Slog AM: Turkey Quake Kills Thousands, Biden Pops Chinese Balloon, Seattle Considers School Closures in 2024

It’s going to happen to us: A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Turkey and Syria, killing at least 2,300. The quake hit during a freezing winter’s night, catching many asleep. Videos and photos from the Associated Press show rescue workers in puffy coats carrying people out of rubble. The Seattle Times has a list of places to send donations. 

TV reporter runs as second quake hits Turkey while he’s live on air.

Latest updates: https://t.co/1RsQtzGLG2 pic.twitter.com/bcXhANk97B

— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 6, 2023

Biden pops Chinese spy balloon: The aircraft floated at an altitude of 60,000 feet over the US mainland last week before American fighter jets shot it down over the Atlantic ocean this weekend. The Chinese government described it as a weather-tracking “civilian airship” that was blown off course, but US defense officials say this ominous balloon was “used for surveillance purposes.” When the US military downed the balloon on Saturday, China called it an “overreaction,” and the “indiscriminate use of military force” has damaged relations between the countries.

Video captures the moment U.S. fighter jets shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast on Saturday. The balloon had been hovering over the U.S. since Thursday. https://t.co/jtFYaViB18 pic.twitter.com/oHW4tUjbTT

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 4, 2023

New poll just dropped, and Democrats are NOT feeling Biden for another term. According to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, only 37% of Democrats are down for four more years of Uncle Joe. Many respondents expressed concern over Biden being 80 years old and leading the country. “We could use someone younger in the office,” said one Dem from North Carolina. She’s not wrong!

But do you think a little thing like public opinion will stop Joe THEE Biden? No way. The octogenarian centrist will appear before Congress tomorrow at 6 pm PDT to deliver the State of the Union address, wherein he will basically lay out his argument for a second term while attempting to project youthful vigor, according to NPR. Power is the purest drug. 

The Grammys happened last night: And a lot of history was made! Viola Davis is officially an EGOT, Kim Petras became the first trans woman to win the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Brandi Carlile thanked Seattle, and Beyonce snagged three of those little trophies and set the record for the most wins in Grammy history. But, unbelievably, she lost Album of the Year to Harry Styles, lol. WHATEVER. Also, hip-hop is officially 50 years old, and some of the best in the game came out to the ceremony to pay tribute to the genre that changed the world.

Beyoncé gives acceptance speech at the #Grammys for Renaissance: “I’d like to thank the queer community for your love and for inventing the genre.” pic.twitter.com/t6t4Jk5r7x

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 6, 2023

Booooo! AMC Theatres now wants to charge customers different prices based on seat location, like it’s a music concert or sporting event, reports Variety. The change will start in a few select cities, but it will hit all AMCs by the year’s end. Tomato, tomato, tomato!

Seattle Public Schools talks of school closures in 2024: “At a recent workshop, senior staff discussed the need to ‘consolidate into a system of well-resourced schools.’ Staff layoffs could also be on the table,” reports The Seattle Times. Interim Deputy Superintendent Fred Podesta thinks closing schools is “good strategy whether you have money problems or not.”

“Chemicals of concern”: KING 5 reports on “antibiotics, antidepressants and even makeup—like lipstick and mascara” that winds up in the Puget Sound, where it gets into underwater flora and fauna and fucks up fish reproduction. Scientists and the county plan to study the problem and prioritize the worst chemicals. In the meantime, stop pouring old medications down drains and toilets. 

Melt them: Federal Way hosted its “first ever” gun buyback day, and the event was so successful that the City ran out of its allotted $25,000 in gift cards early, reports KIRO 7. The idea aimed to get guns “off the street,” but the people the TV news station interviewed said they found their weapons in piles of stuff their dead parents left behind and just kinda wanted to get it out of the house. 

The new Frasier will be shot in Boston: No Roz, no Niles, no Daphne, and no Seattle, either, reports MyNorthwest. Snooooooze. 

Who’s fucking with the internet in Edmonds? The school district’s internet remains shut down after officials noticed “suspicious activities” in its network last week, according to KOMO. While the web is down, students can’t complete assignments and teachers can’t grade work. The district plans to get stuff running again in the next “several days,” but it isn’t releasing any more info due to the “ongoing investigation.” 

No choice but to end AM with the song Bad Bunny didn’t perform last night to open up the Grammys: