NEW in Bolts: Oregon has a novel program for providing one-on-one career coaching and job support for people after release. Budget cuts are threatening the program. Our latest collaboration with @investigatewest.bsky.social:

Good news tonight: Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, the disabled U.S. veteran who has been detained by ICE since August, was released today from the NWDC in Tacoma. Chaudhry is a prominent anti-war activist and husband of former congressional candidate Melissa Chaudhry. His immigration case remains active.

TONIGHT: Coinciding with the winter solstice at 4:21PM, volunteers with SHARE/WHEEL will hold a vigil for the 245 homeless people who died in the Seattle area this year. Since 2022, the group has honored more than 1,100 people who passed away while unhoused or in public due to violence.

This is one of the worst science-related actions we've seen from this administration this year, and that's saying a lot.

Remember when all those people were outraged about COVID-19 vaccine checks to enter venues? Where is that energy now as the State of Texas is actually compiling lists of a marginalized minority group?

Allie’s killing was truly heartbreaking. @typewriteralley.bsky.social did a great job reporting on the vigil and protest

People living near the Green River in the Tukwila Orillia area: evacuate immediately if you’re in the red zone!

Thank you all so much for the support. I’m blown away and deeply touched. 🥰 Also, if you want to stay connected and follow what I do next, check out my newsletter Gossip Guy: gossipguy.net

"Journalism needs active backing as our revenue streams dwindle and attacks from the far-right increase. If you take one thing away from this letter, let it be to support your favorite journalists so they can keep doing what they love."

After three years and nine months, today was my last day working as a staff reporter for @realchangenews.org. Over 196 issues (yes, I’m holding most of them in my hands) and 350+ articles, it was an immense honor to report on people and communities who make Seattle great, their many multitudes.

NEW: In 2021, Angie Davis was arrested and taken to the King County jail while suffering a mental health crisis. She was subjected to harsh conditions and not let out of her cell for 8 days. She's demanding change to the criminal legal and mental health systems www.realchangenews.org/news/2025/12...

tune in to today’s episode of @citycastseattle.bsky.social if you want to hear @guyoron.net’s and @eclectichutch.bsky.social’s real-time reaction to this totally normal SPOG tweet megaphone.link/CC1994527223

Back on @citycastseattle.bsky.social to break down the week's news with the great duo of @guyoron.net and @janehu.bsky.social. Listen below to us talk the new police contract, the state of Seattle's creative economy, plus Pride during the upcoming World Cup seattle.citycast.fm/podcasts/pol...

"In a memo, SBWU calculated the total annual cost of its demands to be approximately $80 million over the course of the contract. It said the amount was less than new CEO Brian Niccol’s pay over four months in 2024." #NoContractNoCoffee

NEW: As Starbucks baristas mark 4 years since their first successful union vote, they reached another milestone: The longest open-ended, national strike in the company’s history. I visited the U District Seattle store to talk to workers on the picket line: www.realchangenews.org/news/2025/12...

UPDATE: Last night, Philippine Airlines refused to allow Greggy Sorio's deportation after pressure from community members, activists and medical professionals. The company cited his poor health condition, saying Sorio was not fit fly. He remains in ICE detention for now.

Community members are rallying at the Northwest Detention Center to condemn ICE's deportation of Greggy Sorio, also known as Kuya G, to the Philippines. Sorio is scheduled to be deported today at 6PM. Organizers with the Tanggol Migrante Movement, a coalition of Filipino Americans,

Seattle! From Tanggol Migrante: 🚨EMERGENCY CAMP-OUT AT NWDC: ICE DENIES STAY ORDER AND THREATENS TO DEPORT CRITICALLY ILL KUYA G🚨 In response to ICE wrongfully denying Kuya G’s Stay of Removal today, we are camping at the NWDC starting tonight at 7:30 PM.

Seattle Starbucks workers are once again on the picket line. This time they’re digging in for the long-term, nationwide strike. @guyoron.net reports.

hey so that sounds like total shit. really fucking awful. bleak. soul and society destroying. world eating levels of bad.

A new issue has hit the #Seattle streets! In this week's paper: - @guyoron.net covers @sbworkersunited.org's nationwide strike. - Our newsroom announces our new generative AI policy. - Dev Manager Kelly Nguyen writes about the power of community. 📍Find a vendor now: tinyurl.com/find-a-vendor

I’m proud to join my colleagues @realchangenews.org in taking a stand on AI, making it clear that we do not and will not use any generative AI software in our journalism. www.realchangenews.org/news/2025/12...

Community members will protest today at NWDC against the impending deportation of Filipino American Greggy “Kuya G” Sorio. The Tanggol Migrante Movement says that months of detention in harsh conditions has made Sorio ill, forcing him to undergo hospitalization and amputation.

Sometimes journalism can feel like an impossibility in 2025. Especially journalism that holds power accountable, that fights against elite interests. Fascist governments seek to silence us, whether by bullying, censorship and intimidation or more directly bombs and bullets.

Katie Wilson, Seattle’s newly elected mayor, has embraced a city-owned startup designed to emulate Vienna’s social housing model, which involves a public developer building housing designed to be permanently affordable.

