by Chase Burns
The jury in Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial ended its first day of deliberations: They didn’t reach a verdict. The jury could choose to send Weinstein to prison for the rest of his life. Deadline has a good post up about what the jury could be thinking.
“After weeks of graphic and explosive testimony, Harvey Weinstein’s fate is in the hands of the jury tonight,” @sramosABC tells @KyraPhillips on @ABCNewsLive. https://t.co/CoOmB8nFba pic.twitter.com/0VqQsSHuQ6
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) February 19, 2020
Have you had Oriental Mart‘s Filipino salmon tamarind soup? That’s one of their signature dishes, and it might have just helped Oriental Mart win a prestigious James Beard Foundation “America’s Classics Award,” reports Tan Vinh for the Seattle Times. There’s no menu at the place, but there are plenty of instructions, below. The cook, Leila Rosas, suggests you just order the “Do you trust me plate?” (Note: The restaurant is closed until April 1, so you’ll have to wait a few months to order.)
Students at Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien protested today over the alleged forced resignation of two gay teachers. Some background, from Katie’s post yesterday:
The teachers, Paul Danforth and Michelle Beattie, had both been employed by the school for six years. Both became engaged to their partners last year, and according to a source familiar with the matter, when they informed school leadership, they were told they could continue their employment at the school if they agreed to keep their engagements private or they could resign and be bought out of their contracts. The teachers reportedly chose the latter option and were officially dismissed from their positions last week, after several months of turmoil.
“About 100 parents and alumni were at the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle Tuesday morning to protest, while students at the school participated in a sit-in later the same morning,” reports KOMO. The Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle declined to give further comment or provide a statement in response to the protest. Some video:
Students at Kennedy Catholic High School have filled the hallways inside the school this morning as part of their sit-in to protest the recent resignations of 2 teachers.
More info here: https://t.co/cWva37Boer pic.twitter.com/8kBXOrKpjq
— Steve McCarron KOMO (@SteveTVNews) February 18, 2020
It looks like Seattle’s soda tax is doing what it intended to do: reduce people’s intake of sugary drinks. Sales of “sugar-sweetened beverages” dropped ~30.5% in the months following the tax’s implementation, reports Daniel Beekman at the Seattle Times. “From a public health perspective, this is good,” a UW professor told Beekman. “People are purchasing less sugary drinks, and we know that sugary drinks are associated with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and strokes.” Also good? That tax raised $22 million in 2018, which was $7 million more than expected.
Hm: Hmmmmm…
Weird, @SeattleCinerama laid off all of their long-beleaguered employees without notice because they were “closing for renovations”, yet here they are two weeks later trying to hire a new General Manager. (Cc: @gramsofgnats) https://t.co/s5hbiqcf1u
— Dan Engler (@DanEngler) February 18, 2020
From Tacoma to CNN: Bernie just finished up a CNN Town Hall. When asked about the Bernie Bro narrative and the criticism that his supporters are online bullies, he said, “Talk to the people in my campaign, often the African American women in this campaign, talk to my wife, about the kind of ugly attacks that have come in to us,” and then, “I do not believe in online bullying. End of discussion.” Sanders, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar are taking the stage tonight in Nevada, in the order of their finishing in New Hampshire. Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren will take the stage on Thursday. Wednesday, of course, is the next Democratic debate. Buttigieg is on stage now.
Good response from @BernieSanders here pic.twitter.com/hc51rHyr7B
— jordan (@JordanUhl) February 19, 2020
Ja’Net DuBois is dead: She was 74 and best known for starring in the ’70s CBS sitcom Good Times. You should watch this compilation video of her entrances:
NOBODY on TV made an entrance like Ms Ja’Net Dubois’ Willona Woods! Rest in peace, beautiful Queen🕊☮🙏🏽🌹#goodtimes pic.twitter.com/omUkFQVzNm
— Holly Robinson Peete (@hollyrpeete) February 18, 2020
How’s the State of Seattle? Mayor Durkan gave her third State of the City address today (like the State of the Union, but for the city). Crosscut’s David Kroman detailed some of the key points here: “Durkan teased a number of new initiatives concerning job training programs for youth, responses to public safety issues, expanding an emergency fund for small businesses, the census, and housing and homelessness.”
Announces help for small businesses including:
-increasing emergency fund for small businesses
-speeding up the permitting process
-cutting costs for storefront signs
— nathalie graham (@gramsofgnats) February 18, 2020
We’re getting a SUNSHINE STREAK: The sun we experienced all day could continue through Thursday. I need it. You need it. We need it. The flowers need it. The giant disco ball I bought for a few bucks at our shuttering Macy’s needs it. (It lights up my whole apartment when the sun hits it.)
Woodland Park Zoo’s oldest animal has died: Chinta the orangutan was almost 52. Chinta’s twin, Towan, died in 2016. The zoo still has four more orangutans, reports Seattle Times: 48-year-old Melati, 38-year-old Belawan, 31-year-old Heran and 11-year-old Godek.
Happy birthday to Pluto: It was discovered 90 years ago on Feb. 18, 1930. Is it a planet or not? Let’s vote.
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