The world isnt doing so great right now, but these turtles I saw at Seward Park over the weekend, however, are doing great.
The world isn't doing so great right now, but these turtles I saw at Seward Park over the weekend are doing great. RS

Trump was not kidding when he told the crowd at a campaign rally in Tulsa that his administration deliberately slowed down the federal government's COVID-19 testing program to keep numbers down, Politico reports. "I don’t kid," he said. This admission contradicts the defenses offered up by the President's staff and his Vice President.

Nearly 120,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus, according to the latest count from the Centers for Disease Control. Nearly 2.3 million have been infected. Of the world's developed countries, the U.S. is doing the worst at this, argues Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times.

.....Guilty:

The University of Michigan no longer wants to host Trump-Biden debate: The university is reportedly pulling out of the October debate because of concerns about coronavirus, according to the New York Times.

Steel yourselves for this hell: “A close race between President Trump and former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, in a pivotal state could take days, even weeks, to resolve, election officials across the country are warning," according to the Washington Post, assuming that state switches to mail-in voting.

Trump and Democrats want to send you another check: But "leading congressional Republicans and some senior White House officials remain skeptical of sending more checks, creating a rift within conservative circles that could have significant consequences for the stimulus package set to be taken up by lawmakers in July," reports the Washington Post.

"I HAVE A BLACK HUSBAND," screams a Seattle woman after allegedly cutting off a Black person in her car:

ICYMI, Washington Rep. Derek Kilmer signed a letter supporting Social Security cuts: Now he's trying to walk it back, according to The Intercept. Kilmer, the chair of the conservative New Democrat Coalition, is facing a primary challenge from Rebecca Parson, who isn't trying to have it both ways on whether she supports cuts to Social Security benefits packages. She supports Medicare for All and a Green New Deal.

Flower World is under state investigation: For telling employees not to wear masks because of "an inherent danger to the wearer." A letter to employees said masks could be "a source for infection" if not worn or handled properly, Q13 reports. Huge bummer, as my friends with lots of plants say the large shop was a clutch spot for premium flora acquisitions.

Two more free days for state parks: Normally you need a Discover Pass to park at Washington State Parks, but on September 13 and October 10 you won't need one. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission said they added the two extra free days to the calendar due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to King 5.

Fake press release claims SAM will close, transfer assets to BIPOC organizations: The faux release led to a day of calls to Wa Na Wari, one of the Black-led arts organizations listed in the message. “Fiction or not, it’s actually calling on us as a community to rethink how people engage with art and culture and how we can all work together in community and what a shared wealth framework would look like," said Wa Na Wari co-founder Elisheba Johnson, according to the Seattle Times.

I saw, I laughed, I'm sharing:



Family of pepper-sprayed child and woman struck in eye by rubber bullet condemn SPD: The child's family plans to "file multiple lawsuits against the city of Seattle, the officers who pepper-sprayed the family, and 'those that refused to intervene in the aftermath'," the Seattle Times reports.

Evan Hreha caught video of the young boy* after cops allegedly sprayed him: Hreha was later jailed for allegedly pointing a laser at cops during another protest. Hreha said he didn't do it, and added that the possibility of a retaliatory arrest for shooting the now-viral video was "not a stretch." On Monday, Hreha's lawyer, who is also representing two other injured protesters, wrote a letter to Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes and King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg asking them to not file charges in the case. (*The Stranger misgendered the kid in our initial report of the incident, a mistake editors sorely regret).

At least one man is in the hospital: After another shooting in Cal Anderson Park early this morning. CHS Blog reports that an ambulance drove the victim to the hospital, and that "a possible second shooting victim arrived at Harborview via private vehicle" after shots rang out again. Last night, well before this morning's shootings, protesters near the Capitol Hill Organized Protest rearranged city-installed barriers to shrink their own perimeter to the block around the East Precinct.

Just brushing up on old Seattle gangland shit: For no particular reason, other than the fact that cops reportedly called the gang unit to the scene after Sunday night's shooting.

"He came from a part of Seattle where it was tough to survive:" Lorenzo Anderson found a home at YEP, an alternative high school, where teachers and classmates adored him, reports the Seattle Times. Anderson was killed in an early morning shooting near the CHOP Saturday.