The Newcastle City Council reversed its previous decision Tuesday night and elected to raise the Pride flag at City Hall on a 4-3 vote after hours of public comment and debate.

More on Newcastle flying a Pride flag: Pride flag raised at Newcastle City Hall after City Council reverses decision

During the four-hour city council meeting, Clark, who argued against raising the flag, fired off thoughts regarding the local LGTBQ+ community and reparations for Black people in Washington and California.

“To all of you in the pride movement, you’re very welcome in our city, but be very careful of the hate that’s in your midst,” Clark said. “It’s not coming from outside, it’s coming from within.”

Clark used this topic to talk about the importance of forgiving one’s country, as no country is “without sin.”

“These flaws or sins have historically led to bad outcomes, marginalization and so on. But you got to ask yourself, at what point do you just continue to hold on to these, or do you let go and move forward? Are you going to hold on to something forever?” he said.

Clark referenced the Civil War, which ended 160 years ago, but the state of California is just now establishing a committee to study reparations.

“California was a free state with no slaves and nobody is a slave there today,” Clark said. “But they can’t let go and that causes the division and hate and creates victim groups.”

“How long do we hold on to grievances? A couple of years, a couple of decades, a couple of centuries?” Clark continued. “You want to pass down to your great-, great-grandkids that, ‘Hey, one day, you know, I was called a bad name, you know, 200 years ago, so don’t forget, man. Be a victim.'”

Clark made these comments on the evening of June 18, one day before Juneteenth — a federal holiday in the U.S. to commemorate the ending of slavery.

KIRO host Gee Scott responds to Newcastle mayor

“This isn’t a Newcastle problem, this is a Newcastle mayor problem,” Gee Scott, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” said on “Seattle’s Morning News.” “It’s not OK what he’s doing. It’s not OK with this environment that is happening. I am not going to laugh this off. This is not funny. It’s not fair to the people who live in Newcastle that this is happening.”

“I also want to say that it’s really important to understand and know that the injustices that have happened here in this country, they have to be known so we can know how to do things going forward in understanding the history of injustice in America. All it does is help folks become more aware of the systemic issues that have plagued this country,” he continued.

Gee cited the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, the median wealth of white households was $285,000 while the median wealth of Black households was $44,900 — just 15.8% of the white median. The gap between Black and white households increased by $49,950 between 2019 and 2022.

Reichert on ‘The Gee and Ursula Show:’ Ferguson trying to ‘undermine my reputation’ as honest public servant

“The reason why I am bringing that wealth gap up is so everybody can understand that gap is a result of historical and systemic inequalities that have disproportionately impacted Black communities in terms of access to education, employment opportunities, home ownership, wealth, building assets, real estate, I can go on,” Gee continued. “It is not the tropes in the narratives that some have given, claiming African Americans have been lazy, been wanting handouts, or in the case of the Mayor of Newcastle to say, being a victim.”

“We have to stop empowering and encouraging these words, and I’m going to continue to talk about the Mayor of Newcastle in this way because I think those words are awful,” Gee concluded. “I think what you represent is awful.”

Newcastle mayor ‘doubles down’ on comments

In response to an interview request, Clark reiterated his thoughts to The Seattle Times via email.

“The perpetual victim mentality has to stop somewhere,” Clark told The Seattle Times. “Of course, our history has had some imperfections. We are supposed to learn from them and grow stronger as a people. We are not supposed to linger on past slights forever. That is what is happening now. It’s not healthy and it tears the country apart.”

As for why California was used as an example, he explained the state’s situation regarding reparations “was just something that came to mind because of how ridiculous it is. Juneteenth is just a coincidence.”

Rantz exclusive on Semi Bird: Video shows Bird wearing military badge he didn’t earn

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.

I just felt like we were missing the bigger picture.

Let me offer a little context: The holiday Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Texas announcing more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free. While this historical moment was no secret, it was after the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Department officers and the subsequent protests when the government decided to make this a federal holiday. But other than a day off, my life didn’t change because of the holiday. I wasn’t sure how this was going to reduce racism.

Companies issued Black Lives Matter statements and hung banners. I never did hang a banner, but I did join some committees to do the work to make things better. Real work often happens behind the scenes. But that doesn’t mean we should hide behind them.

More from Angela Poe Russell: It’s time to reimagine public restrooms

For someone who has been the target of an attack based on identity, one symbol or declaration can mean everything.

The Pride flag for the LGBTQ+ community feels like welcome, love and support.

For other targeted groups, someone using their voice to speak up has a way of quieting the hateful noise. It’s like lighting one candle in a dark room. Why wouldn’t we want to do that?

The government’s role is to represent the people, while rejecting hate. And the people are diverse. While governments can face some legal risks, those challenges are not insurmountable.

And highlighting one vulnerable group doesn’t mean another doesn’t matter.

And it also doesn’t mean everyone has to like it.

Part of living in the United States is we coexist despite varying religions, political views and ethnicities.

More of Angela Poe Russell’s commentaries: What we can all learn from Harrison Butker’s shocking speech

But here is the key: While public displays are meaningful, the action that follows matters most. Questioning whether someone is homophobic or racist because they don’t raise a flag is just as concerning as assuming that someone who does is putting in the work. And that’s why we can’t get hung up on them.

Flags without followup is nothing more than a sugar high with a crash coming. So on this Juneteenth, I’ll look at this symbol of a holiday as an invitation to not only have gratitude for the gesture, but to keep engaging in actions that ultimately create change.

Angela Poe Russell fills in as a host on KIRO Newsradio and has been around Seattle media in different capacities for a number of years. Read more of Angela’s commentaries here and follow her on X here.

That a conservative court would rule this way was a shock to the pro-life movement, which is even now trying to decide what the next reproductive crusade should be. I was thinking this would be a good time to focus on making sure all children are well-fed, have comprehensive medical coverage and can have affordable daycare.

More KIRO Newsradio opinions: Is it time to put police back in Seattle schools?

But it seems to be moving towards some kind of Christian Nationalism, going into the states to get tougher abortion restrictions. The New York Times quoted the president of a group called “Students for Life” lamenting that many young women no longer want to have children at all, suggesting it’s because their parents weren’t religious and didn’t take their kids to church.

Personally, I think it could also be that young women today know that a positive pregnancy test can instantly make them subject to laws based on religious beliefs they do not share.

But it raises an interesting prospect: If the Christian nationalists are serious about a return to Bible-based values, will they also bring back the rules that used to apply to men?  

Being fruitful and multiplying was job No. 1 in the Old Testament, and God held males responsible for doing their part.

Genesis 38 verses 9 and 10  – this is a little delicate, so I won’t quote it – but let’s just say it was considered a serious sin for a man to “misfire” in any way. In fact, God is on record as summarily severing the brain-body connection of a man named Onan who did just that. Could this be the next reproductive frontier? Could men be next?

More from Dave Ross: Let the rich pay the exorbitant ‘luxury lane’ toll prices

The Supreme Court drew a line last week, saying that just because you hold a sincere moral belief doesn’t allow you to get all up in other peoples’ business. But the zealots are undeterred. They want to bring us back to a time when what happened in your bed was everybody’s business.

I won’t try to predict what might happen, but it’s something to keep in mind as you’re trying to decide which flag to raise over your beach house.

Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/thedaveross

The 90 residents, most of whom are seniors, live in the manufactured home community of Royal Wood Estates. The residents own their homes and have no mortgage rates, but still have to pay rent on the land their homes sit on — in other words they own their homes but not the land underneath them.

A new landowner of the property said maintaining their utility connections will require a spike in rent. And because a majority of the residents are seniors on fixed incomes, residents spoke out in a forum a couple of weeks ago and said they will be forced to move.

According to Lynnwood City Council President George Hurst, the rent increase went into effect on June 1, as did separate fees for water, sewer and garbage. Hurst told “Seattle’s Morning News” host Dave Ross Thursday all of those fees had previously been included in the rent. But since the rent increase, fees have gone from $640 a month to $940+ a month.

However, Hurst said his team found the increase is actually in violation of the Manufactured Home Landlord Tenant Act.

