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Sydney Brownstone

@sydbrownstone

Investigative reporter @theseattletimes. Biological parent of two cats and married to @willjames. Email: sbrownstone@seattletimes.com

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02.12.2024
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Latest posts by Sydney Brownstone @sydbrownstone

Preview
Big Tech took down new data center regulations, WA lawmaker says But tech lobbyists for companies like Microsoft and Amazon, and their allies, rallied against the proposal.

A story in three words: Big Tech won.

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

03.03.2026 21:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 4 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Callers to Washington state hotline press 2 for Spanish and get accented AI English instead Callers to Washington stateโ€™s driverโ€™s license agency who select automated service in Spanish are instead hearing an AI voice speaking English with a strong Spanish accent.

Callers to Washington stateโ€™s driverโ€™s license agency who select automated service in Spanish are instead hearing an AI voice speaking English with a strong Spanish accent.

27.02.2026 17:30 ๐Ÿ‘ 1988 ๐Ÿ” 734 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 133 ๐Ÿ“Œ 513

Now give the student who turned down this job a column to talk about why. I bet itโ€™s good.

16.02.2026 19:02 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Seattle CHOP verdict: City must pay $30.5 million to family of slain teen A King County jury found Seattle was negligent in its response to the fatal shooting of a teenager in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone in 2020.

Jurors ruled that the City of Seattle must pay $30.5 million to the father and estate of Antonio Mays Jr., the 16-year-old reportedly slain by "CHOP security" in 2020 during the Seattle racial justice protests. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

29.01.2026 22:55 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

"Be petty and incredibly annoying with authority." Yes yes yes yes yes yes

29.12.2025 23:13 ๐Ÿ‘ 21 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€˜60 Minutesโ€™ correspondent says CBSโ€™s Bari Weiss abruptly pulled segment on Trump deportations CBS News pulled a โ€˜60 Minutesโ€™ segment about a prison in El Salvador one day before it was set to air because the Trump administration declined to participate.

Hereโ€™s a gift link to this stunner Washpost story, quoting the 60 Minutes correspondent on the CECOT story, who accuses Bari Weiss of spiking the piece all because the Trump Administration wouldnโ€™t comment.

โ€œGovernment silence is a statement, not a VETO.โ€

wapo.st/3YL4T3D

22.12.2025 03:14 ๐Ÿ‘ 2055 ๐Ÿ” 827 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 69 ๐Ÿ“Œ 61
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New footage of teen killed at Seattle CHOP discovered on eve of trial The clip was in hundreds of hours of video livestreamed by Omari Salisbury, one of the first reporters on the scene after Antonio Mays Jr.โ€™s unsolved shooting.

My colleagues and I have interviewed dozens of people about the death of 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr., reportedly shot by CHOP security.

Themes we often hear: He was up to no good. Security was protecting us.

Hereโ€™s a video of Mays 3 days before his death.

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

05.12.2025 19:14 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Years ago, my colleagues at Business Insider and I tracked YouTuber โ€œcancellationโ€ arcs. What we found is that for many entertainers, โ€œcancellationโ€ actually sets the stage for a redemption arc, one that can raise their profile higher than ever. It wasnโ€™t career-ending. It was fuel.

29.11.2025 21:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 2577 ๐Ÿ” 530 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 40 ๐Ÿ“Œ 25
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Moral rot in elite journalism is killing the whole field The Nuzzi/RFK Jr. mess and the revelation of Epsteinโ€™s journo pals lay bare a profound moral absence at the heart of our free press.

"Some people in the industry don't think ethics and rules apply to themโ€”due to their desire for power and influence, pursuit of โ€˜friendshipโ€™ with sources, or a combination of some or all of those things." - @karenho.bsky.social.

www.thehandbasket.co/p/moral-rot-...

19.11.2025 18:27 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Chief Shon Barnes fires top civilian leaders in Seattle police The police departmentโ€™s chief operating officer, Brian Maxey, and general counsel, Rebecca Boatright, were let go by Chief Shon Barnes, sources said.

The Seattle Police Department's chief operating officer, Brian Maxey, and chief legal officer, Becca Boatright, were both sacked this morning. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

05.11.2025 20:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 6 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 7
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Big Tech got a billion in tax breaks. What did WA get?

What began in the 1990s as a modest incentive meant to foster economic development in a nascent field became a billion-dollar windfall of questionable effectiveness.

02.11.2025 14:37 ๐Ÿ‘ 8 ๐Ÿ” 4 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Tell us about your experiences at CHOP Five years on, we hope people will be willing to speak with us about what they witnessed at the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest. If you participated in the protests or policing, or you observed either f...

Dozens of people were present at the killing of Antonio Mays Jr. at CHOP.

Several people witnessed it. Someone knows who the shooters were.

Talk to us. st.news/chopsurvey

27.10.2025 17:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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New Seattle CHOP videos contradict cityโ€™s narratives on teen death A fatherโ€™s civil suit reveals videos that could change how the public views the unsolved, highly politicized death of his son. A trial set for next week could be the publicโ€™s last chance for answers.

5 yrs after a Black teen was killed at CHOP, city officials + some protesters say he was firing a gun before he was shot.

Thereโ€™s no evidence of that in videos weโ€™ve reviewed, including those filed by city to defend itself in a lawsuit from the boyโ€™s father.

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

26.10.2025 19:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 18 ๐Ÿ” 9 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Breaking: he enjoys pets!!!!

14.10.2025 17:40 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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This is Panther, and he is the goodest boy at the King County Superior Court Clerkโ€™s Office.

14.10.2025 17:39 ๐Ÿ‘ 10 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
ChuMinh Tofu | Best Vietnamese food in Seattle, WA | Vietnamese food near me ChuMinh Tofu offers delicious food at multiple locations. Enjoy our great food and exceptional service near you.

Chu Minh Tofu - Tanya, the proprietor, is a former Buddhist monk and has two locations. If you go to the Little Saigon location, you can walk to the International District, visit Uwajimaya, get some boba, etc. chuminhtofu.com

04.09.2025 20:11 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Former State Senator Joe Fain Candidate for KUOWโ€™s Board, Station Reported on Rape Allegations Against Him The first thing that pops up when you Google “KUOW Joe Fain,” is the station’s headline from 2018. “‘You raped me.’ Former Seattle official accuses Washington state...

Whoa:

Former Republican State Senator Joe Fain Is a Candidate for KUOWโ€™s Board

KUOW, Seattleโ€™s NPR station, reported on rape allegations against him in 2018

28.08.2025 18:42 ๐Ÿ‘ 42 ๐Ÿ” 16 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 8 ๐Ÿ“Œ 9
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At 35 years old I have learned that "sub" is short for "submarine sandwich." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/u...

27.08.2025 17:15 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Matt Remle! www.linkedin.com/in/matt-reml...

18.08.2025 19:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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ATTN CAPITOL HILL! Blewett, famous porch sitter of 14th (youโ€™ll often see him with his brother Snoqualmie), is missing. Check your basements and laundry rooms, where he has been known to frequent!

18.07.2025 00:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 6 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
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JUST IN: Judge restrains LAPD from using nonlethal munitions against journalists, detaining or assaulting journalists covering protests or restricting their movements under most circumstances..

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

11.07.2025 15:40 ๐Ÿ‘ 2618 ๐Ÿ” 739 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 79 ๐Ÿ“Œ 86
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Tell us about your experiences at CHOP Five years on, we hope people will be willing to speak with us about what they witnessed at the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest. If you participated in the protests or policing, or you observed either f...

Did you participate in or observe CHOP? Know anything about CHOP security? We want to hear about it here: st.news/chopsurvey

28.06.2025 16:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Mays letter

We found a note Antonio Jr., the slain 16-year-old, left for his dad before he came to CHOP. "โ€œI am fighting for a cause," he wrote. "One day I want my sister to live in a world where her skin wonโ€™t be the cause of any pain for her physically or emotionaly.โ€

www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...

28.06.2025 16:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Lost evidence and โ€˜attorneysโ€™ eyes onlyโ€™: New info in 2020 CHOP killing Five years after a teenโ€™s killing ended the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, the homicide case is shrouded in secrecy and potential evidence has disappeared.

This week is the five-year anniversary of the unsolved, fatal shooting that ended CHOP. We have an update on details of the case - including potential evidence police may have lost - and are continuing to talk to people about what they know or remember.

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

28.06.2025 16:17 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€˜They took away my American dreamโ€™: A federal biologist in Seattle let go of her job to save benefits Anna Kagley began her science career with the federal government 38 years ago. Suddenly, it was over.

Thank you @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social @isabellabreda.bsky.social & Lynda Mapes for capturing the story of one of the most inspiring scientists and human beings I know. @noaa.gov and all of us have lost.

The dreams Trump is taking away from so many - those are the ones that made America great.

23.06.2025 16:54 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 5 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Hi, this is Meg Barnette, Brad's wife.

While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE.

This is still developing, and our team is monitoring the situation closely.

17.06.2025 16:51 ๐Ÿ‘ 28451 ๐Ÿ” 11139 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2164 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1836
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Unbelievably proud to have collaborated with these two, who just won the nation's top honor for young journalists for their work on Lost Patients.

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

11.06.2025 18:35 ๐Ÿ‘ 15 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Also I am watching a pilot eating dinner with headphones on and I wonder if heโ€™s listening to Evanescence

06.06.2025 02:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I am a deeply anxious flyer. The last time I was at an airport I had a panic attack and threw up. No joke, watching โ€œThe Rehearsalโ€ has made me feel so much better about flying โ€” especially knowing a lot of pilots have probably watched it too.

06.06.2025 02:27 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
I've learned that in the lead-up to Hegseth's upcoming trip to Singapore, the Pentagon quietly attempted to block CNN producer Haley Britzky from serving as the designated television pooler. Because space on such trips is limited, the press corps designates a small group of reporters to travel with the secretary and share information with the broader press. Britzky had been slated for the role. But Pentagon officials- apparently irked by some of her tweets, despite their innocuous nature
- relayed to CNN brass that she was not welcome.

I've learned that in the lead-up to Hegseth's upcoming trip to Singapore, the Pentagon quietly attempted to block CNN producer Haley Britzky from serving as the designated television pooler. Because space on such trips is limited, the press corps designates a small group of reporters to travel with the secretary and share information with the broader press. Britzky had been slated for the role. But Pentagon officials- apparently irked by some of her tweets, despite their innocuous nature - relayed to CNN brass that she was not welcome.

The move was a plain act of retribution, a targeted attempt by the Pentagon to sideline a journalist for doing her job in a way that it did not like. It triggered immediate backlash. Reporters from other news organizations expressed outrage, with other outlets indicating that if Britzky was excluded, they too would pull out of the tripโ€”effectively denying Hegseth the press coverage he relies on for visibility. โ€œThey donโ€™t get to decide who covers them,โ€ one correspondent told me.
After a brief standoff, I'm told the Pentagon relented. Britzky will travel with Hegseth as originally planned. A CNN spokesperson declined to comment and a Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to a request for one Monday evening.

The move was a plain act of retribution, a targeted attempt by the Pentagon to sideline a journalist for doing her job in a way that it did not like. It triggered immediate backlash. Reporters from other news organizations expressed outrage, with other outlets indicating that if Britzky was excluded, they too would pull out of the tripโ€”effectively denying Hegseth the press coverage he relies on for visibility. โ€œThey donโ€™t get to decide who covers them,โ€ one correspondent told me. After a brief standoff, I'm told the Pentagon relented. Britzky will travel with Hegseth as originally planned. A CNN spokesperson declined to comment and a Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to a request for one Monday evening.

Pete Hegsethโ€™s Defense Department tried to bar a CNN journalist from serving as a pool reporter for an upcoming foreign trip.

Other reporters threatened to boycott the trip.

Guess what happened next.

The Pentagon caved.

Via @oliverdarcy.bsky.social

www.status.news/p/pete-hegse...

27.05.2025 11:39 ๐Ÿ‘ 2427 ๐Ÿ” 692 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 74 ๐Ÿ“Œ 86