PRESIDENT OBAMA ON NIGERIAN KIDNAPPINGS Obviously, what’s happening is awful and, as a father of two girls, I can’t imagine what the parents are going through. The US will do everything we can.
  • Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
  • PRESIDENT OBAMA ON NIGERIAN KIDNAPPINGS "Obviously, what’s happening is awful and, as a father of two girls, I can’t imagine what the parents are going through." The US will "do everything we can."

Eleven More Girls Were Kidnapped in Nigeria Yesterday By Gunpoint: By men with AK-47s who came down out of the hills, stealing grain and livestock on the way. The girls, ages 12 to 15, were forced onto a bus by the men, "suspected of being fighters from the radical group Boko Haram." That's the group of Islamist extremists who kidnapped nearly 300 girls three weeks ago. Obama calls them a terrorist organization that needs to be dealt with, but not until the girls have been rescued. To that end, the US is sending "military and law enforcement personnel skilled in intelligence, investigations, hostage negotiating, information sharing and victim assistance."

Watch This: Hearing "nearly 300 girls" is one thing. Reading every single one of their names is another.

Oh Yeah, Meanwhile, Boko Haram Just Killed Hundreds of Nigerians: The religious extremists sprayed gunfire in a crowded market, "set homes on fire and gunned down residents who tried to escape from the flames." More than 1,500 people have been killed by Boko Haram in Nigeria this year alone.

Human Foot Washes Up on Shore in Seattle: The foot, "fitted with a white New Balance sneaker," was found yesterday "about 11 a.m. near the Pier 86 grain facility."

More Fires, Lower Snowpack, and Other Havoc Climate Change Is Wreaking in the Pacific Northwest: "From changes in stream flows to acidifying oceans and widespread forest die-offs, the Pacific Northwest is already experiencing signs of a changing climate," Seattle Times reports, based on that White House report earlier this week, which has also prompted this New York Times front page today:


The Problem Is, Americans Are Stupid: "Perhaps more than people in any other rich nation, Americans are skeptical that climate change is a dire issue."

State Senator Pressured by Seattle Mayor Not to Support "Plan C" for Metro Funding: Ansel Herz broke the news about Rep. Adam Kline being strong-armed by Mayor Murray into withdrawing his support for Keep Seattle Moving, which would raise property taxes to fund Seattle-only bus routes. "The mayor will issue another proposal later this week," his office explained. And then the mayor's office changed their mind and said, "May not be until next week." Um.

Cops Pulled Over a Car with Expired Tabs in Skyway Last Night: And then "an unknown man walked by and opened fire." He is still at large.

How to Shop at Costco or QFC Without Putting on Clothes: A grocery-delivery service called Instacart, to compete with Amazon Fresh, starts in Seattle today.

Mount Zion Lutheran Church in Mountlake Terrace: On fire.

What If Benghazi Had Happened to Ronald Reagan? Oh wait, it did happen to Reagan. Except waaaaaay worse. And how did Congress react then? Not at all like Congress is reacting to Benghazi. You have to read this Jane Mayer piece.

Seattle Symphony at Carnegie Hall Last Night: Here's Ludovic Morlot standing with composer John Luther Adams. There are more photos from the performance over here.

The Silent-Reading Party Is Tonight! Ansel Herz and Maria Semple will be among the people crammed into the Fireside Room reading tonight.