The Heat Advisory Is Over: Good news for anyone who is not a lizard! Today’s high is a balmy 76 degrees. We might even get a little bit of rain tonight.
As I Sat Down to Write This: There were breaking reports of a shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. According to the AP, the shooter was armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol, and shot through the church windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass. At least two children—an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old—are dead. Seventeen other people were injured. ABC News says the shooter appears to be dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Melt all the guns.
More Protestors Arrested at Microsoft: Seven more protestors were arrested Tuesday after occupying Microsoft President Brad Smith’s office over the company’s ties to the Israel Defense Forces, reports NPR. Eighteen people were arrested there last week. Earlier this month The Guardian reported that the Israeli military uses Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to “collect and store recordings of millions of mobile phone calls made each day by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.” In response to the arrests, Smith barfed out this word salad, “There are many things we can’t do to change the world, but we will do what we can and what we should. That starts with ensuring that our human rights principles and contractual terms of service are upheld everywhere, by all of our customers around the world.”
Remember Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia? The man who ICE deported to El Salvador despite his court order that protected him from being sent to El Salvador? The Trump Administration refused to admit their mistake and bring him back to America. They kept passing the buck, saying it was someone else’s decision. Ultimately, they only brought him back to the US after filing criminal charges against him in Nashville. Remember all that? Well, THEY DETAINED HIM AGAIN. They’re threatening to deport him to Uganda, but a judge has put a stop to that for now.
More Staff Shakeups in Ferguson’s Office: Governor Bob Ferguson is (temporarily, maybe?) losing another staffer. Policy Director Sahar Fathi (who we once called one of “The Smartest People in Seattle Politics”) has been on leave since July 1 and is not expected to return before January 1. Will she be back in time for the 2026 legislative session? No one is saying! Ferguson says she’s just taking a break after a “particularly intense legislative session.” Several members of Ferguson’s staff quit earlier this year, including chief strategy officer Mike Webb, who resigned after accusations of contributing to a toxic workplace.
ICYMI: Washington’s largest private-sector labor union backs Katie Wilson. Hannah Murphy Winter has the full story here.
Unplug It: The family of a teenager in California who killed himself in April is alleging their son only took his own life after “months of encouragement from ChatGPT.” They’re suing OpenAI and Sam Altman. For decades, people have searched the internet to self-diagnose their problems. That can be especially true for kids and teens, who may not feel comfortable talking to their parents or family doctor. This is not going to stop, especially as healthcare becomes more expensive and harder to access. Shut it down.
I got the complaint in the horrific OpenAI self harm case the the NY Times reported today
This is way way worse even than the NYT article makes it out to be
OpenAI absolutely deserves to be run out of business
— ❀°。Der Siebenschläfer *.ﾟ✿ ⋆ (@sababausa.bsky.social) August 26, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Love Your Neighborhood Post Offices: Post Options on Capitol Hill is closing. Their shop on Pike Street was severely damaged in an electrical fire in July, and they’ve been working out of a temporary location since. Owner Veti Cmoesongrsi, who owns the shop with Nongnuch Paungpornsri, told Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, “We could not start over.” The Postman is closing, too. KeAnna Rose Pickett kept the business going after her husband, D’Vonne Pickett, Jr., was shot and killed outside the Central District shop in 2022. Pickett told Converge, “I feel like I’m trying to keep it up for legacy, but I really want to do something else.” Hug your local indie postal service worker today.
I Don’t Think You Can Do That: Trump says he wants the death penalty for all murderers in Washington, DC, which I’m pretty sure he only said because he was excited to make what he perceived as a clever play on words. “Anybody murders something in the capitol, capital punishment,” Trump said. It’s telling that he said “something” and not “someone.” He doesn’t see people as human beings. We’re all just cogs in his power-hungry machine brain that runs on ego and destruction.
Speaking of That Destructive Ego: Trump is imposing a 50 percent tariff on India because the country bought discounted oil from Russia, and he says that indirectly funds the war in Ukraine. Oh, are we punishing countries that support the unlawful occupation of other countries? LOOK IN THE MIRROR, ASSHOLE.
Wisconsin Man Not Dead After All: A man named Ryan Borgwardt has been sentenced to 89 days in jail for obstructing an officer after pretending to drown while on a kayaking excursion so he could ditch his wife and three children and run off to Georgia (the country) to be with another woman. He paid $30,000 in restitution, and his wife divorced him after he turned himself in. Men, you know you can just, like, talk about your feelings, right?
Here’s Some Better News: Ned the snail is looking for love! Most snail shells spiral to the right, but Ned’s shell spirals to the left, making it harder for him to find a mate. Put Ned on The Bachelor!
In Some Personal News: Today is my husband Robby’s birthday, and he is my very favorite person on the whole planet. Even with all the terrible things that happen in the world on a daily, hourly, and minutely basis, he makes me laugh and not want to hide under a rock until it’s over. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating him with this very great Atom and His Package song.
