Choose your location
Axios Seattle
The 2024 races for governor and attorney general are heating up
The race for Washington governor is becoming more crowded, with the state's lands commissioner, Hilary Franz, formally announcing her candidacy Wednesday to become the state's top executive.Why it matters: Washington's governorship is coming open for the first time in 12 years, now that Democrat Jay Inslee has decided not to seek re-election. That's creating opportunities for candidates up and down the ballot.Latest: Franz, who leads the state Department of Natural Resources, is the second prominent Democrat to jump into the governor's race after state Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced he was exploring a run last week.Over the course of about...
The Fonté Bar opens downtown in Seattle's Rainier Square
Fonté has opened up a new swanky coffee and cocktail bar in Rainier Square, and I stopped by Wednesday for a visit.Details: I personally really like the mild finish on Fonté's coffee — it strikes the right note of having a strong flavor without being bitter. They also serve cloudlike foam on their cappuccinos.My kid and I enjoyed hanging out in the sleek new cafe space.But, but, but: The big thing about this expansive location in the Rainier Square lobby is it also has a full-service dinner menu and will remain open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.Jon Scholes, president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, told me last week that he thinks the new Fonté Bar will be "a new cool spot to go after a show or before a show," given that it's located across the street from The Fifth Avenue Theater.Address: 401 Union Street, Suite 201 Part of the restaurant seating at The Fonté Bar. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios Plenty of places to sip cocktails. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios
Seattle's Chinatown-International District named among most endangered historic places in U.S.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Seattle's Chinatown-International District one of the 11 most endangered historic places for 2023.Why it matters: This is the first site in Washington state included on the list since its inception in 1988.Context: Established in the late 19th century, the CID is the only area in the continental United States where Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, African American, and Vietnamese people settled together and built one neighborhood, according to the Wing Luke Museum.Today, the neighborhood faces challenges from disruption, displacement and gentrification, Huy Pham with the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation told Axios.Driving the news: In...
Meet Washington's new state dinosaur, the Suciasaurus rex
Washington is getting an official state dinosaur — the Suciasaurus rex.Driving the news: Gov. Inslee signed a measure into law last week honoring the only dinosaur fossil ever found in Washington state.The fossilized piece of a femur, discovered on a beach at Sucia Island State Park in San Juan County in 2012, belongs to a theropod.That's a category of meat-eating, two-legged dinosaurs that includes the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Velociraptor, according to the Burke Museum, where the thigh-bone fossil is on display.Flashback: The quest to make the Suciasaurus rex the state dinosaur began four years ago, proposed by a group...
Nordstrom branches out with a podcast, Nordy Pod
A new podcast by Seattle-based retailer Nordstrom seeks to reach a new generation of customers.Details: The Nordy Pod, launched last year, is hosted by Pete Nordstrom and features interviews and conversations with a range of individuals, from retail titans like Mickey Drexler, who turned Gap into a global brand, to athletes such as Sue Bird and Bob Love.Why it matters: Nordstrom has been an integral part of Seattle's landscape since John Nordstrom, a Swedish immigrant who arrived in America with $5 in his pocket, went into the shoe business with a friend and opened Wallin and Nordstrom in Seattle in...
Newest stamps feature Mount Rainier's hidden Sunbeam Falls
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is releasing a new set of 12 stamps celebrating American waterfalls, and Sunbeam Falls in Mount Rainier National Park is among them.Driving the news: The new Forever stamps will go on sale nationally June 13.The Postal Service receives about 30,000 suggestions annually for stamp ideas — roughly 25 to 30 topics are chosen, Albert Ruiz of the USPS told Axios in an email.The image selected for Sunbeam Falls was taken by photographer Kevin Schafer.Details: Sunbeam Falls is a slightly hidden gem, according to Only in Your State. To find it, take Stevens Canyon Road, which runs between Paradise and the southeastern entrance of Mount Rainier National Park.The waterfall is located near the Bench Lake Trailhead, above Louise Lake. Just look for the Sunbeam Creek sign by the side of the road. There is no trail leading to the falls, but you can see the falls from the road.Sunbeam Creek flows year-round, but the volume of the falls will drop most years by the end of July, according to Washington waterfall overviews.
Get ready: Seattle is phasing out right-on-red turns
Expect some honking as drivers get used to Seattle's new dictate phasing out the decades-old practice of allowing right-on-red turns at intersections.Why it matters: Failure to yield to pedestrians is one of the leading causes of crashes in Seattle, according to the city's 2023 Vision Zero Top-to-Bottom Review.At traffic signals, incidents involving vehicle drivers turning account for 35% of all pedestrian-involved crashes citywide.Twenty-eight people are killed and 180 people seriously injured in traffic-related collisions from all causes on average each year, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).Driving the news: In an effort to lower pedestrian collisions, the city has adopted a new policy to expand no right-on-red restrictions, according to SDOT.A recent study published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers suggests that No Turn on Red signs can reduce pedestrian-vehicle conflicts by 92 percent and vehicle-vehicle conflicts by 97 percent during the red interval at signalized intersections.The city already had 100 intersections banning red-light turns and is nearing completion on installing signs at 41 additional intersections downtown.More signs will be rolled out in pedestrian-dense neighborhoods throughout the city over the next year.What's next: In the future, red-light turn restrictions will be the default intersection setting.
Downtown Seattle's recovery has been sluggish. Amazon workers' return could change that
Data: University of Toronto; Chart: Alice Feng/AxiosSeattle's downtown activity remained far below pre-pandemic levels from December to February, according to an analysis of mobile device data.Yes, but: Downtown businesses and civic boosters are hoping this week's return of Amazon employees to in-person work will help reverse the trend over time. Why it matters: Downtowns became ghost towns during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as people sought to "flatten the curve" by staying home.Even as the pandemic ebbs, the era of remote and hybrid work it ushered in means fewer people visiting restaurants, bars and shops — which has had...
Mark your calendars for the next First Thursdays Art Walk in Pioneer Square
If you didn't get a chance to check out the First Thursdays Art Walk in Pioneer Square this week, make sure to mark your calendars for the next one on June 1.The event this spring and summer will feature a pop-up experience with music, murals and more in the buildings and alleys around RailSpur, an Urban Villages redevelopment project involving three of Seattle's historic downtown buildings, between Jackson and King streets and 1st and Occidental avenues.In addition, the work of numerous local artists is on display during the walk and admission is always free and open to all.The series of unique installments, created by Forest for the Trees, RailSpur and creative production house ARTXIV, will continue through August.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Seattle.
Mark your calendars for the next First Thursdays Art Walk in Pioneer Square
If you didn't get a chance to check out the First Thursdays Art Walk in Pioneer Square this week, make sure to mark your calendars for the next one on June 1.The event this spring and summer will feature a pop-up experience with music, murals and more in the buildings and alleys around RailSpur, an Urban Villages redevelopment project involving three of Seattle's historic downtown buildings, between Jackson and King streets and 1st and Occidental avenues.In addition, the work of numerous local artists is on display during the walk and admission is always free and open to all.The series of unique installments, created by Forest for the Trees, RailSpur and creative production house ARTXIV, will continue through August.
Doce Donut Co. opens on Stone Way in Wallingford
Seattle's getting a new spot for doughnuts.What's happening: Doce Donut Co. is having its grand opening Saturday, churning out brioche-based doughnuts with creative flavor combinations.The shop, located on Stone Way in Wallingford, had a soft opening Wednesday through Friday.Details: I wasn't able to try all the flavors during my visit Thursday, but the OG (an "original glazed" doughnut) was pillowy and delicious, and the guava con queso was tangy and surprisingly light (for a filled doughnut topped with cream cheese glaze and crumbled cookies).I'll be back for the Mexican hot chocolate and passion fruit and matcha flavors.Address: 4106 Stone Way N.
Washington state will add pot shops as part of social equity push
Washington state is set to get more licensed cannabis businesses — and, under a new law, they'll be run by people who were likely to have been most impacted by previous drug enforcement.Driving the news: Gov. Jay Inslee signed a measure into law Monday that will allow 52 more retail cannabis shops to open in Washington between 2024 and 2032.That's almost a 10% increase over the current number of licensed pot shops, which has been capped at 556 statewide since 2016.The new law will also add 10 new licenses for businesses that grow cannabis and 100 new licenses for pot-processing...
Soundgarden snubbed again by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Soundgarden has been passed over again by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Details: The grunge rock band, which formed in Seattle in the 1980s, was one of 14 acts nominated in the performer category this year.But when the Rock Hall announced its 2023 inductees on Wednesday, the local favorite failed to make the final cut.Background: Soundgarden, known for songs such as "Black Hole Sun" and "Outshined," previously was nominated in 2020.The big picture: The Rock Hall has received criticism for failing to induct enough women, Axios Cleveland's Troy Smith writes.This year, it inducted Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow and Missy Elliott, with Elliott being the first female hip-hop artist to receive the honor.The other four performers or bands inducted into the Rock Hall's class of 2023 were George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners.
The Needling satirizes Seattle. Here's who's behind it
Admit it, Seattle deserves gentle mockery at times and savvy media consumers know where to turn for a dose of that: The Needling, one of Seattle's newest publications, which delivers Onion-like satire about the Emerald City.Driving the news: We talked with founder Lex Vaughn, who started The Needling in 2018 after working as a Seattle Times reporter and a King County communications specialist.Vaughn expects readership to hit 100,000 this year.Why it matters: Too often when a person works in journalism or politics, they have to bite their tongue, Vaughn told Axios. "As someone obsessed with chasing the truth, this is...
Lex Vaughn, founder of The Needling, shares her ideal Seattle day
Satirist Lex Vaughn worked as a reporter and a media spokesperson before starting The Needling five years ago.We asked her what would constitute the Best Day Ever in our fair city, which we hope to bring back as a regular feature.🍂 Weather: An early October day, misty in the morning and sunny in the afternoon.🍳 Breakfast: Sabine Café for either their breakfast sandwich or fried egg sandwich with za’atar potatoes.☕ Morning activity: Listening to a funny podcast on a walk to get coffee at one of her favorite cafes—either Café Bambino or Firehouse Coffee.🍝 Lunch: "Lucky's Pho in Fremont for...
You could soon need a reservation for Mount Rainier
Ever been up to Mount Rainier in the summer only to find it clogged with humans and cars and found yourself getting irritated instead of uplifted? The National Park Service is aware of this and looking for a way to stagger the flow.Driving the news: Mount Rainier National Park is seeking public feedback on a plan to implement a timed-entry reservation system during peak season.Feedback the park received from the public a few years ago was focused on complaints related to traffic congestion, parking shortages and crowding.Park superintendent Greg Dudgeon said in a written statement those concerns are, "exactly what...
A look at who might replace Jay Inslee as Washington governor
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday he won't run for a fourth term, after being only the second governor in state history to serve three terms consecutively. Now, the question is: Who will run to replace the Democratic governor in 2024?Here's a look at a few likely contenders. First, the Democrats.Bob FergusonBob Ferguson, elected as Washington's attorney general in 2012, gained national attention in 2017 when he led a lawsuit that halted then-President Donald Trump's earliest travel ban. Shortly afterward, Ferguson was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of the year.Ferguson announced Tuesday that he is exploring a...
We tried the cottage cheese ice cream trend
If you are even halfway trying to increase your protein intake, you may have been inundated with videos on social media recently about making high-protein ice cream from cottage cheese. (Don't know what I'm talking about? See here.)After seeing seven or so videos about this concept, which involves blending cottage cheese with syrup or honey and other flavorings, then freezing it, I decided to give it a try.Initially, I was obsessed. In particular, one version that uses strawberries and graham crackers I thought tasted a lot like strawberry cheesecake ice cream.I made several batches of it over the course of...
Axios Seattle
1K+
Posts
7M+
Views
Axios Seattle is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.