Brew me up a mug of American Cop.
Brew me up a mug of American Cop. PHOTO BY KAREN DUCEY/GETTY IMAGES

Please, won't somebody think of the bridges? Only 37% of Washington's bridges are in good condition. The rest are deteriorating. They need help. Really, they need money. Washington will need to spend $14.8 billion just to keep our infrastructure in satisfactory condition, which translates to "not crumbling," according to the Seattle Times. Maybe some of that sweet, sweet Biden money will help us out?

Boeing sloughs off its real estate: The aerospace company just put its Commercial Airplanes headquarters in Renton up for sale. This is now the fifth Boeing property in the Puget Sound region on the market. Boeing executives say that this is simply a sign of reduced office space needs in the post-COVID world.

Rep. Matt Gaetz asked for a pre-emptive pardon from Trump: The New York Times is reporting that Gaetz asked then-President Donald Trump to provide him a blanket, pre-emptive pardon for any crimes he may have committed. He also asked Trump to pardon unnamed Congressional associates. Gaetz is currently in hot water for potentially violating sex trafficking laws during his alleged relationship with a 17-year-old girl. The Department of Justice was investigating Gaetz on those allegations around the time he asked for the pardon, but it's unclear how much Gaetz knew about the investigation.

The vaccine passport question is tricky: President Joe Biden has said that he will not be requiring U.S. citizens to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine status, otherwise known as a "vaccine passport." Some companies, schools, and other countries like the vaccine passport idea, though. But, equity issues already plagued the vaccine rollout, and a vaccine passport requirement could widen that divide. Plus, the anti-vaxxers would probably secede from the union. It's a sticky debate.

Mariners pitcher James Paxton left the game early last night: He blamed it on elbow pain. That is not a good ailment for a pitcher. Paxton couldn't even finish the second inning. The Mariners lost to the White Sox 10-4.

Amazon profits on the death of malls: Amazon is buying up dying shopping malls across the country and turning them into fulfillment centers. From 2016 to 2019, Amazon bought and converted 25 malls. Amazon and e-commerce dealt the killing blow to malls, and now Amazon is inhabiting the corpses.

The rain is coming back:

China says don't boycott the Olympics: Human rights groups are urging countries to boycott the 2022 Beijing Olympics because of China's continued human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims. The U.S. State Department said it has no plans to join the boycott. Canada is mulling over a boycott. China warned the U.S. of an unspecified “robust Chinese response” in the event of a boycott.

Another anti-trans bill: North Carolina lawmakers introduced a bill this week that would limit treatment for trans people under 21. The bill would prevent doctors from performing gender confirmation surgery, providing hormone treatment, or puberty blockers. Also, the bill will require state employees to out anyone under 21 who seems gender non-conforming by telling that person's parents in writing. This is just the latest anti-trans bill to make its way through Republican-majority state legislatures.

Who is going to buy me some Loren Culp coffee beans? The Minuteman Coffee Company ("Unapologetically Patriotic") is a coffee company with roasts called "Come and Take It" (dark roast), "I Miss America" (special dark roast), and the Confederate-flag themed "Rebel Yell!" (white roast). Loren Culp, failed Washington gubernatorial candidate and former small-town police chief, has his own roast called "American Cop" (Sumatran Columbian dark roast).

Lightning keeps striking in the Arctic: This shouldn't happen. Thunderstorms are common in warm climates. The fact that strikes are common in the Arctic at all these days is alarming and shows how much warmer the region is. By 2100, scientists estimate Arctic lightning strikes could double, mostly due to a positive feedback loop where warmer weather causes lightning, which may result in more fires that cause more warming.

I will not pretend to understand this: But Bitcoin mining is so bad for the environment that the practice could use more energy than all of Italy by 2024, VICE reports.

Oh my god, what? Mayor Jenny Durkan rationalized reimplementing the 72-hour parking ban by saying it would encourage people to use transit and deter the use of single-occupancy vehicles. During the pandemic, Durkan suspended the rule that forbade people from leaving their car in the same spot for more than three days. Now, she's putting it back in action. The people who will be most impacted are those who are living in their cars. This isn't some way to make transit more attractive. Plus, this would be the first time Durkan did something to encourage transit use lmao.

Amnesty International says Russia is slowly killing Putin critic: Alexei Navalny, an opponent of Vladimir Putin, was poisoned last year. He lived and is now imprisoned for "parole violations." Amnesty International said that the conditions Navalny is facing in prison may be slowly killing him because he's subjected to sleep deprivation and doesn't have adequate medical access.

The spiciest local election: Two frontline workers at PCC Community Markets are running for election to the co-op's board. They made the choice to run after PCC's CEO opposed pandemic hazard pay for grocery workers. If you're a PCC member, you can vote. Voting starts tomorrow. You can see all the candidates here.

In the post-pandemic are you going to go on a Botox binge?

He is just doing his job:

A crossword for your Wednesday: Please cross these words responsibly.