[SEATTLE, Wash] – (MTN) The Seattle Office of Police Accountability released its highly anticipated report today on the January 6 conduct of 6 SPD officers in Washington D.C. during the insurrection and has recommended two officers be fired. A combination of Crosscut, The Stranger, and Divest SPD, identified the six officers two months ago. According to The Stranger, “named employee 1” and “named employee 2,” are tentatively identified as Alexander Everett and Caitlin Rochelle.
According to Report 2021PA-0013, the officers violated 3 policies each. The officers claimed that they went to the Capitol because Donald Trump had asked them to, but didn’t enter any restricted areas. However, as part of a parallel FBI investigation, OPA received pictures that clearly showed the officers in a restricted area witnessing people scaling the Capitol walls and officers being assaulted.
In a written statement, OPA Director Andrew Myerberg said, “That they were direct witnesses to people defiling the seat of American democracy and assaulting fellow law enforcement officers—and did nothing—makes this all the more egregious.”
Everett and Rochelle allegedly went to Washington D.C. to see Trump at the Stop the Steal Rally as part of their honeymoon.
Acting Police Chief Adrian Diaz stated on January 8 that if evidence was provided that showed officers violated any laws, he would fire them. Both the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Police Officers Guild indicated they would make statements later today.
Three officers were determined to have not violated any policies or laws and only exercised their First Amendment rights. A sixth officer refused to cooperate with the investigation. the OPA does not have the power to compel or order an officer to provide evidence, so the case for “named employee 3” is “non sustained, inconclusive.” The Stranger reported on Twitter that there is an ongoing FBI investigation into unspecified SPD officers and their conduct on January 6.
Crosscut reported yesterday that the Seattle Police Officers Guild has filed a grievance against the city over the request for information from the OPA as part of its investigation. In the days following the insurrection, Mike Solan, the SPOG President, was outspoken in blaming Antifa for the insurrection and sharing false claims on social media and his podcast. The City Council along with several organizations called for Solan to resign for his statements, which he ignored. Solan’s conduct on Twitter is currently subject to two OPA investigations.
So far over 530 people have been arrested for the January 6 insurrection, which left at least 5 people dead and forced the evacuation of Congress and the Vice President from the House chambers, and delayed the certification of the 2020 national election. Donald Trump and his supporters have continued to push “the big lie” that the 2020 election was corrupt and stolen, despite no meaningful evidence to support the allegations.
The Department of Justice has not made a statement to confirm or deny any SPD officers are under active investigation for their actions on January 6.
[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Some Puget Sound residents were out of luck when they found a handful of area stations were out of gas – but this isn’t due to a gas crisis or shortage. A check on the Gas Buddy app indicated that about a dozen stations in the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area reported they were out of fuel this morning, with some complaints on social media. The culprit isn’t a lack of gasoline and diesel. It is a national shortage of truck drivers.
Trucking industry officials are reporting that the country is short approximately 50,000 drivers nationwide. Additionally, there is a shortage of engineers, mechanics, fuel carriers, and specialists to inspect and repair the tanks that haul gasoline and diesel. The deficit has been looming for years. The lack of drivers created a perfect storm at the pump with the arrival of the 4th of July holiday weekend and the end of COVID restrictions.
According to Business Insider, trucker pay has dropped as much as 50%, with the average annual salary falling to $50,000 a year. Long hours, time away from home, regulations, and technology that tracks time on task and driver actions caused an exodus of experienced drivers. Many drivers are paid by the mile, not by the hour. Inexperienced drivers are hit the hardest, and time spent during load, unloading, or inspections are not compensated.
When COVID restrictions slowed down the economy, many trucking companies laid off or offered early retirement to their drivers. The loss of experienced operators hit the motor fuel carriers hard.
Federal regulations require additional experience to haul motor fuel and other hazardous cargo and have more extensive background checks than regular cargo haulers. Insurance companies won’t cover inexperienced drivers, forcing motor fuel carriers to look for seasoned operators in an environment of low pay and low reward.
Independent truckers have been hit hard by several regulations and the debate over “gliders.” Gliders are older trucks that are remanufactured and cost 25% to 30% lower than a new rig. They are a popular choice for owner-operators to enable them to be competitive. EPA regulations have bounced around to force gliders to meet current EPA standards, essentially eliminating the remanufacturing industry. The 25% to 30% cost increase is enough to keep independent truckers from jumping in and forcing others out when their rigs require replacement.
The Pacific Northwest is practically a “closed-loop” system, with most crude oil processed in the region coming from Alaska. The Rocky Mountains create a significant engineering challenge to build large pipelines into the Pacific Northwest. Local refineries aren’t calibrated for tar sands from Canada, and Pacific Northwest ports are a long journey from the Middle East.
Almost all of the fuel Washingtonians use is refined in Washington state. Outages earlier this year in Texas and issues like the Colonial Pipeline shutdown have no material impact on our supply. These issues impact what we pay at the pump, despite being separated from the rest of the country.
Spot outages are expected to continue through the summer driving season, but local drivers should not have problems finding gas, even if their station of choice is empty at the time they need to fuel up.
According to the Energy Information Administration, the average price of gasoline in the Seattle area is $3.71 a gallon, an increase of a dollar a gallon from last year when COVID shut the country down. It is up 30 cents a gallon from 2019 and 35 cents a gallon from 2018.
[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) The heatwave that roasted the Pacific Northwest isn’t over, with eastern Washington, Oregon, and Idaho facing all-time record highs on Tuesday. For the western side of the Cascades and Siskiyous, things will be closer to normal except the central lowlands and southwestern Washington, where highs will be 15 to 20 degrees above normal.
Here is a list of new all-time records that were set during the heatwave, which continues in eastern Washington and Canada:
Washington All-Time Highs
Richland – 118 degrees June 29, which ties the all-time record high for the state of Washington with Dallesport Airport on June 28 and Ice Harbor Dam, the original record holder
Dallesport Airport reached 118 degrees which tied the all-time record high for the state of Washington
Bellingham – 99 degrees
Hanford – 115 degrees
Hoquiam – 103 degrees
Olympia – 110 degrees
Quillayute – 110 degrees
Seattle – 108 degrees
Spokane – 109 degrees June 29
Vancouver – 115 degrees
Oregon
Astoria – 101 degrees (tie)
Corvallis – 110 degrees
Eugene – 111 degrees
Hermiston – 117 degrees June 29
Hillsboro – 114 degrees
Hood River – 109 degrees
McMinnville – 114 degrees
Medford – 115 degrees
Pendleton – 113 degrees
Portland (Airport) – 116 degrees
Redmond – 110 degrees
Roseburg – 114 degrees
Salem, Oregon reached 117 degrees, which is the highest temperature ever recorded west of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon or Washington
Troutdale – 116 degrees
California All-Time Highs
Yreka – 109 degrees (tie)
Sandberg – 107 degrees
Canada All-Time Highs
Lytton, British Columbia set an all-time high of 121 degrees (49.6 C) which is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada on June 29, breaking the record set on June 28
Nahanni Bute, Northwest Territories – 101 degrees, which is an all-time record for the Northwest Territory
Tuesday, June 29, 10:15 PM: No further entries to our heatwave 2021 live blog.
Tuesday, June 29, 9:45 PM: What a difference a day makes. Twenty-four hours ago, it was still 100 degrees after the hottest day in Seattle history, with multiple weather records smashed from Canada to California. The marine layer chose violence today and said not today to the heat for the lowlands. SeaTac Airport topped out at 84 degrees, well below the forecast. Our south Juanita weather station came in at 87. Tomorrow will be even cooler, and there is a chance our 80+ degree streak will end.
On the subject of I choose violence, the heatwave did not end for Pacific Northwest or Canada. Multiple weather records were smashed, with Canada recording their highest temperature ever, 49.6 degrees Centigrade, in Lytton, British Columbia. Washington state tied the state record for the hottest spot in state history, with Richland reaching 118 degrees. Two other locations reached 118, including Sol Duc on Tuesday, but we consider that report to be suspect. If you see anyone saying Renton reached 120, that is incorrect – it was an error in recording data.
Also, in British Columbia, the province exploded in wildfires today. Here is a satellite image from 2:30 PM today. You can see a plume of wildfire smoke center left, due west of Revelstoke, and a spot of smoke northeast of Kelowna.
British Columbia 2:30 PM Visible Satellite image
This is the image at 6:30 PM today:
British Columbia 6:30 PM Visible Satellite image
Air quality warnings are already posted for parts of British Columbia, but so far, most of this smoke is at higher altitudes. The BC Wildfire Dashboard is reporting 22 new wildfires in the last 48 hours. We will be writing more about the situation north of the border. We would recommend not throwing out those N-95 masks. Washington state is now a change in wind direction away from smoke blowing into our state.
So how did we do against our original forecast from 7 days ago:
Malcontent News original forecast from Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Thursday, June 24: Forecast 81, actual 82
Friday, June 25: Forecast 89, actual 87
Saturday, June 26: Forecast 98, actual 102
Sunday, June 27: Forecast 104, actual 104
Sunday, June 28: Forecast 106, actual 108
Tuesday, June 29: Forecast 93, actual 84
How many times have we said forecasting beyond five days is throwing darts – a lot! I’ll close out this entry saying we feel we served our community well with accurate forecasts and up-to-date information.
Tuesday, June 29, 9:45 AM: This will be our second to last entry in the heatwave blog, barring some major news events related to the heatwave.
Last night the temperature at KSEA dropped 36 degrees in 3 hours as a south wind signaled the arrival of marine air into Puget Sound. The drop in temperature was pretty amazing:
10:00 PM – 98 degrees
11:00 PM – 82 degrees
12:00 AM – 71 degrees
1:00 AM – 66 degrees
2:00 AM – 64 degrees
3:00 AM – 63 degrees
4:00 AM – 62 degrees
The marine layer even made things mostly cloudy for some areas in Puget Sound, including SeaTac Airport. In contrast, on Sunday night it was 81 degrees at 3:00 AM!
The high pressure system continues to drift eastward slowly, and the lowlands will still be hot today. Our weather station bottomed out at 65 degrees, so our forecast was off by 4 degrees. The marine air didn’t get quite as entrenched on the eastside so evening temperatures didn’t cool down as quickly. When SeaTac was reporting 71 at midnight, our station was showing 80.
For our “storm chasing” yesterday we actually chose right going to Maple Valley, which wins the distinction of the highest temperature from a NWS recognized temperature source – 118 degrees. Issaquah came in second place at 116. We noted yesterday our station reported 111, but we are in sight of Lake Washington and are just close enough to get some cooling benefits. Totem Lake less than 2 miles away was 114.
The Cedar Hills Fire in Issaquah is still burning and did not grow past 30 acres. Crews worked to contain the lines last night and more resources along with an additional helicopter is being brought in. The cool weather certainly helped.
I’m not feeling completely confident that we’ll reach 91 today and I’m going to tweak the forecast – but the models support it and the models have been very accurate. People with Ph.D next to their name will be studying this heatwave for years to come.
A closing thought. Dismissing what happened as a weather “anomaly” within a few degrees of normal isn’t the correct way to view this. I have written many times, weather is not climate, and climate is not weather. A series of all-time record highs from the Yukon Territory of Canada to Yreka, California does not on its own provide proof of climate change.
In the month of June we have seen:
A historic tornado in the Czech Republic that dropped baseball size hail and killed 5
4 named tropical storms before June 30 – tying the most named storms this early in the season in what appears to be another active hurricane season
Our heatwave coupled with the one starting in the New England states
Drought from Washington to Minnesota to Texas to California that hasn’t been this severe in 1200 years
Massive flooding in Detroit
Some of the biggest snowstorms Australia has seen in decades
That’s is just a short list of global weather extremes pointing to a climate crisis. Human beings can’t live in areas above 50 Centigrade without massive infrastructure. At 50 C the tolerance of our ability to survive declines, and once you get tropical humidity, survival becomes impossible. Going outside, even for healthy people, for hours at a time is dangerous at that temperature. The high temperature in Canada yesterday was 48 C.
In Whatcom County, the blueberries literally cooked on the bushes ruining the upcoming harvest. The choices everyone makes will have a major impact on our future.
P.S. – we will be reporting on the cookies shortly.
Monday, June 28, 10:25 PM: A lot to write about!
Numerous power outages are impacting 10,887 customers across Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, and Snohomish County PUD. The biggest impacted area is between Carkeek Park and the Seattle Golf Club, roughly west of Greenwood Avenue. This impacts 4,500 customers, and power isn’t expected to be restored until 2 PM on Tuesday.
Two lanes are closed on I-5 northbound at milepost 132. A panel of concrete road surface buckled during the start of the heatwave, and the temporary repair has failed. The damaged area started to shed chunks of concrete, forcing the closure. Repairs cannot start until the weather gets cooler.
The Red Flag Warnings for the Cascades were allowed to expire as the Haines Index is declining for the region. However, air quality is expected to decline again tomorrow, and an Air Quality Alert will likely be issued.
The Excessive Heat Warning was allowed to expire for many areas but continues tomorrow for the central lowlands. You can read more in the forecast section. Although marine air arriving and the thermal trough leaving will drop temperatures 15 to 20 degrees from Monday, most locations will be over 90 tomorrow with more humidity.
Because tomorrow is forecasted to be 15 to 20 degrees above normal (versus the 35 to 40 degrees above normal for Kirkland today), Kirkland will have cooling centers open tomorrow.
The Cedar Hills Fire in Issaquah has grown to 30 acres but could be described as “under control.” The state is bringing in more resources tomorrow and a third helicopter. Light winds and lower temperatures will help keep the fire from spreading, and the danger to people, property, and the power transmission lines has been mitigated for the evening.
The city of Bellevue has issued a citywide burn ban, including fires in what would be “approved” metal or concrete fire pits. Only sealed burners on grilles and outdoor gas-powered fireplaces are allowed due to the growing fire danger. The city of Kirkland is mulling over a similar ban.
Monday, June 28, 8:00 PM: 2,930 customers are without power near Eatonville including Northwest Trek. There are now 158 outages impacting 11,757 customers.
Monday, June 28, 7:25 PM: The all-time record high for Seattle is in the books and it came in at 108. Cairo, Egypt was 99 degrees today and Phoenix, Arizona reached 108. Riyadh bested Seattle with a high of 114, but Portland outcooked the Saudi Arabian city with an all-time record high of 116. Relief is coming but tonight will be beyond unpleasant for the 60% to 65% without access to air conditioning. Our south Juanita weather station topped out at 111.4 degrees – so that is 111 in the record books. We were off 3 degrees on our forecast.
Some hotels in Seattle were charging up to $997 a night to escape air conditioning, and we found the Fairmount Olympic charging $717 tonight.
Puget Sound Energy is dealing with 148 outages impacting 9,757 customers. These are mostly equipment failures impacting small clusters of customers. Power has been restored for most customers in Auburn and Lake Tapps.
A lowland wildfire is burning in Issaquah near Maple Valley. The fire started around 1 PM today and aligned with our observations of smoke-tinged haze in the area during our lunch break and gummy bear melting at Arby’s. Eastside Fire & Rescue is reporting the fire burning near Maple Hills Elementary has expanded to 30 acres. A State crew and a helicopter have been brought in to fight the blaze which is very close to major transmission lines.
Seattle has broken or tied 13 weather records in the last 72 hours.
Sound Transit is reporting that light rail will be operating at reduced speeds for at least a few days because the rails are so hot. Riders of light rail should anticipate delays.
Now if you excuse me, I have cookies in the “oven” I need to go check on.
Monday, June 28, 5:05 PM:KOMO is reporting that the city of Bellevue has instituted a citywide total burn ban. This includes “approved outdoor recreational fire pits” that meet code. Only controlled flames such as from gas barbeques or fireplaces are approved. The ban is indefinite due to the increasing fire danger.
Monday, June 28, 4:40 PM: Avoid southbound I-5 north of 130th. The pavement has buckled from the heat resulting in multiple lane closures. We’re surprised it hasn’t happened sooner in the area.
And here we go.. We have some buckled pavement on southbound I-5 at NE 130th St. Two right lanes are currently blocked. IRT is on scene. Please remember to move over, give us space, and slow down! pic.twitter.com/WYrHAomnqi
the pavement has buckled from the heat on interstate 5
Monday, June 28, 4:25 PM: Is it hot enough to cook an egg? The answer is almost. The yolks cooked through on the one we put on the pavement, the whites cooked a little bit along with the yolk in the one we put in a pan we let preheat on the pavement for 15 minutes. We’re now testing to see if you can bake cookies on a 155 degree dashboard of a vehicle that was parked all day.
Can you cook an egg on the pavement or in a pan? almost.
KSEA has reached at least 106 today with about 60 to 90 more minutes of heating before you can say, “that’s all folks.” A west wind has blown for most of the afternoon moderating temperatures that were earlier today, almost certain to break 110 degrees. The push of the cooler marine air got further inland.
However, the hot spot after hours of “storm chasing” today is Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville (congrats for the home team) with temperatures from 109 to 114 degrees through the area. Our south Juanita weather station is showing 111 degrees with maybe another degree to go, we’ll see.
Puget Sound Energy is dealing with 139 spot outages impacting 7,658 customers. Large swaths of Auburn, east of SH-167, and Lake Tapps have been without power since 2:30 today.
Snohomish County PUD has asked their customers to conserve electricity and for those with air conditioning to set thermostats to 78 degrees. The utility does not anticipate rolling blackouts or service interruptions, but it is hitting the limits on its capacity.
Marysville has established mandatory emergency water restrictions after a well pump failed, reducing the available water supply for the town. The restrictions are in place until further notice.
Monday, June 28, 3:05 PM: It is egg frying time, maybe. We’ll be trying shortly at the Village at Totem Lake. It appears Bellevue-Kirkland is going to win the heat medal for the day for our region. Multiple local stations are reporting from 109 to 114. We are seeing 113 at Totem Lake Mall, unofficially. SeaTac Airport is up to 106 degrees a new all-time high, despite a cooling west wind.
There is a major power outage in Auburn impacting over 10,000 customers and Snohomish County PUD is asking their 22,000 customers to conserve electricity. We’ll have more a bit later.
Monday, June 28, 12:48 PM: We are storm chasing and in Covington right now where it is 108 degrees. SeaTac Airport hit 102 officially before noon, not only making this our 3rd day in a row over 100 for the first time in history, but the earliest in the day that Seattle has reached both 90 and 100 degrees.
All of the computer models are in solid agreement it will be 110 to 115 today along the I-5 corridor, and that may be too conservative for places like…Covington, which still have 4 hours of heating to go.
It is oppressively hot.
Monday, June 28, 2021, 10:50 AM: It is already 95 degrees at KSEA. In the garden section at Fred Meyer in Totem Lake, all the thermometers were showing 96, and the panel on trashcan by the entrance was so hot it left my hand stinging for 5 minutes.
We are getting ready to go live to storm chase around 11 AM. We’ll be cooking eggs on the pavement, melting Gummy Bears, and more.
Monday, June 28, 2021, 9:07 AM: Well that didn’t take long. Seattle has already set a record high with a northeast wind gusting to 25 MPH. Before 9:00 AM it was 93 degrees, a new record for the day and I’m confident I don’t need to dig into a record book to type this – the hottest it has ever been at 9 AM in Seattle history. Seattle has now tied for the longest streak over 90 degrees in the month of June, which was 3 days.
Monday, June 28, 2021, 8:40 AM: Let’s start off with last night, it was COOLER then Saturday night with a low of 72 degrees. Here are the temperatures last night:
11:00 PM – 85
12:00 AM – 82
1:00 AM – 81
2:00 AM – 81
3:00 AM – 81
4:00 AM – 78
5:00 AM – 72
6:00 AM – 73
7:00 AM – 79
8:00 AM – 90
No, that isn’t a typo. It was 90 degrees at SeaTac Airport at 8:00 AM today. The dewpoint is lower than Saturday or Sunday so it feels nicer out if that is possible. The wind went from calm to northeast at 14 MPH with gusts to 18 and turned on that easterly flow. That’s how big of an impact it will have today.
There are three factors coming together to create this historic heat for much of western Washington and the I-5 corridor.
The center of high pressure is drifting a bit eastward, allowing the thermal trough that was parked on the coast to move east, right along the I-5 corridor. A weak low in California is going to drift forward, squeezing the isobars together. These three factors are coming together during the heat of the day, and will create historic heat.
Areas east of I-405 will have the highest temperatures. That’s right Kirkland, we are in the bullseye. Fire risk is going to increase dramatically through the day. Tomorrow gets better – sort of – if you think 91 to 93 is better. Wednesday looks to give us a real marine push.
We will be “storm chasing” today and on the air by 11 AM.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 10:20 PM: Power is out for 3,127 Puget Sound Energy customers in Kirkland as the heat taxes the electrical grid. The challenge isn’t capacity, there is plenty of electricity. The transmission lines and points are heating up, making it harder for them to push power along the cables. If the voltage becomes too low, the substation “trips.” Puget Sound Energy has no ETA for power restoration.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 8:45 PM: Here we are, at the precipice of plunging into the hottest day in Seattle history. There is nothing left in the thesaurus to describe how historic tomorrow will be.
The ridge of high pressure has been relentless and the thermal trough, which was parked just off the coast is going to drift eastward tonight. Tomorrow the trough will be parked along the I-5 Corridor, creating a “classic heatwave” weather pattern. Wait, you mean it gets worse?
Tomorrow’s model will produce easterly winds coming off the Cascades. Tomorrow’s forecast for Snoqualmie Pass? 101 degrees. As that air flows west toward the Puget Sound lowlands it will compress, squeezing out moisture and getting hotter.
Debating whether the high will be 110 or 115 is like debating if it will snows 24 inches or 28 inches. Although there are meteorological implications, it is a debate on how awful is awful. The UW models are indicating 113 to 116. The GFS is forecasting 116 for SeaTac and 109 for Kirkland. That’s a bit unusual. With easterlies, the communities east of I-405 are generally hotter than west of I-5. Every ensemble model we can look at is showing at least 110 – so the debate is academic. We’ve added another degree for our high temperature for tomorrow and upped the “low” for tonight. We believe the low will be an unimaginable 76 degrees and the high tomorrow 114.
Here is what to look for – what is the temperature at 7 AM Monday morning. Add 30 to 35 degrees to that, and that is a very rough guess on what the final high will be. Sunday morning it was 76 + 30 = 106 – actual was 104. This isn’t a scientific approach but it is better than throwing darts.
