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Reposted by Lex Vaughn

The Needling

@theneedling.com

“He’s already stopped playing with his Nobel Peace Prize and said he won’t stop crying until the Anti-Defamation League and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu tell the world that no one survived the Holocaust better than Donald Trump.”

The Needling @theneedling.com · 4h

Trump Demands to Be Considered a Holocaust Survivor: tinyurl.com/3vyjrxy4

President Donald Trump with pouting face sitting in gilded White House room.

January 28, 2026 at 6:41 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

The Needling

@theneedling.com

Trump Demands to Be Considered a Holocaust Survivor: tinyurl.com/3vyjrxy4

January 28, 2026 at 5:34 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

NY Times Pitchbot

@nytpitchbot.bsky.social

More Homan Than Homan

As Trump's army of white zombies robs Minnesotans of life and liberty, he's sending Hellbilly Deluxe Greg Bovino packing and bringing in the B-Team led by Tom Homan. He wouldn't be my choice, but hey, it's better than Astro Creep Elon.

by Maureen Dowd

January 28, 2026 at 4:00 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Kendall

@kendallrjones.bsky.social

I was born in Moses Lake and lived there the first 26 years of my life and it was hard to leave because it was my home for so long…but this made me chuckle.

The Needling @theneedling.com · 4d

‘I Would Never Live in That Hellhole City,’ Says Man Already Living in Moses Lake: tinyurl.com/3ybb7ztv

Man with gray goatee in red shirt and overalls with crossed arms in front of bland Moses Lake landscape

January 27, 2026 at 7:09 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

ACLU of Washington

@acluwa.bsky.social

As @oavotes.bsky.social shares in their testimony in support of the Driver Privacy Act (House Bill 2332), Washington should join the growing list of states that are passing common-sense regulations for automated license plate readers (ALPRs). Our safety depends on it.

January 28, 2026 at 1:24 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Ryan Packer

@typewriteralley.bsky.social

All this over 90 units.

Beth Day @thebethocracy.bsky.social · 11h

Wow Bainbridge Island is having a REAL ONE over on Facebook: www.facebook.com/share/p/1HSw...

WE ANNEXED TO PROTECT BAINBRIDGE.
COUNCIL AND CITY HALL NEED TO FOLLOW OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
Bainbridge is worth fighting for.
We didn’t become a city to be governed by a closed circle.
Thirty-five years ago, Bainbridge didn’t become a city because people wanted more government. We became a city because people wanted local control, the ability to guide the Island’s destiny.
The Kitsap Sun’s article on the annexation tells the origin story: islanders were staring down the prospect of massive development and thinking traffic, pavement, suburban sprawl, and wells running dry. People saw what was coming, and they organized.
Most Islanders value and love Bainbridge for its character and charm, a largely rural island, our forests, and a culture that protects it, with the shared understanding that we’re stewards, not just residents.
Many of us aren’t native to Bainbridge. We chose it for exactly those reasons. No big-box corridors. No endless subdivisions. No density-for-density’s-sake. And that’s not an accident.
So how did we end up here?
Thirty-five years after the annexation fight that led to Bainbridge becoming a city, how did we end up here?
We’re watching leadership operate with almost no transparency or accountability, with one consistent exception: Kirsten Hytopoulos.
What’s evolved is the opposite of open government. Fewer meaningful ways for residents to weigh in. Experts sidelined when their input complicates a preferred outcome. Citizen groups weakened or dismantled.
When committees designed to protect core Island priorities get muted, the public loses its early-warning system. And boy did we.
Citizen voices and expert input have been sidelined.
ETAC was built to give the City scientific and technical expertise from qualified local residents, the kind of expertise most towns would treasure. Instead, ETAC was sidelined through canceled meetings and institutional silence.

During the Council discussion of the draft Groundwater Management Plan in September 2024, ETAC members testified that they had “not seen [the plan] in two years.” One ETAC hydrogeologist warned the plan appeared shaped to fit growth goals, and another argued the city’s water-use model was flawed.
And let’s name names. In a published letter titled “Councilmembers shady,” ETAC member Charlie Kratzer alleges that Councilmember Clarence Moriwaki worked with Joe Deets behind the scenes to dismantle ETAC, then to “ignore ETAC… and hope it would fade away.” And for anyone who’s been paying attention, this doesn’t feel like a one-off. It feels like a pattern of how Clarence does things — quietly, behind the scenes.
Then came the Historic Preservation Commission. By early 2024, relations had deteriorated so badly that commissioners raised concerns the City was “no longer adhering to city code” on historic preservation and that their role was being quietly diminished. They resigned en masse.
And several years earlier, four of five members of Bainbridge’s Ethics Board resigned in protest, saying Council revisions “stifles citizen complaints” and reduced the board to an “administrative gatekeeper.” They also warned a sunset provision could let Council end the program quietly simply by doing nothing.
Now layer in the LIHI deal
I’m not going to unpack the full record on consultant Tory Laughlin Taylor here, that’s coming. But Bainbridge hired a consultant to protect the public interest, and what we got looks like the opposite: an agreement that shields LIHI and exposes the City.
So will we let them outsource Bainbridge’s future to LIHI?
LIHI isn’t a community partner. It’s a Seattle-based, multi-million-dollar real estate developer, with a long, well-documented history of broken promises, unsafe conditions, and financial mismanagement across Washington State. Their projects have been plagued by crime, safety failures, and poor maintenance.
Bainbridge can and should support affor…

