Get ready for a warm Pride weekend: According to KING 5, an "upper area of high pressure will build over the Pacific and Inland Northwest," which will cause warm "or even hot" temps in the next several days. Some are guessing Seattle might get into the 80s or 90s (!!!). I will take anything between drizzling misery and 100+ degree heat dome. All extremes are homophobic.

Meanwhile: In a blatant attempt to save the Dems from getting their asses handed to them in November, President Biden is calling on Congress and state governments to enact a suspension on gas and diesel taxes for three months. Joe, the Earth is melting! Tax the shit out of oil companies! Anyway, Gov. Jay Inslee is having none of it. "The oil companies would be the ones to benefit from yet another opportunity to pocket more profit at the expense of our ability to put people to work fixing our roads and bridges,” a spokesperson from Inslee's office told the Seattle Times. Like, duh, Joe!!!

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan kills at least 1,000 people, injures over 600: The quake hit the remote, hilly area of Khost near the Pakistan border, reports Reuters. Getting aid to the area is complicated by two things: The rainy, landslide-prone condition of the region and the fact that most international aid organizations pulled out once the Taliban took control last year. Experts are calling it the deadliest earthquake in two decades. 

Bad news for moms across the region: Chateau Ste. Michelle announced today that they were consolidating their operations east of the mountains and might sell their property in the Puget Sound area, reports KING 5. Though their vineyards are in the east, their wine-making production is still in Woodinville. The consolidation is an effort to reduce the astronomical costs of shipping across the state. The sale is still in its "exploratory phase," so you can definitely still catch Crosby Stills and Nash or whatever on chateau grounds while zooted for the summer months to come. 

Florida, man: What do you mean they're hitting gators with frying pans!!??!?! FOH!!

So sad: In Whatcom County, a dead baby grizzly bear washed ashore near Cherry Point, reports KING 5. Officials said the bear had been dead for "some time." There hasn't been a grizzly bear sighting in Washington's North Cascades since the 1990s, as the species lost its home here due to "habitat fragmentation and highways." The good news, Conservation Northwest executive director Mitch Friedman told KING 5, is that the bears are saying, "We want to come home. We belong in the North Cascades." 

Overlook Walk coming to Pike Place and the downtown waterfront: Construction started last week on the pedestrian bridge connecting the tourist spots, reports the Seattle Times. The bridge is expected to open by 2025, and it will cost $70 million. All the redevelopment projects—including bringing tons of cars back to Alaskan Way—are priced at $750 million.  

Vancouver report: Those sick minds behind French's condiment company offered Vancouverites the chance to taste mini sweet ketchup-flavored popsicles "made from 100 percent Canadian tomatoes" this week. The packaging is cute, but....what. If you're from Vancouver and have had a chance to suck on those pops, drop your thoughts in the comments.

Bruh: The Taking B(l)ack Pride chicken sandwich is back at Lil Woody's this week. It's genuinely one of the tastiest friend chicken sandos I've ever had—the chicken is super crispy, the bacon is salty, and the one-two punch of the chipotle mayo and red onion fucking HITS. Woody's needs to make this a year-round addition to the menu. For now, it's this week only...

 
 
 
 
 
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Speaking of Pride: The coppers have just released a statement on their presence at the parade downtown on Sunday. SPD Interim Chief Adrian Diaz acknowledged that Seattle Pride banned uniformed police from marching in the parade, but SPD "will staff Sunday's parade to provide public safety." He then ends the blotter post by stating that he wants to hire queer cops to staff the police department over the next few years. Fine, but we don't want to seem them at Pride!

At least three human remains found in three different spots in Seattle over the past week: In the University District, a missing 56-year-old woman's remains were found in the wooded area near Ravenna Ave NE and NE 45th Street. In Volunteer Park, a dead body was found in a tent beneath a tree east of the Seattle Asian Art Museum. And in Ballard, a man was found to have died of a gunshot wound at a homeless encampment last Friday, though his dead body was found on Saturday.

Jan. 6 House probe update: The final two public hearings are scheduled to occur in July rather than June, reports CNBC. The reason? There's a suggestion that the House select committee has come upon new evidence that's relevant to its investigation. According to NPR, that includes "hours of video footage" by a British documentarian, Alex Holder, who followed and interviewed Trump and his horrid crew the weeks before and after the 2020 election. Plus, people are blowing up the tip line. 

Uvalde update: In even more horrifying news from the Texan town rocked by a violent school shooting, KSAT reports that one of the officers inside Robb Elementary was Ruben Ruiz, the husband of slain teacher Eva Mireles. Mireles called Ruiz and told him she'd been shot and was dying. When he attempted to go save her, his cop comrades detained him and took away his gun. Vile. And today, the Uvalde school superintendent officially put Uvalde school police Chief Arredondo on administrative leave. 

Remember Andrew Gillum? The Washington Post reports that Ron DeSantis's opponent in the 2018 race for the Florida governorship was just charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements. 

For your listening pleasure: Blue Hawaii's "I Felt Love."