Ross: Let the rich pay the exorbitant ‘luxury lane’ toll prices

Hurst said the landlord cannot implement a blanket increase to everyone, it has to be when their lease renews. So now, Hurst and his team are working with some of the residents to file a complaint with the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. However, they would only be able to hold off the increase temporarily.

“And we’ve been in meetings before and talked to attorneys. And they basically said, ‘The only option to really protect these type of residents in manufactured homes, is rent stabilization of some sort.’ And Olympia has a real problem getting that passed,” Hurst told Ross.

Looking more at the number of manufactured homes

Ross asked how many manufactured home parks are in Western Washington.

According to Hurst, there are 119 in Snohomish County, 20 have a Lynnwood address and 14 are in Lynnwood city limits. In comparison, Hurst noted, there are three parks in Edmonds, two in Mountlake Terrace, one in Mill Creek and none in Mukilteo.

“As a city council member, I’m really concerned and focused on these folks, because they’re a large part of our residents,” Hurst said.

Hurst said his team could potentially protect a few tenants, who are being charged too much, but in the end, rent can go up each year and he has no control over it. However, he is hopeful his team could at least prevent the increasing rent for the Royal Wood Estates residents in the short term, either through city funding or some sort of rental assistance.

“We need, at the state legislator level, to take some action, because you heard that we had people from the Department of Commerce, they’re there. They’re basically giving us the programs to what happens if people get kicked out, what happens if they have to sell their homes, they don’t have the tools right now to actually preserve a park and that’s really what we need to do,” Hurst said.

To hear the full interview, where Ross and Hurst get into the details of the land owner’s thinking, head here or tap on the player below:

Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.

Last week, I looked into the hurt and worn down eyes of one senior from Garfield High School who expressed disappointment over losing his school’s old resource officer and wondered what difference his presence might have made.

The truth is we can’t know for sure, but it’s something some in the community are contemplating. It can be a controversial topic. You see, in 2020, after the killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed, the Seattle School District removed all resource officers from its schools.

More from Angela Poe Russell: It’s time to reimagine public restrooms

And they weren’t the only ones, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, between May 2020 and June 2022, more than 50 school districts across the country eliminated school officer programs. In all fairness, they were a new phenomenon. Before 1975, police in schools were a rare occurrence.

So, for some, the idea of bringing them back is out of the question. But they can’t afford to take anything off the table, especially when something clearly isn’t working. Some fear welcoming police into specific neighborhoods and schools would create a militarized environment.

Derrick Dotson, author of the children’s Book “The Police and Me,” is admittedly leery of police in schools, but said they can be effective with the right plan.

The history of these programs, issues like inappropriate relationships, failure to keep track of firearms, excessive force; but these programs can be done in a way where students can benefit. Crime prevention education, education about laws, community engagement such as bringing student’s families and teachers together for positive interactions with law enforcement,” Dtoson said. “But for this to be done right, it has to be the right candidate to be an SRO. It’s not as important to know the officers enjoy being around students as it is making sure that students can feel safe and can learn from being around the officers.”

More KIRO Newsradio opinions: Let the rich pay the exorbitant ‘luxury lane’ toll prices

To be clear, police can’t be the only tool, but they can be part of the solution.

Officers who show up only as part of temporary emphasis patrol are a Band-Aid and create a transactional relationship, not one built on community. Officers who care and connect – knowing the neighbors, the students, the parents, the troublemakers and the peacemakers — are an asset and are ones we can’t afford to keep on the sidelines.

Angela Poe Russell fills in as a host on KIRO Newsradio and has been around Seattle media in different capacities for a number of years.

And yet, even free-market believers seem to start doubting when they can feel the free market reaching deeper and deeper into their own wallets.

As Chris Sullivan has been documenting every morning, and as Danny Westneat observed in his Seattle Times column Sunday, the new higher tolls for solo drivers in the luxury lane are hitting the $15 maximum every rush hour.

More on local tolls: SR 520 toll rates will increase this summer, here’s how much

He even published a screenshot from the Washington Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) website showing that last week, solo drivers were paying the $15 maximum to save exactly three minutes driving from Renton to Auburn.

Which sounds ridiculous when you put it that way. But who are we to judge how people spend their lawfully-earned money? Have you seen what the airlines charge for the extra three inches of seat width in first class?

There’s this criticism of the luxury lanes as being insensitive to the plight of the people in the slum lanes.

But let’s think this through: In the example of driving from Renton to Auburn last week, where the rich people saved all of three minutes – the flip side to that is everybody else got a bargain! Just for exercising three minutes worth of patience, they saved 15 bucks. That’s the equivalent of making $300 an hour!

I say if rich people are OK with getting ripped off like that – let them pay. And let them pay whatever the state can get away with.

More from Dave Ross: If popularity creates immunity, maybe the ‘Belltown Hellcat Bandit’ should run for president

I know Washington voters have an aversion to imposing special tax burdens on the rich; I know a lot of you can’t wait to repeal the capital gains tax in November. But in the case of the toll lanes – the rich are freely choosing to pay. No one’s forcing them. Why do they need an artificial toll limit of $15 to protect them from their own choices?

The toll lanes have taught highway departments what the airlines learned long ago – people will pay for privileges that make them feel special. And considering the huge gap between tax revenue and what it actually costs to build and maintain these highways – it’s time to give them what they want for whatever they’re willing to pay.

Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/thedaveross

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News w/ Dave Ross & Colleen O’Brien Show every weekday at 5am on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM

Listen to the Gee and Ursula Show every weekday at 9am on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM Listen to KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

D-Day, the June 6, 1944 landing on the northern coast of France with tens of thousands of American, British, Canadian and other Allied troops – along with thousands of pieces of equipment and tons of supplies – is justifiably regarded as the greatest military operation in the history of mankind.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News w/ Dave Ross & Colleen O’Brien Show every weekday at 5am on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM

Trump’s jury came back with a unanimous guilty verdict the day after getting the case – which means it wasn’t even close. And yet a considerable part of the American electorate – including Mitt Romney, a traditional non-Trump Republican – is convinced that the case shouldn’t even have been prosecuted.

Local response to Trump conviction: Washington Republicans, Democrats react to Trump’s guilty verdict

A lot of completely normal Americans believe a guilty man should have gone free, and he probably will because of his popularity.

As for what happens when you’re unpopular – well, look at Hunter Biden. He’s about to go on trial for lying about his drug use when he filled out the ATF form to buy his handgun. How many “Leave Hunter Alone” rallies do you think we’ll see? How many gun owners see him as a martyr for the Second Amendment? How many people are asking: “What’s the big deal? It’s just lying on a piece of paper.” The cheering section is very quiet.

Which, believe it or not, brings me to the case of Seattle’s own Belltown Hellcat. He’s the guy who goes tearing through Downtown Seattle at night in his unmuffled souped-up Dodge Charger at 107 miles an hour.

More on Belltown Hellcat: ‘Belltown Hellcat’ social media influencer barred from driving infamous car

And as he explained to one cop who stopped him, he’s gotta keep doing it because he’s got 757,000 Instagram followers! That generates enough money to pay for his car and his downtown apartment! In the bodycam video, the cop couldn’t have been more polite.

“I’m an ASE Certified Master Technician as well as a cop, believe it or not,” the responding officer said when pulling over the Belltown Hellcat driver. “I have a car that would smoke yours. You just got to keep [the muffler] on. Why don’t you go to Pacific Raceways?”

Get yourself on the ballot, Hellcat. Run on a platform of cheap gas, and tell ’em you’re making downtown fun again. I believe the time is ripe.

More from Dave Ross: Living defensively has its limits when facing ‘forever chemicals’

Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/thedaveross

June is Pride Month and celebrations are getting started this weekend for a milestone moment.

Seattle is celebrating 50 years of Pride Month celebrations and it all starts at Pride in the Park. On Saturday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Volunteer Park, there will be live music, food trucks, vendors, informative booths and more. There will also be programming for kids and families, and the event is free so no tickets are needed.

This isn’t the only Pride-related event this weekend. There’s a street festival in White Center on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

More on Pride Month in Washington: Lake Stevens mayor defends decision to not declare June as Pride Month

If you are looking to give back this weekend, there’s a community cleanup happening in Capitol Hill. It’s called Taking Pride in Capitol Hill and lasts from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free, but t-shirts and food are first-come, first-served.

Paw-Fest returns to Kent

Paw-Fest is back this weekend! What’s Paw-Fest? It is a pet adoption event that features a pet parade, costume contest, agility shows, training tips and more. Pup cups will be served of course. Come meet your next furry friend or family member from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at Kent Station.

Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival

The Festál celebrations continue this weekend at the Seattle Center. This weekend it is the Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival. The festival commemorates the anniversary of Philippine Independence. Held on the first or second week of June at the Seattle Center since 1987, the event has grown into the largest festival of Filipino arts and culture in the Pacific Northwest.

The event starts Saturday with a grand opening ceremony followed by dances, folk songs, food and a fashion extravaganza. The celebration goes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Plant Sale Fundraiser at UW

If you are looking for some new houseplants and a way to support the University of Washington (UW), you are in luck. The annual Plant Sale Fundraiser kicks off Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You’ll be able to walk through the UW farm and can pick up tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squash, pollinators, herbs and more, all being organic.

More from Paul Holden: Washington has the right idea when it comes to sports betting

Lumen Field hosts Bacon, Eggs and Kegs Festival

Who doesn’t love a little kegs and eggs?! The Bacon, Eggs and Kegs Festival is this weekend at Lumen Field. You’ll be able to enjoy beers, ciders, mimosas, Blood Mary’s and more while dining on brunch bites from Seattle area restaurants, chefs and food trucks. There will be live music as well as plenty of life-size yard games.

HONK! Fest in Georgetown, Columbia City, Pratt Park

Get ready for HONK! Fest West this weekend. HONK! Fest West’s mission statement is simple: Activate public spaces through energetic musical performances. You can find the tunes in three locations, Friday in Georgetown, Saturday in Columbia City and Sunday at Pratt Park.

All these cool things and more are going down this weekend. Know of something going on? Let me know at PaulH@kiroradio.com

Paul Holden produces the Seattle weekend events calendar for KIRO Newsradio.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News w/ Dave Ross & Colleen O’Brien Show every weekday at 5am on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM

Listen to the Gee and Ursula Show every weekday at 9am on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM Listen to KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Angela Poe Russell’s commentary: A PSA all pedestrians need to hear

Her point? The law may well be on your side, but the law won’t hit the brakes if the driver doesn’t see you. There’s a bigger lesson here though. On the football field of life, the key to staying alive is a good defense.

I know this by instinct because I grew up as the small person who was picked last in gym class. In playground fights, I believe my record is 0-2 … so I have learned to avoid any physical conflict. Therefore, right of way or not, I don’t step into the crosswalk unless the road is empty.

The trouble is that this “live defensively” strategy has its limits – as we heard in today’s interview with Shannon Lerner of ProPublica. Her latest article describes how 3M lost control of its “forever chemicals” to the point that those chemicals show up in the blood not just of its plant workers, but people who’ve never been near a 3M plant.

“These chemicals accumulate in your bodies,” Lerner said. “According to the CDC, virtually everyone has some level of a forever chemical — at least one, but probably several — in their blood.”

So we’re not necessarily doomed. But how do you defend against that? A fine? The company’s already paid a fine.

“They were square with the law, but basically it was too late because the chemical seeped out of their products and basically into all of us,” Lerner added.

More from Dave Ross: If you hope the government will save kids from social media, think again

At some point, even my patience runs out and I can no longer play defense. You have to go on offense and say, “I don’t care how great your chemical is, I don’t want it trespassing in my body.” Which is why the 3M employee who saw those blood tests blew the whistle on her company.

Whether it’s giant factories churning out untested chemicals, or the ten thousand pounds of carbon that the average car pumps out of the tailpipe in a year, it’s all like peeing in the pool. Which is why I never open my mouth underwater.

And that’s today’s life lesson: Keep your eyes open in the crosswalk, your mouth closed in the pool and your whistle handy when you go to work.

Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/thedaveross

But despite best efforts, life and the law don’t always mesh. Just because we as pedestrians have the right to cross at a given moment, doesn’t mean we should. For more reasons than I can count — think of drivers who are drunk, deviant, distracted, you name it.

But I want to talk about a more common scenario playing out on roadways and it contributes to more than 9,000 accidents each year. I’m talking about Sun glare.

More KIRO Newsradio opinions: What would ‘the most trusted man in America’ think of AI, ‘news’ now?

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is the second environmental factor that leads to car crashes behind slick roads.

The summer and spring seasons are deceiving because we have more bright, clear days. But with sun glare, things can take a turn in a second. I experienced this the other day while driving. Even with glasses and pulling the visor down, the sun was blinding.

Suddenly, I had to slam on my brakes as a woman appeared in front of me moments from stepping onto the street. She was visibly frustrated because numerous cars had passed her by or almost hit her. The problem wasn’t distracted or impaired drivers or people who didn’t care — it was the sun creating this huge blind spot. And no one could see her until up close.

Thank goodness this woman was paying attention. But how many of us don’t and just assume a driver is going to stop? How many of us don’t look both ways? How many of us have the nerve to wear the air buds blasting music? OK, I’m guilty of that too!

But sometimes we need a reset, and this is a potentially life-saving one. Unfortunately, we can’t rely solely on other people and pedestrian signals. It’s ideal to make eye contact with drivers before crossing.

More from Angela Poe Russell: What we can all learn from Harrison Butker’s shocking speech

I’m not trying to put all the responsibility on pedestrians. Drivers should slow down and look out for children or people in wheelchairs who are particularly vulnerable.

Ultimately, it is legally the drivers’ responsibility to watch for pedestrians and to ensure they operate their vehicle’s safely. But in life, when best efforts fail, pedestrians pay the price. And for that reason, I’ll take being safe over being right.

Angela Poe Russell fills in as a host on KIRO Newsradio and has been around Seattle media in different capacities for a number of years.

That’s three out of four people surveyed.  That’s a lot.

And 7 out of 10 people were not confident in their own abilities to detect a fake picture, video or audio.

So, who should we trust going forward?

In the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, Walter Cronkite was called the most trusted man in America. (And yes, I’m dating myself when I say I grew up watching him as a kid.)  He was an inspiration of why I got into news.

He died 15 years ago: 92 years old.

What would he think of artificial intelligence (AI) in our world of opinionated “news” outlets (and that’s news in quotes)?

How people put trust into cheating sports starts, politicians who lie blatantly without hesitation and leaders of industry who do the same? (And they’re all not fake, they are real people.)

Who would Cronkite – the most trusted man in America – who would he trust?

The answer may be in an old Ronald Reagan Cold War phrase we should keep in mind: Trust, but verify. It’s a phrase that’s neither Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative,  but just common sense.

It’s now incumbent on for all of us to do just that. Don’t believe everything you see and hear right away. I think that’s what the poll is telling us.

Unfortunately, “That’s the way it is, Friday March 6th, 1981. … Good night.”

I could not have ended this commentary any other way.

Matt Markovich often covers the state legislature and public policy for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Matt’s stories here. Follow him on X, or email him here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/mattmarkovich

But that law is headed straight to federal court, and we could have a whole new government by the time there’s a verdict in that case.

That tells me those of you who are hoping the government will save your kids from social media will need a Plan B.

My generation didn’t have social media growing up, but we had something almost as scary – we were the guinea pigs for television. TV taught us smoking was healthy, had us playing Cowboys and Indians with cap pistols, and spread rock and roll music, which caused some of us to have sex and get muddy at Woodstock.

(I say “some” of us – because I had a job that summer and missed Woodstock.)

More from Dave Ross: Social media companies must be responsible for content they broadcast

How television and companies like TikTok differ

But the big difference between TV and social media – was that the TV was in the living room, and we usually watched with our parents, and they had the power to shut it off at any time.

Social media works even under the covers.

There was a vigorous discussion about in The New York Times, and I want to read this comment from a reader named CC, writing from Paris, who says:

“I am a tech founder and … Knowing tech, the idea that a social media platform will adequately shield your child from questionable content …is laughable.  Even if they wanted to, it is vastly difficult (and with no financial return to please shareholders). There is an indescribable amount of terrible content on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube … because PEOPLE WATCH IT…

As a parent, the idea that any responsible human would give their child unhindered access to a phone and social media for five to six hours per day is terrifying.  At the risk of sounding judgmental, the correct amount of social media time for people under 16 is zero. I desperately wish we could clean up the internet for our young people, but it’s not going to happen. WE… the adults, need to guard … our young people from online perils, just like we would stop them from wandering around alone at night in a bad neighbourhood.”

Other readers replied that they tried getting kids off social media but, “it’s close to impossible.”

Dave Ross content: We built it, and they had better come

My kids are grown. I’m in no position to give advice.  But I agree – social media companies won’t change their business model, and the government isn’t coming to the rescue.  So your choice is to surrender, or get those kids hooked on safer media alternatives.

I’d suggest radio. It’s free, it’s instant, and it’s everywhere – although, I’d stick to the talk stations.  The music stations are still all about the sex.

Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/thedaveross

Listen to the Seattle’s Morning News w/ Dave Ross & Colleen O’Brien Show every weekday at 5am on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM

Listen to the Gee and Ursula Show every weekday at 9am on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM Listen to KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

It is hard to believe. I remember the slam books that circulated when I was in school – notebooks with the names of targeted classmates, surreptitiously passed around to attract snarky comments.

Teachers confiscated them despite the First Amendment – because they were a distraction, and because it’s not healthy for a kid to be ripped apart in public. And back then, we were only looking at an audience of maybe a few dozen.

Today, there’s no limit.

And there needs to be a limit.

Current federal law holds social media companies immune from prosecution for today’s equivalent of the slam book.

That’s because the law pretends social media is like the phone company. But it’s not. A phone call takes place in private between people who agree to the conversation.

More from Dave Ross: We built it, and they had better come

Social media companies broadcast content

But a message posted where anyone can see it?  That’s not a phone call, that’s a broadcast. And it should be treated just like a broadcast is. That’s why we’re on an audio delay. I’ve been on the air here for 46 years – no one is more trustworthy than I am.  OK, maybe Colleen. Yet, we’re still on a delay because the company is held responsible for everything we broadcast.

I suppose we should be insulted, but you know what? We manage live with it.

And the time has come for social media companies to accept the same responsibility for the stuff that they allow to be broadcast.

Dave Ross content: Does the right to protest outweigh the right to learn?

There’s a lot of evidence that unsupervised platforms have helped create an epidemic of depression and classroom distraction among children. A business model like that can’t hide behind the first amendment any more than a gun smuggler can hide behind the second.

Just as your freedom to travel doesn’t mean it’s OK for the mechanic to forget to screw the bolts on.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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“For the last few years now, we’ve heard two presidents, not just President Biden but also former President Trump, argue that there is a national security issue with TikTok, but the government has never made a public accounting of what that issue is,” CBC Tech Contributor Ian Sherr said on Seattle’s Morning News.

More on TikTok: Cantwell must not obstruct full Senate from debating TikTok’s future

Sherr said there have been private meetings with Congress where the case has been made, but the American public has yet to hear any of it. That could be what spurred the lawsuit by TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance. The lawsuit argues the ban violates the First Amendment.

“Part of what I think is going to be interesting about this lawsuit is that it may force the government to actually be able to explain itself and explain what this danger is, instead of merely gesturing at national security as a reason for doing it,” Sherr said.

ByteDance’s lawsuit goes on to explain that this is the first time in history that Congress has singled out a company (which they refer to as a “speech platform”) for a ban. And therefore, bars millions of Americans and others from taking part in this online community.

While evidence of this “national security risk” has been hard to come by, Sherr shared a story about running app Strava, which was really popular among members of the military for a time. The app tracked the user’s runs and allowed competition among friends, but also featured a map of the U.S. that became problematic.

More from Colleen O’Brien: Mount McKinley became Denali; will Mount Rainier’s name also change?

“It had a map of the United States where you could see where everyone was running” Sherr explained. “Well, if you zoomed in on suspected classified areas of this country, imagine in the desert somewhere, you could see where people were running around nuclear silos, right. And suddenly, this app was leaking national security (information).”

Right now, the lawsuit sits with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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“I think Mount Rainier, the name will change. I think they’ll change it to ‘Taquoma,’ eventually, probably in our lifetimes. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” Banel said on “Seattle’s Morning News” Wednesday.

The exact pronunciation of “Taquoma” is also up for debate. While Banel will give it a softer ‘h’ like ‘Tahoma’ some tribes pronounce the name with a sound emanating from the back of the throat and truer to the ‘qu’ in the name. How to pronounce it will be up to the tribes at the center of the push to rename Mount Rainier.

“With the English language, there’s certain poetry to names like ‘Rainier’ and ‘Baker’. It’s sort of so familiar, but ya know, it’s a terrific debate to keep having continually,” Banel said.

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names would ultimately have to approve of the name change and they are well aware of the Puyallup Tribe’s efforts.

“(They’ve been) engaged in a years long process to create consensus around the indigenous community about what they would like it renamed. So, I do think in our lifetimes, we’ll see a change like that and it’ll be like Denali up in Alaska, but a bigger deal,” Banel said.

More on the history of Denali

I turned to various online sources to understand the history of Denali, and how it might inform the potential fight ahead of local tribes to rename Mount Rainier. The name for Denali was ensnared in a years-long battle between the federal government and Alaska.

In 1975, it was the Alaska legislature who lobbied the federal government to change the name from “Mount McKinley” (after a gold prospector and also President William McKinley) to “Denali,” which would pay homage to the Indigenous tribe that first named the mountain ‘Deenaalee’ meaning ‘the high one.’

It wasn’t until President Barack Obama’s administration that the name change was granted. (Readers can view of a PDF of the Department of Interior’s order to change the name as a PDF here).

Interestingly, according to CNN, when then-President Donald Trump was in office, he met with senators from Alaska to ask about reversing it. But his efforts, apparently, ended there.

Feliks Banel joins “Seattle’s Morning News” every Wednesday and Friday for his features on local history. You can click on the player above or head here to hear the full conversation about Mount Rainier, which began with a brief history of Northwest explorer Captain George Vancouver‘s adventures and the fact that he is still honored to this day at a tiny cemetery in England.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @http://twitter.com/ColleenKIROFM

The district has a massive budget shortfall it needs to make up because COVID-19 funds that had been covering the looming funding cliff ran out.

At the same time Seattle is also closing all its advanced learning schools.

More in the city: Seattle Public Schools’ budget in disarray, could close 20 elementary schools

The district says it has no choice because it has lost thousands of students in the last five years. And since that’s how the state funds schools, the district is out of money.

The problem to any parent is clear: Closing elementary schools means much bigger class sizes. Returning highly capable kids to regular classrooms and expecting teachers to do more work with no extra help burns those teachers out and short changes all the kids.

PTAs will now be expected to raise even more money from families to try and keep things like art, music and PE classes, something many PTAs are already doing.

At some point the formula no longer makes sense to families. Those with means pull their kids out and go to private schools. Now with more than 20 elementary schools closing families with potential incoming students won’t even consider public schools but opt right into private and religious schools and those kids won’t come back.

And guess what happens next? The district loses tens of thousands more students and they must again cut and maybe close more schools. And on goes the cycle until what?

That takes us to the state capital

Which leads us to Olympia where truly the blame for all this should rest. Lawmakers say they fixed school funding when the State Supreme Court ordered them to do so under the McCleary ruling. What lawmakers really did was make things worse. They capped levies so bigger districts get less money. They changed the definition of basic education to exclude even things as crucial as nurses. They said the state should no longer help pay for veteran teachers leaving those costs to districts.

Funding problem fixed!

Wrong. Things are worse than ever and school districts big and small are now just left to watch as students, family and funding leaves.

Democrats, you control the House, Senate and governor’s mansion. If you want that to continue, you must announce a clear, concrete and actionable legislative plan to make this right and it must happen next legislative session or public schools as we know them in this state will be left circling the drain.

Travis Mayfield is a Seattle-based media personality and a fill-in host on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here.