The third book of the trilogy is coming out next month. I can hardly believe it!

Important lessons here.

Re license plate reader retention times: this is basic surveillance state stuff. The police want knowledge of your whereabouts in your private vehicle for 3 weeks (as suggested in the WA ALPR bill) just in case you do something wrong later, or know someone else who might do something wrong.

Op-ed about the state ALPR bill. The writers suggest a 7 day data retention period, which I would argue is still too long for random surveillance data that doesn't register a hit. There are so many exceptions to that data retention period as it is. www.thestranger.com/guest-editor...

Seattle City Hall right now, where students from around the city have gathered after a mass walk-out to protest ICE:

The WA legislative bill SB 6002 having to do with ALPRs (license plate readers) passed the Senate today. Unfortunately it passed with the amendment to increase data retention length from 72 hours to 21 days, which is concerning.

Big tech has gutted ad revenue and monopolized distribution, billionaires have exerted a corrosive control over the platforms, and both squeezed the industry away. We have to organize. We have to get systematic, and think and act collectively.

I cannot emphasize enough how under-supported principled independent news is, and how much I believe people are going to come to regret that. We need news and analysis that can fuel movements, and the people willing to deliver it are extremely hard up for resources.

Deadly places, jails. Also remember that two thirds to 70% of the national jail population has not even been convicted. Most of them simply can't make bail.

Hey look, yet another pilot that shows GBI (guaranteed basic income) works. Meeting people's basic needs works. Housing, food, health care, education.

Here we go

My morning social media catch-up: horror, horror, more surveillance state news, gossip, Bob Ferguson obstructing the Democrats again, horror, a tally of all the kisses featured in Jane Austen's work.

Seattle, Washington State brace for potential ICE impact notesfromtheemeraldcity.com/seattle-wash...

I just got to discuss up and coming dental technologies (like growing new teeth!) with my periodontist so today is already winning.

The masks aren't the cause of their violent behavior. The masks are the result of a system that has uplifted law enforcement despite their open radicalization to the right. Where we are politically with federal police is the result of a failure to take seriously the problem of police power.

“It’s just weird to see a toddler in a pink onesie getting their eyes washed out from tear gas, you know?”

In the coming days you might well hear arguments that surveillance is the answer to the tragedy of gun violence, and therefore Seattle shouldn't turn off SPD's cameras. I urge you to interrogate this framing.

WA State legislature deadline reminder: Wednesday is the last day to move bills out of their policy committees. Then we can go through and see which bills have died for the year. Fiscal committee cutoff is a week from today.

Ah, the powers that be are anticipating the need for some more liberal copaganda in the near future, I see. Can't imagine why. 🙄 "Beleaguered police force."

Just got gassed pretty good at the labor union anti-ICE protest in Portland. Massive march, 5-10k strong. Vibes were very much liberal rather than radical. Lots of kids and older folks. They gassed the whole crowd as soon as it marched on ICE, in broad daylight.

Last week @cmeddielin.bsky.social talked about an ICE invasion of Seattle as feeling like a natural disaster. In general people band together during natural disasters and try to help their neighbors.

Rainier Beach Mourns After Fatal Shooting of Two Teens

Seattle CM Debora Juarez: "Now ICE in the 21st century is continuing this deplorable, inhumane practice. There is no longer time for performative pearl clutching and handwringing. There is no option except to fight back with our collective voices, hearts and humanity. [...]Abolish ICE. FUCK ICE."

My latest @theurbanist.org about how the officials of WA State and Seattle are responding to the threat of an ICE invasion. Includes: - relevant state legislative bills - the Ferguson/Brown press conference on Monday - the Seattle town hall on federal impacts on Monday - Seattle Mayor Wilson's plans

The dismantling of democracy continues.

New from 404 Media: here is the user guide for ELITE, the tool Palantir made for ICE. A map shows people on a map; ICE clicks them, brings up their dossier. ICE uses to find which neighborhoods to target. We obtained it, you can now read the document for yourself: www.404media.co/here-is-the-...

Jury finds the city of Seattle liable for the death of Antonio Mays Jr., who was killed in CHOP in 2020. Awards more than $25 million to his father, Antonio Mays Sr.

I just received an email from my HOA asking me to keep my porch lights on all night. Isn't that a terrible waste of energy? Tbh I probably won't fight the HOA on this, but this is the same HOA that made me jump through many hoops (and extra expense) to get a heat pump, another way to save energy.

We now have Seattle permitting data for all of 2025 and things are not looking great. The city only took in 656 applications for new units in Q4, the lowest for any quarter in recent history...except for Q1 of 2025. seattlecitygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboa...

Hmm.

The office of immigrant and refugee affairs (OIRA) is presenting to the Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee. The Mayor's Office doesn't have representation at this presentation. Committee chairs determine who sits on presentations, in this case CM Maritza Rivera.

NEW STORY // Seattle Leads Nation in Affordable Apartment Production By Doug Trumm, via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/28/s...

We keep us safe. I've been hearing some wishful thinking about what SPD will do/could do when Seattle is invaded by ICE. Much more likely, in my view, is that a lot of people will step up and do their best to protect each other.

I'll be reporting on this later this week.

This is unfortunately not an uncommon attitude.

Another reminder of how body cameras are used in practice.

"It is never safe, it is never democratic, to empower any law enforcement agency to effectively become a secret police—and ICE has been doing that for a very long time." UWCHR's Angelina Godoy joins @inthemeanwhile.bsky.social podcast, listen here:

My latest piece takes a look at some of the AI regulation bills currently making their way through the WA legislature. When I conceived of this piece, I thought, oh, there will be 5 or 6 bills for me to look at. WRONG! There are at least 14 AI regulation bills being considered this session.

The town hall tonight at Langston Seattle was at times powerful, moving, heart breaking, enraging, and it was laced through with its fostering of solidarity between everyone who took the time to come, listen, share, and learn. Top-tier organizing.

I'm at Langston Seattle and Seattleites have turned out! This room is packed, there aren't enough chairs. You are all rock stars for being so engaged and caring about your communities.

Journalists have been repeating again and again that the CARE program is not being allowed to operate as designed. If the two chiefs haven't even met? Not a single time? This sends a LOUD message about priorities from SPD and Chief Barnes.

By the way, I personally think the flyer is clear on this point, but the town hall tonight will not be attended by Mayor Wilson. It's being held by her transition team.

Thanks to the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog for writing about the town hall on federal response today at 4:30pm.

Today, 4:30pm, Langston Seattle, town hall about ICE and surveillance. Feel free to come say hi. I'll be wearing a red jacket, red sweater, black mask.

Nick Brown: "The ICE memorandum that the governor spoke of--it basically instructs agents to ignore the 4th Amendment of the United States of Constitution, to throw it in the trash--that represents a constitutional crisis at the level of everything the founders of this country warned us against."

At a press conference this morning with Governor Bob Ferguson and AG Nick Brown, Ferguson said what's happening with ICE agents roaming around in masks with impunity is "third country stuff."

Budgets are moral documents. What Democrats do now--how they actually demand public money be spent--is the only thing people should be listening to. Do not pay attention to lofty public statements from people who pay for this to continue.

Direct from a Portland City councilor.

TOMORROW, Seattle! If you can attend this town hall at 4:30pm Monday 1/26, please do! This will be a chance for folks to discuss Seattle's response to federal threats/ICE, including the city's surveillance apparatus. I'm hearing there will be a listening component.

The problems of living in a surveillance state. Although frankly, ALPRs make it so that even eating that paper might not be enough.