Good ole Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.
Good ole Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Jeff Swensen/Getty

Six more weeks of winter for us: Over in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Phil the Groundhog waddled out of his hovel and saw his shadow, meaning we're in for a late spring. However, that huge rodent has been correct—on average—only 40% of the time over the past 10 years, so take his prediction with a grain of salt. And maybe watch Groundhog Day?

Wait, I'm so satisfied: Today's date is a palindrome, 2/2/22, and you should absolutely make a wish at 2:22 pm for the heck of it. And gird yourselves, because in 20 days, the date will be 2/22/22! I'm not joking when I say that these tiny things are getting me through the day.

SPD officers "failed to de-escalate" a situation before fatally shooting a man last year: The Office of Police Accountability recommended the suspension of officers Cassidy Butler and Willard Jared for violation of SPD's de-escalation policy after they shot and killed Derek Hayden on the waterfront in February 2021, reports the Seattle Times. Interim Chief Adrian Diaz upheld the recommendation, and gave Butler a whopping one-day suspension without pay and Jared a three-day suspension without pay. Police "accountability" is going great!

The Washington D.C. Football Team gets a new name: The team, which used to go by a slur of Native Americans, will now be known as the Washington Commanders, reports the New York Times. The name is a nod to "the significant military presence in and around Washington D.C." and the team will keep the burgundy and gold colors. Kind of snoozy if you ask me!

Weather update: According to the Seattle Times, we should prepare for some potential snow and cold rain, especially at higher elevation and north of Everett. It won't last very long, but today is predicted to be the coldest day of this week.

I don't play Wordle but I love a good hack: Gizmodo outlines how to play the original Wordle offline for all you lil' word puzzle freaks.

If we go to war with Russia I swear to god.....At the recommendation of the Pentagon, President Biden is sending around 3,000 additional service members to Eastern Europe, reports WaPo. The temporary move is apparently "intended to reassure NATO allies" over fears that Russia is prepping to invade Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, says America is goading him into the confrontation. And Ukrainians? They're fucking getting ready.

If there is one thing private security guards can do, it's handle systemic problems with policing and homelessness downtown: Due to SPD's supposed "staffing shortage," the Downtown Seattle Association has hired private unarmed guards to protect property on Third Ave between Stewart and Union, reports KOMO. Click through for rants on how our city has just "gone to Hell" because of the "riots," COVID, and supply chain shortages.

Something is rumbling under the Three Sisters volcanic region: Scientists are saying that lava is filling a space underneath the Three Sisters volcanos after recording a ground uplift of one inch in the area over the past year, reports KING 5. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're gonna blow (thank god). Geophysicist Emily Montgomery-Brown says an eruption is not expected.

Let's check in on the Sylvia Plath Twitter bot shall we? Seems to be doing ok!

Whoopi Goldberg is suspended from The View for two weeks after saying on the show that race wasn't a factor during the Holocaust, reports NPR. (How did that even come up?) Whoopi apologized, but ABC News president Kim Godwin says she asked the host to "take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments."

Shooting near the King County Courthouse this morning: Police said an approximately 34-year-old man was shot around 6 am. He was then transported to Harborview Medical Center by the fire department, reports KING 5. The story is breaking and details are scant, but the man is apparently in stable condition.

In Washington, a new rule says insurance companies can no longer use your shitty credit score against you: The ban prohibits insurers "from using credit scoring to set rates for auto, homeowner and renter insurance for three years after the end of pandemic-related federal and state emergency declarations on the issue, whichever is longer," reports AP. State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler adopted the rule yesterday and it will take effect on March 4.

The battle over the name "Lady A" appears to have come to an end: Michael Rietmulder at the Seattle Times reports Seattle blues singer Lady A and the country group f.k.a. Lady Antebellum have filed a joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit over use of the name. It's still not clear if a settlement had been reached between the two groups.

A Megan Thee Stallion x Adele collab? It could happen sooner than you think.

RIP Monica Vitti: The so-called "queen of Italian cinema" is dead at 90. I think about her against the craggy Italian coast in L'Avventura often. Rest in peace!

For your listening pleasure: Porches' "Swimming Big."