Melissa Davis
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msdavis.bsky.social
Melissa Davis
@msdavis.bsky.social
Seattle Times deputy opinion #editor #journalist
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A stunning essay about haiku in the age of AI. (If you'd like to submit an essay or op-ed to The Seattle Times, go here: st.news/write)
Why I haiku the way I do in the age of AI
A teacher shares the essence of haiku with his students, secretly hoping to sidestep AI.
www.seattletimes.com
Les was always a hero of mine. It's sad that his newsroom is folding. (And, yes, I have been to Vale.)
Oregon's Les Zaitz: Strong journalism key to local news success
Oregon's Malheur Enterprise is closing this month but the feisty weekly leaves a strong legacy and potentially a model for other local newspapers to succeed.
www.seattletimes.com
May 30, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Reposted by Melissa Davis
Dear Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, and the entire Senate GOP, all of whom obeyed the wanna-be king and voted yes on RFK Jr.: Thanks for nothing. Relitigating settled science won't save money. But it will almost certainly cost lives. www.reuters.com/business/hea...
Exclusive: U.S. CDC plans study into vaccines and autism, sources say
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning a large study into potential connections between vaccines and autism, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, despite extensive scientific research that has disproven or failed to find evidence of such links.
www.reuters.com
March 7, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Doctors are going to keep banging this drum and so am I. Vaccinations save lives. Get them. This outbreak and its spread was entirely preventable.
I'm a Seattle doctor. Here's what I need you to know about measles | Op-Ed
Measles is no longer a disease of the past or a problem that only occurs in faraway places. Measles is here today.
www.seattletimes.com
March 7, 2025 at 6:26 PM
What if communities that needed ferries could bypass the cumbersome state system and get their own? The editorial board floats the idea:
#washington #ferries #legislature
Empower local WA communities to sail their own ferries
The Legislature has a chance to help jumpstart local foot ferries at a time when they're needed most.
www.seattletimes.com
February 21, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Seattle voters: Seattle Public Schools' ask for levies could cost you -- a lot. We recommend you do your homework before you vote. Start here:
#election #education
Here's what The Seattle Times editorial board recommends for Seattle Public Schools' two levies on Feb. 11 ballot | Editorial
Seattle is proposing two levies to voters that it bills as "renewals" of prior spending plans. Yet the price tag is higher than ever.
www.seattletimes.com
January 24, 2025 at 1:36 AM
What we saw yesterday, from Elon Musk's Nazi salute to the renaming of Denali to the Jan. 6 pardons, is not normal, or OK, or "part of politics." It strikes right at the heart of our democracy.
Trump Jan. 6 pardons show us what we're in for | Editorial
The bullet directly to the heart of democracy is the sweeping pardon of nearly 1,600 who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
www.seattletimes.com
January 21, 2025 at 11:38 PM
From the editorial board @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social:
There will be time later for scrutiny. We need to stand with Los Angeles and share its people's grief, not take the opportunity to grandstand. Be decent.
Seattle to LA: We are here for you | Editorial
Los Angeles, your tears are our tears. From one West Coast city to the other, we stand with you and grieve with you.
www.seattletimes.com
January 15, 2025 at 1:49 AM
In light of news on @nytimes.com about childhood vaccination rates, a wee rant:
Your anti-vaxx email is making me sick
We already know some are not heeding the recommendations because 27 of Washington’s 39 counties recorded cases of whooping cough this year.
www.seattletimes.com
January 13, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Seattle Freeze is real, many op-ed writers have shared, but solutions are few. Here's a resident who did something about it:
Businesses ‘onboard’ new hires. Maybe Seattle should try it | Op-Ed
Social isolation has become an invisible threat to our democracy, impeding our ability to come together to solve complex challenges.
www.seattletimes.com
December 13, 2024 at 12:14 AM
An op-ed writer suggested we appoint, rather than elect, judges in Washington. But wait, 83% of our judges were appointed. Now what? A judge weighs in:
Why appointment is only part of the solution for a better WA judiciary | Op-Ed
The problem is not that we elect judges in our state; the problem is that we have no check and balance on how we fill vacant judicial positions.
www.seattletimes.com
December 10, 2024 at 12:50 AM
Vinyl on Capitol Hill. Drink/listen local, y'all. @theurbanologist.bsky.social
December 5, 2024 at 5:45 AM
Reposted by Melissa Davis
Scoop: After the LA Times published a piece about Elon Musk that carried a headline owner Patrick Soon-Shiong didn't like, a new rule was implemented: Prior to publishing opinion stories, headlines must be emailed to Soon-Shiong, where he can then choose to weigh in. www.status.news/p/los-angele...
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Staffers at the Los Angeles Times described to Status a demoralized publication depleted of its spirit in which employees are "confused," "offended," and "frustrated."
www.status.news
December 5, 2024 at 4:38 AM
Glass can be recycled infinitely and born anew. Why isn't it? Here's why:
Closure of WA glass plant shows need for reforming recycling system | Editorial
The failure of a Seattle glass manufacturing facility exposes a weakness in Washington’s recycling system that lawmakers should fix.
www.seattletimes.com
December 4, 2024 at 12:13 AM
This Saturday's My Take essay, about immigration, is by a woman who has "welcomed the stranger."
Observe, wait, listen: How to bridge our differences in D.C. and in WA
We must remind our leaders of these basics: Listen deeply and well, and work toward common ground.
www.seattletimes.com
November 22, 2024 at 10:31 PM
Reposted by Melissa Davis
The journalist shield bill passed the House unanimously. It has support from Jim Jordan, Mike Lee and Tucker Carlson.

But now Trump says "REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL!"

The bill would codify protections against the feds seizing the records of journalists.

www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/u...
Trump Tells Republicans to ‘Kill’ Reporter Shield Bill Passed Unanimously by House
The bill, known as the PRESS Act, would codify protections against federal investigators seizing reporters’ records. It is now less likely the legislation would clear the Senate before the current ses...
www.nytimes.com
November 21, 2024 at 5:46 AM
Seattle's winter eviction moratorium demonstrates the Law of Unintended Consequences, two op-ed authors opine.
Seattle’s winter eviction moratorium is endangering affordable housing
It has become easy for those who don't need eviction protection to simply stop paying, endangering affordable housing programs.
www.seattletimes.com
November 22, 2024 at 12:16 AM
A stunning essay about haiku in the age of AI. (If you'd like to submit an essay or op-ed to The Seattle Times, go here: st.news/write)
Why I haiku the way I do in the age of AI
A teacher shares the essence of haiku with his students, secretly hoping to sidestep AI.
www.seattletimes.com
November 19, 2024 at 1:02 AM