Give Us Back Our Library Funding: The feds cut funding for Washington State libraries in prisons, in rural areas and on tribal lands. According to The Seattle Times, an April 1 memo from the Institute of Museum and Library Services terminated a $3.9 million grant they count on. Washington State Librarian Sara Jones says it will be difficult to run a state library that’s “anything close to what people recognize.” Not to get all Reading Rainbow on you, but Chaka Khan said it best. Books can take us anywhere (perhaps twice as high). Taking books away from people, especially people in tough situations with limited access to knowledge and entertainment, is a burn-in-hell-for-free card.
Give the Workers Money Too: The Washington State Federation of State Employees union staged a sit-in outside Bob Ferguson’s office and then marched to the executive mansion Wednesday. They were protesting the Governor’s proposed budget, which plans to cut their pay (in the form of 24 unpaid furlough days) instead of honor the 5% general wage increases he promised. According to the Washington State Standard, Ferguson rejected the union’s idea for a wealth tax, saying it could attract court challenges. Don’t knock it ’til you try it, Bob.
Washington Schools Chief Chris Reykdal has said no to the US Department of Education’s order to halt diversity programs. In a statement, Reykdal said the order is an attack on states with civil rights laws that exceed (dwindling) federal standards. The Department is threatening the federal funding of states that don’t comply. Last year, Washington state received $1.4 billion from the feds for education, about 7 percent of the overall budget.
The Seattle Times reported yesterday that people are just sitting in jail in Seattle for weeks without an attorney, their constitutional right. Public defenders told the Times this has happened at least 15 times in the past year, but those are just the stories reported to department leadership. It probably happens even more than that, they say. The issue started coming up last year, and with no fix, it just kept coming up. Read more here.
During his confirmation hearing to head the National Counterterrorism Center, failed Washington congressional candidate Joe Kent wouldn’t answer Senate questions about the Signal chat that mistakenly added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg while discussing US war plans. Democrats on the panel didn’t dispute Kent’s qualifications for the job. Maybe they should have. Kent has limited intelligence experience and associates with white nationalists, Christian nationalists, and other far-right extremists. He even helped boost a far-right paramilitary group, 1st Amendment Praetorian, when it was just getting started, according to reporting from Mother Jones.
In the Market for a New E-bike? Enter the state’s e-bike rebate lottery. People 16 and over who make 80% of their county’s AMI or less (in King that’s $77,700 for singles, $88,800 for couples, and $99,900 for a three person household) can apply from now until April 23 for a chance to knock $1,200 off the bill (at participating shops). Those who make more than 80% AMI can apply to knock $300 off. The state will select 10,000 winners at random.
The economic news is hard to explain. It’s kind of like a monkey hitting itself in the face with a hammer. But it’s also like a clown rolling around in glass. So who’s to say what’s really going on. After taking a high dive into an empty swimming pool, global markets gave a bloody smile and (broken) thumbs up as they rebounded Wednesday in reaction to President Donald Trump delaying high tariffs on most countries for 90 days. But who knows if that will stick. He could just change his mind again. But don’t despair. At a National Republican Congressional Committee dinner Tuesday, Trump said that he “knows what the hell” he’s doing. Confidence totally restored, Chief. My bad. While the EU reconsiders what to do about our dumb asses, the trade war with China rages on. Trump’s 125% tariff on Chinese goods remains in place, as does China’s 84% tariff on US goods.
In January, Virginia National Guard pilot Jo Ellis learned she’d commandeered the helicopter that crashed into a passenger jet over Washington DC. Except no, she totally hadn’t. Posts blamed her and DEI (because she’s trans) for the disaster. Her employer sent a security detail to protect her from nutjobs. She started carrying a gun and posted a “proof of life” video on Facebook to try to dispel the rumors. It messed up her life. This week she sued Matt Wallace, the X influencer who promulgated the lie to his two million followers.
The US Postal service wants to raise the cost of first class stamps from 73 cents to 78 cents this summer. The agency says it needs this to stay financially stable. It might not mean much to those who don’t send a lot of mail, but this increase could hit businesses hard. But not as hard as privatizing the USPS, a stupid idea floated by President Donald Trump and President2 Elon Musk last month.
Trump Signs Order to “Make America’s Showers Great Again”: The order lifted energy department restrictions on water flow also known as Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s “war on water pressure” as we all surely know. I can’t make fun of him better than he can, so I’ll let him take it away: “I like to take a nice shower to take care of my beautiful hair,” he said. “I have to stand in the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. It comes out drip, drip, drip. It’s ridiculous.”
Kash Patel was removed as acting director of ATF because he didn’t show up to work for weeks. In Patel’s defense, he’s stretched thin. The poor guy was leading two federal law enforcement agencies: the ATF and FBI. You know it’s tough times when a man has to lead two federal agencies to feed his family (he is unmarried). Patel’s been replaced with Daniel Driscoll, the Army Secretary. The New York Times reports it’s “highly unusual” for military guys to lead civilian law enforcement agencies. But what exactly is unusual these days? Is Dan Bongino “usual”?
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons says the US needs to run deportations more like a business. “Like [Amazon] Prime, but with human beings,” Lyons said [evilly] at the 2025 Border Security Expo in Phoenix, Arizona. He was speaking to hundreds of representatives from tech and military companies vying to secure or expand federal contracts. “We need to buy more beds, we need more airplane fights and I know a lot of you are here for that reason … Let the badge and guns do the badge and gun stuff, everything else, let’s contract out.”
Girlboss Spacecraft: Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin is sending Katy Perry to space (for 11 minutes, so only kind of) on the first all-female spaceflight. NPR compiled a list of 20 musicians who deserve to go there first. But what if we went none at a time? I’m with Olivia Munn, who told Jenna Bush Hager (GWB’s daughter) on the Today Show: “What are they doing? Like why?”
The Weather: Expect a high of 67 and rain showers before 1 p.m. According to the National Weather Service, there’s a half chance showers stick with us through Sunday.
Some Music for You: Check out this video of the Reading Rainbow theme song. Due to a “bug” in YouTube’s system (“can’t revert,” the uploader says), LeVar Burton’s face has been blurred out, giving a very creepy vibe. It has 1.3 million views, more than any other version of this theme I could find. People are not talking about the blur in the comments. I find that creepy too.
“President Donald Trump and President2 Elon Musk…”
For short, known collectively as “fElon Husk.”
“Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin is sending Katy Perry to space (for 11 minutes, so only kind of)…”
Jealousy does not become you, dear.
If the Feds had $3.9 million for libraries that would be great. But the Feds are broke and libraries aren’t a necessity. We can’t be borrowing money from China and putting the next generation on the hook for it.
I feel so sorry for the State Employees who can never be fired, who get AAA class employment benefits and who are almost always earning more than the State median wage. NOT!
The E-bike giveaway is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of. We are on the cusp of the largest tax increase in State history and they are burning money on recreational equipment.
I have to admit, if we could deport illegals as efficiently as Amazon can ship packages, we would be able to Make America Great Again much sooner.
@2 You are a ‘moran’.
What other nyms have you been banned under here? I’m guessing five.
The Seattle Times reported yesterday that people are just sitting in jail in Seattle for weeks without an attorney.
Except Andre Karlow, the man who recently attacked a 2nd transgender women in Seattle. Vivian your first/last report failed to mention that Karlow, was directly bailed out of jail by the progressive ‘NW Community Bail Fund’. It seems that maybe some people cooling their heels for awhile in the clink isn’t so bad.
@3 – It’s not quite accurate to call me a Maasai warrior. But I don’t have any intellectual disabilities, so I guess you were referring to my warrior spirit when you called me a moran.
Certainly a proud progressive such as yourself would never use offensive, ableist slurs. You folks are above that.
@5 I’m not above it. You’re an idiot. People need libraries. If we could deport you as efficiently as Amazon can ship packages, we would be able to Make America Great Again much sooner.
@2, bikes are “recreational equipment”? No, cars are recreational, bikes are necessity! Cars require huge government subsidies for roads, parking, policing, crash response, injuries… if we didn’t have to put up with car-dependent cry-babies like @2 we would have more than enough money for libraries and a lot more. Your car sucks, sell it! Get a bus pass and a bike and never look back on your evil car-dependent ways.
“Wednesday in reaction to President Donald Trump delaying high tariffs on most countries for 90 days. “
and today people realized there was no meaningful change from 2 days ago so the markets are back to crashing more
@5 Again, you are completely wrong. I have zero problem with mocking you for being a fucking idiot. I’m still curious which nyms of yours have been banned.
Trumpers are terrified of books. Can’t have people learning things that aren’t in the bible or filtered through far-right media.
@9 Idiots like this MAGA troll deserve nothing but mockery. They do nothing but constantly talk shit, while simultaneously having the thinnest skin imaginable (and playing the victim 100% of the time). Luckily, since anyone that still supports Trump is an idiot by default, and even that is being very generous, putting them in their place is easy.
I can honestly say I’ve never felt “put in my place” by the Stranger comment section. I just enjoy contributing some intellectual diversity to the conversation.
My parents taught me that names will never hurt me, so the gratuitous use of terms like “idiot” or “troll” has no impact on my self confidence. Thanks Mom & Dad, you were the best!
@12 Sorry… your idiot god Trump cancelled diversity. So… no need to post anymore. Thanks.
