Shit-free zone
Shit-free zone Chase Dekker Wild-Life Images

Seattle spring rent hike isn't too bad: Supply-and-demand seems to finally be working in the renter’s favor. There’s a slowdown in Seattle-area rent increases. There’s always a little rent-hike during the spring. But, this spring it wasn’t so bad. It only went up 1 percent. According to the Seattle Times, this is “the smallest springtime rent increase of the decade.” Rents even went down a little in “Belltown, Fremont/Wallingford and North Seattle.”

Poop-free Puget Sound: It was apparently legal to dump your dumps in Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Starting on May 10 hike up your shorts and drop your kids off at another pool. The new rule by the Department of Ecology really applies to boaters dumping raw sewage. They won’t be able to do that anymore. No one will. Puget Sound is now a no-discharge zone. Treated and untreated sewage dumping will be rewarded with a $10,000 fine.

UW revels in $119 million adidas apparel deal: Who can the Huskies thank? Athletic Director Jennifer Cohen. The new deal "nearly quadruples the $3.5 million in products and cash they had been receiving from Nike," the Seattle Times reports. Shelving Nike, which has Husky-rival Oregon in their back pocket, separates the Huskies from the rest of the college sports pack. Adidas only supports about a dozen teams. That will allow them to give the Huskies more attention. Ignoring the fact that adidas is currently embroiled in a bribery scandal, UW fans are excited.

Two killed in wrong-way crash: The driver turned the wrong way on Highway 516. He and his brother did not survive. They crashed into three cars and injured six people. Some are in critical condition. It is unknown whether the driver was under the influence. Court records show he and his brother both had a history of reckless driving; each had multiple DUIs. However, the Washington State Patrol doesn’t really care. They don’t criminally investigate when the person who causes a crash dies. They’ll run a toxicology report, however.

Protesters gather at Amazon HQ: They were there, led by Councilmember Kshama Sawant, to protest “Amazon and big business.” The demonstration was in support of an ongoing campaign to instill a per-employee tax on Seattle's largest companies. The so-called “head tax” would provide revenue options for homelessness and housing issues. About 150 protesters were present Tuesday evening. Former mayoral candidate Cary Moon was there.

I-5’s facelift will bring delays: Yep, traffic is going to get worse. Starting April 20th, crews will begin repaving 13 miles of the northbound Interstate 5. From Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Northeast Ravenna Boulevard, crews will be working for six weekends to repave concrete and asphalt that hasn’t been touched since the ‘60s.

More April showers on the way: Get ready.


Anyone want to go to a rave in an abandoned Toys ‘R’ Us? Well, you can’t. Police shut it down. The unsanctioned rave occurred in the lifeless corpse of the once-mega-store. It was Easter weekend. Police raided the rave and destroyed everyone’s last attempt at being a Toys ‘R’ Us kid.

Former Seahawks and Sounders CEO to run NHL team: Tom Leiweke is going to run the franchise. In the past, he helped launch the Sounders team, revitalized the Seahawks by hiring Pete Carroll and John Schneider. Leiweke most recently was the Chief Operating Officer for the National Football League, a position he left last month. The NHL franchise is expected to start playing at a new Seattle Center arena by 2020. Give us the team’s name, Leiweke!

Paul Ryan is backing out: He’s not seeking reelection. Ryan is by far the most prominent member of the GOP to announce his retirement which could spark other Republican retirements.



Senate does not understand Facebook: Day one Zuckerberg’s testimonies was disappointing. There was no smart conversation about privacy as was expected. Instead, we saw a display of the technology illiteracy that is plaguing our lawmakers. A snap from an AP photographer captured a glimpse of Zuckerberg’s notes. They were more informative than the five hour hearing.


The Verge has a breakdown of the notes and a full transcript if you’re interested.

An interesting observation from the hearing:


A funny tweet from the hearing:


Zuckerberg will face the House today: Hopefully, they’ve brushed up on how Facebook works.

While you were sleeping: Donald Trump was on Twitter. Threatening Russia with a U.S. military response in Syria. You know, the usual. Dan Savage has more on that here. CNN has a headline that touts “Three things Donald Trump did wrong in his taunting Russia tweet.” I feel like we can do better than that. Anyone want to take a crack at it? Dan?

Pennsylvania teachers armed with mini baseball bats: School shooters are quaking in their boots. Millcreek School District in Pennsylvania has given its 500 teachers 16 inch miniature baseball bats to defend themselves and their classrooms against school shootings. It cost the district $1,800. Fighting bullets with baseball: the newest and truest American pastime.

Sinclair executive chairman is a bad neighbor: Forget the propaganda machine he chairs, David D. Smith, 67, allegedly threatens his neighbors. He has disputes with neighbors in two separate states: Maryland and Maine. Smith once destroyed the crops of a farmer who was leasing land from him “with intentional malice.” He's been taken to court and has had several court orders, including a restraining order he violated, made against him. Smith has also bought up 15 parcels of land around his Maryland estate to avoid interactions with neighbors.

Tonight's best Seattle entertainment options include: A hiphop concert with Jaden Smith, a class on women and minorities in horror films at Shriek!: A Nightmare on Elm Street, and UW student-led station Rainy Dawg Radio's 15th Birthday Fest.

Now, what you're eating.

Tim hopes his breakfast "meets the journalistic standards the Stranger has set for itself." Our standards are both hearty and nutritional. We are also encouraged, but not mandated, to smile.

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Tim G.

Ellis is back with what he calls "health and nutrition."

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Ellis H