Former President Trump returned to X, formerly Twitter, posting multiple videos as he seeks to rebuild momentum for his flagging campaign.

The surge in deepfake images and videos online of U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have raised questions over whether the false information could impact the election.

The world's richest man once said Donald Trump's character didn't 'reflect well' on the U.S. Now Elon Musk is touring the country, and spending big, to put Trump and other Republicans in power.

Trump's views on artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, electric vehicles and other issues could reshape the tech industry.

Modern, intuitive, and reliable thermal cyclers excel at optimizing sequencing, cloning, and genotyping throughput.

A judge ordered Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin to leave his Otero County commissioner post effective immediately.

With Election Day upon us ‘tis the season to make hasty accusations about the insecurity of America’s voting system. In Washington, like in other parts of the country, the right-wing has focused on attacking the idea of mail-in ballots. Last week, with the ballot explosions in Clark County and Portland, right-wing influencers such as Jonathan Choe quickly capitalized on these incidents to make claims that the “entire system is vulnerable.” by Ashley Nerbovig

With Election Day upon us ‘tis the season to make hasty accusations about the insecurity of America’s voting system. In Washington, like in other parts of the country, the right-wing has focused on attacking the idea of mail-in ballots. Last week, with the ballot explosions in Clark County and Portland, right-wing influencers such as Jonathan Choe quickly capitalized on these incidents to make claims that the “entire system is vulnerable.”

As we move through Election Day and beyond, bad faith actors are poised to take every single election related mishap or misunderstanding and turn it into another reason to make our elections more “secure” which just means erecting more barriers to make it harder to vote, measures that often disproportionately affect Black and Brown voters. So how do you stop yourself from becoming a sucker for a piece of election misinformation that could lead you to support a law that might deprive your neighbor of their right to vote? Glad you asked. I’m here to walk you through what misinformation might look like in the days to come.  

Most of the time, rumors around elections fall into four buckets, according to local election rumor expert Kate Starbird. She co-founded the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, which studies false and misleading information online and designs strategies to combat it. First bucket: Someone observes an event and assumes something has gone wrong, but in reality, the system functions as intended—they simply don’t understand the process. But the person shares the information as something potentially nefarious. Some examples include last week when former President Donald Trump’s name appeared on the second screen for the California ballot, leading people to complain about having to click an extra button to vote for him. The explanation was not that California was purposefully suppressing Trump voters, only that California randomizes the order of names on ballots and, unluckily for Trump that meant he landed on the second page.

The other three buckets involve when someone faces a real issue with voting, such as the machines not working, their name missing or misspelled on the voter rolls, or as has happened recently in Washington, they receive multiple ballots. These issues are typically distorted in one of three ways. First, the rumor emerges that whatever issue prevented someone from voting was intentional. Second, someone makes an unverified claim that the issue is widespread and deprives a much larger group of people from voting. Finally, the rumor obscures the fact that even if someone faced an issue voting, the elections office actually had a solution to the problem.

A good example of some local election rumor coverage happened last week when KING 5 reported a poorly contextualized piece claiming that a woman had received 16 ballots with names of people she’d never met. The station quoted the woman as saying the incident caused her to have concerns over the democratic process. To verify what actually happened, I spoke to the King County Elections Spokesperson Halei Watkins who explained the woman had moved to a new address where she received her ballots. But she also was sent the ballots of seven people who previously lived at her address. She then returned those seven ballots to the post office, which redelivered them to her, creating the appearance that she had received more than a dozen ballots. Watkins said the ballots ultimately were undeliverable because the voters hadn’t updated their addresses with the county. Watkins called it an isolated incident, not indicative of a massive problem within the election system.

That’s a pretty typical case of an election rumor that paints a picture of some deeper issue where one doesn’t exist. But when Starbird looks at how people use the ballot boxes to undermine confidence in our elections, things become a little more tricky. The fires don’t fall cleanly into any of the four buckets of misinformation, Starbird said. First of all, the fires represent a real attack on our voting systems. We don’t know the motives of the person involved. Remedies exist for the problem, but they’re imperfect and some ballots may have been lost. These attacks do appear isolated to two ballot boxes, and one possible earlier attempt on October 8 in Vancouver that did not result in any damaged ballots. The fires also had mixed outcomes regarding the ability of ballot boxes to extinguish fires. In Portland, only three ballots actually suffered damage, because the mechanism to extinguish flames in the ballot box deployed quickly. In Vancouver, Washington, the fire-suppressant device worked less effectively, but Clark County and King County are both looking into better tools to prevent fires. 

So yes, the fires exposed a vulnerability, but it can hardly be used to definitively call into question mail in voting as a concept, which is how people such as Choe wish to use the incident. Overall, issues with mail in voting are few and far between, and voter fraud involving mail in ballots is exceedingly rare.

