Partly Cloudy Day: Our weather today will be mostly cloudy in the morning, before handing us a partly sunny illusion of hope, with highs around 71. That’s what we’ve come to call summer in these parts if you're into emotional compromise. So wear the light jacket in the morning, switch to a tee later, and enjoy this rare meteorological miracle before the clouds remember they have beef with you.

House GOP Pulls All-Nighter to Move Deadly Bill Forward: While you were sleeping, House Republicans were busy trying to pass a spending bill packed with tax breaks for the rich and deep cuts to social programs, including $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. By 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, they were still scrambling for votes to pass “the rule,” a procedural hurdle required to bring the bill to the floor. Normally, the majority party backs its own rules, but House Republicans are now so chaotic they’ve started mutinying against themselves. Inspiring stuff. By midnight, the rebellion was fading, and the bill looked likely to pass.

As of this writing, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is entering his sixth hour of speaking in an effort to stall the vote. He said they only need four Republicans with “John McCain levels of courage” to stop the bill. Whether anyone in this Congress has that kind of backbone remains to be seen. Not holding our breath. The bill is headed to a final House vote.

FEMA’s Communication Blackout Is Leaving Disaster Response in Chaos: As hurricane season approaches, FEMA has slammed the door on communication, leaving state and local emergency officials scrambling for answers. From Wyoming to North Carolina, emergency managers say they’re being “ghosted” by FEMA, with vital questions about emergency funding going unanswered. Internal memos reveal top FEMA brass ordered staff to route all inquiries from Congress, the White House’s budget office, and the National Security Council through the acting FEMA administrator. Regional teams have even been told to limit what they share with local partners until supervisors approve it.

The result? A dangerous information bottleneck that’s delaying billions in emergency grants and could cripple disaster response just when it’s needed most. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is tightening her grip on FEMA as the Trump administration plans to phase out the agency after hurricane season and shift disaster responsibility to the states. State and local officials warn this silence and confusion will cost lives. The DHS calls claims of a communication ban “fake news,” but FEMA insiders say the memos tell a different story. If FEMA won’t talk, who will answer when disaster strikes?

Big Gulag Energy: A new lawsuit says the Trump admin illegally deported Maryland father Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia after a judge told them not to, and he was immediately thrown into El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison. Upon arrival, a guard allegedly told detainees, “Welcome to CECOT. Whoever enters here doesn’t leave.” So that’s... encouraging. There, guards tortured him for months. According to newly filed court docs, they beat him, denied him sleep and bathroom access, and forced him to kneel for nine-hour stretches under 24/7 lights. Now he’s suing Marco Rubio, Pamela Bondi, Kristi Noem, and other Trumpworld cosplay cabinet members. The feds only brought him back last month, just in time to charge him with human smuggling. Asked about it, DHS mouthpiece Tricia McLaughlin called it a “sob story” and mocked reporters for asking. Charming.

DHS and FBI Warn of Lone Wolf Threats Ahead of July 4: Federal agencies are warning of lone actors and small extremist groups targeting July 4 events nationwide. In a joint statement, the FBI and DHS said, “These individuals are often motivated by a broad range of racial, ethnic, political, religious, anti-government, societal, or personal grievances.” While listing every grievance under the sun, they conveniently tiptoed around the fact that most of these so-called “lone wolves” are white American men with a penchant for violence and plummeting down YouTube rabbit holes, including the recent police-impersonating gunman who killed Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman. There are also concerns about copycat attacks inspired by recent violence such as the Texas-born assailant who rammed a crowd in New Orleans earlier this year, killing 14.

The statement also noted that unauthorized drones add another layer of risk to public safety and event security. Officials urge vigilance as the nation prepares for July 4 celebrations, though it’s been years since America was a place where people could gather in groups without fearing violence.

Freak-Offs and Failed Convictions: Sean “Diddy” Combs just swerved a legal freight train, sort of. After a seven-week federal trial filled with graphic testimony, he was found not guilty Wednesday on racketeering and sex trafficking charges but still landed two felony convictions for transporting people across state lines for prostitution. The feds painted him as the baby-oil-soaked kingpin of a criminal sex ring, complete with drugs, violence, and “freak-offs” filmed like twisted episodes of Black Mirror. His defense? Yes, he’s an abuser, but most of these encounters were just consensual kinky fun with girlfriends, and the government was on a puritanical overreach mission. But don’t cue the victory lap just yet: a federal judge denied him bail, citing his “propensity for violence,” so he’s still behind bars and looking at up to 20 years in prison. Turns out “Bad Boy for Liife” hits different when the bars aren’t metaphorical.

