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Brand-new baby whales swim Seattle's seas
The year's first humpback whale calves and their moms have triumphantly crossed into the Salish Sea.Driving the news: "Poptart" — or BCY1404, who was first spotted as a calf herself in 2016 — is now accompanied by a baby of her own, her first.They're arriving for their annual feeding session after a long journey from distant places such as Hawaii, where they were seen earlier this year, according to the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA).Whale watchers have documented at least three new humpback calves, including Poptart's little one.Catch up quick: Poptart — the daughter of BCY0324, aka "Big Mama"— got...
Temple Pastries offers fun flavors and melt-in-your mouth croissants
I have a new favorite pastry shop: Temple Pastries in Seattle's Central District.Details: Temple's variety of croissants, macarons, cakes and cookies are constantly changing, tempting me with new flavors every time I stop by.My resolve to leave with only a coffee (their cappuccinos feature the perfect amount of velvety foam, by the way) routinely fails me.Zoom in: During a recent visit, my family tried a guava cream cheese croissant; a chamomile, bergamot and lemon brioche twist; a lime leaf and ginger cake doughnut; and a strawberry cream-filled cronut.My other favorite items have included a vanilla currant scroll and a cardamom almond brioche.Between the lines: The best aspect of Temple Pastries' croissants (and their giant croissant loaf) is how tender they are — they melt in your mouth.Everything tastes impossibly fresh, with flavor combinations you won't find elsewhere.Be smart: To beat the line on weekends, you can order pastries online for in-person pickup. Online orders must be placed three days in advance.Of note: Don't miss the additional seating upstairs. Open 7am-3pm daily.
Washington's supply of opioid treatment meds is well above average, study finds
Access to medications for opioid use disorder can be much harder to find in some states than others, a recent survey found. But Washington has a better supply than most.Why it matters: The opioid epidemic has had an enormous human toll, with nearly 80,000 reported opioid-involved drug overdose deaths in the U.S. last year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But federal data shows only slightly more than one in 10 people with opioid use disorder receive medication for it.Driving the news: Nationally, 57.9% of more than 5,200 pharmacies in 32 states reported having Suboxone,...
Get help picking a perfect Pride parade outfit from Seattle drag queens
Want some free help putting together a fabulous outfit for the big annual Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday?Driving the news: Three fabulous local drag beauties — former Seattle's Queer Monarch and Imperial Mr. Gay Washington 2022 D’Monica Leone, Imperial Ms. Gay Washington 2022 Lavish Leone, and "Salvadorean Queen of Seattle" Pupusa will be at the Evergreen Goodwill on Capitol Hill from 4-6pm today to provide personalized styling advice.There will also be music from DJ M.I.H.STER and a curated selection of Pride-appropriate clothes and accessories.Proceeds from purchases go to supporting Goodwill's free education and job training programsWhat they're saying: "What better way to celebrate that than with the styling expertise of three of Seattle’s top fashion icons?" Derieontay Sparks, the store's senior vice president of retail operations, told Axios in an email.Of note: The parade will take place from 11am-3pm Sunday, running along Fourth Avenue between Pike Street and Denny Way.
Seattle summers are almost 3°F warmer than in 1970
Wednesday's somewhat mild weather on the first day of summer may not make Seattleites feel like they're in for a hot one. Yet temperature data shows Seattle summers have trended warmer over the past 50 years. Driving the news: The city's average summer temperatures increased by almost 3°F between 1970...
Seattle's restored Black Lives Matter mural is an outlier
While some Black Lives Matter murals painted after the 2020 murder of George Floyd are getting paved over or worn away by traffic, Seattle has taken steps to restore its mural and make it permanent. The big picture: The bright, block-spanning declarations became commonplace on streets quieted by the pandemic...
Dancing til Dusk brings weeks of dancing to city parks
Many Seattleites have likely walked by the summer Dancing til Dusk events in downtown parks hundreds of times over the years but felt too rushed, too tired or too awkward to join. Maybe this is the year to jump in. Why it matters: It's a perfect time — as we...
Child care costs more than college in Washington state
The average annual cost of sending a toddler to daycare in Washington tops $14,000, according to a new report — and it's about $2,100 more than sending your child to the University of Washington for a year. Why it matters: The report released last week by the Annie E....
Hidden home costs in Seattle top $20K
The "hidden costs" of homeownership in the Seattle metro area is nearly $21,000 a year on top of mortgage prices, the fourth highest in the nation, a recent real estate analysis has found.Driving the news: That's an extra $1,750 every month most homeowners are paying on top of what is likely an already expensive mortgage payment, according to the report by Seattle-based Zillow and Thumbtack, a home maintenance app.Those costs include maintenance, utilities, property tax and insurance.Why it matters: Nearly half of all home shoppers are first-time buyers who are facing affordability challenges in today’s market, and may be caught...
Tour Seattle's underground LGBTQ+ history
Even among locals, Pioneer Square's eminent position in LGTBQ+ history may be little known.Why it matters: Along with San Francisco, frontier city Seattle showed an early tolerance of gay-friendly clubs and bars. Pioneer Square was home to The Double Header, believed to be the oldest gay bar in the U.S.Its underground neighbor, The Casino, was established in 1930 and for years was considered "the most open place for gays on the West Coast," according to HistoryLink.About 200 people reportedly attended a picnic held in Occidental Park during the city's first Gay Pride Week in 1974.Driving the news: Beneath the Streets' Queer History Tour explores the creation of Seattle's gay community from its early roots to the underground spaces used as community hangouts over the years.Catch up quick: After the Great Fire in June 1889, the city lined some existing streets with concrete, raised and regraded the streets, and built on top of the old buildings. The original basements and passageways became part of what is now known as Seattle Underground.What's next: People can book a tour now to celebrate Pride month or throughout the summer.
Washington state has one of nation's highest skin cancer rates
Data: CDC; Chart: Jared Whalen/AxiosWashington's rate of skin cancer has increased over the past decade, with new melanoma cases here far outpacing the national average.Why it matters: Skin cancer, if not caught early, can spread to other parts of the body and be deadly.More than 200 people in Washington died of melanoma in 2019, the latest year of data available from the state health department.Details: Washington's rate of invasive melanoma was 28.1 cases per 100,000 residents in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).That's about 20% higher than the national rate, which was 23.4 cases per...
Seattle area unemployment rate declined in April
Data: BLS; Chart: Axios VisualsPreliminary unemployment numbers show the Seattle area jobless rate was 3% in April, down slightly from the 3.2% jobless rate seen the previous month, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Yes, but: The local jobless rate was still 0.2 percentage points above where it was a year earlier, when it was 2.8%.The bottom line: Seattle's still reeling from some of the tech industry layoffs announced earlier this year.But the region's employment numbers are starting to improve month to month, something that wasn't the case in February.And the Seattle area's rate is still below the national rate, which was 3.1% in April.
Seattle pins big hopes on park reopening by courthouse
Seattle city officials hope the reopening of a small park next to the King County Courthouse will be a turning point for a long-troubled part of downtown.But it remains to be seen whether features like lights, seating, food trucks, lawn games and new park rangers will transform City Hall Park into the downtown jewel that local leaders hope it will be.Driving the news: City officials reopened the 1.3-acre park in Pioneer Square on Tuesday, after it had been closed for almost two years.The park's August 2021 closure came on the heels of a fatal stabbing, along with the city's removal...
New study reveals the 12 most common symptoms of long COVID
Thousands of Americans are still wrestling with the effects of long COVID, struggling with symptoms ranging from brain fog and fatigue to chest pain.Driving the news: A study of nearly 10,000 Americans has identified the most common symptoms seen in long COVID-19 patients, Axios' Arielle Dreher reports. The findings, published in the journal JAMA last month, may help researchers distinguish patients likely to have long COVID from those whose symptoms stem from other causes.Why it matters: Three years after long COVID was first documented, mysteries behind what causes it and who gets it remain.What they're saying: "Long COVID has been...
Men in Black bash commemorates Seattle-area UFO sighting
The second annual Men in Black Birthday Bash (MIBBB), commemorating the 1947 reported sighting of unidentified flying objects over Maury Island and the subsequent appearance of a mysterious and threatening visitor dressed in black, begins next Thursday.Driving the news: The party begins on June 22 at exactly 6:22pm at the Quarterdeck at the Des Moines Marina. Dress as Men (or people) in Black or in black-and-white attire.Why it matters: Meant to be tongue-in-cheek fun, the event grew out of a legitimate resentment that Roswell, New Mexico, got the lion's share of attention in UFO legend while Puget Sound's "interesting and...
Seattle residents trust Amazon more than the City Council, poll finds
Nearly three-fourths of Seattle voters polled in a recent survey said they visit downtown Seattle less often than before the pandemic — and 66% gave the City Council a grade of D or F.Why it matters: The dissatisfaction expressed in the survey comes as seven of nine Seattle City Council seats are up for reelection this year, with more than 40 candidates in the running.Driving the news: The survey, commissioned by the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) and conducted in May by EMC Research, was released earlier this month. It polled the opinions of 500 people residents who were identified as...
Washington state hosts off-road motorcycle rally
One of the largest rallies in the country for adventure motorcycles is coming at the end of the month to Washington state.Driving the news: The Touratech Rally runs June 22 to 25 in Plain, Washington, north of Leavenworth. Tickets are running out fast for overnight camping spots, but there are still $60 day passes that will be available on site each day.Why it matters: If, like me, you bought a dual sport or adventure motorcycle without ever having had previous off-road experience, it can be daunting to know where to start.Though the Touratech Rally typically draws more than a thousand...
What El Niño may bring to the Seattle area this year
Data: NOAA; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsEl Niño, the ocean and atmosphere cycle in the tropical Pacific that can supercharge global extreme weather events, is officially back after about a four-year hiatus, NOAA announced.Why it matters: El Niño holds large sway over global weather patterns. It is likely to increase global average surface temperatures, potentially leading to an all-time record warm year this year or next, which could surpass the El Niño year of 2016.El Niño could contribute to heat waves, droughts, floods and other weather extremes, which already are worsening from human-caused climate change.It has also made for an especially...
From coffee to full meals, Seattle gets new vegan-leaning Livbud on Stone Way
A new spot has opened up in the former home of the MiiR flagship store on Stone Way — and it's not just a place to get coffee, but also to sit down for a full meal if you feel like it. Details: Livbud describes its menu as one that "naturally leans vegan." It serves a variety of toasts, smoothies, pastries and grain bowls by day, with heartier offerings at night that include fish entrees.It's another outpost of the Heavy Restaurant Group, which also runs nearby Fiasco and Barrio in Capitol Hill.The verdict: Livbud's a casual spot that can serve multiple purposes: either to have a casual meetup with old friends or a work-related coffee meeting.I overheard a server telling other patrons that even if they order food for sit-down service, they shouldn't feel shy about pulling out a laptop to do some work.The seating is expansive, ranging from benches to tables to lawn chairs.The bottom line: My laptop and I will be back — and we'll be ordering more toast.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Seattle.
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