When Watkins hears people decry mail-in voting or talk about returning to in-person voting, she points out that polling places have a whole host of issues that could leave the election vulnerable to mishaps or mistakes. Before King County switched to mail-in voting in 2009, the county had 500 polling locations, with 8,000 temporary staff or volunteers who received between four to 12 hours of training in preparation for election day. Now, teams of two pick up ballots from the various ballot boxes that they deliver to election headquarters in Renton. King County has 75 permanent and 800 temporary staff who help with all things related to the election. The process is much more streamlined. 

Watkins also pointed out that at the time King County switched to all mail-in voting, 86% of votes in King County had registered as permanent absentee voters, meaning they already voted by mail, which speaks to the preferences of the county, Watkins said.

“I feel like people who push for in-person voting would just end up creating barriers to voting, not making it more secure,” Watkins says.

The Stranger's morning news round-up. by Hannah Krieg

A perfect day for a biiiiiig walk: We could all use a little sunshine right now. Today, Seattlites can expect on-and-off sunny skies—I think the weather nerds of the PNW call it “sunshowers”—and temperatures in the high 50s. 

Council President Rinck: We got another ballot drop last night! Here in Seattle, Alexis Mercedes Rinck has only expanded her decisive lead on the City Council’s faildaughter Tanya Woo. And it's not just Woo that Rinck’s got beat. Her vote count trumps the combined total of the 2023 City Council victors and she’s got a 26,000-vote lead over Council President Sara Nelson’s 2021 campaign. Rinck may be a minority opinion on the council, but she represents more of the electorate than any other member.

Nail-biter: Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is still too close to call. U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez leads her far-right challenger Joe Kent by about 12,000 votes. We should have a clearer picture in the coming days, but for now the whole country is watching—this race is among the handful that will decide if Republicans retain their majority in the House. 

Another close one: It’s still a tight race for I-2066, the hedge fund millionaire's initiative that would ban the state from encouraging electrification.

Something good on Twitter: After a landslide victory, State House elect Shaun Scott has earned a meme.

???????? pic.twitter.com/RNI4iERKsK

— Shaun Scott ???????? (@eyesonthestorm) November 6, 2024

Joever: Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation to concede she had lost the 2024 presidential election. She kept her remarks very positive, very boilerplate Democrat. If she truly believed  Trump is the threat to the American people he is, she should have come for blood. But, no. The Democrats love to capitulate to the right. And, it's part of why they lost so spectacularly. They championed an extreme and inhumane immigration platform, shrugged their shoulders at Israel’s utter decimation of Gaza, and totally abandoned working people crushed by the weight of the affordability crisis. I know you’re smart and you already know this, but as the #Resist libs start to re-recognize the ever-present threat of fascism—the precarity of reproductive access, queer and trans liberation, immigrants’ rights, workers protections, and more—remember that the Democrats' constant sidesteps to the right landed us here. 

well, as long as you had fun! https://t.co/FtJ9HJ4T8P

— Lead Actor from Pixar’s Sodas (@ByYourLogic) November 7, 2024

Trump transition begins: President-elect Donald Trump’s allies have started lobbying for positions in his administration. According to CNN, Trump will use these positions to “reward” those who have remained loyal to him. That’s also a key feature of his plan: make the administrative state, or what they often call the “deep state,” more friendly, thus radically expanding the executive's power and efficiency. Some top positions seem narrowed down. Trump’s likely considering 2024 co-campaign manager Susie Wiles, his former budget director Russ Vought, CEO of the America First Policy Institute Brooke Rollins, or his former US trade representative Bob Lighthizer for White House Chief of Staff. Rumor has it he will also find jobs for loathsome little rat Elon Musk and anti-vax nut job RFK. Cool.

Off the hook: Trump’s victory may mean the end of his two federal criminal cases related to his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his mishandling of classified documents. His team delayed the cases until after the election, banking on a victory so Trump could fire special counsel Jack Smith and end the cases. As for his New York hush money case, Trump is scheduled for sentencing later this month, but his team will likely argue he’s entitled to constitutional protections afforded to sitting presidents after his election. 

Solidarity: Yesterday, Cascade PBS workers staged an informational picket outside their workplace to pressure their bosses to meet their three demands in their contract: higher wages, better benefits, and strong workplace protections. And, boy, do they deserve higher wages. According to their press release, the Cascade PBS CEO made nearly seven times the average unit member’s salary in 2023. Greed is a fucking disease.

Today at noon, @CascadePBSUnion members used our lunch break to rally for fair wages and a fair contract. If you’re in the area, drop by and say hi - we’ll be the ones in the bright red shirts ✊ pic.twitter.com/ZR9pEwK6jV

— Cascade PBS Union (@CascadePBSUnion) November 6, 2024

In honor of our incoming commander-in-chief: He’s a theatre girly.

