Democrats … did something??? Well, would you look at that! Congressional Democrats managed to pass a bill this weekend, one that actually does stuff! The Inflation Reduction Act was scaled way, way back from what most party leaders wanted, but it’ll invest $300 billion in energy and climate measures, allow the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices for some drugs starting in 2026, and it establishes a minimum tax for billion-dollar companies that hoard wealth. Republicans defeated an attempt to cap the price of insulin, because their party is a death cult.

It’s still hot. One more day of temps in the mid-80s, and then it’ll drop to around 80 tomorrow and the low 70s by Wednesday … before climbing back up to the high 70s by the end of the week. I’ve heard that eating spicy food helps you cool off in hot weather, and I’d like to thank Carmelo’s Tacos for proving multiple times over the last few days that it actually works. Anyway, experts say this is probably the last heat wave of the season, but I wouldn't bet my entire fortune on that.

Here’s the memorial ride for Michael Weilert. A driver killed Michael in a Tacoma crosswalk last month. This weekend a group of family, friends, and community members led a memorial ride to the place where he died, and his mother, Amber, delivered a tearful speech. “As much as I miss him,” she said, “I’m going to use this pain and all of this love for him to help make the streets safer. There's a lot of Michael's friends here today and I don’t want any of them to ever worry about not being safe or having anything happen to them when they’re out here riding their bikes.” It’s hard not to notice how fast the drivers behind her are traveling. An investigation into the crash is in progress, and the driver who hit Michael has not been arrested or charged.

Meanwhile in Seattle… We knew these figures would be bad, but we didn’t think they’d be THAT bad. The new “driver report card” signs show that only 4% of drivers stop for peds in the Meridian Ave crosswalk on a good week. These signs have been up since March as part of a $325,000 outreach campaign (the money, which is mostly from the state, can only be spent on education, not construction). This is a pretty pathetic showing by local motorists. Explain yourselves, drivers.

Is a serial killer targeting Muslim men in New Mexico? Over the last nine months, four Muslim men have been killed in Albuquerque, NM and police are starting to think one person may be responsible for all the killings. 

How soon until Florida criminalizes gay bars? Florida has launched an investigation into a restaurant where, according to a complaint, “male performers dress in traditionally female clothing and perform dances while brunch is served.” It’s shockingly similar to crackdowns from almost a century ago, when police would raid queer establishments and haul people off to jail for the crime of being queer in public.

Officials will provide updates on the Cedar Creek fire tonight. Fire officials will livestream a virtual public meeting tonight to provide more information about the fire currently burning near Oakridge, Oregon. About 200 people are fighting the fire across 2,000 acres, and it was zero percent contained as of yesterday.

I'm old enough to remember when Republicans hated "forced busing." Texas' latest political stunt is putting immigrants on buses and forcing them to relocate to other parts of the country, whether or not they have family and support there. New York's response is good. Though the state's resources are being stretched thin, they're doing what they can to help anyone who arrives: "We wanted to do our part to let new neighbors know that they’re welcome here, and in NYC there are people who will help."

Look at these sloppy sluts. This was the scene at Thomas Street Gardens on Capitol Hill this weekend. The place was an absolute orgy.

The massive fire in Cuba continues. Late last week, lightning struck an oil tank and set off a huge blaze about 60 miles east of Havana. The fire grew on Saturday when a second tank went up in flames. Over a dozen firefighters are missing. Various neighboring countries have provided aid to fight the fire, including the US, which provided technical support.

Trump wanted his generals to be more like Hitler's generals. Unclear if he knew that Hitler's generals tried to kill him. Anyway, the report comes from a new book about life in the White House by New York journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser. Okay, yes, Trump was terrible, but is this new information? Likely to change his followers' minds? Going to help this decaying country avoid future mistakes? Lollll

Just Republicans being weird little guys. One of the highlights of CPAC this weekend was a performance art piece by a guy who sat in a cage and cried for hours. Onlookers identified him as Brandon Straka, an insurrection participant who was sentenced to home confinement, not jail time. His name is probably not familiar to you, but it might be familiar to Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, who in 2020 made a video for Straka’s “Walk Away” campaign, which Straka then used to raise money for his future projects. Here's Ann's June 2020 tweet promoting his work, which has since been deleted.

Meet your friendly local abortion provider. Next weekend, SIFF will present a special screening of Our Bodies Our Doctors, a 2019 documentary about reproductive health care providers. There will be a panel discussion after the screening.

You know what this school needs? More guns. A North Carolina school is being stocked with AR-15 rifles in preparation for the new school year. They say it's a security measure in case of a school shooter. To me, it seems like it's just telling potential shooters, "Hey, you don't even have to bring a gun to this place, you can use one of ours."

Next stop: Des Moines. The new ferry route starts this week, with spaces rapidly selling out. This pilot program will run through early October. It’s a bit more expensive than you might expect–$10 each way for adults, plus $4 if you bring a bike, compared to about $10 for a round-trip to Bremerton.

Would you like a cat? Yes, you would. Perhaps you would even like two.