Pro-Palestine protesters lock in at the HUB: A crowd of over 100 people rallied for SUPER UW's "All Out for Palestine" protest at the University of Washington, according to The Daily. Demonstrators then marched to the HUB, where five people locked themselves together and vowed to stay that way until UW met the group's demands, which go as follows: "'materially and academically divest from Israel,' 'cut all ties with Boeing,' and 'end the anti-Palestinian repression of students, workers, and faculty.'" According to Daily news editor Sofia Schwarzwalder, the UW police chief showed up after midnight and protesters left this morning "around 5:30 or 6 am," but not before reportedly drawing all over the walls: 

New light rail expansion coming Aug 30! Mark your calendars, the light rail's 1 line extension to Lynnwood opens over Labor Day weekend. Four new stops will open: Shoreline South/148th, Shoreline North/185th, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood City Center. I can't wait to ride 'til the end of the line to celebrate our sweet little 1 line growing up and (sort of) looking like a real transit system. 

Bitchgate: Failed Washington state governor candidate Loren Culp received a notice from the Washington Sheriffs & Police Chiefs Association that he may lose his membership in the group after posting on Twitter/X that two GOP legislators were "bitches." Maybe this cop group will wash his mouth out with soap if he doesn't stop saying bad words. No, just kidding, they're just going to kick him out. Culp, you'll recall, used to be the police chief (and sole officer) in Republic, Washington, a town of 1,100 residents, before Republic decided it didn't really need a police department and eliminated his position. He now runs the Klickitat County jail and calls politicians bitches from his high horse:

The weather is not much to write home about today. Looks like it will be chilly. Looks like it will be gray. And, likely, there will be rain. April showers and all that. 

ICYMI: Mayor Bruce Harrell released his draft of the transportation levy, a $1.35 billion proposal paid for in property taxes that will shape the next eight years of how Seattle gets around, from pedestrian projects and new bike lanes to repaving projects and bridge maintenance. Voters will decide come fall whether they want to pay $36 a month ($12 more than they pay for the expiring transportation levy) to fund this work. The disappointing news is that Harrell's plan is, well, disappointing. He's only delivering on about half of what the urbanists say is pivotal for making Seattle a city keen on reaching its climate goals. Hannah Krieg has more here. 

Tragedy in the IHOP parking lot: A two-year-old boy who suffered a gunshot would outside a Federal Way IHOP on Thursday died from his injuries. A preliminary investigation by police revealed the boy was shot while the boy's father and another person shot at each other in the lot. 

Put your phone down: New "smart" traffic signs around King County will be able to send "infrared signals into your car to detect the unsafe behavior" and then will issue a warning depending on your violation. The four "SmartSigns" will be moving around 12 locations across the county and looking to stop bad driving practices such as using phones while driving, not buckling seat belts, or speeding. I'll say it—I'm in favor of the nanny state when it comes to nipping unsafe driving practices in the bud. 

Kinda fun: The people are excited about the moon and the sun and the dance they're about to do.

Alleged Idaho killer's defense is blowing it: The defense team for Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022, conducted a phone survey of 400 people in the county who could be eligible jurors. The point of the survey was for the defense to prove an impartial jury in this area wasn't possible. Well, yeah, that's not going to be possible, especially if you are tainting a potential jury pool by asking them survey questions about the trial. State prosecutors alleged the defense violated the trial's standing gag order. This drama could delay the decision on where to hold the trial and push back other key trial dates. 

New evidence in the fatal Arizona hot air balloon crash from January: The man flying the hot air balloon that carried 13 occupants had elevated levels of ketamine in his system. In the crash, the balloon partially deflated mid-flight, and then it regained some control before it plummeted into a free fall to the ground from 2,000 feet up in the air. Four people, including the pilot, died. 

Chalk that one up to climate change: Forecasters at Colorado State University issued an outlook for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, calling it "incredibly active." According to the forecast, this could be the most active hurricane season in 30 years. The culprit is "alarming ocean temperatures."

Better than expected: US employers added 303,000 jobs in March, a number higher than expected and a signal of—dare I say it?—economic strength. The unemployment rate dropped from 3.9% to 3.8%. 

NYC earthquake: A 4.8 magnitude quake shook New York City Friday morning. 

They should really rename that place the city that never shakes for how all these earthquake novices are reacting on Twitter. Still, kinda funny stuff, though. 

Bankrupt Giuliani can stay in his Florida condo: Rudy Giuliani declared bankruptcy last December after a court ordered him to pay $148 million to two former Georgia election workers for spreading lies about them and what Giuliani called a stolen 2020 election. A judge heard concerns from Giuliani's creditors about how he might be sinking money into his $3.5 million Palm Beach estate rather than paying his dues. Giuliani agreed to put his $5 million Manhattan unit on the market, but he asked to stay in his Florida space because he needs it to record his podcast there, and also the cost of finding a new New York home would be "prohibitive." For now, he can stay in his condo, but maybe he should consider renting? Maybe a roommate or two? 

An Easter heist: A group of sophisticated thieves stole $30 million from a Los Angeles money storage facility in the San Fernando Valley. The thieves entered the building and then the vault without setting off alarms on the night of Easter Sunday. The heist was so well-executed it wasn't discovered until Monday. The theft is now one of the largest cash heists in LA history. 

A wild, depressing read for your Friday: A former University of Iowa Hospital employee stole a man's identity for 35 years, living his life under that man's name for years. In the decades without his identity, while insisting he was actually who he said he was, the original man was falsely imprisoned for identity theft and then sent to a mental hospital. Read the whole story here. 

Here's a song, too: This one goes out to the new light rail extension opening August 30. I love you, light rail extension. Please give me more of you before my bones become dust.