The left tries to find its footing before Trump takes power again. by Hannah Krieg

Photography by Ananya Mishra

Seattle lefties gathered at the Space Needle this weekend to hype themselves up for what promises to be a rough four years under a second Trump administration. Speakers acknowledged that the future feels foggy, and that it's unclear what the first fights will be.

Unlike many of the protests around the country, Seattle’s wasn’t organized by the Women’s March or driven by Trump’s attacks on abortion, women, and LGBTQ rights. But it was an important opportunity for local activists to start saying some of our new realities out loud: that we’re about to have a president that seems determined to level Gaza, deport both documented and undocumented immigrants, undermine worker power, and continue to allow cops to kill with impunity. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, not everyone left feeling hyped. The protest lacked the same energy that they harnessed in the wake of Trump’s election eight years ago, or even some of the other protests around the country this weekend. The calls to action—“resist, organize, fight”—felt too vague, especially when the left has had so little success organizing on the national stage. “It felt like we went from resistance to resignation and that this was just perfunctory," one attendee said. 

But we’re also only six days into this new paradigm. And we captured what promises to be the first protest of many as Seattle’s left finds their footing, and their energy. 

The Stranger's morning news round-up. by Ashley Nerbovig

Goooooood morning: The National Weather Service predicts a 50% chance of rain today, with a breezy evening ahead. Meteorologists expect wind speeds to possibly top 29 miles per hour, so batten down your rotting porch pumpkins people!

Time to talk dollars: Want to tell the City Council how to spend your tax dollars? Go to public comment tonight at 5 pm at City Hall. Or you can participate remotely. You can go to tell them to support a capital gains tax, or oppose cuts to tenant services. Or tell the Council to respect the Jumpstart spend plan and actually use the payroll tax to pay for affordable housing, as it was intended. Check back on the blog for more coverage of the budget from Hannah. 

ICYMI: With the blowout loss for former Council Member Tanya Woo, Hannah tells City Council Member Sara Nelson to count her days. Local politicos plan to mount a serious challenge to the conservative Council President Nelson next year in the hopes of ousting her and her pro-cop, pro-business agenda out of office.

Rob Saka Seeks Street Car phase-out: Saka proposed phasing out the South Lake Union streetcar and redirecting the funding to bus service in the City. The budget for the street car is about $4.4 million, which isn't a whole lot of money when you consider Saka wants $2 million to remove the Delridge median so he can take a left turn.

Last week, the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) completed its investigation into Seattle Police Department (SPD) Officer Kevin Dave, who hit and killed 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula as she crossed through a crosswalk in January 2023. The OPA found Dave violated the department's driving policies as well as its policies requiring officers to follow the law. The City must hold a Loudermill hearing for Dave, which allows him to tell his side of the story before deciding on his discipline, so it may be a couple months before we know the final outcome. In the meantime, Dave continues to fight the traffic ticket Republican City Attorney Ann Davison issued him for his killing of Kandula. Seattle Municipal Court shows Dave's next hearing is scheduled for 8:30 am on December 18 in courtroom 301. 

BREAKING: OPA concluded its investigation into SPD Officer Kevin Dave on Friday and sustained policy violations for breaking the law and vehicle operation. Next step will be deciding discipline for him.

— Ashley Nerbovig (@AshleyNerbovig) November 11, 2024

What's your plan for this week anyway? Maybe you're checking out Christmas Dive Bar? Or maybe it's too soon? Maybe you're trying to enjoy something with more Thanksgiving vibes? Well, as always, our sister publication EverOut has you covered with the top 41 things to do this week in Seattle.

Republicans likely to control the US House: As it stands, Republicans have won 214 seats in the House, with Democrats at 205, and 16 races yet to be called. To control the House, Republicans need only to pick up another four seats, which they seem highly likely to do. Congress returned to Washington this week, ready to start setting Trump's right-wing agenda into motion.

Trump plans to pick Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State: The worst people in American continue to jockey for a position in Trump's new administration, with Florida Republican Rubio possibly securing the role of America's top diplomat, according to Politico. We're sure to hear more names in the coming days, including people such as Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, who Trump may consider for Secretary of Education. The nightmare continues. 

Israel kills 14 in Gaza: Two Israeli strikes killed 14 people in an area Israel had mostly declared to be a humanitarian zone. The deaths included at least two children, according to the Associated Press. 

Migos’ “Bad And Boujee” (Feat. Lil Uzi Vert): Been a minute since I checked out Tom Breihan's the Number Ones column, and I'm glad I plumbed it for a song today because I normally wouldn't think about Migos around holiday season, but that's when "Bad and Boujee" climbed to the number one spot on the charts, so I suppose that makes it a holiday classic.

