Lots of these in Ballard and Magnolia, apparently.
Lots of these in Ballard and Magnolia, allegedly. JENS SCHLUETER / GETTY IMAGES

Today, Washington reported 762 coronavirus cases and 14 deaths as of Wednesday night. We have officially crossed the 50,000 case mark, with a total of 50,009 cases and 1,482 deaths in the state.

Shit hath goneth down at the Seattle Children's Museum: COVID-19 came and closed their doors. The Paycheck Protection Program brought some employees back. The director's deletion of "Black Lives Matter" from the museum's social media posts caused controversy among the staff. The PPP money runneth dry. Layoffs happened. Brendan Kiley breaks down the dirt here.

Gov. Inslee announced new restrictions that impact bars, gyms, and indoor dining: The restrictions are very...specific. Here's Rich Smith with more info:

The Governor's new orders limit indoor dining to members of the same household sitting at the same table, but people can still dine outdoors with others outside their household.

All bars must close for indoor service no matter if they serve food, and alcohol service in restaurants must end at 10:00 p.m.

Counties currently in Phase 3 must reduce table sizes to no more than five people, and reduce indoor occupancy to 50%.

Those restrictions on restaurants and bars take effect on July 30. Inslee said public health officials believe "indoor facilities are the most problematic" in terms of COVID transmission, and added that these measures are a "realistic if somewhat nuanced way to reduce the transmission that could go on in restaurants.”

Get the skinny here.

We agree with Lindsey: Fucking yikes.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said Twitter is exploring a subscription model: The company is "actively exploring additional ways to make money from its users," reports CNN Business. One of those ways could be a paid version of Twitter. Dorsey said the exploration is in its "very, very early phases." More:

Earlier this month, rumors flared about a paid Twitter option after the company posted a job opening focused on building a subscription platform codenamed "Gryphon." Twitter's stock surged at the time, signaling investor appetite for the company to find new revenue streams.

Shares of Twitter rose 4% in early trading Thursday following the earnings results.

The 18-year-old shot during a massive gunfight on 23rd and E Cherry on Tuesday has died from injuries sustained during the incident: The victim's identity is still unknown, reports CHS Blog.

Well hoo dee doo: "Ballard and Magnolia lead Seattle in mask use, survey finds." The survey, it should be noted, is self-reported. So Ballardites and Magnolia-ers(?) say they wear masks more than Fremonters and Capitol Hillebrities and Phinney Ridgettes.

The New York Times acquired podcasting company Serial Productions for an undisclosed amount of money: The Times has also entered "an ongoing creative and strategic alliance” with This American Life meaning the entities will collab on marketing and advertising efforts. Oh goodie. Read more details on the deal here.

We're surprised Dr. Anthony Fauci leaves his house to do anything other than roast politicians for being dumbasses about coronavirus: But here he is throwing the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game. Nothing is more American than baseball, we suppose, but rampant community spread has got to be a close second at this point.

The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (OIG) is looking into federal officer response in Portland: Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced that his office has "opened an investigation into use of force allegations involving DOJ law enforcement personnel in Portland, Oregon in July 2020." The OIG's inquiry will also include the DOJ's response to mass protests in Washington D.C. and agents' use of tear gas and other less-lethal munitions, reports NPR.

The Council legislation which bans "crowd control" tools, like tear gas and pepper spray, goes into effect this weekend: Chief Best isn't happy about it. Here's an excerpt from a letter to the City Council today:

Some have asked why officers are not arresting those engaging in criminal behavior, as officers do every day, and as they have in recent protests. If it is safe to do so, and even when it places their lives in danger, our officers always directly address criminal behavior. They do this, however, when they know they have the tools shown to allow the safe use of their policing powers. This Council ordinance denies them access to these tools that have been an essential part of their court-approved tactics.

We have clear, court-mandated procedures for arresting individuals, grounded in the principles of deescalation. SPD’s de-escalation principles are premised on the expectation, consistent with policy and best practices, that officers have the full array of approved tools. In large crowds, there is no safe way for officers to effect arrests when their colleagues do not have the tools necessary to protect them.

As City Council’s legislation goes into effect, it will create even more dangerous circumstances for our officers to intervene using what they have left – riot shields and riot batons.

For these reasons, SPD will have an adjusted deployment in response to any demonstrations this weekend. The Council legislation gives officers no ability to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large, violent crowd. Allowing this behavior deeply troubles me, but I am duty-bound to follow the Council legislation once it is in effect. If the Council is prepared to suggest a different response or interpretation of the legislation, I stand ready to receive it.

Read the full letter here. Is it too much to ask for a police chief who can protect property without resorting to chemical weapons banned in war? This false dichotomy (it's either property damage or it's tear gas) ain't it, chief!

And I oop—two more SPD officers appear to break election law by using a non-residential address to vote: This revelation comes after the South Seattle Emerald broke news on Monday that six SPD officers—including President of Seattle Police Officers Guild Michael Sloan—registered to vote using their precinct address. Here's an update via Carolyn Bick at the Emerald:

As of Thursday, July 23, both Officers John Gardenhire and Duane Hendrix are registered to vote using the address of the nonprofit the Seattle Police Athletic Association (SPAA) in Tukwila, Washington. The address is also affiliated with the nonprofit Retired Seattle Police Canine Fund, according to the Secretary of State’s website. Both officers appear to have been registered there since 2018, according to data from King County Elections.

Headline of the day: "Stephen Miller’s Grandmother Died of COVID-19. Her Son Blames the Trump Administration."

President Donald Trump cancels the Jacksonville, FL portion of the Republican National Convention: Thank God. This announcement comes as coronavirus case counts in the Sunshine State continue to rise and a greater number of Republicans have decided to skip the gathering because of it. A smaller component of the convention involving delegates is still slated to happen in Charlotte, NC, but Trump's big keynote speech has been 86'd. Watch him bloviate about it, if that's what you're into:

More sports team name news: That football team from the other Washington dropped the slur from its name last week and, this week, announced its decision to go by "Washington Football Team" pending acquiring a new name. Huh. The team will not change its color scheme and the logo on the helmet will be replaced by each player's number in gold, says ESPN. WFT hopes to scrub all other traces of its former name and logo by its regular season opener on September 13.

ICYMI: AOC 1, Ted Yoho 0.