If you’re wondering about fire danger, it has increased dramatically. The National Weather Service discussion today indicated that the Cascades of eastern King, Pierce, and Lewis County will receive a Red Flag Warning tomorrow. The Haines Index is a value that indicates the probability a large wildfire could erupt. Parts of the South Sound are at a 6, which is as high as the Haines Index goes. People pulling trailers need to make sure safety chains aren’t dragging, and smokers should not throw cigarette butts out. Brush fires along our highways can start very easily now.
There have been over 120 power outages among Puget Sound Energy and Seattle Power today. Most of these were small, with Issaquah having the largest outage impacting up to 12,000 customers. This isn’t an issue of capacity, there is plenty of electricity. Extreme heat taxes electrical systems and any equipment that was borderline is giving up. These small outages are beyond frustrating for those who have experienced them, but there is nothing to indicate to that Puget Sound Energy, Seattle Power, or Snohomish County PUD is having a capacity issue like those seen in Texas. There is also nothing to indicate a need to shut down transmission lines such as in California.
There were at least 3 drownings today at Angel Lake, Lake Washington, and in a private swimming pool on Vashon Island. People are reminded to wear a life jacket if using any kind of watercraft, swim within your abilities, and never swim alone.
About Tuesday – if you’re looking at 93 degrees and going, “sweet relief finally,” we have some bad news. The heat on Tuesday is going to be accompanied by an offshore flow, as cooler Pacific Air finally pushes back into the coast. It may reach 93, but the humidity has the potential to be higher than Saturday.
Past Tuesday the best we can hope for is around 85, which is about 10 degrees above normal. Next weekend could see us back over 90.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 6:05 PM: The all-time record high set on July 29, 2009, of 103 degrees has been broken. SeaTac Airport reached 104 degrees for a short period of time and has been over 100 degrees for almost 5 hours. The Temperature-Humidity-Index (THI) is making it feel like 107 degrees. Our weather station in south Juanita is reporting 106 degrees (105.6 if you want to get pedantic) as the high. I’ll take being 4/10 of a degree off of my prediction for Kirkland. Highs for the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area have ranged from 103 to 109.
We aren’t ready to call this “official” until the National Weather Service has so we will wait to see if they put a flag on mount 104, 103, or if a 105 sneaked in for a few minutes.
To quote Hicks in the movie Aliens, “this can’t be happening man, this can’t be happening,” the National Weather Service has extended the Excessive Heat Warning until Tuesday, June 29, until 11 PM
In good news the three children in Ocean Shores were successfully rescued after being swept a 1/4 mile out to sea into heavy surf.
In not-so-good news, power is still out for large areas of Issaquah and small parts of Sammamish in 3 separate outages. Power is supposed to be back on shortly for both communities.
We will be looking at the weather models and updating our forecast later tonight.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 2:15 PM: For the first time in history, Seattle reached 100 degrees or higher in a row. It is 102 degrees and the dew point is an incredible 64 degrees making it feel like 105 degrees.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 2:15 PM: The man pulled from the water at O.O. Denny did not survive.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 1:05 PM: Ocean Shores officials are engaged in a surf rescue for 3 children, estimated to be 6 to 12 who have been swept out about a 1/4 mile from shore. The status of the parents/guardians is unknown.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 12:45 PM: North wind has increased to 16 MPH and it is providing a little moderation of our heat. Will it keep us closer to 100-102?
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 12:25 PM: There has been a reported near drowning of a male at O.O. Denny Park in Kirkland this afternoon. A paddleboarder was pulled from the water and people started CPR. This is breaking news.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 11:20 AM: Seattle beat the old record high of a paltry 91 degrees at 10:45 AM when KSEA reached 92 degrees. High temperature for the day is around 6 hours away.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 9:30 AM: King County Sheriff is reporting an apparent drowning on Lake Washington yesterday after a man fell out of a boat. Officials are still searching for the victim.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 9:15 AM: It is 85 degrees at KSEA at 9:00 AM. This is 5 degrees hotter than 24 hours ago. Seattle was under 80 degrees for about 5 hours in the early morning. The dew point is 63, so the humidity is a touch lower than yesterday.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 8:45 AM: The list of power outages has been updated.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 7:05 AM: The list of cooling centers has been updated.
The National Weather Service upped the official high yesterday to 102. There is a reason why we say “unofficial high” or “unofficial low” before the record is set. We’ll write about it in another blog when things aren’t so hectic.
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 5:45 AM: For the 60% to 65% who don’t have air conditioning, last night was probably extremely unpleasant. The official temperature reports out of KSEA have us in disbelief.
9:00 PM – 88
10:00 PM – 85
11:00 PM – 83
12:00 AM – 85? Yes the temperature actually went up at midnight!
1:00 AM – 85
2:00 AM – 82
3:00 AM – 73
4:00 AM – 76
5:00 AM – 77
Our low temperature was equivalent to the normal high. 73 is listed as the official minimum. We’re upping the forecasted high for today to 106 and for Monday to 113.
A new record was set today for the all-time maximum low of 73 degrees, breaking the old record by 2 degrees. Don’t worry, that record will likely last about 24 hours.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 7:20 PM: We’re going to have a little laugh at KING 5’s expense. Apparently, Wenatchee opened the portal to Hell today by accident or someone fat-fingered the graphics. We are hoping it is the latter!
Someone made a mistake on the temperature graphic with Wenatchee reporting a balmy 1,104 degrees
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 6:40 PM: I’ve been diving into weather models. I’m pretty sure Holy $h1T isn’t an acceptable meteorological term. The GFS Ensemble forecast for Monday is – unimaginable.
GFS Ensemble Forecast for Monday, June 24, 2021, 4 PM
118 degrees at SeaTac Airport, 111 degrees downtown Seattle, and although you can’t see it 111 in Kirkland. Tacoma is also forecasted at 118 degrees. This is incredible and in a word, terrifying, as it is credible. We are not prepared to make a forecast of 113 in Kirkland and 120 at SeaTac Airport, but we will be pouring over models tonight and early tomorrow morning for Monday.
The GFS forecasted a 102 for Seattle today, and it was 1 degree off. Interestingly it is forecasting 100 degrees for tomorrow, which we think is low. Which adds to the, this can’t possibly be – possible.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 6:10 PM: Seattle peaked out at 101 degrees today. KSEA has dropped to 100 degrees. Our weather station in south Juanita reported 102 degrees as a high (2 above our forecast). A number of locations on the eastside were reporting up to 105. This is the coolest of the 3-day run. This is what we have learned. The weather models were correct, and this wasn’t some glitch in the weather forecasting matrix. We have written how the models don’t capture the easterly flow well and tend to run conservatively. What is amazing is we had a north wind develop today and under normal conditions, it would have helped moderate temperatures. I’m running out of words in the thesaurus to describe this event. We’re holding our forecast for tomorrow of a high of 105 – and we think it will be spot on. Tonight is going to be in a word, miserable, if you don’t have air conditioning. We think the forecasted low of 70 is conservative, and we’ve bumped it up. The weather forecast, weather record, and wildfire sections have been updated.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 4:15 PM: Multiple records were crushed this afternoon as SeaTac Airport soared to 101 degrees. It is only the fourth time Seattle has reached 100, and the earliest it has ever happened. The dew point is 62 making it feel like 103. Another hour of heating is left making it possible Seattle could tie or break the all-time high of 103.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 3:05 PM: it is 98 degrees at KSEA and the dew point dropped to 63, it feels like 100 degrees. Two hours of heating left, 100 plus is all but certain.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 2:05 PM: it is 96 degrees at KSEA and the dew point is still 66, it feels like 99 degrees. Three hours of heating left.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 1:15 PM: it is 92 degrees at KSEA and the dew point is 66. THI makes it feel like 95. Four to 5 more hours of heating left today. 100 remains very likely. 89 to 97 theough our area. Remember, this is the “coolest” day.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 12:45 PM: it is 90 degrees at KSEA and the dew point increased to 66.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 12:15 PM: it is 88 at KSEA and the dew point is 65. This is east coast, Mid-Atlantic states in August weather. Easily another 10 degrees of heating today. The official low at KSEA hit 69. We will update our graphic.
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 10:45 AM: List of cooling centers has been updated.
Saturday, June 25, 2021, 10:00 AM: The temperature has already soared to 85 degrees at KSEA with 7 to 8 hours of warming to go. 100 degrees seems highly likely. The dew point is a stunning 64 degrees making it feel oppressive. This morning when I walked out the door it reminded me of Houston.
The high dew points are shocking.
Saturday, June 25, 2021, 6:20 AM:Road closure section updated.
Saturday, June 25, 2021, 6:15 AM: Any doubts about the computer models not getting this right disappeared early this morning. The unofficial low at KSEA was 70 degrees, one degree short of tying the all-time record for maximum low. This was 3 degrees above forecast, which means we’re already off to an early start. Last night the north wind fizzled out and a light easterly flow started. Current temperature is 72 degrees so we’ve hit the basement and going up. Expect a good 30 degrees of warming today, so 100 degrees is highly likely. Our weather station in south Juanita reported a low of 67 degrees, which was right on the money.
We have updated the forecast graphic to reflect the actuals for Friday. We are leaving the forecast through Tuesday unchanged.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 9:40 PM: OK, this is almost certainly the last entry. At 12:50 PM it was 82 degrees at SeaTac Airport. The high was 87, 1 degree above the NWS forecast. At 9:17 PM the temperature at SeaTac was 82 degrees. In the last 9 hours, the temperature has only moved 5 degrees up or down. The heat pump has started up and we enter the first day of a historic hot streak about…now. Lows tonight at SeaTac will be 66 to 68. We’re sticking with our forecast for the eastside of 67 to 69.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 9:30 PM: Probably the last entry for tonight. It is going to be insanely busy the next 3 days. This is the GFS Ensemble forecast for Monday, at 3 PM. Bellevue at 113, Seattle at 111 (city not airport), Renton at 116! What isn’t on this graphic is the project high temperature for Snoqualmie Pass – an unimaginable 100 degrees.
GFS Ensemble Forecasted Highs for Monday, June 28, 2021
Friday, June 25, 2021, 9:20 PM: List of cooling centers has been updated.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 7:00 PM: We are feeling confident about our forecast for Saturday and Sunday. The models are indicating Monday could reach 113, but we’re just not convinced. We’ll hold off for another 12 hours to see if we need to make an adjustment or not.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 6:15 PM: Might have typed too soon, KSEA is back up to 87 degrees and the humidity dropped a little more, could there be a stretch to 88? We’ll see.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 5:30 PM: The unofficial high temperature at KSEA is 87 degrees. Won’t become “official” from a meteorological stand point until tomorrow. That was within our forecast for today on the low end. Our weather station in south Juanita is 88 degrees.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 4:45 PM: KSEA is at 86 degrees, our weather station in south Juanita is reporting 87 degrees. A north wind at 9 MPH is holding temperatures down slightly at SeaTac. The heat of the day will come in the next hour.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 2:40 PM: Have a flight out of SeaTac Airport between now and Tuesday? You might want to be prepared for delays, especially Sunday and Monday. Hot air reduces the amount of lift an airplane can create because the air is “thinner.” This requires longer takeoff rolls and landing at higher speeds, both can slow down airport operations.
Friday, June 25, 2021: 2:15 PM: Model runs indicate the forecasted highs for Sunday and Monday, along with the forecasted low for Sunday night are likely conservative. As we get closer to these dates the confidence in the forecast models gets higher. We may adjust our forecast later tonight to add a couple of degrees to the highs and lows on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 1:45 PM: SeaTac Airport (KSEA) is up to 82 degrees with the clouds mostly burned off. Still about 4 hours of warming to go. Wouldn’t bet against KSEA hitting 90 degrees.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 12:30 PM: Governor Jay Inslee has announced he is lifting COVID-related capacity restrictions at publicly-owned cooling centers due to the weather emergency, effective immediately. Facilities such as government buildings and libraries can operate at full capacity. Capacity restrictions still apply to privately owned for-profit facilities such as malls and movie theaters.
Friday, June 25, 2021, 9:00 AM: The forecast models are leaving mouths agape in the weather community as a ridge of high pressure starts to build. A weak marine layer has been pushed out and we are entering the first day of this historical weather event. It is likely many weather records will be broken over the next 4 to 5 days.
We are off to a warm start with area temperatures in the mid-60s. Seattle-Tacoma Airport (KSEA) low temperature was a balmy 67 degrees in part because of a marine layer that tried to push in last night. The temperature as of this writing is 69 under partly cloudy skies, but on the eastside, those clouds have already burned off.
Forecast models continue to get hotter, especially for Monday. Either every weather computer model is completely wrong and has failed to forecast this scenario, or we are going to make history.
Most Up-To-Date Weather Forecast
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 10:15 PM
The National Weather Service has EXTENDED the EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING in effect from 2 PM Friday to 11 PM Tuesday. Impacted areas include Western Whatcom County-Southwest Interior-Western Kagit County-Everett and Vicinity-Tacoma Area-East Puget Sound Lowlands-Bellevue and Vicinity– Seattle and Vicinity-Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties-Cascades of Snohomish and King Counties-Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties-Including the cities of Bellingham, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Mount Vernon, Anacortes-Sedro-Woolley, Burlington, Everett, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Marysville, Tacoma, Covington-Sawyer-w, Maple Valley, Monroe, Prairie Ridge, Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, Woodinville, Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell, Kenmore, Newport Hills, Sahalee, Pine Lake, Seattle, Concrete, Lyman, Hamilton, Darrington, and Morton
Friday: Today will be considered hot by Puget Sound standards. High temperatures will be 87 to 92 degrees, but this is only the beginning. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 90 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 87 degrees, Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 90 degrees
Friday Night: High pressure builds along with a light easterly flow off the Cascades. Lows will be 65 to 69. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 67 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 69 degrees. Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 67 degrees
Saturday: Record-breaking heat will blanket the region. High temperatures will soar to 98 to 102 under sunny skies with variable winds. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 100 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 102 degrees. Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 102 degrees
Saturday Night Potentially record-breaking with near historically high minimum temperatures. Lows from 70 to 73 under clear skies. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 72 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 73 degrees. Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 71 degrees
Sunday: Historically hot. High temperatures will reach a dangerous level for our region with highs of 104 – 108 under sunny skies. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 106 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 104 degrees. Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 106 degrees
Sunday Night: Historically hot with low temperatures higher than the normal daytime high, providing little to no relief from the daytime heat. Area lows of 74 to 77 degrees will set all-time records for the highest minimum temperature in regional history. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 76 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 71 degrees. Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 73 degrees
Monday: Unprecedently heat. High temperatures will soar to 111 to 116 degrees under sunny skies as the ridge of high pressure moves east and parks the thermal trough right over the I-5 corridor. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 114 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 108 degrees. Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 71 degrees
Monday Night: The ridge of high pressure will start to lose its grip on our area and marine air will push in along the coastline. Low temperatures will be 67 to 71, which is still be near normal daytime highs. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 69 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 62 degrees. Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 65 degrees
Tuesday: Temperatures moderate but will still be close to 20 degrees above normal. High temperatures will be 89 to 93 under clear skies. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 90 degrees.
Actual: KSEA 84 degrees. Kirkland at our south Juanita weather station, 87 degrees
Tuesday Night: Marine air pushes further inland, with low temperatures of 59 to 63. Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville target – 61 degrees.
Weather Records we are Watching
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 10:10 PM
June 26 record high: 93 degrees – Federal Building – BROKEN – new record 102 degrees KSEA
June 27 record high: 91 degrees – BROKEN – new record of at least 104 degrees KSEA
June 28 record high: 91 degrees – BROKEN – KSEA reached 108 degrees
June 29 record high: 93 degrees – high 84 degrees
June all-time high: 96 degrees KSEA, 98 degrees Federal Building – KSEA BROKEN, FEDERAL BUILDING BROKEN – 102 degrees KSEA June 26
BROKEN, 104 degrees KSEA June 27
BROKEN, 108 degrees KSEA June 28
Seattle all-time high: 103 degrees, July 29, 2009 – BROKEN, UNOFFICIALLY ON MONDAY – 108 DEGREES June 28. This breaks the previous record set on June 27, 2021
Number of times Seattle has reached 100 degrees: 3, 1 at Federal Building, 2 at KSEA – June 26, 4th time and earliest to 100 degrees in Seattle history
June 27, 5th time in history
June 28, 6th time in history
Number of days in a row over 90 in June: 3 TIED – Streak ends at3
Number of days in a row over 90, any month: 5 Streak ends at3
Number of days in a row over 80, any month: 15 Streak is at 6
Number of days in a row over 100 degrees: 1 – Seattle has never had a multi-day streak at or over 100 degrees Streak ends at 3
Seattle all-time maximum low: 71 degrees – KSEA BROKEN, 73 DEGREES, June 27
Earliest to 90 degrees: June 28, 2021, before 8:00 AM
Earliest to 100 degrees: June 28, 2021, before 12:00 PM
Longest amount of time over 100 degrees: June 28, 2021, 8 hours
Brush and Wildfire Reports
Last Updated: Monday, June 28, 2021, 7:35 PM
The Cedar Hills Fire grew from 1 acre to 30 acres in about 6 acres and is located in between Renton, Issaquah, and Maple Valley near the Maple Hills Elementary School. State resources have been authorized to fight the blaze and a helicopter has started water drops. Fire fighters have created a defensive line to protect homes and power transmission lines.
Crews are battling the Lind Fire, close to the town of Lind, Washington, which has burned about 20,000 acres. The fire exploded from 425 acres to 20,000 acres. Level 1, 2, and 3 (evacuate now) orders have been issued.
The National Weather Service discussion on Sunday afternoon indicated that the Cascades of eastern King, Pierce, and Lewis County will receive a Red Flag Warning on Monday. The Haines Index is a value that indicates the probability a large wildfire could erupt. Parts of the South Sound are at a 6, which is as high as the Haines Index goes. People pulling trailers need to make sure safety chains aren’t dragging, and smokers should not throw cigarette butts out. Brush fires along our highways can start very easily now.
S-503 Fire – Warm Springs Reservation – 7 miles northeast of Simnasho, Oregon: The fire is 60% contained and has burned 6,679 acres. The number of acres involved is unchanged.
Power Outages
Last Updated: Sunday, June 28, 2021, 10:35 PM
June 28, 2021, 10:35 PM: About 4500 customers in the North Beach/Greenwood area of Seattle are without power. Electricity is not expected to be restored until 2 PM on Tuesday, marking this the longest and one of the largest area outages of the heatwave. Power has been restored by Puget Sound Energy near Eatonville and Graham.
June 28, 2021, 7:30 PM: Approximately 2,900 customers have lost power near Eatonville and Graham. PSE has no ETA for restoring power at this time. Power has been restored in Auburn and Lake Tapps.
June 28, 2021, 4:30 PM: Auburn and Lake Tapps are experiencing a significant power outage according to Puget Sound Energy, with large areas east of SH-169 without power since 2:30 this afternoon.
June 28, 2021, 8:45 AM: There are over 80 spot outages according to Puget Sound Energy with about 2,100 customers impacted. Power was restored in Kirkland overnight (the largest outage last night). Expect to see numerous spot outages throughout the day.
June 27, 2021, 10:25 PM: 3,127 customers in Kirkland have been plunged into the dark with no AC, fans, or way to cool off. The outages have been caused by multiple small failures and are not due to a lack of capacity to meet electrical needs. PSE does not have an ETA for power restoration.
June 27, 2021, 3:00 PM: Over 120 spot outages have been reported across the entire region between Puget Sound Energy and Seattle Power. The peak number of impacted households was about 12,000, with the largest outage in Issaquah.
June 27, 2021, 3:00 PM: Significant power outage in Issaquah impacting 12,000 customers.
June 27, 2021, 9:30 AM: 3,000 customers without power in Graham due to a car accident.
June 27, 2021, 9:30 AM: Power restored at North Rose Hill.
June 27, 2021, 8:45 AM: There are multiple power outages scattered across the PSE service area. All are small, some just a single address. The largest is the North Rose Hill area of Kirkland and Redmond impacting about 300 customers.
Road Closures and Emergency Repairs
Last Updated: Sunday, June 28, 2021, 4:45 PM
Two lanes are closed on I-5 North at milepost 132 in Tacoma (near the I-705 interchange) due to heat related damage to the road surface. A temporary repair did not hold and the road started to shed chunks of concrete. Repair work cannot start until temperatures drop lower. Avoid the area or bring patience.
Multiple lanes are closed on southbound I-5 at 130th in North Seattle due to the road surface buckling from the heat. No ETA on when repairs will be made. Additional road panels buckled at 145th shortly after the failure at 130th.
State Highway 21 near the town of Lind has been closed due to a 20,000 acre wildfire.
Southbound I-5 from the I-90 off-ramp to Spokane Street is closed (this is by the West Seattle Bridge). This was part of a planned Washington DOT project that is moving forward this weekend. Drivers are being asked to avoid the area and this section of I-5 as possible as significant delays are expected. The closure is through June 28, 2021.
Highway 30 in Oregon close to the Washington border is closed from Simonelli Road to Rowena due to a wildfire outside of The Dalles, near I-84 milepost 76 to 80. Three separate wildfires erupted on Friday, June 25, 2021, and are currently contained but still burning.
[NEW YORK] – (MTN) The same union-busters who prevented a worker’s union at an Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama, are now helping the company in Staten Island, New York. JFK8, New York City’s only Amazon fulfillment center, has a concerning workplace culture, according to several employees.
Amazon’s JFK8 employs consultants to prevent employee activism, but it’s one symptom of a system designed to increase productivity and one that mistreats women and employees of color, according to four current and former employees. Malcontent News also obtained two federal complaints filed against Amazon with the National Labor Relations Board regarding illegal union-busting techniques and harassment—complaints filed while some workers can’t afford rent and sleep in their cars.
According to a Truthout report, Amazon pays multiple union-busting companies like the Burke Group thousands of dollars to prevent organizing. Natalie Monarrez, an Amazon employee of three years, says on May 4 she spoke with Bradley Moss, President of the Eastern Division of the Burke Group. Moss is the same union-busting consultant who worked at the Bessemer location.
“He said the organizers [at Bessemer] were just Black Lives Matter protesters,” Monarrez said. “Then he shifted over to, ‘These guys in front [of JKF8 are] never gonna get off the ground. They’re just a bunch of thugs.’ I knew exactly what he meant.”
Monarrez says Moss was referring to union organizers outside JKF8 who pass out literature, connect with workers and host barbecues—and who are Black. It’s not the first time Amazon was racist; Vice reported in 2020 that during one executive meeting CEO Jeff Bezos attended, a company exec called organizer Chris Smalls, who is Black, “not smart or articulate.”
Hiring union-busters aren’t the only way Amazon prevents unionization. Employee and organizer Derrick Palmer recently filed a complaint with the NLRB after an incident on June 12. An Amazon manager took union literature and papers Palmer left on the break room table for other employees. Palmer says the manager wouldn’t reveal who told him to confiscate the material and says complaints have been filed previously for the same thing. After recovering his property, another manager tried to take similar literature from worker organizer Connor Spence.
Amazon has also put up anti-union signs in the bathrooms, according to Palmer, and Malcontent News obtained photos of anti-union digital signs inside the building with messages like, “Be careful who you trust.” Although there has never been an Amazon Labor Union, or ALU, at JKF8, the signs say the ALU has a “history of financial trouble.” This is in addition to a fence Amazon built around JKF8, which according to the Commercial Observer is designed to make organizing harder. Palmer filed charges with the NLRB because of the fence on May 11.
amazon anti-union ads ran on the amazon twitch platform in 2021
Employees say the internal culture is racist, too. Palmer says he believes being Black is part of the reason he hasn’t been promoted. After showing managers he had achieved enough “Matrix points,” a sort of internal tallying system of leadership and experience, management denied him an interview for promotion even though he had exceeded the requirements. Additionally, the New York Times reports that while many hourly workers are people of color, management is overwhelmingly white. Spence agrees, saying many managers are white men hired “fresh out of college.”
The company culture and union-busting do nothing to help employees who are struggling, Monarrez says. Monarrez, who also filed an NLRB report after a now-terminated manager physically prevented her from using the bathroom, says she and nearly 100 other JKF8 employees are homeless and sleep in their cars in the parking lot after work. Monarrez has been homeless for three years. She lost her job after the 2008 recession and had a difficult time finding work, so she moved to New York City and began working for Amazon in 2017.
Monarrez lives on just more than $19 an hour, but in New York City rent can be more than $2,000 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, which she can’t afford it. She says she’s gotten a gym membership so she can take a shower. However, it’s not easy to work 10-hour shifts handling around 1,800 packages per hour and not be able to afford basic necessities.
“I wish people knew the truth,” Monarrez says. “It’s really bad, and we need help.”
Smalls, Palmer, Spence, and other labor organizers at JFK8 are doing their best to help. Every employee Malcontent News spoke to knew about each other’s struggles and had established relationships. Smalls says the barbecues he hosts outside the building help workers come together.
Because JKF8 has about 5,600 employees, Spence says they need about 1,700 signatures to vote on creating a union. They’re making steady progress, and Spence says they may hit their goals and push for a vote this year. But if it takes longer, they’re willing to put in the work.
In Bessemer, union efforts failed after 738 voted for, and 1,798 voted against a union. However, Amazon installed a mailbox there, and some reports say it’s possible Amazon tampered with votes. In addition to union-busting tactics, JKF8 has a turnover rate of about 150 percent. Spence says this means that in a building of 6,000 people, they may hire and fire as many as 9,000 employees in a year, making it difficult to unionize.
amazon’s union busting training video – full version – from 2019
“It’s not the only reason they do it, but trying to prevent labor organizing is one of the components of that business model,” Spence says. “High turnover prevents labor organizing.”
Still, there are ways the public can help. Smalls says locals are welcome to come and volunteer and that anyone can donate.
“We are self-funded,” Smalls says. “Donate whatever you can on amazonlaborunion.org. Help us amplify anything online. If they can volunteer, they can come on down.”
[MINNEAPOLIS] – (MTN) Nicholas Kraus, 35-years old, has been formally charged with intentional second-degree murder in the car attack that left Deona Marie Erickson dead, and two counts of second-degree assault for the injuries to two others, including an independent journalist who had their leg broken in the attack. Kraus admitted to officials that he drove toward the protesters on purpose and sped up to jump the barricades.
According to the police report, Erickson died from massive head trauma in the attack. The report also indicates that Kraus was drunk at the time, but the results of his toxicology report have not been made public.
Hennepin County officials wrote in a press release Kraus’ “behavior and admittance to intentionally driving towards the protestors is one important reason why we have charged him with intentional second-degree murder.”
“When Kraus spoke to police after the fatal incident the following day, he admitted to driving his SUV in the Uptown area,” the report continues. “Upon seeing the barricade, felt the need to ‘get over it.’ He also told police that he did not brake and accelerated in an attempt to jump the barricade despite seeing people.”
Kraus is facing up to 54 years in prison and has five prior DWI convictions in his past, including 2 felony convictions. Bail has been set at $1,000,000 with the condition of no drugs or alcohol while on release. Kraus’ next hearing is on June 17.
[MINNEAPOLIS] – (MTN) Police statements within a warrant submitted to secure a toxicology report for Nicholas Kraus in the moments after he crashed through a vigil for Winston Smith in Minneapolis, Minnesota, provides insight into his state of mind, but doesn’t answer questions about his motivations.
According to the warrant, Kraus admitted to driving through the group holding a vigil. He refused to provide his name, stating he was Tim Burton, the movie producer, and Jesus Christ. Police noted that Kraus’ pupils were “pinpoints” and non-reactive. Officers were unable to provide a field sobriety test on the scene due to injuries Kraus sustained in the accident.
In the same warrant, it is reported a traffic camera caught the incident and that the brake lights never turned on as Kraus tore through the group. The video has not been released to the public.
Kraus is a convicted felon with a criminal record spanning 17 years and 18 criminal cases. He has five convictions for DUI, including twice in 2007, once in 2009, 2012, and 2016. He had a 2013 DUI dismissed in a plea deal. He was also convicted of fifth-degree assault in 2004, falsely reporting a crime in 2006, and obstruction of justice in 2015. In the 2015 case, he was accused of attempting to smother his girlfriend and trying to throw her over the top railing of a balcony. Those charges were later dropped in a plea deal. The woman involved is the mother of his two children.
Kraus was arrested and convicted in 2020 for giving a false name to the police. In that case, he was sentenced to 45 days in jail and got time served for 43 of those days. That arrest and conviction caused a violation of his 2016 parole conditions and triggered a warrant for his arrest.
Deona Marie Erickson was killed in the incident that left 3 others injured. Video of the incident show Erickson flying through the air. Volunteer medics who were there to support the ongoing vigil for Winston Smith provided lifesaving care and were able to get a pulse back, however Erickson was declared dead shortly after arriving at an area hospital.
Kraus remains in custody without bail while prosecutors mull additional charges. A number of states have passed Republican-led initiatives providing drivers with legal justification to drive through protesters. Minnesota does not have any such law passed.
[LOUISIVILLE] – (MTN) A $2500 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of two individuals who were caught on a security camera vandalizing a mural of Breonna Taylor, less than a week after it was revealed. The mural located in Lannan Park in Louisville, Kentucky, was revealed to the public ten days ago.
The mural, painted on a recently renovated basketball court, featured Taylor and an urbanized version of the iconic “coexist” graphic. The project to create the mural was greenlighted by the city in August 2020, and involved local and national artists. Taylor’s mom, Tamika Palmer, was at the unveiling on June 4, and in an emotional statement said, “I’m happy…to have so many people, good people around to honor and support it.”
The surveillance video shows two individuals arriving on a small motorbike or scooter driving onto the court.
Palmer released a statement that said in part, “It’s very disappointing and heartbreaking that other people of the community would go to this length to say a black woman’s life didn’t matter, a woman who still deserves justice today.”
On March 13, 2020, Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville Metro police officers service a search warrant on her apartment. A lengthy investigation found that the warrant was issued under false allegations, the police did not follow proper procedures, and the person they were targeting for arrest was not only not in Taylor’s apartment, but was already in custody. Members of a grand jury commissioned by the state of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron claim they were never instructed to consider criminal charges directly related to Taylor’s death.
Breonna Taylor of Louisville, and George Floyd of Minneapolis, became eponymous within the Black Lives Matter movement that was reinvigorated after both their deaths.