This is what our Guiding Principles were written to prevent
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND’S GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. KEEP BAINBRIDGE… BAINBRIDGE
Winslow stays small-town. Buildings fit the place. Nature, views, farms, and winding roads aren’t decoration, they’re the point.
2. PROTECT OUR WATER
We drink from one aquifer. No backup. No second island. No do-overs.
3. HELP PEOPLE WITHOUT OVERRUNNING THE ISLAND
We can care about people and respect limits.
4. THINK ABOUT REAL COSTS, TO NEIGHBORS
Not just construction costs. Traffic. Noise. Safety. Taxes. Services. Quality of life.
5. LAND AND RESOURCES ARE FINITE
This island has edges, physically and environmentally.
6. DON’T BORROW FROM OUR KIDS
Plan ahead without compromising tomorrow.
7. BOOST CLIMATE RESILIENCE
Reduce emissions and strengthen our climate response.
8. ALIGN BUDGETS WITH VALUES
Fund policies that reflect our principles.
Smaller, thoughtfully designed housing fits Bainbridge. Incremental growth fits our capacity. A single massive structure does neither.
The SEPA checklist is a problem
When public opposition got loud, City Hall didn’t slow down and listen. It hit the accelerator.
On the SEPA checklist, they wrote “NOT APPLICABLE/DOES NOT APPLY” across critical environmental factors, even though the form’s instructions require those answers to be explained and supported. They even used an outdated form.

This location makes air impacts unavoidable. The checklist requires disclosure of air emissions from both construction and ongoing operation, with estimates if known. If those questions were answered honestly and completely, it would force the kind of analysis that makes a “no significant impact” conclusion much harder to justify.
That’s a serious red flag — and the public deserves answers.
The good news: we can still reverse course
I’m grateful Kirsten Hytopoulos has consistently defended transparency and accountability. For years, she was usually outnumbered.
As of January, we have two new councilmembers, Mike Nelson and Laura Lant. Both campaigned on transparency, accountability, and putting Bainbridge first. Bainbridge finally has a path back to accountable governance.
Now the question is simple: will the rest of the council keep disregarding the community?
Dawn Janow did something brave in local politics. She put the community’s interests ahead of City Hall’s comfort. She filed a SEPA appeal to make sure the City follows the law and tells the truth about impacts.
Watch this hearing if you care about transparency, environmental impacts, and how major decisions are being made on Bainbridge.
SEPA APPEAL HEARING (REMOTE, VIEW-ONLY VIA ZOOM)
Wed, Jan 28, 2026 @ 9:00 AM
Fri, Jan 30, 2026 @ 9:00 AM (if needed)

[Then a bunch of truncated links]

January 28, 2026 at 12:20 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Paulrus of West Bumblefrick

@paulrusof.bsky.social

They could have saved themselves a lot of typing.

January 28, 2026 at 12:37 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Joe Veyera

@joeveyera.bsky.social

WinCo Foods is asking its Facebook followers, "about the possibility of having a WinCo in North Seattle."

Permits have been filed for the former Sam's Club location (13550 Aurora Ave N), which is across the street from an Amazon Fresh that will close this weekend. www.facebook.com/winco.offici...

January 28, 2026 at 2:39 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Casey Martin

@caseyworks.bsky.social

UW students holding anti-ICE rally, shutting down traffic on 15th Ave.

January 28, 2026 at 3:06 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

The Seattle Times

@seattletimes.com

On Tuesday, mourners held a memorial vigil for Alex Pretti across from the Seattle VA Medical Center, along South Columbian Way.

Health care workers pay tribute to Alex Pretti at vigil outside Seattle VA

www.seattletimes.com

January 28, 2026 at 3:15 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

DanG

@dpgestwick.bsky.social

According to my local version of The Onion, they've been recruiting at the other end of the spectrum.

bsky.app/profile/then...

The Needling @theneedling.com · 2d

Protester Bites Off ICE Agent’s Micropenis: tinyurl.com/ydtrja7a

Photo DHS released of ICE agent's thing bitten off

January 26, 2026 at 9:41 PM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Bryce (he/they)

@someotherwhere.bsky.social

Pull the plug on all of them 😁

The Needling @theneedling.com · 1d

ICE Agents Still in Hospital After Being Shot Repeatedly by iPhones: tinyurl.com/36ud2nxf

Unconscious ICE agent hooked up to respiratory tubes in hospital bed still wearing camo green gaiter and cap.

January 27, 2026 at 5:06 AM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Lex Vaughn

@lex.vaughn.theneedling.com

If only NYT could use that same elite technology when reporting on Gaza.

Qagggy! @qagggy.bsky.social · 1d

You looked with your two eyes?

How We Determined That Minneapolis Videos Contradicted Federal Officials

www.nytimes.com

January 27, 2026 at 6:11 PM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

The Needling

@theneedling.com

“These attempted assassins shot our agents straight in the head at close range with 24mm iPhone lenses—obviously, they’re lucky to be alive,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

The Needling @theneedling.com · 1d

ICE Agents Still in Hospital After Being Shot Repeatedly by iPhones: tinyurl.com/36ud2nxf

January 27, 2026 at 8:07 PM

Lex Vaughn

@lex.vaughn.theneedling.com

If only NYT could use that same elite technology when reporting on Gaza.

Qagggy! @qagggy.bsky.social · 1d

You looked with your two eyes?

How We Determined That Minneapolis Videos Contradicted Federal Officials

www.nytimes.com

January 27, 2026 at 6:11 PM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

The Seattle Times

@seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times sued the city over its practice of “grouping” multiple public records requests from a single requester, which caused years-long delays.

Seattle police violated records law, judge rules in Times lawsuit

www.seattletimes.com

January 27, 2026 at 12:14 PM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Goldy

@goldy.horsesass.org

No self-respecting artist should perform at the Kennedy Center until Trump removes both his name and claws from it, and no artist who chooses to perform there deserves our respect.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 17h

Breaking news: Composer Philip Glass withdrew his highly anticipated Symphony No. 15 from its scheduled Kennedy Center performance, saying “the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony.”

Philip Glass pulls world premiere from Kennedy Center

The pioneering composer announced that “the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message” of his Symphony No. 15: “Lincoln.”

wapo.st

January 27, 2026 at 5:30 PM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Hannah Krieg

@hannahkrieg.bsky.social

NEW: ICE abducted a father in Shoreline in front of his young son. Here's a chilling, firsthand account from the man who drove his car away from the scene, the abducted man's packed lunch still warm in the passenger seat www.theburnerseattle.com/post/ice-abd...

ICE Abducted A Father In Shoreline In Front Of His Child, En Route To Daycare

A difficult day. Today I was present as ICE agents detained a father a mile from my house--while his two-year-old son sat scared in the backseat.It began with an early phone call from immigrant day la...

www.theburnerseattle.com

January 27, 2026 at 6:06 PM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Hannah Krieg

@hannahkrieg.bsky.social

NEW: Washington's own Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is one of just seven Democrats to join the Republicans and vote for a huge funding bill for DHS, giving ICE $10 billion. www.theburnerseattle.com/post/wa-rep-...

WA Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Among Seven Democrats To Vote To Increase ICE Funding

On Thursday, seven Democrats betrayed their party and the overwhelming outcry from the American public by voting to pass a bill giving the Department of Homeland Security a whopping $64.4 billion. A s...

www.theburnerseattle.com

January 23, 2026 at 5:34 PM

Lex Vaughn

@lex.vaughn.theneedling.com

"Feel safer yet?"

The Onion @theonion.com · 17h

ICE Issues Ransom Note Demanding $65 Billion If U.S. Wants To See Minnesota Again https://theonion.com/ice-issues-ransom-note-demanding-65-billion-if-u-s-wants-to-see-minnesota-again/

January 27, 2026 at 6:00 PM

Reposted by Lex Vaughn

Jen

@jenk3.bsky.social

"At press time, the agents’ nurse said that although she initially struggled to take care of them considering they had just executed one of her colleagues in the street, doing so got a lot easier after she realized their hospital stay would more than instantly wipe out their entire hiring bonus."

The Needling @theneedling.com · 1d

ICE Agents Still in Hospital After Being Shot Repeatedly by iPhones: tinyurl.com/36ud2nxf

January 27, 2026 at 5:38 PM