Caught between a rock and a head tax: The stakes are high from Mayor Jenny Durkan. Seattle faces a homelessness crisis thatâs only getting worse, a plethora of skeptical citizens, and a billion dollar company throwing a temper tantrum. Amazon made it clear last week that it is not a fan of the head tax which would have it paying $500 per worker. It stalled construction on a building downtown to prove its point.âDurkanâs dilemma,â as the Seattle Times puts it, is what choice she should make here â either she alienates big business or she abandons those in need and gets accused of shilling for big business.
Facebook opens new AI labs in Seattle and Pittsburgh: The tech company is poaching robotics professors from UW and Carnegie Mellon University. Facebook is going where the talent is, but talent canât keep up with the demand. Many are worried that the next generation of researchers will be negatively impacted when all the teachers are gone.
Calorie counters rejoice: Starting today, any place that sells food and has over 20 outlets will have to display calorie counts. It's an Obama-era policy that is finally being put into place. The calories will be displayed up front, right on the menus.
No sign of things slowing down on Hawaii's Big Island: The Kilauea volcano is still at it. New fissures have opened up and lava keeps spurting out. So far, 26 homes and five structures have been destroyed in the eruption. Officials are reassuring locals and tourists alike that the eruption is contained to a small area of the island. The biggest thing to worry about is exposure to volcanic gases like sulfur dioxide.
Lava bursts from the ground as more fissures open up near Hawaii's Kilauea volcano. https://t.co/uwOSVjkQvw pic.twitter.com/encT4iXFV5
â ABC News (@ABC) May 7, 2018
Donald Glover is the best artist of our time: Iâm stating it like itâs fact because, really, how can you argue with it? He put out a new song yesterday and itâs incredible. Charles Mudede did a write up that you should read. Hereâs the music video that you should watch. Forget whatever Kanye is doing. This is art. This is a message.
#ThisIsAmerica
Childish Gambino
Mesmerizing. Disturbing. Violent. Beautiful. Tragic. Materialistic. Melodic. Chaotic.pic.twitter.com/jET1KfgRvx
â Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) May 6, 2018
Box truck driver suffers medical emergency while driving: He hit over a dozen cars along Alaskan Way Viaduct. Only four people were injured. The driver lost control of his vehicle and started hitting cars before he smashed into a support column for the viaduct.
Tech vouches for net neutrality in D.C.: Weâre lucky here in Washington state; we have net neutrality since weâve got Attorney General Bob Ferguson on our side. The rest of the nation isnât so lucky. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) brought a bunch of Seattle tech company leaders to D.C. to help save net neutrality. Thereâs already overwhelming support for it across the board. The aisle, too. Seventy-five of Republicans support net neutrality. The powers-that-be just need a push.
U2 members invest in trucking startup: Bono and The Edge, U2âs guitarist, are backing the Seattle-based so-called âUber for truckers,â Convoy. Itâs an app that connects truckers to shippers looking to move freight. Bono and The Edge love trucks. But, theyâre apparently pretty savvy investors and have their hands in many different tech companies. They invested in Dropbox back in the day.
Amazon workers formed their own symphony: With 85 players, Amazonâs company music group is the biggest in tech, but itâs certainly not the only one. Googapella (gag me) is Googleâs acappella group. Facebook has a jazz ensemble. I donât know what itâs called but Iâd like to think itâs something along the lines of Marky Z and the Trending Five.
Iran nuclear deal deadline nears: What will Trump do? Israel made a statement about how the agreement is âfatally flawed.â Iran said the U.S. would regret its decision if it didnât back the agreement.
Texas woman wins $1.2 million on Kentucky Derby bet: The catch? She only bet $18. She correctly picked all the right horses in the four races leading up to the Derby and she correctly picked Justify to win the main race.
Almost all the sea ice in the Bering Sea has melted: Usually, the sea ice sticks around for at least another month. Not this year. The melt is negatively impacting Alaskan communities. Hunting and fishing is harder. Travel is hard because of thin ice. More open water leads to more flooding in storms. Scientists have found that both ocean temperatures and air temperatures were above average in the months leading up to the melt. âThe amount of sea ice in the Bering Sea was lower this winter than any year since whaling vessels began keeping written records in 1850,â writes the Independent.
Hereâs some more weather for you: I know how you love the weather. Youâre a slut for it.
The #thunderstorm activity has died down in W WA so... what does the coming week look like? Well, the forecast for Mon & Tue look good. Wed & Thu look wet & a little cool. Things rebound by Friday & next weekend is looking nice. #WAwx pic.twitter.com/jGxTJ3fVje
â NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) May 7, 2018
No hidden rooms in King Tutâs temple, it turns out: Egyptâs antiquities minister said that new radar scans have revealed there are no secret rooms lurking in King Tutankhamunâs burial chamber. But, isnât that exactly what youâd want grave robbers to think? Nice try, Egypt.
Happy Monday, this thing exists:
there is a type of wild dog called the Racoon Dog and it is real and a dog but it looks like this pic.twitter.com/yqH7YXilHK
â Molly Priddy (@mollypriddy) May 7, 2018
Tonight's best Seattle entertainment options include: Acclaimed journalist Laura Ling's account of Life Inside a Korean Prison, 12th Avenue Arts' Good Mourning: An Interactive Arts Festival About Grief, and a live show with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Makeness