How to write a headline:

It's almost as if letting the ultra-rich own the entire mainstream press and also all the big social platforms had a downside.

The most frightening thing happening today is that 42 million people, including 16 million children, will be losing access to food assistance from the US government.

Today's DOOM LOOP: "Fancy Hummus" See the whole thing here: southseattleemerald.org/voices/2025/...

Philip K. Dick gets it right again. Let's hear it for the vague blurs!

Next week's council elections in Kirkland really do deserve more regional attention. An anti-growth advocacy group is promoting a full slate of candidates who are pledging to "protect neighborhoods." The outcome could tip the city in a very reactionary direction. www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/28/k...

#Lynnwood Election in 2 minutes:

Fun random statistic - our 2013 paper finding 97% scientific consensus on human-caused global warming just went past 1.5 million downloads (which is not a bad number for an academic paper) iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

If funded design would not *start* until 2028. Jesus, this is what it is to be an urbanist. CM Ramsdell now reading a prepared statement on why he supports the one-way option. Includes a lot of numbers and crashes statistics. Wants the whole city to have these everywhere.

#TrafficViolence is so bad people can just use an example from… today.

#WeekWithoutDriving is going well!

I've been working a bunch - so our car checkup was during #WeekWithoutDriving 🤦 But I made the best of it, and explored a bunch while walking home (2.6 miles & 1 hour) - I wandered a bit and rolled the camera!🎥

Seattle permitted a car commercial shoot in the middle of Bicycle Weekends and an accessible cycling event #SEAbikes #Seattle

Today is the anniversary of Sher Kung’s death. And a reminder that we can do great things. Let’s do them sooner!

New AMS statement outlines five foundational flaws that make the Department of Energy's Climate Synthesis Report "inconsistent with scientific principles and practices." Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/3UQRC82

Can AI skip ads yet?

Villain.

I saw this amazing group biking on Olympic View Drive yesterday, right at 76th Ave W by Perrinville! People were driving carefully, even giving the stragglers space.

Huh. This kinda explains a lot.

For the record, our division commander BANNED things called “presence patrols” in Iraq. “If you don’t have a specific task & purpose, your ‘presence’ doesn’t do anything.” National Guard stating they are now doing presence patrols in DC. A complete waste of soldier’s time & effort.

Fuck off, nazis!

Hacks & Wonks *killin’ it* with their election recap. At the 15m mark: “A very sweeping indictment of what people think of the current administration and policies and an absolute conclusive desire for change” Can’t wait for tonight’s big time review!

On this week-in-review, @finchfrii.bsky.social and @jcohenwrites.bsky.social discuss: ❤️‍🩹 A Hacks & Wonks update 🗳️ Primary election results! 👀 Seattle: Mayor, City Attorney, City Council seats 💵 Seattle Democracy Vouchers 🥊 King County: Executive, D5 Council seat 🤓 Takeaways #SEAelex #WAvotes

🤨 Is Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell cooked? 💁 Is the King County Executive race settled? 🙅‍♂️ Do the 48th/33rd LD results predict what’s coming for centrist Dems in 2026? Join our 7:30p livestream – local political strategists will discuss these Qs and more! ➡️ www.youtube.com/live/qLav1Pf...

These folks look like they’re having so much fun! #ShorelineWA

Good.

With some potential exceptions, initial primary results look incredibly strong for progressives and housing champions across the entire region.

Saying that excessive carbon dioxide emissions is not a harmful pollutant to people or the environment is akin to a doctor telling a patient with lung cancer to keep smoking for the health benefits. Science is going to science regardless of what people choose to believe.

“When you are putting gas into your car and the sudden roar of the jets shatters your nerves, do not separate what you are doing from what just flew over you.”

Now, this would be where people may think this is just a bad election for all incumbents, but that’s not accurate. Progressive incumbent Alexis Mercedes Rinck leads her challengers with a whopping 75% of the vote. Moderate incumbents are struggling but the progressive incumbent is thriving.

For the 4th time in a year, Seattle voters made their preference for more progressive governance clear. In the mayoral race, Katie Wilson leads the moderate incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell. Wilson’s opponents tactics of painting progressives as extreme may have gotten stale. #SEAelex #WAvotes

If I have to explain to you why it's a bad idea to use a machine that makes shit up 15-80% of the time AND destroys the environment AND contributes to rising fascism and genocide AND puts brilliant skillful creatives out of work by stealing their work, then we're already speaking different languages

Listen to people when they tell you this — the United States Government under Trump isn’t “becoming fascist, authoritarian and corrupt.” It’s already those things. The Trump Government is fascist, authoritarian and corrupt. The fact that it’s going to keep getting worse doesn’t mean that isn’t true.

Golf. Wives. #TrumpCheats

I see we’re at the “OK, Nixon will release his own transcripts of some of the Watergate tapes” stage of this story.

"The mechanics of parking minimums essentially tax new housing and new businesses that we say we really want, and we use that tax toward building something that creates more traffic and more pollution." Absolute banger description.

And the cheat sheet for outside Seattle.

Here's a handy endorsement cheat sheet for Seattle and King County. www.theurbanist.org/2025/07/16/2...

Hot off the presses: The Urbanist's primary election endorsements. Ballots arrive in mailboxes as soon as tomorrow. www.theurbanist.org/2025/07/16/2...

"digital asbestos" is fantastic framing.

Took the Coho ferry (the Black Ball Line) from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC! We went west on Vancouver Island to Tofino for a family trip and some beach time!

I see people talking about the murder budget and saying “organize for ‘26,” and…y’all!? There’s elections this year. Some of us on the ballot will fight to maintain services and protect people the murder budget threatens. Others would surrender to it. Organize NOW. There’s a lot to win this year.

If you see folks out there collecting signatures for referendums to return "local control" to Washington cities, here's what that's all about. TL;DR: a group of people is really mad they can't stop housing for people exiting homelessness from being built. www.theurbanist.org/2025/06/24/r...

U kno wut I am so tired of this. Trees grow hella fast & entire ecosystems can be restored before a newborn finishes 5th grade, ok? Here’s just one example from UW Bothell 🧵 (pics from about a month ago)

The ban of any type of business in suburban neighborhoods is a major reason why they’re so car dependent

Currently being built in Bothell. If you change design standards to move the bike lane on the other side of the curb and planter strip you can create a better, safer experience for all modes with the same amount of right of way. Boy it's fun to see things get built.

Instead of adding significant study and work to an already-overburdened planning department, Bellevue could follow *checks notes* Lynnwood and just pass state parking reform. No delay, no study, no outreach. You legally have to do it anyway - why not do it fast when you're in a housing crisis?

The Lynnwood City Council just voted 7-0 to adopt a new unified development code, officially tossing out 11 separate tables dictating parking mandates in favor of the new standards laid out in Senate Bill 5184. They didn't fully ditch mandates, but this is a huge change, 3 years ahead of schedule.

"Do you want America to be at war with Iran?" No: 85% Yes: 5% YouGov / June 22, 2025