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. 

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.

In advance of Black Friday, looking for e-drums that fit particular criteria...

I'm looking for a set of e-drums that I can basically learn to play on. My criteria:

- mesh heads
- Can connect to a computer for recording (I want to accompany myself on guitar and bass, eventually)
- Inexpensive (<$1000)
- Most importantly, has some kind of learning mode! My favorite kind of drumming-but-not-really in the past was playing Rock Band. So any kind of mode where I can play along with patterns or more would be great. Not expecting anything that will make me amazing, just something to make practice more interesting, really.

Any suggestions?

President-elect Donald Trump has announced he will nominate Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army veteran to be his secretary of defense. The 44-year-old Hegseth came as a surprise.

President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden met for nearly two hours at the White House on Wednesday.

The post White House Meeting Between Trump, Biden Ran Nearly 2 Hours appeared first on Breitbart.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told voters Tuesday that he is open to working with president-elect Donald Trump on immigration reforms.

The post New York City Mayor Eric Adams Pledges to Work with Trump on Immigration Reforms 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.

President-elect Donald Trump met with House Republicans on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning to start a busy day in D.C.

The post Donald Trump Meets with House Republicans on Capitol Hill as President-Elect: ‘Isn’t It Nice to Win?’ appeared first on Breitbart.

President Joe Biden welcomed President-elect Donald Trump back to the White House on Wednesday and congratulated him on his landslide victory. 

The post Joe Biden Welcomes Donald Trump Back to White House, Congratulates Him on Victory appeared first on Breitbart.

Actor Dick Van Dyke, who turns 99 next month, suggested he would happily not be around to see the next four years under President-elect Donald Trump's second term in the White House.

The post Watch: Dick Van Dyke Suggests He’d Rather Die Than See Another Four Years of Trump appeared first on Breitbart.

Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis, who endorsed Kamala Harris' unsuccessful bid for the White House, is the latest left-wing elite to quit X/Twitter following President-elect Donald Trump's resounding victory on election day.

The post Jamie Lee Curtis, Who Endorsed Kamala Harris, Quits X Following Trump Victory appeared first on Breitbart.

Actor Kevin Costner is smitten with Liz Cheney and her increasingly acerbic attacks on President-elect Donald Trump, saying the former Republican congresswoman from Wyoming should be applauded for her public service in branding him "unstable," "depraved," and "cruel" amongst other insults.

The post ‘Yellowstone’ Star Kevin Costner Gushes over Liz Cheney’s Attacks on Trump: ‘We Should Applaud Her’ appeared first on Breitbart.

President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday he has selected former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI) to serve as his Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

The post Trump Selects Tulsi Gabbard to Serve as Director of National Intelligence 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.

President-elect Donald Trump formally announced Wednesday that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is his pick for secretary of state. Trump issued a press release confirming numerous media reports that indicated Rubio would be chosen for the critical role. “Marco is a

The post Trump Confirms He Will Nominate Marco Rubio as His Secretary of State: ‘A Very Powerful Voice for Freedom’ 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.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said Wednesday on CNN's "The Lead" that President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as his attorney general was a "red-alert moment for American democracy."

The post Dem Sen. Murphy: Trump Nominating Gaetz for AG ‘Red Alert Moment for American Democracy’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Donald Trump's deputies say they will dramatically expand the detention space needed for the bureaucratic process of flying illegal migrants back to their foreign homes, according to NBC News.

The post Donald Trump’s Deputies Want More Detention to Block, Repatriate Migrants appeared first on Breitbart.

Wednesday on CNN, network contributor Scott Jennings reacted to what some are describing as President-elect Donald Trump's "unexpected" cabinet appointments.

The post CNN’s Jennings on Trump Cabinet Picks: ‘Are You Not Entertained?’ 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.

Actor Josh Gad, who is set to reprise his role as Olaf in Disney's upcoming Frozen 3, has smeared the incoming Trump administration as Nazis -- naturally using a musical theater analogy involving "Springtime for Hitler" from The Producers.

The post Disney’s ‘Frozen 3’ Star Josh Gad Smears Incoming Trump Admin. as Nazis: ‘Springtime for Hitler and Germany’ appeared first on Breitbart.

The Fed is in a rate cut cycle as Trump is coming to the White House—just as he would prefer.

The post Breitbart Business Digest: Trump Will Love the Fed Doves appeared first on Breitbart.

On “The Alex Marlow Show” on Wednesday, Breitbart Editor-in-Chief and host Alex Marlow praised the pick of Pete Hegseth to be Defense Secretary. Marlow said, “We don’t want Deep Staters. We don’t want people who came from the board of

The post Alex Marlow: Trump Crushing Deep State with Cabinet Picks appeared first on Breitbart.

Donald Trump moved one step closer to beating Alvin Bragg’s lawfare against him on Tuesday as Justice Juan Merchan rescheduled ruling on motions to set aside the politically motivated New York convictions.

The post Juan Merchan Delays Ruling on Trump Prosecution, Either Backing Down or Setting Trap appeared first on Breitbart.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has resigned from his congressional seat after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to serve as Attorney General in his administration.

The post Matt Gaetz Resigns from Congress After Trump Nominates Him as Attorney General appeared first on Breitbart.

By Megan Myscofski

Governor Gavin Newsom went to Washington, D.C. this week to meet with California’s Congressional Delegation and the Biden Administration and advocate for federal funding to the state before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. 

Newsom told a Spectrum News reporter in the capital that he has concerns the state will lose some federal funding — which Trump threatened while campaigning.

“I guess that's what people voted for, but I got to tell you, a lot of folks will be hurt if we don't push back,” he said. 

Newsom said he’s advocated for funds related to the environment, disaster relief and health care.

That includes two Medicaid waivers — one to put more funds towards behavioral health treatment, and another to renew the state’s MCO tax, which California voters just approved through Proposition 35. 

The governor also pushed for more federal land protections, clean air and water support, and approval on several waiver requests to support the state’s climate and emissions rules. 

Lindsey Churchill works with the Rebuild Paradise Foundation, which supports survivors of the 2018 Camp Fire. 

She said federal funds are already challenging to work with because of how slow they tend to roll out. 

“When you’re trying to provide programs in a timely manner after a disaster, you don’t necessarily have time to wait a year or longer for that kind of funding,” she said. 

She added that she’s also concerned about the Trump administration withholding funding, especially as natural disasters become more frequent and costly.

Trump stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary.

Many teens worry about how their lives could change once he takes office.

Neither governor directly tied the new effort "to shape policy and plans that truly protect the rule of law" to former President Donald Trump's return to power.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (pictured) said on Thursday that Russia is ready to communicate with United States President-elect Donald Trump and his administration, once he is sworn in. "The...

Billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will head an effort, dubbed DOGE, to reduce wasteful federal spending. Here's what it's about.

The new administration confronts a WTO already undermined by long-standing US disapproval

On most dimensions, the policy mix of incoming president is positive for US equities

Rally in dollar debt is unlikely ‘Trump trade’ and comes just months after huge restructuring

Donald Trump won the election. The House and Senate are in Republican hands. That means the GOP now owns the debt and its consequences. This responsibility, while too much for past politicians, presents the opportunity of a lifetime: namely, to be the ones who put the government back on fiscal…

The French “whale” who bet millions on a Trump win raked in about $85 million in profits – more than $50 million more than previously reported, according to a report. The anonymous bettor, who goes by Théo, was previously believed to operate four separate accounts on Polymarket, the online betting…