Criminology Student Convicted of Idaho Murders: Bryan Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student who went from studying serial killers to becoming one, pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students in a plea deal that takes the death penalty off the table but locks him away for life. Prosecutors laid out a grim, calculated plan involving late-night stalking, a military-style knife, and a disturbingly spotless getaway, but still couldn’t explain why he did it or how someone that creepy went unnoticed for so long. The victims' families were split: some were furious that he won’t face execution, while others are relieved to avoid years of retraumatizing courtroom theater. So we get closure without clarity, a killer without a cause, and a case that feels more like a tragic true crime podcast with no final resolution.

Bench the Bigotry, Not the Kids: In what I’m sure doesn’t portend a judicial decision crowdsourced from the pits of hell, the Supreme Court just RSVP’d to the next round of the culture war, agreeing to hear two cases about whether states can ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports. These cases, out of Idaho and West Virginia, are a bad-faith legal tug-of-war over equal protection and the right of trans kids to just exist and compete like everyone else. Fresh off blessing restrictions on gender-affirming care, the Court’s signaling it’s ready to weigh in on yet another front in the right-wing campaign to legislate trans people out of public life and follows Penn outright banning trans athletes.

Assessor of Poor Judgment: King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson got himself arrested Wednesday night for allegedly stalking his ex-fiancée and violating a restraining order because apparently, the bar for public office is now somewhere beneath the jail itself. Just hours before his arrest, the man was posting glam shots from an upscale restaurant, toasting what he called a “great day.” Wilson, of course, claims the arrest is all “political,” because in 2025, accountability is synonymous with another deep-state conspiracy.

Wrong Guy, Same Brutality: Vidal Palomar, a disabled father of three who fled cartel violence in Mexico, was violently arrested by ICE in Lynden, despite having no criminal record and, according to his attorney, being the victim of mistaken identity. Eyewitness video shows agents throwing him to the ground twice, even with a disabled placard clearly in view, and when he finally demanded to see a warrant, it showed a photo of someone else. ICE then allegedly offered him $1,000 to "just admit guilt and leave," because apparently failures of due process now come with a cash bonus. Palomar’s arrest has sent shockwaves through Whatcom County’s Latino community, where the message is loud and clear: being undocumented and brown is enough to get you disappeared.

Vote Wilson: In case you missed our mayoral endorsement, here’s the TL;DR: Bruce Harrell came in promising housing, police reform, and grown-up leadership, then promptly handed us more sweeps, tech bro distractions, and tantrums when asked basic questions. Turns out the real graffiti problem is the one scribbling over his own promises. Meanwhile, Katie Wilson actually has a plan to house people, fund services, and not spiral into finger-pointing every time things get hard. She’s smart, steady, and gives a damn (my own mama has even given her support) so let’s retire Bruce and give Seattle a mayor who doesn’t need a babysitter.

Raleigh is an All Star! Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh just went full Super Saiyan and got named an All-Star starter for the first time because when you hit 33 home runs before July, people notice. That’s third-most ever before July 1, right behind Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire (aka the Avengers of the steroid era). Raleigh’s basically carrying the Mariners on his back with a 1.024 OPS, 4.5 WAR, and even stealing bases now because apparently he woke up this season and chose MVP-level violence.

Bald and Back, Baby! A bald eagle in Tacoma just pulled off the ultimate comeback story. Rescued starving and grounded in May, it got the full wildlife VIP treatment and took flight again Wednesday like it never missed a beat. This bird had broken bones, was dehydrated, basically one step away from starring in a wildlife tragedy but thanks to the good folks at PAWS and Featherhaven, it’s back in the skies, hopefully reconnecting with its eagle boo.

Look, I don’t know what it is about Postmodern Jukebox covers, but they get me every, single, time. Like, why does a jazzed-up, gospel-fied version of U2 hit harder than catholic guilt on a Sunday morning? I can’t explain it. But here we are. So let’s start the day right: