Today in partnership w the @AdCouncil, @Apple, @IBM & private sector leaders our #PledgetoAmericasWorkers launched a robust ad campaign+website to connect all Americans to NEW pathways & jobs!
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) July 14, 2020
Never been a more critical time to explore new opportunities⤵️https://t.co/dRZMdZyON4 pic.twitter.com/AJ88lIlkgy
Quit day-dreaming about Phase 3 or 4 or Beyond: Gov. Jay Inslee announced today that he is temporarily pausing counties from advancing to new, more relaxed phases of the state's coronavirus restrictions. (Here's that original four-phased plan, as a refresher.) He also said that counties would have to roll back to previous phases if Washington doesn't get a grip on coronavirus infections. Heavy sigh.
Washington state reported 547 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours: Five additional deaths were also reported. This brings the total number of cases to 42,304 and the total number of deaths to 1,404, as of July 13 at 11:59 p.m.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized early this morning: She's apparently doing okay.
Polls are closing in Texas, Maine, and Alabama: The states are holding primaries and runoffs today. Jeff Sessions is out (of the race, not the closet), among other updates.
jeff sessions was the first senator to endorse trump. in exchange, he ends his political career with trump saying appointing him AG was the biggest mistake of his presidency and losing the primary to retake his old seat. pic.twitter.com/FsjUw02TPA
— David Mack (@davidmackau) July 15, 2020
This was a real Sessions tweet sent out yesterday: Sorry bub, it's over!
Less than 24 hours until Election Day. 🇺🇸 #TrustSessions #TeamSessions #StandWithSessions pic.twitter.com/YKOh8M7t2n
— Jeff Sessions (@jeffsessions) July 13, 2020
The thing that worries me the most about the theoretical post-Trump era is the threat of a QAnon caucus. The QAnon conspiracy wing of the GOP party, designated by the FBI as a "potential domestic terrorism threat," has ~12-or-so candidates running for Congress. These fuggin' ghouls are vowing, among other things, to "take [the] global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out" and defeat the Democrats who allegedly extract hormones from children's blood??? I thought we agreed to leave Pizzagate in 2016??? Some analysis from the NY Times:
Even as [GOP] party leaders publicly distance themselves from the movement, they are quietly supporting some QAnon-linked candidates — demonstrating the thin line they are trying to walk between radical elements among their base and the moderate voters they need to win over.
Precisely how many candidates are running under the banner of QAnon is somewhat open to interpretation — estimates range to more than a dozen, with many more defeated in primaries — and nearly all are expected to lose in November. Some candidates have clear connections to the movement and use its language and hashtags on social media and in real-world appearances.
And here's our president, who apparently doesn't think Black people being killed by police is a problem:
unbelievable pic.twitter.com/MLbC0hS5k7
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) July 14, 2020
Some clarification on that, via Rolling Stone:
According to studies cited by CBS News, black men are 3-3.5 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than white men. If “more” white men have been killed by law enforcement, it’s because they make up a substantially larger portion of the population.
Big if true: Using your older sibling's ID to buy booze has never been easier. At least the kids are wearing masks.
Teens are dressing up as mask-wearing grandmas to score alcohol https://t.co/UoUu5l9MdC pic.twitter.com/RvZND7V1a8
— New York Post (@nypost) July 14, 2020
Longtime incumbent Rep. Frank Chopp is up for reelection again: He's facing off against Jessi Murray and Sherae Lascelles. We're endorsing—
Okay, I know I said our primary election endorsements were going to drop tomorrow morning, but the Stranger Election Control Board's endorsement feature has been pushed back to Friday. Blame COVID-19 and/or God for the delay. Also, your ballots are being mailed to you tomorrow! Ballot drop boxes open Thursday!
Andrew Sullivan is leaving New York magazine: The announcement follows Bari Weiss' exit from the New York Times. There's a lot of speculation and groaning over their next moves.
The underlying reasons for the split are pretty self-evident, and I’ll be discussing the broader questions involved in my last column this Friday.
— Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) July 14, 2020
using same free speech arguments meanwhile they've been speaking freely in largest outlets for years, which have no obligation to publish them. Pretty hilarious.
— Michelangelo Signorile, subscribe to my newsletter (@MSignorile) July 14, 2020
Another win for WA AG Bob Ferguson & Co., via AP:
Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities, the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The officer killed after a police chase last night in Bothell has been identified: The officer, Jonathan Shoop, had been with the department for a little over a year. “I’ve worked here over 25 years and we’ve never had an officer shot,” said Bothell police Capt. Mike Johnson. The suspect was arrested early this morning.
It is with a very heavy heart that we identify our fallen officer. pic.twitter.com/wbnrlI6dLl
— Bothell Police (@BothellPolice) July 14, 2020
Amazon's got a new grocery toy: It's called the “Dash Cart,” and it "uses cameras, sensors and a scale to automatically detect and log items on a digital display behind the handle. The technology makes it possible for shoppers to leave the store without going through a traditional checkout line," reports GeekWire. These carts are expected to be used at the conventional grocery stores that Amazon has been building and acquiring, separate from its freaky Amazon Go Grocery stores.
Amazon unveils its smart shopping cart, the Amazon Dash Cart. It's scheduled to debut at a new supermarket here in Los Angeles later this year. It uses cameras, sensors and a scale to detect what shoppers are buying. It can also detect when something is removed from the cart. pic.twitter.com/G3kq8Fr6Qb
— KFI AM 640 (@KFIAM640) July 15, 2020
Need to chill? Smoke some green, then listen to Green, then read a little about it.