#Seattle Times

[shihlun]

Taipei, 1988.

Photo by Sylvia Nogaki

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

David Horsey, Seattle Times :: [Scott Horton]

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“I have also read that the Pox was caused by accidentally coinciding climatic, economic, and sociological crises. It would be more honest to say that the Pox was caused by our own refusal to deal with obvious problems in those areas. We caused the problems: then we sat and watched as they grew into crises. I have heard people deny this, but I was born in 1970. I have seen enough to know that it is true. I have watched education become more a privilege of the rich than the basic necessity that it must be if civilized society is to survive. I have watched as convenience, profit, and inertia excused greater and more dangerous environmental degradation. I have watched poverty, hunger, and disease become inevitable for more and more people.”

― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents

[uswnt5]

Tobin Heath brings experience, leadership to OL Reign as she settles in with new club

[haleygravesofficial]

"It was easier being gay than black in Maine..."

Check out this awesome article The Lynnwood Times released about me yesterday. I talk about growing up in Maine, identity issues, Being Black in a predominantly white state, changing the game in Pop Punk and much more in this week's Lynnwood Times!

[boricuacherry-blog]

[bran-ridire]

As a child of the PNW, the Ape Canyon Incident always fascinated and scared the daylights out of me. As an adult, I’d really like to explore the narrow gorge.

[thecrownnet]

Princess Margaret’s sad symphony in taupe from ‘The Crown’

By Moira Macdonald 

Seattle Times arts critic

Sunday Best

“The Crown” returns to Netflix in its fifth season Nov. 9, in a time of great upheaval for the British monarchy both on screen (the season takes place in the 1990s, as Charles and Diana’s marriage publicly crumbles) and in the present day. Costume designer Amy Roberts will be showing us some familiar looks this season — Diana’s famous black “revenge dress” will make an appearance — but I was particularly taken by this picture. The great Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread,” “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”) takes over the role of Princess Margaret, and the costume and set decoration here tell us all we need to know: this woman is bored, she drinks too much (her elegant silk robe is a similar tone to her cocktail), and she matches her décor so precisely she almost seems to be disappearing into it. It’s an entire story in one shot; a sad symphony in taupe.

Photo: Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret in a scene from season 5 of “The Crown,” premiering Nov. 9 on Netflix. (Keith Bernstein/Netflix) ♚

[driveintheaterofthemind]

Vintage Comic Strip - Superman Sunday Comic Strip (June13th1943)

The Seattle Times

[lizfielding99]

Reading series novels...

Where do you begin? I have noticed, when reading reviews of Murder Under the Mistletoe, that several people said that they wished they’d read Murder Among the Roses first. One reviewer mentioned that she’d stopped and bought the first book, before reading on. I can understand that. Even if I later pick up books out of order in a series – library reads, charity shop buys – I always try to read…

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

David Horsey, Seattle Times

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Today, President Joe Biden held an event in the Rose Garden at the White House to celebrate the lower drug costs possible thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed without any Republican votes in either the House or the Senate. Phasing in over the next few years, the measure will cap the out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2000 a year and make vaccinations free for seniors on Medicare. If the price of drugs rises faster than inflation, drug companies will have to rebate the difference to Medicare. And Biden noted that today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the premium for Medicare Part B, which pays for doctor visits, will decrease this year. All of this was possible, he said, because the biggest corporations in America will have to pay a minimum corporate tax of 15%. “The days of billion-dollar companies paying zero taxes are over.” “And,” he added, “we’re doing all this by bringing down the deficit at the same time. You hear about us being ‘big spenders’? Well, they raised the debt by $2 trillion. We’ve reduced the deficit in my first year, 2021, by $350 billion.” Biden called out the Republican budget plan, written by Florida senator Rick Scott, to sunset all federal legislation in five years, promising that Congress will reauthorize it if it is worthwhile. This means that every five years, Congress will have to vote to reauthorize Social Security and Medicare or they will end. Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson has gone further, calling for moving Social Security and Medicare spending from mandatory spending, which is protected, to discretionary spending, which must be reapproved every year, thus making it vulnerable to cuts or even elimination. “I have a different idea,” Biden said. “I’ll protect those programs. I’ll make them stronger. And I’ll lower your cost to be able to keep them.” Biden likely made this stand, at least in part, because Republican attack ads have been telling seniors that the Democrats have made cuts to Medicare. It is technically true that costs will drop: the government should save $237 billion between 2022 and 2031 from the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug policies. But these savings come from the fact that the IRA lets the federal government negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over prices, not because it will cut the benefits seniors receive. Disinformation seems to be the hallmark of the midterm campaign.

[Letters From An American :: Heather Cox Richardson]

[pugetprincess]

was just reading about a horrifying kidnapping in Seattle where a man was keeping the victim in a cinderblock cell in the garage of his rental home, and then the article casually mentions that this rental home is OWNED BY THE MAYOR

um, that kind of feels like burying the lead no?

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

"If we let journalism die, our #democracy won’t be too far behind" #SeattleTimes

"When used wisely, it has been wielded as a compass to navigate change — from a nation hesitant to expand its democracy to one that produces an amendment abolishing slavery even without one Black vote, and an amendment franchising women with the right to vote despite not a single woman being eligible to vote that right into law. "

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/if-we-let-journalism-die-our-democracy-wont-be-too-far-behind/

[boricuacherry-blog]

[pcttrailsidereader]

Potential Fire Challenges in the PNW

The summers in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) that have been traditionally the best of times, from a pleasant weather standpoint, are rapidly shifting. I won't go so far as to say 'changing' however I am often accused for being overly optimistic. I do have a tendency for making things sound possibly a little better than they may actually be. All that aside, another summer in the PNW is shaping up to be dry and rife for wildfires on both sides of the Cascades. This could pose some challenges for PCT hikers as they work their way north.

Last year many hikers were prevented from getting to Canada due to fires between Harts Pass and the border. This spot is a mere few days from finishing kind of distance. Tragic, frustrating, sad, disappointing to name some descriptors for what hikers faced last August and September. The fires closed the PCT at Harts Pass forcing so many off the trail for the season. So close but yet so far.

A few days ago the Seattle Times published this article suggesting the upcoming few months look tough in terms of wildfire threats. In my optimistic way I remain hopeful the weather gods and people's common sense will shine brightly so we don't have a repeat of 2022 in northwest Washington. Below is the link to the Seattle Times article.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/pnw-primed-for-wildfire-as-officials-prepare-for-likely-active-season/

[tmcfee]

Buyer Beware

Dogs can provide invaluable services to people with a vast array of issues, from physical disabilities to PTSD to emotional insecurities. Many of these dogs are highly trained and specially bred to help in their specialized field of support. It can take from several months to years to properly train a service dog. This leads to many disreputable “trainers” taking advantage of people looking for…

[supportingeducation]

Community Colleges Empty?

The Relationship Between Low Community College Application and Wage Stagnation

Community colleges are seeing less and less enrollment, despite the fact that they’re cheaper than ever. According to a survey of schools run by the Seattle Times, the number of students enrolled in community colleges has fallen by over a third since 2010, a difference of over 2.6 million people. Universities are seeing a drop too, but not nearly so steep. A big part of the difference is age.…