
Israel's election results are too close to call: Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "virtually level" with opponent Benny Gantz. Some exit polls report Gantz being slightly ahead. Gantz is a part of the centrist Blue and White party. "Both PM Netanyahu and challenger Gantz back annexing Palestinian land," writes the Guardian.
The US Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Edward Snowden: Because they want all the proceeds of his recently released memoir. I wonder if he'll have to pay them in rubles. (I assume this wouldn't be the first time for Trump.) The memoir is titled Permanent Record and it was released today.
Something Microsoft can look forward to: I'm going to keep covering WeWork because I love a garbage fire.
My friendâs entire company is locked out of their WeWork office because an umbrella fell, jamming the door.
No one can figure it out. Itâs been like this for 2 days. pic.twitter.com/ggaUkgYRFR
â Neeraj K. Agrawal (@NeerajKA) September 17, 2019
New report shows that WeWork will try to delay IPO: "Amid suspicion it is not actually a tech company worth $47 billion," writes Gizmodo. A headline over at Slate: "All the reasons things are going very poorly for WeWork this week." And the Wall Street Journal: "WeWorkâs back is against a wall."
Timeline of the WeWork IPO
pic.twitter.com/LsVjP2Rse0
â Ted Richards (@tedrichards25) September 15, 2019
Another deadly day in Afghanistan: Multiple suicide bombings killed at least 48 people. Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attacks, reports the Washington Post. Afghanistan is experiencing a presidential race which the Taliban has "vowed to disrupt." They've called the presidential election "fake," which sounds like Trump. He'll probably call our future presidential elections "fake" soon, too.
Today's death toll in Afghanistan is par for the course: While America continues to ignore its longest war in history, "an average of 74 men, women and children were killed every day in Afghanistan throughout the month of August," the BBC reports.
Death Cab for Cutie will perform a three-night Showbox run: Their original concert was disrupted during the major September 7 thunderstorm. Death Cab's frontman Ben Gibbard has been a big #SaveTheShowbox advocate.
The boys have taken over: Have you visited Dreamboyz Espresso yet? I think they should have to wear bikinis if their female counterparts have to wear bikinis. For solidarity.
Amazon's hiring: Get in line, baby!
Friend wanted to go to an Amazon job fair. The turnout was insane. We stood in line about 40 minutes and left after we heard it was just for networking and no resumes or applications would be handled from r/SeattleWA
Corey Lewandowski, Trump's former campaign manager, turned a House Intelligence Committee hearing into a total fucking circus: It was a shit show. He straight up said "I have no obligation to be honest with the media." (In the past, he's told Democrats "I'm not answering your fucking questions.") Chairman Nadler concluded that today's hearing adds more weight to impeachment, writes CNN. "Nixon wasnât foolish to say in advance that heâs going to defy all congressional subpoenas," said Nadler, "and today we saw a witness instructed by the White House completely contemptuous of Congress who refused to answer relevant questions." Some snippets from today:
Lewandowskiâs refusal to answer our questions (under direction from @realdonaldtrump) is shameful. Itâs clear either Lewandowski lied or the President was wrong.
The American people deserve the truth and an end to the #CultureOfCorruption pic.twitter.com/ccffHcFUI5
â Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) September 17, 2019
JUST IN: House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler says that holding Corey Lewandowski "in contempt" is "certainly under consideration."
"Mr. Lewandowski, your behavior in this hearing room has been completely unacceptable." https://t.co/FHwx1geYYN pic.twitter.com/SKI47e7L9X
â ABC News (@ABC) September 17, 2019
Seattle may provide new protections for Lyft and Uber drivers: It looks like Mayor Durkan's office will introduce a proposal to set minimum pay for drivers. The administration has not yet revealed details of the plan.
We don't believe in cars here at The Stranger: But the Seattle Times does, and they have new advice on how to drive in the rain. My advice is to pull over and take the bus.
Two presidential hopefuls arrive in LA and talk about homelessness: The first, Big Boy Trump, who has promised to "do something" about homelessness. He was only briefly visiting for a campaign fundraising stop, but he made sure to throw out some vague threats of action. âWe canât let Los Angeles, San Francisco and numerous other cities destroy themselves by allowing whatâs happening,â he told reporters. Trump has repeatedly made California's homeless crisis a campaign issue, threatening to crack down on homelessness along the West Coast. "We donât need Trumpâs tough talk to compound the trauma people are dealing with,â a Los Angeles pastor recently told Guardian reporter Sam Levin.
Then there was Beto: He visited Skid Row and had an afternoon roundtable discussion.
.@BetoORourke at Skid Row, visiting the Downtown Womenâs Center pic.twitter.com/owEA1SBNZB
â Sam Levin (@SamTLevin) September 17, 2019
Speaking of that Beto, remember this Beto? Ah, what could have been.
Stranger's Rich Smith was on KUOW today: Talking about "SmartRent." He also made a good pun.
I went on the radio today to talk about landlords forcing tenants to install "home automation" devices in their apartments. I also got a chance to make a pun about this cat. https://t.co/jJnDwU7PNi
â Rich Smith đ„ (@richsssmith) September 17, 2019