@2- Comparing state worker salaries to state median income is meaningless. Compare salaries within job classifications and you will find state workers make less than others in comparable jobs.
@12 I’m sorry that you were unable to learn anything else. I would hold off congratulating your parents. Too bad they didn’t teach you about Dunning-Kruger, not sure you would get the point anyway…
Again, what nyms have you used that were previously banned?
@14 – I looked at the first two jobs listed on the State of WA careers page.
For a registered nurse they are offering $39.97 – $63.59. The WA average for registered nurses is $50.51.
For a certified nursing assistant, they are offering $49,116 – $56,880. The WA average for certified nursing assistants is $42,430.
It sure doesn’t look like the State is paying less than the private sector to me.
https://dannyugly.bandcamp.com/track/flying-fuck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBHJ1EDtp0E
16 go to the library and read some math books because you have no idea how numbers work
Our long national shower-heads nightmare may finally be at an end. Next up, federal initiatives to make the buttons on the remote control bigger and to bring back songs with saxophone solos.
i had two job offers at the same time the last time i was job hunting. Same job title. Same responsibilities. One was from the state and one was from a non-profit. The state one was the top of their scale. The non-profit one was from the middle of their scale. The non-profit one was 20k more a year.
Google search all you want, though.
@7, And your bike isn’t being subsidized when you ride it on concrete or asphalt, with engineering, storm drains, and all that stuff. You aren’t paying gas taxes to support the surface your bike travels on.
@13, The Stranger (and it’s commenters for the most part) have always trumpeted diversity in all things, accepting thought. When it comes to the latter they want rigid conformity to a singular way of thinking.
@21
No, I don’t pay gas taxes, because I don’t drive, but I sure as hell pay property taxes that also help fund those things.
22, If you visit any news/politics blog of any persuasion and criticize the prevailing opinion you should expect to be treated like shit, because you’re asking for it and you know it. Visit a conservative blog sometime and say something supportive of trans women athletes and see how that works out for you. I promise you, you will not be celebrated for contributing intellectual diversity to the conversation. No one is trumpeting “diversity in all things” because “all things” are not what people are talking about when they’re talking about diversity.
the trumpf maladministration
is now going thru social media
sites looking for “pro-Hamas” com-
menters — if they Suspect You, expect
a one way-trip to Gitmo, or wherever the fuck
this
is REAL.
and
Wormtongue
when you called Me
a “Pro-Hamas” Supporter
which I’ve NEVER Been
YOU Are ENDANGERING ME.
You
and your
Sockpuppets
NEED TO BE BANNED
from
This
Site.
“You’re
every bit the
Hamas sympathizer… “
–@tensorna on April 10, 2025 at 5:22 AM
“Hamas Sympathizer”
Pro-Hamas Supporter
Whichever The fuck — @tS,
Please get Rid of this Commenter.
his poisoning
of this Site
needs. to.
END.
@21 Ha! That’s not how roads are funded in Seattle, you myopic fuck.
@24, well Slog persists as the only game in town for such a blog of persuasion. And you wouldn’t be available to rebut.
I for one accept thought!
@28 ???? there are literally thousands of political blogs
@24, So Progressives are no better than Conservatives. I heard it from you first.
@24, And the inconsistency went over your head. If we are going to celebrate diversity, it would be consistent to celebrate it in all things.
“NYC sightseeing helicopter plunges into river, killing 6, including family of Spanish tourists.” – Seattle Times
The White House Press Secretary, after this event, announced that the Trump Administration was posthumously cancelling their Visa’s.
@30: “in town” I wrote
@33
Wow… using a breaking news story about a tragedy to make a racist joke.
You really are a vile excuse for a mammal. Stop wasting oxygen that others could use.
@31, It’s a normal human reaction to be annoyed by trolls no matter how you identify politically. Don’t act like you don’t know this.
There is a difference between diversity in immutable identities like race or sexuality and diversity in beliefs. I can think of a bunch of beliefs that should not be welcomed in polite company let alone “celebrated” and I’m sure you can think of some, too. Beliefs are just ideas, they don’t have to be celebrated or even respected.
No one is stopping you from sharing your “diverse” opinions here anyway so what exactly is the problem? Are you gonna cry because no one is celebrating you for your diversity? Grow up.
@34,
Do you somehow think there aren’t other progressive political blogs in Seattle?
@Neale Frothingham,
Everyone here is making fun of you for being such an obnoxious fucking idiot.
@22 If the “diverse thoughts” are “brown people are murderers, trans people are criminals, gay people are gross and Trump will be on Mount Rushmore someday” then yeah… I don’t think most of us in Seattle have much respect for those kinds of ” diverse intelligent thoughts.” and you should probably move to Tennessee and go fuck your cousins or burn crosses with WereBackBaby.
@37: None come to mind. Please enlighten me.