The Stranger’s morning news roundup.

by Ashley Nerbovig

Drizzle, drizzle: Good morning, and hoods up. The National Weather Service predicts 100% chance of precipitation. Plus it’s going to be a little windy today, with gusts of up to 22 miles per hour.  

New lawsuit launched against Seattle Police Department: Another SPD higher-up who applied for the position of Chief of Police has filed a complaint against the person who got the top job, Chief of Police Adrian Diaz, according to KUOW. Seattle Police Captain Eric Greening says Diaz has discriminated against women and people of color at the department. Previously, another candidate for chief, Captain Deanna Nollette, also filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination. 

Beaches to close early this summer: As a way to cut down on criminal activity, the Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Police Department say they plan to close Golden Gardens and Alki Beach at 10:30 pm this summer as opposed to 11:30 pm. People can submit their thoughts on the plan to make the beaches more deserted later at night as part of a crime prevention strategy. I think it’s dumb and just a way for cops to hassle more people who happened to be at the beach at 11:30 pm. 

Bumbershoot line-up drops: “This morning Bumbershoot organizers announced this year’s long-awaited music lineup and headliners include beloved indie rockers Pavement, Beyoncé bestie James Blake, electronic music goofball Marc Rebillet, Australian rock and roller Courtney Barnett, and the best part of Sonic Youth aka Kim Gordon,” Megan writes. Read more. 

The recusal of Tanya Woo: The executive director of Seattle Ethics and Elections told appointed City Council Member Tanya Woo she should not vote on the rollback of the City’s minimum wage ordinance for gig workers, because her father-in-law owns a restaurant that uses app-based delivery drivers. Hannah broke the news yesterday. In an email, Woo wrote that the business has “seen a reduction in smaller dollar orders since the minimum payment ordinance became effective in January of this year.” After the executive director told Woo not to vote, she said she wanted a second opinion, meaning she wants someone, anyone, to tell her she can vote on the law. Seems kind of like something someone would do if they had a vested interest in the outcome of the vote. 

One of the troubles with appointing a business stooge, they’ve all got connections to business https://t.co/VLD6NS8MpN

— Ashley Nerbovig (@AshleyNerbovig) May 20, 2024

King County Metro ridership on the rise: Metro operation rose last year to 83% of what it was in 2019, prior to the pandemic. Metro briefed the King County Council last week on its work to reach 100% of planned service, which fell significantly during the pandemic, according to Seattle Transit Blog. A labor shortage and vehicle reliability have caused issues for Metro returning to pre-pandemic operation levels.

Take a bus to the mountains this weekend: This weekend looks nice a mild for the relaunch of King County Metro’s Trailhead Direct, which begins on May 25. The bus service shuttles people out to the mountains all summer, and this year they’re bringing back the lines out to the “Issaquah Alps,” which includes stops at “Margaret’s Way, Squak Mountain, Chirico Trail-Poo Poo Point, High School trail and East Sunset Way.” That route starts at the Mount Baker Station. As ever, you’ll be able to pick up a bus to Mount Si, Mount Teneriffe, and Little Si from the Capitol Hill Station. 

You see that boat? God, sometimes I love West Seattle Blog. A tall ship called the Lady Washington passed by West Seattle yesterday and someone caught a photo of it. The boat docked in Tacoma, where people can hop aboard for a short sail or a docked tour. 

Missing plane found: Recovery crews have located a small plane that went missing after taking off from Arlington airport Sunday. The Washington State Department of Transportation said it found wreckage of the plane just west of Snoqualmie Pass, according to KIRO 7. Authorities found the plane’s pilot and only passenger, 69-year-old Jerry Reidinger, dead inside the plane.

Unified reich: Former president Donald Trump’s campaign posted a video with a reference to a “unified reich.” A campaign staffer said the campaign did not create the video, just reshared it after a user online posted it. The line from the campaign might be more believable from a candidate who hadn’t once said Hitler did “a lot of good things.”

Speaking of Trump: His fraud trial continued Monday with witness Robert Costello, who groaned a bunch on the witness stand and at one point said “jeez” after the judge sustained multiple objections from prosecutors, according to the BBC. The judge ended up clearing the courtroom just to yell at Costello. The defense rested its case, with Trump not testifying. 

Call me a craving not a crush: I read one review of Billie Eilish’s new album, “Hit me Hard and Soft” that described the songs as luxurious, and I agree. Eilish’s music has always had an almost decadent vibe to it. Enjoy Lunch!

The Stranger