On an August evening in Beacon Hill, in the back patio of the restaurant familyfriend, Kelabe Tewolde and his crew hovered around a laptop, waiting for the first primary election results to come in. As a first-time candidate, Tewolde hoped to get at least 40 percent of the vote. That would prove the progressive challenger had a serious shot at unseating Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, who has represented the 37th District since 1999. 

The primary election was a mixed bag for Seattle progressives, particularly those hoping to unseat incumbents. Hannah Sabio-Howell’s relatively high-profile campaign against State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen hit a snag: she won just 24 percent of the vote. In Northeast Seattle’s 46th District, State Representative Gerry Pollet won over half the vote, beating out a pair of progressives. But Tewolde had a good night. 

When the results came in, Tewolde’s supporters cheered. Tewolde exceeded expectations, winning 46 percent of the initial vote tally. As more ballots trickled in over the coming days, that number climbed to 51 percent, leaving Santos solidly in second. 

Going into the general election, the contest for Santos’s State House seat is now one of the most hotly contested races in King County. It pits a young, progressive renter against an older homeowner and member of the local political establishment. Tewolde besting Santos was a longshot before the primary, but now he could be this year’s surprise political success story.

***

The 37th is an oblong district that stretches from Madrona and the Chinatown-International District in the north down the east side of I-5 to Skyway and Bryn Mawr in the south. It’s one of the most diverse areas in the entire country, home to immigrant communities from all over Asia and Africa. It’s where Tewolde’s  single mother, a refugee from Eritrea, found herself in 1994. 

She struggled to afford housing, moving her family of two frequently, sometimes staying with extended family in South Seattle, sometimes living in public housing, or moving constantly to different rentals in North Seattle. There were years when they didn’t have a car and neighbors brought Tewolde to and from school. At his primary election party Tewolde said he and his mother were supported by “the dopest village ever,” a network of “aunties, uncles, and older cousins” who could help out. 

When Tewolde was a child his grandmother, who essentially raised him until he was nine, died of lymphoma, leaving the family buried in medical debt. His mother had to declare bankruptcy.

His mother hid how desperate her economic circumstances were. “She made it seem like we were middle-class,” Tewolde says, “but we were pretty low on the totem pole.”

The summer after fifth grade, Tewolde got into Rainier Scholars, a nonprofit that helps underserved youth prepare for college. With assistance from that program and some prodding from his mother, he went to University Prep on a scholarship beginning in the seventh grade. That put him on a path to studying political science at Colgate, a private university in Upstate New York. He interned with US Senator Patty Murray, imagining a career as a political staffer. Instead, he wound up back at Rainier Scholars as an academic counselor in 2018, helping the kids who were in the same position he was in a decade earlier.

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, Tewolde helped organize an effort by local restaurants like Musang and Lil Woody’s to get meals to food-insecure people. It was a “community effort,” he says and his role was “behind the scenes,” which suited him. He’s not someone who seeks the spotlight. 

For a political candidate, Tewolde seems low-key; he’s not shy or awkward, but he doesn’t have the polished, glad-handing charisma that longtime politicians acquire. He dislikes candidates who make their campaigns all about them, the ones who say, “Get behind me.” 

He didn’t think of himself as candidate material until this past year, when he met people at the progressive Working Families Party who encouraged him to consider running for office. With his strong ties to the community and educator background, he could help the progressive cause in Olympia. There was even an open spot in the 37th; Rebecca Saldaña left her State Senate position to run for King County Council, and kickstarted a game of political musical chairs. With Rep. Chipalo Street from the 37th running for Saldaña’s seat, Tewolde considered running for Street’s seat, but progressive Jaelynn Scott was already vying for it. He didn’t want to oppose Scott—“I’d rather vote for her,” he says. (Scott easily won her primary and is on track to become Washington’s first trans legislator.) Instead, he eyed a harder target: Santos, who had represented the district since Tewolde was four years old.

Sabio-Howell helped convince Tewolde to run against Santos just as she was running against Pedersen. She called him and, as she told The Stranger, said, “‘it’s time to get establishment leadership in fighting shape or out of the way.’” A progressive challenge would be beneficial regardless of who won, she reasoned. If the longtime incumbents prevailed, they might have to commit to progressive ideas including “protections for renters” and “taxes on corporations,” she says. “It’s through these challenges that we move the issues forward.” Tewolde agreed. The race was on.

Tewolde says that he’s trying to run a “respectful” campaign. He told the Hacks and Wonks podcast this summer that Santos “has a long legacy of doing right by the district, but… more recently has started to stray away from the progressive values of the 37th.” One of his major points of contention with her is that she was the only Seattle-area politician to vote against a rent stabilization bill last year.

That vote, Santos says, was motivated by her conviction that the bill was “a blunt approach to a problem that needed a fine-edged scalpel.” She was concerned that smaller landlords struggling from rising costs would be hurt by a cap on rent increases, Santos told The Stranger. Tewolde thinks “it’s wild” for a 27-year incumbent “to not be in favor of some sort of stabilization” when renters are now a majority in the district. “I’ve moved four times in the last six years,” he says, once because “the rent was too dang high.” He worries that when families are forced to move because they can’t afford housing—like his mother had to—it disrupts the lives of their children. 

“When a kid moves, it throws everything off in their education journey,” he says. 

Beyond the specific policy disputes with Santos, Tewolde is offering voters a fresh face. Democrats around the country are unhappy with party leadership and incumbents, and some of that dissatisfaction may be trickling down to South Seattle. Tewolde says that even when he knocks on doors near Seward Park—one of the district’s wealthiest neighborhoods—he’s gotten positive responses. “I was surprised that there were people that were pretty friendly and also interested in change,” he says, with some people saying, “‘Yeah, we need new leadership.’”

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Tewolde’s most prominent endorser, compared himself to Tewolde. Both men are sons of East African refugees and both experienced housing insecurity growing up in South Seattle. Zahilay won election to the King County Council in 2019 by defeating longtime incumbent, Larry Gossett. Tewolde could do the same if voters believe he embodies a new vision for the district.

“Kelabe is an educator and housing advocate who has spent his career investing in the community he’s from,” Zahilay said in a statement to The Stranger. “The 37th has always been special, and it’s ready for the next step.”

