It’s Election Day! Sure, in February. It’s considered one of our Very Particular Elections—the lower-turnout elections the place our metropolis council tends to shove progressive initiatives they wish to let die. This time, that challenge is social housing. So don’t allow them to kill it. As of this morning, voter turnout was solely at 21 p.c, which is dangerous even for a non-November election. And based mostly on this ballot not less than, this election is tight. So go discover your poll underneath that pile of payments and coupons you swear you’re gonna bear in mind to make use of, fill it out (right here’s how), and get it within the poll drop field earlier than 8 pm tonight. You additionally get to vote to fund our colleges! Yay!
Poll Troubles? We bought you. Should you didn’t obtain a poll within the mail, you’ll be able to nonetheless go to the vote middle in Renton to register and vote day-of. Want a fast and simple runthrough of the poll? We bought you there too. Feeling like college funding and social housing are pointless when the entire nation is kinda on fireplace? Say the serenity prayer a few instances, seize a blue or black pen, and do not forget that native elections nonetheless matter even when the world is burning.
Climate: It’s nonetheless chilly! Unusually chilly. Highs round 38, lows within the mid to low 20s. We’re in a chilly climate advisory till tomorrow morning—teetering on the sting of hitting file lows for February. So the standard reminders: When you’ve got them, put on all the lovable winter equipment you by no means get to put on in a typical Seattle winter; Preserve your pets in a heat, cozy place; And use the King County Regional Homelessness Authority’s assets should you want them.
Planes Preserve Crashing: I believe I converse for everybody what I say: what the precise fuck is occurring with airplanes proper now. Yesterday, a non-public jet was touchdown in Scottsdale, AZ, when a part of its touchdown gear failed. It veered right into a parked jet, killing one individual on affect. That is the fourth deadly airplane crash because the 12 months started (FIVE WEEKS AGO). In January, a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airways jet collided mid-air close to Dulles, killing all 67 individuals on these plane. Seven individuals have been killed after a aircraft crashed close to a shopping mall in Philadelphia. And 10 individuals died in a aircraft crash in Alaska final Thursday. Specialists say air journey remains to be technically the most secure type of journey, however I’m nonetheless googling Amtrak ticket costs today.
Fast Hits: Trump’s administration is transferring so rapidly that it could actually really feel not possible to maintain up, however as a result of a lot of the protection is guessing what he may do subsequent, a few of them actually can simply be one liners. Let’s get by way of these first: Trump has been joking about operating for a 3rd time period once more, however the Occasions isn’t certain if it’s a joke. New tariffs are more likely to make something fabricated from metallic dearer. Trump is assembly with Jordan’s King at present to place stress on him to simply accept displaced Gazans. And JD Vance, Stephen Miller, and different members of the administration are bristling on the judicial department’s means to halt a few of their agenda, posting issues like: “Judges aren’t allowed to regulate the chief’s official energy.” It’s spooked some observers, who assume they could be gearing as much as ignore the courts’ rulings, which might actually mess up that entire “checks and balances” concept the founders had.
Flu Beneath the Radar: Okay, now into some extra element. The Trump admin has been proscribing the movement of well being data. And effectively, should you’re sufficiently old to learn this, you additionally not too long ago lived by way of a world pandemic, so everyone knows that’s dangerous information. Worse? We’re in the course of a large, nationwide flu surge. At the least 24 million circumstances, 310,000 hospitalizations, and 13,000 deaths have been reported this flu season. Practically a dozen colleges across the nation have closed due to it. Washington isn’t a hotspot but, however I’m guessing everyone knows somebody who’s been miserably sick for the final two weeks. So should you haven’t gotten your flu shot but, docs say it’s nonetheless worthwhile to do it. And due to that international pandemic we lived by way of, we all know what else to do: Keep dwelling should you’re sick, put on a masks, and social distance when it’s worthwhile to.
A Little Good Information Buried within the Dangerous: For the previous couple of weeks, it’s been unclear if the Trump Administration would invalidate passports with X gender markers. Yesterday, they lastly confirmed that they’d stay legitimate till they expire or are renewed. After that, individuals might be pressured to get a binary “intercourse marker,” however for now, your passport is a sound type of identification to get you overseas. In case that’s in your thoughts for some motive.
Talking of Passports: ICYMI, The Stranger’s Vivian McCall is monitoring the challenges trans individuals are hitting when making an attempt to resume their documentation. “The considered an American citizen being denied this and that being okay with individuals—not simply my son, however all trans and non-binary children and adults,” mentioned one dad or mum of a trans child. “To oppress an entire group of individuals on a federal stage. That’s what scares me.” Learn extra about it right here.
Elon Tries to Purchase Open AI? Musk put an unsolicited $97.4 billion provide on the desk to attempt to purchase management of OpenAI, the nonprofit that owns ChatGPT. Their response? “No thanks however we are going to purchase twitter for $9.74 billion if you need.”
Ye’s Offline: In his newest public madness plea, Ye purchased an advert spot on the Tremendous Bowl promoting a web site that, shortly after it aired, completely offered a white t-shirt with a black swastika on it. However apparently, not less than some tech firms haven’t absolutely purchased into our new wave of white nationalism. As of this morning, Shopify has taken the positioning down.
ICE Replace: Final week, La Resistencia noticed greater than 200 new detainees coming into Tacoma’s ICE facility—probably the most they’ve ever seen in a 72 hour interval since they began observing flights in 2023. In response to La Resistencia, there have been already 900 individuals incarcerated contained in the Northwest Detention Heart. Now that quantity is probably going over 1,228. The power is presently suing to attempt to block the discharge of images of the within of the detention middle, which is all the time a superb signal.
The Furry Hackers May Save Us All: Hackers launched an enormous cache of information from Lexipol, a Texas-based firm that develops coverage manuals, coaching bulletins, and consulting providers for first responders. From Each day Dot: “The info, a pattern of which was given to the Each day Dot by a bunch referring to itself as “the puppygirl hacker polycule,” contains roughly 8,543 information associated to coaching, procedural, and coverage manuals, in addition to buyer data that comprise names, usernames, company names, hashed passwords, bodily addresses, electronic mail addresses, and telephone numbers.”
Love Is within the Air: Our Love and Intercourse situation is all around the metropolis. Choose it up, maintain it in your palms, scour I Noticed U and the reader valentines on your crush. Wanna know get or abet an abortion? It’s in there. Need to know what we will study from the protected intercourse motion of the early 80s? It’s in there. Need to know what weed it is best to smoke on Valentine’s Day? It’s in there.
Some SZA, as a Deal with: In a transfer that oozed confidence, SZA slipped 4 new tracks into the two-year-old SOS Deluxe: Lana on all platforms, proper earlier than her efficiency on the Tremendous Bowl. Right here’s considered one of them:
