New ruling will allow states to give public money to religious schools if they already allow public money to go to private schools.
New ruling will allow states to give public money to religious schools if they already allow public money to go to private schools. ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES

The President said he wasn't briefed on Russian scheme to kill U.S. troops: The New York Times reports that he was, and now we know when. The written briefing was delivered in late February as part of the President's Daily Brief, which he famously doesn't read and doesn't understand. The president's lack of a response to Russians putting bounties on the heads of U.S. soldiers has allegedly provoked "concern" in at least two Republicans, though most are dismissing the issue outright.

Speaking of the Times, they're uppercasing the B in Black now: Many people are saying the move will more than make up for all the racist shit the paper has done in the past.

SCOTUS rules in favor of public funding for religious schools: After delivering three surprisingly good rulings that secured abortion rights, temporarily preserved DACA, and extended LGBTQ employment protections nationwide, the churchy majority on the Supreme Court is back on its bullshit. "The decision was a big win for school choice advocates such as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who favor government support of students seeking faith-based education. Public school advocates said such programs take away resources that should be used to improve the systems," reports the Washington Post.

As coronavirus cases surge across the south and west, Dr. Fauci and other health officials testify before the Senate on whether its safe to return to work and to school:

We've got primaries in Colorado, Utah, and Oklahoma today: And Politico has five things to watch, including a must-win Colorado Senate race between a progressive and an establishment Dem, Oklahoma Democrats defending seats they flipped in 2018, and a showdown to defend the "legacy" of a Utah Republican Congressman.

Bummer:

Carl Reiner is dead: According to the New York Times. The legendary comic actor, writer, and director lived to be 98.

Another CHOP lawsuit: A real estate lawyer who refused to reveal how many plaintiffs have joined a lawsuit seeking class status told KIRO that Mayor Jenny Durkan and Gov. Jay Inslee violated constitutional rights of those who live, work and pass through the area by allowing the CHOP.

Downtown Puyallup evacuated due to gas leak: "A construction crew hit a gas line in the area," reports King 5.

Washington may need to borrow federal money to cover unemployment: The state’s unemployment trust fund is expected to run out by late 2020 or early 2021, according to the Seattle Times. But benefits “never run out,” the state Employment Security Department says. Would that we could borrow federal money to solve the housing crisis, cover health care benefits for everyone in Washington, and replace the god damned culverts!!!!!

The anti-mask tea shop owner apologizes: The owner of the Fremont shop had posted a sign that read, “Please remove your mask.” Now he says the sign was “put up as part of a debate about these issues within this business and with our customers—something we have been doing since the onset of COVID-19," reports KIRO. Who knew mask-wearing was such a complex issue among the owners and patrons of inelegantly named tea stores?

Crew member at West Seattle Trader Joe's tests positive for COVID-19: The employee last worked Thursday June 25, Trader Joe’s told West Seattle Blog.

“They’re having a hard time breathing, just feeling like death.” That’s how charge nurse Tritico Saranathan described younger patients fighting COVID-19 at Houston Methodist Hospital. Saranathan told the New York Times “she had noticed that patients were younger than those first hit by the coronavirus several months ago. ‘We’re seeing a lot of people in their 30s — they’re out there partying and not wearing their masks,’ she said. ‘As soon as the city opened up, they were very eager to go to the bars, to the clubs, to the restaurants, just to hang out in groups. And no one was social distancing or wearing a mask.’"

"This is getting serious:" Seattle - King County public health officer Dr. Jeff Duchin urges people to "do the right thing and care" as cases are rising and a holiday is approaching.

Traffic is back:

More evidence that the protests didn't drive the coronavirus surge: Trackers linked "less than 5% of 1,008 total positive cases to people who attended protests" in King County during the 19-day June window they observed, reports the Seattle Times.

Wear your mask to see the jellies: The Seattle Aquarium is back, says the Times. Uh, yay, I guess.

Body of missing skier found: Officials found the body of a skier who had been missing since Friday. He was the “third person to go missing in a little over a week at Mount Rainier,” King 5 reports.

Good job, Spokane City Council:

Man allegedly shoots and kills woman in North Seattle: Police say it was domestic violence, according to the Seattle Times.

Tribes say insurance providers are screwing them over on COVID-19 losses: Civil claims from the Suquamish and Port Gamble S'Klallam tribes say the tribes bought $50 million of coverage that should have covered losses due to the pandemic, the AP reports.

Recertification begins on the 737 MAX: A Federal Aviation Administration pilot flew a Boeing 737 MAX over Washington on Monday. Test flights over the next three days will determine whether the Boeing 737 MAX is re-certified, says the Seattle Times.