The Government Is Still Shut Down: And Trump is having a field day about it. The USDA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State Department, and HHS all have huge red banners on their websites blaming Democrats for the shutdown. Several call it the “radical left democrat shutdown.” On the USDA’s website, the message reads: “Due to the Radical Left Democrat Shutdown, this government website will not be updating during the funding lapse. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.”
It’s Not Just Theater: Obviously Trump wants to blame the Democrats for the shutdown, rather than the fact that he’s trying to strip healthcare subsidies from tens of millions of Americans. But he’s also using this shutdown as a tool to downsize the government and lash out at anyone he considers an enemy. The New York Times reported that the administration is taking steps to “maximize the pain” of the shutdown, “halting billions of dollars in funds for Democratic-led states while readying a plan to lay off potentially droves of civil servants imminently.” The White House budget director announced that they were cancelling $26 billion in funds that were already approved for mostly blue states, with a special jab at New York, which Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, represent.
And He’s Being a Racist Piece of Shit in the Process: The Trump administration has a clear social media strategy for the shutdown. 1) Blame the “Radical Left Democrats” for wanting to give healthcare to “illegals.” 2) Tell everyone that Trump really, really wants to keep the government open so it’s not his fault. 3) Post AI-generated videos of Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero, sometimes with a mariachi band of Trumps behind him. (Also, I know truth has no place here, but for the record: undocumented immigrants generally can’t even access Obamacare.)
We Lost One of the Greats: Dr. Jane Goodall passed away yesterday at age 91. Her work with chimpanzees is one of the key reasons that we understand that humans are not as exceptional as we want to think we are. And her storytelling is the reason that millions of kids cared a little extra about the animals in the world around them. The world is better for having known her, and we’re worse off without her. (Pour one out for her today—she’s also the reason we know chimps like booze, too.)
Emergency Nudity: Sometimes, Portlanders know it’s time to light shit on fire. And sometimes they know it’s time to fight fascism with frippery. On Wednesday, the organizers of the World Naked Bike Ride announced that they’re planning to protest the Trump administration’s decision to send 200 federalized National Guard troops to Portland. Let’s see how “Secretary of War” Pete “No Fatties” Hegseth feels about the National Guard trying to arrest people without accidentally touching wangs (is touching a dick while furthering a fascist agenda gay?)
No Hope and Change for Bruce: PubliCola’s Erica Barnett watched the Fremont Neighborhood Council’s mayoral debate from earlier this week, and it was gold. “Harrell’s contempt for Wilson has been palpable in every debate I’ve seen. No one would watch her speak and think she’s anything but incredibly intelligent. He also just can’t, hard as he tries, use her name,” she posted on Bluesky. But everyone’s biggest takeaway was his closing statement: “This is not the time for hope. Passion and great ideas and inexperience is just not going to get us there. Trump will walk all over a person without experience, period.” Let him never live this one down. “Harrell 2025: This is not a time for hope.”
In his closing statement, Harrell said, “This is not the time for hope. Passion and great ideas and inexperience is just not going to get us there. Trump will walk all over a person without experience, period.”
— Erica C. Barnett (@ericacbarnett.bsky.social) October 1, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Seattle’s Wealthiest Still Believe in Harrell: Bruce Harrell’s PAC broke the $1 million mark last week—it’s made up of large-dollar donations from sports team owners, tech CEOs, and PACs that represent the building and real estate industries. Between their campaigns and PACs, there’s $3 million at play in the mayor’s race right now, and Harrell is wielding double what Katie Wilson is. Expect to see a million dollars worth of anti-Wilson attack ads coming our way.
Speaking of Citizens United: Have you heard about the crypto bro trying to buy the Woodinville elections? Jeff Lyon works for Coinbase, and set up a PAC last year called Democratic Woodinville. It calls itself an “independent, non-partisan committee working to ensure that Woodinville’s leaders answer only to the community and not political parties, outside groups, or special interests.” That’s all BS. The PAC has been funded almost entirely by Lyon, and, according to The Urbanist, has thrown hundreds of thousands of dollars at the Woodinville City Council election to fight candidates who support increasing housing in the area. Fortunately, the backlash was swift, and if you take a spin through Woodinville, you’ll find red yard signs that read: “Lyon the Cryptobro” and “$200,000+ to take over Woodinville City Council—WHY?” The primary showed that Lyon’s campaign isn’t working. Let’s keep it that way.
