Seattle news

• The Tunnel Project Is Not 70 Percent Done

  17-12-2014 23:27 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  The StrangerSome people are saying the downtown Seattle tunnel project is 70 percent done. That's bullshit. The tunnel is not 70 percent dug, and the overall viaduct replacement project is nowhere near 70 percent complete.
  Remember on Monday, when the Washington State Department of Transportation and Council President Tim Burgess told us all to just calm down about the tunnel already because it’s mostly done?
  “The vast majority of the replacement of the viaduct is
  
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• Inslee targets top polluters with billion-dollar cap-and-trade plan

  17-12-2014 23:24
  
  The central piece of Inslee’s proposal is a Carbon Pollution Accountability Act, which would affect the top 130 carbon-emitting facilities and fuel distributors in the state.
  
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• Sony Is Not Releasing The Interview on Christmas

  17-12-2014 23:19 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  You're not going to see this movie on Christmas or, probably, anytime soon. (Click to enlarge.)Holy shit. I knew the movie theater chains were a bunch of wimps, but I can't believe Sony caved like this.
  In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their para
  
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• I Love Televison: The Only Gift You're Gonna Get!

  17-12-2014 23:00 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Black Mirror
  Do I look rich to you? Do I look like the kind of pee-hole Richie Rich Lamborghini-driving jag-off who can afford to buy all of my readers presents? NO, I DO NOT. That's why this gift-giving season, I'm taking "The Little Drummer Boy" approach—which, if you're unfamiliar, is the story of a little kid who didn't have any frankincense or myrrh to give baby Jesus, so instead he banged all night on a drum. (Which, if it happened today, would be a good reason to c
  
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• FedEx Loses Enormous, Hand-Cut Setpiece in Zoe Scofield and Juniper Shuey's Latest Show

  17-12-2014 22:57 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Kickstarter. We have an ambivalent relationship with it here at The Stranger. It provides seed money for projects we're interested in—like Jason Webley's Margaret Rucker spectacle at the Moore last weekend—but if we post about one campaign, people expect us to post about all the campaigns. And we could fill out a whole other blog with the number of Kickstarters (or Indiegogo or GoFundMe or other crowd-sourcing campaign) people want us to write about.
  But a new Kicks
  
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• Inslee details cap-and-trade to pay for transportation, education

  17-12-2014 22:05
  
  The central piece of Inslee’s proposal is a Carbon Pollution Accountability Act, which would affect the top 130 carbon-emitting facilities and fuel distributors in the state
  
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• Exchange withholds payments to contractor Deloitte over glitches

  17-12-2014 22:04
  
  Washington state's health insurance exchange is withholding payments to its primary technology contractor, Deloitte, as a result of repeated problems with the Washington Healthplanfinder website and the exchange's payments and accounts systems.
  
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• Innovation Is Perverted: A Talk With Seattle Artist Clyde Peterson, Winner of $25,000 Arts Innovator Grant

  17-12-2014 21:52 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Courtesy of the artistClyde Peterson. Innovator.
  I don't want to do too much throat-cleary description of Clyde Peterson, the Seattle artist who won one of two $25,000 Arts Innovator Awards this year from Artist Trust. Right over here you can read what I think about Clyde, but let's just get to letting him talk.
  What is “innovation” to you?
  I define innovation as the loss of fear. The fear of visiblity. The ability to speak bluntly and honestly, regardless of the ou
  
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• Innovation Is Perverted: A Talk With Seattle Artist Clyde Petersen, Winner of $25,000 Arts Innovator Grant

  17-12-2014 21:52 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Courtesy of the artistClyde Petersen. Innovator.
  I don't want to do too much throat-cleary description of Clyde Petersen, the Seattle artist who won one of two $25,000 Arts Innovator Awards this year from Artist Trust. Right over here you can read what I think about Clyde, but let's just get to letting him talk.
  What is “innovation” to you?
  I define innovation as the loss of fear. The fear of visiblity. The ability to speak bluntly and honestly, regardless of the ou
  
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• Most Major American Movie Theater Chains Will Not Screen The Interview After Terrorist Threats

  17-12-2014 21:13 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Movie poster for The Interview. (Click to enlarge.)As I told you yesterday, a group calling itself "Guardians of the Peace" has threatened terrorist actions against any movie theater showing the Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy The Interview, which is scheduled to open on Christmas. Because the film centers on the fictional assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, and because a North Korean spokesman warned that the release of the film would be viewed as an "act of war
  
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• WIN TICKETS to the Second Night of Dancer and Prancer's Xmas Extravaganza!

  17-12-2014 21:08 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Hello again! It's time for another ticket giveaway, this time to day two of Dancer and Prancer's joy-filled Xmas Extravaganza with glittery headliners all the way from Oakland: Shannon and the Clams!
  The second show (happening this Friday, December 19, at Chop Suey) also features local music from La Luz, Fe Fi Fo Fums, and DJ Brian Foss.
  Wanna go? FOR FREE? In order to WIN TWO TICKETS to this holiday miracle, be the first person to answer the Xtreme Trivia question after the
  
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• Third suspect arrested in Portland school shooting

  17-12-2014 20:48
  
  The Associated Press
  
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• Explore this: Language diversity map of King County

  17-12-2014 20:45
  
  %%%3ea1b9051a2a9c2dc7887a67e5172d90%%%What language do you speak when you're at home?
  
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• Meet Debacle Records' 20-Year-Old Guitar Prodigy Hayden Pedigo and His Cast of Legendary Collaborators

  17-12-2014 20:30 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Kacie Michelle FoustGuitar phenom Hayden Pedigo pulled some strings to get several amazing guests on his excellent Five Steps LP.
  Hayden Pedigo is a 20-year-old guitar prodigy from Amarillo, Texas, who recently released one of the year’s best albums on Seattle indie label Debacle Records. Titled Five Steps, the album splits into two distinct approaches. Side one features incredibly intricate and fluid acoustic-guitar compositions in the John Fahey/Robbie Basho/Takoma Reco
  
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• Vote for the 2014 Drunk of the Year!

  17-12-2014 20:23 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  It's that time of year again! Time to vote for your favorite inebriated, drunky-pants superstar! We need your vote to choose who will win the much-coveted title of "Drunk of the Year." The winner will be prominently featured on the cover of The Stranger, so choose wisely!
  1. Michael and His High Life
  Kelly O
  2. Kelley and Her Even Higher Life
  Kelly O
  3. Hey Look, It's Santa!
  Kelly O
  4. Hey Look, It’s Marshawn Lynch?
  Kelly O
  5. The Texas Super-Wedgie
  Kelly O
  
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• Issaquah school closed after threatening note found

  17-12-2014 20:10
  
  Pacific Cascade Middle School in the Issaquah School District has canceled classes Wednesday after a threatening letter was found on campus.
  
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• Queen Anne's Shanty Cafe Contains 100 Years of Fascinating Seattle History

  17-12-2014 20:02 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  The Stranger An axe, a logging saw, and a hard hat: The Shanty's Cafe's past hangs on its walls.
  “Because we’re idiots. Crazy too.” Ginger Crowley is sitting at the counter of the Shanty Cafe—the little diner that sits at the foot of Queen Anne Hill, just across the street from Elliott Bay—explaining why she and her best friend Theresa Schmetzer bought the place in 1998. If you’ve ever driven to Ballard, you’ve no doubt noticed the Sha
  
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• What locals have to say about improved U.S.-Cuban relations

  17-12-2014 20:00
  
  “I am so happy, because this is a completely sensible thing. We’ve been lobbying for this a long time,” said Judy Zeh, secretary of the Seattle-Cuba Friendship Committee.
  
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• As Obama Starts a Relationship with Cuba, Republicans Argue the Embargo Was Totally Working

  17-12-2014 19:49 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Anna Jedynak / Shutterstock.comThis photo of the capitol building in Havana was taken on December 2, 2013—52 years after America launched its program of isolation.
  The news that President Obama has called for the United States to "normalize relations" with Cuba, including allowing trade and tourism, is a massive change. He's also started the process of establishing an American embassy in Havana for the first time since 1961, which, USA Today points out, is the year Obama
  
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• Obama to Normalize Relations With Cuba

  17-12-2014 19:48 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Trade, travel, tourism—this is a big fucking deal.
  [ Comment on this story ]
  [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
  
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• Washington unemployment rate increases to 6.2 percent

  17-12-2014 19:32
  
  Washington unemployment rate increases to 6.2 percent
  
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• Washington governor proposes cap and trade program

  17-12-2014 19:32
  
  Washington governor proposes cap and trade program
  
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• Unclaimed ashes to be scattered on Puget Sound

  17-12-2014 19:28
  
  The Associated Press
  
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• Whatcom County man accused of using horse whip on son

  17-12-2014 19:25
  
  The Associated Press
  
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• "Rape Exceptionalism" and Protecting Law Students from "Triggers"

  17-12-2014 19:16 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  The movement to protect college students from triggers is making the leap from idiotic hand-wringing to actual harm:
  Student organizations representing women’s interests now routinely advise students that they should not feel pressured to attend or participate in class sessions that focus on the law of sexual violence, and which might therefore be traumatic. These organizations also ask criminal-law teachers to warn their classes that the rape-law unit might “trigge
  
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• Gunfire reported near Rainier Beach elementary school

  17-12-2014 19:02
  
  Seattle police say they have increased patrols around Emerson Elementary School, in Rainier Beach, after staff reported hearing gunfire early Wednesday.
  
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• Distracting Jokes and Unnecessary Cuss Words: Questions to Guide Your Enjoyment of The Stranger

  17-12-2014 19:00 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Check out the whole new issue over here!
  
  1. Credit where credit is due: JEN GRAVES contributes a feature story to this week's Stranger that is breathtaking in scope and impressive in its research. Ms. Graves investigates the story behind the film Eden, which was purportedly based on a true story about a sex slavery ring. The rest of the feature is an examination of truth and lies in cinema, a discussion of the representation of sex work, and a commentary on what it means to be
  
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• Wall Street Now Owns Your Savings Account? And Who in the World Has Savings?

  17-12-2014 17:45 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  CM
  There has been a lot of noise from the left and also parts of the right about something that was dropped into the 2015 federal funding bill. That something concerned the repeal of an important rule established by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform. This rule required commercial banks to separate their risky derivatives operations from institutions whose deposits are protected by taxpayers, FDIC. The repeal resulted in headlines of this nature: "President Obama and Congre
  
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• Van crashes at 110 mph on Interstate 5

  17-12-2014 17:24
  
  Van crashes at 110 mph on Interstate 5
  
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• The Morning News: Seven Critical Flaws in the State of Washington's Cybersecurity

  17-12-2014 17:15 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  wa.govThis is a Washington state data center. Is it secure?
  Cybersecurity Found Wanting in Washington Government: Auditors have found found seven instances of "critical" data insecurity, i.e. security flaws that would cause "extreme impact to entire entity and [are] almost certain to be exploited." The auditors also called out the need for more encryption of sensitive data, reports KUOW.
  Big Polluters to Pay for Transportation Projects: That's Governor Jay Inslee's plan, anyway
  
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• Rajiv Shah resigning as head of USAID after five years

  17-12-2014 16:55
  
  WASHINGTON -- After weeks of batting down rumors of his impending resignation, Rajiv Shah announced Wednesday he will step down as head of the U.S. Agency for International Development in February.
  
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• I Just Discovered the Back Street Boys!

  17-12-2014 16:00 via slog.thestranger.com
  
  Wait. HOLD UP! NO, I'm not referring to the millennials' favorite '90s pop vocal group, the Backstreet Boys; rather, I'm talkin' 'bout the other group of cherub-faced boys who ALSO happened to have been called the Back Street Boys! They were a mid-'60s beat group from New England and, I think, were the FIRST group of fellers to call themselves the Back Street Boys; "Back St. Blue," is their only known recording.
  
  Unlike the contemporary Backstreet Boys, the '60s Back Street Boy
  
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• 1 man killed, 1 hurt in NW Montana plane crash

  17-12-2014 15:55
  
  The Associated Press
  
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• Pierce County deputies kill armed homicide suspect

  17-12-2014 15:36
  
  The Associated Press
  
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• State Patrol: Driver seriously injured after I-5 crash in Lynnwood

  17-12-2014 15:33
  
  A driver reached speeds of 110 mph on northbound Interstate 5 early Wednesday morning before exiting on a bus-only ramp and crashing, according to tweets from Trooper Mark Francis of the Washington State Patrol.
  
