The new battleground...
The new battleground... cherylsb63/gettyimages.com

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy: Told a Senate committee that he was made aware of the destruction of sorting machines and the removal mailboxes when “everyone else was made aware.” He also stated that the agency he runs will deliver the mail-in ballots on time. This is his “number one priority." Of course, all of this makes no sense. (Read below the entry about the congressman who visited a mail processing plant in San Antonio.) What is this Trump donor really up to? What's his game? The whole bloody world knows that Trump is itching to block USPS's funding because, in his opinion, mail-in voting makes voting way too easy.

From DeJoy's prepared statement:

“While the Governors and I believe significant reforms are essential...even longstanding efficiency efforts have become a distraction from our mission of service to the public as the nation prepares to hold a presidential election in the midst of a devastating pandemic,” DeJoy wrote in his prepared statement."

Again, this business of "cost-cutting by destroying labor-saving machines" makes no sense whatsoever.

Now Would Be a Good Time for the Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to Think About: Stephen Bannon. The big story "Steve Bannon Arrested, Charged with Pocketing Private Border Wall Funds," might offer him something like a mirror of the future. If Trump does not win in November, which is very likely, there will be no pardons available for those whose wrongdoings are exposed by Biden's Department of Justice.

Sarah Cooper:

Remember the Jonestown Massacre? Remember Congressman Leo Ryan? Remember how the members of the cult behaved when the congressman visited their remote settlement? Keep all of that in mind as you read this story about a congressman who recently visited a mail processing plant in San Antonio.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, toured the main San Antonio post office Wednesday in response to concerns that President Donald Trump’s administration has implemented organizational changes at the Postal Service that have slowed deliveries. Castro confirmed after the tour that six mail sorting machines had been removed from the facility on orders “by Washington.”

But Carlos Barrios, clerk craft director for the union, said postal workers were directed to give Castro “a deceitful perception of how we’re doing things.” He said workers were told to remove large piles of delayed mail before Castro arrived. He estimated that the pile contained anywhere from 30,000 to 54,000 pieces, some of which were dated as long ago as March.

The Suitcase Human Remains? Yes, the one found in West Seattle by people looking for treasure. Well, the police have made an arrest in connection with that devil of a suitcase. The suspect is 62 years old and lives in Burien.

The Body Of a 74-year-old Man: Was found on Wednesday, August 19. The corpse, which was on the bank of a river in Mount Rainier National Park, was spotted from a helicopter. The day before, the corpse was a man who entered the park for the last time. There is nothing in death but nothing.

Auburn Police Officer Is: Charged with "second-degree murder and first-degree assault in the May 2019 fatal shooting of 26-year-old Jesse Sarey." Jeffrey Nelson is the name of the officer, and this was not the first time he fatally shot a person. It was his third time. He also had a record of using excessive force. Seattle Times reports that Nelson's case "marks only the third time a police officer in Washington has been charged for killing someone in the line of duty." The killing happened over a year ago. When it comes to cops, justice, if it moves at all, is on all fours.

Is This Good News? "Washington ferry service begins to climb back toward pre-COVID levels." Is the pandemic over? Sure, there might be a decline in virus cases, but this decline only began a few weeks ago. It is still a vulnerable, fragile improvement. In reality, there is no need to take unessential ferry trips, no need to go bowling or visit a museum. The virus is still here, and will probably remain here until serious action is taken at the federal level. Americans must give up being Americans for a few more months (if not a whole year).

On Friday, July 24: The city liberated a section of Lake Washington Boulevard from the worst form of transportation ever conceived, the car. On August 16, Charles Mudede, who had watched the remains of the day from a bench near the lapping waters of Lake Washington, saw a car ignore all of the barriers and enter the car-free boulevard at full speed. Mudede walked right in front of the violator and basically did this:

The standoff lasted about a minute. The car turned around and drove back to and passed the barriers it violated. Car people think they own the world.

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Bellen Drake

What Biden Promises to Do On His First Day in Office: Set in motion a plan that will begin drawing this needlessly long pandemic to an end. He made the promise during an acceptance speech that's receiving a lot of praise.

CNN gathered these instant reactions to the speech:

— WaPo's Philip Bump: "Trump's campaign invested an enormous amount of energy in suggesting that Biden couldn't manage to appear in public with any competence, which seems like a bar that wasn't useful to set."
— Gloria Borger on CNN: "This may be the best speech Joe Biden has ever delivered. It wasn't a convention speech, written for applause lines; it was a presidential address, even kind of a fireside chat."
— Joy Reid on MSNBC: "I think we found out tonight why Donald Trump feared him so much."
— SF Chronicle's Tal Kopan in advance of Biden's address: "It's amazing how much of this convention has been making the case that Joe Biden is just a really, really kind, caring person. That normally isn't the basis of a presidential campaign, but it says a lot about their read on this moment in America."

Also:


So, no more Sleepy Joe?

Trump Does Have a Plan to Deal With Coronavirus: But it's only on his website.

$1 Billion: The amount Trump has spent on his reelection bid.

"Black Women": Is trending this morning on Twitter.


Black women of Seattle, if you need to meet other black women and talk about the tough stuff, you can tune into the Black Women Hour on August 29. Its focus is the mental wellness black women "coz it has been a hectic time!"

Let's Close Slog AM: With a Message to the City from the poet and culture critic Ben Yisrael