Seattle Slaps 20¢ Fee on All Grocery Bags

(NEWSER) - The $1.4 million the plastics industry spent to defeat a grocery bag tax initiative paid off yesterday when Seattle voters defied their green reputation to reject the tax, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The measure would have charged shoppers 20 cents per plastic or paper bag as an incentive to reduce disposable bag use; 58% of Seattle voters said no. More»

City could see three times its average annual snowfall

(NEWSER) - A major snowstorm is expected to hit Seattle tonight, dumping as much as a foot by tomorrow evening. And it looks like things will get worse: Weather.com is predicting up to 18 inches in parts of the Seattle area within 48 hours; MSNBC notes that is three times the city's average annual snowfall of 5.9 inches. Other sections of Washington could see even more—and as much as 3.5 feet could hit the Cascades. In Portland, where the average annual snowfall is 2.4 inches, up to 8 inches of snow are expected. More»

It's got real 'queer cred,' says the Advocate

(NEWSER) - The Advocate has crunched the numbers to determine the "gayest cities in America." This isn't some census-based survey, but rather a "decidedly objective" equation that factors in everything from the number of elected LGBT officials to the presence of nude yoga classes. And the winners are:

1. Salt Lake City, Utah: Salt Lake? Yup. It's changed, boasting "more than a half-dozen hot spots for men and women," plus a lesbian-owned wine bar. The Sundance Film Festival brings in LGBT movie fans, too.
2. Orlando: Gay Days at Disney World, protections for domestic partners, and "more gay softball teams than you can shake a Louisville Slugger at," writes Matthew Breen.
3. Cambridge, Mass: Laws have protected transgenders since 1997, plus it has a gay club with male dancers six nights a week.
4. Fort Lauderdale: With less spring break thuggery and a growing number of gay bars and restaurants, this is a "rising homo mecca."
5. Seattle: A "robust LGBT scene," not to mention Dan Savage.

Seattle pair accused of filing false claims to get housing assistance

(NEWSER) - A dispatch from the Department of Injustices: A Seattle couple collected more than $135,000 in federal housing assistance since 2003, money that no doubt helped them maintain a lifestyle that included a $1.2 million waterfront home and trips to Moscow, Paris, Turkey, and Mexico. Chiropractor David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova stand accused of filing false claims, reports the AP , and the government says their ruse went something like this: Shimonova received Section 8 housing assistance (along with Social Security cash and other benefits via the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program) by claiming to live alone with her two kids, with household assets under $5,000. Silverstein, her "landlord," raked in the monthly benefits of $1,272. More»

But Phoenix Jones 'deeply misguided': official

(NEWSER) - Seattle’s “superhero”—the masked Phoenix Jones—has managed to avoid a possible assault charge after a pepper-spray showdown ; he says he was on a rescue mission. A city attorney says there wasn’t enough evidence for a jury to find him guilty, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. But make no mistake: Jones, whose real name is Benjamin Fodor, “is no hero”—he’s “just a deeply misguided individual.” the attorney says. “He has been warned that his actions put himself in danger, and this latest episode demonstrates that innocent bystanders can also be harmed.” More»