Funko’s got a lot more ‘Pop!’ figures than it can sell; right-wing trustees cause chaos at an Idaho college; Macklemore gives a ‘surprise’ free concert; what should be WA’s ‘official state smell’?

Textile and ‘soft art’ exhibits around town; more folks’ downtown revival ideas; Councilmember Dan Strauss will run for re-election; Steinbrueck Park’s totem poles (probably) aren’t going away forever.

Online map grades Seattle neighborhoods by ‘walkability;’ social housing measure leads in early returns; a big Boeing deal with Air India (which makes an even bigger deal with Airbus); do ‘crumb rubber’ sports fields cause cancer?

A jazz legend and other influential Black Seattleites of the past; down to the wire for social-housing initiative; could tech layoffs being another Seattle slump?; 777 almost crashes in Pacific.

Japanese American artists’ visions of past struggles; judge rejects suit by 737 MAX crash victims’ families; three teens’ destructive car chase; why we should look at struggles in other cities (and not just THAT one other city).

Vintage store enters the ‘metaverse;’ WA schools are now ‘majority minority;’ feds say city can’t just sit on unspent City Center Collector trolley grants; UW researchers say ‘love’ really is a drug.

Airing a seldom-heard voice in the homeless crisis (that of an actual homeless person); works by local Black artists you can see (and some you can’t yet); FTC may sue Amazon; another hunger strike at the ICE jail in Tacoma.

Granddaughter’s picture book celebrates Pacific Science Center architect; Teresa Mosqueda wants to jump from city to county council; Amazon reports a money-losing year; Sounders FC to compete on a global stage.

Love expressed for Taco Time NW, while Beth’s Cafe reopens at last; Tammy Morales wants to stay on the City Council (unlike four colleagues); is Amazon trying to de-emphasize direct online sales?

Modern urban mid-rise buildings & their discontents; judge sanctions city over Durkan’s missing texts; some Sounders FC fans don’t want Providence as the team’s new jersey sponsor; did Amazon lie to financial lenders about warehouse safety?

Kshama Sawant to depart from City Council to start a national leftist org; ‘wealth tax’ proposed again in Legislature; MS hosted a private Sting concert in Davos before announcing big layoffs; bankrupt Regal Cinemas chain closing its downtown Seattle 16-plex.

Mourning ‘outsider artist’ Gregory Blackstock, Screaming Trees cofounder Van Conner, and author Jonathan Raban; Grand Illusion Cinema could be razed in two years; Microsoft confirms 10,000 worldwide layoffs.

Wiazrds of the Coast backs off from rumored major changes to ‘D&D’ licensing; south-county shooter’s reported racist explanation for his acts; sexual-assault allegations made against a local documentary maker; Kraken on a roll, Seahawks on a stop.

Metro celebrates 50 years, as business promoters suggest revamping downtown bus routes; another City Councilmember’s quitting this year; do WA folk really have higher than average sexual ‘body counts’?

Local comix creators’ LGBTQ protagonists; is Twitter closing its Seattle office?; biotech ex-CEO won’t be charged with assaulting his then-wife; some year-end thoughts.