Another earthquake hits the Turkey-Syria border: A 6.4 magnitude quake killed six people, injured 294, and further complicated recovery efforts in both countries only a few weeks after a larger earthquake hit the region, killing 47,000 people so far, reports Reuters. According to reporters on the ground, Monday's quake hit while people were inside buildings trying to recover possessions. The US has contributed $185 million in earthquake response assistance, a fraction of what we've given to Ukraine, FWIW. 

Speaking of that war: In a state of the nation speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow is "suspending" its role in the New START nuclear nonproliferation agreement, reports the Washington Post. Though Putin said Russia won't pull out completely, it's the last arms control treaty between the US and his country. Western officials reacted with alarm at the news, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying he "strongly encourage[s] Russia to reconsider its decision."

And speaking of state of the nations: Mayor Bruce Harrell will give his State of the City address today to remark on the progress of ~~One Seattle~~. The speech is kicking off at noon and—according to KOMO—Harrell is expected to outline his priorities for his second year in office. Shocking no one, that will likely include "[c]rime, staffing problems within the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and homelessness." Watch the address live, if you wish, on the Seattle Channel.

ICYMI: Bumbershoot is coming back for Labor Day weekend. The two biggest things to take away: ticket prices are coming down, and it's gonna get a whole lot more local. Read more about it from my colleague Megan Seling.

It got a bit windy: Nearly 12,000 Puget Sound Energy customers lost power last night because of the winds, which downed trees and power lines throughout the region, reports KING 5. The Edmonds-Kingston and Seattle-Bainbridge routes are also out of service currently because of rough seas, which look scary as fuck. And it's going to be cold!

Would you pay $12 a month to get verified on Facebook and Instagram? Yeah ... I thought so. Meta will test the "Meta Verified" service in Australia and New Zealand before launching it globally. The program would charge $11.99/month for web and $14.99 for iOS or Android. In addition to verification, it includes things like "more protection against impersonating accounts." Kinda weird to pay in order to make the platform more safe, if you ask me.

Can you imagine being alive and watching your hometown prepare for your death? I swear to God, if I get wind of Redmond, WA memorializing my high school parking spot I'm going to fucking lose it. But, I imagine, the ailing President Jimmy Carter is a lot more gracious—and a lot more beloved—to his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

In sports news: Remember the XFL? Well, they're back, apparently. After playing five games in 2020 before the pandemic hit, the Seattle Dragons are now the Seattle Sea Dragons, and they're ready to play ball or whatever. My former colleague Nathalie Graham wrote an explainer on them a few years ago, but here's an updated look at the team and when they play.

R.I.P. Krista Nelson: The longtime owner of Hot Mama's Pizza on Capitol Hill has passed away, reports CHS Blog. "Her contribution to the restaurant cannot be understated," the pizza joint said in a statement. "She was the glue that held us all together." If you'd like, leave a condolence message on the Hot Mama's FB page. 

"Angel-UH Bassett did the thing/Viola Davis, my Woman King" is seared into my brain: On Sunday night, Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose performed the most cringe tune at the BAFTAs with some of the best actresses of our generation looking wanly on as she ran around the stage. And of course it went viral, causing DeBose to deactivate her Twitter account.  I feel for her, but, girl, this is camp—embrace it! Make a T-shirt or a TikTok dance or something. We're laughing WITH YOU (mostly)!!!!!!

Ballard Commons Park will reopen next month after over a year of closure: According to MyBallard, Seattle Parks and Recreation will host a reopening ceremony on March 11 and 12. There have been some repairs—turf repair, landscaping, infrastructure and spray park maintenance—with the construction of a playground area still in the works since officials brutally swept the unhoused from the park in December 2021. 

Another extremely terrifying explosion in Ohio: This time at a metal factory. Thirteen people were taken to the hospital, and two remain in critical condition after an explosion ripped through a metal alloy factory in Oakwood, Ohio yesterday. According to CNN, several people have burn injuries, but there's still no word on what exactly caused the explosion.

Bookmarking to read later: Jeremy Strong in GQ. He seems like an absolute dream/nightmare to interview. 

Headline of the morning: "'Incredibly intelligent, highly elusive': US faces new threat from Canadian 'super pig,'" from The Guardian. Not cops, thank god, but a cold-resistant breed of swine that is a "result of cross-breeding domestic pigs with wild boars" and is currently "gobbling up crops, spreading diseases, and even killing deer and elk." Bring it on!

For your listening pleasure: St. Panther's "Así Así (feat. Chrystel)."