Gooood morning! Are you tired? I am so tired. But today will be sunny, warm but not hot, making it the perfect evening for a mid-week marquesita. Before then, let’s catch up on what’s happening in the world right now…
Grocery Bag Report: Greenwood residents (myself included) are getting whiplash over Fred Meyer’s inability to maintain a reliable paper bag stock. In April, after I wrote about how it’s ridiculous (and an accessibility issue!) that the store had stopped offering paper bags with handles at checkout, bags with handles suddenly appeared. It was glorious! For a while. Now the store is back to offering handleless paper bags at checkout. A reader wrote in earlier this month, saying: “Please let Megan Seling know that Fred Meyer is at it again: On Friday, June 5th, the grocery bags were without handles.” BRING BACK THE BAGS WITH HANDLES!
Wildfire Evacuations in Spokane: So far the fire has “torched over 250 acres with no containment” and “nearly 12,000 residents were under evacuation orders and more than 2,300 structures were threatened,” says the Seattle Times. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported, but several people have lost their homes. Gov. Ferguson has asked FEMA for financial assistance.
More Fires Coming, Probably: Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are at an “above normal” fire risk this summer. A “fire meteorologist” says our warm winter with drought and low snowpack, as well as what could be “one of the largest El Niño events in recent decades,” could make it worse. Get your air purifiers now.
ICE (Allegedly) Doing More Illegal Shit: Oregon Senator Ron Wyden says ICE has purchased nearly $10 million worth of tax records in order to obtain ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers), which undocumented people use to file taxes instead of a Social Security number. He told 404 Media, “It looks for all the world like Trump is trying to skirt the law and a court order to fuel his mass-deportation campaign.”
Sophon Appears to be Closed for Good: After a staff exodus forced the celebrated restaurant to temporarily close earlier this year, Stranger contributor Harry Cheadle confirmed that this month, the Department of Revenue revoked Sophon’s business license. The restaurant has been consistently closed during its normal business hours, and according to a DOR spokesperson, the restaurant owes $163,000 in unpaid taxes. Read the full story here.
Luigi Update: Today, a judge announced that Luigi Mangione will “assert a psychiatric defense” in his murder trial, and his lawyers will attempt to show he was suffering from “extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the occurrence.” It’s not the same as pleading insanity, but it could result in a manslaughter ruling instead of murder, resulting in less prison time.
A Billionaire Wins Runoff in Georgia: Healthcare executive Rick Jackson beat Trump’s pick in Georgia’s governor’s primary race. Jackson will join Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms on the ballot in November.
Sounds Legit: Man who stands to get rich off success of AI says society just needs to embrace AI. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in an interview, “We need to create new social norms. I would advocate that everybody use AI. Just go engage it.” Oh fuck off, Jensen. Don’t make it our problem that you bet on the wrong, unethical, climate-destroying horse.
Shooting Near the Canadian Border: One person was injured in the shooting in Blaine, WA, not far from the Canadian border, and no border agents were involved. That’s about all we know.
Here’s a Terrible Sentence We Should Never Have to Read: “A one-year-old boy is dead and another person wounded after a northern Mississippi police officer shot at a vehicle while responding to a shoplifting call, according to authorities and the child’s grandfather.”
Wall of Sound Is Closing: The record store, which has been in business for nearly 40 years, is closing at the end of July.
Seattle Torrent Rebuild: The PWHL expansion draft destroyed the Seattle Torrent as we knew them. Captain Hilary Knight’s gone, so are Cayla Barnes, Hannah Bilka, and Megan Carter. But we still have Alex Carpenter, Julia Gosling, and, as of this morning, Aneta Tejralová, Theresa Schafzahl, and Emily Brown. I’ll write more later, when I’m not falling asleep at my keyboard.
Did You Know Seattle Has a Marquesita Stand? Happy Wednesday, aka Wallingford Farmers Market day, aka Apapacho Mexican Treat day! If you’ve never had a marquesita, prepare to be changed forever. The shell is like a crepe (foldable and rollable), but once it’s off the griddle, it quickly crisps up and becomes crispy and caramelized, almost like Feuilletine. It’s filled with a combo of berries, Nutella, cream cheese, etc., but do not skip the shredded Edam cheese. It’s the perfect salty and pungent accompaniment to the crispy shell. They’re open 3–7 pm at Meridian Park.
