We won at baseball: The Mariners won the season opener against the Indians 2-1. Hernandez pitched a shutout up until the sixth inning. Nelson Cruz hit a two-run home run in the first inning. For a team typically racked with bad luck, this is an optimistic beginning to the season.
What. A. Night.
Thank you to the 47,149 fans on hand for another special #OpeningNight. That is the largest regular season crowd in Safeco Field history! pic.twitter.com/s9Pb3Y1AzN
â Safeco Field (@SafecoField) March 30, 2018
Seattle judge allows thousands to apply for asylum: U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez found that the Department of Homeland Security had often failed to notify immigrants of their deadline to file their application for asylum. After asylum seekers are interviewed by officials they are told theyâll have to appear in immigration court. What they arenât told personally is they have a year to apply for asylum. Many show up for their court date only to find their deadline has passed. Martinez ordered the government to come up with a uniform way of accepting applications and that asylum seekers should be notified personally.
Silicon Valleyâs Trump hypocrisy: The tech industry was upset with Trumpâs 2016 presidential victory. They consoled their employees and demonstrated the appropriate levels of shock and horror. Now, theyâre okay with the guy. Social issues aside, heâs been pretty good for business. With corporate tax breaks, development of new 5g technologies, and a tougher stance on China that could stymie competition whatâs not to love?
More on those two girls killed in Burien: They were 14 and 19. Police are still searching for whoever killed them. It is believed to be gang related. There have been three shootings in Burien this month.
Good news! We have a quake warning system! Shake Alert will give the public advanced warning (depending on where they are and where the epicenter is) that could save lives.
Bad news! There arenât any funds left to teach people how to use Shake Alert! Oregon and Washington released a strategy to train people how to use the system and to educate the public. That would cost between $500,000 and $1.2 million. That money just isnât there.
Convention center expansion could face obstacles: The project to expand the Washington state convention center costs more than all of our stadiums combined. The cost stands at a whopping $1.7 billion. Itâs funded by the state and carried out by a public development authority. However, the city of Seattle owns some of the property that it needs to expand. The City Council holds the fate of the convention center in its hands. Specifically, CM Mike OâBrienâs support is not guaranteed and he wants guaranteed public benefits from the expansion before he casts his vote.
Minimum wage not universal for airport workers: Some are earning 20 cents below the $15 minimum wage. Others are getting paid a comparatively meager $11.74. Thereâs an exemption for direct airline employees under the minimum wage ordinance. That allows Alaska Airlines to pay a starting wage of $11.74 to about 75 ramp workers. Thereâs another built in exemption for unions.
Itâs curtains for the consulate: On Thursday, the Russian consulate packed up their space at One Union Square. Two Russian reporters were present. They recorded a sequence featuring Wednesdayâs Seattle Times that detailed the history of Russian espionage in the Pacific Northwest. Russia announced it would expel 60 U.S. diplomats and shut the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg.
Want to see what lightning looks like from space? Shut up, of course you do.
We've been sharing #GOESEast satellite imagery of 'gigantic jet lightning' here https://t.co/fiZrg7mgB5 which has us feeling flashy, but check out these @ESA Nightpod timelapse photos from the International Space Station of #lightning flashes seen from space! pic.twitter.com/Aewz3Pi0Bi
â NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) March 30, 2018
Scott Pruitt paid $50-a-night for D.C. apartment rental: The Environmental Protection Agency chief rented the single bedroom from a lobbyist. He paid $6,100 for the room over six months. Pruitt is already known for being a spendy little troll and a glutton for first class air travel on the taxpayerâs dime.
Trump tax overhaul a boon for most, a bane for Oregon: Projections for states like New York, Maryland, Minnesota, and others show increases of a quarter-billion dollars with Trumpâs new federal tax plan. For Oregon, it creates a $217 million loss. Oregon takes federal deductions into account when it calculates its residentsâ taxes. With the new U.S. deduction, some residents would benefit twice with deductions on their federal taxes copied over to their state taxes. Those tax changes would take millions from Oregon.
Famous animator had relationships with underage girls: John Kricfalusi, the creator of the 90s cartoon Ren & Stimpy, had multiple relationships with underage girls. It was a widely-known and ignored secret in the industry. Kricfalusi promised young girls, aspiring animators themselves, career guidance. Then, he developed friendships with them that soon developed a sexual nature. At one point, he had a 16-year-old girlfriend while he was in his 30s. Two of these women have come forward. Several people close to Kricfalusi said he posessed child porn.
Family of Stephon Clark to file federal lawsuit: Clark, 22, was unarmed when he was shot by Sacramento police in his grandmother's backyard. He was holding a cellphone. Police shot at Clark 20 times. His family will be filing a lawsuit over his death.
Laura Ingraham is losing her battle with a 17-year-old: Ingraham, a Fox News host, mocked Stoneman Douglas survivor David Hogg, 17, for not getting into four colleges. First of all, what the fuck? Second, Hogg responded by asking the Internet to boycott Ingrahamâs show and to lobby her sponsors to cut ties with her. Ingraham, sensing a turn in public opinion, apologized with an apology so sincere she promoted her show at the end.
Any student should be proud of a 4.2 GPA âincl. @DavidHogg111. On reflection, in the spirit of Holy Week, I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland. For the record, I believe my show was the first to feature David...(1/2)
â Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) March 29, 2018
Now, TripAdvisor, Hulu, and Nestle are some of the companies who have ended their advertising relationship with Ingraham. Hogg responded to Ingrahamâs apology:
I 100% agree an apology in an effort just to save your advertisers is not enough. I will only accept your apology only if you denounce the way your network has treated my friends and Iď¸ in this fight. Itâs time to love thy neighbor, not mudsling at children. https://t.co/H0yWs4zMGk
â David Hogg (@davidhogg111) March 29, 2018
Headline of the week: Vatican scrambles after pope appears to deny existence of hell
Fun fact for your Friday: A pig was hanged for sacrilege in France in 1394 for eating a communion wafer.
Your best Seattle entertainment options for this weekend include: Dina Martina: Cream of the Drawer, the Georgetown Bites spring food walk, and the famed, secular Pastor Kaleb's Sunday Service on Easter.