Good morning! It’s the hottest day of the week already. Highs in the mid-80s without a cloud in the sky. So consider this your monthly reminder that street end parks are open to the public. Go find one.
Until then, let’s do the news.
Here’s What’s Getting More Expensive Tomorrow: Heads up, drivers. Both the gas tax and the toll rate on the State Route 99 tunnel are going up tomorrow. Toll rates are increasing five and ten cents for off-peak morning and peak evening hours, respectively, and the gas tax is going up six cents per gallon.
Remember the Tree Protestors? Back in May, environmentalists moved into a big ol’ fir tree to block an old forest near Port Angeles from being logged. Well, ICYMI (like we did), the protestors were forced out of the tree on the 40th night of their protest when two people began to dismantle parts of the protestors’ platform. “One activist present said the driver of the Jeep screamed death threats at him, including vowing to gut him like an animal. He and another activist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid legal consequences, said they did not know who the people were in the Jeep.”
Seattle 1, NIMBYs 0: Starting today, a new state law allows developers to build up to four homes on city lots that are zoned for single family housing. The Seattle Times reported that generally, new construction is lagging, so we’re not likely to see a huge boom in new housing immediately, but we’ll take the W.
Shooting in Idaho: A gunman set a brush fire to lure first responders to Canfield Mountain in Northern Idaho, and then shot at them when they arrived at the scene. Two firefighters were killed and one was seriously injured. The standoff lasted several hours, until authorities were able to use cellphone signals to track the shooter. He was dead when they found him.
BBB Marathon: After fighting about it all weekend, the Senate is set to vote on Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill today. There are a huge slate of amendments to consider, so it’s expected to be a long one, and it’s definitely not guaranteed to make it through. Republicans only need a simple majority, but that still means they can only afford to lose three votes. Two GOP senators have already said they won’t vote for it (including Senator Thom Tillis, who said he wouldn’t run for reelection after he announced his opposition to the bill, because that’s the sign of a healthy democracy). In case you’ve forgotten amongst all the other chaos, this bill sucks. It extends $4 trillion in tax cuts, and to pay for them, includes almost $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, defunds federal nutrition programs, and restricts trans healthcare. It’s such trash even Republicans hate it.
When ordinary Republicans understand how Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” would affect the after-tax incomes of American families, it turns out they don’t find it beautiful at all.
“I was really shocked.”
— Mother Jones (@motherjones.com) June 29, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Housing Not Handcuffs: In legislative news that doesn’t make you want to scratch your eyes out, Representative Pramila Jayapal introduced a bill that would make it illegal for federal agencies to remove homeless people from federal land if they don’t have another place to go. She introduced the bill just before the anniversary of Grants Pass v. Johnson, the Supreme Court decision that said it was constitutional to criminalize camping—which some South King County cities have really run with. Immediately after the decision, Auburn eliminated the need to offer people overnight shelter before charging them with a misdemeanor for sleeping on public land. And Burien enacted an outright ban on living outside.
Tariff Threats, Again: Trump’s back on his geopolitical nonsense. Apparently our negotiator-in-chief is sick and tired of negotiating trade deals, and he told Fox News yesterday that he’d prefer to just send every country a letter. “We made deals, but I’d rather just send them a letter, a very fair letter, saying ‘congratulations, we’re going to allow you to trade in the United States of America, you’re going to pay a 25 percent tariff, or 20 percent, or 40 or 50,'” Trump said, like someone who totally understands how trade deals work. He’s made the same threat twice before and never followed through. Let’s see if he does this time!
Gallup Figures Out What We Already Knew: A new Gallup poll found that Democrats aren’t proud to be American. Unsurprisingly, 92 percent of Republicans are “very” or “extremely” proud to be from the US, but Democrats come in at a cool 36 percent. No one asked that 36 percent what they found to be proud of.
The Fuck? Police are investigating performances by Bob Vylan and Kneecap from this weekend’s Glastonbury festival. They must’ve done something super fucked up, right? Like, sacrificed a sheep or kicked a baby or something? Bob Vylan allegedly criticized the Israel Defense Forces by chanting “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces],” and Kneecap allegedly called Israel war criminals and led a “Free Palestine” chant. Glastonbury organizers have said they were “appalled.” Both groups have a history of political, and pro-Palestine commentary, so we’re not sure what they expected? Unclutch your pearls, Glastonbury.
