Congrats: As of July 9, the Liquor and Cannabis Board will allow those corny axe-throwing establishments to serve booze—but with some caveats. Because, of course, Washington is so fucking puritanical about alcohol.  According to The News Tribune, alcohol consumption and axe-throwing must be separated by "some sort of wall, caging or netting," and venues must have a "safety operating plan" for how staff deal with safety concerns. 

A leaked video of Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz reveals that more store closures could be on their way after the company shuttered 16 locations last week. The noted person of means is recorded saying, "This is just the beginning. There are going to be many more." Starbucks confirmed the video's authenticity to Business Insider, but the spokesperson did not say when or where it was recorded. These closures are allegedly happening because of sAfEtY cOnCeRnS, but Sbux union organizers say it's retaliation. 

This is what Washingtonians care about: A new study from WA Poll showed that amongst the 596 likely November voters surveyed, 28% selected abortion and 20% selected inflation as top issues. The other issues—border security (lol), crime, climate change, and guns—all nabbed under 10%. And amongst those under 50, abortion jumped up to 35%. The only shock in this poll is that no matter how you slice the data, climate change consistently came in under 10%. 

Oh, MoM: First Hill's Museum of Museums found itself in the middle of controversy after it announced an open call for an upcoming exhibition called Amazon vs. Microsoft. The show set out "to highlight and underline the artists working in big tech and recalibrate the narrative around what a tech worker is." The museum said that though extreme wealth defines the two companies, "we believe there is an alternative and equally impressive wealth of artistic talent within their ranks." Lol, k. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Pretty immediately after the notice was posted, a good chunk of the Seattle art community responded with necessary, scathing criticism of the exhibition. People argued that these two tech companies were responsible for much of the artist displacement in the city. Others pointed out that the Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos illustration on the flyer—a cringy nod to the famed Andy Warhol/Jean-Michel Basquiat joint show—and the soft language in the caption targeted the call at cushy techies rather than at the warehouse workers who are exploited by Amazon and Microsoft. "Imagine being an art museum in 2022 able to uplift anyone and we pick… tech workers???" wrote one commenter. Even noted artist and arts writer Brad Troemel made a meme about the ill-advised, poorly timed, and completely out-of-touch call. 

After days of defending the exhibition in the comment section, MoM officially canceled Amazon vs. Microsoft yesterday. In an apology-but-not-really-an-apology, MoM founder and director Greg Lundgren wrote that he knows a "healthy arts ecosystem" in Seattle "requires financial support," and with this exhibition, he "tried, one more time, to connect the disconnected, to try and strengthen our arts economy the only way I knew how." Personally, I think MoM missed out on an opportunity to thoughtfully retool the show and properly situate it in context of ongoing discussions between art and tech. Outright canceling the exhibition and casting the Seattle art scene as being hostile to genteel tech workers-cum-artists is a disservice to everyone. 

Weather break: An amiable summer day. 

Prime Video is getting a much needed makeover: If you've ever tried to use the video streaming service, you likely know how ugly and difficult the platform was to navigate. But according to The Verge, Prime Video is getting a big makeover that it will rollout over the next couple of weeks. There will be a Top 10 list, different navigation, and better clarification about what's included in your subscription. 

My heart's shattered: Beloved comedy duo Desus & Mero have broken up. Rumors that the two were not on good terms started swirling on social media over the last couple of days. And yesterday the show's official Twitter confirmed the duo "will be pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward," ending their SHOWTIME show and popular podcast. I will miss moments like these from the Bodega Boys:

The price of gas in Seattle has dropped 9.9 cents, still making the average cost per gallon a whopping $5.40, reports KOMO. 

Relatedly—the United Kingdom is sweltering: Today, the country broke heat records as high temperatures have tortured much of Europe over the past weeks, causing wildfires across the continent. Midday, meteorologists noted a provisional reading at Heathrow Airport of 40.2 degrees Celsius—104.4 degrees Fahrenheit!—as railways shut down because of heat damage, reports AP. Like Seattle, many public places do not have air conditioning, so many are suffering through this heat with no reprieve.

And also relatedly: Huge waves crashed over Hawaiian highways and buildings last weekend, with some waves reaching heights of 20 feet, reports The Guardian. According to the National Weather Services, a strong south swell, high tides, and—crucially—"rising sea levels associated with climate change" are all to blame for the historic waves on Saturday. Could less history happen, plz? Thx.

Ok, this is pretty sick: I wish this was what courtship looked like amongst humans.

Don't call them carp: The invasive fish is getting a rebrand to "copi" to make them sound more appealing to American consumers. 

For your listening pleasure: Enumclaw's "Cowboy Bebop" off their forthcoming album Save the Baby. You can catch them at Capitol Hill Block Party this weekend.