The Stranger

Benny Jensen Is an Undisputable Champion of Comedy

Megan Seling — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0700

Describe your comedy in five words: Not received well in Issaquah :( by Megan Seling

One thing that all of this year's Undisputed Champions of Comedy seem to agree on is that Seattle's comedy scene is full of supportive folks who just want to make people laugh, and they welcome anyone looking to join them in their mischief. Scene veterans encourage newcomers, and long-time venues make room for more experimental events.

In fact, it's at the inclusive bi-monthly open mic, the Comedy Nest, where today's featured comedian, Benny Jensen, got their start on a whim. Who performs stand-up comedy on a whim??? Benny Jensen does. "I barely remember performing, but I do remember the founder, Danielle Gregoire, being warm and welcoming, and encouraging me to come back," they say.

Since that impromptu performance in 2013, Jensen has performed at all the notable Pacific Northwest comedy festivals—including Bumbershoot, Wet City Comedy, and Upper Left Comedy Festival—and they've also opened for some very funny people, including Hari Kondabolu, Jay Jurden, and Wally Baram.

Your next chance to see them is this Saturday, at Washington Hall, as part of The Stranger's annual Undisputed Champions of Comedy showcase.

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Read on to learn more about Jensen, and catch up on my other interviews with this year's Undisputable Champions of Comedy here.

Describe your comedy in five words.
Not received well in Issaquah :(

Now that you’ve been declared an Undisputed Champion of Comedy, is there anyone in your life who said you wouldn’t make it, and you would now like to take this opportunity to rub it in their stupid face?
Yeah! Myself! Also, my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kaphingst, for stifling my creativity by telling me that I couldn’t color my bunny ears blue because bunnies aren’t blue. Why are you teaching kindergarten if you’ve never done shrooms?

I noticed on your Instagram page that you quote the great Danielle Staub. As someone who has watched every episode of every Real Housewives franchise, I truly appreciate the deep cut. Is she your favorite Housewife?
She’s not my #1 but I will always enjoy watching an underdog housewife come in and disrupt the social order (I am a Britani Bateman apologist!!!!). For the uninformed: a major part of Danielle’s storyline was that she had beef with a teenager, and that’s exactly what I come to Real Housewives for.

If you had to spend a week with one current Real Housewives franchise, which franchise would it be? (Sorry if I’m asking about Real Housewives too much. I just have a lot of thoughts about Real Housewives.)
Salt Lake City, absolutely. I want to go to Sundance with Lisa, hold Meredith’s hand while I tell her that caviar is legal and she doesn’t need to open a speakeasy to sell it, get a hydrafacial from Heather, do a soundbath with Whitney, go to Build-a-Bear with Britani, get exorcised by Mary, ask Angie to straighten my hair, and finally, seduce Bronwyn. I think we could be really happy together.

What would your Build-a-Bear for Britani say? It would be an incantation to sever the cord between her and Jared once and for all.

Do you remember your first time doing stand-up? Were you hooked right away?
I do! This was way back in late 2013, before I came out as trans. I had read about this women-centered open mic called the Comedy Nest, and I was in the mood to do something scary, so I tried it on a whim. I think I was hooked on what was going on specifically in that basement. I knew coming into stand-up that it was a boys’ club, so the Comedy Nest felt like a little slice of heaven.

I can’t believe you just did comedy on a whim! That sounds terrifying. I’ve heard so many good things from other comedians about how welcoming and encouraging everyone at The Comedy Nest is, so I was so happy to see that they recently found a new home at Common Objects after the Rendezvous was sold. Any words of encouragement for anyone else who might be thinking about giving it a go? Doing it for the first time is the hardest part, so rip that band-aid off and get freaky.

Seattle has lost some great comedy spots recently—Here-After closed, and Rendezvous, which had some regular showcases and open mics, changed owners. Where is your favorite place to see comedy in Seattle right now?
Honestly, the West Seattle Connection Facebook group. I initially joined to get intel on whale sightings, but I stayed to watch NIMBYs fight over whether or not pickleball is loud.

For more laughs, watch Jensen in conversation with fellow Undisputed Champion of Comedy, Scott Losse:

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See Benny Jensen perform at The Stranger's Undisputable Champions of Comedy at Washington Hall on April 4, 7:30 pm, 21+. Tickets available here.

Stranger Suggests: Gilded Age Yearning, Gay BDSM Workout Music, and an Avril Lavigne Musical

Julianne Bell — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

One Really Great Thing to Do Every Day of the Week

by Julianne Bell MONDAY 3/30

COBRAH

(MUSIC) For the uninitiated, COBRAH is the stage name of Clara Blom Christensen, a Swedish elementary school music teacher turned cunty lesbian underground pop diva who rose to fame amid Stockholm’s BDSM club scene. When I saw her at Capitol Hill Block Party in 2024, she pranced out in a corseted black bodysuit, latex gloves, and sheer black tights, flipping her platinum blonde mane around aggressively enough to break her neck. Her self-described "gay workout music" oozes confident sexuality: On her hypnotic hit track "GOOD PUSS," she purrs, “I just wanna feel good/Gotta lay down with some good kush/Got a good girl, a real good bush/Come and go get a real good puss” over hyperpop beats. Now she's touring to promote her debut full-length album, Torn, which reveals her vulnerable side and insecurities while still maintaining her danceable roots. (Showbox SoDo, 8 pm, all ages) JULIANNE BELL

TUESDAY 3/31

Eliza McLamb

Eliza McLamb will bring her introspective indie pop to Neumos on Tuesday, March 31. ZOE DONAHOE

(MUSIC) I was introduced to North Carolina–born singer-songwriter Eliza McLamb via her podcast Binchtopia, but quickly became enamored of her incisive writing on her newsletter Words from Eliza and her introspective, clever indie pop. (McLamb recently stepped away from Binchtopia to pursue music full-time.) Last October, she released her sophomore album, Good Story, which explores her urges to self-narrativize and the stories she tells herself and others. “An effective narrative, I came to realize, is a reserve with limited returns,” she writes on Substack. “But I still love to work the magic—I love knowing that a bad time can be a good story, that experience without meaning is only missing a few narrative beats. I love the limits of the story, agency that was once out of reach returning through the act of creation and recreation.” (Neumos, 7 pm, all ages) JULIANNE BELL

WEDNESDAY 4/1

Scorsese: The Age of Innocence

Don't you want to watch Winona Ryder and Daniel-Day Lewis in period-accurate Gilded Age costumes?

(FILM) Martin Scorsese has made countless iconic films about the Big Apple in different time periods, from Wall Street in the late ’80s (The Wolf of Wall Street) and decaying post-Vietnam New York City (Taxi Driver), to the city’s swanky jazz clubs of the 1940s (New York, New York). So naturally, he was the man for the job when it came to adapting fellow New Yorker Edith Wharton’s 1920 novel The Age of Innocence. Set in Gilded Age Manhattan, the story follows a messy love triangle between a young lawyer, his fiancée, and his fiancée’s newly separated cousin. This movie has everything: Winona Ryder, staggering period accuracy, decadent feasts, sweeping cinematography, and plenty of yearning glances. This is part of SIFF’s Martin Scorsese: Maestro of Cinema series, showing a different film by the director every Wednesday evening through the end of April. (SIFF Cinema Uptown, 7:30 pm) AUDREY VANN

THURSDAY 4/2

FKA twigs

(MUSIC) Lady in the streets, freak in the beats chameleonic artist FKA twigs bares it all with every release, her late-2025 album Eusexua being no exception. Though I’m partial to her more experimental early work, twigs’ output the last few years has largely been remix-ready festival anthems, the deeper cuts of which fit in nicely with any mixtape you’re pulling together for a crush. The only time I’ve seen twigs was at Seattle’s Moore Theatre on her Magdalene tour, back in her swordplay and pole dancing days—one of the best live shows I’ve ever witnessed. Let’s see what she’s got in store for us this time. (WaMu Theater, 8 pm, all ages) NOLAN PARKER

FRIDAY 4/3

Heather Kravas: RoCoCoCoCo

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(DANCE) Longtime Seattle choreographer and dancer Heather Kravas has put together a contemporary dance series in late March through early April. RoCoCoCoCo has four movements—all take place in the black box theater at 12th Avenue Arts, all feature a different combination of dancers, and all will be accompanied by two pianists playing on two upright pianos that are bound together. You can see these dances—which are described like a DIY folk dance—unspool over four evenings, or if you haven’t rotted the fuck out of your attention span, you can opt for the marathon version and watch 4.5 hours of dance in one evening and see everything all at once. Whatever you choose, RoCoCoCo will be an experience you shouldn’t miss. (12th Avenue Arts, 7:30 pm) NATHALIE GRAHAM

SATURDAY 4/4

The Best Damn Thing

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(THEATER) My introduction to Avril Lavigne was when my friend received a CD copy of Avril’s seminal 2002 album Let Go at her 12th birthday party. It was the turning of a tide in my angsty tween years, this arrival of a bold new Canadian musician who piled on the dark, smudgy eyeliner and thumbed her nose at the pop industry. I began poring over her interviews in YM magazine and raiding my dad’s closet for neckties. Hanna Kime and Sara Geist’s new meta-musical, The Best Damn Thing, aims to capture this spirit of youthful rebellion, telling the story of gay Midwestern teens Ellie and Rachel, who are determined to spread the gospel of Avril by putting on the best damn pop-punk jukebox musical this town has ever seen. The whimsical company Dacha Theatre will host its West Coast premiere, directed by Kate Drummond. (Dacha Theatre, times vary) JULIANNE BELL

SUNDAY 4/5

Nonfiction for No Reason

Get a taste of the local literary scene at the Nonfiction for No Reason reading series. BILLIE WINTER

(READING) Nonfiction for No Reason is back, baby. After an almost year-long hiatus, this local reading series is opening up their season at the ANTiPODE Art Gallery. Founded and curated by Stranger contributor Katie Lee Ellison, NFNR is a rare place to connect to the local literary scene, and hear “writers you love, and the ones you will soon.” This month, you can see Seattle poet laureate Dujie Tahat, experimental poet Sullivan Forderhase, speculative fiction writer Naomi Day, public historian Tamiko Nimura, and essayist Aileen McGraw. It’s a comeback worth catching. (ANTiPODE, 7 pm, all ages) HANNAH MURPHY WINTER

Slog AM: Seattle Crowds, a Moon Mission, and Waymos That Can’t Stop Illegally Passing School Buses

Vivian McCall — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Vivian McCall

Anti-Trump Crowds: A third No Kings rally in Seattle saw tens of thousands of people march through downtown. There were about 3,100 demonstrations in cities and towns in every state, and about a dozen in the Pacific Northwest.

Train Crowds: The biggest hype over the weekend was the unveiling of the light rail’s long-awaited cross lake connection. It’s kind of a big deal. The thousands of people who came out to celebrate and waited in hours to ride the rails thought so, too. Nathalie got a sneak peek last week.

Moon Party: The Museum of Flight is hosting a free watch party on Wednesday for the launch of Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the moon since the end of the Apollo era in 1972. The ship’s trip around that rock should last about 10 days. For the astronauts’ sake, I hope the administration didn’t rush the plan.

New Ways to Leave the United States: After a pandemic hiatus, nonstop flights to Hong Kong have returned to Sea-Tac via airline Cathay Pacific. This Spring, Alaska Airlines will start nonstop service to Rome, London, and Reykjavík, Iceland. Look, national pride is low. Space is cool, but it’s hard to get excited about when everything is so fucked up at home.

Speaking of: ICE has taken a liking to ruining the fragile vibe at our airports and might just stick around even after TSA gets paid again. It depends on how many TSA agents come back to work, border Czar Tom Homan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” About 500 TSA agents have quit since the shutdown began, but with the possibility of a paycheck though a Trump order, security lines started to shrink.

Iran: Iran will face “severe consequences” if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed after the war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera. The strait will open one way or another, he said. I thought Trump said we didn’t need it?

One Way: Today, Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s energy resources and civilian infrastructure like desalination plants if a deal to end the war is not reached “shortly.” There’s no end in sight, writes the AP. Trump has said the US is making diplomatic gains, but Tehran denies negotiating with him directly.

So You’ve Been Poped: “God doesn’t accept the prayers of those who choose violence,” Pope Leo XIV said of the war during a 10-minute Palm Sunday homily. He reminded his audience Jesus was the King of Peace, not a justification for political power. Certainly no one would invoke him that way, would they? After all he’s been through? If JD Vance were a real Catholic, he’d be ashamed.

Fuck Those Kids! According to Waymo, its self-driving cars learn from their mistakes, just like real drivers. But in Austin, Texas, these clankers struggled to learn to stop for the school bus when it picked up children. An official with the Austin Independent School District alleged that in at least 19 cases, Waymos “illegally and dangerously” passed buses with flashing red lights and extended stop arms. Even after a December federal recall and a software update, Waymo’s illegal bus passing continued. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Wired has more on how the district tried to help solve this problem.

Relevant:

"He's arguing with the robots! You can't defeat the robots!" is an all-time great call

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— Parker Molloy (@parkermolloy.com) March 30, 2026 at 7:39 AM

Weather: Areas of freezing fog before 10 a.m., before a chilly, sunny day with a high of 49 degrees. Tonight, the clouds roll in and stick around through most of Tuesday. Rain returns Wednesday and Thursday, but the sun will come back by the weekend.

I Saw U: Singing on Top of Mt. Erie, Riding the 70 at Night, and Pulling Me out of Lake Washington in October

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0700

Is it a match? Leave a comment here or on our Instagram post to connect! by Anonymous

Cool Boots, Mt Erie Summit

Your singing voice caught my eye (ear?) at the top of Mt Erie. You boiled water for lemon ginger peppermint tea. Maybe we can share a cup soon?

Angel of reassurance

Andie/Andy- you assured me when my date went to the bathroom at Gao Lhao Bangkok Noodle that she wasn't out of my league. Thx for calming me!

Bear Creek Village in Redmond

You: Hot, Handsome white guy in a black cap, hoodie, w beard in a black car with a woman. Me: Eating in green SUV. You had me looking back a few. Damn

I-5 N Green Utility Jacket Goddess with a Right-Hand Drive

While fixing my mascara in I-5 traffic, I had to do a double of your RHD Toyota Prado. I was caught off guard by how gorgeous you are. Dinner?

Cute Bait Shop Tomboy Tuesday 3/17

Saw you as I was leaving. You smiled at me w/ the loveliest smile. Time stopped. You: in a booth. White LA hat. Me: Black hair & puffy coat.

To the tall redheaded goddess who shops where I work:

You came in wearing a G2G hat and complimented my long hair. We’ve made a lot of eye contact and I’d like to make more. Come find me at checkstand two

70 mishap fairview at night

u got on the bus after the stop. i was in all black. kept making eye contact. again in a trench coat outside slu whole foods. ur cute i wanna know u

you pulled me out of the lake and called 911

Sunday Oct 5 circa 7:30PM I had fallen into lake Wash. was able to swim to shore but couldn't get out. I called for help you saved me -dinner/drink?

Is it a match? Leave a comment here or on our Instagram post to connect!

Did you see someone? Say something! Submit your own I Saw U message here and maybe we'll include it in the next roundup!

Min Lin Is an Undisputable Champion of Comedy

Megan Seling — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:00:00 -0700

An interview with Min Lin, one of our 2026 Undisputed Champions of Comedy. by Megan Seling

Our interview series with this year's Undisputable Champions of Comedy continues! Last week, you got to know Scott Losse (and his Taco Time order), and today I'm featuring Min Lin, who is sunshine in human form (and sometimes performs with her service dog companion Sunny).

Lin started performing stand-up, but admits she didn't love it at first. She didn't love people at all, actually. She credits Sunny for being a catalyst for changing her outlook. "Training Sunny as my service dog and having Sunny by my side helped me exist in the world differently," she says. Indeed, Sunny sometimes makes guest appearances onstage when Lin is performing her silly and optimistic sets around town at spots like Emerald City Comedy Club, Joketellers Union, and Laughs Comedy Club (where she recently opened for Irene Tu).

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Describe your comedy in five words.
Warm and super silly human.

I am in love with your dog, Sunny. She makes such good faces! Will she be joining you onstage on April 4?
I am also in love with my dog, Sunny. She is the undisputed champion of silly goof. Is this an official invitation for her? If so, yes!

You’ve mentioned that Sunny has helped “rewire your brain,” and that has played a big role in making your dreams of performing stand-up comedy come true. Can you talk a little more about that?
I used to overanalyze every interaction with people. I had a hoodie that said, "Ewwww people," and it reflected accurately how I felt about people. Training Sunny as my service dog and having Sunny by my side helped me exist in the world differently. Sunny rewired my brain to be grounded in newfound worthiness. Sunny was solely responsible for pushing me over the threshold of finally pursuing comedy, my lifelong dream since I was 13. And my kids are 13 now. So it all feels magical. By the way, I love people now.

Do you remember your first time doing stand-up? Did you love it from the start?
It was at Big Time Brewery in the U-District. I brought Sunny. I sat in the corner behind the support column so no one could see me throughout the night. While on stage, I talked super fast the entire time. I had a joke about Rhododendron. My materials didn't make any sense to anyone, not even to myself. But my only goal was to get up on stage, so I felt triumphant. My therapist was at that mic. It was a huge milestone for our therapeutic relationship. I am goal-oriented; I didn't love it from the start, I love it now.

Seattle has lost some great comedy spots recently—Here-After closed, and Rendezvous, which had some regular showcases and open mics, changed owners. With that, where is your favorite place to see comedy in Seattle right now?
The Seattle comedy scene has very creative producers and a huge pool of talents with unique voices that are always evolving. Live comedy is one of the best things you can support to say "F you" to AI. There are so many comedy shows in and around the city! Come check out a live comedy show this week! I love performing at Laughs Comedy Club, Club Comedy of Seattle, Emerald City Comedy Club, Old Stove Brewery Queen Anne and Ballard locations! I did a secret sold-out Don't Tell Comedy show in a stranger's house on Cap Hill recently. The guy was super nice, he gave me a giant cat wheel for free. Our cat runs on the wheel for treats, it's so cute! Shout out to Yashar!

For more funny business, watch Lin in conversation with the evening's host, Emmett Montgomery:

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See Min Lin perform at The Stranger's Undisputable Champions of Comedy at Washington Hall on April 4, 7:30 pm, 21+. Tickets available here.

Not the Next Williamsburg, the Next Bellevue

Claudia Balducci — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:30:00 -0700

Sound Transit's Crosslake connection is nearly 20 years in the making. And it's going to make us all think Bellevue is cool. Maybe. by Claudia Balducci

In 2018, The Stranger asked me point-blank: would light rail turn Bellevue into the next Williamsburg, a “bastion of weirdos and warehouse parties?” I said no. Eight years later, I was sort of right and sort of wrong.

I have spent my entire political career fighting to bring light rail to the Eastside. When I started that fight many years ago as a Bellevue City Councilmember, I took it up because I truly believed that it would improve the lives of my constituents. That means commuters, of course. But I also imagined nurses getting to rest their feet on a quick and easy train ride home after work, people with disabilities having a whole new way to get around, and tech workers opting to get out of their cars and onto the train.

Those dreams are about to be realized when the light rail across the I-90 bridge finally opens this Saturday, March 28. But dreams that I could not have imagined at the outset of my light rail crusade are also going to be realized.

Light rail enabled us to envision, plan, and build an entirely new neighborhood in Bellevue, the Spring District, which includes affordable housing and community spaces right next to a light rail station. Through partnerships with Amazon, King County, the City of Bellevue, and BRIDGE Housing, Sound Transit created 234 apartments for low-and-middle-income residents. Unfortunately for that hopeful Stranger journalist, we had to remove several warehouses to do that, and had fewer locations for those Williamsburg-style warehouse parties.

But culture is alive in Bellevue. Light rail now links the entire region to the BelRed Arts District, which has the highest concentration of arts and cultural businesses, organizations, and artists east of Lake Washington. It will bring people from across our county to enjoy and support our local art scene.

And it’s not just good for people. Light rail will allow dogs from all over the area to experience the joys of the Marymoor Dog Park, sometimes referred to as “Doggie Disneyland.” And don’t worry, I’m working with Sound Transit on a dogs-on-trains policy that will keep everyone involved safe and happy.

I still don’t think Bellevue is going to be the next Brooklyn. I think it’s going to be something new. It’s going to be the next Bellevue. Come and see for yourself—we’re just a train ride away!

Claudia Balducci is a King County Councilmember representing the Eastside and a Sound Transit Board member who has spent the last 20 years championing light rail on the Eastside.

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Seattle This Weekend: Mar 27–29, 2026

EverOut Staff — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

No Kings Protest, Crosslake Connection Opening, and More Cheap & Easy Events Under $20

by EverOut Staff

Whatcha up to this weekend? We've got some ideas for ya, from the No Kings Protest threepeat to A Town Hall on Security and Surveillance and from Sound Transit's Crosslake Connection Opening Day to the final weekend of the U District Cherry Blossom Festival. Looking for more options? Check out our top picks of the week.

FRIDAY PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

Touching Grass
Are you chronically online? Or maybe fluent in cringe and constantly reciting deep cut vocal stims? Then Touching Grass might be exactly what you need. This club night is all about transmuting brainrot into full-body catharsis, soundtracked by a chaotic blend of happy hardcore, hyperflip, breakcore, trap, and other genres so niche it’ll feel like your algorithm gained sentience. Whether you show up nonverbal or only ready to communicate in half-remembered memes and lyrics, take this as your chance to shamelessly bring your weird, silly, digital self IRL. LANGSTON THOMAS
(Kremwerk, Downtown, $15-$25)

Slog AM: Central District Loses its Only Walgreens, 2 Line’s Crosslake Connection Opens Tomorrow, TSA Workers Might Finally Get Paid

Charles Mudede — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Charles Mudede

What is this? It’s a key element of a development initiated in 2015 by Vancouver BC’s Westbank: the installation of a 747 jet once operated by United Airlines and sent to a California graveyard in 2017. The whole project, however, was delayed due to financial woes attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising construction costs resulting from supply chain disruptions. In September, 2025, Westbank lost control of the project to OPTrust, a developer based in Toronto. The reconstruction of a Boeing 747 between the ground floors of two 47-story towers on 1200 Stewart Street began earlier this year. It is now close to completion. But it arrives as a relic twice over. For one, it’s a relic of the major role Seattle played in the history of aerospace; and, two, it’s a relic of the economic and construction boom Seattle experienced, thanks to Amazon, during the previous decade. Amazon is no longer the hiring powerhouse it once was (it recently lost its top spot as Seattle’s biggest employer to the University of Washington) and continues to bleed jobs. So, this installation has, at this point, no future in it. And as the present recession worsens, it will look more and more absurd.

Just when you thought Seattle’s pharmageddon might be abating, it strikes again. Its latest victim is on 23rd and Jackson. This part of town, which used to be the Central District’s commercial hub, lost a Starbucks in 2022—the building remains empty to this day, despite years-long unrealized rumors of Black Coffee Northwest’s plan to occupy the space. In January, the only grocery store in the neighborhood, Amazon Fresh, abruptly closed and immediately transformed an area that once had an excellent supermarket, Promenade Red Apple Market, into a food desert. Now the Seattle Times reports that Walgreens, the Central District’s only pharmacy, plans to close its doors on May 19. A reason for the closure was not provided by the company, which was bought by a private equity firm (Sycamore Partners) in 2025. But a year before this acquisition, Walgreens announced that it would begin closing 1,200 (roughly 14 percent) of its stores because they were “underperforming.” The Seattle area has already lost all of its Bartell Drugs stores because its parent company, Rite Aid, which acquired the family-owned chain in 2020, was bankrupt and closing its stores. When it rains it pours.

One hopes that April will not be a cruel month, that it will repeat the mood of much of March, which has enjoyed a bit of snow and kept things cool and wet. March, however, has been utterly mean to a huge part of the United States, which is still experiencing a record-breaking heat wave. The Pacific Northwest, and much of the East Coast, managed to remain in a mixture of winter and spring while several states entered a drought months before summer began to sizzle. Today, Seattle can expect a low of 37 and some clouds.

Remarkable Weather Channel article about the unprecedented heat wave and not a single word about #climatechange.

Embarrassing, and journalistic malpractice in this day and age.

weather.com/forecast/reg...

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— Peter Gleick (@petergleick.bsky.social) March 25, 2026 at 3:07 PM

The 2 Line, which connects Seattle and Bellevue, finally opens tomorrow after “years of construction setbacks.” Indeed, many of us came to the conclusion that it would never happen; that the Crosslake Connection, which involves two key stations (one at Judkins Park; the other on Mercer Island), was nothing more than a costly engineering dream. But Sound Transit proved us skeptics wrong. This part of the line will start singing “I am for real” tomorrow morning.

It seems the stock market has finally come to its senses and no longer believes a word exiting the president’s mouth. The war Trump started with Iran has no end in sight; there are no meaningful secret deals happening through back channels. Ain’t nothing going on but a bunch of social media posts that say one thing today and something else tomorrow. (These worthless announcements are accompanied by “suspicious trading.”) If you are not in the know—aka not in Trump’s inner circle of billionaires—then you’ll likely get burned in this corrupt market. The Dow is presently down 500 points after falling nearly 500 points yesterday.

The Senate unanimously passed a measure that would pay Transportation Security Administration workers but not ICE’s thugs, who, by the way, are still getting paid due to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. And so their presence at a number of line- and employee-stressed airports (standing here, standing there; looking up, looking down) is seen as a slap in the face of those who haven’t received a paycheck in weeks. The Senate’s TSA measure has to go through the House before reaching the president’s desk.

TSA workers have been going a month with no paycheck and they’re pissed that ICE agents are getting paid to chill and play airport cop.

“TSA officers are sickened that we have unqualified DHS employees walking the airports, with pay, while we all suffer doing our qualified work unpaid.”

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— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) March 25, 2026 at 7:59 PM

Let’s end AM with Open Mic Eagle’s irony dripping track “woke up knowing everything (opening theme)”:

Hope You're Hungry

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:34:00 -0700

Do you need to get something off your chest? Submit an I, Anonymous and we'll illustrate it! by Anonymous

To the guy who chose to shout insults at me for parallel parking on a two-way street today:

I used my indicator way ahead of time and waited for a safe break in traffic to park. Parked the moment I got a break in one straight shot in spite of your honking that started the second after I stopped my car. Apparently, waiting six seconds and missing a green light was enough for you to roll down your window and scream at a woman you have never met and call her a "bitch."

We all experience frustration in Seattle traffic, but most have the decency to keep it to themselves rather than putting down a stranger over such a minor inconvenience. If this interaction was enough to put you over the edge, you must rarely get a break from your own self-righteous anger.

Special mention to everyone around who kept to themselves and didn't intervene.

I hope you choke on a bag of dicks.

Do you need to get something off your chest? Submit an I, Anonymous and we'll illustrate it! Send your unsigned rant, love letter, confession, or accusation to ianonymous@thestranger.com. Please remember to change the names of the innocent and the guilty.

Ticket Alert: Jungle, Mon Laferte, and More Seattle Events Going On Sale This Week

EverOut Staff — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:30:00 -0700

Plus, LeAnn Rimes and More Event Updates for March 26

by EverOut Staff

Which shows will you be seated for? British funk trio Jungle has announced a new album and upcoming tour with a stop in Seattle this fall. Genre-spanning Chilean-Mexican star Mon Laferte brings her Femme Fatale Tour to the 5th Avenue Theatre. Plus, vocal powerhouse LeAnn Rimes celebrates 30 years of her debut major-label album Blue. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 27

MUSIC

Acid Bath
Paramount Theatre (Sat Aug 8)

Altın Gün with Alex Maas
Showbox SoDo (Tues Sept 8)

The Aquabats!
The Showbox (Sat June 13)

Sound Transit Considers Delaying Ballard Light Rail

Micah Yip — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:00:00 -0700

On Tuesday, Strauss shot an email out to residents, encouraging them to show up to the town hall with concerns about light rail. Only four people did. The 19 other speakers wanted to talk about homeless people living in RVs, road hazards, and yes, public safety. After the meeting, Strauss said he expected that. It is Ballard after all. by Micah Yip

As someone who usually light rails around the city, driving from Capitol Hill to Ballard was like enduring Dante’s nine levels of hell. Red-line traffic up I-5, east to west surface street chaos, Apple Maps ETA climbing. By the time I reached the Ballard Community Center for Councilmember Dan Strauss’ town hall last night, another 12 minutes had been added to my 35-minute commute.

The situation was too on-the-nose. It was Strauss’ first town hall since Sound Transit announced it’s considering delaying the long-promised and voter-approved Ballard Light Rail Extension. At a board retreat last week, Sound Transit presented members three options to address its $34.5 billion shortfall over the next 20 years, none of which included a Ballard stop. “Ballard Dan” Strauss, who represents the neighborhood, issued a news release expressing his disappointment.

“The Ballard Link Extension is projected to serve the most riders of any project in Sound Transit history,” he wrote. “Sound Transit needs to sharpen their pencils, do the analysis, and bring us a plan that gets to Ballard.”

On Tuesday, Strauss shot an email out to constituents, informing them of the Sound Transit developments and reminding them to RSVP for the town hall and send in their questions. Only four people talked about the light rail. The 19 other speakers wanted to talk about homeless people living in RVs, road hazards, and yes, public safety. After the meeting, Strauss said he expected that. It is Ballard after all.

One person asked if everything had been done to minimize the cost of the Ballard link, considering Sound Transit tacked on the cost of the planned second light rail tunnel through downtown Seattle, which would expand the line’s capacity and allow more trains to run.

That’s one of Strauss’ gripes. In 2021, when Sound Transit updated cost estimates and reworked the Sound Transit 3 plan, it separated the West Seattle–Ballard project into two different ones. The second tunnel—a major, expensive piece of infrastructure—stayed tied to the Ballard segment, which is why Ballard’s extension seems so costly on paper.

“We have to look at cost sharing for that downtown tunnel because the region benefits from it,” Strauss said.

Miss Kimball, an eight-year Ballardite in her 80s, can’t drive. Getting anywhere—to the hospital in First Hill after a recent stroke, or to the theater—meant waiting for transfers in the rain and snow. We need better service “to take part in all of the arts and culture that we have in the city,” she told Strauss. He agreed.

King County Metro should have provided that service, he said, after the Seattle Transit Measure was passed by voters in 2020 to fund more metro hours.

“We have less service today than we did in the pandemic,” Strauss said. “Metro is overlooking Ballard. They’re not spending our money.”

Kirk Robbins, who served alongside Strauss on the Ballard District Council, asked Strauss how they could get Sound Transit to come up with an option that includes a Ballard link.

Strauss said he told the board that they’ve zoned Ballard specifically for light rail and that they need to revisit the drawing board. “I’m not gonna give up on it,” he told Robbins.

Green Lake resident Thomas Powers, a volunteer with Seattle Subway, asked if Strauss considered new revenue sources, like a special tax district.

“We’re looking at all of it,” Strauss said. “But for a special district where we can tax ourselves more, we don’t have enough people to fund everything.”

While the Ballard light rail fans didn’t turn out in force to Strauss’ town hall, they appeared to pack the room at Thursday’s Sound Transit board meeting. Seattle Subway has organized a letter writing campaign and a call to action. “Solutions to ST3 problems absolutely exist, Sound Transit just needs to hear that we, the public, demand they use them,” reads the rallying cry on their site. Those upcoming board meetings should be interesting.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated there wasn't a direct bus service from Ballard to downtown.

The Stranger Has a New News Writer!

Stranger Staff — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0700

Fresh meat. by Stranger Staff

Our new writer Hunter Pauli is a hometown boy. Most recently a reporter for The Inlander, he was born and raised in Seattle. After graduating from the Center School, he served two years in AmeriCorps before attending J-school at University of Montana.

He’s done all kinds of jobs in various newsrooms, but he’s mostly been a roving investigative reporter, covering everything from tar sands pipelines, local Nazi collaborators, to the corrupt Russian oligarch in your backyard. We’re pleased to have him, and asked a few stupid questions to celebrate his arrival.

You’re from Seattle, but you’ve spent your youth travelling The West. Are you coming home to rest?

I wish. There’s no jobs left in the interior that pay a living wage now that housing is almost as expensive in places like Montana as it is in Seattle without the high wages to compensate. I’m all your problem now (again).

Has Seattle gone to the dogs since you’ve been gone? Yes or yes?

Seattle was struggling with spiraling inequality and unaffordable housing when I left during the Recession, but luckily the city fathers fixed all that while I was away.

Once, you were turned away from a restaurant in Montana because you were so dirty after the rodeo. Do you still get this dirty?

Journalism is a far dirtier industry than rodeo. The stains never really come out, the maître d’s can still smell it on me.

Tell us a rodeo secret.

If a steer snaps its leg they turn up the volume on the arena’s audio board so you don’t hear the gunshot.

You’ve shot a lot of people, on video. Who stands out?

Dolores Huerta was the most inspiring, Gavin Newsom the least. Shaq stands tallest of all.

Share your worst opinion.

Seattle’s business class should force taxpayers to subsidize the reopening of the old Brooks Brothers on 5th Avenue so people here stop dressing so unprofessionally in the workplace.

Do you kill spiders, ask others to kill spiders for you, or are you one of those sick people who trap house spiders under cups so you can release them to die of exposure?

I kill without hesitation.

A Google search revealed that, in 2014, you tried marrying your straight male friend to prove a point about discriminatory laws. Were you influenced by I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, or by an internal sense of social justice?

My ethics are a 50/50 split between what I learned from Happy Madison Productions and what I learned in Seattle Public Schools.

Are you still, as USA Today put it, one of the most in-your-face student journalists reporting and writing today?

Technically I graduated long ago but I’m still quite direct in my reporting and writing.

Your great-great-great-grandfather helped found BYU. I know you’re not Mormon, but do you enjoy their loaded sodas?

No, I am a grown-ass man.

Where do you think the Garden of Eden is?

The Garden of Eden is in Discovery Park, I’ve seen it.

Do you know the location of the golden plates?

That part is apocryphal.

Do you have other interests?

I have no hobbies.

Which Seattle public official should be the most scared that you’re in town?

When I was in AmeriCorps NCCC it was Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss’ responsibility as a team leader on watch to catch me drinking underage in the barracks in Sacramento. He failed. I won’t.

Should the Sonics return?

As a card carrying member of the International Cinematographers Guild IATSE Local 600 I think the NBA’s return to Seattle would create a groundswell of good-paying union jobs, and now that Howard Schultz is gone it would be too poetic not to.

Fuck, Marry, Kill: Harborview, Virginia Mason, and Swedish?

Fuck Virginia Mason, Marry Swedish (they delivered me), kill Virginia Mason.

Gen X Is Back to the Future

Charles Mudede — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:30:00 -0700

Will the world as we know it even reach this year’s midterm elections? This question, which might sound a bit alarmist, now has to be taken seriously because the stage for World War III has been set in the Middle East. by Charles Mudede

It is nothing but terrible that the track, “World Destruction,” that best captured the key anxiety of the 80s, nuclear war, was produced and performed by two men who are now identified as creeps, John Lyndon (aka the Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten, now a loud member of UK’s MAGA) and Afrika Bambaataa (the hiphop pioneer was “accused of child sexual abuse multiple times”). But the 1984 track got it right. The drums exploding like extinction-level detonations; the hard rock guitar stabs; the stressed and strained synthesized chorus. The whole maddening idea that the Soviet Union and the United States had, combined, enough nuclear warheads to destroy the world not once but hundreds of times. This was “World Destruction,” a track that resurfaced in my thoughts because of Operation Epic War, the US’s current and unprovoked war with Iran. It too could go nuclear at any moment.

Now is a good time to talk about my generation, Gen X. We were the first age group to experience the decline of live music and the ascendency of music generated by machines (samplers, synthesizers, beat boxes). We also experienced the first domestic-grade personal computers, whose word processors replaced the electric typewriter; and the first to use cordless phones. We were also introduced not only to the internet but also its influence on the cinema and literature of science fiction (cyberpunk).

Many of these monumental transformations in consumer products are described by music and culture critic Roy Christopher in his new book Post-Self. So considerable and novel were the new receivers, distributors, and processors of data that cyberpunk, a movement at the heart of Post-Self, imagined a future where we could download our self-awareness into the electronic ether of cyberspace and live for as long as no one in the real world pulled the plug.

My generation was also the last to live, as young adults, within a social reality described as the Cold War. We saw the bomb shelters, and were taught in school to “duck and cover” if a nuclear weapon, launched by the Soviets or its allies, hit our city.

Indeed, In Post-Self, Roy Christopher recalls watching an episode of the The Twilight Zone called “Time Enough at Last,” which was about a bespectacled and bibliophilic bank teller who survives the detonation of an H-bomb because he happened to be in the bank’s vault. He then roams the ruins of a world that has no other people, but lots of books to read.The bank teller, however, accidently breaks his glasses and is left practically blind. “The trepidation of that tragic moment,” writes Christopher, “recombinant with worries of the apocalypse, was a seed planted in my head. And more than any other Cold War-era image of imminent destruction splashed on the television during my childhood…”

All American Gen Xers have similar stories. For me, it was the “Daisy” ad. Produced in 1964 as a campaign commercial for Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential run, it shows a girl pulling the petals from a daisy as she imperfectly counts. Right after pulling the final petal, we hear a loud robotic voice begin a countdown to the launching of nuclear weapons. The girl looks up, her face is frozen, and we zoom into her right eye’s iris, which reflects the mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion. This is the last thing she will ever see. The end of the world brought to you by Johnson’s opponent, a trigger-happy Cold War warrior Barry Goldwater.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 brought the Cold War to an unexpected end, and with it the expectation that we were only a button away from a nuclear apocalypse. We placed that fear into the background and turned our attention to another anthropogenic crisis that, though achieving mainstream status in the 1960s with books such as Silent Spring, obtained an eschatological register in the 1980s, global warming: the rise of greenhouse gases, the depletion of the ozone layer, and so on.

That movement, however, never produced anything that matched the cultural impact of the “Daisy” ad, or The Day After, a TV show watched by over 100 million people when first aired by ABC on November 20, 1983. Later, President Ronald Reagan would write in his diary that he was seriously spooked by the show’s realism. In fact, he credited his decision to sign a treaty with the Soviets that banned short- and medium-range missiles to the TV show.

Nothing of this kind has happened with the crisis of climate change. We are still burning fossil fuels with an abandon that’s nothing short of astonishing. No matter how bad or extreme our weather gets, we still demand, above all, cheap gas. And it’s likely that Donald Trump’s party might, during the midterm elections, lose both the House of Representatives and the Senate because of “pain at the pump.”

CNBC reports that the “Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee shared with CNBC first its new ad campaigned targeting closely-watched districts across the country and lashing out at the GOP for high gas prices.” So, the Dems are promising to liberate even more carbon into the atmosphere. No reforms. No concern about the environment. Just the usual cheap, but socially costly, consumption of fossil fuels.

But will the world as we know it even reach this year’s midterm elections? This question, which might sound a bit alarmist, now has to be taken seriously because the stage for World War III has been set in the Middle East. At any moment, one might open their phone and read that nuclear missiles have obliterated Tehran and killed millions. This catastrophe, which could have been avoided if Trump had not tossed Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran to the dogs, and is exacerbated by the war in the Ukraine, would soon be followed by others because the key (but unofficial) belligerents in this crisis are the world’s top nuclear superpowers: Russia and China vs the USA and (a reluctant) Europe. It would take only a few weeks to kill billions of humans and leave the rest, the survivors, facing extinction by way of cancers caused by radiation exposure or a long and cold nuclear winter.

Let’s look at the movie Oppenheimer for a minute. A little short of three years ago, we watched this summer blockbuster about the inauguration of the Cold War and the amassing of extinction-level weapons from what appeared to be the safe distance of the third decade of the 21st century. Oppenheimer wasn’t about our present situation, but about something that happened many years ago (July 16, 1945); happened long before the collapse of the Soviet Union, which also happened long ago. All we had to deal with between then and today—a span of 35 years—were pesky missiles fired over Japan by an anachronism called North Korea. Imagine showing Oppenheimer this summer. How things have changed in such a short space of time. Thanks to the US’s current war with Iran, a war instigated by Trump for reasons that remain very much in the dark, the corpse of that first blast in New Mexico has been reanimated. And Gen X has found itself back in the future.

This time around, however, things might actually be worse because the military is turning more and more of its decision making powers over to AI, which, as Jacobin reports in “Thermonuclear Slop and the Return of the Bomb,” recommends “nuclear strikes in 95 percent” of simulated cases. What can we do about this very dangerous situation? Jacobin recommends reviving the anti-nuclear movement. It had some success in the past; it might have some success—or at least more success than the environmental movement—today. (By the way, some environmentalists have promoted nuclear power as an exit from our current dependency on fossil fuels.)

But what a true Gen Xer will also recommend is that one come to terms with their maker—in the secular sense. Why? For one, getting an anti-nuclear movement started takes time (which Operation Epic Fury obliterated on day one); and, two, an existential threat of this scale, a global scale, demands a very personal existential resolve that, in itself, is instructive and even spiritual. What the Cold War taught many of us was the fragility of the only world we will ever know and call home.

Slog AM: Potties for Pioneer Square, Olympics Bans Trans Women, Election Fraud Activist Guilty of Election Fraud

Nathalie Graham — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Nathalie Graham

King County Assessor Charged in Stalking Case: Last summer, King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson—who was running for King County Executive at the time—was arrested for violating a no-contact order from his ex-fiancée. Wilson had allegedly stalked and harassed his ex, and she had a temporary restraining order against him. Because of conflicts of interest with the assessor's office, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office couldn't handle the charges, so they handed the case to the Snohomish County Prosecutor. But the Seattle City Attorney ended up filing the charges. It’s unclear why. Wilson was charged in Seattle Municipal Court. He’s still the King County Assessor, though he says he will not run for re-election.

In Sonics News: There's actually nothing to be excited about yet, you basketball babies. In a unanimous vote, the NBA Board of Governors gave Commissioner Adam Silver the green light to hold formal talks with Seattle and Las Vegas about maybe expanding the league to one or both of the cities for the 2028-2029 season. Don't hold your breath. A final answer might not come until the end of this calendar year. In the meantime, go to a Storm game?

Landslide Blues: Northbound I-5 near Bellingham is still closed after 12 million pounds of earth fell onto it seven days ago. State transportation crews are doing what they can to secure the slide-prone slope above the roadway, but as KING5 reports, it all takes time. They must clear loose trees and rocks on the hillside and then bolt the slope back into place. The whole thing is snarling traffic and disrupting shipping between the US and Canada.

Pioneer Square Piss Boxes: After years of failed attempts to give the public a place to piss in peace that is not an alleyway or a Starbucks, Seattle is once again trying to add new bathrooms to its stock. The Seattle Department of Transportation is contracting with private company Throne Labs to install "11 freestanding restrooms across the region, each at cost of around $100,000 a year," reports PubliCola. That's pretty cheap considering Seattle's last potty proposal cost $5 million for four toilets. The Thrones will, of course, only be accessible via "an app, a QR code, text message, or an entry card." You can bet your ass Throne will be keeping tabs on customers. User reviews and sensors in each unit can help identify any restroom rascals. The first two Thrones will come to Pioneer Square.

The Weather: There will be sun today. It's spring, though, so anything can happen.

Instagram Addicts Non-Anonymous: Raise your hand if you have been personally victimized by doomscrolling. A 20-year-old woman sued Meta and Google for her childhood addictions to Instagram and YouTube which saddled her with anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia. Inventions like "infinite scroll" kept the plaintiff hooked on the apps. A Los Angeles jury ordered the tech companies must pay $6 million in damages—$3 million in compensatory damages, and another $3 million in punitive damages. Meta will have to cough up 70 percent of the funds, Google will pay the other 30 percent. This was the first case of its kind to go to trial, but thousands of plaintiffs across the country have filed similar suits, like Tuesday’s New Mexico trial regarding child exploitation and user safety. Meta says it will appeal the LA court’s ruling.

Timely: Meta laid off several hundred people on Wednesday. The cuts hit multiple divisions across the company, CNBC reports, like "Facebook, global operations, recruiting, sales and its virtual reality division Reality Labs." Meta's big plan is to funnel resources into AI.

Sad Days for American Science: Top NASA climate scientist Kate Marvel resigned from her position on Wednesday. She blamed the Trump administration's attack on science. Marvel said that none of her internally funded projects actually got funded once Trump took office. You can read her resignation letter here. The New York Times reports that Marvel is one of around 95,000 federal science employees who are no longer in their roles post-Trump 2.0 due to "layoffs, retirements, or resignations." This is catastrophic for American science.

Despite living in climate denial central, the effects of climate change are real and very much here. California's dismal snowpack is nearing record lows and spring heatwaves are melting whatever's left. "Nearly every snow-measuring station in the Sierra has lost more than a foot of snow in the 10 days since the heat wave kicked into full gear," SFGate reports. "A melt of this rate is a big deal any time, but in March it’s unheard of,” hydrologist Mike Hittle told the paper.

It’s been a brutal month for California’s snowpack, which is now at just 25% of normal.

The snowpack is now 8% of normal in the northern Sierra, 28% of normal in the central Sierra and 44% of normal in the southern Sierra.

NASA satellite images from Feb. 22, March 6 and March 24.

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— Anthony Edwards (@edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social) March 25, 2026 at 3:20 PM

Meanwhile, War: Israel says it killed the head of Iran's navy in an airstrike. After Tehran rejected Trump's 15-point ceasefire plan the president is now publicly threatening Tehran in Truth Social posts to "get serious soon" on these negotiations. He also claims Iran is "begging for a deal." Strange tactic, but hey, he’s the artist of the deal.

Olympics Says It’s Banning Trans Women Athletes: The International Olympic Committee announced a ban on transgender women from participating in women’s sporting events at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Trans women athletes haven’t been competing in the Olympics. So, what’s this really about? The committee has also banned cis or intersex women with male testosterone levels or male chromosomes. Any athlete who wants to compete in a female sport will have to prove their biological gender with a cheek swab or saliva test. No one wins when women and womanhood are scrutinized like this.

We're all trying to find the guy who did this: Harry Wait, a Wisconsin man who believes the 2020 election was stolen and leads a group that decries election fraud, was convicted of election fraud. Wait was found guilty of two misdemeanor election fraud charges and one felony identity theft charge for requesting the absentee ballots of Republican state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Democratic Racine Mayor Cory Mason without their consent. Of the charges, Wait said, "You got to expect to pay some costs sometimes when you are trying to work for the public good." He also said he "would do it again."

It Was Opening Day: It's officially baseball season. Now... was this symbolism?

it's so cool that they exploded the US flag at the MLB season opener. baseball getting woker.

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— tuck woodstock (@tuck.bsky.social) March 25, 2026 at 5:27 PM

Today Is The Mariners' Opening Day: See you all at T-Mobile Park. Here's this to get you into the mood.

Drag Race Episode 12: Making Drag Sisters Outta Queer Cowboys

Mike Kohfeld — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:14:00 -0700

It’s time for another classic Drag Race challenge: makeovers! This week, our remaining queens were tasked with turning six queer cowboys into their drag sisters. by Mike Kohfeld

It’s time for another classic Drag Race challenge: makeovers! This week, our remaining queens were tasked with turning six queer cowboys into their drag sisters.

But first, a Mini-Challenge. Dressed like he just stepped off of his Wyoming fracking ranch, RuPaul instructed the queens to “giddy-up and titty-up” for a Hot to Trot Horse Race. Seeing the queens in their quick-drag cowgirl looks made me cackle. “We are all looking like the nastiest county fair you have ever seen,” Darlene said, “and I feel right at home.”

The queens raced their way across the werkroom on inflatable horses. This was all shot in slow motion (of course) so we got to see every bounce, jiggle, and wipeout in delectable detail. In the end, Discord found herself with her second Mini-Challenge win: “In Discord math, two Minis make a Maxi.” I guess that works?

A Posse of Queer Cowboys

“Discord math” may be delusional, but she earned the privilege of pairing the queens with six strapping queer cowboys to kick off the Main Challenge.

Discord chose horse speed-rider Colton of Oklahoma for their uncanny resemblance (and matching ear gauges). She chose to do a Clueless theme for their runway, dressing as a punk mean girl while Colton, renamed Harmony Addams (get it?), was transformed into a preppy mean girl.

In the werkroom, RuPaul cautioned Discord to focus more on family resemblance rather than a cute concept, but Discord plowed ahead with her plan. It was a fun runway, but the judges didn’t buy it. Law Roach had nothing nice to say (Discord blasted his “nasty” judging style in an interview with EW) and Michelle insisted there was no family resemblance. Discord landed in the bottom two.

Juicy was paired with Greg, a Navajo gay rodeo All-Around champion. He became Loosey Love Dion—an exquisite incarnation of Celia Cruz—fulfilling Juicy’s vision of glamorous Afro-Latina twins. The judges praised the cohesion between the two looks. “Juicy turned me into this beautiful woman,” Loosey shared during the critiques, tearing up. “It’s so empowering.”

Discord partnered Jane Don’t with Terry, a retired rodeo judge from Oklahoma. Jane figured Discord gave her the eldest cowboy to trip her up. But she was undaunted, transforming Terry into her sister Maybe Don’t, dripping with vintage glamour in complementary gowns and feather boas.

The judges were split on Jane and Maybe. Guest judge actress/comedienne Danielle Pinnock exclaimed, “what episode of Parent Trap is this? Y’all are giving twins!” But Michelle insisted there was no family resemblance at all, landing Jane in her first-ever bottom placement. (The inconsistency of the judging during this episode was definitely the story editing taking a front seat as the producers build up the top four. In the words of Alyssa Edwards: rigga morris!)

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Jane Don’t (@heyjanedont)

Regardless of the judging, Terry/Maybe Don’t had the time of his life: “Looking this glamorous, I never dreamed I would look as good, or better than you, RuPaul.” At the end of the episode, there was a memoriam for Terry. Jane shared a touching statement on her Instagram. Pour one out for Terry.

Drag Family Therapy

Michael of Denver, the VP of the International Gay Rodeo Association, became Morgan Meeks under partner Myki’s tutelage. Myki ended up with an unexpected advantage, as Michael had snatched the title of Miss International Gay Rodeo in 2000. He shared that he had quit drag because of hangups around his masculinity, but the experience with Drag Race helped him reconnect with his feminine side.

The Meeks sisters fit the brief in matching gowns. While the looks were relatively simple compared to the other queens’, they looked related to one another… and related to Michelle, too: Roach called them “Nichelle and Rochelle Visage.” Myki scored the win for the episode.

Myki wasn’t the only one to get a queeny cowboy. Darlene’s partner Chris, a roper from Oklahoma, was unafraid of his feminine side. During RuPaul’s walkthrough, Chris shared that he cleaned house in stilettos (something tells me Darlene does this too. Banana!). It was a match made in gay heaven. Darlene leaned into the camp of it all, turning Chris into her trashy sister Bonnie Mitchell on a wild night out in Vegas.

Nini was paired with Jason, a Colorado steer wrestler. Jason’s story of being afraid of his own femininity after the murder his friend and fellow soldier Barry Winchell inspired Nini to help him reconnect with his queerness through drag. For their runway, Nini chose a conceptual route, dressing herself as a monarch butterfly and Jason (as Patsy Coco) as a caterpillar. “I thought the costumes were cute, but there was no family resemblance at all,” Law Roach said to the agreement of the rest of the judges.

Nini ended up in the bottom two alongside Discord—the first time for them both. They battled it out to Ariana Grande’s ballad, “we can’t be friends.” Nini had a tighter lipsync and better matched the energy of the song, keeping her in the competition.

We hated to see Discord go, but we loved to watch her Discord-walk away. After promising to see us again on All Stars (yes please), she departed Season 18 with a hearty “eat the rich, fuck the patriarchy.” This is now a Discord Addams stan account.

Of the five queens left, who will make it to the Top Four? It’ll all come down to next week’s performance challenge: Karens Gone Wild. See you then!

Slog AM: Cesar Chavez Park to Be Renamed, the Muckleshoot Casino Sauce Machine, and Wishing Death on Your Enemies in a Christ-Like Manner

Vivian McCall — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Vivian McCall

Seattle, King County to rename Cesar Chavez Park in South Park: Since the former Mexican American labor hero allegedly sexually abused girls and women, including his fellow labor leader Dolores Huerta, this is a good idea. The sign with Chavez’s name has already come down, The Seattle Times reports.

Leaders are grappling with the Chavez allegations in the Yakima valley, where he visited many times, reports the Yakima Herald. In 1986, he spoke at Yakima Valley College and Central Washington University before a two day march focused on the plight of asparagus cutters.

ICE in the News: The King County Council voted Tuesday to ban immigration operations on certain county properties unless federal agents have a judicial warrant or court order, KUOW reports. The measure passed 7-1. Councilmember Reagan Dunn voted against. His brother in moderation Councilmember Pete Von Reichbauer was excused from the vote. The council also struck the word “alien” from its legal code. County Executive Girmay Zahilay issued an executive order directing the council to take up the legislation.

What’s more Christ-like than wishing death on your enemies? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s pastor and closest spiritual advisor Brooks Potteiger said on the podcast “Reformation Red Pill” that he wants Texas Senate candidate James Talarico to die. He referred to Talarico as a “wolf,” “demon,” and a “snake.” Actually, he’s a white Christian man! No matter. “First and foremost, we pray that a man like this would be cut to the heart.”

I’d hate to be slop rn. OpenAI is shutting down it’s AI video app Sora just a few months after launch and a now-kaput $1 billion investment deal with Disney. Back in October, Sora was hailed as this next-gen product of “the threat to our shared reality” variety. But Sora hemorrhaged money. Back of the napkin math suggested the company was blowing $15 million a day on these videos, Forbes wrote in November. Even the head of Sora, Bill Peebles, said the economics were completely unsustainable. Does this mean Mickey Mouse is staying far, far away from the slop? No, they’re still going to engage with AI “to find new ways to meet fans where they are.”

Liable: After a seven-week trial, a New Mexico jury determined that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram and the soon-to-be-shuttered Metaverse, had harmed the mental health of children and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms. Jurors are deliberating in a similar case in California. For its thousands of violations, Meta could pay out $375 million—less than a fifth of what prosecutors were seeking. The company is valued at $1.5 trillion, so it’s not likely to make a dent. The shareholders don’t care. Stock was up 5 percent following the verdict. As for what will change, a judge will decide.

Epic, Fail: Fortnite developer Epic Games laid off 1,000 employees on Wednesday, a significant chunk of its staff. In an open letter, CEO Tim Sweeney wrote that Fortnite engagement took a dive in 2025, and the company is now “spending significantly more than we’re making.” Sweeney did not share exact engagement numbers. But at its 2023 peak Fortnite averaged 3.1 million players a day. Last September, that number had fallen to approximately 835,000. This is nothing to floss about.

😐👍: The Pentagon will order 2,000-3,000 82nd Airborne soldiers to the Middle East to support the war in Iran. Simultaneously, the US has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the same war. It hasn’t been made public. This morning, Iran rejected the proposal and laid out its own conditions.

Go To War, Elder Millennials: The army bumped up the max enlistment age to 42 this month, bringing the admission policy in line with most other US Military services like the Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. Sure, you were never able to afford the house you always dreamed of, but Trump, in his infinite wisdom, has forged a new path for you.

Weather: Rain before 2 p.m., then a chance of thunderstorms. This will help you acclimate to the loud noises.

What Could Be Worse Than Skeletons in the Closet? While cleaning out a closet in preparation to move the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to new headquarters, workers discovered a small blue suitcase. Inside was a cache of Klu Klux Klan materials, including Klan charters, Klan robes, recruitment materials, meeting notes, and a ledger of members who paid—and didn’t pay—their dues. The department has donated the materials to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

“It’s more than a sauce station”: Muckleshoot Casino has a Heinz REMIX machine, a “game-changing flavor experience” that allows people to make fucked-up sauces. Tongue explorers can add up to two “flavor enhancers”— jalapeño, chipotle, buffalo, garlic, honey, or bacon—at three levels of intensity to bases of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue, ranch, smoked barbeque, and honey mustard. Sounds unclean.

Seattle Central College’s Wood Technology Center May Be on the Chopping Block

Chase Hutchinson — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:39:00 -0700

Reached by phone on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the college said that while they couldn’t name specific properties they were considering selling, the college is currently looking at all of their properties. This includes the block that contains the historic Egyptian Theater. by Chase Hutchinson

Seattle Central College’s Wood Technology Center, the home to carpentry, boat-building, and pre-apprenticeship construction programs that train students for skilled trades, is at risk of closing as the college explores selling the building where it’s housed.

Multiple students and staff spoke to The Stranger and expressed concerns about the loss of the programs. These closures will impact a region that desperately needs them.

“Losing this for Seattle is a huge loss. It’s a huge loss for the local economy, it’s a huge loss for our industry,” says Catie Chaplan, a Seattle Central College Wood Technology instructor named 2017’s Instructor of the Year by the Washington Women in the Trades. “With the need for housing in Seattle, it’s a loss of one of the few places that trains carpenters to build houses.”

Staff and students say they learned of the potential closure from college leadership on Monday, including interim president Chantae Recasner. As reported by The Seattle Times, students protested outside a conference room where a meeting was taking place, wearing belts and toolbelts while chanting as administrators departed, hoping pressure would lead to a different outcome.

Much remains unknown. Staff say they intend to honor all currently enrolled students. Staff said they’ve been told that they could continue to enroll cohorts in the spring quarter. However, they could be prohibited from enrolling new students in the five-quarter program by fall. There are approximately 70 students on a program waitlist.

It’s important to staff to keep enrolling for as long as they can rather than have the building sit empty while awaiting a potential sale, staff say. More details about enrollment will come in the next week.

The Stranger asked about the looming closure, the financial health of the college, and whether instructors would be given more time to find a different solution. Barb Childs, Seattle Central College’s associate vice chancellor of public relations and strategic initiatives, sent the following statement:

“We are considering the sale of Seattle Colleges' properties, including Seattle Central's Wood Technology property, and relocating the programs, where applicable, to sister colleges. As we consider the sale of properties, we are seeking the most seamless and softest landing for our students and employees. We are exploring this decision due to structural funding challenges facing community colleges across our state, including declining state funding and rising operating costs.”

In addition to concerns about losing what they called “vital programs,” students and staff said the closure leaves fewer opportunities for unrepresented groups to break into the woodworking field.

“These programs are one-of-a-kind programs that provide access and equity in the trades. They’re the only programs of their kind in Seattle and in the vicinity,” says Chaplan. “My program right now is over 50 percent women. We have a lot of queer, nonbinary, trans students. … We have people from all walks of life coming here to get training and build confidence to get living wage jobs and careers in industries that are desperate for skilled workers.”

Stephan Anderson is one of those trans students. The possibility of cuts has haunted the building, they say. The loss would be significant for Anderson.

“As a trans person of color at this school, being supported and gassed up every day has been unforgettable,” they say. “I’ve never experienced an education like this.”

Chaplan argues more grants and partnerships could allow the program to continue. It’s happened before. The over-80-year-old institution received a $750,000 grant from the Lowe’s Foundation in 2024.

“To lose the campus and lose the property is a huge loss that, in my opinion and our opinion here, is really a short-sighted loss,” Chaplan said. “We understand there’s a budget crisis and community colleges are in a world of hurt, but the years of financial decisions that got us here shouldn’t be balanced on selling an irreplaceable campus.”

Much Obliged

Dan Savage — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0700

Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! by Dan Savage I’m a happily married pregnant woman. My wife and I have had a bit of a slowdown in the sex department, but nothing too worrying considering my “condition.” During this pregnancy I’ve had an increase in libido, but I haven’t shared that with her. We were having some conflict when I started to experience this uptick in sexual impulses. I’ve had some limitations physically, like a period of mandated pelvic rest, so “The Right Moment” has been rare. When our dry spell came up a few months ago, neither of us handled the discussion well. I was being flirtatious (or I thought) and she chose that moment to say something hurtful about how infrequently we were having sex. I don’t like feeling as though sex is an obligation, so that interaction was a big turn-off for me. I told her I felt hurt, and she apologized, but I don’t think…

[ Read more ]

Slog AM: ICE Is in the Airports, a Meddlin’ Saudi Prince, Snowpack Pays for Warm Winter

Vivian McCall — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Vivian McCall

Fartin’ Around: The ICE agents sent to supposedly help TSA manage snarling lines at 14 airports—hundreds of its officers have quit or called out sick because they’re not being paid during this partial government shutdown—are just … standing around and pissing people off, writes Defector. Unsurprisingly, airport wait times haven’t magically improved overnight.

This Guy Is Definitely Going to Figure It Out: The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin to lead homeland security on a largely party-line vote Monday. The Republican Senator from Oklahoma and friend to President Donald Trump replacing Kristi Noem says his goal is to get the department off the front page of the news.

ICE in the News 2: ProPublica reports that Trump has arrested and detained the parents of at least 11,000 US citizen kids in the first seven months of his second term. That’s affecting roughly 50 kids a day; if the administration held that pace, the number would be about 22,000 by now.

ICE in the News 3: KUOW interviewed a couple from Oaxaca who’ve spent their adult lives working the crop and flower fields in the Skagit Valley. Their employer tells them they’re protected from federal agents at work, but there is no protection when they come and go. “Their kids beg them to leave their apartment — to walk to the nearby park and play on the playground, to go shopping for new shoes, or drive across town to get ice cream. These days, their mom and dad, who are undocumented, always say no.”

ICYMI, More ICE in the News: Last week, the Urbanist wrote about a “powerful surge” of immigration enforcement in Washington between October and December 2025. According to a report from University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights, the largest increases were in King, Yakima, and Clark Counties. The Center found repeated instances of federal agents running license plates to check immigration status before making an arrest.

Republican Sheriff/California Gubernatorial Candidate Seizes 650,000 Ballots from 2025: Riverside County Sheriff/candidate Chad Bianco says a citizen “audit” of California’s special election to re-district California allegedly showed that election workers counted 45,000 fewer ballots than the number of votes certified to the state. So… no. The citizen “evidence” is imprecise and wrong, and even though Bianco has been “investigating” fraud in Riverside County since 2022, he hasn’t found it. Is the stolen election in the room with us, folks?

Stop, Mr. Prince, He’s Impressionable! Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been pushing Trump to continue the war in Iran because he believes it is a “historic opportunity” to remake the Middle East, reports The New York Times. He’s told Trump that he must destroy Iran’s government. Trump appears to be of two minds (or none at all). Some days the war is ramping up. Others it’s winding down.

WFH is Dying: By July 1, all Seattle Public Schools employees must return to full-time in-person work, according to a Thursday email to employees. At least 330 SPS employees work in hybrid or fully-remote jobs.

Eina Kwon Shooting Won’t Go to Trial: Prosecutors have accepted a plea of insanity from Cordell Goosby, who, according to court filings, was in severe psychosis when he shot into the pregnant Kwon’s car in 2023, killing her and injuring her husband. After Goosby’s attorneys suggested he was insane at the time of the crime, prosecutors sought independent evaluation. Their expert agreed that he was insane. Under the plea, he could be held at a state psychiatric hospital for life.

Beautiful, Unseasonable Weather We’ve Been Having: This month’s snowy surprise was no match for climate change. Sorry to remind you of The End, but that abnormally mild winter cost us our precious snowpack. Usually at its highest point this time of year, Washington’s mountaintops currently “sit at or below half their normal levels,” writes The Seattle Times. After a brief hope for more snow, scientists, or the groundhogs of climate, are back to predicting the fourth severe summer drought in a row.

The Monster We’ve Created: His enjoyment is sickening.

Weather: It’s wet and grey, but we should be thankful for rain while it's still with us.

The Golden Hour at Roquette

Meg van Huygen — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:11:00 -0700

Roquette's Hour is a luminous treat. by Meg van Huygen

With an hour to kill before my birthday party, I was walking around Belltown in my silly dress in the freezing rain. I rarely drink alone, but…maybe that’s the move here? To celebrate myself on a date with myself?

It’s not hard to figure out how to spend the most luxurious possible solo hour in Belltown. Despite the attention it gets from both national food media and snobby listicle sites, Roquette’s somehow maintained a real-ones-know reputation in this city. Surrounded by oontzy dance clubs and yelly sports bars, this sleek, French-inspired cocktail lounge frequently sails under even my own radar, and definitely others’. A shame, considering its cool combo of elegant and chummy—Roquette’s unlikely to disappoint anyone who visits, even unreal ones who do not know.

What a perfect secret hideaway for an intimate little date with yourself, though. Self, we really must do this.

Fresh off its second James Beard nom, Roquette is standing room only on a blustery Friday. Ah, it’s so pretty and plush inside, with its cobalt velvet and palmy murals. They’ve got an ensemble cast tonight: Kyton Blair from Roquette’s original 2019 opening team—who’s also the StarChefs Seattle 2025 Rising Stars Award winner for his work there—as well as Chelsea Mathews (The Doctor’s Office) and Parker “Top Shelf” Knowles (Oyster Cellar). All major players in Seattle’s beverage programs.

From Roquette’s book of spectacular, world-class cocktails, I choose a Golden Hour: George Dickel Rye, Calvados Coquerel, Amaro Nonino, Giffard Piment d’Espelette, and apricot. The name was like a lovely personal welcome; in my wet scarf and drippy hair, I thought a sunny-golden hour spent in here just might break through the winter chill.

I like to smell the fruit before I take a sip—here, a swath of orange peel—and doing this adds enormously to the experience. Always a fan of gingerbready Dickel Rye. Calvados Coquerel is from Normandy, an oak-barrel cider brandy with farmy notes. Amaro Nonino is Italian and reminds me of MarketSpice tea: orange, cinnamon, chamomile, thyme, with a fruity grappa base. Also French, Piment d’Espelette’s a spicy, intense liqueur made by macerating espelette peppers in rhum agricole. And the sweet zang of the apricot juice unites everything, like hot honey on an experimental pizza.

This cocktail has always known me and is, in fact, my date tonight. We understand each other. We’re in love.

Before I go, Mathews sends me a Disco Ball—green AND yellow Chartreuse, mezcal, and “sparkles,” served in a disco ball-shaped shot glass. She’s “made it skate” with floaty ice slivers. In comparison, this tiny drink’s a flamboyant stranger who doesn’t know me at all, and it’s dazzling. I want a big version.

The karaoke party later is chaotic and fun, if exhausting, and I feel celebrated. It’s a privilege. But when the day is over, I’m deeply thankful for my meditative golden hour with the Golden Hour beforehand, hidden in plain sight at a svelte little lounge. This is the frequency I want this year. Age 46: I totally hang out at Roquette all the time now.

Stranger Suggests: Femme Power, Funk Goodness, and International Cuisine in Rainier Valley

Julianne Bell — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

One Really Great Thing to Do Every Day of the Week

by Julianne Bell MONDAY 3/23

Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe with Katie Campbell

Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe will discuss her 2024 essay collection Thunder Song at Central Library on Monday, March 23.

(BOOKS) Author, poet, and artist Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe, who is from the Upper Skagit and Nooksack Indian Tribe, weaves together her heritage and themes of trauma, ancestry, and colonialism with her unique personal interests, ranging from punk music to Twin Peaks. Her acclaimed 2022 memoir Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk received the 2023 Pacific Northwest Book Award. I flew through both her dreamy, haunting 2023 poetry collection Rose Quartz and her incisive 2024 essay collection Thunder Song. My favorite parts of the latter included LaPointe's journey toward embracing the salmon of her culture as a vegan punk and her description of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival as a "petal-made flag of settler colonial triumph," both things that have lodged in my mind permanently. LaPointe will discuss Thunder Song with KUOW’s Katie Campbell at the Seattle Central Library. (Central Library, 6:30–8 pm, free with RSVP) JULIANNE BELL

TUESDAY 3/24

Mary Jane

(THEATER) Mary Jane is by no means a new play. Amy Herzog wrote and premiered it at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 2017; that same year, Carrie Coon (who you at least know from the most recent season of White Lotus or The Gilded Age or Fargo) won an Obie for playing the title character at the New York Theatre Workshop; then in 2024, Rachel McAdams made her Broadway debut as that same lead. And based on the critical reaction to every staging so far, I’m certain of one thing: This compact, 95-minute play is guaranteed to break your heart. Herzog’s story is semi-autobiographical, about the impossible reality of parenting a chronically ill 2-year-old who wasn’t expected to live past his first week. But don’t mistake it for a tragic Lifetime movie. Instead, it captures what it is to be suspended, frozen in a state of crisis, but the play still promises humor, clarity, and humanity. Whether you’ve seen it staged already or not, catch it this time. (Bagley Wright Theater, times vary) HANNAH MURPHY WINTER

WEDNESDAY 3/25

Plate of Nations

(FOOD) The US doesn’t exist in a vacuum. That’s especially true when it comes to our food, because beyond burgers and barbecue, so many of the flavors we enjoy come from cultures across the globe. Plate of Nations is a celebration of exactly that. This three-week, neighborhood-wide dining event spotlights the immigrant-owned restaurants that define the Rainier Valley’s food scene. More than 50 independently owned spots along Martin Luther King Jr. Way roll out special menus and deals, offering everything from Vietnamese and Mexican to East African cuisine and beyond. It’s a perfect excuse to try something new while supporting local businesses in one go. (Various locations) LANGSTON THOMAS

THURSDAY 3/26

Champagne Bubblebath, Midpak, DJ Moohah

(MUSIC) The newish Champagne Bubblebath feature the cream of Seattle’s robust funk scene: four members of Afrobeat-inflected funkateers Polyrhythmics, plus Hendrixian guitar virtuoso Jimmy James of True Loves and Parlor Greens. Bandleader Grant Schroff is the Ziggy Modeliste of the Pacific Northwest—a drummer whose impeccable feel and powerful, precise funkiness have moved more asses over the last decade than Sound Transit. This show celebrates the release of Champagne Bubblebath’s debut album, Mixtape: Volume One. The band says it was “[o]riginally conceived as a throwback beat-tape of minimalist garage-funk grooves,” and the 10 songs here reflect deep immersion in history’s most effective, subtlest groove science and the world-class chops to infuse soul into every bar. The band’s slinky, head-nodding instrumentals are ripe for another generation of hip-hop producers to sample. Clearly, these old-school funk disciples still have many vital sonic lessons to impart. (Hidden Hall, 8 pm, 21+) DAVE SEGAL

FRIDAY 3/27

Amy O’Neal: Again, There Is No Other (The Remix)

Amy O'Neal's performance Again, There Is No Other (The Remix) is a “ritual of femme power and connection." ERIN O'REILLY

(PERFORMANCE) Amy O’Neal is back home again. After spending two decades dancing and curating in Seattle, she took a few years off in LA, but she’s settled back into the Pacific Northwest, and at On the Boards. When O’Neal was a finalist for a Stranger Genius Award back in 2013, Jen Graves and Brendan Kiley wrote that “delicate, wide-eyed girls with mouths that never open are about the only thing you will never find in Amy O’Neal’s dances.” And it’s a solid bet that you won’t find them in her newest play, either. She describes her return to On the Boards as a “ritual of femme power and connection” that “interrogates fear for the Feminine in patriarchal culture.” The piece combines the energy of nightclub and theater through five femme dancers, and includes original music from WD4D, Shabazz Palaces, Natasha Kmeto, and Moderat. (On the Boards, 8 pm) HANNAH MURPHY WINTER

SATURDAY 3/28

Grrrl Gang

Don't miss the Indonesian indie pop trio Grrrl Gang at Clock-Out Lounge on Saturday, March 28. TINY STUDIO

(MUSIC) Indie-pop group Grrrl Gang’s members—vocalist/guitarist Angeeta Sentana, bassist/vocalist Akbar Rumandung, and guitarist/vocalist Edo Alventa—met at college in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2016 and decided to form a band. Their blend of pop hooks and irrepressible punk spirit garnered international attention and praise from the likes of legendary critic Robert Christgau. In 2023, they released their debut studio album, Spunky!, which fully embraces their riot-grrrl influences and which NME called “an instant ticket to the sort of basement show where sweat rolls down the walls.” If you’re into bands like Potty Mouth and the Linda Lindas, you won’t want to pass up the chance to catch their gritty, infectious energy at the Clock-Out. (Clock-Out Lounge, 9 pm, 21+) JULIANNE BELL

SUNDAY 3/29

Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest

View works like Drift No. 2 by "Seattle Surrealist" Malcolm M. Roberts at SAM's 'Beyond Mysticism' exhibit. SCOTT LEEN

(VISUAL ART) Featuring over 150 works, the SAM’s newest exhibit chronicles a rapidly changing 20th-century Seattle as told by artists who questioned the environmental and social impacts of industrialization through the visual language of social realism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism. Among these artists were the Northwest School’s Mark Tobey, Kenneth Callahan, Guy Anderson, and Morris Graves. I am most excited to see works from the unsung painter and Seattle-via-New York City transplant Yvonne Twining Humber, known for incorporating touches of Impressionism into her vibrant cityscapes. (Seattle Art Museum, 10 am–5 pm) AUDREY VANN

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Slog AM: ICE Deploys to Some Airports, Deadly Plane Crash at LaGuardia Airport, Trump Celebrates Negotiations with Iran that Iran Says Never Happened

Nathalie Graham — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Nathalie Graham

ICE in the Airport: You know what a stressful travel day was missing? The threat of deportation by a bunch of goons. Due to the partial government shutdown that stopped funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in mid-February, TSA agents haven't been getting paid. They've been calling out of work. On Saturday, a third of TSA agents at our busiest airports didn't show up. Security wait times increased. As a means to put pressure on Democrats to fund DHS, Donald Trump said he'll deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to assist TSA operations. They were at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday. Trump said ICE thugs would “do security like no one has ever seen before." That includes “the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants who have come into our Country.”

DHS or Voting Rights: On Sunday, Trump said he wouldn't back a deal to fund DHS unless the Democrats vote for his SAVE America Act, the strict "federal elections overhaul bill" that would require voters to show ID and proof of citizenship to vote. The law would also make registering to vote harder by requiring people to go in-person to elections offices to prove their citizenship. Right now, you can register online or via mail. You don't have to be a genius to realize that making voting harder is the point.

You Simply Have Gotta Hate These Guys:

ICE agents have arrived at airports to assist with staff shortages, a day after President Trump threatened he would do so unless congressional Democrats agreed to a GOP-backed funding deal to end a partial government shutdown. https://wapo.st/47Nq2PI

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— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) March 23, 2026 at 6:30 AM

One More:

this is your mission. our pedophile president needs you to put on a tactical vest and go to the newark airport at 6 am on monday. your order is to wander around like a confused oaf. when a mom drops her sandwich at jersey mike's and scares you, pull out your gun and start shooting. good luck soldier
— leon (@leyawn.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 7:26 AM

ICE at Sea-Tac? According to the Port of Seattle, there hasn't been any sign that ICE will be coming to help out our local TSA agents. Sea-Tac Airport hasn't seen abnormal wait times since the partial shutdown, according to The Seattle Times.

Plane Hits Firetruck, Pilot and Co-Pilot Die: An Air Canada regional jet crashed into a firetruck on the runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The firetruck was responding to a call from a different flight. The crash mangled the front of the plane, killing the pilot and co-pilot. No other casualties were reported. Forty-one passengers and crew members aboard the flight received treatment at local hospitals. Some had serious injuries.

My husband was on this flight this evening. His plane crashed. He’s ok. He helped others get off the plane. #AirCanada

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— Sarah Dorner (@sarahdorner.bsky.social) March 22, 2026 at 8:53 PM

Happy National Puppy Day: If you're into this sort of thing, you can watch puppies on this livestream from Canine Companions starting March 23 through March 27.

It's No Longer Mueller Time: Because he's dead. Rober Mueller, the ex-FBI director who investigated claims that Russia interfered with the 2016 election, kicked the bucket on Friday. He was 81. Trump, a man of few morals, posted on Truth Social: "Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!"

In Sonics News: Gov. Bob Ferguson is meeting for a little chat with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver again today. The NBA's board of governors is supposed to vote this week on starting the league’s expansion process. Seattle and Las Vegas are the two options on the table. Ferguson says he was a diehard Sonics fan, so he'll do whatever he can to prove Seattle should be the one to get a team. That may be true, but being in charge when the Sonics eventually return is also political gold.

Fentanyl Overdoses Stay Down: In Washington, fatal fentanyl overdoses are still in decline. Don’t get it twisted, people are still dying—King County saw two opioid deaths a week last month—but the numbers are lower than average. Last year, nationwide fentanyl overdoses declined by 20 percent. Part of the reduction could be the widespread availability of anti-overdose meds like naloxone, or that because so many people have died the pool of fentanyl users is smaller, or that the current mix of drugs is less potent. Nobody is totally sure. Providers in Washington believe innovative public health programs are helping. But, federal limitations on Medicaid benefits and funding cuts for programs like one that provides clean syringes are threatening the clinics’ long-term viability.

The Weather: Gray and 50 degrees.

Anti-Woke Mad-Libs: Trump installed a statue of Christopher Columbus on the White House grounds outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The statue is a replica of one that Baltimore protestors tore down in 2020, a move meant to denounce Columbus’ personal history as a slave-trading colonialist. A Trump spokesperson said, “In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honored as such for generations to come." It's all real-life rage bait.

A Five-Day Pause: Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He says the US will stop striking Iran’s power plants energy infrastructure for five days. Global markets liked this news. The US stock market climbed 1.4 percent. Oil prices dropped. Trump also hinted at the end of the war, saying the US and Iran have had “very good and productive conversations.” Iran officials say they never talked with Trump about any of this.

Trump: "We're doing a five day period. We'll see how that goes. If it goes well, we're gonna end up with settling this, otherwise we just keep bombing our little hearts out."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 23, 2026 at 6:46 AM

A World Cup Bust? The World Cup will be in the US in less than three months. The event comes with the promise of riches—a big boost in tourism and economic activity in host cities. Except, things seem pretty quiet so far. In New York City, where FIFA has estimated a boon of tourism could bring in $3 billion, hotel bookings are down. According to The City, "advanced reservations for New York’s World Cup weeks are trending 2% below advance bookings for those same days in 2025"—a time when there were no special events. Perhaps the world's soccer fans have also been reading the news about how things here are not so great.

A long read for your Monday: Remember when a flood wiped out Texas' Camp Mystic, killing 27 campers and staff? This Intelligencer article about the flood really packs a wallop.

Beau Is Not Afraid

Nathalie Graham — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:00:00 -0700

Beau Morton died at age 49. He did not get a chance to read the last valentine his wife wrote him or see the Seahawks win their second Super Bowl. by Nathalie Graham

Stevie VanBronkhorst, 38, had been writing Stranger valentines to her husband, Beau Morton, 49, for 12 years. This year was no different. “Beau is not afraid,” she wrote, an homage to the 2023 Ari Aster horror film they’d recently watched together.

They watched a lot of movies together. And, it had Beau’s name in it, so it was fitting. “Honey, I love you! You are an excellent husband, father, and partner in this terrifying shit show America. I am the luckiest bastard alive!” the Valentine read. It was the first big, featured Valentine under the section’s header which read: “Love Is Alive.”

But then Beau died less than a week before we published our February issue. He never read it. But anybody who talks with Stevie would know how loved he was.

“He hated being the center of attention,” she says in a phone call a month after her husband’s death. “An article about him would drive him crazy.” But she missed him so much she wanted to talk about him. Everyone missed him. His friends, his parents, his sister, his niece and nephew. And his kids, four-year-old Brooks and eight-month-old Tilly.

“Sorry, Beau, you're also gonna get a funeral,” she says.

Beau touched a lot of people in this world, and especially in this city. He was a founding member of the Transit Riders Union alongside now Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson. He served on the Pedestrian Advisory Board and the Feet First Policy Committee where he advocated for 2015’s Move Seattle Levy. He loved cities and Seattle in-particular. A cyclist, he hated cars, though he ended up with one. An avid reader, Beau consumed everything from The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey to titles like Open Veins of Latin America, Evicted, or Lies Across America. “He just always wanted to understand something completely,” Stevie says. Recently, he was trying to understand the collapse of complex societies. “That’s not a downer, honey,” she jokes.

Beau was also a cook. He loved whipping up intricate, international dishes as much as he loved sports. He’d combine the two. During the Seahawks season, he would plan “Food and Football” for the games. He’d whip up a dish specific to the team the Hawks were playing—cioppino for the San Francisco 49ers, French Dip for the Los Angeles Rams, and “We always make Denver omelets every three years,” Stevie says.

For just a hint of umami, he bought a whole jar of marmite to put a teaspoon into his chili he prepared for the Seahawks NFC Championship game. He only used it that one time. Beau died before the Super Bowl. None of their friends could watch. It was too sad. “And now I have a whole jar of Marmite,” Stevie says.

Stevie and Beau met in 2012. Stevie, a graphic designer and cartoonist, had moved to the University District from Burien. She’d been homeschooled and graduated high school early, so she attended college as a teen. She felt she’d missed the typical experience, and looked for it at Cafe Racer in the UDistrict where all the cartoonists hung out. There, she found a flier for a room in the Monarch Apartments, a former frat house on Greek Row moved over to Brooklyn Avenue NE. “It was part halfway house, part bohemian commune, part dorm,” she says.

One night, Beau showed up for a group movie night with The Killers in hand. He had nice legs, she thought, and he was funny. They became friends, attending the same parties on Halloween and a New Years party where a mutual friend mansplained how to play the harmonica to Mayor Wilson (she already knew how to play). Later, Wilson and Beau asked Stevie to design the Transit Riders Union newsletter. Beau brought frittata. Afterward, she asked Katie for his number under the pretense of thanking him for the treat.

“He said, ‘How'd you get this number?’ I said, ‘Never mind.’ And he said, ‘No, it's fun. Let's go out. How about Friday?’”

But, she didn’t have to wait long. Beau called her that night—he was in the neighborhood. Would she want to hang out now? Stevie, who’d just been in the bath, said yes. She dried her hair and met him at the now-defunct District Lounge in the now-defunct Hotel Deca. They decamped to A Pizza Mart, but it was too crowded so they opted for the pizza across the street—the also-gone-now Pizza Regazzi. They ate pizza on the stoop and talked all night. He started stashing his bike at her apartment, buying groceries and sleeping on her couch before they’d held hands.

“After about a day, I'm like, ‘Okay, but what are we doing here? What is happening?’ And he looks completely shocked and says, ‘I don't want to move too fast,’” she says.

Soon after, Beau came home with “full-blown norovirus.” He thought he’d had bad coffee at the AM/PM.

“I'm pouring Gatorade down him as fast as I can, and it's coming right back out,” Stevie says.

She’s not sure if this was when he told her about his congenital disorder, but in hindsight, she wonders if she had had to give him his pills during this illness.

Beau had congenital adrenal hyperplasia. It filled his adrenal glands with little cysts that messed with their ability to produce hormones such as cortisol, which regulates blood sugar and blood pressure, and aldosterone, which manages sodium and potassium levels in the blood. It can create intense dehydration through salt-wasting. He took pills every day to regulate it. It made him shorter than average, strong, and, as Stevie describes, “very chill and even keeled.” That “balanced my ADD anxiety out very well.” It is what ended up killing him, Stevie says.

A week after his norovirus, they started dating.

“Can we hold hands?” she asked. “Yeah,” he said. “Can we kiss?” she asked. “Sure.” Two months later, out of the blue, he said, “I should probably marry you.” They got secretly engaged in 2014 and married in 2017.

“I never thought I would get married,” she says. “He's a strange person, and he trusted me and let me into his inner life… our weird qualities complemented each other, I suppose. I was just really, really lucky to find somebody who accepted me and the way I was.”

Beau and his son, Brooks.

In January, right after the Seahawks won the NFC Championship game but before the Super Bowl, one of Beau’s and Stevie’s kids got sick. They both caught the bug, too. Beau hadn’t been taking his pills.

“The last thing I said to him was, ‘Get up and take your pills.’”

He got up. Stevie doesn’t know whether he was going to his pills or to the emergency shot they had stashed in one of the bookcases. Beau’s lack of anxiety meant he never showed Stevie how to use the just-in-case emergency shot.

“The gravity of that is going to weigh on me for a long time,” she says.

Beau did not make it to the pills or to the shot.

“Our family lost a father and a provider and a partner,” Stevie says. “I lost a special movie buddy, and the person I want to hang out with the most. He was so beautiful and handsome and I miss him so much.”

Beau showed his love for her and their family every day, she says. He was constant and dedicated. She returned his love with special projects.

“He loved nutcrackers,” she says. When she went to his apartment for the first time, she saw a closet stuffed with 20 nutcrackers. “What is that?” Stevie asked. “Those are mine,” Beau said. “They protect me.”

For their first Christmas, Stevie bought a nutcracker on clearance. She sawed the legs in half to make them short. She buffed out the face and repainted it. She painted a little Seahawks logo on the hat. And she tacked on a little piece of wood that she painted to look like his top 10 favorite books. He thought that was very loving.

She also showed that love through The Stranger’s valentine’s. Here are some of the other Valentine’s she wrote him over the years:

2015: STEVIE LOVES BEAU Even if moving to AK is the dumbest thing I’ll ever do, marrying you will be the smartest! Keep up with the long con & I’ll always say I like you o.k.

2016: “BEAU-YEAH” Beau’s still my Beau and I’m deﬁnitely going to marry the shit out of that guy. Thanks for waiting for me! YOU’RE THE BEST!

2017: BEAU <3 <3 <3 It’s been 4 years and you’re still about my size and 100% my style.

Can’t wait to actually get around to marrying you this summer. Love, Stev

2025: I HAVE A SECRET…It’s BONES! I love you, Beau, you’re the best dad and husband in the world. And you’re handsome.

Beau’s memorial will be held at 3/22 at 2 pm at the Center for Urban Horticulture, a day before what would have been his 50th birthday. You can RSVP here.

[Eds Note: This story has been updated with the correct movie Beau brought and to reflect that Mayor Katie Wilson already knew how to play the harmonica and a friend at the party was mansplaining it to her, not teaching her.]

I Saw U: Singing Alanis at Saint John's, Driving a Mitsubishi Montero on I-5, and Stashing Jell-O Shots at the Telehealth Show

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:45:00 -0700

Did you see someone? Say something! by Anonymous

90's blue green mitsubishi montero?

you passed me on I-5 S, brown haired w/ glasses. me dark hair, '98 silver RHD prado. you made my day and i was smiling for hours! lets go for a ride?

Last Year June Trans Wresting Event

I hung out with you all night not caring if I saw any wrestling. You crossed my mind, we blocked each other out of being triggered. Email me?

Curly Haired Cutie at Clinton Ferron

You were in overalls in the front row. I was in flannel on the side and couldn’t stop stealing glances. Thanks for the smiles.

Summit pool guy

You were with your friends playing pool at Summit Pub and knocked like 6 shots in a row. I want to swim with a shark. Mention city of bay area Im from

Alanis at St. John’s

You poorly (your words) sang You Oughta Know and we locked eyes during the steamiest lyric. Let me heal you?

Nudibranch Regular

To the pair of eyes that sees through to my soul, I hope to steal every glance I can get that you send my way. Soulie.

Bait Shop Beauty @ Telehealth Show

Lovely dark curly hair rocking side to side during the Telehealth show. Cackling with your friend, stashing Jell-O shots in purse. Bum me a cig?

Fellow Ice Cream Enthusiast

Small chat with in line at Indigo Cow on Sunday evening about best toppings with my two friends from Connecticut. Sweet Alchemy next time?

Is it a match? Leave a comment here or on our Instagram post to connect!

Did you see someone? Say something! Submit your own I Saw U message here and maybe we'll include it in the next roundup!

Seattle's CCTV Vendor Has Received $126 Million in ICE and CBP Contracts

Hunter Pauli — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:30:00 -0700

Mayor Katie Wilson announced an expansion of Seattle’s CCTV surveillance network Thursday, telling a closed press conference of Seattle journalists she had little choice but to hire US Department of Homeland Security contractor Axon to provide the system. by Hunter Pauli

Axon, a multi-billion dollar weapons manufacturer, has been awarded $147 million dollars in DHS contracts since 2008, according to records from the US Department of Treasury. That includes $43 million from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and another $83 million from US Customs and Border Protection. In just the past 12 months, ICE and CBP have awarded Axon $8 million each.

Asked at her press conference why the city has contracted Axon for its surveillance camera program, given its lucrative deals with ICE and CPB over the past year, instead of some other company, Wilson said:

“I mean, what other company—military industrial complex, right? We got like, not that many companies that provide services like this, so I don’t know that there’s like a … do you want to point us to a squeaky clean company to do this instead?”

Critics have called on the mayor to halt a proposed expansion of the surveillance network and remove cameras due in part to fears ICE and CBP could access the footage and use it to track, detain and deport immigrants. Wilson herself said she opposed CCTV expansion on the campaign trail, but has refused to take Axon’s cameras offline since being elected.

Yesterday, she detailed her new plan. In short, the city is expanding the CCTV network, though not in all the areas proposed for now, and all CCTV cameras currently in place are staying put.

As planned, the cameras are coming to SODO, specifically because of the World Cup due to the “current geopolitical situation” (AKA the United States’ unprovoked invasion of Iran that is spiraling out of control and destroying the global economy). But the deployed cameras will remain off unless the Mayor’s Office determines there’s a threat, in which case they’ll flip the switch.

Additional cameras slated for Capitol Hill (including outside The Stranger’s newsroom) and Garfield High School are on hold pending an audit by New York University’s Policing Project to determine whether federal immigration police can access Seattle’s footage.

The city is also “pausing” the use of all automated license plate reader cameras installed on 400 SPD squad cars because they can’t comply (yet) with a new state law banning their use around schools, courthouses, food banks and places of worship.

CCTV cameras in downtown, the northern section of Aurora Avenue N, and the International District will remain in place.

Axon isn’t a household name, but it used to be under its previous branding: Taser, the eponymous electricity pistol that while advertised as “less-than-lethal” resulted in police officers killing so many people that the company rebranded in 2017 to avoid public recognition and started handing out free body cameras to police departments.

In fact, Axon also provides the body cameras worn by Seattle Police Department officers, with SPD saying the company was selected after “numerous vendors” submitted offers after bidding opened in 2016. SPD’s Real-Time Crime Center also operates on Axon tech. Axon’s Tasers are also standard issue for Seattle cops.

Nine of the 12 members of Axon’s ethics board resigned in 2022 after the company announced plans to develop armed drones for its clients. Of those that didn’t resign, one was former Seattle police chief Cameron Best.

Axon’s CCTV network isn’t the only camera network the city operates. The Seattle Department of Transportation has an extensive camera network accessible to the public covering much of King County.

An Annual Surveillance Technology Usage Review of SDOT’s traffic camera network published in September 2025 says its CCTVs originally operated on software provided by tech contractor FLIR, which is being replaced by software from research and development nonprofit Southwest Research Institute.

The Stranger reached out to SDOT for clarification on contractors involved in the department’s camera network, and a comms staffer there said they’re tracking the information down, but that “the Mayor’s Office has been fielding all questions related to cameras this week.”

A public meeting with the mayor is planned for next Friday at Town Hall Seattle.

Scott Losse Is an Undisputable Champion of Comedy

Megan Seling — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:30:00 -0700

Meet Scott Losse, one of The Stranger's 2026 Undisputable Champions of Comedy. by Megan Seling

Good news! Seattle is still funny!

Yes, our comedy scene has taken some big hits in recent months. In August, the Rendezvous switched ownership, leaving their regular weekly comedy open mics, including the Comedy Nest, Kitchen Sink Comedy, and Naked Brunch, without a home. And in December, the Crocodile shut down their 100-capacity theater Here-After, which regularly hosted local and national names including Bernice Ye, Janeane Garofalo, and Hari Kondabolu, all of whom performed there last fall.

Folks have started to recover a bit, but it’s slow going. In January, comedians Emmett Montgomery and Derek Sheen launched the monthly Open Michael: A Storytelling Standup Strangeness Open Mic, at the Rabbit Box. In February, the Comedy Nest was reborn at Common Objects. This city remains full of hilarious weirdos who are committed to making us all laugh through these dark (and getting darker!) days.

Next month, The Stranger will celebrate some of Seattle’s most entertaining laugh factories at our annual Undisputable Champions of Comedy showcase on April 4 at Washington Hall. Curated by Montgomery, this year’s lineup is packed with talent, as ever, with a variety of comedy styles to please every human who likes to laugh.

“I think comedy (any type of art really) is at its best and beautiful when it makes you say to yourself, 'This is something that I have never heard before, but it is exactly how I feel,’ and that can be done through the telling of fart jokes or the sharing of vulnerable personal stories and everything in between,” says Mongtomery. “Watching somebody who is a master of their craft is fantastic, but so is seeing someone who is still rising to their potential and finding out how great they can be right in front of you.”

Over the next couple of weeks, leading up to the showcase, I’ll be sharing interviews with each comedian, including Min Lin, who is sunshine in human form (and sometimes performs with her service dog companion Sunny!), and Cheri Hardman, a regular at the Disabled List’s comedy showcase, who told a bit about big boobs and falling food at Bumbershoot in 2024 that still makes me laugh. Up first is Scott Losse! You may already be familiar, since his videos that lovingly mock life in the Pacific Northwest have gone viral several times. (Yes, of course I asked him about Death Cab.)

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Scott Losse (@scottlosse)

If we want our comedy scene to thrive, we’ve got to support the people putting in the work to keep it going. Grab tickets to our Undisputed Champions of Comedy showcase here! And maybe bring Losse some Taco Time burritos.

Describe your comedy in five words.

Personal, silly, smart, stupid, and relatable

My dad once told me I shouldn't quit my day job. Time will tell if he was right, but for now, in your face, Dad! I'm a Champion of Comedy!

Life in the Pacific Northwest is very much a part of your comedy. Here’s a Pacific Northwest-specific question for you: What’s your go-to Taco Time order?

Crisp Pinto Bean Burrito, Tots (Mexi-fries if you're old school), and a Diet Coke to keep it healthy. Same order at the other Taco Time.

Did you know Taco Time now sells pinto bean burritos in the frozen food section of Metropolitan Market? I was thrilled when I found out.

I saw that! I have an air fryer at home. I feel like that could be very bad for me. You could order six pinto bean burritos for yourself at the drive-thru, but you have to talk to another person and lie about having a party. If they were in the fridge, I'm afraid it might become the only thing I eat.

You’ve joked a lot about the Pacific Northwest stereotype of listening to Death Cab for Cutie in the rain, a true Seattle experience. But I’ve heard you actually like Death Cab for Cutie, too. What’s your favorite record?

Yes! I do actually love Death Cab for Cutie and have been a fan for a long time. I think my love for Death Cab is old enough to drink now. I have a soft spot for The Photo Album and listen to it all the time.

I am so glad you like The Photo Album—it gets overlooked so often! The Champions of Comedy show will be in April, right at the start of spring. What’s the perfect Pacific Northwest early spring soundtrack?

That's a hard question. There's so much good music. Content Oscillator by Telehealth. Muted Crowd by Spirit Award. I have fifteen others. People can ask me if they see me walking around.

Do you remember your first time doing stand-up? Were you hooked right away?

In 2009, I started seeing a therapist. This gets funny, I promise. I spent a lot of time talking about my childhood and other struggles. One day, he stopped me in the middle of a session and told me I was funny and I should try stand-up. I guess I believed him because I signed up for a class through UW Experimental College and did my first set at the Seattle Comedy Underground about a month later. It went well. I was immediately hooked. Making people laugh was/is an amazing feeling. It didn't go well again for a year or two, but I eventually figured it out.

Yeah, it's a shame. We have lost a lot of good spots over the years. While I'm certainly no expert on everything going on in town these days, I do enjoy Club Comedy Seattle on 15th [Ave E. on Capitol Hill] for shows and open mic. There's also good stuff going on at Clockout Lounge, and you're starting to see more stand-up produced by folks at spots like Rabbit Box, which is super cool. Hopefully, with so many talented performers in town, you'll see more of these small theatres, bars, etc., fill the void.

See Scott Losse perform at The Stranger's Undisputable Champions of Comedy at Washington Hall on April 4, 7:30 pm, 21+. Tickets available here.

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Seattle This Weekend: Mar 20–22, 2026

EverOut Staff — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Best Day Ever: South Park, Macaron Day, and More Cheap & Easy Events Under $20

by EverOut Staff

We made it y'all, today's the first day of spring! Emerge from your winter cave for cheap and cheerful events from The Residency Presents: Spring Break to Best Day Ever: South Park and from Macaron Day to U District Night Blossoms. For more ideas, check out our top picks of the week.

FRIDAY COMEDY

Pun Slam
If your friends consider you the Slim Shady of bad puns, consider Fun Intended’s Pun Slam your “mom’s spaghetti” moment. It’s a slam-style punmaking contest where wordplay warriors step up to the mic to battle it out across three rounds that are judged by a panel of five brave souls prepared to endure the cringe. Ten contestants volunteer, the audience laughs (or winces), and host Forest Ember attempts to keep the whole ridiculous evening rolling. Don’t think you’re corny enough to pop off here? Seats still need butts, so come out to cheer, drink, and appreciate the fine art of linguistic nonsense. LANGSTON THOMAS
(Skylark Cafe & Club, West Seattle, $15-$20)

Slog AM: Bellingham Landslides Block Northbound I-5, Strava Run Outs Aircraft Carrier Position, Uncle Ted Can't Believe 'The Bachelorette' News

Nathalie Graham — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Nathalie Graham

Oh Shit: On Thursday night, two landslides spilled onto northbound I-5 south of Bellingham, completely blocking all lanes. No fleeing to Canada this weekend. Another landslide is gumming up state Route 11 in Skagit County. Blame all this sloughing earth on the rain we've been getting.

We’re Cancelling Women: ABC is scrapping a season of The Bachelorette over a video showing star Taylor Frankie Paul (of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives fame/infamy) putting her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen in a headlock and attacking him with kicks and multiple stools. A 2023 video released by TMZ shows that one of her kids was hit during the fight. Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault over the incident. Paul’s season was slated to premiere this Sunday.

Nathalie's Uncle Is Gutted: My family group chat was all about March Madness today. My uncle Ted chimed in with a Yahoo! News screenshot of The Bachelorette news: "Why are you guys texting about college basketball? All that matters is that the Bachelorette got canceled. :( " The conversation turned back to basketball. Later, Ted texted, "Duke won, nothing exciting about that. It preoccupied me for 10 minutes and now I’m sad again."

They're Cancelling the Trains: Wednesday's Sound Transit board meeting sent Seattle City Hall into a tizzy. The board had announced proposed cuts to light rail projects to dig themselves out of a $35 billion hole, including a plan that would kill all hopes of light rail ever making it to Ballard. “It’s completely unacceptable to cut Ballard from the Sound Transit plan at this time,” King of Ballard Dan Strauss told KUOW. Citywide Councilmember Dionne Foster wasn’t happy about the axing of the infill station at Graham Street in south Seattle. “It's a community where people rely heavily on transit," she told KUOW. Cuts could also kill stations in West Seattle and South Lake Union. Any plan that doesn't see Sound Transit 3 built the way it was promised to voters will be a generational mistake.

The Weather: More rain. Sun tomorrow if you behave.

They’re Cancelling Books. Shy Girl, the forthcoming horror novel that really seemed to have been largely written by AI, is being pulled from publication by one of the largest publishers in the US over allegations that it was probably written by AI. Hachette Book Group pulled it a day after The New York Times showed off its evidence. Mia Ballard, the author (?) claimed in a late night email to the Times she hadn’t used AI, the acquaintance she’d hired to edit her novel had.

Cool, cool, cool: The World Health Organization says it's preparing for a “worst-case scenario” nuclear threat if the US-Israel war against Iran escalates any further, reports The Independent. But the US and Israel don't think Iran will be dropping any bombs any time soon because...

Israel says Iran can no longer enrich uranium. Is it because they keep bombing them?

Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson says we won’t celebrate César Chavez day. If you haven’t seen the news, Chavez allegedly abused women and girls. Meanwhile, California will rename César Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day.

Elizabeth Warren Endorses Guy with Nazi Tattoo: Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed Graham Platner’s bid to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. Out of this crowded race of Democrats, Warren had to pick the guy who would still have a skull and crossbones Nazi tattoo if word hasn’t gotten out about the having-a-Nazi-tattoo business. The thing he covered it up with—a Celtic knot with imagery of dogs—is also a little... weird.

Oh—I Don't Think You Can Say Tha— Trump made a Pearl Harbor joke while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Also, this is a real "people in glass houses" situation.

Trump: "Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?"

[image or embed]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 19, 2026 at 9:14 AM

Bad Officer: A 13-year Washington State Patrol Officer is resigning a year after a drunken car crash that killed a 20-year-old motorcyclist in the Tri-Cities. Officer Sarah Clasen, 36, is accused of driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 percent, or more than twice the legal limit.

The Costco CEO ate a Costco hotdog. You know, for that trend of CEOs eating their shitty food? This does not matter, but is a great opportunity to bring up the time when Costco co-founder Jim Sinegal told the former CEO Craig Jelinek, who wanted to raise the price of the hot dog: "If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out." After taking a bite of the raw on the bun, no toppings hotdog like a sociopath, current CEO Ron Vachris said he’d never change the price.

It’s Going Well: In a memo Friday morning, editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski informed CBS News they would be laying off 6 percent of staff. This is the second round of layoffs since CBS Skydance Media bought the network's parent company, Paramount, last summer.

ICYMI: Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic, which is like the World Cup for baseball. They beat the USA in the final. Poetic! Former Mariner Eugenio Suárez was the game's hero. Suárez had his US citizenship processing cancelled in December "because of the Venezuela thing," he said. He's also spoken about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement is negatively impacting Latino baseball players. Here's his RBI double in the ninth inning:

EUGENIO SUÁREZ RBI DOUBLE

Venezuela retakes the lead in the 9th

[image or embed]
— MLB Daily News (@insidemlbnews.bsky.social) March 17, 2026 at 7:39 PM

Don't you hate when this happens? A French officer on an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East went for a run on the carrier's deck. He allegedly logged it on the workout app Strava because of the age old saying: "If a man goes for a run and nobody sees the time, distance, and route, does he achieve any gains?" In doing so, he posted a map of his location and a map of the carrier's clandestine location. Oops! He ran 35 minutes though, good for him!

Google Sucks Shit: According to The Verge, Google search is now replacing headlines—those things we painstakingly craft—with inaccurate, AI generated AI slop, often changing the meaning entirely in what the company calls a "small and narrow experiment." It changed a Verge headline from "I used the ‘cheat on everything’ AI tool and it didn’t help me cheat on anything” to “‘Cheat on everything’ AI tool.” This is bad. Google search was the internet. It's a fucking verb.

A Song for Your Friday: Do you remember when the Seattle Police Department lip-synced to "Downtown" by Macklemore in 2018? It was part of this internet trend of local police departments challenging each other to lip sync battles. I think about this video at least once a year.

I Want Megan Carter to Punch Me in the Face

Megan Seling — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:08:00 -0700

Whenever someone (inevitably) says to me, “Women’s hockey just isn’t as physical as men’s,” I laugh and say, “You obviously have not been paying attention to Megan Carter.” by Megan Seling

It was in the third period of the Torrent’s inaugural home game that Megan Carter cemented her status as my favorite Torrent player to watch. The team was down 3-0 against two-time PWHL champions Minnesota Frost, with fewer than five minutes left to turn things around. More than 16,000 hockey fans were packed into Climate Pledge Arena, and they were all vibrating with anticipation for the Torrent’s first game, first goal, first win, but the excitement and the optimism were draining out of the arena, drop by drop, with every tick of the clock.

Then Carter, to quote legendary fictional hockey player Shoresy, “Set the fucking tone.”

Before coming to Seattle, Carter had already earned a reputation as a physical player when she made her PWHL debut with the Toronto Scepters in the 2024–2025 season. And she had a history with Frost player Britta Curl-Salemme, too. Last season, Curl-Salemme was suspended for one game after elbowing Carter in the head, and the two players collided at least a couple of times during the Torrent’s home opener. Shit appeared to be brewing.

And then, when the Torrent were just a few minutes away from losing their first game on home ice, Carter and Curl-Salemme started shoving one another. I didn’t see who started it. But I saw Carter finish it when she wrapped her arms around Curl-Salemme’s head and dragged her down to the ice. The refs broke it up before things got any uglier, but in that move, Carter made it clear that she would not be taking any more shit from Curl-Salemme.

Climate Pledge Arena erupted into cheers as thousands of hockey fans—new and old—rose to their feet, appreciating the undeniable evidence that women’s hockey can be just as physical and fun to watch as men’s. Seattle loved to see it. (That Curl-Salemme had a history of liking transphobic social media posts may have had something to do with that.)

Today, Carter leads the team in hits, and whenever someone (inevitably) says to me, “Women’s hockey just isn’t as physical as men’s,” I laugh and say, “You obviously have not been paying attention to Megan Carter.” But people are starting to catch on, thankfully, and they are especially loving Carter and Torrent goalie CJ Jackson’s commitment to sleeveless game day outfits.

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A post shared by Seattle Torrent (@pwhl_torrent)

After a recent Torrent practice, I sat down with Carter to learn more about how she developed her physical style of play—at just six years old!—and of course I had to ask her about any beef with Curl, too. She gave a very diplomatic answer, but don’t worry, she also shared some arm workout tips.

You lead the team in hits—you have a very physical style of play. That's something that people praised you for in Toronto, too. When did you start to develop that? Were you like a little six-year-old crunching people? Did that come with confidence and experience?

I think it just came with size and being a strong body out there. A lot of times it started with me being one of the bigger kids out there and running into a smaller kid, just by happenstance. We run into each other, and guess who falls. Not me. [Laughs] That led to a lot of penalties in my young years. It kind of stuck when other players started catching up [in size], and that was the direction that women's hockey was going in. It's like, “Wow, okay, I'm pretty good at this. I can refine this to be disciplined.” There are ways to finesse that and work around that, so it kind of happened just by nature of me.

Does it lead to any grudges on the ice?

Honestly, I play very free, and I think it's just part of my game. I've never had anyone hold any grudges against me, either, because they just know I'm gonna play hard, but I'm gonna do it in a clean way and within the rules, and I'm not, you know, head hunting or doing anything where someone’s gonna get injured. I think there's a mutual respect. And I welcome when other players play hard against me, because it allows me to play hard against them. That's what the fans want to see. That's what we want to see for the game. And for young girls to see the physicality and to see it being carried out in a proper way within the rules of the game is really important, because we're role models in more ways than one.

You mentioned it's what the fans want to see. I think that’s specifically true with the hit on Britta Curl-Salemme in an early game against Minnesota. You took an elbow to the head last season, and she was suspended for a game. Was that retaliation?

No, no. She's a player who also plays very physical, and just by nature, the two of us tend to run into each other, and it is a big interaction, because there's two big bodies running into each other.

I have to ask, because the Seattle fanbase especially likes your interactions with Curl-Salemme because so many of them don't agree with her off-ice politics. Is that anything you want to talk about, or can talk about?

Yeah, I don't bring any of that into the game. When I'm on the ice, I really try to just focus on what's within the glass. I just want to respect the game and play the game that I love, and whatever happens out there happens.

It got a lot of cheers in the stands. [Laughs]

[Laughs] Fans can take it however they’d like.

I also want to ask about the no-sleeve arena entry. Both you and CJ have gotten very popular on Instagram for your sleeveless walk-ins. How did that start?

So CJ is an awesome character. Loves to not wear sleeves working out, and loves to flex and show the biceps off.

I mean, they’re good guns!

As they should! They’re great guns!

You work hard for those!

Exactly, right? All of last year, we got to know each other in Toronto, too, and they always complimented me, “You need to take your sleeves off. It’s about time!” And I'm like, “No, no, I'll just cover them up for now, they're not as good as yours, whatever.” [Laughs] Anyway, so we had a walk-in—we're roommates—and so I had told them that I'm gonna be wearing a sleeveless shirt. And CJ’s like, “Perfect. If you’re not wearing sleeves, I can't wear sleeves.” And I just have to go with it. It got a lot of attention from the first game, and we're like, “Okay, fans love it. We love doing it. We love showing off the guns. Why not just roll with it?” And so we had some sleeveless things in our closets, and then slowly started running out of things…

At some point, you’re just cutting the sleeves off of things!

Which is what we've come to now. And some people have given us shirts to cut off, too, which is pretty cool. We went thrifting the other day to find some outfits.

Can you drop the arm routine? What does arm day look like for Megan Carter?

Honestly, it’s a bunch of things. Training in hockey, everything is more focused on the functionality piece of it, versus just the aesthetic. But there's a lot of primary lifts, whether it's bench press, chin-ups—of course, we like to add a little bit of what we call arm farm at the end.

What is arm farm?

Bicep curls, tricep extensions, all the pretty exercises…

The glamour muscles.

Exactly [laughs]. We never shy away from those where they’re an option.

Well, now that you know people are paying attention.

Oh, yeah. Like, over the Olympic break, every time we were in the gym, we're like, ‘We gotta do it for the walk-ins!”

Do you remember your first shift on the ice and how you felt before taking the ice as a Torrent player in a new city, versus now, now that the team is established? Fans are coming to practices and cheering for y'all just in the scrimmage! How has that feeling evolved over the season?

Obviously, coming to a new place, you never know how fans are going to receive you, how they're going to show up. I was here in August for a youth camp and an adult camp—I helped out coaching, running some drills, and stuff—and once I saw that turnout, I was like, “We're gonna be fine. We're in great hands.” I was super excited. When I flew home back to Toronto, I was like, “I can't wait to get back there in November.” So I knew from day one we were gonna have a great fan base, a great community. In that sense, I'm not surprised to see so many fans showing up to our practices, selling out Climate Pledge Arena. That was absolutely amazing, and a dream come true. Over time, as you get more comfortable with your teammates, the system, like everyone was new, the coaching staff, the players…

And you had something like, what, 14 days of training camp? What did you do to familiarize yourself with the city, but also with the team? How did you bond and ensure that you’ll have some kind of consistency and synergy on the ice?

I think, honestly, just having small conversations and trying to get to know each other as people. And we've all played against each other or with each other at some point, so that eases that transition, for sure. But I think this group is really special. Everyone cares about each other off the ice. We've always had a belief in the team and in ourselves and each other. So that's really special, because sometimes when things aren't quite going the way that you want them to go, it's really easy to point fingers and almost throw in the towel, right? But that's not the case here, and we're confident that we're gonna turn this around and do this for each other, do this for our fanbase, do this for the city. We went to the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl celebration, and that was very motivating, because we know the city would do the same thing for us. We want that, and that's still the vision.

Would you wear sleeves in the parade?

You know, I think I wouldn’t be able to. Or I’d have to tear them away or something.

Last question, and it's kind of a goofy one: Hilary Knight has the cheese curds on the menu at Rough & Tumble. What would the Megan Carter menu item be at Rough & Tumble?

Oh, this is hard. [Thinks for several seconds] Maybe like a maple pulled pork slider, because it has a little bit of the Canadian in it, and something that’s simple, you know what you’re gonna get, and enjoyable.

Is that your style of play?

Yeah, honestly, just try to be reliable, simple, and do what I can.

I was thinking chicken wings, a nod to the arms, but maybe CJ gets those.

No, Ceej needs the hot dog, the little cocktail wiener things.

Ticket Alert: Chateau Ste. Michelle Summer Concerts, Bleachers, and More Seattle Events Going On Sale

EverOut Staff — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:15:00 -0700

Plus, Ella Mai and More Event Updates for March 19

by EverOut Staff

Which shows will you add to your concert calendar? Tickets for Chateau Ste. Michelle’s summer concert series go on sale next Monday, with this year’s lineup including Bob Dylan and Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars. Pop-rock band Bleachers will stop in Tacoma to support their forthcoming album Everyone for Ten Minutes. Plus, “Boo’d Up” singer Ella Mai visits Seattle on her Do You Still Love Me? Tour. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events.

ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 20

MUSIC

3BallMTY
The Showbox (Thurs June 11)

An Acoustic Evening with Trey Anastasio
Paramount Theatre (Wed May 27)

Bleachers Forever Tour
Dune Peninsula Park (Sat Sept 19)

Flashholes

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Do you need to get something off your chest? by Anonymous

Can we quit using our hazard lights as an excuse for shitty vehicular behavior? Every day, I see people stopping in the middle of moving traffic or blocking turn lanes and just sitting there with the ol' hazards going (usually the drivers are on their phones, too, but that's an entirely different beef). When did this become acceptable etiquette? When did pulling over onto the side of the road or even *gasp* parking where you're supposed to park become so passé?

I know, I know. Parallel parking isn't everyone's thing, and this city isn't exactly known for its ample parking spaces or wide streets. But that isn't an excuse for piss-poor, and let's be real here, dangerous behavior.

Yes, there are obviously exceptions to this, which are totally understandable (i.e., accessibility or actual emergencies). But the rest of you? Come ON. Get the fuck out of the way! Driving around the city is already bad enough without people actively obstructing traffic just so they don't have to be minorly inconvenienced. Using your flashers doesn't give you a pass. It just makes you an entitled asshole.

Slog AM: Cesar Chavez Allegedly Abused Girls, the Pentagon Wants $200 Billion, Dick’s Drive-In Lawsuit

Micah Yip — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Micah Yip

Cesar Chavez: According to an investigation from The New York Times, United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Chavez allegedly sexually groomed and abused multiple girls and women over many years, including minors connected to the farm workers movement and his UFW co-founder, Dolores Huerta. The revelations have led to canceled Chavez Day celebrations and calls to rename various honors bearing his name.

Suing Dick’s: Dick’s Drive-In is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging it didn’t give legally required breaks, pay overtime or “all the wages to which they are entitled.” Dick’s president and CEO Jasmine Donovan told KING 5 the company is reviewing the claims but could not comment on the case.

Tacoma Man Accused of Infant Rape: Court documents say that between April and November 2023, William Kelso Flournoy, 25, allegedly filmed himself raping of a 6- to 7-month-old child he was babysitting and then uploaded the footage online. Flournoy was arrested March 5 and remains in custody on charges of first-degree child rape and sexual exploitation of a minor.

Feds Detain Pregnant Woman in U-District: Federal officials arrested a pregnant woman from Venezuela and her 10-month-old baby near the University of Washington on Tuesday. According to friends of the woman, she came to the U.S. in 2023 seeking asylum and had a work permit. Mayor Katie Wilson later confirmed that the arrest was connected to a criminal warrant but not immigration related, and that the 10-month-old was now with Child Protective Services.

Flood Warning: The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for three sections of rivers in King County—the Tolt River above Carnation and the Snoqualmie River near Snoqualmie Falls and near Carnation—and a warning for the Stehekin River in the lower Stehekin Valley. King, Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom and Mason counties are under Flood Watch through Friday afternoon.

Weather: It’s rainy and cold.

$200 billion: The Pentagon asked the White House for $200 billion for their war on Iran. Congress would have to approve its proposal, and the AP says it’s not clear the money would have political support. In defense of the request, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “It takes money to kill bad guys.”

Trump Meets with Japanese Prime Minister: After whining that US allies (including Japan) won’t help him wage war on Iran, President Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House today. The meeting was originally planned to focus on trade and US-Japan relations, but is now expected to take a backseat to the war. Takaichi said she expects the meeting will be “very difficult.”

I Want To Believe (This Will Not Be a Racist Website) : The Executive Office of the President registered Aliens.gov yesterday morning, a month after Trump said he’d release UFO-related files to the public. It’s not live yet, but let’s hope it doesn’t turn into some terrible ICE troll site.

Big Bunny: Costco is selling a 10-pound chocolate bunny. His name is Pete, and he comes with a set of eating instructions that KING 5 calls “somewhat intense.” They advise smashing the bunny with a hammer, mallet or rolling pin, or chopping it with a warm serrated knife. Only $113 online. Happy Easter.

The trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day was released yesterday. It is very important that you watch.

Sinaloan-Style Tacos Find A Permanent Home on Capitol Hill

Julianne Bell — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:00:00 -0700

Capitol Hill needed the late-night spot. On Fridays and Saturdays, Tacos Cometa will be open from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. The weekday lunch and dinner crowds can catch them Tuesday through Thursday between 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. by Julianne Bell

Last September, I wrote about brothers Osiel and Reynaldo “Rey” Gastelum and their taco stand Tacos Cometa, where they served charcoal-grilled, Sinaloan-style carne asada tacos that you can’t find anywhere but the southwest corner of Cal Anderson (and sometimes Fremont). At the time, Rey and Osiel were in lease negotiations for a storefront and crowdfunding a permanent location via Kickstarter, which they hoped to open by March.

That day has come! The brothers officially opened their brick-and-mortar restaurant at 1620 Broadway on Capitol Hill yesterday, where Old Street Malatang used to be. Expect lines, as Cometa’s loyal fans have been waiting for this. The brothers even put a tiny window up so that curious passersby could take a peek at the tacos leading up to the grand opening. It’s a cheerful space with navy blue booth seating, terracotta-and-white checkerboard walls, an open kitchen, and a hand-painted sign like the ones the Gastelum brothers grew up with in Mexico by Chogi Sign Painting.

Don’t count on a huge Cheesecake Factory-style menu. The beauty of Tacos Cometa is its simplicity. Carne asada is served three ways: as tacos (carne asada on corn tortillas), vampiros (carne asada on crispy corn tortillas with cheese), and quesadillas (carne asada on flour tortillas with cheese). All are heaped with chopped red onion, cabbage, and tomato salsa, with a wedge of cucumber on the side. Keep an eye out for rotating specials to come later on.

Osiel and Rey use the techniques they learned in Michelin-starred kitchens to create a taco that pays tribute to the ones they loved in Sinaloa, and the result is something truly special.

“Nothing makes me happier than just standing at the taco stand, watching someone take the first bite and smile,” Rey told me back in September. Hopefully this new location means that a lot more people will get to have that experience.

Real Cities Have Bodegas

Charles Mudede — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0700

There are four things that define a great city. (1) It doesn’t require a car for mobility. (2) It’s a microcosm of the whole world (some neighborhoods or businesses are Latino, some Black, some Jewish, Arab, Polish, Chinese, and so on). (3) It has lots of parks. And (4) it provides a public kitchen for all classes. by Charles Mudede

Illustrations by Carlos Roqués

We have cities that rise to each point in the US. New York City is one; Chicago another. But we struggle more on the West Coast. Portland would be perfect if it wasn’t wanting in the second requirement. Los Angeles has a lot to work on as regards the first requirement. Seattle is almost there with the first, struggling (thanks to gentrification) with the second, receiving excellent marks on the third. And, to the point I wish to speak to now: This city is embarrassingly weak when it comes to the fourth.

Seattle kitchens cater primarily to those with high incomes (even its dive bars demand between $15 and $20 for a hamburger, and it’s almost impossible to leave a restaurant without spending at least $100). But perhaps most importantly, you can’t have cheap food in a city without a thriving street food culture and bodegas.

Indeed, the reason why it’s cheaper to eat in New York City is because there’s a bodega or food cart practically on every corner, many of which provide excellent hot food at reasonable prices. Which means that, while in Seattle it’s hard to find a breakfast sandwich that costs below $15, in New York, you can order one in a bodega, have it made in a few minutes, and be on your way after paying around $7.

Think only of the convenience store that recently replaced Flowers Bar and Restaurant on the Ave, Flowers Market. It’s located next to a major Link station but, despite having a kitchen left by the former owner, only offers “top-tier vape and smoke essentials” and some grocery items.

This would never have happened in a city that celebrates, and enables, a quick, cheap meal. That corner should be blessed with a bodega that has practically everything you need. Hot food, cold food, booze, smokes of every kind, avocados, nail clippers, chargers for phones, perhaps some flowers.

So why does Seattle have so few bodegas?

According to King County’s public health department, the total cost for a grocer or convenience store to get a permit to sell hot food is $947 a year. They emphasized that it’s only, by their estimation, 1.2 percent of the overall startup cost for a convenience store. But even that seems to be a real barrier because the margins for bodegas are so small.

There’s a grocer on First Hill that has a respectable wine selection and an excellent premade cold Cuban sandwich, but no hot food to go. The owner told me that the city’s permits and fees for a small deli or kitchen are too expensive. I heard the same complaint from the owner of the 3rd Little Pig, a convenience store in a quiet but dense section of North Beacon Hill. If the city made permits cheaper, he says, he would sell Korean food in a minute.

The cost, it seems, is at least in part the reason that Seattle lacks corner stores that offer more than a few basic items, and the structural consequence is that our food culture is dominated by establishments devoted to people with deep pockets.

That said, there are five bodegas in Seattle that I love.

Vientiane Grocery

(3828 S Graham St)

If you live within walking distance from this Hillman City bodega, consider yourself a lucky person. It’s the real deal. You happen to live in a real city. Vientiane has a great kitchen, which is located opposite the entrance, and the food, which is Lao and Thai, is excellent and prepared in a matter of minutes. My favorite dish on the menu is the Lao Sausage, which costs $10 and is also available in the frozen meat section of the charmingly packed grocery. Vientiane also sells Kiwi knives, Dao coffee, canned sardines from Morocco, bright yellow flowers, golden statues of Buddha, a variety of Southeast Asian clothes, and small Laotian flags. The downside of this place is it closes at 6.

Gambia International Inc.

(5903 Rainier Ave S)

The minute you walk into this Rainier Avenue business, the smell of African spices overwhelms you. It’s as if you left the US by a magic door and ended up in coastal West Africa. There are so many goods in the small space that it’s hard to concentrate on one. But what you do is head to the refrigerator in the back and find cold meals prepared at another location. The best thing there is the Chicken Yassa ($12). It is just perfect and addictive. I always buy two bowls, take them home, and heat them up and, voilà, I got an authentic African meal in minutes. Every bite of this yassa recalls the words of Young Dro: “We in da city.”

45th Stop N Shop & Poke Bar

(2323 N 45th St)

One night, when I was complaining about the lack of bodegas in Seattle, the bartender at Lottie’s Lounge recommended that I visit this Stop N Shop in Wallingford. It’s a bodega that has, in the bartender’s estimate, the best poke in town. When I happened to be in that neighborhood, which, regrettably, is not near a Link station, I popped in and found a small business packed with all the basic groceries and, at the back, a poke bar with a few tables. I ordered a fish bowl ($21) and a bowl of udon ($8.99). Both were ready in a matter of minutes, but I had to take them all the way back to Columbia City, which took forever. Nevertheless, both bowls were superb, particularly the poke.

Beacon B.B.Q. Grocery Deli & Food TOGO

(4886 Beacon Ave S)

I will be honest. This place is a bit skimpy when it comes to the grocery part. Ideally, it would sell more things (combs, cellphone accessories, brooms). That said, Beacon B.B.Q. has the best roasted duck in this city. This is no exaggeration. It’s not super salty, the meat is soft and juicy. The man behind the counter chops the bird with the smoothness of that butcher in one of my favorite Chinese parables, “Cook Ding,” by the fourth century BCE philosopher Zhuang Zhou. “At every touch of his hand, every heave of his shoulder, every move of his feet, every thrust of his knee — zip, zoop! He slithered the knife along with a zing, and all was in perfect rhythm.” You can also buy good dim sum here, but if you have the time to sit and eat, I recommend visiting the Dim Sum House, which is around the corner. The dim sum there is superb.

Madrona Market and Deli

(3309 E Union St)

This is as close to a classic NYC deli as you can get. But there is one big difference: It has an excellent selection of wine and top-tier nonalcoholic spirits (Wilderton, Pathfinder). Most NYC delis sell just beer, White Claw, and Chateau Diana “wine product.” But Madrona Market does make solid sandwiches with Boar’s Head’s deli meats and cheeses—each is around $12— and little hot potato samosas and corn dogs on the side. Plus, the grocery has everything for your basic needs. Now, if we had more Madrona Markets in Seattle, then the grip of corporate supermarkets would be weakened. Imagine if there was a bodega near 23rd and Jackson. Then the recent closing of Amazon Fresh, which replaced one of Seattle’s Black institutions, Promenade Red Apple Market, would not be a disaster for ordinary people. They are now forced to take long trips for even the basics.

Slog AM: Where Did Bothell’s Crows Go, SPD Arrest Suspect in Rainier Valley’s Double Homicide, King Charles Is Thinking Twice About Coming to Trump’s America

Charles Mudede — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:27:00 -0700

by Charles Mudede

SPD reports that a 40-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for smashing to bits and pieces an estimated $240,000 worth of colorful plant sculptures at the Chihuly Garden and Glass. The incident, which occurred at around 11 pm, left shards of glass on the museum's walk path. The report, however, doesn’t describe the method the suspect used to destroy the fragile art. Was it with a hammer, a rock, or his bare hands? But a security guard claims that the man attempted to stab them several times with shards of glass. The museum told KIRO Newsradio that it expects to “replace the damaged art in the coming weeks.”

Maybe the people running the Chihuly Garden and Glass should consider buying robot dogs (quadrupeds) to protect its world-famous collection of glass sculptures. This solution is not, of course, cheap. A robot dog costs between “$175,000 and $300,000” a pop (or “spot”). But they can patrol an area with great effectiveness and even inspect the art—make sure everything is in order. Some data centers in the US are already using these robots, which are made by Boston Dynamics and vividly recall one of the most terrifying episodes of Black Mirror, “Metalheads.” Yes, sir, the future is here. Beware of those robot dogs. They will fuck your shit up.

SPD announced yesterday that they made an arrest in connection with the January shooting that left two Rainier Beach High School teenagers (Tyjon Stewart and Traveiah Houfmuse) dead at a Metro bus stop. Chief Shon Barnes said at least one of the boys might have known the shooter, who Barnes only describes as a “juvenile male.” The suspect didn’t attend the victims’ high school.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport said Hell No to a Trump video that blames Democrats for a partial shutdown that has impacted airport staff across the nation. The 30-second video doesn’t explain to travellers waiting in longer than usual lines at security checkpoints the nature of the shutdown: Democrats want to impose restrictions on what is essentially Trump’s private army, ICE. Nevertheless, Homeland Security claimed on its taxpayer funded website that Democrats are “holding American travellers hostage” for no good reason. The donkey party is just hopelessly addicted to shut downs that hurt workers and consumers. No mention is made on the website or airport video of the mayhem and deaths ICE's masked thugs recently visited on Minneapolis.

I had to be the one to miss the little snow that fell on Seattle last week. I was out of town when it happened. I did, however, get to experience a terrific windstorm in Dundee, Scotland. It was so cold, so forceful, so biblical. I heard all through the night the North Sea howling like a gigantic ogre trying to break free from some subaqueous prison. I boggled at the fact that my hotel and the whole town, which has a university and a number of galleries, wasn’t plunged into complete darkness by a blackout. I also saw lots of Scots walking about the streets like it ain’t no thing. As for Seattle, it will get a little wind tomorrow and a lot of rain today, with temperatures between 50 and 56.

It is nothing short of incredible that crows have entirely left the North Creek Wetlands next to UW Bothell. Something like 20,000 of these birds, which are too smart for their own good, flew to this area to roost for the night. I have seen this nightmare with my very own eyes. At dusk, on September 30, 2017, the sky suddenly turned black, and shit fell like rain, and all around was the din of crows saying lord knows what to each other (“And like just that, she left me, man, cold dumped me…”; “I found a packet of french fries near the fast food joint by the lake”; “I tell you, I’ve had it up to hear with that raccoon”). And now they are all gone? Some suspect urban growth as the cause of their miraculous departure (more construction, more humans, more lights, more action). But that theory soon loses its force when one considers downtown Portland. The crows roost in the heart of that city, particularly in the winter months. So where did Bothell’s birds go? God only knows.

Will King Charles visit the US in April to celebrate the 250th anniversary of US independence? The answer to this question is presently very much up in the air because of Britain's refusal to participate in a war that Trump started with Iran for reasons that are legally dodgy or just plain corrupt. Trump is now saying all sorts of mean things about King Charles’s “precious stone set in a silver sea.” It’s no longer “the Rolls-Royce of allies”; “this is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with”; and the like.

But why does Trump need the UK for a war he won weeks ago? What more needs to be done? The mission has been accomplished. The president has said this time and time again. What if the UK just believes him? Also, several members of parliament fear that a King Charles visit could seriously go sideways. As the world well knows, there’s no bottom with this American president. He could, for example, sic ICE on the king during a White House visit, arrest him for something King George III did back in the day, and put him in a jail cell with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (kidnapped in January) and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (kidnapped in the near future). “The last thing that we want to do is have His Majesty… embarrassed,” said Emily Thornberry, a Labour MP.

The Long 20th Century, which is also the American Century, is pretty much over. The world is now more and more turning to China to lead global economics and politics. True, it’s not a democracy, but Beijing appears to present a less nutty option to what’s presently found in Washington, D.C.. According to a recent poll conducted by Politico, “swaths of the public in Canada, Germany, France and the U.K. have soured on the U.S., driven by President Donald Trump’s foreign policy decisions.” And there you have it. The history of capitalism: First the Dutch, then the UK, then the US, and now China.

Majority of Canadians say it’s better to depend on China than on the US under Trump.

In other key allies - Germany, UK, France - a plurality say the same.

www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

[image or embed]
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell.bsky.social) March 16, 2026 at 8:41 PM

Spotted in Seattle

[image or embed]
— Raider (@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social) March 17, 2026 at 12:37 AM

Here is the economic story of my life. In 1969, I was born in a country colonized by the British (then Rhodesia; now Zimbabwe); and, when I moved to the US at age 4 (1973) with my family, I was a British subject. In 1981, I returned to the newly independent Zimbabwe and studied, in high school, Afrikaans, which is basically African Dutch (the language of Elon Musk’s people). In 1985, I saw the most amazing thing: the arrival of Chinese investments in Southern Africa. It initially took the form of a massive sports stadium and then, project by project, progressed to all areas concerned with infrastructure. By the time I left Zimbabwe in 1988, it was clear that China, rather than the US, which became the only superpower after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, was the future of African capitalism. Eventually it would become the future of global capitalism. And so, baked into my experience are all of the national forms that, thus far, have defined capitalism over the past 400 years: the Dutch, the British, the USA, and, now, the Chinese.

Let’s end AM with a house masterpiece by Dennis Ferrer, “Hey Hey.”

Drag Race Episode 11: Queen of Camp Darlene Mitchell Goes Unhinged for the Win

Mike Kohfeld — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:05:00 -0700

And a Toast to Alyssa Edwards

by Mike Kohfeld

The only thing better than bringing a Drag Race legend back to the main stage is roasting her within an inch of her life. And if you’re going to roast anyone, make it Alyssa Edwards.

Alyssa first appeared on Drag Race Season 5, and made it through Episode Nine with her charisma, confidence, and endless array of catchphrases (“I don’t get cute, I get drop dead gorgeous,” “Rigga Morris,” and “BEAST!” are some of my favorites). She competed again on All Stars Season 2, but finally snatched a crown on 2024’s RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars. And now she’s back for Episode 11.

Bad Choices Smell Good

Fewer queens left in the competition means more time for Mini-Challenges. This time, the queens chose a fragrance from the Scentbird wall, shooting a short ad for the product. (Canny viewers might recognize this was a mini-version of Season 5’s “Scent of a Drag Queen” main challenge. Alyssa created an ad for her signature scent, “Alyssa’s Secret.” What was the secret? She had no idea.)

Myki Meeks remained Queen of Mini-Challenges with her “Expensive” perfume, but Kenya’s sultry-yet-stupid ”bad choices smell gooood” was the standout for me.

The Most Unhinged Roast Ever

The queens had mixed feelings about a roast. Funnygirl Jane wasn’t worried (this time), saying that roasting is “an essential component to what being a drag queen is all about.” And Myki, Kenya, and Discord also felt confident in their comedy skills.

Other queens had doubts after a table read with Michelle Visage and comedienne guest judge Atsuko Okatsuka. Juicy’s jokes were met with crickets. Nini struggled with her social anxiety (complete with a Jane Don’t therapy session). And Darlene knew she had her own flavor of funny, but had no prior experience with stand-up comedy.

Myki’s Mini-Challenge win granted her one of the most coveted Drag Race privileges: choosing the roast order. “If I was her, I’d be shady boots,” Kenya said. And shady she was: Myki strategically put weaker competitors before and after other comedy powerhouses (and kept her own set far away from Jane’s). Myki closed the roast, earning a top placement with her combo of confidence, quality jokes, and stunning orange chiffon look for the “Swept Away” runway.

Discord had the tough job of opening the roast, and despite looking like “Lord Voldemort” (thanks, Jane), she was actually pretty funny. Also safe was a relieved Nini Coco, who managed to get some laughs mid-roast despite a shaky delivery. And while we’ve seen plenty of grieving-widow runways on Drag Race, Nini went above and beyond the other queens with her concept, scattering “ashes” into the fan. Brilliant!

Jane Don’t’s set had just the right amount of wink and nudge, but she didn’t take it beyond the usual “RuPaul is old” and “Michelle is a whore” jokes that we’ve seen at every roast.

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But Darlene surprised us. Her opening jokes didn’t get many laughs. Sensing danger, Darline let go at just the right moment by pulling a toy hamburger out of nowhere to land a joke about being a prop queen. It didn’t stop there, though. We got flamingos, bananas, and even a clown nose that Darlene shaped into a bizarre, high-camp spectacle that blew away everyone’s expectations and earned her a win. “Darlene’s roast set will go down in history,” Jane admitted. “It is so completely batshit insane. This is genius.”

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And now for the bottoms. Juicy got lost in the roast, unable to land jokes with her slow, shaky delivery. “She has a way to go with finding her perspective,” Okatsuka said, mirroring the same notes Juicy’s been getting for weeks. Her wind-blown fitted bedsheet on the runway was cute, but not enough to save her from the bottom two.

Kenya roared into the roast with confidence, charisma, and… nothing else. It was tough to watch such a funny queen flounder, and she ended up in the bottom two. She and Juicy squared off to Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (more songs like this for lip-syncs, please!). Juicy worked her bedazzled bedsheet in the fan. After four times in the bottom, Kenya’s heart was not in it, and she was asked to sashay away. Season 18 won’t be as fun without Kenya’s quotes and quips, but she seems like a queen that we will see again in All Stars.

Next week, it’s the makeover challenge, and this time the queens will be paired with queer cowboys. Yeehaw!

First Times with Lala Lala

Audrey Vann — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:00:00 -0700

Ahead of Her Seattle Tour Date, We Talked to Lala Lala’s Lillie West About Her Earliest Musical Loves

by Audrey Vann

Over the last five years, Lillie West (aka Lala Lala) has lived in a stark range of landscapes, from bustling Chicago to the extreme high and low temperatures of rural Taos, New Mexico, then to Seyðisfjörður, Iceland (where the sun never rose in the winter), before finally settling in Los Angeles. This constant itch for movement, complicated by a quiet yearning to settle, is what fueled her Sub Pop Records debut, Heaven 2. From the very start of the album’s opening track, “Car Anymore,” the album accelerates with ’90s club-style piano that gives the overall feeling of forward motion. It’s easy to imagine an aimless night drive while this album blares out the car windows. The delightfully late-’90s sound continues through the album on “Even Mountains Erode” and “Does This Go Faster?,” which gives me glimmers of Dido and Madonna’s Ray of Light. However, West’s sound is far from a mirror of the past—her breathy vocals and intricately layered synths remind me of the coolest-of-cool pop girls like Lorde, Tirzah, and US Girls. Before her local tour stop at Baba Yaga this Wednesday, I asked West to share some of her earliest musical loves in another edition of First Times.

What was the first album you bought? Where and when did you buy it?
I believe it was Sunshineby S Club 7. I bought it at WH Smith in Witney, England.

What was the first song you sang in front of people?
“Mad World,” the Gary Jules version. I sang it at a school talent show. (Shocker, I did not win.)

What was the first instrument you played, and what was the first song you learned?
I played the flute when I was a child, but I also remember being taught "Wild Thing" on an acoustic guitar when I was pretty young.

What was the first song that made you cry?
Honestly, I can't remember at all! Maybe the theme to The Snowman?

Who was the first musician you idolized?
I was obsessed with David Bowie as a tween.

Picture her singing "Mad World." Precious.

See Lala Lala with Lots of Hands at Baba Yaga on Mar 18, 8 pm, 21+.

Homework

Dan Savage — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:26:00 -0700

Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! by Dan Savage I’m a 50-year-old married bisexual American man living in Europe with my wife and kids. The “bi” part of me is still extremely new. Two years ago, I started seeing a sex-positive therapist to address my significant interest (and feelings of guilt about) kink and BDSM. Long story short, I admitted to myself that I wasn’t just into kink, but that that I was also bisexual. All the things I thought would be difficult —coming out to my wife, discussing an open marriage, having my first gay experiences — have gone really well. My wife and I are in a great place, and I feel better about myself than I have in a long time. The part I struggle with is identity. I consider myself bisexual, Dan, but I have no idea what being queer means. If I were in the U.S., I would find some social groups and meet…

[ Read more ]

Slog AM: Joe Kent Resigns, Trump Says He’ll Have Honor of "Taking" and/or "Freeing" Cuba, SuperSonics Return?

Vivian McCall — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Vivian McCall

Iran: Israel says it killed Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani. Iran has not yet confirmed his death.

Hormuz: Big fucking surprise, Europe’s leaders don’t want to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz to aid the unpopular US-Iraeli war with Iran that nobody consulted them about. Trump was particularly disappointed in Britain, aka the “Rolls-Royce of Allies.”

Et tu, Joe? Joe Kent, the friend to right wing extremists who directed the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned his post, saying he couldn’t “in good conscience” back the war in Iran. You absolutely do not have to hand it to this shithead. I wish him a happy failure for his inevitable third congressional run.

Double Decker Regime Change: As Cuba’s power grid collapses under the weight of our monthslong oil blockade, President Donald Trump said “I do believe I’ll be… having the honor of taking Cuba. … Whether I free it, take it—think I could do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.” Havana had no immediate comment about his remarks.

Breaking: Seattle police say they've arrested someone in the case of two teenagers shot at a Rainier Valley bus stop this January, Tyjon Stewart and Treveiah Houfmuse. SPD will hold a press conference at 12:30 p.m.

Snow Blow: Professional skier Ian Deans rescued a man stuck headfirst in the snow at a resort in Snoqualmie. The man was stuck for less than a minute, but snow ain’t breathable.

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Law Enforcement Shooting: Lewis County sheriff deputies shot and killed a man in distress along Highway 508 in Onalaska after they say he approached them with a gun, reports The Seattle Times. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office says when deputies tried talking to the man, he exited his car with a gun and began walking toward them. After ordering the man to stop, they say they shot at him with beanbag rounds. He did not stop, they say, so the deputies fired their patrol rifles. The man was airlifted to the hospital. He died. The Washington Office of Independent Investigations will investigate.

Whichever Door You Like: If you’re just crazy like that, you can start boarding King County Metro buses through the front or rear door starting March 28. This is what FIFA is doing for you, people. The change is meant to prepare the region for a busy summer of big events. Aka, a summer where a bus ride across town will be a Promethean task (being punished for a well-intentioned decision meant to benefit others).

Dribbling with Anticipation: The NBA’s court lords (board of governors) will actually vote on whether to expand the league to Las Vegas and Seattle at a meeting March 24-25. The two franchises would start playing in 2028. Industry executives expect project proposals to be in the $7-10 billion range, reports ESPN. We should call our team the Mariners II. Vegas should go with The Elvises.

Black Panther Park: Skyway unveiled a new park dedicated to the Black Panther Party over the weekend. It took eight years and has nine murals, reports the South Seattle Emerald.

The Weather Today Through Sunday: Rain (T), rain (W), rain (Thu), rain (F), a slight chance of rain (Sat), and a chance of rain (Sun).

The Kennedy Center: The Center’s board of directors voted to shut down for two years after the summer’s 4th of July celebrations. The board also voted to install Matt Floca as CEO, replacing Trump ally Richard Grenell. “We’re going to ensure it remains the finest performing arts facility of its kind anywhere in the world,” said Trump, a man who has done more to guarantee the opposite than anyone in the world. He cited repairs as the reason for the closure, which is like farting and blaming the pants.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked if he supported a United Ireland. He said he hadn’t thought enough about the question. Let me help, Mr. Mamdani: Yes.

Okay, he studied up:

Happy St. Patrick's Day, New York.

[image or embed]
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@mayor.nyc.gov) March 17, 2026 at 8:23 AM

Now to Nigel Farage.

Two Anti-ICE Bills, One Public Safety Committee Meeting

Micah Yip — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:30:00 -0700

Kettle’s bill would ban ICE from staging operations on city-owned or city-controlled property, essentially codifying and broadening an executive order from Mayor Katie Wilson. Rinck’s bill would put a 60-day pause on automated license plate readers (ALPRs) immediately if the federal government made a legal demand to access the data to track immigrants or abortion seekers. by Micah Yip

Seattle City Council continued its crusade against ICE last week.

Adding to Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck’s derailed-then-passed detention center moratorium, Rinck and Councilmember Bob Kettle introduced two more anti-ICE bills at last Tuesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting.

Both bills are good, but not perfect. Kettle’s would ban ICE from staging operations on city-owned or city-controlled property, essentially codifying and broadening an executive order from Mayor Katie Wilson. Rinck’s would put a 60-day pause on automated license plate readers (ALPRs) immediately if the federal government made a legal demand to access the data to track immigrants or abortion seekers.

As for the not perfect part, Kettle’s bill can’t stop the feds from detaining people on city property, and Rinck’s can’t keep the city from handing surveillance data that’s already been collected over to the feds, it only stops us from collecting more. But they are obstacles that make it harder for ICE to do fascism.

Let’s start with Kettle’s bill. If passed, and ICE wanted to set up a base on, say, a police precinct parking lot like they have in Hammond, Indiana, they couldn’t.

In essence, Kettle’s bill codifies an executive order Mayor Wilson introduced in January, with a couple weedy caveats. Wilson’s order directs city departments to create no-ICE signage on that city-owned property. Dionne Foster amended Kettle’s bill to read “city-owned or controlled” instead of “city-owned and controlled,” a subtle change to de-ICE even more properties, like ones the city leases to essential service providers, city-run programs, county partnerships and community-based organizations.

But again, limitations. There’s nothing the city can do to stop ICE from operating, says Directing Attorney Tim Warden-Hertz from the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

“In my mind, it’s about ensuring that city resources aren’t being used to facilitate ICE’s work,” Warden-Hertz says. “The effect of that would be to make ICE do their own work and find their own resources.”

Now for Rinck’s bill. The solidly anti-surveillance councilmember’s proposal to shut down the cameras when the city or its vendor, Axon, receives a warrant, subpoena, court order for data that could be used to target immigrants or people seeking abortions. If that happens, it would also trigger a review process where the City Council can decide whether to continue or end the ALPR program.

ALPRs are cameras that automatically scan license plates, logging when and where the car was spotted. In Seattle, the system runs on the in-car video systems of Seattle Police Department patrol vehicles, scanning plates as officers drive around the city.

Advocacy groups warn that those scans can provide investigators with movement patterns that make it easy to track vulnerable groups the federal government wants to target. In fact, the feds have already used surveillance data, both in Washington state and across the country, to track marginalized communities, says Warden-Hertz.

It’s basically a copy-paste of her and Kettle’s amendment to last fall’s CCTV-expansion, which would shut down the CCTV program for 60 days if the feds subpoenaed its data, sans the abortion language. This bill remedies that by requiring a 60 day pause of the CCTV program if the data will be used for reproductive health care enforcement. (At the meeting, Rinck also said she plans to amend the ALPR bill to explicitly include gender-affirming care protections.)

While advocates and some electeds like Rinck argue the city should simply end the surveillance programs altogether, she doesn’t have the votes. Pro-surveillance councilmembers outnumber the anti-surveillance ones.

“I think this is a step towards at least trying to create some sort of safeguards,” says Warden-Hertz. “But I think pretty clearly, the balance falls in favor of ending it.”

The bill also emphasizes the power that the executive branch has to protect residents from the feds. It explicitly states that the mayor, along with the police chief, can decide to shut off CCTV and ALPRs if they determine the data is being used or potentially could be used for immigration enforcement or reproductive health enforcement. On the flip side, if the cameras enter a 60-day pause, the mayor could turn them back on if she believes they’re necessary to gather evidence of unlawful operations by ICE, Border Patrol or or at reproductive health care facilities.

But the real kicker is that Mayor Wilson already has the power to shut off the cameras whenever she wants. The fact that she hasn’t has driven campaign volunteers and at least one of Wilson’s former staffers to co-write and circulate a petition calling for her to shut them off (it’s all over Instagram). After all, we’d all be a lot safer if there were no surveillance data sitting around waiting to be subpoenaed.

How in the World Are They Making That Sound?

Audrey Vann — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:00:00 -0700

The Seattle Opera’s Analog Amplification, Explained

by Audrey Vann

In January, I attended my first opera, Strauss’s Daphne at McCaw Hall. The experience was everything I wished it to be, though far less intimidating than I anticipated due to a lifetime of being inundated with stereotypes suggesting that opera was stuffy and old. My best friend and I used the occasion to dress up—both wearing black velvet dresses and fur-trimmed coats with updos and our fanciest costume jewelry.

It can be scary to step out in opera finery onto city streets full of sweatpants and parkas, but we found our people inside McCaw Hall—primarily silver-haired folks in dress pants and matching cardigan sets. While waiting in line at concessions, one woman in funky reading glasses acknowledged our efforts. “I love the outfits, ladies!” she marveled. We told her it was our first time at the opera. She looked genuinely excited for us, adding that she isn’t normally this chatty, but the Irish cream in her morning coffee had her feeling brave. We asked what her favorite opera was, to which she mumbled, “This isn’t a very unique answer, but I have to say Carmen.”

When Daphne began, I was immediately awed by the delicate quality of sound—the orchestra: rich and unified. The vocals: crystalline and all-consuming. The sound: soft, but never quiet. This was because, as Google told me after the show, opera singers and classical musicians do not traditionally use microphones or electronic amplification. Once my ears adjusted, the sound was actually quite loud. (Incredible, considering that my eardrums were once blown out at a My Bloody Valentine concert.)

“The human voice is capable of producing sounds that could exceed frequencies above 2,500 hertz,” Michaella Calzaretta, the Seattle Opera’s chorus master and head of music staff, tells me. For reference, an average human speaking voice is in the 100 to 200 hertz range. “There is a big misconception that an opera singer must be louder than the orchestra, which is not really achievable,” she explains. “It’s about manipulating the resonance and the space inside your vocal tract so that the sound is heard through the orchestra.” Simply put, an opera singer’s unamplified voice can reach every ear of the nearly 3,000-seat McCaw Hall, not because of the volume of their voice, but because of the frequency that they achieve.