It’s the Last Day of Pride Month: And we had 30 days of recommendations for Big Gay Shit to do all month. But today? Today is for a big, gay nap.
Let that bleeding heart bee out of your progressive bonnet Pramila Jayapal and listen to your constituents who live in the real world!
Nothing on the pride parades / events? I guess everything is fine? Odd that CHS has a better recap than the historical paper of record for the qmunity.
Seemed like a fantastic turnout – especially for events on the hill. Shout out to all those that made the Trans Pride event so, so awesome.
The Stranger continues to be such a wonderful study in contradiction
A few weeks ago we had this article about a relgious group who held a worship service in Cal Anderson https://www.thestranger.com/news/2025/05/26/80074724/the-city-let-anti-lgbtq-religious-zealots-take-over-cal-anderson. They were rightfully labeled extremists and the question was asked why their event was permitted
Today we have news about a festival in the UK where they crowd literally chanted death to a specific group of people and we are told they should unclutch their pearls.
Either you like free speech or you don’t. Make up your mind. I did see this morning the band apparently had their US Visas revoked so I guess they won’t be playing on Capitol Hill anytime soon.
One extremely foreseeable consequence of enacting strong Hate Speech laws like they have in the UK is that leading a crowd in a chant “Death to [fill in the blank]” becomes a prosecutable offense.
Bart: I feel so full of–
What’s the opposite of shame?
Marge: Pride?
Bart: No, not that far from shame.
Homer: Less shame?
Bart: Yeah.
No, the Senate does not need a win.
The Senate only needs a tie, which VP JD breaks, in favor of Orange Hitler.
“who said he wouldn’t run for reelection after he announced his opposition to the bill, because that’s the sign of a healthy democracy).”
Yes it is a sign of a healthy democracy. In a majoritarian system, the office holder does what a majority of voters in a primary, and a majority of voters in the general election want, or they get bounced out of office.
I agree with Tillis, and not the voters he thinks will “Liz Cheney” him; however, that is the voters right in his state, even if I think the voters are wrong.
Healthy outcomes are the sign of a healthy democracy, majorities prevailing is. That’s the very definition of democracy.
Meanwhile, when we face the existential crisis of working class voters being alienated by Progressives into the arms of Trump, so he wins the popular vote, Progressives are doubling down on the kind of legislation and messaging that alienated working class voters into giving us Trump in 2024.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/jayapal-introduces-bill-to-protect-homeless-people-on-federal-land/
How will that work out in 2028?
@6
My comment was too quickly written, since yes, they can afford to lose 3 votes. I expect 2 others (aside from Tillis) to vote against it to preserve their seats (hint -Collins and Murkowski) and Vance to break the tie.
GOP = evil, Dems= feckless, as usual
The parade was a colorful TQ+LGB event.
@9
Rand Paul will likely vote against it because he doesn’t think it is cruel enough.
Josh Hawley has recently discovered that many of his constituents depend on Medicaid and is likely to vote against it as well.
you asked us in your fundraising email two days ago if we loved queer coverage. i said yes, but y’all said “heh j/k back to the diaper rash stuff”. apparently Pride was bursting this year. it should’ve been on the front page, regardless of whether anyone would be surprised by it or not. fail.
@9: let’s say Dems had fecks. what would they do to stop a Reconciliation Bill?
“Representative Pramila Jayapal introduced a bill that would make it illegal for federal agencies to remove homeless people from federal land if they don’t have another place to go.”
To support Rep. Jayapal’s bill, how about the Stranger tell us the heartwarming stories of persons who camped in Seattle’s public parks and other public lands, used the time they didn’t pay rent to get back on their feet, and are now productive, housed members of society? That would certainly help her effort, wouldn’t it?
Here, I’ll start: Travis Berge and Lisa Vach no longer camp in Cal Anderson Park.
You take it from there, Stranger!
@3: “…the band apparently had their US Visas revoked so I guess they won’t be playing on Capitol Hill anytime soon.”
Sadly, kristofarian is no longer with us, to tell us how this was all secretly orchestrated by the nefarious conspiracy described in “The Protocols of the Elders of AIPAC.” 😉
@3 neither The Stranger nor anyone else argued in favor of the government prosecuting the bigots so nobody’s stance was inconsistent with their free speech rights. But do you think the government should leave Kneecap alone or are * you * anti-free speech?
@14 Maybe The Stranger can start with this case since it just happened yesterday: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/a-gunman-lured-idaho-firefighters-to-a-mountain-then-killed-2-and-injured-a-third-officials-say/
I suppose if we had Jayapal’s bill the homeless man living in his car who deliberately started a fire would not have not have been provoked by being ask to move his car. This whole thing is grandstanding by Jayapal as she knows it won’t go anywhere. Notice she didn’t submit this when the Dems controlled all 3 chambers. Also a reminder there is a local version of this that thankfully didn’t get passed last session but will assuredly be back in 2026.
https://mynorthwest.com/mynorthwest-politics/wa-bill-homeless/4044891#:~:text=A%20controversial%20bill%20that%20gives,in%20the%20House%20Appropriations%20Committee.
If Jayapal’s Progressive Caucus wants us to be rid of DJT’s successor in 2028, maybe this is what her caucus needs to embrace:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/can-the-abundance-movement-save-the-democrats/ar-AA1HFXII?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=9dab714c90c04183b4f5683b09b6ae93&ei=15
@15, They kinda did argue for their arrest through a two step process.
The group should have been denied a permit to protest in Cal Anderson Park.
Then the police could move in when they protested at Cal Anderson anyway.
Jamilla, Jamilla, Jamilla… Stop. Just stop. Puhleeeeze! This is Stern-Memos-to-Adolf shit. If you’re going to introduce performative bullshit bills at least make them scary. Can you do that? I mean, do you know how to do that? Do you even know what scares the shit out of these fascists? Bans on sales taxes and flat taxes, taxes on churches that engage in politics, separate rural and urban fuel taxes, gun buy backs at full retail, repeal of Citizen’s United, retention of federal taxes within the states that generate them, anti-trust break ups of agriculture and food processing giants, progressive property taxes beginning with zero on one residence (make real estate a shitty speculative investment!), loophole closing tax reform as in tighter definition of business revenue vs. profit, 1970s level top tier tax brackets, massive increase in green cards, ban on home schooling and charter schools outside school districts, Supreme Court reform, caps on administrative and non-academic spending by public universities… Oh, you can’t do that stuff? Jesus H Christ, Pramilla, you can’t pass this lame bullshit either! If you’re going to perform, PERFORM! This bullshit helps nobody. It’s divisive. It’s so fucking lame it makes lunatics seem like a reasonable alternative which is how we’ve ended up with these psychos to begin with. C’mon! Grow some hair on your ass!
Here you go Barth:
Woman goes through red light and kills another driver. Police couldn’t develop probable cause that the homicide was a crime in the initial investigation, so the perpetrator remains free while the Prosecutor reviews the police’s evidence in the case to see if the death is a crime.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/woman-killed-in-auburn-after-driver-blows-through-red-light-police-say/
@18 do you think the government should leave Kneecap and the other group alone or do you hate free speech?
It’s pretty remarkable that when regular people (not the government) tried to interrupt the bigots’ event many commentators here were up in arms about free speech rights, but now an actual government is bringing criminal charges against music groups for their speech it’s crickets. I guess you guys only believe in “free speech” if it’s anti-LGBTQ?
Pheebs, why do you hate the unhoused so much?
All I can hope for is for karma to show up for you one day.
@15 I never mentioned prosecution. The Stranger most definitely implied however that the group on cap hill should never have been granted a permit and that the mayhem that followed was entirely justified yet when another group literally chants death to the IDF we are told it’s pearl clutching to ask why that was allowed. Do you not think that is inconsistent?
Jayapal is such a fucking embarrassment. Bring back Mike Lowry or Jim McDermott.
@15, @21: Given that this is the very week we Americans will joyously celebrate our independence from the government in question, I think we can safely say that no American would support a criminal investigation over what we call First Amendment rights.
Since you can’t or won’t understand it, the issue is not any government, but the Stranger’s words. The Stranger did not support the right of the bigots to make their hateful statements in Cal Anderson Park, but now the Stranger defends the music groups in question making hateful statements in the UK. (And if the bigots in Cal Anderson Park did in fact chant “death to” anyone, the Stranger’s voluminous coverage of the event must’ve missed it.)