Shout out to local journalists @guyoron.net @amysundberg.bsky.social for your excellent contributions to @boltsmag.org

"Government-owned public housing has been one of the most significant lifelines of deep affordability for the lowest-income families. But due to decades of defunding and neglect, public housing has gone into disrepair and tenants are left to live with mold, leaks, broken appliances and more."

Some great news for Seattle arts and housing fans ahead of the long weekend: Common Area Maintenance has officially acquired the El Rey property, marking a key step in the organization’s journey to build dozens of new artist residency and affordable housing units.

VIDEO: Seattle Starbucks workers are on strike right now, trying to achieve their first contract to secure a living wage, proper staffing and good working conditions. I spoke to Emma Cox, a barista at the U District Starbucks who’s helping lead the picket line at her store.

I had a great time chatting with @janehu.bsky.social and @shasti.bsky.social on @citycastseattle.bsky.social about the state of the Democratic party, the ongoing strike by Starbucks workers and how state politicians can better respond to attacks by ICE: megaphone.link/CC1258353158

How LLMs generate judgments www.nature.com/articles/s43... "driven by lexical and statistical associations rather than deliberative reasoning"

King County Executive-elect Girmay Zahilay has responded to scrutiny over his appointment of Microsoft president Brad Smith, saying he condemns “any facilitation human rights violations committed in Gaza.” He pledged to continue to engage with major regional institutions like Microsoft.

VIDEO: Moments from Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s election night speech on Nov. 4:

In his final hours, Keith Gavin’s request for a halal final meal was denied by Alabama officials. "I’m a Muslim, I’m supposed to be eating halal food,” he told Bolts shortly before his execution last year. “There’s nothing else to eat but junk food.”

💔 Alice Wong’s last words: “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” We can never thank Alice enough for fighting all the good fights and especially all the hard fights. We all learned so much from your brilliance, your courage, and your indefatigable leadership. We will never forget you.

Alice Wong, Presente. Thank you for everything.

This is far worse than anyone expected. Trump's HUD plan would cut *two-thirds* of permanent housing and push as many as 170,000 formerly homeless people back onto the street—redirecting funds to work mandates, forced treatment, and encampment sweeps. All as mass internment camps are being built.

NEW: With the election of Katie Wilson as mayor and Erika Evans as city attorney, voters shifted Seattle's political landscape to the left. What will this mean for public safety and the city's criminal legal system policies? Find out in my latest for @boltsmag.org: boltsmag.org/progressives...

Israeli media is reacting to Katie Wilson’s win in Seattle with its typical flair, calling her the “Mamdani of the West Coast” and warning she will “legitimize anti-Israel organizations” calling Israel’s genocide in Gaza what it is.

Great reporting from @guyoron.net and astute summary of the core political conflict: “It is that battle between establishment, centrist corporate Democrats and more progressive Democrats,” said @finchfrii.bsky.social , a Seattle-based political strategist.

NEW in Bolts: In Seattle, voters ousted a mayor who oversaw a surge in encampment sweeps, and a Republican prosecutor who pursued punitive policies toward homeless people and drug users.

Confirmed: Katie Wilson will be mayor of Seattle, ousting the incumbent from his left. And Erika Evans will be the new city attorney, ousting the GOP city attorney after promising to take the office in a more progressive direction. What do progressives' win mean for law enforcement? NEW IN BOLTS:

At noon, Bruce Harrell is expected to give a concession speech. Then at 2PM Katie Wilson will give remarks (presumably a victory speech) Perhaps her first action as Seattle’s mayor-elect will be joining striking Starbucks workers at their picket outside the company’s flagship Reserve Roastery store.

With nearly all votes counted, progressive challenger Katie Wilson has won the election to be Seattle's next mayor. She is ahead of incumbent Bruce Harrell by a margin of 1,976 votes or 0.7%. There will be no automatic recount.

With the votes counted today, it’s looking extremely likely that progressive challenger Katie Wilson will be declared Seattle’s next mayor after pulling ahead by 1,346 votes, or a roughly 0.5% margin, of incumbent Bruce Harrell.

NEW: Washington State Rep. Shaun Scott issues statement concerning Roger Wright and Seattle police accountability following a Real Change investigation:

Curious to see Microsoft president Brad Smith on the transition team as co-chair 🤔 www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

SEATTLE ELECTIONS UPDATE: Progressive challenger Katie Wilson has pulled ahead of incumbent Bruce Harrell by just 91 votes, or 0.04%. About 6,400 ballots are left to be counted, which means the margin will likely remain very small, but Wilson has an edge. A machine recount is almost certain.

NEW: Today is a big day for us at Bolts! From today thru end of 2025, NewsMatch matches any gift you make. In a nutshell: Your gift will be doubled. If you start a monthly subscription, your monthly amount is matched *x12*! If you wish to support independent journalism, you can help us thrive:

It now looks like the Seattle mayoral election counting process will drag on for weeks, with a deadline of curing ballots by Monday the 24th and then official certification on the 25th. Then a likely automatic machine recount — and perhaps even a manual hand count — could drag it into mid-December.