We just killed a bunch of people. The leader of ISIS is dead, Biden says, having killed himself during an attack by US soldiers in Syria. Rescue workers say thirteen adults and six children were also killed. Coincidentally, yesterday Patty Murray introduced a bill that would allow Congress to block the sale of weapons to countries that "commit war crimes against kids or innocent civilians." Spiderman pointing at himself dot gif.
Let’s goooooo. Washington’s dumb off-year legislative sessions are the worst, but at least they’re over quickly. While we wait to see which contestants (bills) made it through to the final round in the beauty pageant (passed out of committee), there’s lots of suspense over whether we’ll get a transportation package passed this year. A coalition of nearly two dozen mobility orgs just released a letter urging more spending on sustainable transpo projects. Good stuff in there. The senate transpo committee will meet all this week and next to hear various bills while also trying to hammer out a deal.
Washington threw out Black votes at four times the rate of white votes. One in forty Black voters had their ballots thrown out in Washington in 2020. Other minority groups were disproportionately disqualified as well. It’s hard to say exactly why this is happening — the people inspecting ballots have no information about the voter’s race — but there’s some speculation that it’s somehow connected to signature inspection.
Somebody please take Lola home. Look at that face. Look at it!!!
Lola is a soft and beautiful 7-year-old kitty with a cute little mew. She just arrived at Seattle Humane and is still settling in. Lola warms up with good pets, and she would love for her family to provide her with lots of good perches for bird watching! https://t.co/5V874FbFyF pic.twitter.com/LyrsslaQsJ
— Seattle Humane (@SeattleHumane) February 2, 2022
Hey Seattle what’s up with all the bigoted graffiti? First that MLK Jr mural was defaced, now Jewish Family Service got targeted. The city helped clean up the wall, but there’s clearly a larger problem here that someone’s throwing up racist, anti-Semitic graffiti around the city.
Thank God, an excuse to not eat salad. Got any Wish-Bone salad dressing in the house? Check the label — a batch of thousand island and blue cheese dressings have been recalled due to “undeclared egg,” which is also an excellent name for a band.
Vote vote vote vote. Starting tomorrow, Amazon workers in Alabama will vote (again) on whether to form a union. Didn’t they already do that? Yes, and then Amazon interfered, leading the National Labor Relations Board to order a do-over. Meanwhile, Starbucks workers in LA just announced plans to unionize.
NEW: Amazon workers are about to launch their historic union election re-run in Alabama.
This time, workers say they are openly organizing and confronting union-busters at the warehouse.
"That has done wonders...to shift the attitude toward the union," they told @GrimKim. pic.twitter.com/ZhpCNqhDm0
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) February 1, 2022
Speaking of unions … If you’d like to organize your workplace, check out this online training session that launches in March.
Let's get organized!
The EWOC Organizer Training Series will pump up your skills at agitating in the workplace for better conditions.
Fasten that headband, pull up your ankle warmers, and sign up to begin your training today! Begins March 9.
💪🏋️🏃https://t.co/OVx4s7Lt4w pic.twitter.com/1ozzJC2b6k
— Emergency Workplace Organizing (@organizeworkers) February 2, 2022
This is your chance, NUMTOTs. Washington State DOT is looking for a few good interns right now. Okay kids, you know what to do — get in there and make sure the next generation of engineers is dedicated to the demolition of highways.
Happy Museum Month! Guests at certain downtown hotels get half-off admission to local museums, which is the least the city can offer in exchange for visiting during the rainy season. Various art museums, MoPOP, the Science Center, and the aquarium and zoo are all participating. It’s a great list, and now I’m thinking I might just book a night somewhere just to have a reason to visit all these places I’ve been meaning to check out.
What’s to be done about Wallingford? A small group of residents are trying to have the entire neighborhood designated a historic zone so that they can preserve the racist red-line zoning of a hundred years ago, and keep out the filthy poors. Another group of neighbors is trying to stop them. Should be a spicy community meeting tonight.
please join us tomorrow at 7pm to discuss what to do about Historic Wallingford. this group of 7 NIMBYs who have gone insane since their neighborhood was barely upzoned are looking to get some phony historic district to be excluded from zoning changes https://t.co/dFFJN0g7uk
— Pushing The Needle (@pushtheneedle) February 3, 2022
Check your contractor. If your home has sustained damage during recent storms or flooding, look out for unlicensed contractors who might make things worse. Whatcom County is sounding the alarm on unscrupulous construction companies, and recommends checking with a handy state database to make sure whoever you hire to repair your home is actually licensed and bonded.
Alex Pedersen orders off the menu. Bicycle advisory board members — all volunteers — say they spent 17 hours interviewing candidates for an open seat. Then CM Pedersen’s office went and picked someone none of the board members had met with.
Hello, new neighbors. Check out this handsome development planned for Chinatown, just a few blocks from The Stranger offices. Nine stories, 238 units, no parking. Alas, it’s exempt from affordability requirements due to its location in a historic district.
OZ Navigator is the developer of the project. They're hoping to break ground this fall and open in late 2024. https://t.co/ShgFU5IHIH pic.twitter.com/jcLOiutzbd
— The Urbanist (@UrbanistOrg) February 3, 2022
Here come some rent reforms. A bill that prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to pay their rent online — a process that can often come with additional fees — passed the Senate yesterday. Now a House bill, HB 1904, which would require six months’ notice for major rent increases, which are sometimes used as de facto economic evictions, is up for consideration.
Leave home. If you’re feeling particularly cooped up inside lately, now’s a fine time to volunteer with the teams that restore Washington’s parks. With the most extreme winter weather (mostly) behind us, it’s time to tidy.
Winter trail damage has occurred across the Forest. Volunteering with the Olympic NF is a great way to meet people and help make a difference for all visitors.
Volunteer with ushttps://t.co/0DBbyA2xIr
Jai Lust
Wilderness and Trails Coordinator
jai.lust@usda.gov pic.twitter.com/IScWATuKYS
— Olympic National Forest (@olympicforest) February 2, 2022
Calling all queer elders. Do you know any elder-gays or senior-lesbians? People who were denied the right to marry and could not access Social Security benefits for deceased partners are now eligible for compensation from the federal government. There’s just one problem — the government isn’t doing much to tell them. It’s up to them to check. So if you know widows or widowers, pass this article along to them.
You're going to make it after all. My colleagues often end these roundups with a song, something I've been meaning to copy but keep forgetting about. Well! There must be something in the air this morning, because I've finally remembered. Here is Joan Jett covering the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme.