This post was originally published on this site
The Weather: It’ll be cloudy and cooler for the most part with highs only reaching 60 degrees. No rain yet. Trust, it is coming.
Signature Stealers: Hedgefund manager Brian Heywood’s political group Let’s Go Washington is running into a few snags while signature gathering for their anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ initiative including a re-do of the misleadingly-named Parents Bill of Rights which would give parents access to student health records and give them undue influence. There’s also an anti-trans sports initiative, too. While on the signature-gathering job, people have been behaving badly. According to KUOW, there have been 31 incidents damaging, stealing, or destroying Let’s Go Washington initiative signatures. Someone straight up stole two decks of signatures in Covington, and, as KUOW reports, “in Federal Way, someone drove by in a car and threw ‘red liquid’ on signature pages, and in Yakima, a man told a signature-gatherer he was going home to grab a gun.” This is illegal and undemocratic. The initiative process as means of referendum to go against the will of the voters and prey on misinformation is not.
Transit Fan Bruce Harrell Killed Another Transportation Project: Remember last week’s big to-do over the Capitol Hill bus-only lane the mayor’s office killed because businesses complained? The bus lane was saved due to public outcry, but that’s not the only project Mayor Bruce Harrell has allegedly laid waste to, according to The Urbanist. A planned and in-progress Lake Washington Boulevard intersection redesign, which was improve pedestrian crossings and redirect traffic, was quietly killed and removed from plans. The intersection in question is mere blocks away from Harrell’s Seward Park home.
Bruce Hates Big Money in Politics: In a fundraising email yesterday evening, Bruce Harrell called on donors to help him because a PAC backing his opponent Katie Wilson “dropped another $75,000 into the race, bringing their total to nearly $200,000.” This is rich—emphasis on rich—coming from Harrell whose own PAC has raised over $1 million with upwards of $770,000 coming in the last two months. Pot? Meet kettle.
You Gotta Love These Guys: Hey, the Mariners beat those dreaded Detroit Tigers in a decisive 8-4 victory Tuesday after a hours-long rain delay. Personally, I think not having a roofed stadium in 2025 should result in an auto-loss for the host team. You live in Detroit. Weather happens there. Diatribe aside, the Ms looked good (so long as you scrub closer Caleb Ferguson’s bottom-of-the-ninth appearance). The whole city is abuzz with it. I like it.
If they win another game, the Mariners move onto the American League Championship Series. They haven’t been there since October 2001 when they faced off against the Yankees and the whole country rooted against the Mariners because, well, y’know. 9/11.
Dump Here: In a moment of serendipitous synchronicity, Cal Raleigh whacked his 61st home run of the season (though, I was informed last night the post-season stats don’t count) into the opposite field stands. Who caught it? The only guy in Mariners gear. Not only that, he was wearing a “DUMP 61 HERE” shirt. And Raleigh did. The cameras panned away and then panned back in time to catch the guy peeling of the 61 shirt to reveal another shirt that read “DUMP 62 HERE.” He knows something.
He is now wearing a Dump Here 62 shirt.
— Roger Cormier (@yayroger.bsky.social) October 7, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Many Rooms at the Inn, Actually: During the pandemic, Seattle successfully housed homeless people in vacant hotels. The 53-room Civic Hotel was one of these properties. After housing people for years, the city signed a $2.7 million lease extension in 2024 to keep operating the space through the year. As people moved out for permanent housing, their rooms went unfilled. Seattleites paid around $4,200 per empty room per month, according to a collaboration between KUOW and ProPublica. The city blamed the vacancies on budget deficits and a loss of COVID-era government funds. Meanwhile, shelter bed shortages continued to be an issue for Seattle’s growing homeless population. The whole drama contradicts the Harrell administration’s emphasis on tracking shelter capacity better, transparency, and doing away with government waste.
Is Climbing Mount Everest Even Cool Anymore? A snowstorm in the Himalayas stranded 900 hikers, guides, and staff on Mount Everest. Um, 900 people? Seems like too many. This is why that poor mountain is covered in shit and cadavers. Anyway, they’ve all descended safely by now and the mountain is closed while the storm rages on. Hopefully all these people can take time to find another hobby. Maybe they should read my column.
National Guard Comes to Chicago: Around 500 deployed National Guardsmen from Texas and Illinois are expected to enter the Chicago area today despite outrage from local and state leaders. The plan is for the troops to protect immigration officers and detention centers. On Wednesday, ahead of the troop invasion, Trump called for the arrest of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” he penned on Truth Social.
Freedom of Speech Abounds: Jimmy Kimmel will not go gentle into that good light. After being resurrected by the television gods, Kimmel aired this wild little clip as part of a segment on Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and claims he never sent Epstein that freaky birthday card.
Holy crap. Trump will make the FCC crucify Jimmy Kimmel for this.
— Sanho Tree (@sanho.bsky.social) October 7, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Chat, Is This Good Governance? Republican Florida state Rep. Kevin Steele filed legislation that would pull state funding from public universities if they refuse to rename certain streets around their campus after slain podcaster Charlie Kirk. If it’s passed, the bill will go into effect immediately and colleges will have 90 days to comply.
The War on Education: If it seems like this administration really hates public education, that’s because it does. The Department of Education under Trump is interested primarily in dismantling public schools and standing up an education diet of homeschool, virtual school, and religious schools. Read the full ProPublica story on this here.
Maybe This Is Good Governance? If Trump’s attacks on renewable energy, his undermining of climate science, and repeals of climate policy are surprising, just remember the Trump administration is full of people affiliated with fossil fuels including at least 40 people who have directly worked within the oil, gas, or coal industries.
Comey in Court: Former FBI director James Comey pleaded not guilty to charges that he made false statements to Congress and obstructed justice. The charges were brought by the Department of Justice. Comey’s trial will begin on Jan. 5. Ah, Insurrection Eve.
Dinosaur Snatched, Returned: Last week, a burglar nabbed the dinosaur mascot known as Claire from in front of the Brentwood Sinclair gas station in Los Angeles. Outrage followed. Scoldy Jamie Lee Curtis got extra sanctimonious about it online. On Monday, the thief returned Claire. She was wrapped in a cloth with a note attached that read, “I’m sorry for stealing. Please don’t charge me!”
A song for your Wednesday:
