Why Seattle Public Schools is considering layoffs: Today So Far

• This Northwest politician says culture wars are like junk food.
• Seattle Public Schools now faces a $131 million budget deficit. Layoffs are likely.
• Kelp! We need some seaweed. Kelp! Not just any seaweed. Kelp! Ya know we need some fronds. Kelllp!

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for March 2, 2023.

When Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez won the election for Washington's 3rd Congressional District last November, it came as a surprise to some people.

The campaign was risky. She went up against a MAGA Republican who knocked the previous GOP incumbent out of the running during the primary. The main issue that helped push the Republican contender to the front was his support of Trump and his embracing of conspiracy theories. Still, Gluesenkamp Pérez turned the district from red to blue. It remains to be seen how well she handles the job, or if she can hold onto it — she only won the district by less than a percentage point. It initially appears that Gluesenkamp Pérez continues to take risks — she is shunning culture war politics.

"I should be thinking about the things that are keeping (my constituents) up at night, or the things that they're afraid to tell their friends about — their credit card debt, or that they're afraid that their kids are going to relapse. Those are the things that should be what we're talking about," Gluesenkamp Pérez told KUOW's David Hyde. She adds that, "It's not fun to think about how we're going to balance the budget — it's complex. Thinking hurts; it's painful to sit down and hash out those issues and understand them."

As I've said before, the real issues that affect most people are not the ones that get sensational headlines. They are more often the boring, local matters that come down to dollars and cents at city hall. But voters, and readers, more often want red meat, instead of political vegetables. And they want it now.

"It's fun to make fun of Marjorie Taylor Greene or Matt Gaetz. That's like a sport for people. But it's like junk food. It's leaving us malnourished intellectually, and in being able to be informed and have policy discussions."

That brand of rhetoric will certainly help this politician stand out in the crowd. That, and the fact she's the kind of person who says, "buying a Tesla is kind of a shitty form of environmentalism." Check out Gluesenkamp Pérez's full discussion with KUOW here.

Seattle Public Schools now faces a $131 million budget deficit. Layoffs are likely.

“We’re in a difficult stage right now,” Superintendent Brent Jones said at a school board meeting this week. “It’s moving from theory to actual action being taken. This is actually impacting employees.”

Some SPS employees have already been notified that their positions may be terminated. The tough situation is the result of rising labor costs and declining enrollment, and lingering effects from the pandemic. The district is also considering consolidating some campuses, which essentially means closing down schools.

Seattle is not the only local school district facing similar challenges. Check out the full story here.

Kelp! We need some seaweed. Kelp! Not just any seaweed. Kelp! Ya know we need some fronds. Kelllp!

That song/pun has been stuck in my head all morning and I can't be the only one who suffers.

There is a movement happening to restore kelp throughout the waters of the Northwest. Or as one source recently told Northwest New Network's Tom Banse: "I think kelp is having a moment right now."

Kelp is a form of algae/seaweed that offers a lot of environmental benefits, and that ain't no bull. It helps clean the water, it can be used for food or fuel, and it basically creates an underwater forest where multiple beloved creatures live. If you care about seafood, or simply how pretty the Northwest looks, then you should care about kelp.

Kelp has been declining in some areas, yet it has also been thriving in others. Researchers are trying to find out why, and further, how to bring kelp back. Check out the full story here.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Sadie the dog was handed over to Seattle Humane as her family could no longer care for her. She is among many pets being turned over to animal shelters as people face financial difficulties or new living situations. But this story has a happy ending. Sadie was all smiles when she was re-united with her family in California. (Seattle Humane)

DID YOU KNOW?

When Seattle's music scene exploded, there were a few major players, like Sub Pop or Jack Endino, who influenced what it was and helped it grow. The Northwest geek/pop culture scene is similar, and Jim Demonakos is one such figure who has helped this scene flourish in Seattle and beyond.

It should be said that there were a few folks who contributed to the creation and rise of Emerald City Comic Con back when it started in 2003, but Demonakos was at the center of it all. Born and raised in Seattle, he started up a comic shop in the 1990s. That business spurred him to create a comic convention on a larger scale than Seattle had previously seen. I won't bother going through the obvious history here — ECCC is not only one of the largest events in Seattle and an annual economic powerhouse, it's one of the largest such events in the nation. Mega convention company ReedPop took it over a few years ago.

ECCC is not the only reason I'm throwing Demonakos' name around here. Like other influential scenesters, his fingerprints are on a range of pop culture projects over the years. He helped start local geek rock band Kirby Krackle. He was co-writer of New York Times bestselling graphic novel "The Silence of Our Friends." And he has run successful Kickstarter projects which geeks are fond of, including one that funded the award-winning feature documentary "Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters." Demonakos directed the film, which focuses on the comic/writer artist behind "Hellboy."

Emerald City Comic Con 2023 starts today and runs through the weekend.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Tesla has a new master plan. It's not a new car – just big thoughts on planet Earth

Analysts were eager to see a new Tesla model and hear about the company's new master plan on Investor Day. Elon Musk's new master plan? Ending fossil fuels. Instead of a shiny new car, the company went big-picture on climate change, making the case for an aggressive global transition away from fossil fuels — one with a vast number of electric vehicles and batteries, Tesla's core products, as the key components.

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