Danish artist’s big recycled-wood statues going up; damp weather doesn’t mean wildfire season’s over; altering light-rail expansion plans will cost time & money; how can Funko stage a ‘Pop!’ comeback?

Critics question rollout strategy of Seattle company’s Disney collectible card game; Cal Anderson memorial tree replaced in Oly; WA’s next no-longer-affordable place to live; Tacoma as the next great radical hope.

‘American Junkie’ author/musician Tom Hansen’s cancer death; big T-Mobile layoffs; city tells free-pantry organizer to scale back her operation; wildfire smoke coming back this weekend.

UK story about Seattle pair’s escape from homelessness; WA, BC fires continue as Seattle air improves; more repair-related delays to light rail; Oahu-born journalist asks you to not visit there now.

Captive orca Tokitae dies in Miami; fires scorch parts of Eastern WA while Seattle gets smoke; Julio Rodriguez and Mariners on a massive roll; after a ferry-building contract’s collapse, now what?

Developer wants 3rd Ave to be a pedestrian plaza (no buses); Inslee sued over ‘gender affirming care’ law; wildfires shut down two City Light dams; the Seattle connection to a ‘racial’ (and racist) ‘brain collection’ at the Smithsonian.

Kamala Harris talks in Seattle (and Dolly Parton in Tacoma); heat wave leads to stage 2 burn ban; ‘quick fix’ to Seattle drug-possession law turned down; the ice cream flavor you never knew you wanted.

Vital, historic African-American art from a sorority’s donated collection; almost every D1 council candidate endorses Megan Costa; new state drug law starts; one threatened north-end tree survives, one doesn’t.

The rise of POC-centric arts and crafts fairs; serious heat (and wildfire smoke) arriving; Seattle Muslim leader says he’s unfairly on a secret FBI ‘watchlist;’ Northwest volunteers helping the Maui rescue effort.

NPR explores Seattle’s hip-hop heritage; Rainier Beach anti-violence activists resume their work after last week’s shooting; could the feds want to ‘break up Amazon’?; America’s worst wildfires this year aren’t here (tragically).

AI-written travel books with bot-posted rave reviews; historic Wedgwood tree saved; ‘stabilization workgroup’ proposes several new city taxes (not all of them legally available); right-wingers want to close one WA county’s only library.

Museum of Museums closing forever (partly due to faulty plumbing); UW Regents ponder what to do if Pac-12 Conference collapses; City Council approves studying new I-5 lids; my annual defense of the hydroplane races.

Three Thai-born Seattle filmmakers get noticed at Cannes; Bellevue finally has a permanent men’s shelter; Harrell announces revised drug-crackdown bill; the Pee-wee Herman legacy.

A couple of faves at the Seattle Art Show and its satellites; violence strikes at an anti-violence event; Amazon doesn’t want a light rail stop at Westlake & Denny; the real meaning of the Seafair parade.

Local journalist’s great-granddad worked (very indirectly) with Oppenheimer; council approves cams at (some) street-racing sites; Sea-Tac had its ‘busiest day ever;’ Anchorage mayor wants to ship that town’s homeless here.