CHOP is no longer in bloom. But is it over?
CHOP is no longer in bloom. But is it over? CB

CHOP's "BLM" made out of flowers has withered: It reeks of symbolism. Here's the structure at its most fragrant:

Its pretty quiet out there...
It's pretty quiet out there today... CB

Today an "Official Account" for CHOP (it's not an official account) announced that CHOP was dead: In the statement, the account also said that "we believe Jenny Durkan has stepped up" and that everyone should reelect Ms. Durkan and that Joe Biden represents revolutionary change. Wild. Click on the image below to see the whole statement:

Somehow, KOMO ran with the tweet as a story: They reiterated that "the CHOP is now concluded," based on this random tweet. (The story was then updated to remove the embedded tweet and back peddle their claims.) While it is certainly winding down and reorganizing to areas away from Cal Anderson, like specifically around the East Precinct, demonstrators disagree that any of this is over. Capitol Hill Seattle Blog has a good overview of what went down last night. ("There are fewer people but more worries at the camp as those who remain continue to try to win new gains by holding the space they occupy.") Omari Salisbury and Converge Media have also been interviewing people on the ground:

Jamaal Bowman has declared victory over longtime (16 terms!!!) Rep. Eliot Engel: The Democratic primary in New York's 16th Congressional District is figuring itself out. "Tens of thousands of absentee ballots still remain to be counted, and the race is not likely to be called for days," notes Mother Jones, but Bowman is confident enough with the results (he currently has around a 27-point lead) that he has declared victory. Bowman, a 44-year-old former middle school principal, is a part of a wave of progressive victories in New York City. As the New York Daily News noted: "Most winners of the Tuesday primaries will have to defeat Republican candidates in November’s general election. However, in a state as deep blue as New York, that’s more of a formality than a challenge."

Today, the Seattle Public School Board voted unanimously "to suspend a partnership that stations five armed police officers at Seattle schools," reports the Seattle Times. More from Seattle Public School Board member Zachary DeWolf, via Seattle Times' Dahlia Bazzaz and Hannah Furfaro:

“This whole issue needs a restart. [SPS] will have a relationship with SPD,” DeWolf said in a Monday text message. Even without SPD officers stationed in schools, he said, “SPD will still have interactions with SPS when there is a clear danger to students or our schools, as in violent crimes or gun violence."

Jeremy Christian has been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for fatally stabbing Ricky Best and Taliesin Namkai-Meche, and wounding Micah Fletcher, on a Portland MAX train in 2017. Read more in our post here.

A federal appeals court ruled that a U.S. district judge must immediately dismiss the criminal case against Michael Flynn: Just go ahead and disregard that Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the Feds about his contact with Russia. Whatever.

COVID is spiking: We keep saying this, but... "More than 35,000 new coronavirus cases were identified across the United States on Tuesday, according to a New York Times database, the highest single-day total since late April and the third-highest total of any day of the pandemic." Cases are rising in Texas and Arizona and Florida and California and Washington... It's everywhere, people.

New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will impose quarantine on visitors from states with COVID spikes: Paging Mudede. Currently, this quarantine requirement will include visitors from southern states like Florida and Texas—oh, and Washington state.

A good, and maybe frightening (if you're a Boomer), headline from the Intelligencer: Will There Be a Kid Congressman From North Carolina? The "kid" in question is 24-year-old Madison Cawthorn, who beat his GOP challenger—backed by the President and Ted Cruz—and will face Democratic candidate Moe Davis for North Carolina’s 11th District. How did he pull off the victory? "In an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday night, Cawthorn said his primary win was a result of a strong canvassing and ground operation and a message that 'translated across generations and across ethnic groups.'"

The U.S. Senate is deadlocked over a police reform bill: While the U.S. House is expected to pass Democratic legislation tomorrow, the Republican-controlled Senate has a ways to go. Both sides are blaming each other. "We're failing at politics," said Republican Sen. Tim Scott of the debacle.

Hold up! I (Chase) have to leave a little early to go chat with Omari Salisbury for Converge Media Network's "Citizens of CHOP" podcast. The new podcast is great and you should give it a listen...


I'll drop a link once my episode goes up.