Sabio-Howell thinks that if Tewolde pushed Santos to make some progressive policy commitments, that would count as a win. But Tewolde isn’t interested in moral victories. “The time to push her toward progressive policy has passed,” he says of Santos. “I’m running to win so this district has a representative who shows up for the 37th.” He just might be able to. 

For the next two months, Tewolde is living the life of a small-time candidate. He’s raised just over $82,600. He hasn’t hired a campaign manager, knocking on doors and dialing donors himself when he’s not working at Rainier Scholars. 

Santos, who hasn’t faced many serious challengers in her political career, acknowledged to the Washington State Standard that she’s working harder than she has before. She’s outraised Tewolde, boasting a war chest of $140,000 and she’s endorsed by more politicians. But Tewolde is backed by Chris Reykdal, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, and in a recent endorsement from the Seattle Times editorial board, the board called out Santos, the chair of the House Education committee, for her lack of vision on education.

Since the primary, more people are picking up Tewolde’s calls. He’s not just a candidate—he’s someone who can win. It’s a real race. “With those results, a lot of people are taking it more seriously,” he says.

The post Kelabe Tewolde Is the Real Deal appeared first on The Stranger.

The second half of September means Art + Culture Week is upon us. Recall how I previously mentioned September is Art World Prom in NYC? This week feels like a (much-needed) attempt to recalibrate the Seattle art calendar to match some of that energy. Now in its third year, the annual Art + Culture Week festival is designed to stack as many events as possible at as many galleries and venues as possible within the space of nine days. It’s a great way to get to know new spaces or get to know old ones better. Find the complete calendar of events here. 

The keynote event is WALKDONTRUN, now in its second year, which turns downtown into an art-filled corridor. It’s gonna be gorgeous out, so unless you’re going to a wedding or a funeral, you better soak it up. Here are details about that plus some other things I recommend you catch in the coming weeks. 

September 17-19
The Goldberg Variations at On the Boards
The word “unhinged” is the primary adjective used to describe Clayton Lee’s The Goldberg Variations, opening this week at On the Boards. What’s actually going to unfold onstage tonight is a surprise—each performance is different (you can read a review of the recent iteration at Portland’s Time-Based Art Festival here), but I daresay we’ll be enraptured as Lee uses Bach and wrestling as a vehicle for teasing out fantasies delving into themes of “power dynamics, sexual desire, and vulnerability that entangles queer sexuality with classical music and professional wrestling.”

September 19
WALKDONTRUN
The long-awaited WALKDONTRUN features more than 200 artists spread across 20 blocks of downtown Seattle. Find the full list here. This year, the route is reversed from last year’s, kicking off in Westlake Park at 11 a.m. and ending at Occidental Square. Here are my notes from print: Last year’s wayfinding was a little tricky. If that’s the case again, my advice is to study the route beforehand and plot a path so you don’t miss artists like Dez’Mon Omega Fair, one of my favorite performance artists in town; Charmi Shah, who is hiding collectable, baseball-card-size collages along the route for participants to find and keep; and Jesse Higman, whose interactive paint-pouring technique, performed around a massive tilting table, is an unforgettable experience. Or just wander blindly and let the art happen to you, because the magic of this event is that you get to experience the city in a completely new way. 

Cut the Red Tape at Slip Gallery
Seattle was shaped by redlining, a discriminatory housing practice that involved denying mortgages, insurance, or other financial services to Black, Asian American, and other communities of color in certain neighborhoods, resulting in wealth disparities and racial segregation. At Slip Gallery, Rodney King’s Cut the Red Tape addresses this city’s history of redlining and on Saturday the gallery hosts a panel discussion (noon–2 pm) featuring King and guest artists Myron Curry, TR Miles, Vincent Keele, and Jonarra Swanson to discuss gentrification, redlining, and how artists can shape what society remembers.

Social Contract at Actualize AiR
Tommy Gregory and Rachael Comer have curated the fall exhibition at Actualize AiR, which features 17 artists from across the continental US, including The Stranger’s very own Charles Mudede, whose video, Twilight of the Goodtimes, loops across a TV screen haunted by the fallout of late capitalism’s repeated calamities. I’m here for it. An opening reception is scheduled during WALKDONTRUN (4–8 pm) with an artist talk at 5. 

September 20
Build Your Own Black Hole at Steve Gilbert Studio
Do astrophysics the hedgewitch way with Meghan Thréinfhir’s Build Your Own Black Hole workshop, from 3–6 pm at Steve Gilbert Studio. Thréinfhir will take you through her solo exhibition, Spacetime Gothic, which features her original black hole in a jar—an inky, liquidy ball of ferrofluid that dances with magnets and has the impeccable title Girls Own The Void (Land Art For Bog Witches). All materials provided but the vessel—just bring a small jar, baby-food size recommended. 

September 23
William Kentridge Anything Is Possible at Greg Kucera Gallery
It’s movie night in the gallery. They’re screening the feature documentary William Kentridge Anything Is Possible along with short films by the artist (6–7:30 pm). The doc provides a BTS glimpse inside Kentridge’s studio practice and mind. The selection of shorts, featuring hand-drawn charcoal animations, explores his themes of memory, time, and all kinds of politics-ridden history.

September 24
Day-to-Day: A Life in Sticky Notes at Henry Art Gallery
Artist Clare Johnson has kept a diaristic sticky note drawing practice for two decades, amassing a collection of over 6,000 drawings (and counting). Join Johnson for a talk and hands-on activities that will help you develop your own relationship to making “everyday” art. If you haven’t seen the Day-to-Day exhibition at Henry Art Gallery (I wrote about it here), this is your sign. 

Melissa Messer at Spectrum Fine Art
Melissa Messer describes her practice and work as “if Rothko’s daughter were obsessed with form.” I might add Albers to the mix. Messer is a colorist whose use of hue is almost spiritual (in which case, Rothko is the correct comparison). She is also a pre-eminent figurative painter, where the human body becomes an armature upon which to drape shades of deciduous greens, burnt orange, and acid gold. This is Messer’s first solo with Spectrum Fine Art; a formal reception lands on October 8, but you can get a preview this weekend for Art + Culture Week.

September 26
Kelly Bjork: Lunacy at J. Rinehart Gallery 
No one in this city is as cool and talented as Kelly Bjork. Her drawings are full of intimacies and bodies, tenderness and acceptance, rendered in beautiful, illustrative precision. Her second solo exhibition at J. Rinehart Gallery, Lunacy, addresses queerness in a time of queer discrimination and violence. The exhibition preview opens today, 1–3 pm.