“We are trained to project with no amplification,” confirms J’Nai Bridges, the acclaimed Lakewood, WA–born opera singer and star of the Seattle Opera’s upcoming production of Carmen. “It takes a lot of breath work, riding the air of the voice, and tapping into resonators in the face so that the overtones in the resonances project all the way to the back of the house.”

With the encouragement of her high school choir teacher, Bridges began singing opera at the age of 18, turning down a basketball scholarship to study at the Manhattan School of Music. But, despite what I learned from High School Musical, she tells me that singing and sports are not all that different—singers are athletes, and thus, it takes their entire bodies to do the job. Bridges follows the Alexander Technique, which focuses on lengthening the spine and correcting posture. “If you listen to a baby scream, it’s so loud because their spine is in the perfect placement,” Bridges explains. “As we age, we move further away from that resonance, and, as opera singers, we’re always trying to get back to that natural cry.

“I have a couple of warm-up exercises that are very similar to crying. I don’t actually cry, but it’s similar to the placement of the mouth, and even the eyes are like crying. Even emotionally, it can be a similar feeling, because we have to be so vulnerable and open.” Bridges achieves this physical openness with a combination of yoga, Pilates, chiropractic work, acupuncture, and a lot of vocal practice.

Another way to reach maximum resonance is through proper enunciation. Bridges speaks Italian, French, German, and Spanish, all of which she absorbed through years of learning and translating operas. Calzaretta underlined the importance of pronunciation: “If you don’t have clear diction, the likelihood of your voice not ever leaving the stage is pretty high, especially for the chorus. I talk about that all the time, because we want aligned consonants and vowels that match for the sound to have the biggest bloom.”

The Seattle Opera’s upcoming performance of Carmen will be a big full-circle moment for Bridges, not just because she’ll be back near her hometown, but because it was the first opera she ever attended. “My godfather took me, and I remember feeling super overwhelmed with amazement,” recalls Bridges. “We were sitting really high up in the nosebleeds, and I remember recognizing ‘Toreador Song’ and ‘Habanera’ from commercials and movies.” And I bet you’d recognize it, too—Carmen is perhaps the most referenced opera in pop culture, with “Habanera” needle drops in Up, Trainspotting, and Magnolia, and there’s even a Muppet-fied cover by Swedish Chef and Beaker.

Written in 1875 by French composer Georges Bizet, Carmen tells the story of a powerfully uncompromising woman who captivates every man she meets, including the self-destructive, lovesick soldier Don José, who sabotages his future in pursuit of her. Carmen stays true to herself until the bitter end, prioritizing freedom and fame over love, which ends in Don José killing her in a jealous rage.

“Carmen is a great gateway opera, because it has everything—literally everything,” says Calzaretta. “It has a huge chorus, a children’s chorus, dancers, and all of the stage and storytelling pageantry that we expect from grand opera, along with love, conflict, tragedy, and other relatable themes of the human experience.”

Calzaretta also highlighted the rarity of experiencing an unamplified performance in this day and age: “I take it for granted because I live in this world, but there are people who are going to come and see this for the first time and experience what analog performance is like. In the 21st century, we get so little of that unless we put ourselves in that situation. I’m honestly a little jealous!”

See the Seattle Opera’s Carmen at McCaw Hall, May 2–17.

Stranger Suggests: Star-Crossed Gay Love, Spring Flowers, and an Indie Synth-Pop Casanova

Julianne Bell — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

One Really Great Thing to Do Every Day of the Week

by Julianne Bell MONDAY 3/16

Conan Gray, Esha Tewari

Texas-raised pop star Conan Gray will bring his romantic '90s vibes to Climate Pledge Arena on Monday, March 16. THEO WARGO VIA GETTY IMAGES

(MUSIC) If you can’t get enough of Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo, I hope you’re also listening to Conan Gray—he shares their songwriter and producer, the pop Midas hitmaker Dan Nigro (previously the lead vocalist in the indie rock band As Tall as Lions). Gray’s latest album, Wishbone, traces the rise and disastrous fall of a star-crossed gay romance with irresistible '90s panache, channeling Beck on the biting “Romeo” and the Cranberries on the tender “Care.” The standout “Vodka Cranberry” is a devastating torch song that showcases Gray’s soaring vocals and simply begs to be belted while drunk at karaoke. Gray has been donning chic pajamas and sailor-inspired outfits for the tour, so wear a comfy sleepwear set or dress to the nautical nines! (Climate Pledge Arena, 8 pm, all ages) JULIANNE BELL

TUESDAY 3/17

Kells 43rd Annual St Patrick’s Irish Festival

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A post shared by Kells Irish Restaurant & Bar (@kellsirish1916)

(FESTIVAL) For a whopping four decades and change, Kells’ St. Patrick’s Irish Festival has remained the beating heart of Seattle’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Hosted at the historic Butterworth Building near Pike Place, the 12-day extravaganza transforms the beloved pub into a hub of Celtic music, dancing, traditional fare, and communal revelry. On the docket this year: daily live performances (from folk ballads to Celtic rock), plus rugby watch parties, parade festivities, and plenty a perfectly poured pint. Check the fest’s website for the full schedule, and get ready for some craic. (Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub, 9 am–late, all ages) LANGSTON THOMAS

WEDNESDAY 3/18

ReWilding Seattle Gardens

Learn about gardening as environmental stewardship at Town Hall on Wednesday, March 18. ALAN MAJCHROWICZ VIA GETTY IMAGES

(READINGS & TALKS) Climate change is reshaping ecosystems across the Pacific Northwest. It’s no secret, but even the last few years have started to feel different. And not just in the seasons and birds and bees (the…actual avians and pollinators, mind you). Nowadays, it feels almost futile to compost, drive electric, or go solar. But as an eco-conscious community, it’s important to remember that even small backyard choices can have an outsized impact. That’s why ReWilding Seattle Gardens is such an important talk this spring. Bringing together local experts like mason bee advocate Dave Hunter and ecological designers Jessi Bloom and Bill Thorness, this evening will explore how native plants and pollinator-friendly practices can help restore balance. From supporting salmon habitats to rebuilding pollinator networks, join a conversation that reframes gardening as a form of environmental stewardship and a reminder that we can all cultivate a more resilient future, starting at home. (Town Hall Seattle, 7:30 pm, all ages) LANGSTON THOMAS

THURSDAY 3/19

Donny Benét

Ben Waples, better known as his Italo-disco persona Donny Benét, will serenade the crowd at the Crocodile on Thursday, March 19.

(MUSIC) Since spurting onto the scene in 2011 with Don’t Hold Back, a quirky nine tracks of tinny drum-machine lounge and 16-bit love songs, Australian multi-instrumentalist Ben Waples has developed his Donny Benét character into something of cult star on the Italo disco-referential/fetishized ’80s synth funk circuit. Benét has certainly captured the hearts of many with a presentation that is gleefully tongue-in-cheek, but there is no punch line per se. Suffice to say, the shtick is thicc, but as a classically trained jazz musician, Benét knows how to work it. Last month saw the release of Il Basso, the chronological follow-up to 2024’s Infinite Desires, though he has clarified it is a spiritual descendant of his 2022 single, “Le Piano” with a bass (as in his four-string) emphasis. Though his music is typically adorned with his sultry tenor crooning or softcore raps about consensual loving, Basso is entirely instrumental, but it still has all the pulsing, boxy four-on-the-floor to get you going. (Crocodile, 8 pm, 21+) TODD HAMM

FRIDAY 3/20

29th Annual Daffodil Day

Admire sunny spring blossoms at Pike Place on Friday, March 20. JOEL W. ROGERS VIA GETTY IMAGES

(SPRING) The clocks are forward. The birds are chirping. The rabbits are going to start fucking any second. The daffodils have burst forth from the earth, buttery and hopeful. Spring has sprung. The only way to celebrate is to venture down to Pike Place Market on March 20. The roof of the market turns yellow, lined with the happy flowers. Underneath the blooms tossing their heads in a spritely dance (Wordsworth, anyone?), you’ll be able to participate in the market’s annual Daffodil Day. Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the market just gives away bundles of flowers. You’ll need to be quick, though—the free daffodils go quickly. If worse comes to worst, you may need to prepare for daffodil battle. Stems can poke an eye out. (Pike Place Market, 11 am–2 pm, free) NATHALIE GRAHAM

SATURDAY 3/21

Taste Washington: The Grand Tasting

Prime your palate for a smorgasbord of food and wine at Taste Washington. GETTY IMAGES

(FOOD & DRINK) Washington is world-class in both food and wine (eat your heart out, Willamette Valley). But who has time to dine and sip at every accoladed eatery throughout the state? That’s where Taste Washington’s Grand Tasting comes in to celebrate our region’s top-tier culinary scene. With over 200 wineries pouring their latest and dozens of top restaurants (including one of my faves, Homer) offering thoughtfully crafted bites, the gathering is a snapshot of the PNW’s flavors. Plus, beyond tastings, attendees get a peek behind the kitchen curtain with live demonstrations and interactive experiences that bring guests closer to the chefs and winemakers shaping the region’s identity. Whether you're curious about what makes Washington an exciting food and wine destination, or just want to sip your way through as many grape varieties as humanly possible, this one’s for you. (Lumen Field Event Center, 1–5:30 pm, 21+) LANGSTON THOMAS

SUNDAY 3/22

Pillion

Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling play a 24/7 dom/sub couple in the sweet, kinky A24 film Pillion.

(FILM) A24’s kinky gay “dom-com” Pillion, adapted from the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, was one of my most highly anticipated films of 2026, and it did not disappoint. English filmmaker Harry Lighton’s feature directorial debut follows the meek, guileless Colin (Harry Melling), whose life is turned upside down when he hooks up with gorgeous biker Ray (certified sexy freak Alexander Skarsgård) in an alley. Soon, Colin is initiated into the intriguing world of gay biker culture and BDSM and finds an unexpected sense of purpose and agency in his role as submissive. It’s a hot, funny, and surprisingly sweet meditation on sex and power—Secretary for the leather boys. Read our full review here. (Northwest Film Forum, times vary) JULIANNE BELL

Slog AM: We’re Still at War, Mayor Wilson Benches an AI Program, and Anti-Vaxxers Are Still in the Government

Hannah Murphy Winter — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:33:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Hannah Murphy Winter

We’re in week three of the US-Israel war in Iran, and we’re deploying 2,500 additional Marines into the Middle East. As of this weekend, more than 2,100 people have been killed since the start of the war, including 13 Americans and at least 1,348 civilians. None of Trump’s options are good at this point: Continue the war, and energy prices will keep rising while escalating the death count and continuing to piss off his base. End the war, and he’d have to sacrifice most of his supposed goals for the conflict, and leave a very angry theocracy in power. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz is basically shut down, and Trump has taken to social media to beg other world powers to secure it, a true sign of stable leadership.

“Killer Jab”: Anti-Science HHS Secretary and well-known worm food Robert F. Kennedy has quieted down a bit on his anti-vax beliefs, but the New York Times obtained a confidential report from a federal work group recommending that the feds make sweeping changes to how they track vaccine injuries from the COVID vaccine. The opening paragraph says that public “sentiment” around the vaccine has shifted, pointing to a survey that found that about 1 in 4 people said they knew someone who’d died from the vaccine. Dr. Sean O’Leary from the American Academy of Pediatrics told NYT that the report cherry-picks shitty studies that support its thesis and omits work that does not. “It is straight out of the anti-vaccine handbook.”

Speaking of Kennedys: The board of the Kennedy Center for the Arts will vote on Trump’s plan to close it for renovations this summer. We know this because Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Dem from Ohio, sued over her right to participate in the meeting as an ex officio member of the board and formally register her dissent for the closure. “There is absolutely no basis to shutter this precious living memorial and beloved institution,” Beatty said in a statement. “It certainly looks like President Trump is shutting down the center because he is embarrassed that ticket sales are down and artists are fleeing since his illegal renaming.”

And the Winner Is…: One Battle After Another, which took home six Oscars last night, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. (As the Cut reported, it was a great night to be Maya Rudolph’s plus-one.) Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for Sinners. Michael B. Jordan got Best Actor for his lead role in Sinners, and Jessie Buckley got Best Actress for Hamnet. Sean Penn won for Best Supporting Actor, but he was hanging out in a warzone for some reason. And the KPop Demon Hunters song “Golden” became the first K-pop song to win an Oscar.

Also This Happened:

Sigourney Weaver references “Alien” at the #Oscars by telling Kate Hudson and Baby Yoda, “Get away from him, you bitch.”

(via ABC/AMPAS) pic.twitter.com/yNghxP8J9T
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026

All Tied Up: For the first time in 14 years, the Oscars had a tie. “I’m not joking. It’s actually a tie,” Kumail Nanjiani said when he opened the envelope for Best Live-Action Short. “So everyone calm down. We’re gonna get through this. Focus up.” The directors of both films got to have their moment on the stage: Sam A. Davis and Jack Piatt for The Singers, and Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata for Two People Exchanging Saliva (which, surprisingly, is not a HUMP! film). “I just want to say congratulations to both winners,” Conan O’Brien said. “You just ruined 22 million Oscar pools.” According to the Hollywood Reporter, the last Oscar tie was in 2012 for sound editing, and before that, in 1995, again for live-action shorts.

Some More Pop Culture News: Deadline reported that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is officially canned, for now. Hulu couldn’t get on board with the pilot, which was directed by Oscar-nominated director Chloé Zhao, but “plans to regroup and mull a possible new incarnation of the beloved franchise.” If you’re still really craving an early 2000s reboot, this might take the edge off: an animated reboot of Firefly is in the works.

Speaking of the Aughts: After spending a couple years touring on the nostalgia of Transatlanticism and Plans, Death Cab for Cutie announced I Built You a Tower this morning. It’s the first studio album since 2022’s Asphalt Meadows. They also released “Riptides,” the album’s first single.

Renee Erikson Is Back on the Hill: With her new restaurant in the old Bateau space, called Jeffrey’s. But according to Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, the employee union (United Creatures of the Sea) for the restaurant group (Eat Sea Creatures) is still fighting for a fair contract. According to management, at least, “Jeffrey’s remains a unionized workplace.” The union is less confident. “Until we sign contracts, we’re never going to know whether or not any of those [conversations] are legitimate,” a union member told the blog.

Weather: Wet. On the radar map, there’s just a giant green blob over Western Washington.

Super Sonic Dreams: The NBA board plans to hold a vote next week to explore adding expansion teams to Seattle and Las Vegas. If the board of governors approves it, that’s just step one. This vote would allow the league to start a bidding process for the teams, but there would still be a final vote later in the year. In both votes, 23 of the 30 governors would have to vote in favor. ESPN says there’s “momentum” in the board of governors, though. If it does happen, we could have an NBA team for the 2028-2029 season.

Team USA Hockey Makes a Historic Clean Sweep: It’s an Olympic Hat Trick! All three US Hockey teams—mens, womens, and the Paralympic team—took home the gold this year. It was the Paralympic team’s fifth straight win.

Co-Pilot Benched: Last month, Mayor Katie Wilson paused a citywide rollout of Co-Pilot, Microsoft’s AI tool, for city workers. The rollout had been planned before she was elected, in part as an efficiency tool, and in part because, apparently, government workers are all using AI anyway, and the Harrell admin figured offering an approved program could help regulate it better. The Wilson administration told the Seattle Times that they paused the program so they could better understand the implications of widespread use of CoPilot by city employees, and that there’s no timeline for if and when the program will be used.

If you’re not sure how you feel about AI these days, let me help. 404 Media talked to the Kenyan workers who spend 8 hours a day training AI. “Every day, Michael Geoffrey Asia spent eight consecutive hours at his laptop in Kenya staring at porn, annotating what was happening in every frame for an AI data labeling company. When he was done with his shift, he started his second job as the human labor behind AI sex bots, sexting with real lonely people he suspected were in the United States. His boss was an algorithm that told him to flit in and out of different personas.” Cool future you got there, guys.

I Saw U: Eating Salad at Skål Beer Hall, Singing on the Twins at the Torrent Game, and Making Eye Contact at Nectar

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:00:00 -0700

Did you see someone? Say something! by Anonymous

"From the other direction, [you were] calling my eye" @ Nectar, 2/27

You: dark hair, red shirt and plaid skirt. Me: beard, black shirt, tattoos. We kept making eye contact. I was mesmerized. HH @ Stampede 5pm Tuesday?

Skal Ballard 3/7 you ate salad at the bar

With your two friends. I didn’t want to intrude. Available to date? David Byrne in BC would be too much…Something at Rabbitbox maybe

Tall Lady at Walnut Cafe

if you were picking up beans in a killer deck coat & can read Latin I need to learn everything else about you. Visne poculum cafei capere?

Killing it at Boombox karaoke...

...and looking cute on the twins at the Torrent game. You have an incredible voice and are super cute! I was a silly goose on the loose with a green wig cheering you on.

View Ridge PCC Deli Guy

Tuesday lunch rush. I scared you coming out of an aisle you made the cutest sound! Kept trading smiles :) Bump into each other again sometime?

I was walking to the bus stop when everything happened.

You gave me a hug after helping the cyclist who got hurt. You talked with them while I was on the phone with 911. Thank you for being there. You were the only other person to stop and help the cyclist. Thank you for the hug. To the cyclist, I hope you are okay and have a good recovery.

Meet in Office Stairwell?

You see all my business’ IG stories, I guess I forgot to block you there. Should we take it to the stairwell again? Or the alley behind the hotel?

Flammable Sundays

We danced at Flammable on Pres Day weekend. You couldn’t tell whether my friend’s accent was real or not (it wasn’t). When can we dance again?

Is it a match? Leave a comment here or on our Instagram post to connect!

Did you see someone? Say something! Submit your own I Saw U message here and maybe we'll include it in the next roundup!

Spotlit in Seattle: kelly langeslay

Nico Swenson — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:00:00 -0700

A Storyteller Who’s Reshaping Dance, One Melting Barbie Cake at a Time

by Nico Swenson

kelly langeslay is redefining Seattle dance. With stories spoken “to and/or about you,” they create sincere, striking pieces that are the perfect balance of writing, dance, performance art, and Shrek references. Pop culture meets queer theory in repurposed spaces that might have you walking into a room made of blankets, a hyper-pink kitchen, or someone’s apartment with a melting Barbie cake in the oven.

langeslay’s journey here started early. “I grew up in a teeny town and took dance classes from when I was 3,” they say. They studied dance at the University of Washington with a double major in psychology. “If you want to study arts in college, everyone tells you that you should study something useful, too, so I did psychology, which is not useful; I use the dance degree all the time.”

They graduated into COVID lockdown. After a pause from creating, a brief stint running a childcare karate dojo, and the second of two major concussions, langeslay found themselves back in the dance world with an internship through Velocity Dance Center. From there, “I was applying to everything,” they say. “I started getting things, and I’ve been making stuff nonstop.”

After receiving an impressive roster of short-form opportunities, langeslay began self-producing and applying for funding to make their own long-form work. As an emerging artist, “you can’t make long work unless you self-produce,” says langeslay. They created their first evening-length piece, girl dinner, at Base: Experimental Arts + Space, receiving grants from 4Culture and Northwest Film Forum. Opting out of the black box, langeslay created a pastel kitchen for the piece, “about ghosts and queer time and Barbie-embodiment-as-escapism, and literal/metaphorical fingering.”

The site-specific use of unconventional spaces is a signature of langeslay’s riveting creations. “Theater spaces feel like a blank piece of paper,” says langeslay. “I always want to use part of the context that’s in the room.” For an iteration of their work crush, langeslay brought the audience into an annex space at Mini Mart City Park, where they fed the audience Totino’s inside of an elaborate blanket fort. An earlier iteration took place at their apartment—chili cooking on the stove as they delivered gorgeously intricate, poetic exposition. “It went super well. So it feels like when I want something to happen, I can make it happen. Which is crazy,” says langeslay.

crush is langeslay’s ongoing long-form work, with each iteration counting down asynchronously from 100. Every performance reestablishes a narrative canon of langeslay’s thought-provoking writing, building and changing it through durational movement. The storytelling straddles personal, reality, and fantasy, and references queer artists like Sarah Kane, Jack Smith, and Freddie Herko. “It’s definitely not theater because I’m not acting. Sometimes it goes around theory and queer history and kind of blends all together, but it’s not acting because I’m directly addressing the audience. I talk to ‘you’ a lot, as a signifier because it could be ‘you’ personally or it could be ‘you’ anyone.” The piece takes real-life details and spins them into the absurd, paired with snippets of pop culture and descriptions of vivid events such as 10,000 cockroaches falling from the ceiling.

“It’s not about crushes, but [it] has this crush theme woven up into it because they’re kind of horrible. I want something horrible to happen in crush,” says langeslay.

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Seattle This Weekend: Mar 13–15, 2026

EverOut Staff — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0700

St. Patrick's Day Parade, U District Cherry Blossom Festival, and More Cheap & Easy Events Under $20

by EverOut Staff

It's gonna be a soggy weekend, but you shouldn't let a little rain stop you from heading to events like the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Festival Seattle and from the U District Cherry Blossom Festival to Native Action Network's Native Art Market and Open House. Plus, you can get a Friday the 13th flash tattoo and Saturday is Pi Day. Check out our top picks of the week and Oscars guide for even more ideas.

LIVE MUSIC

Hotel Crocodile Presents: The Tinsley Lobby Session & Music Video Premiere
Local indie pop singer Tinsley recorded a music video for her recent post-breakup bop "Bad Enough" at the Hotel Crocodile, and she’s debuting it with a special, intimate performance at the filming location. While there, you can also check out colorful creations from Seattle artist Peyboy, grab a retro pic in the Roam Booth, get your groove on to 2016 tunes spun by DJ Hypertension, and grab a snack from Japanese American comfort food pop-up Ducky’s Luncheonette. "Bad Enough" is Tinsley's first new single since supporting Rocky Votolato’s project Suzzallo on a West Coast tour and releasing her self-titled debut album. Her country-influenced track "Death Grip" from the record was just named a semi-finalist in American Songwriter's 2025 song contest. SHANNON LUBETICH
(Hotel Crocodile, Belltown, $10-$15)

Seattle Goes to the Mayor

Amanda Manitach — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:00:00 -0700

Do the Arts Have to Be an Economic Driver for Us to Give a Shit About Them?

by Amanda Manitach

The opening jingle from Tom Goes to the Mayor was running through my head as I filed into a standing-room-only Wyncote NW Forum at Town Hall last month for the final of three public roundtables hosted by Mayor Katie Wilson’s Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Transition Team. The mayor wasn’t there, but her rock-star lineup was: Northwest Folklife artistic director Ben Hunter as co-lead along with Randy Engstrom (who himself served as director of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture from 2012 to 2021), Elisheba Wokoma (co-executive director of Wa Na Wari), Michael Greer (president and CEO of ArtsFund), Jesse Hagopian (educator, author, musician), Edwin Lindo (cofounder of Estelita’s Library), and Amy Nguyen, executive director of Watershed Community Development and Wilson’s newly appointed director of the Office of Arts & Culture.

Attendees comprised a cross-section of the community, from members of the Arts Commission and nonprofit execs to working artists. While the crowd mingled, Hunter plucked guitar on the dais, but the chill vibes didn’t prevent a jump scare caused by piles of sticky notes stacked on high-top tables around the room—a sure sign of impending break-out groups. Experience has shown that sticky notes rarely move past ideation purgatory. Spoiler: All conversations lead to affordability.

Yet, something in the Wilson-charged air felt different. In assembling this transition team, the mayor made the arts a co-equal policy area alongside housing and transportation. What could this mean for us?

As the presentation and subsequent Q&A unfolded across the next two hours, the team discussed their findings—priorities that had emerged after two months and hundreds of conversations with community members. Some items landed like a broken record skipping, like the need to position the creative industry as an economic driver. Others felt vaguely Kafkaesque, like the creation of a brand-new cross-departmental Creative Economy & Cultural Infrastructure Office. Some ideas sent a frisson of excitement through the room. Here are some of the big ones:

1. Untapped tax opportunities that don’t place the burden on homeowners and residents, including a cruise ship tax (it would function similarly to the current hotel-motel tax and could hypothetically fund free public programming across town), a secondary market ticket tax, and a men’s professional sports tax. In Seattle, men’s pro sports have historically enjoyed an exemption that allows stadium tax to be retained for stadium upgrades only, instead of funneling into the Seattle Arts Account (as does the tax revenue from other Seattle teams—funds that are subsequently administered by the Office of Arts & Culture).

2. A municipal bank. This one’s a potential money saver. Seattle currently banks with Wells Fargo and uses our money to pay this private company. (A feasibility study commissioned by the city in 2018 indicated $150,000 to $200,000 spent in annual banking fees.) Those public funds could be reinvested in community needs, including the arts. The bank itself could offer low-interest loans to artists.

This ambitious, many-hurdled goal isn’t new—Seattle has explored the idea since 2014, and in 2016 former city councilmember Kshama Sawant introduced legislation to end the city’s contract with Wells Fargo when the company was taking heat for funding the Dakota Access Pipeline. The council voted to break up with Wells Fargo, but we soon ran back because no other bank could manage our $3 billion annual cash flow.

Logistical hurdles include amendments to both the city charter and state Constitution, compliance with a slew of federal banking regulations, obtaining a significant amount (hundreds of millions) in start-up capital, and meeting state collateral protection rules. There’s only one municipal bank in the US—the Bank of North Dakota, founded in 1919. It’s been successful; it was the only US bank to remain profitable during the 2008 financial crisis.

3. The creation of interdepartmental teams or subcabinets to cultivate a civic identity around art—messaging that speaks to tourists, residents, and artists that we are, in fact, an art city, damn it. Unsurprisingly, this topic ruffled the crowd at Town Hall and elicited ping-ponging points of view from audience members: We should look to cities like New York or New Orleans for the blueprint—why reinvent the wheel? Conversely: Our culture and assets are unique; imitating other cities is futile and foolhardy and we must look inward.

A few days after the meeting, I met a fellow attendee (an artist) for coffee. “For as big a political revolution this city went through with this election, I wish there was more visionary thinking,” they said. Frustration is fair: Supposing the city is able to accomplish any of this, are taxes, banks, and defining our nebulous civic relationship with art going to help artists pay rent? And isn’t framing art as an economic driver just a euphemism for gentrification?

“Artists creating value that ultimately prices them out: It’s so clear that this is a failed way to think about how art fits into a city,” the artist continued. “It just ends up being a little Potemkin village. Much of what the city funds is more about creating an appearance of art activity than truly supporting artists. You have to ask, who does this benefit?”

It’s hard to know what to do with this buzz in the air: The ideas are inspiring but embryonic, at times incredibly vague. And we’ve been burned before. But something Engstrom touched on in a conversation a few days after the Town Hall meeting sums up why the excitement seems justified. “Wilson doesn’t have a lot of lived experience with the arts community,” he said. “Maybe it’s a good thing she’s not already deeply embroiled in the arts; she’s going to bring some fresh perspective to moving things along.”

Maybe that’s ultimately the most exciting part of this moment: We don’t know what Wilson has in store for us. That also makes it all the more important to maintain these conversations and the accountability they foster. I implore the transition team and the Office of Arts to keep some form of these roundtables going—sticky notes and all.

Slog AM: Synagogue Attacked in Michigan, Snow in Seattle, Crazy Weather Everywhere Else

Nathalie Graham — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0700

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Nathalie Graham

Uno Reverse: Oop, Mayor Katie Wilson has changed her mind on who will lead Seattle City Light (SCL) after blowback from the Seattle City Council and unions. Earlier this year, Wilson chose to replace Bruce Harrell-appointed SCL CEO Dawn Lindell with Dennis McLerran. Critics pointed out McLerran had no utility experience and apparently this is a must for running a utility. Wilson has decided to install McLerran in the deputy general manager role instead, and will appoint current chief operating officer and SCL veteran Rob Santoff as leader. So, Wilson is willing to listen, or... unwilling to bloody her knuckles in a political fight.

Digging in Those Couch Cushions: Sound Transit found a way to make the West Seattle light rail extension more affordable! Last fall, budget estimates hovered at the simply too high $6.2 to $6.5 billion range. (We might as well write off West Seattle for good and keep our$6.5 billion, right? Well, no.) Sound Transit’s plan to cut costs (switch the construction method, optimize a station differently, eliminating crossover and tail tracks) should file the budget down to a respectable $4.9 to $5.3 billion, reports The Urbanist. Isn’t affordability beautiful?

ICE Arrests Spike in Tri-Cities: Data from report from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights shows a dramatic increase in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement arrests in the heart of Washington's agricultural production areas. All Washington counties saw an increase in ICE arrests last year, but the Tri-Cities counties were outliers. ICE made 126 arrests combined across Franklin and Benton Counties—66 in Franklin and 60 in Benton. Those numbers doubled Franklin County's 2022 ICE arrest numbers. Benton is another story. According to the Tri-City Herald, "Benton County’s arrests ramped up from three arrests in 2022, five in 2023 and four in 2024 to 60 arrests in 2025."

Throw 'Em a Sports Betting Bone: Lawmakers could green light a bit of legal college sports betting in Washington state. Currently in Washington, sports gambling is only allowed on tribal casino grounds and had previously prohibited any bets on collegiate sports sponsored by Washington institutions. Now, you can bet on your student athletes! Yay? A bill awaiting Gov. Bob Ferguson's signature would unshackle gamblers and allow them to bet on the Washington Huskies, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, or, if they’re idiots, the Washington State Cougars. Stick to cheese.

Goodnight, Legislative Session: The short 60-day session is done. Lawmakers can finally leave Olympia to hibernate at home. On the last day, legislators approved a balanced $80.2 billion supplemental operating budget. Sure, it took raiding the rainy day fund and making big cuts to child care and early learning to get it there, but it's balanced, okay? And it should get us to next year's session, which will see lawmakers trying to plug an $878 million budget hole. That's a problem for future them. All that remains is Gov. Bob Ferguson and his bill-signing pen.

The Weather: Cool, wet weather will continue. There's even a flirty little snowflake icon in today's weather report. That could mean spotty lowland snow Friday morning. Wait. I just looked out the window. It's actually snowing!

We're lucking into a flake or two here, but the mountains. Oh, the mountains. They're seeing the snow they've been thirsting for all season. One to three feet of snow could fall through Saturday evening. Get thee to an Ikon Pass.

It Is a Confusing Time to be the Weather: The United States is dealing with all types of extreme weather all at once. The Southwest is broiling in a heat dome. Hawaii is drowning in downpours. The Great Lakes region is going to be buried in snow and freezing after a different storm brings an Arctic chill to the Midwest and the East. Plus, there's weather whiplash. It was 86 degrees in DC earlier this week, but it snowed yesterday. Former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist Ryan Maue told the Associated Press that "extreme weather" is happening in all 50 states. As a reminder: This is not how it used to be.

Possible Act of Terrorism: A gunman opened fire on a classroom at Virginia’s Old Dominion University on Thursday. He was a former Army National Guard member who was jailed for eight years after attempting to aid the Islamic State, the Associated Press reports. One person was killed and two were injured before two ROTC students subdued the shooter and, as FBI Dominique Evans said, “rendered him no longer alive." She added: "I don’t know how else to say it.” In my experience, the word "killed" always works.

Synagogue Attack: An armed man rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township outside of Detroit, Michigan. He drove through a hallway. Security shot and killed him. Authorities have identified the attacker as a naturalized citizen from Lebanon.

Want to Feel Bad? There's a young Florida gubernatorial candidate energizing young voters. Sounds good except the politics of James Fishback, 31, are rancid. He mixes "extreme conservatism and economic progressivism." He is racist, anti-Semitic, and embraces the politics of Nick Fuentes, a Nazi. And the youth love Fishback (Fuentes, too). This New York Times story about the Fishback craze paints a bleak picture for the future of the Republican party after Trump.

Worrisome: While denouncing CNN's coverage on the war in Iran, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that the "sooner" Paramount Skydance Corporation CEO David Ellison takes over the network "the better." Last month, Ellison and Paramount reached a deal to acquire CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. Ellison insisted CNN would maintain its editorial independence, but Hegseth seems to think it's on its way to being state media. He had some helpful pointers for us all. Before this Secretary of War gig, he was Mr. TV, you know.

Hegseth: "Some in the press can't stop. Allow me to make suggestions. People look at the TV and they see banners, 'Mideast War Intensifies.' What should it read instead? How about, 'Iran increasingly desperate.' More fake news from CNN. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better"

[image or embed]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 13, 2026 at 5:15 AM

Four Dead in Refueling Crash: On Thursday, the four crew members aboard a US military refueling aircraft died when the tanker crashed in western Iraq. The circumstances of the crash are under investigation, though "neither hostile nor friendly fire were involved in downing the aircraft," the BBC reports.

Keep an Eye on Your Ass: Colorectal cancer is hot right now. It's the cancer that's killing the most people under 50. So, if you're pooping blood, go to the fucking doctor. But, seriously, pay attention to symptoms like "pencil thin" bowel movements, frequent pooping, and blood. Since this isn't the age group that gets regular colonoscopies, doctors aren’t catching these things. So, the young people keep waiting to get their bleeding hole checked out and, as they wait, the cancer progresses. It's not hemorrhoids, babe, it's ass cancer.

A Song for Your Friday: Enjoy winter’s last gasp. Spring is next week. Technically.

Fear Is Different Here

Nate Gowdy — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Seattle-based photographer Nate Gowdy went to Minneapolis to document the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge. From January 17 to January 26, and February 13 to February 18, he photographed the civilian efforts to protect their communities from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement. This is what he saw. by Nate Gowdy

January 17, 2026 — Invasion

I landed at the Minneapolis–St. Paul airport at 3 p.m., and stepped through the sliding glass doors into the extreme chill of a Midwest winter. It was the first day of a cold snap, with a few inches of snow on the ground and highs around 13 degrees. I exhaled. My breath fogged my glasses.

Eleven days earlier, the Department of Homeland Security had launched what they called the largest-ever immigration enforcement operation, centered on the Twin Cities. They deployed roughly 3,000 personnel, more than the metro area’s 10 largest local police departments combined. State officials and the mayors of Minneapolis and Saint Paul sued. They described Operation Metro Surge as an “invasion. ”

Ten days before I arrived, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother of three, in the driver’s seat of her car. She was driving away from the agent when he shot her three times. Authorities called it self-defense.

Good’s death prompted outrage and protests. In the days that followed, businesses throughout the Twin Cities locked their doors, not to close, but out of fear. Parents kept children home. Residents circulated agent sightings and license plate numbers on suspicious vehicles in encrypted Signal group chats.

When I arrived in Minneapolis, I expected to find overarmed agents, tear gas clouds, traumatized civilians, and I did. I also found people walking their dogs, running errands, meeting for dinner.

Daily life continued, but it was unmistakably altered. Community events were canceled. It came through in every conversation with residents: weekend plans became risk assessments about the federal agents operating in residential neighborhoods without visible name tags or badge numbers. Tension lived in lowered voices and furtive glances toward any vehicle with tinted windows.

For eight days, I worked from a rented Toyota RAV4 with Texas plates with a group of other photojournalists. We taped a PRESS sign inside the windows as a disclaimer to the volunteers standing on almost every street corner in the subzero cold. We tracked federal movements through Signal channels, mixing confirmed sightings with rumors in a steady stream of pings. We stayed in contact with five other cars of photojournalists, all trying to document every abduction—failed or successful—that we could.

As we moved through the city, residents told us about their community-led rapid-response trainings. Volunteers distributed whistles and explained how to document raids safely. From this peaceful resistance, we learned to drive slowly through residential blocks, roll down our windows, and identify ourselves.

“We’re press. We’re watching ICE, too.”

Five years earlier, on January 6, 2021, I photographed the pro-Trump mob as thousands laid siege to the United States Capitol. Claims that “Might Makes Right” exploded into acrid fear. I have an audio recording of that day, when I was deep in the crowd at the Capitol steps, that can still bring back that fear. Wild and chaotic.

In Minnesota, the fear worked differently. It folded itself into school pick-ups, grocery runs, work commutes. People recalculated familiar routes before starting engines. Ordinary traffic drew scrutiny. Conversations sought a lower volume. Or went completely underground. The anxiety was procedural.

Veteran conflict photographers deployed to Minneapolis recognized the pattern: when heavily armed forces operate in civilian space, residents adjust.

As we drove, we kept our windows cracked to hear observers’ whistles carry through the thin, frigid air. From blocks away, over and over again in the weak winter light, concerned citizens on street corners signaled the presence of federal agents, putting the whole community on alert.

The first agents we found were idling in a white minivan near a Catholic church after a Spanish-language mass. Two men sat inside wearing tactical vests and face coverings, ball caps pulled low. No visible name tags. No badge numbers. A Minnesota Vikings towel and a Black Ice air freshener hung from the rearview mirror.

One agent rolled down his window and pointed at the polarizing filter I was holding to my lens.

“What’s that do?”

“It helps me photograph you through your tinted windows.”

He nodded. I snapped a few frames. The window went back up.

Around the corner, volunteers ushered church-goers in the opposite direction. Within minutes, the lot was empty.

January 21, 2026 — Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino

Earlier that afternoon, we’d seen word on Signal: “Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino is moving through the Twin Cities in a five-vehicle convoy.” For hours, observers and press fell in behind.

The convoy ran red lights and looped roundabouts, blasting “Ice Ice Baby” and the ice-cream-truck jingle as agents pointed professional cameras out windows, filming the terror they were inflicting on the people filming them.

Bovino at his improptu press conference (top). The DHS convoy (bottom) snaked through Minneapolis blasting Top 40 and photographing civilians.

When they stopped at a Speedway gas station, Bovino let the press document him grandstanding on a snowbank as a right-wing influencer asked softball questions. His breath hung in the cold, rank and visible. A fistful of Slim Jims bulged in his pocket. When the convoy accelerated back into traffic, we lost them on the highway.

We’d been trailing the convoy for most of the day, so we stopped in a Somali cafe to regroup. A tea kettle shrieked in the kitchen and we stood on alert. None of us will hear whistles the same way again.

At the cafe, videos started popping up from the convoy. In one, now infamous, Bovino shouted three warnings, then lobbed a canister of green smoke into the crowd of residents and children, during what locals described as an attempted abduction. People scattered. Parents shouted for their children.

January 23, 2026 — “Please, stop making things worse.”

On our sixth day, tens of thousands of Minnesotans joined a general strike opposing the federal surge. It was the first general strike in the US in 80 years, and the crowd marched in wind chills nearing 40 below. I went to change my camera battery, and found the latch frozen shut. Within 20 minutes, even packed into the dense crowd on the street, it was too cold to think. But Minnesotans rallied against the administration for hours.

The following morning, Minneapolis resident and VA intensive-care nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti was trying to help another observer when federal agents shot and killed him. By the time I reached the neighborhood-wide crime scene, ICE had withdrawn. Minneapolis police in riot gear were left behind to hold the perimeter. They could have helped de-escalate, but they didn’t.

A woman beside me pleaded, “Please, stop making things worse.”

Officers responded by launching gas canisters into the crowd of grieving neighbors around me. My eyes burned. I nearly threw up. Residents pressed water bottles into each other’s hands to flush the caustic chemicals from their eyes.

In Minneapolis, vigils for Alex Pretti and Renée Good sprung up organically.

Through the day, people gathered around a growing memorial between strips of yellow tape. Some grabbed candles from emergency kits and lit them. At the impromptu evening vigil, tears froze on my glasses. Icicles stiffened my mustache.

February 13, 2026 — “I’ll believe it when my neighbors feel safe.”

Within 48 hours of Pretti’s death, Bovino was removed from the operation. I was back in Seattle by then, following the reset from afar.

I got back to Minneapolis the day after “border czar” Tom Homan announced a “significant drawdown.” Personnel numbers would decline. Enforcement would continue.

I met a woman on the sidewalk and asked about her thoughts on the drawdown. “I’ll believe it when our neighbors who’ve been in hiding for weeks feel safe enough to walk down the street,” she told me.

Outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, what began as a mass demonstration had settled into a sustained presence. Legal observers rotated shifts in neon vests. Mutual-aid volunteers stocked folding tables. Observers tracked agent arrival and departure times. Whistles hung from lanyards, ready.

A bearded farmer in camouflage winter gear introduced himself as Uncle Billy. He had driven from Arkansas. A longtime registered Republican, he told me: “This isn’t the party I signed up for. This isn’t small-government conservatism.”

Vehicle after vehicle rolled through. Some cars, suspected to be ICE, had no visible plates. Another had a new plate bolted awkwardly on top of the old one. A woman beside me yelled and blasted her airhorn as the car passed.

Then a two-tier car carrier pulled around hauling six fresh SUVs and trucks with tinted windows.

The mass of live-streamers was gone. The national television crews were gone. The agents were not. Twelve citizens kept watch on the building.

Outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, volunteers set up a steady presence to welcome detainees when they're released. Legal observers took shifts while mutual aid volunteers set up tables full of resources. Detainees were released one or two at a time (bottom). One (top) was wearing a paint-spattered jacket. he'd been at a job interview when agents took him.

Detainees were released one or two at a time, perhaps a dozen over an hour. Mostly Hispanic men, and one French speaker. Each time someone walked out, legal observers in high-visibility vests stepped forward.

“¿Tiene hambre?”

“Sí.”

A volunteer handed him a tamale. A second draped a blanket over his shoulders.

Another man, just released, wore a paint-speckled Carhartt jacket. I learned he’d been pulled from a job interview. When a woman spotted her partner, she rushed forward and wrapped him in an embrace. The volunteers guided them toward folding tables and comfort. Toward rest.

I met Julie Prokes around 8 p.m., at the end of a 10-hour shift. He ran a warming tent and table with hot chocolate, instant noodles, snacks, and phone chargers. Whatever people dropped off. He said it was his 23rd straight day outside Whipple.

“You can’t control what happens inside. We can control how people are received when they get out.”

February 14, 2026 — “Customers are staying home.”

Karmel Mall, the country’s largest Somali shopping center, was full of bright fabric shops and halal markets. Tax preparers and travel agencies shared space with glass cases of gold jewelry and racks of flowing satin abayas in electric blues and emerald greens. The food court smelled of cardamom and fried sambusas filled with ground meats and leeks.

Vendor after vendor said business was way down. Some said as much as 90 percent. One woman said she hadn’t made a sale in two months because “the people are staying home.”

A few storefronts down is 65-year-old Osman Abo. He came to Minnesota from Somalia three decades ago and has sat behind his counter for 20 years. Now, business has slowed to a crawl.

Businesses closed, or simply locked their doors (above) to protect their employees and patrons from immigration agents. And during the General Strike, in subzero temperatures, legal observers (bottom) patrolled the crowd to witness ICE action against civilians.

On a typical Saturday, the mall would be full of families shopping and teenagers killing time. Now there are long stretches of days without a sale.

Unprompted, Abo reached into his wallet and pulled out a laminated Trump donor card. Then a Republican Party membership card. He said he had been donating since 2019. He held them up for me to photograph.

“I’m Republican,” he said. “I help Republicans. I vote Republican.”

Then he drew a line between policing and what he was seeing now.

“Police is okay. Criminal go to jail. I’m not criminal. I’m citizen,” he said.

He said he would remain a Republican. Still, he shook his head at the idea of MAGA.

“Last two months, not good,” he said. “How I can pay the rent? My house rent, my store rent. How?”

That evening, Lee’s Café, owned by a man named Liban Sheikh hosted a community gathering for volunteers. He passed trays of sambusas around the crowded room. Folding chairs scraped as people crammed into the small space. His employees refilled tea glasses, declining payment from anyone who tried to leave cash behind.

I asked him how business had fared during the surge.

“A lot of mess,” he said. “Our president makes a lot of mess.” He looked around the room. “I love my neighbors and they are heroes.”

I asked how he was holding up.

“Yeah, I’m still hanging,” he said. “I have a lot of friends. The community supports me. We will be all right.”

February 17, 2026 — “Too afraid to go to the grocery store.”

On my second-to-last day in Minnesota, two women who asked to be called Betsy and Maria invited me to join them at church—not for a Sunday service, but to document their congregation’s version of protecting those less fortunate than themselves.

They’d converted the basement into a soup kitchen of sorts, assembling meal kits for the most vulnerable members of their community. People were “too afraid to go to the grocery store,” they told me.

Maria took me to her house before she and her daughter left to get dinner. She led me into the dining room, which she called “The Little Pantry”—shelves packed wall to wall with canned goods, rice, cereal, and diapers, no table to eat on any longer. Maria, a Latina mother, worked with the local high school’s food shelf and local schools to ensure donations reached families afraid to leave their homes.

Her daughter, a fourth grader, moved easily through the room—bringing in and sorting items, counting cans. In her class of 24 students, eight had been absent for most of the month. A third of the room empty. The fourth grader said the pattern held across grades. Some kids had begun to return, but three or four desks still sat vacant.

She spoke about the families they were helping with the matter-of-fact seriousness of someone far older. This was a civic education: helping her mother respond to fear with action, learning that community is something you practice.

February 19, 2026 — “Turn around and point your weapons that way.”

When I left Minnesota, I did what I always do after a major assignment. I listened.

I have audio recordings from January 6 and from Minneapolis. I didn’t set out to make sound recordings that would explain the difference between them. I was documenting what was in front of me. But listening back, the contrast is unmistakable.

The Capitol audio sounds like a declaration. Layered voices. Imperatives. “Push!” “Hold the line!” Metal clanging. Wind gusting. The surge and swell of bodies pressing forward. The energy moves in one direction, toward breach. Even the fear in the recording faces outward.

The Minneapolis audio sounds like interruption. A woman’s voice, close and human: “You represent us in this equation. Turn around and point your weapons that way. We are your community.” Another woman repeats, “What are you doing? What are you doing?” The crowd begins chanting “Alex Pretti. Alex Pretti.”

And suddenly, my own voice: “Fuck you!” The officers in riot gear had just lobbed a bevy of tear-gas canisters at us. Everything goes quiet, except for coughing and someone in the distance calling out: “Water? Water? Who needs water?”

The January 6 recording captures a crowd trying to overwhelm a system. The other captures a system overwhelming a crowd.

At the Capitol, the sound builds toward force. In Minneapolis, force descends into the people.

This piece was produced with contributions from Lisa van Dam-Bates and R. Langford.

City Council Passed the Detention Center Moratorium

Hannah Murphy Winter — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:58:00 -0700

Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck introduced the bill last month, as a protective measure after the feds posted a “presolicitation” for a detention facility in the Seattle area. The first draft of the bill pressed pause on permits for any new jails or detention centers in Seattle, but last week, Rinck had to introduce a new version, removing the word jail, “in order to get it over the finish line,” she told The Stranger. by Hannah Murphy Winter

After weeks of delay, City Council unanimously passed a one year moratorium on new detention centers this week, one of half a dozen anti-ICE bills that have been working through the legislative body this year.

On Tuesday from the dais, Councilmember Maritza Rivera told the chamber that she had been the barrier to that finish line. She instigated the new version as a result of her “due diligence,” but was non-specific about what the issues had been in the bill, but both she and Councilmember Bob Kettle spoke at length about how important Rivera’s legal diligence had been in getting this bill passed. Kettle said, repeatedly, that the council needed to do things “the right way.” (With… jail?)

According to a spokesperson for Rinck’s office, at least, their legal review showed that jails are in a legal gray area. Removing the word “jail” could actually “slightly increase the legal risk,” not diminish it, they told The Stranger, “but would not be the determining factor in a potential lawsuit.” Rivera’s office did not respond to The Stranger’s request for comment before publication.

In the public comment period before the vote, SeaTac City Councilmember James Lovell spoke in favor, reminded the body that SeaTac had passed similar legislation weeks earlier, and encouraged them to unanimously do the same. “[Democracy] lives or dies in the institutions we allow to operate,” he said.

The bill did pass unanimously, and there was a general vibe that everyone really wanted credit for doing their part to fight ICE.

Council President Joy Hollingsworth “set the stage” before Rinck introduced the bill, emphasizing that it was one part of the council’s greater effort to fight federal incursion. Kettle framed it as one bill in a “package of bills,” and Councilmember Debora Juarez said that it was a “national extension” of the city’s laws. “We’re really trying hard,” she said to the public commenters in the room. “I hope every now and then, you can say thank you.”

Thanks? They’re right that Rinck’s bill is part of a greater movement on the council to build up some protections against federal harm, though. Rivera already reworked the city’s municipal code to affirm that Seattle Police should not cooperate with ICE, and Councilmember Dionne Foster passed a resolution protecting city-collected information from getting into the hands of the feds, and emphasizing that city officials should not collect immigration information if it’s not necessary to provide services to citizens.

And several are still moving through committee. Kettle introduced a bill that would effectively codify the mayor’s executive order barring immigration agents from staging their work on city-owned land. Rinck introduced a bill that mirrors the (very imperfect) protections on our CCTV program on our automatic license plate readers, forcing a 60-shutdown if the federal government subpoenas that information.

They’re all democratic tools against an authoritarian government, but they will make Seattle slightly less pleasant to bully.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated since its original publication to include a new statement from Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck's office.