[MINNEAPOLIS] – (MTN) Nicholas Kraus, 35, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was being held without bail for investigation of vehicular homicide after driving his car at a high rate of speed through a protest gathering and striking at least 3 additional people. More questions than answers exist less than a day later as Kraus had a warrant out for his arrest and had his driver’s license suspended for being “a hazard to public safety.”
During the evening of June 13, protesters had gathered to honor Winston Smith, 32, who was killed by U.S. Marshalls attempting to serve a warrant. The shooting death of Smith has enraged the community, with witnesses stating Winston was unarmed and no bodycam video taken during the arrest attempt.
Cars were used to create a barrier between traffic and the protesters. Kraus is accused of driving at a high rate of speed and accelerating into the crowd driving an SUV. Kraus was estimated to be driving 70 to 80 MPH as he tore through the group playing a game of red light, green light.
He drove through one barrier before striking a vehicle in the car barricade. The vehicle was hit so hard that it was thrown into bystanders, throwing Deona Marie Erickson through the air and striking at least 3 more people, including an independent journalist who suffered a broken leg. Volunteer medics started CPR on Erickson immediately and were able to get a pulse back, but she was declared dead upon her arrival at an area hospital. Kraus’ SUV came to rest against a pole, and he attempted to flee the scene but was detained by protesters.
Kraus is a convicted felon with a criminal record spanning 17 years and 18 criminal cases. He has five convictions for DUI, including twice in 2007, once in 2009, 2012, and 2016. He had a 2013 DUI dismissed in a plea deal. He was also convicted of fifth-degree assault in 2004, falsely reporting a crime in 2006, and obstruction of justice in 2015. In the 2015 case, he was accused of attempting to smother his girlfriend and trying to throw her over the top railing of a balcony. Those charges were later dropped in a plea deal. The woman involved is the mother of his two children.
Kraus was arrested and convicted in 2020 for giving a false name to the police. In that case, he was sentenced to 45 days in jail and got time served for 43 of those days. That arrest and conviction caused a violation of his 2016 parole conditions and triggered a warrant for his arrest.
Kraus’ social media footprint is mostly innocuous, with many public posts from 2017 to 2018. In his posts, he frequently expressed that he was a victim of other people holding him back and not forgiving him for his mistakes.
Although he did not express any political ideology in his posting, he wrote Greg Laurie was his favorite pastor. Pastor Laurie formed Harvest Christian Fellowship, the eighth largest megachurch in the United States. He serves on the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headed by Franklin Graham, an outspoken champion of Donald Trump and critic of Black Lives Matter. Laurie also served as one of the pastors for Donald Trumps’ 2017 inauguration.
Facebook post of Nicholas Kraus expressing his admiration for megachurch pastor Greg Laurie
However, Laurie has spoken out against historic racism in the Christian religion and aligned his megachurch with the Southern Baptist Church in 2017. In July 2020, he said, “Our country is in turmoil right now because of the tragic killing — and I would classify it as a murder — of George Floyd. This man had a knee of a police officer on his neck. He wasn’t able to breathe. He said repeatedly, “I can’t breathe,” and even called out, “Mama,” which is just so heartbreaking to watch this. It’s really opened up an important national conversation, and also there’s a lot of conflict on our streets right now. I want you to know, I can only speak for myself and maybe my family, but we’re listening. We’re wanting to understand. We’re wanting to learn. We don’t know what it’s like to walk in the shoes of an African American person.”
Untrue rumors were swirling on social media that Deona Marie Erickson is Kraus’ children’s mother. According to family members, Erickson had no relationship or contact with Kraus in the past.
Many posts on Nicholas Kraus’ Facebook page expressed he felt like a victim of other people holding him back.
Kraus is being held in Hennepin County Jail, awaiting a bond hearing and arraignment. Authorities had not stated a motivation if Kraus was impaired when he was arrested or indicated if this is being investigated as a hate crime. Hennepin County has been a national flashpoint since 2016 when officer Jeronimo Yanez shot and killed Philando Castile. Yanez was acquitted for wrongdoing after a criminal trial and 5 days of deliberations.
George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, in an incident recorded and shared on social media. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder and two other charges and will be sentenced on June 25, 2021. On April 11, 2021, 26-year police veteran and training officer Kim Potter shot and killed Daunte Wright, 20, during a routine traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Potter claims she mistakenly grabbed her service-issued firearm instead of a Taser. Potter was arraigned on second-degree manslaughter charges in the same courthouse conducting the Derek Chauvin trial.
The June 4, 2021, shooting of Winston Smith has exacerbated the tense situation in Minneapolis, further divided the public trust from law enforcement. Both Anoka and Hennepin County Sheriff’s have stated their departments will no longer participate in federal raids due to the lack of transparency in the death of Smith.
The national discord on using vehicles to commit violence has sunk to new lows since 32-year old Heather Heyer was murdered in 2017 by 20-year-old James Alex Fields. Fields drove his Dodge Challenger through an anti-white supremacy counter-protester in Charlottesville, Virginia. Since May of 2020, dozens of car attacks were recorded across the nation. In Seattle, Summer Taylor died and Diaz Love was gravely injured on July 4, 2020, in a car attack on a closed interstate. Dawit Kelete was stopped by protesters in that incident and is still awaiting trial.
In a September 2020 USA Today story, researchers indicated there had been 104 documented car attacks at Black Lives Matter protests, including 8 involving police officers. Of the 104 incidents recorded, charges were filed against 39 drivers. Several of those cases have already gone to trial with a range of findings.
A number of states have passed Republican-led initiatives providing drivers with legal justification to drive through protesters. Minnesota does not have any such law passed.
[PORTLAND] – (MTN) Jeannette K Grode, 43 years old, vandalized a statue of the Lewis & Clark expedition slave York and now faces a litany of criminal charges for her actions. On June 8, Grode berated witnesses and covered the Mount Tabor Park monument in purple spraypaint while taunting people to have her arrested and claiming she was racist.
The Portland Police Bureau reported on June 10 that Grode now faces four criminal charges. Criminal Mischief II is the most serious charge, a Class A Misdemeanor that carries up to a year in jail and a $6,250 fine. She was also charged with Abuse of Venerated Objects, Unlawful Applying of Graffiti, and Vandalism of Protected Park Property and Vegetation. She was issued citations instead of arrest due to ongoing COVID restrictions limiting bookings.
Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, to modern-day Fort Clatsop, south of Astoria, Oregon. Among them was a slave by the name of York, who William Clark owned. York became the first African to cross North America and reach the Pacific Coast in known history.
Upon their return, York is said to have asked for his freedom which Clark denied. The historical record of what happened to York after the Corps of Discovery is unclear. Still, many believe he was either sold to a new slaveholder or was granted by Clark to move to Kentucky to be closer to his wife. It is believed he died of cholera.
The monument didn’t always have a bust of York. In 1933 a statue of Harvey W. Scott, the editor-in-chief of The Oregonian and later a principal shareholder, was erected at the summit of Mount Tabor. Scott was venerated after his untimely death in 1910. However, his legacy was already being called into question when his statue was erected 23 years later.
Scott fought in a volunteer militia in the Oregon Territory from 1855 to 1856 against the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Klickitat first nations. He supported the Union and the new Republican Party editorially during the Civil War while being an outspoken critic of women’s suffrage and public education. On October 20, 2020, his statue was toppled, and in February 2021, replaced by a bust of York by unknown parties.
There are no known drawings or artwork of York, so the bust on Mount Tabor is a representation. The statue was previously vandalized in March 2021, less than a month after its installation.
A court date for Grode has not been set.
Journalists, activists, and researchers defending the First Amendment
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