Another grim example of AI's "utility"

We love to see it

The list of things we need to fix in society is long, but eventually we gotta address the celebrities in commercials problem

By passing a ban on income taxes two years ago, Washington state lawmakers actually guaranteed their ability to consider an income tax on millionaires this session. www.axios.com/local/seattl... #waleg

6/ The Post has lost over 375,000 subscribers in just over a year. If 10% of those readers subscribed to The 51st instead, we could hire 10 reporters and five editors, dramatically scaling our coverage of the city at this critical time. 51st.news/signup

INBOX: Washington Post Ukraine Correspondent Lizzie Johnson announces that she has been laid off in the middle of a below-freezing war zone without power, heat, or running water.

Photojournalists across America preparing to apply to one of the only staff photo jobs available

Just experienced the most intense tear gassing of my life by federal officers outside the ICE facility in Portland where marchers gathered. There was no fast exit as they indiscriminately threw loads of gas and flash bangs. Children were in the crowd screaming. @oregoncapitalchronicle.com

Thousands pack the streets of #Seattle in protest of #ICE

Thousands in #Seattle march in protest of #ICE

Georgia Fort, an independent journalist and vice president of the Minnesota NABJ chapter, was also arrested by federal agents this morning I was sent this video of agents at her door:

Federal immigration agents detained a man in Shoreline, leaving his 2-year-old son sitting alone in the back seat for about 40 minutes. Here's what the activists saw: www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

I interviewed over half a dozen ICE and Border Patrol agents who describe an agency that sounds like Reno 911! “I thought federal agents were supposed to be clean cut but some of them pass around a flask as we are watching a suspect,” one told me: www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ice-unloads

The memorial to Alex Pretti has grown here at Harborview. Hospital staff say it's important to speak out against what they say is police violence and injustice in Minneapolis. " It's just to the point where it's intolerable, says Kyla Haggith, a nurse here, "it's too much."

Happening now: nurses and staff at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle are holding a vigil for Alex Pretti. Some are out here in their scrubs. People have brought flowers and are writing notes to add to the candles.

BREAKING Greg Bovino has been removed as Border Patrol "commander at large" and will return to El Centro Calif, where he is expected to retire soon. A stunning turnaround after Pretti killing. Bovino's traveling blue city crackdown is over www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

somebody get this man to the super bowl www.seattlemet.com/news-and-cit...

NYT video analysis confirms victim’s gun was removed before he was shot. So he was unarmed. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/us/minneapolis-shooting-federal-agents-video.html

"All law enforcement operations — including those conducted by ICE and Customs and Border Protection — are governed by the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which protects all people in the country from unreasonable searches and seizures."

You're going to read a lot of headlines out of Davos that misleadingly suggest that a transatlantic crisis has passed. But if you listen to Trump's entire speech, it sounds like the crisis is just getting started.

Many are saying the journalism industry is doing bad.

I'm working on rebuilding my professional website and looked for the first time in years at the profile I wrote about Nick Licata after he left the Seattle City Council. Turns out there are recurrent themes in progressive political leadership ... www.thenation.com/article/arch...

I dunno how I missed Cafe Paloma all these years in Seattle. Wasn't on my radar at all until last night. Cute spot in Pioneer Square, tasty Mediterranean food, highly recommend.

Horrifying www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Despite pledges to block access, ICE and CBP searched Washington driver’s license data at least nine times Aug–Nov via a law-enforcement data network, UW researchers found. The state says ICE access ended mid-November, but gaps remain. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/08/i...

I profiled @mayorofseattle.bsky.social Katie Wilson for the upcoming issue of Seattle Met magazine. We talked about her aspirations for Seattle, how her career as an organizer shapes her approach to city leadership, and the political moment we're having locally. www.seattlemet.com/news-and-cit...

Packed house for Mayor Katie Wilson’s inauguration ceremony this morning at Seattle City Hall

I'm working on a Mayor Katie Wilson story and was curious exactly when I first interviewed her. Pretty sure it was this 2015 story that--in very appropriate fashion--was about a TRU campaign to get the council to levy a payroll tax on big biz to fund bus service. nextcity.org/urbanist-new...

Seattle politics nerds explaining the next week of ballot counting

The general wisdom is that Wednesday is a continuation of election night and Thursday is when the lefty trend shows up. Nonetheless, this gives Harrell a bigger cushion heading into tomorrow and Friday.

Bruce Harrell leads Katie Wilson 53% to 46% in the first ballot count tonight. It's not unusual for the more progressive candidate to trail in the first drop and that gap will certainly narrow in later counts. Especially since so many people seem to have voted at the last second this election.

Crosscut is dead. Long live Crosscut. Today’s the official last day for me and my Cascade PBS newsroom colleagues. We did good work over the decades and it is supremely sad to see it shut down.

On Sept. 22, @cascadepbs.bsky.social announced it would eliminate its News and Investigations teams, laying off 9 @newsguild.org journalists. Here’s how you can help: www.gofundme.com/f/support-ca...

This is an unhealthy way to live

Really good reporting from @ashleyhiruko.bsky.social on shelter beds being paid for but left unfilled, seemingly in part over a deputy mayor's personal dislike of a prominent Seattle homelessness services provider.

I wrote a note along with my membership cancellation. We need real journalism and truth telling now more than ever!

We are deeply upset with Cascade PBS execs' decision to eliminate the news operation and lay everyone off. It's been wonderful to see the outpouring of support and anger folks have shown this week. If you want to share that anger with the bosses, we'd appreciate it. actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...

It’s difficult to find the words to express how our unit is feeling right now, but we’ll take a stab at it: shocked, disappointed, angry, gutted. @cascadepbs.bsky.social’s choice to eliminate long-form written reporting is a massive loss for our community in a critical moment. tinyurl.com/LayoffFund

New investigation: Auditors flagged dozens of payments to Lance Benson’s property management company as suspected fraud. But county leaders chose to go after the nonprofit aid distributor instead. www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

The last story I edited before Monday's news was @laureldemkovich.bsky.social's excellent examination of Bob Ferguson's first 8 months as governor, a tenure marked by low public approval, decisions baffling to Dems and Republicans, and reduced press availability. www.cascadepbs.org/politics/202...

I'm touched by the little shout out in this piece. And am of course glad for the recognition it gives to my many wonderful colleagues who are also getting the axe. Thanks @ericacbarnett.bsky.social! publicola.com/2025/09/22/c...

It's been a bad day! For now I'll just say I can't think of a worse time to have fewer reporters and editors on the job and that I'm very glad to have a union on our side.

Signaling a continued shift in the Seattle mayor’s race, MLK Labor voted last night to dual endorse Katie Wilson and Bruce Harrell, a shift from their prior sole Harrell endorsement. www.cascadepbs.org/news/briefs/...

Lynnwood may become the latest Washington city to raise its minimum hourly wage above $20 — higher than almost anywhere in the nation. The city currently follows the state’s minimum, but advocates are gathering support for an initiative to raise wages to $20.24/hour & strengthen worker protections.

Little Saigon leaders held a press conference Tuesday to unveil ideas for addressing entrenched problems of drugs, crime, disorder and homelessness. The blocks around 12th and Jackson have been a hotspot for drug sales and fencing stolen goods, with the problem worsening amid the rise of fentanyl.

I talked with @poynterinstitute.bsky.social about how to get copies of government officials' ChatGPT histories. FOIA around and find out: www.poynter.org/reporting-ed...

We can’t produce fearless investigative journalism without job security and a fair contract. After almost two years of bargaining, we need your help. Show your support for @propublica.org workers by adding your name to our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

After two years of public process to discuss potential improvements to Lake Washington Boulevard, the city has tabled the second half of the safety measures it had planned to install on the street this year.

NEW: Seattle residents could see expanded use of artificial intelligence in permitting, customer service and more. On Thursday, Mayor Harrell announced a new 26-page AI plan that includes guidelines for training employees, evaluating tools and expanding the use of AI in city services.

Come for the chat with the anonymous artist behind @theseattlechannel.bsky.social puppet show on his motivations, goals, and process for the episodes. Stay for @photogenna.bsky.social's amazing behind-the-scenes photos. www.cascadepbs.org/politics/202...