Good morning! Did you go to Pride in the Park this weekend? Or the Bigelow Block Sale? Or the Jeff Rosenstock show at Neumos? Or MapleFest 2026? Or one of the predictably shaky Bob Dylan shows at Chateau Ste. Michelle? It was a busy weekend in the city, and it feels like even the weather is taking a breather today. It’s cool(er) and rainy, and it plans to stay like that for most of the day.
But first, the news.
Let’s Start With the War in Iran: It heated back up this weekend. On Sunday, Israel bombed the outskirts of Beirut, claiming that Hezbollah had attacked Israel. In response, Iran launched missiles on Israel, the first since the ceasefire was established back in April. Then on Monday, Israel bombed Iran, and claimed they hit a petrochemical plant and some military sites. And Israel says that Yemen got into the mix, launching missiles at them on Monday as well.
What Now? As of Monday morning Pacific time, it looks like everyone involved is trying to take a breath. Trump actually did something useful and asked Netanyahu to halt any new strikes, and it seems to have stopped any immediate plans to continue the bombing. In a short video, he said that “fire is on hold,” but he promised to change that if Iran attacks Israel again.
Meanwhile: Trump insisted in an interview with Meet the Press over the weekend that his “No News Wars” messaging in his campaign for a Trump Presidency 2.0 didn’t mean he wouldn’t start any wars. “Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?” he asked NBC’s Kristen Welker. His distinction? Apparently this isn’t one of those “endless wars” he hates so much. When Welker pushed Trump on other issues—like his claims of election fraud and his $1.776 billion slush fund—Trump called her “darling” and abruptly ended the interview.
Criminally Tacky: Have you seen the 600-ton steel arch on the South Lawn of the White House? That’s part of the setup for Trump’s birthday party on June 14—the $60 million “night of cage fights” from UFC. But the party has run into some snags. First, A-List celebrities have largely refused to show up. And then, two activists, represented by the Public Integrity Project, filed a lawsuit against the Feds arguing that the transformation of the grounds wasn’t authorized by Congress, and that the event uses government space to benefit UFC’s CEO Dana White and Mr. Trump, who is invested in UFC’s parent company.
Palisades Fire Trial: The federal arson trial starts Monday for Jonathan Rinderknecht, who’s accused of sparking last year’s Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes, the AP reports. His defense attorney says there simply isn’t enough evidence tying him to the fire. They also want to argue that Rinderknecht is a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department after they failed to respond to the fire. But the judge has ruled that the defense can’t introduce evidence or arguments about alleged negligence by the fire department, saying it was irrelevant and might confuse the jury.
The Kids Are Alright: Last week, Kameirah Johnson, a senior at Lakeside School, won the national Doodle for Google contest, and with it, a $55,000 scholarship and a $50,000 tech package for her school. But rather than giving the $50k to Lakeside—Bill Gates’s alma mater with a $307 million endowment—Johnson decided to donate the package to Rainier Beach High School. “I’m very proud of the fact that I’m Black. … Knowing that I have a lot of family there, knowing that there’s so much history at that school, it just felt right to give it to Rainier Beach and to a school full of kids who look like me,” she told the Seattle Times.
Hotel Workers Find Leverage: On Friday, hotel workers at Hilton’s Embassy Suites in Pioneer Square voted to authorize a strike, which means they could strike at any time, including during the World Cup. The contract between management and the 113 unionized Embassy Suites employees expired on May 31, and they’re still fighting about health insurance, pay, and a proposal that management tell employees when ICE or DHS is on the property (Hilton has refused to consider it). The hotel is spitting distance from Lumen Field, so I’d guess, even with the lower-than-expected attendance for the World Cup, management is sweating.
ICYMI: The Denny Blaine trial is happening right now! And Stranger contributor Guy Oron has been haunting the halls. Last week, Stuart Sloan—U Village owner, multimillionaire, and habitual filmer of naked queer people—took the stand to share chilling tales of seeing naked paddleboarders out on the lake through his mansion windows (no one tell him what happens later this month in Fremont). His wife, Molly Nordstrom (yes, those Nordstroms), complained that even with the hideous fence the city put up, she can still see naked people from the highest levels of his mansion. This week, the City of Seattle takes the stand.
Wilson Caves on Cameras: On Friday, Mayor Katie Wilson announced that she will turn on the cameras in SoDo during the World Cup, which starts in Seattle next week. In a statement, Wilson said that she’d received intel from SPD and the FBI showing “general but credible threats to safety and security during the games.” This is exactly what she said she’d do when she first announced her CCTV plan earlier this year, but it’s absolutely a reversal from her opposition to the surveillance program during her campaign. The Stranger has asked her office when they plan to turn them on, and when they plan to shut them off, but did not get an immediate response. We’ll update when we do.
The Croc Has New Owners: The Crocodile in Belltown was scooped up by Comedy Tent, a group led by talent manager Jimmy Miller and former Onion CEO Mike McAvoy. They already own the legendary Upright Citizens Brigade, a film and TV company called Abso Lutely Productions, and Pittsburgh’s Bottlerock Social Hall. They bought the venue through a receivership process (like bankruptcy, but nicer), after the Croc built up $1.6 million in debt.
A Song for Your Monday: Sometimes living with the algorithm is hell. And sometimes it shows you an incredible cover of “Jolene” by Iranian singer Leila Forouhar.
