The Stranger's morning news round-up. by Nathalie Graham

Windy in Washington: High winds swept across the Olympic Peninsula overnight. The gustiest gales reached nearly 70 miles per hour in Hoquiam. Winds remain higher than normal and Washington State Ferries says it could impact ferry rides today. If anything, the ferry rides will be bumpier than normal.

Rain, rain, rain: Soggy conditions continue to saturate Seattle. Don't think about when you will see a clear day again—it's not worth it. 

Moderate to heavy rain will continue to move into the region this morning as a strong system moves across W WA. Have a morning commute? Best to slow down and give yourself a little extra time to get to your destination. Rain will transition to showers through the day. #wawx pic.twitter.com/k2PrlLJE5Z

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) November 13, 2024

Ashley's got some news you can use.

We’ll miss you, Dow: King County Executive Dow Constantine announced last night he would not seek a fifth term in 2025. It’s the end of an era for the county, which Constantine has helmed since 2010. During that time he’s championed funding transit, early childhood education, and housing. He also promised to end youth detention and close the child jail, which he’s kind of skipping out on. But all in all, Constantine pushed for pretty progressive policies and deserves a solid pat on the back for consistency and knowing that when you have power, you can just do stuff and make people accept the results. And you can get lots of haircuts. That’s cool, Constantine. Grab drinks with me and Hannah soon. 

But, onward: King County Council Member Claudia Balducci announced Wednesday she planned to run for Constantine’s seat. I rode around with Balducci ahead of her announcement on a little tour of everything she’s done for the Eastside, from her years as a Bellevue City Council Member to her time as Mayor and finally to her time on the King County Council. Balducci, a transit buff, plans to ride a train straight through King County’s glass ceiling and become the first woman to earn the title of King County Executive.

Thanks, Ashley! Back to the rest of the news.

Low voter turnout: Washington state had the lowest voter turnout this election since 2000. According to the Seattle Times, fewer than 78% of the state's registered voters cast a ballot. That's down significantly from the 84% of people who voted in 2020.

Kum & Go? More like Kum & Gone: The midwestern gas station chain is changing its name after 49 years of cum jokes.

Oh, we are so cooked: President-elect Donald Trump is in the midst of hand-picking his cabinet in a process that feels like the Avengers assembling except instead of superheroes these Avengers are the worst people you've ever heard of. On that list now is our new defense secretary. The person Trump picked to lead the world's biggest and most powerful military is, you guessed it, Fox News host Pete Hegseth. The move stunned the Pentagon. The Fox & Friends Weekend co-host is a National Guard officer. He is against "woke" diversity and inclusion programs, is skeptical about women in combat, and has spoken about pardoning war crimes. 

Trump apparently just named Fox News host Pete Hegseth his secretary of defense?

[image or embed]

— Parker Molloy (@parkermolloy.com) November 12, 2024 at 4:11 PM

Dog killer at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who infamously shot her dog instead of training it after it misbehaved, to lead the DHS. The role should be important in an administration that wants to conduct mass deportations and clamp down on border security. 

The Department of Government Efficiency: Trump announced the creation of a new government office designed to "dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies." Elon Musk and failed presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the office. During his campaign, Ramaswamy said he wanted to cut down on government spending and discussed eliminating the FBI, the Department of Education, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to do that. Musk, meanwhile, wants to just meme about it all. The acronym for the department is DOGE, Musk's favorite meme. Will the two be able to keep the posts despite clear conflicts of interest? We'll see. Please, someone stop the edge lords. 

wait why does the dept of government efficiency have two co-chairs

— Caitlin Gilbert (@caitlingilbert.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 6:15 PM

So much for justice: Special counsel Jack Smith, the guy in charge of the Justice Department cases against Trump, announced he will resign before the beginning of Trump's term. During his campaign, Trump promised to fire Smith within “two seconds” of taking office. Smith has two outstanding cases against Trump, and he plans to write a final report on both before stepping down.  

Hell is empty and the devils are here: A Michigan community theater put on a production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Several Nazis gathered outside waving swastika flags and shouting racist and antisemitic slurs.  

Something to listen to: A friend recently turned me onto this radio drama about a space mission. I've barely scratched the surface of the series, but so far it's a nice escape. 

Greg Loman spent his youth playing music at a time when “grunge was kind of at its peak.” After listening to the tunes of Alice in Chains, he stopped the late-night Nintendo gaming sessions and decided to take his music playing to another level…

Vittorio D’Onofri has been snapping photos of muxes — those who were registered as male at birth but identify as female or neither male nor female — for more than 20 years…

Comic Larry Dean talks at length about his new show.

Bata India is adjusting its strategies due to changing consumer spending patterns. The company is introducing more affordable products and partnering with quick commerce platforms like Zepto to cater to budget-conscious consumers while continuing its premiumization efforts and offline expansion plans.

Wrangler has expanded its retail footprint in India with the inauguration of six new stores. Located in Ujjain, Goa, Indore, Bilaspur, Katihar, and Bareilly, these additions bring Wrangler's total store count to 58 across India.

Reliance's luxury beauty retail chain, Tira, opened its flagship store at Jio World Plaza in Mumbai. The store features 15 exclusive shop-in-shop boutiques of global beauty brands like Dior, Estée Lauder, and YSL. Customers can enjoy personalized shopping experiences, a beauty concierge service, and a café. The store also features a scent room with curated international fragrances.

iPhone shipments in the third quarter of 2024 crossed 4 million units for the first time, driven by steep discounts, multiple financing options, and a strong demand for premium handsets during the festive season, said research firm IDC in a report released Wednesday.

The company reported a loss for the first half of its financial year and announced a 40 million pound ($51 million) cost savings programme, as new CEO Joshua Schulman laid out his turnaround plan.

Indian traders are worried about quick commerce platforms. CAIT says these platforms are using unfair practices to control the market. They are accused of hurting small businesses like Kirana stores. The traders want the government to take action. They want stricter rules for these platforms to protect small businesses.

In a blog post on Wednesday, the company said the new Amazon Haul storefront will mostly feature products that cost less than $10 and offer free delivery on orders over $25.

Kendra Muecke from Kendra & the Bunnies is someone's muse. In her latest single, "Manic Pixie Nightmare," she takes a sledgehammer to a crazy pixie's dream girl. By refusing to…

The key to taking effective action in a Trump world is to avoid perpetuating the autocrat's goals of fear, isolation, exhaustion and disorientation.

You can view the author talking about this article here (or watch the whole episode, the first hour and a half is very informative). You can also try your hand at a choose your own adventure style playing out of Trumps second term.

That staff of Reasons To Be Cheerful staff sharing interesting news: See what stories caught our attention this week, from a scrappy, solar-powered New York lifestyle to early media literacy lessons in Finland.

Hi all, this is a message from MetaFilter's BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) board. In the interest of highlighting and growing the global perspective here on our little corner of the web, we want to encourage BIPOC members to post a bit more to the site. So we're going to use this second week of November to encourage members who don't consider themselves Western world natives (Diasporic BIPOC welcome here) to make a post or two about their culture.

To that end, we have a few suggestions/themes, but no one has to feel bound to use them, they're merely suggestions: How does your culture use rice cookers? What is one thing about your culture that people have misconceptions about or have stigmas within Western cultural perceptions? How does your country or culture view/treat cats (past and present)? What's a particular food item that is popular in your culture and what are some of the popular variants? The posts don't have to be long or filled with links, but it's ok if they are! Single link posts are absolutely fine on MetaFilter and have a long history on the site. We're doing this as a way to showcase the width and breadth of MetaFilter's global community. No other community is forbidden or discouraged from posting during this event, we merely ask other communities to highlight or share their culture with others on MetaFilter. Keep in mind that MetaFilter is more than front page posts. If there's a particular Project you've been working on, music you've created, or media you like, then you can share all these things on the Projects, Music, or FanFare pages! Our only request is that you tag these posts with 'BIPOC' or let the mods know and we'll add the tags.

I really like the Fossil Asher leather briefcase but $395 is out of my price range. Can MeFites recommend a similar brown leather briefcase that is under $250? I would like to buy from a company that pays workers fairly and has safe working conditions. Leather alternatives are fine. (Unfortunately, MeFi favorite Tom Bihn is a little too casual for my work environment(s).)

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NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Sharon Horgan, creator and star of Bad Sisters, about the show's second season.

Jungle music was found in countless games from the early 90s. This article goes over what jungle is, where it comes from, and why it was the perfect match for PlayStation & Nintendo 64 games.

Robert Dick kicks off his instructional video series with a lesson on Throat Tuning. He shows how to use the voice to insure that "bad days" are banished!

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Bermuda today [Nov 13] to deliver a eulogy at the funeral of Peter Green. The official statement from the Canadian government’s website said, “The Prime Minister will deliver a personal eulogy at the funeral of close family friend Peter Green, in Bermuda. The Prime Minister will travel from […]

During an appearance on Fox News Channel's "The Ingraham Angle," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) called on The New York Times to retract its report that then-candidate Donald Trump was making "false claims" about FEMA neglecting certain areas impacted by Hurricane Helene because of political leaning. 

The post GOP Rep. Luna: NY Times ‘Should Retract’ FEMA Conspiracy Theory Accusations appeared first on Breitbart.

It has been reported that Tufts University has cut ties with MA Rep. Seth Moulton in the wake of his sudden turn against transgender athletes

The post Tufts University Accused of Cutting Ties with Democrat Congressman Over Trans Athlete Comments appeared first on Breitbart.

Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a farewell visit to the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday in which he repeatedly insisted that President Joe Biden would "push every dollar out the door that we have at our disposal" to Ukraine.

The post Blinken Assures NATO Biden Will Funnel Billions to Ukraine Prior to Trump Return appeared first on Breitbart.

"Saturday Night Live" cast member Chloe Fineman is suddenly telling fans that Elon Musk made her cry three years ago when he guest hosted the show and said her comedy writing wasn't funny.

The post ‘SNL’s Chloe Fineman ‘Burst into Tears’ After Elon Musk Said Her Sketches Weren’t Funny appeared first on Breitbart.

CNN contributor and former Obama adviser Van Jones said Wednesday on CNN's "Newsroom" that President-elect Donald Trump's pick of Fox News host Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense is "very alarming."

The post Van Jones: Fox News Host Running the Military Is ‘Very Alarming’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Sen. John Thune will replace Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Republican Senate Majority Leader after a close contest Wednesday that took two ballots to resolve.

The post John Thune Elected Senate Republican Leader in Tight Race appeared first on Breitbart.

Former Vice President Pence's adviser Marc Short said Wednesday on MSNBC's "José Díaz-Balart Reports" that President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, should not be underestimated.

The post Marc Short: Don’t ‘Underestimate’ Hegseth as Sec of Defense, He’s a ‘Welcome Change for Many’ appeared first on Breitbart.

President-elect Donald Trump announced members of his White House senior staff on Wednesday.

The post Donald Trump Makes White House Senior Staff Announcements: ‘Best in Class’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) will be Donald Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, the top law enforcement officer in the land.

The post Trump Announces Matt Gaetz as Pick for Attorney General appeared first on Breitbart.

Rachel Zegler, the star of Disney's upcoming live-action "Snow White" remake, has a message for the 75.6 million Americans who voted for President-elect Donald Trump this year: may you "never know peace."

The post Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Star Rachel Zegler Hopes Trump Supporters ‘Never Know Peace’ — Are Part of a ‘Deep, Deep Sickness in This Country’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Lunchables are being removed from school lunch menus across the U.S. after just a year of them being included in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) after they tested positive for lead and other harmful materials.

The post Lunchables Pulled from School Menus After Testing Positive for Lead appeared first on Breitbart.

Senate Majority Leader-elect John Thune (R-SD) said Senate Republicans "are excited" to enact President-elect Donald Trump's agenda.

The post Senate Majority Leader-Elect Thune: Senate Republicans ‘Excited’ to Put Trump’s Agenda into Action appeared first on Breitbart.