Washington family killed in “likely” intentional car crash: Most of the Washington state Hart family died when their SUV careened off of a cliff in Mendocino. The two parents and three of their adopted kids were found dead in the car. Three other kids are still missing. The California Highway Patrol said Saturday they have reason to believe the crash was intentional. Information pulled from the car’s software, its very own black box, showed that the car was stopped at a pullout area near the cliff. Then, it accelerated. There are no skid marks or other signs to show the driver tried to brake.
Seattle homeowners fly the coop amidst property-tax increase: The property-tax is too damn high! Or that’s what some Seattleites are saying. The tax has skyrocketed due to rising home prices but also because of voter-approved levies and the state’s plan to fund public schools. Many long-time residents are considering packing up and moving out, their plans to die here dashed.
Surge in Seattle hikers: Forty percent of Seattle-area adults say they’ve been hiking in the past year. It’s not due to just newcomers — Seattle’s increase in hiking is seven times greater than our increase in population growth over the past decade. The demographic has shifted, too. The number of 18-34 year olds hitting the trails has doubled. So, what is it? A fervent new appreciation for nature? Millennials desperate to seem interesting on their dating profiles? Cheryl Strayed’s book about the Pacific Crest Trail? All fingers point to Instagram. According to Nielsen data, hikers are 43 percent more likely to have used Instagram in the last 30 days. Trails are packed with people keen to get The Perfect Shot and boost their ‘gram aesthetic.
Want to see something fucking terrifying? The dystopian hell of our country seems far away a lot of the times. But, have you heard what’s happening with the Sinclair Broadcasting Group, aka the company that controls local broadcast news stations across the country? Sinclair has been making stations, like our very own KOMO news, run certain, conservatively slanted segments despite protests. It came to light, thanks to the Seattle Post Intelligencer, that they have also been making their anchors read the same script about fake news. Here’s a video:
How America’s largest local TV owner turned its news anchors into soldiers in Trump’s war on the media: https://t.co/iLVtKRQycL pic.twitter.com/dMdSGellH3
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) March 31, 2018
The final nail in the coffin is that Trump tweeted his support for Sinclair this morning.
So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018
Juvenile-justice system reform: Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation that will reduce the number of minors charged with certain violent offenses being sent to adult courts and adult prisons. The new legislation will remove auto-decline policies — which send minors straight to adult court for certain crimes — and extend minor jurisdiction for some crimes to the age of 25. Studies show that the adolescent brain isn’t fully developed until then. Legislators are hoping this will allow for more rehabilitation.
April (snow) showers bring May flowers: A foot of snow fell in the Cascades overnight. In the not-mountains, we saw some showers, thunder and lightning, and a snowflake or two. The temperatures also dropped into the 30s. There’s no more snow on the horizon this week, but it’ll be wet and rainy. I love spring.
Over 20 weather-caused crashes: Washington state troopers responded to over 20 crashes near the Snoqualmie Pass last night. One involved a pregnant woman whose car struck the guardrail and careened 20 feet down an embankment. She died from her injuries.
Chinese space station meets fiery end in South Pacific: China lost touch with Tiangong-1, the prototype space station in March 2016. They were able to track its progress at any time but couldn’t control Tiangong-1’s reentry to Earth. Everything was fine! It landed in the ocean.
Man shot to death at Seattle Center: A 21-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound to the head at the Seattle Center early Sunday morning. A homicide investigation is underway.
Quitting Facebook reduces your stress hormones: You’re by the beach, piña colada in hand, the newest John Grisham book spread across your lap, and your Facebook has been deleted for at least five days. That’s all it takes to see a downward tick in cortisol levels, according to an Australian study. Destress by deactivating! The study isn’t sure if FOMO (fear of missing out) would hike those stress levels back up in the long term.
Kim Jong Un loves K-pop: The North Korean dictator and his wife had a little date night in Pyongyang. They saw the South Korean group Red Velvet. This marks the first time in over a decade that South Korean musicians have traveled to North Korea. It’s forbidden to consume South Korean pop culture in North Korea. But, maybe the Fearless Leader developed an affinity for it after South Korea blasted K-pop across the border in 2016 after a North Korean nuclear test.
China slaps 128 U.S. products with tariffs: American-made products are going to be pricey in China starting today. China is implementing tariffs in response to Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum. Oh, and Trump’s threats about putting tariffs on $60 million worth of Chinese-made products. A trade war is brewing and American companies dependent on Chinese consumers could be hurting. That means you, Apple.
Trump declares DACA is dead: Trump changes his opinion on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program every day, I swear. Literally two weeks ago he tweeted, “Remember DACA, the Democrats abandoned you (but we will not)!” Tweets aren’t binding and Trump is far from a man of his word. This morning he tweeted that DACA was dead and called upon Mexico to ramp up its border security.
Tonight’s best Seattle entertainment options include: The beginning of Seattle Restaurant Week, the first installment of the Paramount’s Silent Movie Mondays, and Earshot Jazz Presents: Golden Ear and Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame Awards.
