Can He Do That? Bruce Harrell spoke at a fundraiser for the Political Action Committee supporting his campaign, according to an email invitation obtained by The Stranger. The state’s election authority told us it’s “unusual” and introduces questions about campaign financing. Like if he’s doing it legally. The law is complex, so at this point, it’s unclear if Harrell violated campaign finance law. His campaign didn’t clear it up for us.
Good Guy Harrell: Mothers who lost their sons to gun violence told Publicola that Mayor Harrell ignored their pleas for help during his years in office, and only reached out to some during his reelection campaign.
These mothers included Nicky Chappell, mother of D’Vonne Pickett. Pickett owned The Postman mailing and shipping store in the Central District. He was shot and killed outside his store three years ago. Thousands attended Pickett’s memorial at Climate Pledge Arena. Harrell spoke, saying that what happened to Pickett happened “time and time again” when he was a little boy in the Central District. “We have to do everything humanly possible to save our own community, because no one’s going to do it for us,” he said. “We have to hold up the family. You don’t say, ‘What can I do? Do it.’” Apparently, “no one” included Harrell. Chappell said the Mayor didn’t speak to or acknowledge her at the memorial, and hasn’t reached out in the years since.
“Don’t Come Half-Assed”: Publicola also spoke to Black business owners and advocates who’ve met with Wilson and support her because they think she’ll make a place for them at the table. “Some wouldn’t go on the record, citing a fear of retribution if Harrell gets reelected,” Publicola wrote. “Others talked at length about their disappointment with a mayor they thought would stand up for their communities.”
The Weather: Charles can finally rest easy. The clouds have arrived, and they’re multiplying. Tomorrow, there’s a 50 percent chance of rain. Saturday, a late morning rain is likely. Sunday, expect early morning rain and showers after 11 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday? Rain, rain, rain (probably.)
Sorry, M’s: The Blue Jays wiped the floor with you last night. Don’t let a 13-4 loss in game 3 get you down. I have only one thing to say…
Shooting: A 20-year-old man was shot and killed in Northgate around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Police found him in a hotel parking lot near the 2100 block of Northgate Way. He’d been shot in the chest and died at the scene. There are no suspects in custody, police said.
ICE Wrongfully Detained Seattle Man: This July, Alan Phetsadakone sat down for a routine meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, like he’d done in the decades since his felony conviction for bank fraud. At the time, he’d been issued a deportation order to Laos, which he left as a child refugee. Laos wasn’t accepting deportees, so Phetsadakone was released on the condition of these regular check-ins. But on this visit, ICE detained him without warning and took him to the ICE detention center in Tacoma. A judge later ruled his detention was unlawful. As KUOW reports, Phetsadakone is not alone.
Kindergarten (Through 12) Cops: Last week, the Seattle School Board voted against a one-year pilot program to put a cop at Garfield High School. The Urbanist has the details on how it played out.
It’s Time for the Pretend Earthquake: It’s Great ShakeOut Day and earthquake drills commence at 10:16 a.m. Here’s a few tips to avoid death (drop, cover and hold on), and how to make sure the ShakeAlert Early Warning System will reach you.
Tenth Time’s the Charm: Sixteen days into this government shutdown, the Senate will vote on the House GOP’s short-term government spending bill a 10th time. It’s expected to fail.
One Way This Shutdown Affects You and Your Neighbors: As the South Seattle Emerald reports, 6,000 low-income, food-insecure people on the South End who are pregnant, postpartum, or have children under five could lose access to the infant formula, healthy food, and other assistance they get through the Women, Children, and Infants program. On October 1, officials announced it had one or two weeks of funding left.
Nauseating: A 9-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl in Ohio have been charged with allegedly assaulting, strangling, raping, and then attempting to murder a 5-year-old girl in a Cleveland field last month. All we know: The victim’s mother posted about the crime on Facebook and said her daughter’s hair had been pulled from her scalp. The Cleveland police acknowledged the post and that they were investigating a case with multiple children under the age of 10. It has declined to comment further. The prosecutor’s office in Cuyahoga County filed the charges in juvenile court yesterday. The two children have not been arraigned yet. Because the suspects are under 14, the case will not be transferred to adult court.
I Don’t Have to Show You Any Stinking Badges: Pentagon reporters who cover the US Military turned in their access badges and left the building yesterday rather than agree to Pete Hegseth’s aggressive rules for what they could write and where they could go without escort. The administration calls the attack on the “very disruptive” free press “common sense.” This is not the end of reporting on the military. This administration leaks like a fucking sieve. They’d have to ban telephones, computers, and the Signal app these clowns love communicating military secrets on to actually put a five-cornered lid on “unapproved” information.
Speaking of Leaks: US officials told the New York Times that the Trump administration has secretly given the CIA permission to conduct covert action in Venezuela, including lethal operations. They aren’t so covert now. I just read about them in the fucking New York Times.
Welcome Back, Regime Change: For weeks, Trump has been blowing up boats off the coast of Venezuela, killing 27 people he claims are drug traffickers. The administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of running a cartel he is not running. Publicly, Trump says he authorized covert action because Venezuela had “emptied their prisons into the United States of America.” Privately, officials say the end goal is to remove President Maduro from power.
Get Fucked, National Guard: A US District Judge in Oregon extended her restraining order blocking National Guard troops from deploying to Oregon. Her temporary restraining order was set to expire this Saturday. It’s been extended another five weeks. Our sister publication, The Portland Mercury, has more.
Speaking of That Fair City: House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose last name is slang for penis, said last weekend’s “emergency” naked bike ride to protest ICE was “the most threatening thing I’ve seen … I mean, it’s getting really ugly.” As he said this, the elected officials standing behind him laughed. He did not laugh. Four people were arrested the day of the ride. It’s unclear if any of them were naked bike riders.
ICYMI: Here’s Politico’s story about a leaked 2,900 page chat where Young Republican leaders said that they loved Hitler, wanted to put their political opponents in gas chambers and rape their enemies, and “lauded” Republicans they believed to be pro-slavery. Some of them work for elected Republicans. One of the men in the chat, Samuel Douglass, is a Vermont state senator.
Chat, Are We Cooked? The Kansas GOP said the Kansas Young Republicans are now inactive. In the chat, its leaders Alex Dwyer and William Hendrix used anti-Black and anti-gay slurs and laughed “at comments that implied they were pro-Nazi,” according to NPR affiliate KCUR. Hendrix also referenced “1488,” white supremacist shorthand for the 14 words ( “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”) and Heil Hitler (h is the eighth letter of the alphabet.)
OK, I’ve made my donation to OPERATION INFLATION:
https://www.operationinflation.com/
Enough for four inflatable costumes.
Hopefully people around the country are so inspired by the peaceable pranksters in Portland that we’ll see waves of whimsical inflatable creatures at Saturday’s No Kings protests, or as House Speaker Mike Johnson would call them, the “Hate America” rallies. Yup, according to Magic Mike, if you oppose dictatorship, you hate America–and all it stands for. L’État, c’est moi.
“five-cornered lid”? Huh? Plz explain.
The only thing threatening about a bare schlong waving in the Portland breeze is the way it makes Mike Johnson feel inside.
Why are liberals so intolerant of the very ugly but free speech of these young Republicans? What happened to the conviction that “don’t agree with what you say but I’ll defend your right to say it”?
@3, That’s a dumb a question. A better one is why are you defending the free speech rights of these bigots but not the kansas gop’s, who i assume don’t self-identify as liberals? Do you think they are constitutionally obligated to tolerate their bullshit?
@4, I dunno, instead of framing everything from the standpoint of liberals vs. conservatives, how about viewing these things in terms of Americans and adults, which hopefully all of us are. In that spirit, what consequences, if any, do YOU think those Young Republicans should face?
me @5 is for @4 if that’s not obvious
@5: That’s a dumb answer. It’s either free speech or it isn’t.
@6: If the they loose their jobs, that’s the employer’s prerogative.
Coolidge dollar @8, suppose you were the employer. What would you do?
And do you feel this is a situation worthy of the public pressuring that employer to impose consequences on those employees?
@4 didn’t you get the memo? They dropped the “what about free speech, tolerant left?” act once they got the power to start arresting people who do speech they don’t like under some flimsy pretense like immigration enforcement or flimsier label like “terrorist”. Tolerance of intolerance is simply intolerance by proxy.
@8, the kansas GOP has a right to free speech too, genius. So do their employers, schools, or anywhere these losers are taking up space at the moment, though likely not much longer.
@9: I’d fire them. There’s nothing wrong with public pressure as long as it’s done respectfully, but can you imagine the public pressure if all Slog commenters were doxed?
@12 to be clear, you think it’s within your free speech rights as their employer to fire them but it’s not ok for the kansas gop to cut them loose for the exact same reason?
@4 are the Young Republicans being arrested? How do you imagine the government is infringing their constitutional right (as opposed to other citizens judging them)? Or do you continue not to understand what the First Amendment prohibits?
@12 I dunno. I don’t feel like I would suffer any particular consequences. On account of posting things that I believe and not worrying what my employer might do. But then, I don’t defend neo-Nazis so there’s that.
Do you think you’d face consequences if your employer found out what you post on Slog?
@13: No, an organization has that same right to fire them as the employer, as does a platform cutting off someone who violates a terms of use.
It’s not about consequences, it’s about the annoying faux outrage considering nobody has the copyright on vile, awful, disgusting, yet free speech commentary.
If we tolerate the burning of the American flag in the public square as free speech, so should we tolerate a “I love Hitler” message in a social media chat.
@16 what the fuck are you talking about. People are free to tolerate or not tolerate any form of speech — that’s what free speech means — and it’s very revealing whose free speech you are more concerned with and whose you think are crossing a line or is outright disrespectful.
Whether people of other political identities besides horrible people — oops i mean republicans — also say hateful things is immaterial because we’re talking about a specific case. We can criticize centrists, liberals and progressives when they are caught saying awful things but that’s not relevant now.
@15: Not in the slightest. But I’d have to keep an eye out for inevitable harassment from the predicable hard-left militants sow’s with their hair on fire.
Also, I think you’re misunderstanding what free speech is. Free speech means that you can’t be prosecuted by the government for saying stuff (some restrictions apply). Nobody else has to like or respect your speech, you can get fired for it, people can ask that you get fired for it, you can lose friends over it, you can get kicked off of social media platforms or out of organizations for it, etc. You just can’t be arrested.
@12: “@9: I’d fire them. There’s nothing wrong with public pressure as long as it’s done respectfully,”
Agreed. There’s a fundamental difference between First Amendment freedom of speech and avoiding consequences when your speech embarrasses your employer.
Ouch about the Mariners’ 13-4 loss to the Blue Jays. On to Game Four.
Go, Mariners!
GOP Dickwad Mike needs his Johnson snipped STAT.
Wash, rinse, and repeat until the entire batshit MAGA population is completely sterile.
RepubliKKKans are horrible misogynist, racist, and fascist sheeple.
Free speech spill in aisle 21.
‘The state’s election authority told us it’s “unusual”…’
Well, one member of the state’s Public Disclosure Commission said that. (Did she also tell you that post does not agree with its own headline? Because, you know, it doesn’t.)
“The law is complex, so at this point, it’s unclear if Harrell violated campaign finance law.”
So the Stranger will continue to investiga–
“His campaign didn’t clear it up for us.”
Or not.
(Between the three writers credited on that post, and the fourth one mentioning it here, it appears the Stranger just didn’t devote enough resources to the task of finding out whether that post’s headline was accurate or not, let alone to whether the Harrell campaign actually did anything wrong.)
“Get Fucked, National Guard”
I don’t support the Trump administration’s decision to use the National Guard as political pawns, but why such animosity? These are volunteers who, among other things, help our otherwise under-staffed state fight wildfires, fill sandbags when there is flooding, and fly search-and-rescue missions to aid injured hikers and climbers.
“the most threatening thing I’ve seen … I mean, it’s getting really ugly.”
No one mention the solstice parade to speaker Johnson – the trauma of a yearly naked bicycle ride would haunt him for the rest of his days.
@23 so you agree that if he or his campaign coordinated with the PAC that would be a problem, you’re just not convinced that he actually showed up as scheduled? Is that right?
Racism, sexism, etc. aside, my favorite part of the young Republicans’ chatty own-goal was when they revealed the ugly conflict between their Popular Front for Judea, and their Judean People’s Front:
“Wax, a staffer in Trump’s State Department, formerly led the New York Young Republican Club — a separate, city-based group that is at odds with the state organization, the New York State Young Republicans.”
Splitter!
“He declined to comment.”
Worse yet, he provided no popcorn.
@22: …said an easily mopped up, hydroxychloroquine snorting MAGA tool.
@26: Please read my comments over there again. The post completely fails to support its headline in multiple ways, not just the one way you mentioned:
‘Both assertions the Stranger made in the headline completely lack support in the article. The article provides no evidence Harrell spoke at the event, and if he did speak at the event, the article provides no evidence the event was a “fundraiser,” even though the Stranger repeatedly claimed it was.’
(https://www.thestranger.com/news/2025/10/15/80284220/bruce-harrell-spoke-at-a-fundraiser-for-the-pac-supporting-him/comments/5)
(Also in that thread @7, you directly responded to my above-quoted comment @5. Did you not actually read it, or did you read it and not understand it, despite your claim to have done both?)
“…if he or his campaign coordinated with the PAC that would be a problem,”
I have it on the authority of not just one, not just two or three, but four paid writers here at the Stranger that the law is simultaneously both “complicated and nuanced,” and yet completely unworthy of the time or effort required to understand it. I defer to the Stranger’s judgement on the Stranger’s own story. 😉
@8: And you’re a consistently dumb commenter, Calvin dear. Next time, try SpellCheck before you spill any further nonsensical word salad.
@30: ok
@23/30 The Stranger doesn’t care about validity here. This is mud flinging season so they are going to print stuff and hope some of it sticks. Also in today’s SLOG Bruce ignores grieving mothers and threatens black business owners into silence. I bet you didn’t know this but I also heard he uses a GAS powered leaf blower!
@26 If he violated election laws he should face the consequences but at best that is going to be a fine.
@29 if he did what he’s accused of would you agree that’s a problem? D13 answered the question (credit to D13) can you?
OK, looks like David Horsey of The Seattle Times is thinking what I’m thinking @1 above but really @2 yesterday: “I mean, what kind of monster doesn’t love Pikachu?! OK, Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth, J.D. Vance, Trump himself, Kristi Noem,… I guess I could go on.”
https://www.thestranger.com/slog-am/2025/10/15/80282844/slog-am-bruce-harrells-backers-will-run-attack-ads-during-mariner-games-portland-federal-agents-arrest-clarinetist-in-banana-suit-another/comments/2
Latest Horsey cartoon, “Stay weird, Portland, and fight the good fight”
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/stay-weird-portland-and-fight-the-good-fight/
My one pet peeve. I just don’t understand why a gifted caricaturist like Horsey just can’t seem to get his depiction of Trump right.
@34,
Agreed that Trump depiction is kinda lacking. Made up for by his Stephen Miller though, which is brutal and fantastic (if anyone wants to check it out sans ST paywall, just do a google image search for “david horsey cartoon stay weird portland” and click the first link which shows the cartoon. It’s pretty good.)
@34: “I just don’t understand why a gifted caricaturist like Horsey just can’t seem to get his depiction of Trump right.”
Donald Trump is famously challenging to caricature. It’s like Mussolini, the buffoonery is deliberate and only makes him harder to fight. 😃 What, are you gonna make fun of his dance moves? They put his dance moves in Madden! 😄
Coolid in a nutshell:
“Those Republicans said some shamefully racist and vile things, but by golly did they exercise their freedom of speech, the patriots!”
@33: You didn’t ask me that question, but yes, IF he did ALL of what the Stranger’s headline (not the actual post) accuses him of doing, then I would agree that is a problem. (Credit to D13 for noting both the suspect nature of the accusations, and also if ALL of the accusations were ever to be proven correct, the penalty would be a fine.)
Now, do you agree the Stranger’s post, by not supporting the headline’s accusations, presents rather a large problem for the credibility of those accusations?
@37: Just like their pro-Palestinian intifada lovin’ counterparts.
Mike Johnson,
seen here picturing
The Boss, naked: “the
most threatening thing I’ve
seen … I mean, it’s getting really ugly.
As he said this,
the elected officials
standing behind him
laughed. He did not laugh.”
well
Cadet Bonespurs’
‘Little’ Johnson Knows
those Fools’re headed for
either the Gulag or the morgue:
it’s Unwise to
cross The
Boss:
Welcome to trumpftopia!
for a Day or for a
Lifetime
there may be
damn little
difference.
@35 – yall still don’t understand how archive.is works haha