IMMINENT MODE at ArtLove Salon
The seventh iteration of IMMINENT MODE, held at ArtLove Salon, brings collaborations by six teams of garment designers paired with visual artists to tell stories through wearable art and installation on the runway. This year’s artists include Anouk Rawkson, Jordan Christianson, Shiloh Davies, Shari Noble, Brandon Vosika, Jersey Virago, Dez’Mon Fair, Mariel Andrade, Devon Yan, Ruben David Rodriguez, and Debora Spencer.

The post Girls Own the Void and Art Owns Downtown appeared first on The Stranger.

This is the best books news I’ve heard since Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman bought The Rumpus: Charlie’s Queer Books is opening a new location in Seattle’s original gayborhood, Capitol Hill. Next door to Unicorn Bar, across the street from Wildrose, and around the corner from Elliott Bay Book Company, this new space is set to open in November. 

The new store will be ADA accessible and twice as big as the Fremont location, with an events and gathering space with room for 50 seats, as well as a coffee shop and wine bar. I spoke with the owners, Charlie Hunts and Madeline Burchard, about how it all came to be. 

How did you get to a place where you could open a second location? 
Hunts: It has been remarkable how the Seattle queer and literary community have rallied around us. At this point, we’ve run out of space. Not only on the shelves, but also in terms of what this [current] location can handle for events and as a gathering space. 

The property managers of this new location are an older couple from 12th & Pike St. Associates. They understand not only what we’re doing, but why it’s important for the neighborhood. If you keep the rent at a manageable price, even if it’s still high, you can keep the businesses that make the neighborhood what it is and encourage the vitality of that space. 

How important are exclusively queer bookstores these days?
Burchard: Because we’re in a cross section of record book bans and anti-LGBT legislation, our bookstore holds more responsibility than the average small business. That is in the forefront of our minds every single day we open the door. It’s been touching, the way people look to us to be leaders in the community, especially when something happens that affects the community. 

Do you feel ready and able for that responsibility? 
Burchard: Charlie and I have training for it, but it’s heavy to be like, “Okay, we gotta say the responsible thing. I hope we’re getting this right.” We won’t always, but I hope we can show up for people in the best way. Sometimes it’s tough for me to figure out our next step—what we say, what we do, or if people even want to hear from us about it. But we have a lot of young trans customers who look up to Charlie in particular. So Charlie’s is more than a third space. This is part of our social fabric. 

Hunts: We also do things like watch parties and video nights. Events that are kind of stupid, silly, but essential. That’s one of our niches—to not take ourselves too seriously, to be joyful, and in touch with culture, too. We’re not just people who own a bookstore selling to gay people. We are gay people. 

Do you have a vision or hopes and dreams for where this is all headed, say five years from now? 
Hunts: We’ve had big hand-wavy dreams, like what if this became a national thing? But it’s very hypothetical. Right now, we’re entering a new industry in coffee and food service. We’re getting a handle on that, and what’s great about this place is it allows us to support programming that doesn’t charge for tickets. So everything from a silent book club to open mic, it helps support community events and bigger authors, too. 

I think our vision for the store is people come in here and they’re kind of entering into an alternate universe where they are the norm. They are the defaults. They’re not hunting the shelves for things that wreck them. They’re not in the LGBT section that’s tucked away. 

Like the porn section or something.
Hunts: Yes, we are always next to self-help. We have encountered bookstores where the LGBT section is next to porn, self-help. Sometimes in… a literal closet. A little closet that just didn’t have a door on it. We were like, we have to make this bookstore. 

Is there anything you want to say to people about the new space?
Hunts: I’m excited to keep iterating on this business, see how far we can take it, and learn as much as we can. We’re very open. Folks who came in and said, “I want to start a book club”: we let them start a book club. If folks have dreams for something, they don’t always have a space for it. We are open to these conversations. If someone is serious, they want to take charge of it, work with us, and collaborate, let’s talk about it. 

