electric currents only
electric currents only LoweStock

Look out, Washington State Ferries is going green: Pending state funding, it plans to convert its two largest vessels from running on diesel to running on sweet, sweet electricity. The engines would be replaced by batteries and diesel engines would become backup energy for recharging purposes. The hope is to put the first vessel like this into action two years from now.

Fatal Ride the Ducks crash pits city and state against each other in court: You remember the devastating crash on the Aurora Avenue bridge two and a half years ago, right? One of those tourist-loving death traps collided with a tour bus and killed five people and injured dozens. Who is to blame? Unsure. Seattle and the state of Washington are battling it out in court, dukes up, to see who “was responsible for putting a median barrier on the high traffic bridge,” KING5 reports. The barrier could have prevented the crash. Both the city and state own the bridge.

1,500 evacuate in Hawaii: Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano erupted and spewed molten lava. No immediate injuries have been reported but the lava has made its way to city streets and is mowing down trees. The eruption came after a series of earthquakes wracked the island this week.



Puyallup nurse with Hepatitis C booked on assault charges: She's being charged with two counts of assault after two of her patients contracted Hep C. An investigation also found the nurse was stealing narcotics. Her attorney says "she denies infecting patients and denies using needles on patients that she used on herself," KING5 reports. The around 2,600 people she treated may have been exposed to the disease.

Famous King County homicide prosecutor retires after 36 years: Jeff Baird was called the “guru of homicide prosecutors.” He always had the ability to think like a criminal and channeled that into his work catching baddies. He started a program called the Most Dangerous Offenders Program (MDOP) that allowed lawyers to show up to crime scenes to familiarize themselves with cases before they inevitably crossed their desks as just a file. Throughout his career, Baird put away an impressive list of killers, including three serial killers. Among his accolades, “Baird was responsible for persuading the late Prosecutor Norm Maleng to agree to a plea deal with Green River Killer Gary Ridgway, taking the death penalty off the table so Ridgway would lead police to the remains of his victims,” the Seattle Times reports.

New resource center helps struggling Hanford workers: It has seen over 600 workers in the 30 days it’s been open. The Hanford Workforce Engagement Center is giving Hanford workers the support they need after 30 years of roadblocks to medical help and compensation. Hundreds became sick from exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation at the worksite. Hundreds, equally, had claims denied and were left sick and helpless. That changes now.

Paul Allen gifts Seattle the Holodome: Sure, it’s no solution to homelessness but the Holodome seems pretty flippin’ sweet. It’s at the Museum of Pop Culture and its described as a “portal to other worlds.” Visitors step into a spherical room and are immersed in 360 degree visuals and haptic sound. You can choose one of four experiences. They vary from an expedition into a black hole to Justin Timberlake dancing in Montana. The exhibit opens Saturday.

It’s 2018. No states have outlawed child marriage: Delaware will become the first. The state Senate voted unanimously yesterday to ban the practice. Don’t go patting Delaware on the back just yet. It’s one of 25 states that allows children to be married at any age. More than 200 minors were married in Delaware between 2000 and 2017. “Critics of the bill say parents should be allowed to let their kids get married without government interference,” NPR reports. Critics of the bill are stupid.

Giuliani’s disclosure raises questions about Trump’s truthfulness: Could the president be
 a liar? No, no. What would give you that idea? Giuliani’s remarks “appeared to admit that the payment to Ms. Clifford just before Election Day in 2016 was made because of concerns about the coming vote,” writes the New York Times. This could be counted as an illegal campaign contribution, the very thing Giuliani was attempting to disprove. Giuliani, a recent addition to the new Trump legal team, is fucking shit up. And not in a good way.

Man mauled to death while taking selfie with bear: The man spotted the bear in the Nabarangpur district of Odisha in India. It was injured, apparently. He stopped to take a picture. He was attacked. A stray dog tried to intervene. Onlookers watched in horror. There’s disturbing video footage. Did he at least get the shot?

Bystander with the assist:


Arizona teachers get a win: Protesting teachers saw victory yesterday when their governor said he would provide teachers with 20 percent raises and additional funds for classrooms. North Carolina teachers are expected to follow the trend and start protests in the coming weeks.

Nobel prize for literature postponed over sexual misconduct allegations: A member of the Swedish Academy has been accused by 18 women of sexual misconduct. They allege that he groped or harassed them. Eye witness accounts confirm that one of the women he groped was Sweden’s crown princess. Since the allegations came out in November, six members of the Academy have vacated their seats. The remaining members have voted to postpone awarding the literature prize until 2019.

Can you find New Zealand on a map? If you said no, that’s because you’re either uncultured swine or because the map hasn’t included New Zealand on it. Famous maps who have omitted New Zealand out of pure negligence include, but are not limited to, the Smithsonian Museum, the BBC, and the United Nations. NZ has started a campaign to get themselves on the map. They made this video that includes their real life Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and comedian Rhys Darby.

Happy Cinco de Cuatro! Arrested Development is coming back: Fire up the cornballer, throw some ham in hot water (a delicacy called it hot ham water), or get a stew going, because Arrested Development is back. The show was rebooted by Netflix with a fourth season in 2013. But, it was a huge mistake. Like, just a real disaster of a reboot. Now, creator Mitch Hurwitz has recut season 4 into the same format of the first three seasons. There probably won’t be any new footage but it’ll be, for lack of a better word, watchable. That airs today. A season 5 is expected to be just around the corner.

Fun Fact for your Friday: About 12 percent of people dream in black and white. In fact, before color television was introduced only 15 percent of people dreamt in color.


This weekend's best Seattle entertainment options include: Free Comic Book Day, the grand opening of the new Nordic Museum, the opening day of the boating season, and a host of Cinco de Mayo fiestas and Kentucky Derby watching parties.