Leather…

When asked how rehearsals with the stars of the NBC sketch show have been going in light of the alleged protest, the Tesla CEO says it's all 'much ado about nothing.'

The 'Justice' singer is reportedly joining forces with the Bangtan Boys for his next music release following the merger of his manager's firm and the group's agency.

The 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' actor and his former fiancee are reported to 'have lots to talk about' following her split from MLB star Alex Rodriguez.

Setting the record straight about whether he will appear in the next 'Spider-Man' movie, the former Spidey depicter claims that he 'did not get a call' from the producers.

When asked how rehearsals with the stars of the NBC sketch show have been going in light of the alleged protest, the Tesla CEO says it's all 'much ado about nothing.'

The former President of the United States calls Facebook, Twitter, and Google 'a total disgrace and an embarrassment' to the country for banning him from the platforms.

The 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' actor and his former fiancee are reported to 'have lots to talk about' following her split from MLB star Alex Rodriguez.

The 'Green Lantern' actor puts together his reactions to fans' speculation that he will be taking on the role in the sequel and his cellular service provider Mint Mobile beating out its competitors in one tweet.

Setting the record straight about whether he will appear in the next 'Spider-Man' movie, the former Spidey depicter claims that he 'did not get a call' from the producers.

In the fourth instalment of his tutorial series on learning Logic Pro X for Mac, Ming demonstrates how to create, browse, and select virtual instruments in Logic Pro X. He then demonstrates how you can create a 5-bars long piece of music in a few minutes using a number of different virtual instruments. Used shortcuts include:

Turn on and off the midi note writing input on your computer: Command-K

Mentioned resource:

• sweetwater.com

See also:

Learning Logic Pro X: Automation
Learning Logic Pro X: Exploring Interfaces, Choosing a Microphone, and Basic Editing Techniques
Learning Logic Pro X: Episode 1 - Creating a New Project

Note: Logic Pro X is a professional grade digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencer. It is suggested to have some familiarity with Digital Audio Workstations to get the most from this series.

Jasmine Gardosi to write a new anthem for Birmingham.

Sound installation exploring Black culture in Britain to open in Handsworth Park.

Get involved with making music and appear live at major Birmingham venue.

The latest report from the hot desk of Sir Howard Elston

Former Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Sir Bernard Zissman, is set to challenge all comers to a record breaking debatathon on April 17th

Help and advice for new businesses.

Call for local runners to raise money during pandemic.

Sir Howard Elston, scourge of the left and nemesis of the right, with another exclusive from the extreme centre.

Celebrities to virtually decide charity baking contest.

Martin Longley watches those drumsticks fly in New York City...

Curry competition to raise funds for Birmingham charity.

From Sir Howard’s hot desk at the La Hula 69 Bar in Las Vegas

Turn up and become a rock star.

Birmingham Forum to host the finest in local young musical talent.

Birmingham’s biggest band rocked out at Forum Birmingham.

King's Heath Walk of Fame latest.

Richard Lutz travelled to Mirpur to find the home of the balti.

US President Donald Trump's second term may benefit India's electronics industry. The US plans to impose tariffs on Chinese electronics, encouraging companies to seek alternative manufacturing hubs. India, with its growing manufacturing sector, stands to gain. Experts believe this shift could lead to increased electronics exports from India to the US. However, concerns remain about India's capacity to handle the potential surge in production.

Apple could double its iPhone production in India to over $30 billion annually if the US imposes tariffs on Chinese imports. This shift could create 200,000 jobs and increase India's share in iPhone production to over 26%. However, the move depends on US policy and India's ability to address cost and policy challenges.

The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) on Monday said the return of Donald Trump as the next US President will bolster India's textile and apparel trade with its largest international market.

President-elect Donald Trump has gone against media expectations by tapping Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem and a number of other Capitol Hill veterans to fill posts in his second administration.

Instrumental music has a unique power—it transcends language, unlocking emotions, memories, and atmospheres through pure sound. Whether it’s the thrilling pulse of a rock guitar, the sweeping elegance of an orchestral arrangement, or the rhythmic groove of a jazz ensemble, instrumental tracks have always been able to captivate listeners without uttering a single word. In […]

The post 15 Best Instrumental Music Songs of All Time first appeared on Singersroom.com.

Russ Collins is on a tour of Broadway this week, so, Marquee Arts cinema program director Nick Alderink steps in on Cinema Chat this week. He joined WEMU's David Fair to cover the latest film openings and special screenings in the area.

The Trump administration has rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer schools or leave the country if their colleges hold classes entirely online this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the decision as a court hearing was getting underway on a challenge to the rule by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the Atlanta area on Wednesday, prominent Georgia Democrats have scheduled a news conference to "slam" what they call the president's "failed coronavirus response," the group announced in a press release. For state Republican leaders, the visit offers an opportunity to showcase Trump before the GOP base as the November election approaches.