A guy says he was doing this when he was accosted with homophobic slurs.
  • thanapun/Shutterstock
  • A guy says he was doing this when he was accosted with homophobic slurs.

Man Beaten on Capitol Hill Yesterday: The victim says he was smoking a cigarette near the corner of Belmont Avenue and East Pike Street early Monday morning when three or four men approached him, made derogatory remarks about his sexual orientation, then beat him. The attackers escaped, and the victim was taken to Harborview for injuries to his head and face. Seattle PD’s Bias Crimes Unit is reviewing the case, reports KOMO.

King County Delays Public Defender Layoffs: As we reported last week, King County’s new budget proposed cutting 40 Department of Public Defense employees, which critics feared would overload an already-overloaded staff. But after an attorney testified that the plan would hurt poor people and fail to save money, the Metropolitan King County Council decided to delay the reductions till April 1 and assign a work group to further assess staffing needs, meaning it’s possible the reductions may not happen at all.


Seattle Protests Planned Following Ferguson Decision: Folks held a small protest at Westlake Center last night and say a much bigger event is planned for the night of the grand jury decision, which will determine whether Darren Wilson should be charged in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. Meanwhile, in Ferguson, Missouri governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

Homeless encampments may get wifi.
  • Ansel Herz
  • Homeless encampments may get wifi.

Seattle Wants to Give Internet Access to Homeless Camps: That’s among the many improvements the city is proposing out of its $100,000 budget for homeless encampments, reports KOMO. Among other services proposed: toilets, electricity, and improved cooking facilities.

Amazon’s Private Flaggers Causing Traffic Woes: In South Lake Union, people are pissed that Amazon's private traffic cops (many of whom are off-duty police officers) help employees get out of their parking garages faster, resulting in backed-up traffic. Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether these traffic flaggers are operating legally, reports King 5.

Microsoft Urges Lawmakers to Limit NSA Powers: It’s among several tech giants—including Apple, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and Facebook—that have come out in support of the USA Freedom Act, which would limit the NSA’s ability to collect bulk metadata from tech company customers.

Sea stars are dying in droves.

Virus Blamed for Sea Star Deaths: Along the West Coast, millions of sea star deaths are now being blamed on a wasting disease, according to the Seattle Times. Researchers say the pathogen has been around since the 1940s, but it’s unclear whether this current rash of deaths is natural or somehow related to climate change or other human activity.


Attack at Jerusalem Synagogue Leaves Four People Dead: The AP reports that two Palestinian cousins armed with meat cleavers and a gun stormed a synagogue during morning prayers, killing three Americans and one Briton. Police killed the attackers in a shoot-out.

Why Is Airfare Rising Despite Lower Fuel Costs? According to the AP, it’s because demand is high and investors are greedy.

Seattle Private Equity Firm Inks Deal with Bob Marley Estate: To produce a new line of “Marley Natural” marijuana products, reports the Puget Sound Business Journal. “According to Privateer Holdings, "Marley Natural will offer premium cannabis products that honor the life and legacy of Bob Marley as well as his belief in the benefits of cannabis."