It’s a Trap: The firefighters fighting the Olympic Peninsula’s Bear Gulch Fire believe their leadership coordinated with federal immigration authorities and intentionally deployed fire crews to a remote area last week when two firefighters were arrested. Looking back on that day, firefighters are convinced their leadership sent them into a trap. The two crews targeted by the raids weren’t scheduled to work together that day. Their assignment was to chop firewood for a local community, but when they got there they found piles of logs from a timber operation. They waited for leadership to show up and give them further instructions. Leadership didn’t show. Federal officials did, though. After that incident, fire crews worry about future deployments. Will they be detained next?
Vaccines Aren’t for Florida: Oh this is bad. This is bad bad. Florida, land of fools and oranges, plans to become the first state to eliminate all vaccine mandates. Yes, even the ones for school children. This is buffoonery that is going to cause serious harm. You thought tuberculosis was a thing of the past (in Western countries, at least)? Think again! Polio? Rubella? Mumps? All of that progress could go out the window if vaccination rates go down. Herd immunity and all that. People will die. Yes, all of you old people in Florida, that likely means you first. It’s not totally clear how Florida can completely unspool its vaccine mandates, but it’s likely the state legislature will need to have a say.
Vaccines Aren’t Even for the Dogs: Rabies is on the rise in wild animals across the US. Watch out for bats and foxes, which are the usual rabid culprits. This year, six people have died from the disease—a number that seems small, but is apparently big if you know anything about rabies. Before the 1960s, pets like dogs were the main rabies spreaders, but strict pet vaccination laws tamped that down. Officials are worried about those vaccine rates these days. According to a 2023, study “nearly 40% [of a representative sample of Americans] believed canine vaccines were unsafe and 37% believed that vaccines could lead their dogs to develop cognitive issues, such as autism.” Vaccinate your dogs, you freaks. They won’t get pawtism, I promise.
The Weather: It will be a perfectly pleasant partly-cloudy day with temperatures scraping the upper 70s.
Wait, but What’s That Haze? Sigh, it’s smokey out there.
Ugh smoke season is back in the Puget Sound region
— Robert Cruickshank (@robertcruickshank.com) September 4, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Labubu Haul Seized at SeaTac: Border Control seized a $500,000 shipment of seemingly counterfeit Labubu dolls. Hype for the ugly-cute toys has swept the globe this summer so much that copycat knock-offs, known as Lafufus, appeared. That’s what was in the boxes from South Korea marked “LED Bulb” that arrived at Seattle Air Cargo. Border Patrol says the dolls will be destroyed. Rest easy, little fake monsters.
Tacoma Man Killed at Burning Man: A 37-year-old Tacoma man was found dead in a pool of his own blood at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert last week. Police are treating the case as a homicide.
Fatal Funicular Crash: Seventeen people are dead after a funicular derailed in Lisbon, Portugal. Around 21 other people were injured. The funicular, known as Elevador da Glória, is popular with tourists because who ever gets to ride a funicular? The Portuguese government declared a day of mourning.
Judge Lifts Consent Decree on SPD: After 13 years of federal oversight, US District Judge James Robart lifted the consent decree on the Seattle Police Department. SPD had been under full federal control and oversight since a 2012 Department of Justice lawsuit over use-of-force abuse and biased policing. That lawsuit came after a 2010 police killing of wood carver John T. Williams, who was shot by an officer while crossing a street and carrying a piece of wood and a pocket knife. Apparently, it’s all hunky dory now. SPD’s use of force has fallen, Robart says. And the new Seattle City Council-passed crowd control weapons ordinance satisfied Robart. He lifted the consent decree despite lingering concerns about the Seattle Police Officers Guild standing in the way of true police accountability. Ah, well, good enough! Not Robart’s problem anymore!
RFK Jr. in the Hot Seat: On Thursday, everyone’s least favorite roadkill enthusiast Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will face questioning from senators over his firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez, and for his firings of the entire 17-member CDC vaccine advisory panel and replaced them with eight handpicked successors. RFK Jr. also changed vaccine recommendations for the new COVID-19 shots, making it harder for people to get the jab. You can watch it live here.
Is This ASMR?
listen to this, if you can stand it — RFK Jr’s hot mic breathing make it sound like he’s dying
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) September 4, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Anything but Gun Control: Florida wants to store attack drones at schools to help respond to school shootings in the vital seconds after they start and before police arrive on the scene. The Texas-based program known as “The Campus Guardian Angel” will be rolled out in three Florida school districts once Gov. Ron DeSantis gives it the green light. The pilot program costs $557,000. Our government will do literally anything to address school shootings except the one thing that will really address school shootings: gun control.
House Approves Alaska Mining Road: On Wednesday, the House voted 215-210 in favor of building a 211-mile mining road through pristine Alaskan wilderness to reach a copper and zinc mine with natural materials worth an estimated $7.1 billion. The bounty comes with a price: Destroying untouched wilderness, harming wildlife, and threatening Alaskan tribes the rely on that wildlife for sustenance. The 211 miles of road cuts through 26 miles of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve and “crosses 11 rivers and thousands of streams,” according to the New York Times. Trump tried to jumpstart this project, known as the Ambler Access Project, in his first term, but Joe Biden killed it when took office. Now, with the support of all House Republicans save Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and many Alaskan lawmakers who can’t see the forest for the trees with all those dollar signs in their eyes, the road is one step closer to reality. It goes to the Senate now.
How To Invade Your Own Country in Just 30 Days: The Department of Homeland Security has asked the military to support ICE raids in Chicago, according to a leaked memo obtained by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein. Dated August 27, the memo requesting “support infrastructure” (highway access, fuel, and “other logistical nodes”) makes no mention of the Illinois National Guard, suggesting active duty troops will provide this support. According to the memo, an advance party arrived at Naval Station Great Lakes on September 2. The “operations” will last 30 days, the memo says.
More details from the Chicago Sun-Times: According to the paper, hundreds of federal agents will travel from the naval station each morning to conduct operations in the city. At least some of the 230 agents work for US Customs and Border Protection. At least 30 agents are at the naval station practicing with flash-bang grenades and shields for crowd control already. Writes the paper: Illinois “Gov. JB Pritzker says he expects ICE agents ‘assembled, ready to go on Friday, and that they will begin actions on Saturday or over the weekend.’”
CBS Poised to Lower Editorial Standards: Paramount is “on the verge” of buying the anti-woke, right-wing The Free Press and putting its founder and editor, Bari Weiss, in a top role at CBS News. According to Puck, a year-long courtship preceded the acquisition. It’s not a done deal, but it’s on the “1-yard line,” according to a source familiar with the negotiations. To catch you up: In July, Paramount paid Donald Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit over a segment on “60 Minutes.” In August, Paramount merged with Skydance Media. Before the deal, Skydance pledged to install an “ombudsman” to monitor alleged bias at the network.
fondly remembering the time when Bari Weiss cited a Twitter account called “Official Antifa” in The New York Times puck.news/david-elliso…
— ryan cooper (@ryanlcooper.com) September 3, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Federal Judges Are Fed Up: We’ve all seen the pattern. A federal judge methodically considers the case against a Trump order (like, say, birthright citizenship or massive federal layoffs), and grants an injunction. Then, Trump complains about it on Truth Social like a Karen on her third glass of Chardonnay, his lawyers appeal it to SCOTUS, and in an “emergency decision,” the Supreme Court overturns the injunction with barely an explanation. Federal judges rarely speak to the press, and it’s even more rare that they’d speak out against the judges that decide whether or not to uphold their decisions. But after watching the Supreme Court overturn decision after decision, ten federal judges (some of whom were appointed by Trump) told NBC that SCOTUS is undermining trust in the judiciary, and making judges less safe in the process. Many of them have gotten death threats since their decisions were overturned. “Somebody is going to die,” one just said.
A Song for Your Thursday: That was a lot of news. Sorry. This is how it feels to be an American. Well, really just the name of the song:
