Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson announced her transition team yesterday. Andrés Mantilla, a partner with consulting firm Uncommon Bridges, is the director. Co-chairs include Karen Estevenin, executive director of PROTEC17, a union that represents more than 3,000 city workers, Tiffani McCoy, the co-executive director of House Our Neighbors, Quynh Pham, executive director of Friends of Little Saigon, and Brian Surratt, president and CEO of Greater Seattle Partners.
SIFF Shifts: Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) Executive Director Tom Mara is exiting his role “effective immediately,” according to an internal all-staff email obtained by the Seattle Times. The email said it was a mutual decision between Mara and SIFF’s board of directors. Mara’s exit comes after SIFF laid off 21% of its administrative staff and ended its lease at the Egyptian Theater.
Trump and Epstein: After almost every member of Congress voted for a bill to release the Epstein files, Trump announced he “JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump campaigned on releasing the Epstein files, which he’s always had the power to do as President. He changed his mind. He’s in them, after all. Then, when this vote was imminent, he changed his mind again. It’s less a 180 than a 540. The Department of Justice has 30 days to release the documents. May it be a day for wonderful secrets?
Weather: Morning showers. Clouds and sun throughout the day. High of 54 degrees. It will be mostly cloudy tonight with a low of 41 degrees.
Another Airport Issue: Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after the Northwest’s main oil pipeline shut down again this week, choking off the fuel supply to Sea-Tac. For the next two weeks, truckers will be able to haul fuel for longer hours than they’re usually allowed to.
It’s a whole pipeline thing. On Nov. 11, the pipeline leaked jet fuel into a drainage ditch on an Everett blueberry farm. BP shut it down for a few days, restarted it on Sunday, and shut it back down again Monday after finding diesel leaking near the jet fuel spill. BP’s spokesperson said there’s no timeline for restarting the pipeline. He refused to answer questions, KUOW reported.
Missing Boy in Duvall: The King County Sheriff’s Office said 14-year-old Hudson Graham was last seen at his home Monday. He may have boarded a bus heading toward University of Washington Bothell so he could get to Lynnwood. According to the authorities, his parents believe he was “lured” away by someone online. Hudson was last seen wearing a dark colored sweatshirt and carrying two backpacks.
That’s Not What That’s For: Democratic Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother Edwin Cherfilus were indicted for allegedly stealing with her brother more than $5 million in FEMA disaster funds and routing the money into her 2021 congressional campaign. Prosecutors said the funds—overpayments to the family’s healthcare company—were moved through multiple accounts before she spent them on her campaign and herself. She faces up to 53 years in prison.
Trump vs. Comrade Mamdani: New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani will have the displeasure of meeting the president at the White House tomorrow to talk about public safety, economic security, and affordability. Trump has repeatedly called Mamdani a communist (he is a Democratic Socialist), questioned his citizenship (he’s a naturalized citizen) and threatened to pull the city’s federal funds over his election. Mamdani has talked about “Trump-proofing” New York, but also said he’ll work with anyone—the President included—if it benefits New Yorkers.
For Sale: Three months after an alleged arson, the historic Columbia City Funeral Home and Crematory property is selling for $7.5 million. Owner Russ Weeks said the cost of repairs far exceeded the funeral home’s value. Weeks hopes to relocate.
In Honor of Tomorrow’s Wicked: For Good Release:
