Semi Bird wins WA GOP nomination for governor: The Washington GOP convention in Spokane this weekend was positively nutty. Former King County Sheriff Dave Reichert is leading among the GOP candidates in the polls, but delegates seemed to prefer Bird, a former Richland school board member who was recalled for flouting masking mandates deep in the early pandemic. Yet, to the dismay of delegates the GOP candidate committee disqualified Bird Friday for his failure to tell them about a bank larceny conviction exposed in a Seattle Times report last week. Despite the controversy, the delegates overrode the disqualification and nominated Bird anyway. In response, Reichert withdrew his endorsement bid and called the GOP convention "a chaotic and deceitful sideshow." The upshot of the whole thing splits Republican donors, leaving both Bird and Reichert weakened.
More drama from these clowns: The Washington GOP is still upset with former Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler for voting to impeach Trump for inciting the insurrection back in 2021. When Herrera Beutler, who is seeking a new job as Commissioner of Public Lands, took the stage, the crowd booed. Many stood and turned their backs on her.
At the WA GOP convention, former Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (now running for Commissioner of Public Lands) and many in the crowd boo and turn their backs. pic.twitter.com/YpIsna3Fv9
— Scott Greenstone (@evergreenstone) April 19, 2024
Happy Earth Day: To celebrate the planet we are slowly killing, Joe Biden announced "$7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects." That oughta fix it.
Mystery security breach at SeaTac: Security lines were longer than usual at SeaTac Airport on Sunday night due to a "security breach." The airport did not disclose the nature of the breach, which I find rude.
A killing at the casino: At 1:30 am on Sunday at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort a man in his late 20s was killed while sitting at a casino table when someone walked up behind him and stabbed him in the neck. Police believe the attack was random.
Jonathan Choe's alleged assault: According to Publicola, a police report was filed against Choe, the sensational "journalist" who was fired from KOMO News for promoting a Proud Boys rally, for his actions earlier this month at the Garfield Community Center, where migrants had briefly set up tents. Choe tried to enter the area, but people blocked his path. According to eye witness accounts, he later punched one of the women who had blocked his path "two or three times" in the face and grabbed her by her hair so hard he tore a chunk of it out of her scalp. Choe told police he was defending himself and that his hand happened to get "tangled on" the woman's hair. The police felt his claim of self-defense was sufficient and didn't file charges against him.
A chilly morning: It's crisp out there this morning. Things should heat up to the low 60s later in the day.
Brr, check out the low temperatures across W WA so far this morning as of 6 AM! 🥶#WAwx pic.twitter.com/yAoos1vWzE
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) April 22, 2024
Want to plan for the week ahead? Well, it'll get colder and wetter. April in Seattle is going out with a whimper.
A nice start to the week will turn cooler and wetter by midweek. Happy palindrome week!#WAwx pic.twitter.com/y84zqy7Q0w
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) April 22, 2024
Grindr sued: The gay community loves Grindr for its ability to show them how many people in spitting distances from them want to be rimmed, but they don't love Grindr for leaking their sensitive information. Namely, in the UK, Grindr is being sued for leaking the HIV status of thousands of users and then sharing it with advertisers.
Australian hospitals are begging: Snake bite victims keep bringing the snakes into emergency rooms. Australian hospitals are asking them to please stop doing that.
Germans arrested for celebrating Hitler's birthday: Four Germans—two sisters and their partners—visiting Austria laid white roses at the house where Adolf Hitler was born in celebration of the dictator's birthday on Saturday. One of the women did the Nazi salute. A patrolling officer watched all this go down and then brought them in for questioning. Despite their claims it wasn't serious, police found Nazi messages and pictures on their phones. They reported the group "to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Austrian law that bans the symbols of Nazism," according to the Associated Press.
Tacoma woman turns 106: When asked how to live so long, Tina Gerlack told KING 5, "Work hard, take care of your job, pay your bills, and be nice.” Sounds like capitalist propaganda, Tina.
Man who self-immolated outside Trump trial dies: On Friday, outside the courthouse where jury selection for the Trump hush-money was taking place, a man who had traveled from Florida pulled out conspiracy theory-riddled pamphlets, flung them around, covered himself in accelerant, and then lit himself on fire. He died from his injuries on Saturday.
Supreme Court takes on homelessness: This can't possibly end well. On Monday, the Court will hear arguments about whether banning people from sleeping outside when there is insufficient shelter space is considered cruel and unusual punishment. The case derives from Grants Pass, Oregon where the city fined people $295 for sleeping outside in an attempt to limit homeless encampments in the city. Advocacy groups argue criminalizing homelessness will further perpetuate the cycle of poverty and make things worse, not better. We'll see what this Supreme Court full of ghouls has to say about the matter.
Trump's case begins: It's opening statement time in the hush money case. The Manhattan district attorney prosecutor, Matthew Colangelo, opened this baby up. Here's an excerpt from The Guardian: "
This case is about a criminal conspiracy. The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election. Then he covered up that scheme by lying in his New York business records, over and over and over again.
You can keep track on the goings-on in the first day of the trial here.
A juicy long read for your Monday: Here's a big piece on a bunch of people who regret becoming parents. Sure, they love their kids, but they wouldn't make the same choice again.
Okay, that's enough news: I know, I know, it's never enough. There's too much happening at all times. I'm choosing to end it here, though, and you'll need to accept that. As a consolation prize, here's a funky Italian song:
