UW Stabbing Suspect in Court: The 31-year-old Bellevue man suspected of killing a 19-year-old trans woman in an off-campus University of Washington student housing complex appeared in court Thursday. The judge ” found probable cause to hold him for investigation of premeditated first-degree murder,” the Seattle Times reports, due to “the horrific nature and brutal execution of this attack.” The victim was stabbed 40 times. The judge set bail at $10 million. A charging decision is expected Monday.
Victim Identified: The King County medical examiner identified the woman killed in Sunday’s stabbing as 19-year-old Juniper Blessing. She majored in atmospheric science and was a member of the UW Chorale. Her family described Blessing as having a gifted voice.
Growler Guys Murder Suspect Charged: King County prosecutors charged a 20-year-old man with the murder of 25-year-old Growler Guys employee Quusaa “Q” Margarsa. Police believe the suspect, the victim, and an unnamed woman hung out together at a hookah lounge the night before the shooting. Margarsa invited them back to the restaurant in the early morning where interactions seemed friendly, but an hour later, security footage showed a verbal argument. The suspect allegedly shot Margarsa in the back while he was unlocking a door to the parking lot.
Sign, Sealed, Delivered: A Covington man is reaping what he allegedly sowed. When on vacation in Maui this month, he was caught on video throwing a coconut-sized rock at a beloved monk seal named Lani. When bystanders confronted him, he allegedly said he was rich enough to pay any fine. Well, he better be rich. Monk seals are endangered and any attempt to harm them comes with a $50,000 fine and one year in prison. The man must return to federal court in the state of Hawaii to face federal charges for his bad seal behavior, a Seattle judge ordered.
The Weather: Cloudy, breezy, a bit of rain.
Kreuzering for a Bruisering: Following reports of tension between the mayor’s office staff and city council, Mayor Katie Wilson removed Kate Brunette Kreuzer as chief of staff, reports PubliCola. Sources say Kreuzer’s style “rubbed people the wrong way.” She was overheard at a work-event at a bar calling herself a “dictator” (management pro-tip: don’t do this). Kreuzer will stay on in a “special projects” role. Esther Handy, the former head of City Council Central Staff, will take over as chief of staff.
Safety Improvements on LWB: Last summer, ex-Mayor Bruce Harrell quietly killed the plan to improve safety on the windy and crash-prone Lake Washington Boulevard with speed cushions and an intersection redesign. Under Mayor Wilson, those safety improvements are finally underway.
“VIP Snorkel”: Last year, FBI Director Kash Patel stopped in Hawaii for two days on his way back from official visits to Australia and New Zealand. For crime fighting, right? The FBI says Patel, who was using the FBI’s plane, was not vacationing. He was visiting the field office! But all work and no play makes Kash a dull boy: Emails obtained by the Associated Press show Patel went on a “VIP snorkel” excursion to the Pearl Harbor memorial of the sunken USS Arizona. His splishing and splashing is abnormal. According to the AP, while past FBI directors have visited Pearl Harbor “none going back to at least 1993 has gone snorkeling at the memorial.” JD Edgar Hoover would’ve loved it, though.
Trump Says Xi Has “Become Really a Friend”: Aw. President Donald Trump wrapped up his visit with leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, China claiming they made “fantastic” deals. Neither side announced any clear resolutions, though Trump said they talked about Taiwan and the $14 billion American arms deal with Taiwan that the Trump administration has stalled for fear of upsetting China. “I think the last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away,” Trump said, saying he’d be “making decisions” about the deal. We prefer our wars 7,200 miles away.
Mifepristone by Mail Survives: The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the abortion pill, mifepristone, could still be prescribed via telehealth and sent in the mail. This emergency ruling will block the conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to restrict mifepristone access nationwide. That block will last for about two months as litigation continues in lower courts.
Iowa Aquarium Responsible for State’s First Shark Attack: The BlueZoo Des Moines is closing less than two years after it opened. Part of the closure has to do with the bad reputation the BlueZoo earned when an 18-inch bamboo shark bit an employee and wouldn’t let go, so they euthanized the fish to release its bite. That 2024 incident logged the first shark attack in landlocked Iowa’s history.
A Hantavirus Update: The World Health Organization announced “reports of 10 hantavirus cases, eight of which have been laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus infection and two that are probable.” More cases could be confirmed in the coming weeks due to the virus’ six-week incubation period. This is not a sign that the outbreak is expanding, the WHO said.
Border Patrol Chief Steps Down: Border Patrol’s Mike Banks, who was in charge of the “most aggressive militarization of the US southern border in recent history,” announced his resignation Thursday. “It’s just time,” he told Fox News, failing to mention the Washington Examiner report that exposed his extracurricular activities a few weeks ago. Six current and former Border Patrol employees said that for over a decade, Banks regularly paid for sex during trips to Colombia and Thailand and bragged about it to colleagues.
In Case You Forgot: The World Cup is coming to Seattle in less than a month. Here’s Shakira and Burna Boy with a new World Cup song. Look, it’s no “Waka Waka,” but, like Shakira, it’s got legs.
