This is such a tough time for journalism in general, and specifically local journalism here in Seattle. The loss of Cascade PBS is a huge blow.

Fat Bear Week starts tomorrow!

Thanks to Ryan for laying out the structural issues at play with the King County budget. And yes, it's important for those running for a position that works on and approves the budget to understand how it works. Relatedly, next proposed KC budget drops tomorrow!

Drones from Flock Safety are also flying ALPR cameras, a terribly dangerous combo for privacy. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

ICE is running a TV ad specifically trying to recruit Seattle law enforcement: www.instagram.com/reel/DOzYwzn...

"We have all become characters in a story where our actions carry actual weight and consequence. Our industry faces the most sophisticated, venomous, creeping evil in America’s history. There’s no standing above this conflict."

One of the key ways you refuse to comply with fascism is by becoming even louder and more fearless in supporting vulnerable people. You SHOW that you are unwilling to throw the "undesirables" under the bus if only for self-preservation because under fascism you will also become undesirable one day.

Just happily canceled my Disney+/Hulu subscription. Good riddance.

People who are thrown in solitary confinement aren't told how long they'll spend there. Some people end up there—for years. There are so few restrictions. Read how this Texan who's experienced this describes it: boltsmag.org/designed-to-...

Looking forward to listening to this. I don't have much podcast time so it will probably take me a few weeks to get through it, but I think it will be worth it.

Just started reading "Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left" by Elon Higgins. Seems timely.

I dived into Seattle's new "AI Plan" so you don't have to, and there's a lot to talk about! Including 42 separate AI pilots. www.theurbanist.org/2025/09/18/h...

Mayor Bruce Harrell will be proposing the state legislature approved 0.1% "public safety" sales tax for the City of Seattle.

King County D5 is absolutely the region's biggest sleeper race that not enough people are paying attention to.

Yikes 😬 Imagine spending billions on your AI for it to fail on multiple products in a live demo

In the wake of the firing of MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd and WaPo columnist Karen Attiah, as well as Jimmy Kimmel's show pulled off the air indefinitely by ABC, all due to the journalists' comments about Charlie Kirk's death, funding independent media is CRITICAL.

Happy Seattle Public Schools school board meeting night! I was just over at the rally before the meeting, and now I'm watching the actual meeting from the comfort of my home.

Kroger is closing Fred Meyer stores in our region for one reason: corporate greed. They're abandoning working class communities in search of higher profits. Tune into the Everett City Council meeting at 6:30 pm tonight to hear the real story from workers.

What can happen when generative AI is used in government.

We are witnessing a swift and sweeping consolidation of media (traditional and social) into the hands of a small number of billionaires who are actively aligned/aligning (both via free will and coercion) with Trump and his right wing political party. This is (I’ll say it) a fascist project.

New from 404 Media: airlines are selling *5 billion* ticketing records to the government for warrantless searching, per new docs we obtained. ARC is a data broker owned by United, American, Delta, etc. Then sells peoples' travel info to ICE, Secret Service, FBI etc www.404media.co/airlines-sel...

Dessert mode ACTIVATE: Best pie: apricot Best ice cream: chocolate peanut butter cup Best donut: jelly Best bar: brownies Best cake: lemon Best cookie: ginger molasses Best other: pâte de fruit Honorable mention: lemon bars

This Fox News commentator saying we should kill homeless people by lethal injection is some of the most Nazi shit I've heard in my lifetime. Furthermore, someone writing a whole essay this week on how me calling out Nazi shit on Bluesky is somehow a problem is just wasting everyone's time.

I hope I'm not speaking too soon, but Nala seems to be feeling better today. Thanks for all the well wishes!

The City of Seattle is watching you. notesfromtheemeraldcity.com/the-city-of-...

It will be incredibly impactful who ends up taking these spots.

The latest example of the revolving door of public officials and police who move to work for private surveillance companies. "At Flock, he will lead public affairs for the eastern U.S., working with local governments that use the company’s technology." signalcleveland.org/cleveland-ci...

My write-up on Seattle's surveillance expansion and the council meeting on Tuesday.

Sweet little Nala isn't doing so well today. Kind thoughts appreciated.

This is hot on the heels of Mayor Harrell finally issuing a letter of support to allow the County to move forward with this project.

NEW: Trump DOJ asks for WA voter database, including sensitive info like DoBs, driver license numbers & partial SSNs. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs told me he is inclined to refuse, but has not yet formally responded. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

Okay, here we go with the debate and votes for Seattle's surveillance expansion. CM Kettle is saying last year's surveillance bills were "Seattle" bills that aren't standard. The audience is booing and saying "Shame."

Looks like there were over 120 commenters about this, from every walk of life and corner of #Seattle. The other times the council voted in opposition to a public comment turnout like this, their approval ratings (and vote %) decreased. Are they going to do it again?

i spoke with a couple of people who had lots of questions about testifying because they’d never attended city council or given testimony before. it’s not just perennial activist types like myself protesting here, as council president sara nelson is just finding out.

Folks have really turned out this afternoon to speak against expanded surveillance in Seattle.

Big surveillance expansion vote today, potential raid of housing money set up on Thursday.... Is anyone else tired?

Oh my gosh, I had to doublecheck to make sure the text in this video was actually in the New York Times article...and it is! Mind blown.

This Office of Civil Rights report on Seattle's surveillance expansion is enlightening. I'll unpack it for you later this week, but if you want to take a look now, it's a good source for helping you write any emails and/or public comments regarding the final council vote tomorrow afternoon.

Wow, 115 total SODA orders issued in Seattle to date, per Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison. When I checked with the court in early July for my Bolts article, that number was in the mid-20s. seattle.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=...

Literally "your papers please," but only for non-white people. This country is regressing. And the regression is accelerating.

Having the funding to build a statewide police misconduct database would be a big deal. Consider buying a few packs!

Ugh, my glasses broke. End of an era.

I wrote about the ending of Seattle's consent decree. Also, you know my ears perked up when I heard there is likely to be a new SPOG contract by the end of the year!

Every day I hear about more individuals and organizations who are opposed to an expansion of surveillance in Seattle and taking action. The final council vote is scheduled for Tuesday September 9 at 2pm.

Congratulations, Washingtonians! (That being said, still would like to see the West Coast Alliance provide a public healthcare option.)

It's an interesting debate. On one hand, it makes sense on its face to only distribute vouchers to D5 residents for their district special election. On the other, candidates will be able to collect donations from people citywide and beyond, so it does reduce the impact of the voucher program.

Hawaii is joining the West Coast Health Alliance too! governor.wa.gov/news/2025/ha...

A Cascade PBS investigation found that Seattle City Light has paid out at least $5 million in settlements over the past several years, including millions to its own employees over alleged discrimination or misconduct.

New from 404 Media: Congress demanding answers on ICE's new facial recognition app 'Mobile Fortify'. App taps into an unprecedented no. databases, uses the same system as when people enter/exit the U.S. Now turned inwards. Directly in response to us revealing the app www.404media.co/congress-pus...

The CID Coalition is coming out strongly against surveillance in Seattle and the CID. One of their slides says "why is the city surveilling the CID? well...racism, for starters." www.instagram.com/p/DOJSLOvEYO...