Don't forget about Jaahnavi Kandula. Credit: STREETPHOTOJOURNALISM

Nowhere is safe: Israel tightly packed about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians in the border city Rafah, promising refuge. But last night the army killed at least 48 people in another bombardment of the area. According to Al Jazeera, Israel may soon launch a ground invasion, which could severely hamper humanitarian aid efforts, once-again displace Gazans, and, of course, empower the IDF to kill even more civilians. Ceasefire now, ceasefire yesterday, ceasefire fucking months ago. 

Speaking of killing with impunity: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced yesterday that Officer Kevin Dave will not face criminal consequences for hitting and killing 23-year-old pedestrian Jaahnavi Kandula while speeding in his cruiser while only chirping his sirens. KCPAO said they could not prove that Dave “consciously” drove with “reckless disregard for the safety of others” to meet the standard for a vehicular homicide charge. To me, driving at least 40 mph above the speed limit to a low-priority call seems to disregard the safety of others, but, as I tweeted yesterday, it feels like to prove intent cops have to publicly announce that they are driving with the intent to kill and then the prosecutors have to retroactively prove the cop didn’t have his fingers crossed when he said it. Now, the Office of Police Accountability will have to complete its investigation to see if Dave violated any department policies or committed a fireable offense when he hit Kandula. I won’t hold my breath.

Speaking of KCPO, here’s Ashley with some important news for demonstrators:

Update on criminal investigations into I-5 protesters: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) has returned to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) five cases related to the shutdown of I-5 earlier this year back. The KCPAO says it needs more information on the cases. WSP failed to attach some of the evidence they relied on for the charges, including videos, photos, social media posts, and news stories. Prosecutors have not said whether they plan to file charges, but they do want all that information before they make a decision. No update on the seven other people WSP has built cases against.

Back to me! 

Snip, snip: The City of Seattle will take back about 10% of the $109 million in funding it allocated to the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. The Authority has struggled to perform its basic functions since its inception in 2021. Sources have expressed concern to The Stranger in the past that the City would pull out. For now, it’s a couple million for outreach and homelessness prevention contracts, but we’ll see if the City continues to distance itself from the regional approach in the upcoming budget negotiations. 

You do not have to hand it to him: I’m sorry, but I really hate when people even gesture at giving Mayor Bruce Harrell credit for a potential relaunch of the Seattle Super Sonics. I remember going to his election night party in 2021 and the bartender told me they voted for him because he promised to bring back the Sonics, but it’s like really not up to him lol.

New campaign just dropped: After long-time Sen. Sam Hunt (D-Olympia) announced his retirement, housing champion Rep. Jessica Bateman swooped in and said she will run to replace him in the Senate. Washington State needs so desperately to cull the old, conservative Democrats in the Senate and replace them with progressives like Bateman so that the Democrats can actually govern and wield power. Then we elect new progressive blood to the House. Circle of life. Love to see it. 

Trans rights, baby: Stranger reporter Vivian McCall wrote a roundup of the five anti-trans bills Washington State Republicans tried and failed to pass this session. With anti-trans legislation gaining in traction across the country, it’s important, even in a State with a Democrat majority, to keep an eye on any transphobic fuckery in the Legislature. 

Update on CEO tantrum: Remember when I wrote about the gig economies retaliating against basic worker protections with a new fee on customers? Council President Sara Nelson, who’s committee oversees labor issues, finally said something in Tuesday’s council meeting when workers came to echo the corporation’s argument that a minimum wage is ruining business. She said that she and her council colleagues have received their message, but they “don’t know the path forward yet.” I am once again asking Nelson to call me. 

Check it out: Day In Day Out unveiled its lineup for its July 12-14 festival. Personally, I’m not crazy about any of the acts—I liked Carly Rae Jepsen’s latest album a healthy amount, and I can think of one Suki Waterhouse song I really love—but if you feel more strongly, you can buy tickets at the end of the week. Pre-sale starts today for Zootunes if Car Seat Head Rest, The Japanese House, or The Roots tickle ya.

James Biden: In the latest episode of the Republicans’ impeachment probe, President Joe Biden’s brother, James Biden, testified Wednesday to the the House Oversight and Judiciary committees in a closed-door, transcribed interview. Biden stood up for his bro, denying that the president did any shady dealings to help his business transactions. In his opening statement, he said, “In every business venture in which I have been involved, I have relied on my own talent, judgment, skill, and personal relationships—and never my status as Joe Biden’s brother. Those who have said or thought otherwise were either mistaken, ill-informed, or flat-out lying.” 

For your ears: Every ten TikTok videos I watch uses the first few lines from Chris Colfer’s performance of “Rose’s Turn” in the first season of Glee, one of the best TV shows ever aired. Enjoy.

Hannah Krieg is a staff writer at The Stranger covering everything that goes down at Seattle City Hall. Importantly, she is a Libra. She is also The Stranger's resident Gen Z writer, with an affinity for...

13 replies on “Slog AM: Israel Bombs Rafah, Day In Day Out Lineup Drops, and Seattle Defunds Millions from Homelessness Authority”

  3. I don’t know that anyone will necessarily deserve any “credit” for it, but the Sonics return is inevitable. The NBA absolutely wants to be there, and the biggest obstacle to hosting a team, a fancy new arena to play in, is already in place. There’s no teams currently looking to relocate though and so we’re now just waiting on the league to expand, which they’ve already announced an intention to do. I guess whoever’s mayor at the time of the announcement will be able to claim victory, though it’s not really gonna require much effort on their part to achieve.

  4. @2 I think the complaint is more that while driving in a Priority 1 call manner (high speed, running red lights, not yielding to pedestrians, etc.), he didn’t have his siren on to alert everyone in the area that he was driving in a Priority 1 manner.

  5. Yes, Hamas should agree to a ceasefire now, yesterday, fucking months ago. A good proposal has been on the table for weeks. Why don’t they take it?

    @7: we’ve been without the NBA for so long now I’m back to where I started growing up in an NBA-less town: I don’t give a fuck about the NBA.

  6. @10 FFS. Do you even read what I wrote before going into full-on ‘splaining mode? Yes, respond to Priority 1 calls in a timely manner. Yes, turn on lights and siren when you do it so that everyone in the vicinity knows that the cop isn’t stopping for them. That even addresses the distraction issue you raised at the beginning. Problem solved and nobody needs to get killed or fired.

  7. Not much of a pro-sports fan – certainly not in comparison to some – but even stupid ol’ me knows how important the Sonics were to Seattle. Question is: Have we learned our lesson? Will we believe the next forked-tongue Oklahoma Republican who tells us, “Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure. I’m definitely keeping the Sonics in Sealle,” all the while packing their fucking bags. I’m still kind of furious at the whole industry over that.

    I realize life must go on, but we must learn out lesson, no? BTW, Los Angeles, you may remember, went through a football drought for nearly a decade when the Rams went to St. Louis(?). Now, we have two teams. I guess you can call it two teams. The Rams came back after the city promised them a brand new zillion dollar stadium where on one level you can watch the game in a heated, glass-enclosed Jacuzzi. And of course, once the Rams got their stadium – which is shared with the Chargers, they started losing, losing, losing. Does that sound vaguely familiar?

  8. @13: i’m surprised (ok, not surprised) so many are unaware the conditions in Hamas’ counterproposal, even though the no-withdrawal deal the US/Egypt/Qatar have set up would likely lead to a permanent ceasefire, if all the stages of hostage/prisoner exchanges are completed.

  9. @15 Which is exactly why high speeds are limited to Priority 1 calls. And also why there’s SPD policy that officers turn on sirens when doing high speed maneuvers. To, you know, minimize the risk to other people on the road. You’re doing a Matrix-level duck and weave to avoid acknowledging the real issue–the officer didn’t turn on his siren.

    SFD can do this. They manage not to mow down pedestrians. Are they just a lot smarter than SPD?

  10. @18 Naw, I’m just playing to the sometimes-friendly rivalry between cops and firefighters. But my general point stands. If SFD can manage to drive trucks and aid cars at high speed around Seattle without hitting anyone, why can’t SPD? And just maybe there’s a clue in the fact that SFD virtually always turns on the siren when they’re responding at speed and SPD doesn’t.

  12. I’m surprised the Stranger hasn’t made an endorsement in the presidential primary (or really even mentioned it). Ballots have gone out and I received mine today.

    Biden’s two listed challengers are not serious about it. But there is an option to vote for an uncommitted slate of delegates — and thereby tell the Democrats you want an open convention (unlikely, yes, but not unimaginable). That’s how I’m voting, anyway.

  13. BBC’s Panorama did a piece this week on Hamas’s funding. Those tunnels? Build with London Underground tube technology requiring workers who knew what they were doing, experienced designers, plumbers, civil engineers and other professions one wouldn’t assume were widelly available inside Gaza (I mean, for heaven’s sake, when they had to evacuate their communities, they had to do so on foot or in donkey carts.) Billons poured in from some of the Arab states, Iran. but I did not know that Hamas charged a 30% sales tax on everything sold in Gaza and were ruthless in collecting it.

    Recommeded viewing, if you can get it.

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