The fate of the Elephant Car Wash sign will be decided today: The Landmarks Preservation Board is meeting RIGHT NOW, and one important item on the agenda will be whether to give the iconic car wash sign landmark status, reports KING 5. The sign—the smaller one donated to Amazon in 2020—would go on 7th Ave and Blanchard Street, just a few blocks from its original location. People have a lot of feelings about it! If the meeting ends before this goes to press, I promise to update.

Today sizzled: I, for one, love the heat. We had such a rainy start to summer that those eleven 90-degree days REALLY felt like summer. And it looks like this hot-ass forecast will extend into next week...and that's on climate change!

About those e-scooters: KUOW's Casey Martin took to the streets to figure who exactly is riding the thousands of shared e-scooters that are clogging up walkways in the city. The answer is—ME! I've been obsessed with riding these bad boys distances I don't want to walk and feeling the wind in my fro. I recommend you try it before it gets too rainy/cold/dark to even think about leaving your house for the winter.

Speaking of e-scooters: Did you see this recent comic we posted by Ben Horak?

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by The Stranger 🗞 (@thestrangerseattle)

2024 discourse is nigh: After losing her Congressional race in Wyoming for having some semblance of a backbone, Rep. Liz Cheney says she's "thinking about" a presidential run. Good freakin' luck!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is doing a reshuffle: Director Rochelle Walensky acknowledged that the CDC's "performance did not reliably meet expectations" during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said in a statement. According to the Washington Post, the government agency will institute changes that include "faster release of scientific findings and easier-to-understand guidance" to combat criticism of being "slow, opaque, and confusing."

This is what old straight white man shade looks like: President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act yesterday and gave the pen to Sen. Joe Manchin, coal baron and perennial thorn in the Democrats' side. That weird smile unnerves me, lol. 

No one wants to invite Mike Pence to any party: The former Vice President said he'd give "due consideration" to a formal invitation to testify in front of the Jan 6 House select committee, reports CNN. Not even Congress wants Pence's sentient-haunted-portrait vibes around them!!!

Mayor Harrell made it official: Today, Office of Economic Development Interim Director Markham McIntyre was sworn in as the permanent director of the OED. Preeti Shridhar has also joined the office as deputy director. In a statement, Mayor Harrell said McIntyre and Shridhar are "well prepared" to partner with small businesses, workers, and entrepreneurs with "their proven experiences, deep community roots, and shared vision." Welcome aboard. 

Trend alert: Music residencies are back in style. 

Heads up if you're a light-railer: Between August 19 and September 1, the Link will run on a modified schedule as Columbia City Station closes for improvements, reports KING 5. From 6 am to 10 pm, every other train heading to Angle Lake will stop at Stadium Station. It's kind of confusing, so read more about it here. 

I have a portrait of all of us from yesterday: Don't we look beautiful?

For your listening pleasure: Megan Thee Stallion's pronoun anthem, "Her."