Make my coffee UNION STRONG (but like actually not strong because thats not really my taste but I like the saying and agree with the sentiment)
Make my coffee UNION STRONG (but like actually not strong because that's not really my taste but I like the saying and agree with the sentiment) SYDNEY DURKIN

STRIKE! Starbucks workers at the 5th and Pine location and those at the Eastlake location will picket outside their stores at peak hours today to protest unfair labor practices and union busting. According to a press release from Starbucks Workers United, the 5th and Pine workers will be at it for three days to make sure over 20,000 attendees at this weekend's convention get a good look at how Starbucks is treating it workers. As barista Natalie Mattera said, "We are the heart of this company and we deserve to be treated as such.”

Phony doctor: Seattle-based physician, Dr. Tami Meraglia claimed her stem cell treatments could help cure COVID-19, heart failure, Parkinson’s disease, and more. Sounds pretty good. Almost too good. The Attorney General called bullshit on Meraglia's claims, accusing her of deceptive business practices. For context, Meraglia is not uniquely evil. KIRO 7 spoke with Dr. Charles Murry, University of Washington stem cell researcher, who said to be weary of anyone trying to get you to pay for stem cell therapy because it is likely a scam.

Think about business: State lawmakers are on the hunt for catalytic converter thieves, but some business lobbyist thinks the new law will hurt auto wreckers because it prohibits buying cars with cash, which wreckers often do. Interesting to see some diversity in the business community. A lobbyist that doesn't want to crack down of theft.

Lisa, blink twice if you need help: Seattle's darling Jonathan Choe cornered Councilmember Lisa Herbold yesterday. He asked her pretty normal questions tbh, and all stuff he would know if he watched council, got press releases, or just read the news. She did her best to catch Choe up to speed before someone rescued her from a clearly very uncomfortable interaction. I would be scared to be on the other side of Choe's camera too after that Proud Boys montage.

Also, this is what Herbold was doing that day: The Seattle Fire Department got a huge pat on the back from the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau. The bureau gave SFD the top protection class rating and said the department ranked among the top 1% of fire departments nationwide. According to The Seattle Times, this could be good news for property owners. Insurance companies use this distinction to determine the cost of premiums.

Today's the day: In case you missed it, M2M (which is H-Mart Lite, pretty much) will open today in Capitol Hill. For some, this is bigger than the new light rail stations opening last year, or the eventual re-opening of the West Seattle Bridge.

Mom, can you pay for my jail time? Washington ended a very stupid, inequitable law that made parents foot the bill for their child's incarceration. Imagine. Your child gives you a huge headache by committing a crime, the state tears them away from you and puts them in a system known for horrible conditions that set people up to come back, and then you have to pay for it. I'm sick. According to the South Seattle Emerald, the average fee is around $500 a month, but just 242 Washington families paying this fee for their kids owed a collective $1.1 million.

Go see a play! Last night, I saw a play for the first time since the start of the pandemic. As a former theatre kid and current loser, I love plays. I went to Cornish's New Play Festival and saw a double feature with a cute, fun opener about Christmas and having a crazy mom followed by a much more serious closer about grappling with anti-Asian violence as an Asian American. If you're looking for something to do, maybe check it out.

Checking in on Tacoma: We talk an awful lot about Seattle City Council here on the blog, but if you're a resident of the great city of Tacoma (or just a regional politics nerd, I guess) here's an interview recapping the first four months in office for Tacoma's newest council members.

Shma-shmortion: Planned Parenthood is setting up shop in a town right on the Oregon/Idaho border for no reason. No reason at all. Not like there's some nationwide surge in forcing people with unwanted pregnancies to seek more dangerous, illegal abortions. Or like Idaho just fucked over everyone with a uterus within its borders. Anyway, just leaving this link here. And totally unrelated, if you live on the Idaho side of the Washington-Idaho border and feel like taking a trip to experience Eastern Washington and its laws, I can find you a place to stay!

Democrat donor and killer: Some guy in LA got sentenced to 30 years for injecting two men with lethal doses of methamphetamine as part of a "fetish that turned fatal," said the AP. The AP emphasized that the man was a white gay guy and big donor to Democrats, LGBTQ organizations, and animal rights causes. This seems sorta unrelated to him luring drug-dependent men to their deaths, but it is a fun framing.

Free Palestine: Thousands of Palestinians gathered at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem to celebrate Ramadan. This site, significant to Palestinians and Israelis, has often been the stage for conflict. This time, with Ramadan coinciding with Passover, tension were particularly high. The Israeli police wounded 150 Palestinians and killed at least 25, making it the most serious violence at the site in nearly a year, according to the AP.

"Were you silent or were you silenced?" After a huge public falling out, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met with the queen for the first time in two years. This is big. They didn't even attend the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral last year. The Duke and Duchess may have made the visit to see grandma before it's too late — the queen missed the annual Royal Maundy service for the first time since 1970 a few days ago, and she's expected to skip Easter, too.

A song for your Friday: Because the Swifties convinced me that Speak Now (Taylor's Version) will be the next in Ms. Swift's re-recordings, here is my favorite misogynist anthem from her most unhinged album, named for a seemingly not self-aware song about hating on someone's fiancé, interrupting their wedding, and stealing the groom. I love this woman.