Anti-Trump Crowds: A third No Kings rally in Seattle saw tens of thousands of people march through downtown. There were about 3,100 demonstrations in cities and towns in every state, and about a dozen in the Pacific Northwest.
Train Crowds: The biggest hype over the weekend was the unveiling of the light rail’s long-awaited cross lake connection. It’s kind of a big deal. The thousands of people who came out to celebrate and waited in hours to ride the rails thought so, too. Nathalie got a sneak peek last week.
Moon Party: The Museum of Flight is hosting a free watch party on Wednesday for the launch of Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the moon since the end of the Apollo era in 1972. The ship’s trip around that rock should last about 10 days. For the astronauts’ sake, I hope the administration didn’t rush the plan.
New Ways to Leave the United States: After a pandemic hiatus, nonstop flights to Hong Kong have returned to Sea-Tac via airline Cathay Pacific. This Spring, Alaska Airlines will start nonstop service to Rome, London, and Reykjavík, Iceland. Look, national pride is low. Space is cool, but it’s hard to get excited about when everything is so fucked up at home.
Speaking of: ICE has taken a liking to ruining the fragile vibe at our airports and might just stick around even after TSA gets paid again. It depends on how many TSA agents come back to work, border Czar Tom Homan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” About 500 TSA agents have quit since the shutdown began, but with the possibility of a paycheck though a Trump order, security lines started to shrink.
Iran: Iran will face “severe consequences” if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed after the war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera. The strait will open one way or another, he said. I thought Trump said we didn’t need it?
One Way: Today, Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s energy resources and civilian infrastructure like desalination plants if a deal to end the war is not reached “shortly.” There’s no end in sight, writes the AP. Trump has said the US is making diplomatic gains, but Tehran denies negotiating with him directly.
So You’ve Been Poped: “God doesn’t accept the prayers of those who choose violence,” Pope Leo XIV said of the war during a 10-minute Palm Sunday homily. He reminded his audience Jesus was the King of Peace, not a justification for political power. Certainly no one would invoke him that way, would they? After all he’s been through? If JD Vance were a real Catholic, he’d be ashamed.
Fuck Those Kids! According to Waymo, its self-driving cars learn from their mistakes, just like real drivers. But in Austin, Texas, these clankers struggled to learn to stop for the school bus when it picked up children. An official with the Austin Independent School District alleged that in at least 19 cases, Waymos “illegally and dangerously” passed buses with flashing red lights and extended stop arms. Even after a December federal recall and a software update, Waymo’s illegal bus passing continued. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Wired has more on how the district tried to help solve this problem.
Relevant:
Weather: Areas of freezing fog before 10 a.m., before a chilly, sunny day with a high of 49 degrees. Tonight, the clouds roll in and stick around through most of Tuesday. Rain returns Wednesday and Thursday, but the sun will come back by the weekend.
