KIRO's Natasha Chen says Sawant proposed "big businesses ALL pay $15/hr by Jan 1st, no tip penalty, no 'total comp', no teen wages," and for "small businesses and human services [it] should be phased in OVER 3 YEARS, starting $11/hr."

Medical Pot On the Chopping Block: "Durkan said Friday that all medical-marijuana dispensaries in the state are illegal."

Here Come the Archeologists: Yet another delay for Bertha and the tunnel. No rush, guys.

Liberal Democracy Is Flourishing In Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai is on his way out, and somehow all ten of the presidential candidates who might succeed him aren't opposed to US troops staying in the country

Menace to Society: Explosive oil trains have infiltrated the Bay Area, despite attempts to keep them out.

You Don't Say? The International Monetary Fund, reversing decades of pushing neoliberal privatization schemes on poor countries like a bad drug, now favors "progressive redistribution—national tax and spending policies that are purposefully tilted in favor of the poor."

Why Are We Enabling the Rise of Fascists in Ukraine? "Given our own hypocrisy—don't violate agreements (except the one not to expand NATO eastward), don't invade countries on phony pretexts (except Iraq) and don't support minority secession movements (except Kosovo)—why wouldn't we want to restore U.S. credibility by living up to our principles in this critical case?"

Collapse Going Mainstream: Usually you hear predictions of civilization-wide collapse from fringe elements (though I have a journalism professor from back in the day who's been writing thoughtfully about apocalypse for years). Here's a NASA-funded study that says there's no way around it: elites in industrial countries need to stop consuming so damn much.

Where I am: