June 1, 2020, right before the pink umbrella incident.
June 1, 2020, right before the "pink umbrella incident." Rich Smith

Accountability is expensive: Two months ago, Seattle Police Department's Interim Chief Adrian Diaz demoted Assistant Chief Steve Hirjak to just Captain Steve Hirjak after determining he was responsible for SPD's disproportionally aggressive response to Capitol Hill protesters on June 1, 2020. (Maybe you remember that pink umbrella incident?) Now, Captain Hirjak has filed a $5.48 million discrimination and retaliation claim against the city, saying Diaz used him as a scapegoat, reports the Seattle Times.

Hirjak and his lawyer argue that SPD's Lt. John Brooks was actually responsible for the department's tear gas and blast ball use that day. Their claim is supported by the Office of Police Accountability's findings, as Publicola highlights in this post today. Hirjak, the department's first Asian American assistant chief, accused Diaz of discriminating against him based on race. Brooks is white, and Hirjak's lawyer submitted a letter alleging a history of preferential treatment toward white officers at the department, uploaded by the Times.

While we wait for comment from Seattle police spokespeople, let's take a moment and remember how we got here...

Teenage Dick is coming to the Seattle Repertory Theatre: It's a play. Calm down.

Another player enters the Capitol Hill grocery wars: It's feast or famine in Seattle, with some areas like South Seattle, which "may in fact be a food desert," and other areas like Capitol Hill, which has Amazon (Amazon Go, Whole Foods) fighting Hanahreum (H Mart) fighting Kroger (QFC) fighting Albertsons (Safeway) fighting Mr. Theo Albrecht (Trader Joe's) for neighborhood grocery supremacy. Now Capitol Hill will have another player, although this one is much more homespun. Local entrepreneur Jayne Truesdell will open The Naked Grocer on the block next to Rudy's and Fogon, reports Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. I'm sure the neighborhood is happy to have a smaller grocery option, but we need to spread out the veggies, Seattle.

Also, what James said:

Big Boy Biden issued tough new rules for federal employees who are vaccine-hesitant: Today he ordered every gov employee (all four million) to get vaccinated or subject themselves to mandated masking, weekly testing, and social distancing.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson reconsiders his commitment to doing nothing: And decides to do basically nothing.

Gov. Hutchinson of Arkansas has rightly declared a state of emergency over the shockingly high number COVID cases racing through his state... BUT! He is not asking for a single mandate or protective measure to slow the spread. Sounds like a plan!

Welp: Thanks to a ruling by the Supreme Court, the Biden administration says it will be forced to let the nationwide moratorium on evictions expire at the end of the month (that's SATURDAY)โ€”but is asking Congress to step in and pass their own extension.

Another example of Catholic malfeasance: "Theodore McCarrick, once a high-ranking American cardinal, charged with sexually assaulting teen."

In other legal news, a former cop who was indicted for participating in the Jan 6 domestic terror attack on the Capitol will remain in jail after it was discovered he'd gone on a "shopping spree," purchasing nearly three dozen high-powered assault weapons.

FYI: "The jet man is back."

ScarJo vs. Streaming: Claiming a "breach of contract" that she said deprived her of potential earnings, Scarlett Johansson has decided to sue the Walt Disney Co. for allowing a streaming release of Black Widow, instead of opening it exclusively in theaters.

This is officially your two-day warning to prep your bowels: This Saturday, for just $15.50, you could wreck yourself with an indulgent three-course meal: first, an onigiri with a Thai iced tea; second, a teriyaki shrimp skewer with a pint of local beer; finally, finish it off with four mini cream puffs. Or you could go a more druggy route and spend $9 and get two weed gummies, two CBD joints, a pizza slice, and a chocolate chip cookie. I can go on. This cheap and delicious madness is brought to you by the Chinatown-International District's popular Food Walk Series, which returns this Saturday to finish up the neighborhood's #WelcomeBackWeek festivities. Businesses across the CID are offering food at prices ranging from two to eight dollars. Mix and match to have a feast for under twenty bucks.

While you're hopping around the CID, I recommend checking out Gift Shop, where my favorite onigiri pop-up, Sankaku, just announced a residency. Pass through and pick up some triangle treatsโ€”I recommend the salty ume or salmon onigiris. I also recommend, uh, everything.

Looking for more things to do on Friday or Saturday? Maybe check out Ahamefule J. Oluo and Sheridan Riley's new band, Insect Revenge, at Retail Therapy? Or a Princess Bride outdoor screening at the Seattle Center?

Vax? Vax.

Mask? Mask.

Bop? Bop.