chopp is Dead: Former Democratic state Rep. Frank Chopp, who served as House speaker for two decades, died Saturday at the age of 71. Chopp represented Seattle's 43rd district starting in 1994 and only decided not to seek another term in 2024. In those 30 years of service, Chopp left his mark by developing affordable housing units across the region and expanding health care for low-income families. Chopp was an incrementalist who often stood in the way of more progressive legislation—which always ground our gears over at this paper—but he was an effective legislator with a track record to be proud of (so long as no one brings up his support of that $8.6 million Boeing tax break). Rest in peace, Frank. Come back later today for more on his legacy.
Nanny State Stuff in Idaho: Idaho Republicans want to make it so voters can't decide to legalize marijuana or any other drug through a ballot measure. A new law Republicans put forward will put a measure on this year's ballot asking voters to decide whether only the legislature has the authority to legalize drugs. If approved, that decision will be enshrined into the state constitution.
The Weather: The weather will suck (wet, cold) again on Monday, but on Tuesday... on Tuesday it'll be glorious (sunny, warm). See you all at the lake on Tuesday?
Tax Stress: The Internal Revenue Service is anticipating a $500 billion drop in revenue because taxpayers are skipping filing their taxes since they assume no one will notice after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) layoffs at the agency. DOGE plans to cut 20 percent of the IRS workforce by May 15, thus the IRS expects 10 percent of filers to play tax hooky this year.
Don't Cry for the IRS Just Yet: The pencil pushers over at the IRS will likely bend the knee to the Trump administration's demands to share tax data from undocumented immigrants with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to aid in Trump's deportation goals. This data-sharing agreement from hell has apparently been in the works for weeks. If it goes through, the IRS could provide ICE with the names and addresses of undocumented immigrants, breaching the longstanding confidentiality of tax information.
Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming: Israel abandoned its ceasefire with Palestine and is now back to killing people in ground and air attacks. Over the weekend, an Israeli airstrike that hit Nasser Hospital's surgery department killed five people. A member of Hamas' political office was killed in the strike. Palestine officials estimate the death toll for all 18 months of conflict is more than 50,000.
Green Card Holder Held at Tacoma ICE Facility: Lewelyn Dixon, 64, has held a US green card since she immigrated here from the Philippines at 14—that was 50 years ago. ICE detained her at SeaTac airport after she returned from an international trip on March 2. Davis is now detained at the Northwest ICE Detention Facility. Her lawyer said her trip abroad "triggered the issue" since she has a non-violent conviction for embezzlement from 2001 where she paid a $6,400 fine and served 30 days in a halfway house. As the lawyer told Newsweek, before the Trump administration "this was not the type of thing that you would typically see a 64-year-old woman get detained for."
In Other News: Golfer Tiger Woods is dating Vanessa Trump, who is Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-wife.
"Tiger Woods is dating Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-wife, who kept Trump as her last name," I say. Forty-thousand bees descend on me instantly, killing me in seconds. That was the magic sentence, it turns out. The relief is immense.
— Tim Onion (@bencollins.bsky.social) March 23, 2025 at 6:54 PM
So Long, Mitch: I actually care about the Mariners now, don't tell anyone. In sad but unsurprising news, the M's released beloved veteran outfielder Mitch Haniger yesterday. We can all say it: Haniger is kinda washed. And injury-prone. Great guy, though! Don't feel too badly for him, the Mariners still have to pay him the $15.5 million left on his $43 million contract. Nursing an injured shoulder, Haniger will likely need to sign with a minor league team and work his way up. Minor league ball and cashing a fat Mariners check? Good work if you can get it.
Protests in Turkey: Protests erupted in Turkey five days ago after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on corruption charges. Imamoglu is a vocal critic of Turkey’s President Erdogan and will run against Erdogan in the 2028 election; he says his arrest is politically motivated. Outrage over the arrest and discontent with Erdogan drove masses of protesters into the streets. So far, over 1,100 have been arrested.
NEW: Elon Musk’s X has suspended accounts of Turkish opposition groups, suppressing footage of anti-government protests.
So, best we share all the footage we can here!
This was last night’s massive demo against Erdogan’s government, which follows the arrest of his rival Ekrem İmamoğlu.
🇹🇷 #Turkey
— News Eye (@newseye.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 10:48 AM
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USPS Protests: The US Postal Service Postmaster announced workforce cuts as DOGE tries to make changes within the agency (read: make it way worse). Around 10,000 postal workers could lose their jobs by mid-April. Nine protests at Washington USPS branches popped up over the weekend. One of the largest saw about 200 people outside of the Westwood Post Office in West Seattle. Get angry. Show your support for your mail carrier in rain, sleet, or snow.
Get Pregnant in Texas at Your Own Risk: A Texas man is grieving the loss of his wife, who died after miscarrying in Texas. A near-total abortion ban means doctors did not perform a routine D&C procedure on the miscarrying woman who was bleeding excessively. She went into cardiac arrest and died. According to CBSNews, between 2019 and 2022, the maternal mortality rate in Texas increased by 56 percent after outlawing abortions.
Not Dead Yet: Call off the conclave! After five weeks of battling pneumonia, Pope Francis was released from the hospital.
Babe wake up, it's cherry blossom season. My partner and I do this thing where if we walk under a cherry tree in bloom we kiss. And now, it's officially cherry tree kisses season. If you would also like to smooch someone special under a cascade of blushy blossoms, why not consult this map of the city's cherry trees made by local geographer Nat Henry? There are at least 17,000 of the flowering variety in Seattle.
Something for Your Monday: Keep tabs on those University of Washington blooms without having to brave the crowds.
