Jenny, where do your loyalties lie?
Jenny, where do your loyalties lie? Nate Gowdy

Caught between a rock and a head tax: The stakes are high from Mayor Jenny Durkan. Seattle faces a homelessness crisis that’s 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.“Durkan’s dilemma,” as the Seattle Times puts it, is what choice she should make here — 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 can’t 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.



Donald Glover is the best artist of our time: I’m stating it like it’s fact because, really, how can you argue with it? He put out a new song yesterday and it’s incredible. Charles Mudede did a write up that you should read. Here’s the music video that you should watch. Forget whatever Kanye is doing. This is art. This is a message.


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.: We’re lucky here in Washington state; we have net neutrality since we’ve got Attorney General Bob Ferguson on our side. The rest of the nation isn’t so lucky. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) brought a bunch of Seattle tech company leaders to D.C. to help save net neutrality. There’s 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, U2’s guitarist, are backing the Seattle-based so-called “Uber for truckers,” Convoy. It’s an app that connects truckers to shippers looking to move freight. Bono and The Edge love trucks. But, they’re 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, Amazon’s company music group is the biggest in tech, but it’s certainly not the only one. Googapella (gag me) is Google’s acappella group. Facebook has a jazz ensemble. I don’t know what it’s called but I’d like to think it’s 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 “fatally flawed.” Iran said the U.S. would regret its decision if it didn’t 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. “The amount of sea ice in the Bering Sea was lower this winter than any year since whaling vessels began keeping written records in 1850,” writes the Independent.

Here’s some more weather for you: I know how you love the weather. You’re a slut for it.


No hidden rooms in King Tut’s temple, it turns out: Egypt’s antiquities minister said that new radar scans have revealed there are no secret rooms lurking in King Tutankhamun’s burial chamber. But, isn’t that exactly what you’d want grave robbers to think? Nice try, Egypt.

Happy Monday, this thing exists:


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