The post Charlie’s Queer Books Is Opening a Second Location appeared first on The Stranger.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Realities you’ve been oblivious to will soon pop into view. Hints and signals you’ve been unconsciously pushing away will start flocking toward you. A lingering emotional numbness will thaw, and surges of feelings will pour into your awareness. Warning! At first, it may feel like an overload: too much sopping wet data arriving too quickly for you to organize or interpret. If you’re willing to be patient and focus on slowly metabolizing the influx, though, the apparent chaos will ultimately weave itself into a luminous web of new understanding.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Peru’s Andean mountains, Indigenous and smallholder farmers cultivate a rich diversity of potato varieties, continuing a farming tradition rooted in the crop’s domestication thousands of years ago. Each variety thrives in slightly different soil, altitude, and climate. By planting many types at once, the farmers ensure that at least some crops will flourish no matter what conditions arise. I suggest you apply this way of thinking to your own life in the coming weeks, Taurus. Diversify your efforts instead of depending on a single plan or expectation. Plan for multiple small initiatives that will evolve with unique growth patterns.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In biology, many organisms survive harsh or unpredictable conditions by entering dormancy. This is a reversible state of greatly reduced metabolism and development. Seeds, spores, and the dormant stages of some small animals can remain viable for years until cues such as water, temperature, light, or nutrients signal that conditions are favorable again. Then they can resume growth, development, or activity, often rapidly. I suspect you may experience a comparable upsurge in the coming weeks, Gemini. A project or aspiration that seemed inert may reawaken and reignite.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Novelist Kurt Vonnegut advised us to try some task that scares us every day of our lives. That may be a viable experiment for a Scorpio like him, but is it a wise prescription for us Cancerians, who like to feel secure and protected? Normally, I would say no. I’d recommend that you and I dare ourselves to wrestle with one of our fears no more than once per month. But the coming weeks may warrant a departure from our typical rhythms. I suspect we can fortify our long-term safety and peace through more frequent encounters with unpredictable episodes that rouse our hidden reserves of courage.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The ancient Greeks believed that the goddess Harmonia presided over the blending of opposites into balanced beauty. Her dad was the god of war and her mom the goddess of love, so she had a lot of practice. In her line of work, tension between different forces could produce elegant unity rather than conflict. In alignment with astrological omens, I’ve appointed Harmonia to be your guardian angel in the coming weeks, Leo. I urge you to call on her dynamically and frequently. Rifts and splits and divisions that have never before been possible to heal are now swayable by the collaborative efforts of you and the goddess.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If I were writing this horoscope for the Gun Lovers’ Gambling Porn website, I might counsel my Virgo readers to maintain strict control over their wickedness, debauchery, and decadence. Why? Because now is a time when vices and sins are even more likely than usual to sow chaos and spawn big messes. However, since you are reading my oracle in a more genteel publication and are almost certainly a refined person of high integrity, I’m confident there will be minimal uproar if I dare you to tap into your raw animal energy and unruly instinctual nature. I believe it’s time to at least experiment with wilder aspects of your deep self.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Real You and the Semi-Real You have been embroiled in a showdown with the False You. This is as tough and heroic a struggle as you’ve had to deal with in quite some time, though it has often been subtle and partially cloaked. I am of course rooting for the Real You and the Semi-Real You to emerge victorious from the conflict, though I also hope you don’t feel the need to humiliate and crush the False You. That part of you has sometimes served a valuable purpose and doesn’t deserve to be trashed. And what will become of the Semi-Real You after this drama is finished? I suggest you give it a modest place in your repertoire. Like the False You, it sometimes proves to be useful.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Hummingbirds can fly backward. They’re the only birds capable of sustained reverse flight. This requires extraordinary wing flexibility and energy expenditure, but it gives them access to nectar that forward-only fliers have more difficulty sampling. Let’s treat this as a useful metaphor for you in the coming weeks, Scorpio. It may be that your progress and success won’t always come from advancing. Some rich resources may require the equivalent of reverse flight. Consider returning to conversations you thought were finished, revisiting places you’d mentally filed away as “done,” and extracting value from sources you’ve already passed by.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In chemistry, catalysts are substances that accelerate reactions without being consumed in the process. A tiny amount of catalyst can dramatically transform how quickly elements combine. An example is the enzyme catalase in our cells, which breaks down hydrogen peroxide (a byproduct of our metabolism) into water and oxygen millions of times faster than it would decompose on its own. I believe you are now in a phase when your catalytic powers are at a peak, Sagittarius. Be careful where you point that potency of yours! Make sure you really want to change what you’re capable of changing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Every species adapts to its surroundings. Even harmful microbes evolve over time in order to survive. Syphilis, for instance, was once ferociously swift and deadly, but that intensity limited how far it could spread. So a gentler strain gradually evolved that allowed its hosts to live longer and pass it on more widely. Let this serve as a metaphor for how you handle your dark moods, odd compulsions, and brief bouts of craziness. Befriend the mild, manageable versions of these states and give them space to be felt and understood. Over time, the harsher, more destructive versions will lose ground and fade from power.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Paleontologists know that some dinosaurs traveled in herds with a specific formation: the most vulnerable members gathered in the center, protected by stronger individuals on the perimeter. It was a savvy way to run things, ensuring the group would thrive. I hope you’re willing to borrow some dinosaur wisdom, Aquarius. The coming weeks will be a good time to apply it to your own life. Who or what needs protection? What vulnerable projects or relationships deserve to be surrounded and shielded? Are you willing and able to use your strength to guard what’s tender and growing? Be a shepherd, a steward, a defender.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In ancient times, Hawaii’s Coconut Island was renowned for its healing powers—but on one condition. Those who sought its medicinal help couldn’t just expect the local spirits to do all the work, but had to take part in awakening the magic. Legend tells us that a seeker could be cured by swimming three times around the island. This participatory approach to healing mirrors your current situation, Pisces. You are close to a source of renewal, but if you hope to unlock its full strength, you must coax it out with your ingenuity.

Homework: What’s the most important question for you to answer in the next year?

The post Free Will Astrology appeared first on The Stranger.

Onstage in front of a crowd of some 200 people, performance artist Clayton Lee lays out his thesis: All of his artistic and sexual fantasies have to do with professional wrestler Bill Goldberg. 

Lee cues up a pre-game video of Goldberg—a beefy man who looks to be in his late 50s—promising to pummel his opponent. On his forehead, there is an enormous, sweaty-looking bandage. Lee explains that Goldberg likes to slam his head into a wall before a match to rile himself up. 

“As a Chinese immigrant,” Lee says to the audience, coolly, “I imagine eating his asshole with the voracious enthusiasm of a miner looking for gold.” 

The original Goldberg Variations are an aria, and a set of 30 variations on that aria, written in the 1700s by Johann Sebastian Bach. Taking their name from that set, Lee’s aria is his obsession with a certain type of guy, which he describes as: bald, balding, muscular, muscular-adjacent, aggressive, toxic. 

In a variation on that obsession, Lee explains his practice of stalking his Goldberg exes online. He scrolls through the accounts of balding, muscular (or muscular-adjacent) men. “You’ll notice I had to change browsers for this,” he says, as the private profile of one flashes up on the screen. “He blocked me on all social media platforms.” 

Lee stops, “Does anyone want to volunteer to be my Goldberg variation for the night?”  There are no volunteers. Then, a group in the back forcibly nominates their friend to join Lee onstage—a muscular guy with salt and pepper hair, wearing a red and blue star-patterned tracksuit—and the next variation begins. 

Lee flirts with the guy, who plays along gamely, until Lee begins to ask questions that imply he’s confused the audience member with his first boyfriend. “Did you not tell your co-workers about me because you were ashamed to be gay, but ashamed of me?” Lee asks. The stranger stares back, concerned. “I’m not ashamed of you,” he says.

Suddenly, off to the side of the audience, a curtain opens to reveal a boxing ring. Lee takes off his clothes, revealing a sequined jockstrap. The next variation is on.

Inside the ring, two huge chiseled men intermittently shout at the crowd and performatively slam Lee into the ring’s springy floor. The sound of their hard blows upon his body creates wincing looks in the crowd. “You think you’re a wrestler?” demands the one with the words “Hot Sauce” emblazoned on his rear. Then, for a few gleeful minutes around 10 or more wrestlers—we later learn they are students at Oregon Pro Wrestling School—storm the ring and perform various flexes and falls.

Throughout the evening, Lee has come across as a profoundly vulnerable person who is still completely in control of his own environment, but it’s hard to look self-possessed when you’re being hurled through the air like a rag doll. At the end, Lee is trussed up like a turkey at the corner of the ring and drizzled with lube as a mustachioed man in full leathers reads aloud from a stack of printouts detailing a long series of heartfelt, utterly banal email and text exchanges between Lee and an ex.

It is after this final variation, that someone cuts Lee free. Tracy Cameron Francis, executive artistic director of Boom Arts, appears with two conference chairs, which she shimmies through the ropes of the ring before crawling in after them. Within the ring, Francis and a still lube-soaked Lee arrange their chairs next to each other talk-show style, and take questions from the audience.

The Goldberg Variations are different every time, says Lee. A version in Philly were mixed with “Nobody Does It Better” by Carly Simon. At one performance, he hired his ex to read the old emails—this time, he hired one of his favorite porn stars, who happens to live in Portland. 

The last time The Goldberg Variations had a wrestling ring was in 2023, in a performance where he also got married. Lee says his partner is “somewhere in the audience, but doesn’t point him out. This version, says Lee, is “a WWE ladder match meets bukkake meets Raft of the Medusa.” Outside the ring, in the shadows, I see one of the wrestlers walking around with an enormous tray of corn dogs, offering them to the audience like they are canapes. 

Does it hurt to be thrown around in the ring like that, someone from the audience asks.

Lee thinks for a minute. When it sounds like he’s being hurt he’s actually being hurt, he says, he’s not faking it. “It should be kind of scary. You should feel scared for me. Hopefully, some of you are aroused.”

The Goldberg Variations will play at On the Boards in Seattle Sept 17-19. It will be a different variation than the one described here, but contain similarities. At the 2026 TBA performance, Lee promised that “a very famous wrestler” would appear in his On the Boards shows, but declined to elaborate further.

This story was originally published by our newspaper besties, Portland Mercury.

The post Clayton Lee’s Goldberg Variations Fetishizes Professional Wrestling and Vulnerability Without Losing Control appeared first on The Stranger.

Everyone has a pop culture moment that runs on a loop in their idle mind, right? For me it’s the James Bond–style title sequence to Spice World. In the film, each Spice Girl is introduced with a candy-colored silhouette while singing the sparkly slow jam “Too Much.” The camera pans to a young Melanie C, aka Sporty Spice, who belts, “What part of no don’t you understand? I want a man, not a boy who thinks he caaaan.” I get chills when I think about it. Like their signature garb, each Spice Girl had a signature sound they brought to the group. For Melanie C, it was her powerful vocal timbre that usually came in with punchy, mic-drop-worthy lyrics. 

The Spice Girls have lived on through multiple reunions, as well as in our hearts, our ponytails, our platform sneakers, and our bad British accents. But back in 1999, Melanie C was ready to shed her Sporty Spice identity. She chopped her signature brunette ponytail off and bleached her hair. She replaced her loose tracksuits with fitted baby tees and leather jackets. She released her debut solo album, Northern Star, which leaned into a moodier rock, trip-hop, and trance sound. Now, on her ninth album, Sweat, Melanie C is finally ready to return to her Sporty roots. Ahead of her solo show at the Showbox this weekend, I had the pleasure of chatting with Melanie C about all things Sweat, girl power, and her iconic gold tooth. She also confirmed that she will be performing a few Spice Girls songs at the show. “For fans who have never seen the Spice Girls live,” she told me, “this is your chance to see at least one of them!” 

Your new album, Sweat, feels almost like a return to Sporty Spice. Were you thinking about your Sporty Spice identity while creating this album? 
One hundred percent. On the album, I’ve not only gone back to Sporty, but I’ve gone back before Sporty. My passion for dance music began in my late teens, and the Spice Girls came along soon after. I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to go out clubbing and socializing. It’s something that got left behind until I started DJing again about eight years ago, and with that, reuniting the Spice Girls in 2019. During that time, I not only rediscovered house and dance music, but also Sporty Spice. I realized that Sporty wasn’t a persona I took on; it was something that lived within me. It was so beautiful to have that realization. Once I found her again, I was like, I’m never letting her go. Sweat was the perfect outlet for bringing who I am as a DJ closer to who I am as a solo artist. Merging those worlds has just been such a fantastic experience.

Can you share some of your musical inspirations for the album?
Madonna is my ultimate inspiration. I love that she’s released such an incredible dance record at the same time as me. Also, Robyn: I was so lucky to record the album in Stockholm and have dinner with her. At the time, she was also making [Sexistential] with her longtime collaborator Klas Åhlund, so I got some insight into how those two work. It was a really beautiful experience to have while working on the album. I was also inspired by young musicians like Charli XCX and Rose Gray—they grew up listening to the Spice Girls, and now I’m such a huge fan of theirs.

What should fans expect on your current tour?
I think the overall feel is that it’s a live show, but with a club element. It’s not just going to a gig, but you’ll feel like you’ve had a night out, which is exactly what I wanted to create. Touring in North America, I am stopping in cities I’ve never played in as a solo artist. It’s been so beautiful to see the fans that I’ve grown up with—now in their 30s—who’ve been Spice Girls fans since they were kids. I’m also seeing new generations of young people with their mums. It’s a beautiful atmosphere. It feels really joyous, and there’s so much love. And even though I’m showcasing new work from Sweat, I pay respect to my Spice Girls roots. We do a few Spice Girls songs every night. There’s a newness, but there’s also nostalgia. With the help of the audience, I’ve been able to achieve exactly what I wanted to.

You’ve written so many songs, both as a solo artist and in the Spice Girls. What lyric are you most proud of?
The lyric I always think about is “Live your life without regret / Don’t be someone who they forget,” from “Northern Star.” I’ve seen people have this tattooed on them. I think if we all had our time again, we’d do things differently. But I think it’s really important to acknowledge where you are, and you wouldn’t be in that place if it weren’t for all of the choices that you’ve made. That is a lyric that really resonates with me.

I saw an interview recently with Mel B, who said that she sometimes plays dress-up in her old Scary Spice outfits. Do you ever throw on your old tracksuits or pull out your Sporty Spice doll to indulge in that type of nostalgia?
I’ve just realized how ridiculous I am as a human being. [Laughs] Okay, so I wear the same clothes that I’ve always worn. I’m sporty every day. I mean, I have a really fun wardrobe on stage, but my Adidas tracksuits are with me at all times. And actually, my Sporty Spice doll is on the road with me. She almost needs her own Instagram account… she is living it up! So yeah, I am quite ridiculous. I haven’t really changed.

Maybe this is a weird question, but I am dying to know more about your gold tooth that you used to have. Why did you get it and why did you get it removed? I actually have a tooth gem [opens mouth and points to tooth]. The placement is very inspired by you.
Oh, I just love tooth gems! I’m very tempted to get one, but my daughter said that I’m too old. I might just turn up at home with one. [Laughs] It would be all sparkly onstage. I want to look into that. It’s so funny, isn’t it? [The gold tooth] was a little bit like my tattoos. When I was lucky enough to become a pop star with the Spice Girls, I just felt like there were no rules. You know, we could do whatever we wanted. I’d always wanted a gold tooth, so I just did it. It was just a veneer on the front of my tooth. As I got older, I thought maybe I’d grow up and be a little bit more sensible, so I had it removed. But I’m a bit like, oh, I wish I still had it! It was just a fun choice. I also had my nose pierced. It’s just one of those things you experience as a young person—you want to explore and change your appearance.

Did you feel like you were in control of curating your image in the Spice Girls?
Yeah, I think it was interesting because I love OG Sporty. That’s really what I look back on and what inspires me with the outfits that I wear now. But I think as a young person, I got bored quickly. I tried to evolve her, but the original Sporty was the best. 

Did you ever find yourself wanting to reject Sporty Spice?
Do you know? I don’t think I ever wanted to reject her, but I think I was really keen for people to see that there was more to me than Sporty Spice, especially during my first solo album. We live in a world where we feel comfortable putting things and people in boxes, and I was frustrated because I knew there was more to me. So at that point, I suppose I was trying to look different: I physically cut all my hair off and had a little rebellious moment. But yeah, I’m very happy to come home to Sporty. I feel quite literally more comfortable.

I have to ask about Spice World because that movie was huge for me. What is your favorite memory from filming Spice World?
That was a crazy time, because it was like right in the middle of what I call Spicemania—those days from like ’96 to ’98. We were on set in London. We shot it in six weeks at all of these iconic locations. But not only that, we were shooting the movie while we were writing the second album, Spiceworld. We’d often have a mobile studio on set. We’d finish a day of shooting, then start recording. It was such a hectic time, but it was also so fun because everything we did was huge at that point. We were really achieving all of these crazy dreams that we’d set out to do. We were just lapping it up at that time.

One thing that mesmerized me as a kid was the Spice Bus in the movie. Was the Spice Bus anything like the real Spice Girls tour bus? 
Well, this is going to be a heartbreaker, but we flew everywhere! [Laughs sadly] We did have a tour bus briefly in 1998, but we didn’t go on it very often. It wasn’t until later in my solo career that I truly embraced the idea of a tour bus.

The film Spice World is a mockumentary, but was there any part of the film that was true to life?
The movie was very much inspired by—but of course a huge exaggeration of—things that were actually happening. I mean, some of it wasn’t that exaggerated, but a lot of it was inspired by experiences that we’d had, so it did feel so close to the truth. We didn’t really have to act too much. I think there’s quite a lot of eye-rolling for me when Geri [Ginger Spice] speaks, isn’t there? That’s very true to life. [Laughs] 

That brings me to my last question: what’s the meaning of “girl power”? 
I think it’s that thing that’s transcended the Spice Girls, hasn’t it? You know, it’s out there, even among young generations who may not even know our music or our characters. It’s one of the parts of our legacy we’re so proud of because we empowered so many people, and I meet them all the time. It’s something that’s spoken in our language and printed on T-shirts—I see it when I’m out shopping! I think often, as young people, we can feel powerless or lonely, and [girl power] gave people confidence and courage to go on and feel like they had somewhere to belong. Girl power is something I feel very, very proud of.

See Melanie C at the Showbox, Saturday, September 19, 8:30 pm, 21+

The post She’s Sporty Every Day appeared first on The Stranger.

To the person who left me a card with this note: 

Hi there,

I live two floors below you (ground-floor patio). Can you please stop letting water pour off of your balcony and sweeping your dirt over the edge? You’re making a mess on my patio—piles of dirt, puddles of dirty water, and a splash zone that includes a bunch of my plants, the table + chairs, and sometimes me.

Thanks,

Apt. #109

P.S. You just made 2 giant stains on the patio I spent 3 hours cleaning yesterday!

Hi, Apartment 109—

First of all, what the fuck is this—a grievance delivered inside a greeting card? If water was landing on you, you could have yelled, “Hey, what the fuck? You’re splashing me!” like a normal human being. I would have yelled back, “Oh shit, sorry! I didn’t realize!” and the entire problem would have been solved before you had time to commission the commemorative stationery.

Second, how the fuck do you know I was “sweeping dirt over the edge”? Were you standing on my balcony supervising? I was not deliberately sweeping shit onto your patio. Leaves, potting-soil residue, and ordinary outdoor debris can blow through or over a balcony railing because—and brace yourself for this shocking development—wind exists. If some of it landed downstairs, that does not mean I stood up here maliciously launching garbage at your furniture.

As for the water, I had no way of seeing that runoff from two floors above was reaching your patio. Had you used your words when you first noticed it, I would have fixed it weeks ago. Instead, you apparently let the irritation accumulate, cleaned for three hours, wrote a victim-impact statement, added a dramatic postscript, and signed it not with an actual human name but “Apt. 109.”

By the way, “Apt. 109” is not a name. Unless your parents named you Apartment and 109 is your middle name, use your fucking name like a normal person. You know who I am and where I live, but you apparently need witness protection before requesting a plant saucer. If you want to communicate neighbor-to-neighbor, the minimum requirement is briefly participating in the interaction as an identifiable neighbor rather than an anonymous municipal code-enforcement unit.

Also—and I realize this may come as startling regional news—you have an outdoor ground-floor patio in Seattle. It rains here. Quite a bit, actually. Water routinely falls directly out of the fucking sky and lands on outdoor plants, tables, chairs, patios, and occasionally human beings. I will contain runoff from my plants because that part is within my control, but I cannot guarantee that your patio will remain a federally designated moisture-free zone.

Now that I know what is happening, I’ll address the runoff and be more careful about loose debris. Problem solved. In the future, please knock on my door, yell up, or leave a normal two-sentence note before privately assembling a fucking criminal case against my lavender.

Sincerely,

The Alleged Balcony Menace

Do you need to get something off your chest? Submit an I, Anonymous, and maybe we’ll illustrate it! Send your unsigned rant, love letter, confession, or accusation to ianonymous@thestranger.com. Please remember to change the names of the innocent and the guilty.

The post Please Just Yell at Me!!! appeared first on The Stranger.

Welcome back to Pop Loser! This past weekend saw the return of the Stranger’s Genius Awards, and I’ll fill you in on the highlights. I’ve also got a Macklemore update, I dig into some new music, and say goodbye to fashion icon Bob Mackie. Plus, oh my god, have you seen Orville Peck’s PlayGirl spread!? 

This Week in Music: 

This week in Strangerland, we hosted the first Genius Awards in ten years at the Moore Theatre on Saturday, and it was an astronomical success. Tears were shed, gags were had, laughs were abundant, and we were all reminded of the amazing, thriving art scenes within Seattle. Props to each winner—The Beacon Cinema, Anastacia-Reneé, Kay Redden/Den Tapes, Betty Wetter & Tush, Lisa Bi, and Actualize Artist in Residency—who graced the stage and delivered smart, heartfelt, inspiring, and funny speeches. Your charm and charisma radiated to the last row. I could literally feel everyone in the audience falling in love.

After the award ceremony, Shabazz Palaces stole my heart. Joined by a backing band of local musicians Thaddeus “Thaddillac” Turner, Gerald “Tugboat” Turner, Carlos Overall, and Darrius Willrich, Ishmael Butler turned the theater into a spaceship, previewing tracks from their new album, It’s a Style Sport (out October 23). The standout for me was the closer—a new song called “Tongue In Chic”—which was reminiscent of a ’90s Brian Eno song. In the song, Butler raps coolly, “New girlfriend, that’s what I need,” and goes on to regale us with his experience dating a woman who claimed to be a chef but has an empty fridge and no utensils. This song was fucking funny and cool. And to Butler…where can I submit an application to be your new girlfriend? (You think I’m kidding but I’m not!)

Now, for a Macklemore update: As mentioned last week, I am putting my dislike for white rappers aside and supporting our hometown dude Macklemore, who’s been using his platform to speak out against genocide. And boy, have there been some updates on this story. Macklemore announced on Monday that he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s The Loop tour, explaining that billionaire Patriots owner (and documented pal of Jeffrey Epstein) Robert Kraft called Sheeran. “We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group,” Macklemore writes. “Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”

Sheeran shared a statement of his own on Tuesday, explaining that booting Macklemore from the tour was the promoter’s decision, not his. He also attempted to explain his apolitical stance, writing, “There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics—my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.” Because, you know, young people famously don’t care about politics. Read the full statement here.

Sheeran has, indeed, used his professional platform for politics. The man has said enough about politics to land a “political views” section on his Wikipedia page. In 2017, Sheeran publicly endorsed the Labour Party. In 2022, he showed support for Ukraine ahead of his appearance at Concert for Ukraine, a benefit show raising money for humanitarian aid. In 2024, he criticized the Tory government for cutting arts funding.  

Spice up ya life! There are so many great live shows happening in Seattle this week: Hildegard Fest, Lily Allen, The B-52s & DEVO, Michelle Branch, Aldous Harding, Arlo Parks. But I’m most excited for Melanie C (aka Sporty Spice) at the Showbox this Saturday, supporting her new solo album Sweat. I had the pleasure of interviewing Melanie C this week, and I can confirm that she will be performing a few songs by the Spice Girls(!!)! 

New music you should know about: Chastity Belt dropped two new songs this week, “I Could Say Less” and “Pavement,” which are both perfectly moody. Shygirl announced her new album Swallow! (out November 6), releasing the dreamy lead single “Lucky[Hymn].” Tinashe shared two more single tracks from her highly anticipated album Popstar, “Pillow Fight” and “I’d Rather Be Alone.” Jenn Champion’s indie rock band Carissa’s Wierd also announced their first album in 25 years, Somewhere Further Than Far Away (out January 7), with the new song “No One Lives Here Anymore.” 

RIP Bob Mackie. The legendary fashion designer and costumier, best known for dressing Cher, Tina Turner, Carol Burnett, and Dolly Parton in jaw-dropping sequins and feathers, died on Monday at the age of 87 from pneumonia. 

Now, take a deep breath and enjoy Orville Peck’s Playgirl spread:

Music Events Worth Your Hard-Earned Money This Week:

Melanie C Sept 19, The Showbox, 8:30 pm, 21+

Arlo Parks: Desire Tour Sept 21, Showbox SoDo, 8 pm, all ages

Dolly Parton Tribute Show Sept 23, Tractor Tavern, 8 pm, all ages

Lily Allen Performs West End Girl Sept 24, Paramount Theatre, 8 pm, all ages

Seattle Open Orchestra at the Wayward Music Series Sept 24, Chapel Performance Space, 8 pm, all ages

The B-52s & DEVO: Cosmic De-Evolution Tour Sept 25, Climate Pledge Arena, 7 pm, all ages

Peter Hook & The Light Sept 25, The Showbox, 8:30 pm, 21+

A Conversation with Questlove Sept 26, Town Hall Seattle, 7:30 pm, all ages

Aldous Harding Sept 26, Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages

Zookraught, Happy Death Men, Fatal Femmes, Mussel Sept 26, Black Lodge, 7 pm, all ages

JPEGMAFIA: The Experimental Rap Tour Sept 27, Showbox SoDo, 7:30 pm, 18+

Kehlani Sept 27, Climate Pledge Arena, 6:30 pm, all ages

Michelle Branch: Everywhere And Back Again Tour Sept 27, The Showbox, 8 pm, all ages

Sophie Truax: Can’t Split a Worm Tour Sept 27, Tractor Tavern, 8 pm, 21+

The Songs That Keep Me Up at Night:

“Naked” by The Spice Girls

Growing up means revisiting the Spice Girls and enjoying their sexy songs more than their girl-power anthems. I am obsessed with “Naked” lately, which sounds like it could be on Madonna’s Erotica album. 

“running” by Lillie West

Lala Lala’s Lillie West dropped the instrumental piano album, Wall Tongue, this week, and I’m completely entranced by it. If you’re a fan of Virginia Astley, Dorothy Carter, and Mary Lattimore, I think you’ll love it too.

The post Pop Loser: Genius of Love appeared first on The Stranger.

Bots are denying Medicare claims in Washington at a “staggering” rate. The program, which launched in six states in January, is called the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction program, aka WISeR. Ironic! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expected it to weed out between 10 percent and 22.5 percent of claims, but in the first three months in Washington, it denied 53 percent. 

Want to know the most infuriating part? The Seattle Times reports, “To run WISeR, CMS contracted with third-party tech companies to approve or deny requests for certain medical services using ‘enhanced technology,’ such as AI and machine learning. Contractors receive a portion of the money they save Medicare.” This is why people root for Luigi, you scumbags!

Watch out, Trump, the EU’s gonna steal your girl. The European Union has offered to make Canada an “Associate Member.” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, said in a speech this morning that it’s “not a partnership against anyone else, but for our common strength,” but c’mon. This is definitely, at least in part, because Trump so badly wants to annex Canada and make it the 51st state. Shouldn’t have taken away their lake, idiot.

Trump is also losing his battle with mail-in ballots. On Monday, the Supreme Court blocked his attempt to “drastically change how Americans vote by mail ahead of the midterm elections,” and he threw a tantrum on Truth Social, saying shit like, “It is a Court that will go down as having rendered some of the most destructive, hurtful, and damaging decisions in our Country’s history.” He’s not wrong! But not for the same reasons. Those fuckers overturned Roe v. Wade! At least they got this one right.

Seattle teachers voted to approve new contracts and get raises. Seattle Public School teachers went back to work on September 2 without actually ratifying a contract with the district. It was a tentative deal. Finally, yesterday, union members voted to approve a new contract, and the Seattle School Board will likely approve it this evening. The Seattle Times says, “The deal includes wage increases for union members totaling about 10% over three years. The agreement also addresses staffing concerns by guaranteeing full-time counselors or social workers will be present at all elementary schools that have more than 350 students.”

Speaking of new contracts, the longest hotel strike in Washington state history is over. Harry Cheadle has the details here for The Stranger.

This is awful. A news helicopter crashed while covering a fatal bus collision for NBC Los Angeles. The two people onboard, photojournalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, died, and the crash also killed a pedestrian on the ground.

If you were at the Genius Awards, then you likely heard Betty Wetter quip during her acceptance speech that polyamorous people are becoming a protected class, and guess what? It wasn’t a joke! KUOW reports, “The Seattle City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend legal discrimination protections to people in polyamorous relationships and people who identify as pansexual and asexual.”

Ed Sheeran fuuuuucked up. Earlier this week (Seattle’s own!!!!) Macklemore was dropped from his opening slot on Ed Sheeran’s tour after saying “free Palestine” during his shows at MetLife Stadium. Macklemore, who has spoken out in support of Palestine for years, released a thoughtful statement here. Sheeran released a statement of his own, essentially saying it wasn’t his fault, a billionaire in the Epstein files told Sheeran he couldn’t play his concert if Macklemore stayed on the bill, and Sheeran said his opening acts are counting on him to feed their families. What’s a boy to do? Within hours, all of Sheeran’s opening acts dropped off their respective dates, including his own fucking backing band, Beoga. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Macklemore’s music is charting again. Several of his songs and albums are selling on iTunes like it’s 2012. And people are defending Macklemore and calling out Sheeran all over social media. Beloved children’s YouTube star, Ms. Rachel, has chided him several times now on her Instagram account, writing, “If more than 20,000 white children were killed in another part of the world, everyone would be shouting about it at their concerts. Treating some children’s lives as less worthy of outrage is racist. Silence during a genocide is not neutral.” Roger Waters of Pink Floyd called him a “little prick.” And delightful weirdo Zach Woods did this.

But who booked Macklemore in the first place? As Sheeran tells it, Mack asked Sheeran if he could join his tour, and Sheeran said sure. But then later in his statement, which Sheeran definitely wrote himself and definitely wasn’t shoddily written by someone on his PR team, Sheeran says Mack had a contract with the promoter, not Sheeran. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on whoever the fuck booked Macklemore, whose most recent hit is “Hind’s Hall,” a 2024 protest song with the lyrics, “Block the barricade until Palestine is free.” Y’all knew what you were getting! Macklemore should sue the fuck outta Sheeran for lost wages and give the money to Palestinians. 

Lastly, some fascinating news that came in just as the newsroom was starting to close up shop yesterday. I will let Hunter Pauli tell you allll about it…

Trump nominates far-right Eastern Washington lawyer as top federal cop for Seattle area in latest US Attorney’s office chaos: You might recall The Stranger’s reporting earlier this year on the drama surrounding who exactly decides to prosecute federal crimes in Western Washington due to a power struggle between our local federal judges and the Trump administration.

Well, we have a new, even worse, even more confusing update for you! Pete Serrano, the far-right lawyer originally picked by Trump to be the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, has now been officially nominated to be US Attorney for the Western District of Washington (where you, the reader, likely live). The previous US attorney in the Eastern District resigned rather than prosecute Spokane anti-ICE protesters, but Serrano was happy to.

We distinguish between “picked” and “officially nominated” because the nomination process requires the Senate to sign off on the appointment, and home-state senators wield an effective veto over candidates they think won’t vibe with their constituents. Washington’s senators have long promised to do that to Serrano in the East and ICE man Charles Neil Floyd in the West, so Trump never officially filed their paperwork. That led to their temporary appointments expiring, the judges of the Western District appointing their own US attorney (Roger Rogoff) under federal law to replace the lapsed Floyd, Trump’s DOJ immediately firing Rogoff, and Rogoff suing. 

Still with us? Thought so. Won’t Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell just torpedo Serrano’s nomination? Does Serrano’s nomination quash Rogoff’s lawsuit? Is Floyd heartbroken? We’re all working to figure all that out. The Washington State Standard has the details so far.

Thank you, Hunter! 

Now, I leave you with “Hind’s Hall” because it’s a legit banger. I was skeptical in 2024, too! “Thrift Store” guy wrote a protest song? The same straight guy who wrote a navel-gazey ballad about gay marriage? The same white guy who centered himself in two (2) songs about “White Privilege”? The same guy who wore this costume because he was too dumb to know it was fucking antisemitic? He can be ham-fisted, it’s true! But people can grow, people can learn. As Stranger music writer Audrey Vann wrote in last week’s Pop Loser newsletter, “Get in losers, we’re stanning Macklemore.”

The post Slog AM: Seattle Teachers Approve New Contract, Medicare Bots Are Denying Too Many Claims, and Ed Sheeran Is Over appeared first on The Stranger.