The Weather: Expect the same as yesterday—the classic, autumn 20-degree spread. Highs in the upper 60s, lows in the lower 50s, with some spotty rain and a clear afternoon. We’ll be doing exactly this until winter happens.
The Final BAM Knell: It’s official, the Bellevue Art Museum isn’t coming back. The art museum, and the land it stands on, was sold to the KidsQuest, a children’s museum for hands-on play and learning. Sounds… sticky.
Christian Nationalists Sue Seattle: Mayday USA, the group that organized the prayer rally in Cal Anderson Park on Memorial Day weekend, are now suing Seattle and Mayor Harrell for discrimination. The group claims that the city’s permitting process pushed them out of their preferred downtown location (they wanted to take over and shut down a city street) and into the gay neighborhood, and that the city’s failure to ensure the event’s success was discriminatory. The lawsuit argues that the city allowed the counterprotesters to force the event to be shut down. As a reminder, SPD violently arrested 23 protesters before the city finally asked Mayday USA to end the event early.
All Hail Chunk: With the daily news cycle pressing our heads into a swirling toilet bowl every day, we all really needed Fat Bear Week this year—voters turned out in record numbers last month to vote for Alaska’s fattest bear. And oh boy do we have a winner! Meet Chunk, a 1,200-pound brown bear with a broken jaw, a scar across his muzzle, and a years-long bad boy reputation. We all love a chonky bear, but in a grizzly twist, this year’s hero was last year’s villain: During the summer of 2024, Chunk killed the cub of reigning Fat Bear Champion, 128 Grazer. Plus, he likely broke his jaw throwing down with another bear over a female that probably wanted nothing to do with either of them. But voters were able to look past his dark past to give him the crown. Stay fat, Chunk.
Jane Goodall was my graduation speaker. Wonderful speech, wonderful woman. The world will miss her.
” Sometimes, Portlanders know it’s time to light shit on fire.”
This is why the libprogs are losing.
Also, more ugly shitty trashy Seattle vandalism on the Slog AM photo banner.
@2 stay forever triggered by stickers and marker ink lol. You can go stare at a blank concrete wall to recenter yourself afterwards, remind you what you’re fighting for
Katie Wilson simply does not have the experience necessary to be mayor of the 18th most populous city in the nation.
Seems her experience to be Mayor is similar to Loren Culp’s experience to be Governor.
In 2020 Democrats were dismissive of Culp’s qualifications to be Governor, and rightly so, as he was completely unqualified. A high-school drop out who had managed himself in a 1-person police department is not qualified to be executive of the State of Washington.
But now only 4 years later Seattle Progressives are asking the people to elect Katie Wilson, a college dropout who managed herself in a 1-person non-profit, to be the executive of Seattle.
No. Electing an inexperienced ideologue is a terrible choice at any time, but with Trump about to unleash his hatred at it could be catastrophic.
Hope sucks, vote for Harrell!
@4 – You can go stare at a sidewalk covered with drugged out humans and human shit and burnt foil and used syringes and every surface contaminated with vandalism to recenter yourself afterwards, remind you what you’re fighting for
Calvin Priest, aka kristofartian, didn’t make the Slog AM. Weird!
@6
Excuse me?
For anyone who missed it, the full video of the Sept. 23 2025 debate between Harrell and Wilson is (so far as I can find) only available online on the Fox 13 website:
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/seattle-mayoral-debate
@8 whoops sorry I meant @3
my bad lol
@10,
You don’t need to apologize there. Any non-idiot would read your comment and deduce from context who it was meant to address, “non-idiot” being the important qualifier there.
@11
It’s safe to assume that none of us who spend time commenting on SLOG are non-idiots.
@4 “Katie Wilson … who managed herself in a 1-person non-profit”
Not accurate
@12,
Agreed. Perhaps the first non-idiotic thing you’ve ever posted here.
“The lawsuit argues that the city allowed the counterprotesters to force the event to be shut down.”
Why does the Stranger consider this newsworthy? MayDay USA’s antagonistically provocative playbook has been known for a long time. That the Stranger simply played right into the bigots’ hands was the larger problem.
“As a reminder, SPD violently arrested 23 protesters before the city finally asked Mayday USA to end the event early.”
Did any of these 23 violent persons ever have a Seattle address, let alone one on Capitol Hill?
@2 & 6: Seriously, have you considered that TS may be using these pictures to troll you? I mean you get SO upset by them, it is conceivable that they are now going out of their way to find them just so they can laugh at how easily riled up you are.
A PBS Newshour poll said 68% of respondents don’t think they will be impacted by a government shutdown.
Do people see that little value in the services of their Federal Government that they don’t miss it when those services are gone? Sad.
@16: ssshh don’t ruin the gag 😂
@16, @17 – If The Stranger is purposely targeting me with their shitty photos of trash and vandalism, then that just proves that I live rent-free in their heads, and that my comments are far more effective than any of yours. Who is trolling who now? LOL
Katie Wilson was a community organizer who became a city councilperson and then president.
should be parallel to:
Barack Obama was a community organizer who became state senator and then president.
Oops! That’s not true.
But Katie Wilson is parallel to:
Donald Trump was a celebrity game show host who became president.
@19: Ha ha ha, I take back what I said @18. Gag still works and is funnier than ever! 😂😂😂
I wish the Mayoral election would hurry up and get here. I am ready to vote for Hope and Change.
Harrell had his moment, he fooked up. Time for him to leave and hopefully not come back in ANY election (looking at city and county councils.) Harrell just needs to go get himself a sweet corporate gig with the rich cronies he’s been batting for as mayor. I’m sure he’ll be well taken care of.
Meanwhile, let’s get on with Katie Wilson and finally get the change we desperately need.
@19: If that makes you feel better about them making you jump and snap like a small bad tempered dog every time they post a picture of a sticker then sure babe.
Giving the staff of your online publication nemesis the gift of laughter is actually kind of sweet.
“I’m living rent free in their heads” and it’s just someone doing their job
@24 and doing their job at a high level, wonder if they get a bonus for pumping engagement stats to new highs thanks to Bipedo
@22
Hope and Change?
Is someone running on that nonsense again?
Getting vindictive (your headline)? It’s what he’s all about. Vindictive is Trump’s raison d’etre. The Oxford dictionary runs his head shot in the definition of vindictive.
Ain’t no victim like a Christian Victim, ‘cause a Christian Victim always sues.
@Biped is your flex knowing the real name of kristofarian? Bc thats not a flex – especially if you spent a decent amount of time trying to figure it out.
I’ll say it again dude, this is a fucking local alternative news blog. Calm.the.fuck.down.
Also Coolidge (Calvin?) dollar, you’re trash. If you don’t want to vote for Katie, who cares, vote for Harrell or goodspaceguy, but your comparisons today are so off base it’s laughable
I know this will make some of us tremble out of rage that I should be so impertinent, but has anyone ever asked Ms. Wilson what her plan is when (not if) trump decides to target Seattle? I’m not saying that Harrel would be particularly productive, but what’s her plan? How will she coordinate city departments (knowing that Seattle has much more information on citizens than Portland or San Francisco), and work with surrounding cities, county government, and the State of Washington?
@29 Calvin Priest is Kshama Sawant’s husband who got arrested back in August…
krisofarian is Kshama Sawant’s husband? OMG!
@29 – “I’ll say it again dude, this is a fucking local alternative news blog. Calm.the.fuck.down.”
I’m perfectly calm, unless laughing at you goofy naive proglibs isn’t being “calm”. It would have made a lot more sense for you to write “Stop.laughing.at.us.”
“Calm.the.fuck.down.”
LOL you imagined that sounded awesome and tuff in your head when you typed it out. Don’t break your spindly wrists slamming down on that period key