Putting an even finer point on it, the Stranger did not want Seattle to allow the bigots access to Cal Anderson Park to make their hateful statements, and now the federal government has denied the music groups in question their ability to make any hateful statements anywhere in the United States. Somehow the Stranger isn’t applauding the Trump Administration for this; any idea why?
@23 & 25 you two, almost certainly willfully, are ignoring the critical distinction between one group being criminally prosecuted and the other simply being counter protested. And The Stranger only argued the bigots should not have been granted a permit * in Cal Anderson. * Your arguments are transparently and pathetically bad faith.
@26, Which would lead to them getting arrested for using Cal Anderson, would it not?
Otherwise what is the practical result that The Stranger gets from a permit denial?
See also @20.
@26: “…ignoring the critical distinction between one group being criminally prosecuted and the other simply being counter protested.”
Try reading my very first sentence @25 again. Nobody here is supporting any prosecution by the UK of the music groups.
Again, the difference here belongs to the Stranger. Death chants in the UK are alright; bigots saying anything at all in Cal Anderson Park are not. Any idea why?
20 im flattered to know i live rent free in your head but what the fuck are you even talking about right now
@27 it would not.
@28 beyond the obvious difference in government response, which you persistently fail to understand answers your own question, “death to (an army that habitually commits war crimes)” is far from “appalling,” unlike claiming people “living an LGBTQ lifestyle” are demonic. What the bands said isn’t hate speech by any normal person’s definition. If the bands instead led a “death to the Iranian Republican Guard” chant you wouldn’t care at all. It’s not The Stranger who’s hypocritical on this issue it’s you.
Headline from the Associated Press (via the Seattle Times)
Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing 2, sheriff says
Why are Progressives like Jayapal so willfully blind as to who these homeless encampers really are?
@31 multiple outlets are reporting the kid had hoped to become a firefighter himself. When are centrists going to recognize that aspiring first responders are secret arsonist killers?
@32
It’s actually a well known phenomenon. Look up Terry Barton and the Hayman Fire for just one example.
It’s not common but it is prevalent enough for the FBI to have created a profile and for larger departments to watch for it.
Your point was?
@33 same as your point, if one member of a large community of people turns out to be dangerous society should take punitive measures against the entire community. It’s a great point, very intelligent.
@30: You can keep claiming all you like that someone here supports the UK’s investigation into the music groups’ behaviors, but nobody here does. That’s one of the reasons we have a United States and First Amendment. Meanwhile, you can keep ignoring the Stranger’s own complete disdain for the First Amendment rights of any and all Americans with whom they happen to disagree.
‘…”death to (an army that habitually commits war crimes)” is far from “appalling,”…’
Been reading those “From the River to the Sea” web sites again, have you? Like the Fox News you also cited as a valid source (ha, ha, ha), you’re going to have a lot of trouble getting anyone to take you seriously while you’re doing that. (I’m guessing your definition of “normal people” also came from those sources?)
Most of the members of the IDF are Jews. Luckily, to the very best of your knowledge of European history, nothing bad has ever resulted from chanting death to the Jews, eh?
@30: “‘…claiming people “living an LGBTQ lifestyle” are demonic.’
Yes, the bigots believe in the literal existence of actual demons. This is a clear sign they should have been completely ignored, yet neither the Stranger, nor the usual tediously rowdy ‘protestors,’ managed to figure this out on their own. Instead, each gave these delusional bigots as much attention as possible. Why?
@22: I don’t. The government must have the authority to preserve natural habitats and vegetation from the damages of excessive camping.
Not sure if the anti IDF chants would stop if the IDF stopped shooting Palestinians when they try to get food at the locations the IDF insist they go to for food, but it is certainly worth a try.
But tensora will explain to us that the 6 year olds being killed were hiding a terrorists or something.
Bring on the emojis!
@35 “most of the IDF are Jews” holy shit dude don’t pull a muscle reaching
@37: So, death chants are bad? You must not be one of the “normal people” whom 1312 finds on the Palestinian version of Fox News or wherever. 😉
@38: So, they’re not?