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• State Patrol: Driver sustains serious injuries after I-5 crash in Lynnwood

  17-12-2014 15:09
  
  A driver reached speeds of 110 mph on northbound Interstate 5 before exiting on a bus-only ramp and crashing, according to tweets from Trooper Mark Francis of the Washington State Patrol.
  
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• Portland: 4 pipe bombs tossed from fleeing car

  17-12-2014 15:09
  
  The Associated Press
  
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• Daily Rant&Rave: Thanks, WSDOT, that feels much better

  17-12-2014 15:01
  
  RAVE To the engineers of WSDOT who recently installed plates across the expansion joints on the Interstate 90 East Channel Bridge bike path. While we’ve been grateful to have a bike path to Mercer Island, for almost 30 years bicyclists have had to cross two expansion joints that were really ja
  
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• PHOTOS: Van crashes into barrier at 110 mph

  17-12-2014 14:31
  
  PHOTOS: Van crashes into barrier at 110 mph
  
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• White supremacist murder suspect shot by deputy

  17-12-2014 14:00
  
  White supremacist murder suspect shot by deputy
  
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• Fatal deputy-involved shooting in Tacoma

  17-12-2014 14:00
  
  Deputy-involved shooting Wed. morning in Tacoma
  
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• Elsa & Fred: Unconvincing Sentimentality

  17-12-2014 13:00 via thestranger.com
  
  Elsa & Fred: Unconvincing Sentimentality
  
  by Kathy Fennessy
  
  
  
  Throughout his career, British director Michael Radford has been making films about couples of various kinds, from the urban Brits of 1984 to the rural Italians of Il Postino. In his remake of the 2005 Spanish-Argentinian hit Elsa y Fred, a rumpled widower (Christopher Plummer, who won his first Oscar at 82 for Beginners) moves into the same New Orleans
  
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• Annie: Quvenzhané Wallis Is Adorable

  17-12-2014 13:00 via thestranger.com
  
  Annie: Quvenzhané Wallis Is Adorable
  
  by Alison Hallett
  
  
  
  The original Annie was such a feature of my childhood that I can’t even properly say if I “liked” it or not—did I like the bed I slept in or the house I lived in? It just was. But going in with a head full of nostalgia might not be the best way to approach the new Annie, which stars Beasts of the Southern Wild’s Quvenzhané Wallis as the titular
  
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• Annie: Annie Is Dead, Long Live Annie

  17-12-2014 13:00 via thestranger.com
  
  Annie: Annie Is Dead, Long Live Annie
  
  by Alison Hallett
  
  
  
  The original Annie was such a feature of my childhood that I can’t even properly say if I “liked” it or not—did I like the bed I slept in or the house I lived in? It just was. But going in with a head full of nostalgia might not be the best way to approach the new Annie, which stars Beasts of the Southern Wild’s Quvenzhané Wallis as the titular
  
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• Kent police officer thrown from motorcycle while on duty

  17-12-2014 07:19
  
  A Kent motorcycle officer was thrown from his motorcycle Tuesday night while en route to a dispatched call, police said.
  
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• Fund For The Needy donations on record pace

  17-12-2014 06:45
  
  The Seattle Times Fund For The Needy has received $583,879 since the campaign began Nov. 23.
  
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• Inslee: Make big polluters pay for transportation projects

  17-12-2014 06:16
  
  Gov. Jay Inslee proposes a 12-year, $12 billion transportation plan, saying fees on the state’s biggest polluters will help fund improvements.
  
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• Every dollar goes to agencies serving poor

  17-12-2014 06:13
  
  The Seattle Times Fund For The Needy has received $583,879 since the campaign began Nov. 23.
  
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• Sheriff's office: Man, 80, fatally shoots man, 51, in Mason County

  17-12-2014 05:35
  
  An 80-year-old man shot and killed a 51-year-old acquaintance after a fight, according to the Mason County Sheriff's Office.
  
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• Edmonds School Board reprimands Superintendent Brossoit

  17-12-2014 05:22
  
  The Edmonds School Board issued a formal letter of reprimand to Superintendent Nick Brossoit after two incidents in which he crossed boundaries with his staff.
  
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