The Morning Cup: Seattle’s Police Shakeup, Trump’s DOJ Fight, and a Senate Battle Brewing

Seattle is still reeling from a massive week

Photo: Sean Bartley / Cup Of Culture

This is obviously the story closest to home for me, and after covering yesterday’s press conference at City Hall, there are still a lot of questions that need answers.

Mayor Katie Wilson is defending her decision to push Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes out following the deadly Bite of Seattle shooting and the chaotic response that followed.

Wilson told KUOW that she had lost confidence in Barnes’ leadership. She also strongly denied a claim from an SPD source that she personally delayed public notification following the shooting.

That distinction matters.

Seattle isn’t just dealing with a change in police leadership. The city is still dealing with the aftermath of a mass shooting, an ongoing investigation, questions about communication during the response, and a public that deserves transparency about what happened.

Barnes’ resignation was announced Thursday.

And this story is nowhere near finished.

Trump’s fight over the Justice Department is escalating

Photo: NBC News

Meanwhile, Washington is heading toward another major confirmation fight, as usual.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to take up the nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general on Tuesday, according to reporting circulating overnight.

Blanche isn’t simply another conservative lawyer entering the Trump administration. He previously served as one of Donald Trump’s personal defense attorneys.

That alone makes the confirmation battle worth watching closely.

Trump has spent years attacking the independence of institutions investigating him while demanding extraordinary loyalty from the people surrounding him.

Now the Senate gets to decide whether another person from Trump’s personal legal orbit should lead the Department of Justice.

That hearing could become one of the biggest political stories of the coming week.

Democrats see an unexpected House opportunity in Ohio

Here’s one that could matter enormously as we move closer to the midterms.

Democrats increasingly believe Republican Rep. Max Miller’s northeast Ohio congressional seat could become competitive as allegations of abuse against Miller generate new political pressure.

Miller denies the allegations. But Democrats are already looking at a district that previously might not have received nearly this much attention.

And this is exactly why we need to watch individual House races instead of treating the midterms like one giant national poll.

Control of Congress can come down to a handful of seats.

A district suddenly becoming competitive because of a scandal, a strong challenger or changing political conditions can alter the entire battlefield.

Keep this one on the radar.

Seattle enters a new chapter

Photo: Sean Bartley (Cup Of Culture)

I want to end back here at home.

The last week has been brutal for Seattle.

People were killed. Families are grieving. Our city has been demanding answers. And now the police department itself is entering a period of leadership transition while investigators continue working to determine exactly what happened at Seattle Center.

There are going to be political fights about Mayor Wilson’s decision. It is happening right now.

The press conference I attended yesterday was tense.

And honestly,there should be scrutiny.

But there also needs to be room for something incredibly basic: asking questions before deciding we already know all the answers.

That’s part of why independent journalism matters.

Yesterday I got to sit inside Seattle City Hall and ask those questions directly.

I plan on continuing to do exactly that.

Because whether we’re talking about the White House, Congress or our own city government, elected officials work for the public.

And the public deserves answers.

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That’s your Morning Cup for Saturday, August 1.

I’ll be following these stories throughout the day, especially everything developing here in Seattle.

If you value independent progressive journalism and want to help me keep doing this work, consider becoming a paid subscriber to Cup of Culture.

There is a hell of a lot to cover.

And we’re just getting started.

Sean