The Stranger’s morning news roundup.

by Ashley Nerbovig

Morning! Low chance of rain this morning before 2 pm, and the National Weather Service expected today to start cloudy and then turn sunny, with a nigh near 57. Looking outside right now, just appears to start sunny. Grab some sunscreen and hit the streets! 

Seattle Police Officers contract cost released: City Council central staff released the cost of the 2020-2023 Seattle Police Officer’s Guild (SPOG) contract and the cops absolutely hustled us. This year, the City plans to pay officers an additional $96 million in backpay and raises. If SPOG negotiates for zero new dollars in their next round of contract negotiations—which start immediately—then the ongoing additional cost of the contract in salary pay alone will be about $39.1 million. With zero accountability measures. The City says it’s entered into mediation over the next contract, which involves negotiations over wages, hours, working conditions, and disciplinary systems. The contract adds about $40 million in additional spending to the 2025 budget, a year in which the City expects a $240 million budget deficit. The contract heads to full Council vote next Tuesday.

Looks like the new SPOG contract will go directly to Full Council for a final vote on Tuesday, 5/14. Seattle will be paying $57.1 million in backpay to SPOG members for 2021, 2022, and 2023. Accounting for the raises, officer pay will then cost about $40 million more per year.

— Amy Sundberg (@amysundberg) May 6, 2024

Very related… Here are all the council members’ email addresses:

rob.saka@seattle.gov
tammy.morales@seattle.gov
joy.hollingsworth@seattle.gov
maritza.rivera@seattle.gov
cathy.moore@seattle.gov
dan.strauss@seattle.gov
robert.kettle@seattle.gov
tanya.woo@seattle.gov
sara.nelson@seattle.gov

Speaking of Seattle Police Department Officers: SPD Officer Ryan Rose challenged another officer to a fight after the officer went to talk to him about how Rose had ruined a potential drug bust, causing the suspects to scatter, according to DivestSPD. Officers said Rose had “Leeroy Jenkins’d” the drug bust. When Officer Seth Romeo tried to speak to Rose about it, Rose became angry and called Romeo a “pussy.” Rose later told another officer that Romeo was “lucky that I am not off duty. I would drag him out the car and beat him to death.” Anyway, no increased accountability measures in the new SPOG contract that gives this cop a raise. 

Speaking of raising wages: The King County Council plans to vote Tuesday on whether to increase the County’s minimum wage to more than $20 an hour, according to the Seattle Times. The bill has some caveats: it only applies to unincorporated King County and has some different minimums for small-to-mid-sized businesses, so it really only applies to three businesses. Still, that’s probably good. The bill looks likely to pass, with five out of nine council members already voicing their support.

University of Washington has no plans to cut ties with Boeing: Through a spokesperson Friday, UW President Ana Mari Cauce maintained that the University had no plans to meet student protestors’ demands that UW end its relationship with the weapons manufacturer, according to the Seattle Times. Cauce stands with a long list of college presidents who continue to say, “Nom nom nom, we love blood money.”

Israel seizes border crossing as it prepares to invade Rafah: Israel’s preparations for a “limited” ground incursion into Rafah has “choked off” aid to Gaza as it closes a crucial border crossing, according to NBC News. The cutting of aid comes as the people of northern Gaza deal with a “full-blown famine.” More than a million Palestinians fled to Rafah after Israel began raining airstrikes down on Gaza. Now, Israel has asked 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah. Hamas agreed to a cease-fire proposal, and yet Israel has said it plans to continue its invasion. More than 34,700 Palestinians have died in the conflict so far, according to the Associated Press, and other outlets acknowledge that’s likely an incomplete count.

HIND’S HALL. Once it’s up on streaming all proceeds to UNRWA. pic.twitter.com/QqZEKmzwZI

— Macklemore (@macklemore) May 6, 2024

[Eds note: Macklemore’s past taste in, uh, “disguises” may open him up to criticism.]

Customers launch fundraiser for Ballard market: An explosion engulfed Take 5 Urban Market in Ballard in flames early Thursday. The building itself survived, but the accidental natural gas explosion destroyed everything inside. Customers want to make sure the market can bounce back and have launched a fundraiser— MyBallard has more.

Republican City Attorney Ann Davison kind of sucks at her job: Between February 2022 and August 2023, Davison’s office has taken 36 cases to trial and secured a guilty verdict in exactly eight. I have to dive into these numbers a little more, but the lack of convictions out of her office, and lack of trials, seems about right for a candidate with limited trial experience.

Repubican City Attorney Ann Davison’s Office literally can’t win at trial. Between February 2022 and August 2023, her office took 36 cases to trial, and she only won 8. Her conviction rate at trial is 22%.

— Ashley Nerbovig (@AshleyNerbovig) May 6, 2024

Former Bothell City Council member remains in jail on murder charge: James McNeal, 58, faces second-degree murder charges for the death of 20-year-old Liliya Guyvoronsky. Prosecutors say McNeal met Guyvoronsky while she worked as a dancer, but then began seeing her and financially supporting her after she left the adult entertainment industry, according to the Everett Herald. The charging documents say Guyvoronsky tried to break up with McNeal, and wrote herself a note: “Do not interact w/James today.” Authorities have not yet released a cause of death.

Trump’s hush-money trial continues: Prosecutors called Stormy Daniels to the stand Tuesday to testify about her sexual encounter with the former president in 2006, which she says she was paid to keep silent about, according to the Associated Press. Should be interesting reading. This is more of an aside, but I think we should start calling it “Shush money.”

Mayor plans to move some refugees: Mayor Bruce Harrell said his office plans to move some families with kids out of Powell Barnett Park, saying they’ve identified some other shelter. Lilly Ana Fowler has more:

Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office plans to clear Powell Barnett Park in the Central District where 100s of asylum seekers — mostly from Venezuela & Angola — have been camping. They say they’ve identified other shelter. Response comes after some raised questions about conditions. pic.twitter.com/dvZ439EdlC

— Lilly Ana Fowler (@LillyAFowler) May 6, 2024

“Tried to talk to God/But He said sort yourself out”: Pillow Queens’ new album Name Your Sorrow is a beautiful, lyrical piece of art. Highly recommend listening on a long, sunny walk.

The Stranger