Two Dead After Night Club Shooting: A security guard and another man were shot and killed outside Capri Bar and Restaurant, a hookah lounge in Rainier Beach. A different shooting occurred at this same lounge just a month ago. The recent violence draws fresh attention to new city council legislation that seeks to crack down on after-hours lounges that operate as private clubs, stay open past 2am, and aren't regulated the same way as typical bars and restaurants. Several recent Seattle-area shootings like the December International District shooting have occurred outside similar establishments.
Shooting Near House Party: In the Tacoma area, two people are dead and four are injured after an early Saturday shooting near a house party. Multiple people called 911 when a fight broke out at the party. Police arrived about 30 seconds before the gunfire started. The victims were between 16 to 21 years old.
Local Jurisdictions Need New Revenue: That's the subject line in the open letter to Gov. Bob Ferguson signed by 68 local officials across the Evergreen state. The letter calls on Ferguson to seek new progressive revenue options as budget deficits grow and federal cuts become imminent. Washington's regressive tax code means there isn't enough "funding for infrastructure, housing and human services, public health, and public safety" investments. The signers then list the measures they support including current bills in Olympia that would lift the 1 percent property tax cap, expand the sales tax to fund public safety programs, and more. Outgoing King County Executive Dow Constantine signed the letter, as did KC Exec hopeful Girmay Zahilay. King County Council Members Teresa Mosqueda, Rod Dembowski, and Jorge L. Barón also signed. The only Seattle City Council members to sign were Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dan Strauss. Mayor Bruce Harrell, unsurprisingly, did not sign on.
The Weather: I'll wager it'll rain today. And, you know what? I wager it'll rain tomorrow, too. April showers and all that.
Must Be Nice: France's far-right party leader, Marine Le Pen, was barred from seeking office by a court due to embezzlement. The judge ruled Le Pen, as well as eight other people in her party and 12 who served as parliamentary aides, were embezzling public funds. Le Pen, the judge said, was "at the heart of 'a system' that her party used to siphon off EU parliament money," reports the Associated Press. Some worry this ruling is an overstep. I dunno, I think it's a good thing to prevent criminals from taking political control of a country and burning it to the ground for their own gain.
France raises a fascinating hypothetical point: what if the law still exists even if people might get mad at you
— Ian Boudreau (@ianboudreau.com) March 31, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Musk Gives Out His Million Dollar Checks: Ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, which could change the makeup of the highest legal body in a battleground state, Elon Musk gave two $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters at a rally for the conservative candidate. Musk and groups he's affiliated with have spent $20 million to get this guy elected ahead of a year where the Wisconsin Supreme Court—where liberals currently hold a 4-3 majority—will consider legislation on "abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union power, and voting rules." The current Supreme Court declined to hear a case that objected to Musk's political interference ahead of the event.
Myanmar Quake Kills Over 1,700: Friday's quake in Myanmar and neighboring Thailand caused devastation. Though the death tolls are already high, prediction models expect deaths could exceed 10,000. Buildings collapsed throughout Myanmar. Many people are believed to still be trapped under the rubble. A woman was pulled out from under a collapsed hotel after 60 hours. She was alive.
The Stock Market Hates Trump: Trump's beloved stock market keeps on plummeting. In the wake of his recent announcement that he would level tariffs on imports from all countries, the stock market hit its lowest point since 2022. The value of the US dollar also decreased 3.5 percent this month thanks to Trump's global trade buffoonery. Meanwhile, the value of gold keeps on climbing as investors look for something—anything—safe to invest in. Goldman Sachs believes there's a 35 percent chance that the US enters a recession in the next 12 months.
See? You Don't Need Musk's Blood Money: All you need is 88 cents and a dream. Last week, a gambler at the Mardi Gras-themed Orleans Hotel & Casino about two miles off the Las Vegas Strip bet 88 cents on a slot machine and won $19,627.01.
Tensions are high: The Pistons and the Timberwolves got into a tussle last night. Five players and two coaches were ejected from the game. In case you want to watch seven minutes of grown men fighting each other, here you go:
International Students Asked to Self-Deport: An email from the Department of Defense to certain student-visa holders in the US notified them that their F-1 visa had been revoked and that they should voluntarily leave the country. Allegedly, the students getting these emails participated in campus activism or showed social media activity—things as small as liking a political post the Trump administration considers unsavory—critical of those in power. Immigration attorneys say impacted students should seek legal representation.
Aide Worker Mass Grave in Gaza: Last week, aide group Palestine Red Crescent Society said nine of its emergency medical technicians had been missing for days after Israeli forces opened fire on ambulances and fire trucks near southern Rafah. Israel said the ambulances and fire trucks were "being used as cover by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants." The United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs unearthed the missing humanitarian aides alongside their missing vehicles and six other aide workers using bulldozers and heavy machinery. They had been buried in what the UN called a mass grave.
Seems Like a Red Flag? Trump keeps refusing to say whether he'll leave office after his second term—which, you know, is unconstitutional. He said he wasn't joking about seeking a third term and that there are "methods" to make it happen.
I'm sorry to report we are actually not saving the bees. Honeybee deaths in the US have reached record highs. Scientists don't know what's causing it.
A Song for Your Monday: Do you like 1970s German electronic music? Good, I have just the ditty for you.
