News Today 4:06 PM

No, ICE Is Not Raiding Washington Ferries Today

Be Careful To Only Share Verified Reports

Posts to Reddit Monday alleged US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were expected to board state ferries on Tuesday.

One post on r/Kitsap said all ferry workers had received an email that ICE would start doing their “Gestapo impression” on ferries starting the next day. Another user wrote on r/Bremerton that they’d confirmed workers were sent an email about how to handle ICE, a “likely presence” in the days to come.

The posts were only partly right. Workers were sent an email about ICE. But Washington State Ferries (WSF) wasn’t warning of a possible raid or raids. The agency was recirculating legal guidance from the Washington Attorney General’s Office, wrote WSF Spokesperson Dana Warr in an email.

“There is no indication or truth that ICE will be targeting WSF vessels today even though there is lots of social media content that would indicate this,” Warr writes.

The email was intended as “clear guidance” from the state if immigration agents engaged with employees, Warr writes. 

Here is the memo, first sent in January.

To summarize (if you’re not into reading .pdfs), the advice for state agency workers is to direct federal immigration authorities seeking “access to people, locations, or information” to the “Agency Designee” in charge of processing those requests.

If feds claim to have a warrant granting them access to a non-public space, the memo instructs staff to request a copy of that warrant, to note the date and time of the interaction and to take down the names and badge numbers of the federal agents. Employees should ask those agents to wait in a public space while they talk to the agency designee in a private agency space. Employees should not allow agents to follow them into private spaces, but should “generally refrain” from closing public spaces to immigration authorities, the memo says. They may, however, provide alternative private spaces for anyone waiting for an appointment with their agency.

Staff who have notified the designee have no obligation to say anything more to federal agents, the memo says. If pressed, they “can simply reply that they have notified the agency designee.”

Rumors about possible ICE raids travel fast online. The urgency is real. The goal of President Donald Trump’s administration is to deport as many undocumented people as quickly as it can. To do that, it’s willing to ignore due process and menace citizens who speak out, peacefully or otherwise.

The Reddit posts followed two weeks of high-profile immigration enforcement. In California, workplace raids lead to days-long protest actions; against the wishes of Gov. Gavin Newsom, Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines. Here in Tukwila, ICE summoned hundreds of immigrants to their offices for a check in this weekend, when the offices are typically closed, and ultimately detained two of them. The ICE special response team used chemical agents on protesters. Tukwila PD used pepper balls and flash bangs on them.   

People who want to help undocumented people in their community should be careful not to add to the fear and confusion by sharing speculation or unverified rumors. A good rule of thumb is not to boost a claim if you can’t see photos or documents.

We’ve reached out to legal and immigration experts for more detailed guidance. We’ll update this story when they get back to us.

Books Today 3:00 PM

Almost Levine

Stacey Levine’s Third Novel Came Very Close to Winning the 2025 Pulitzer for Fiction

Mice 1961, Stacey Levine’s third novel, came very close to winning the 2025 Pulitzer for Fiction. It was one of the prize’s three finalists, but the judges selected a fourth-placed novel, Percival Everett’s James, due, apparently, to a stalemate at the top that couldn’t be resolved. Levine is a Seattle writer. She has lived and worked here for as long as I can remember (she was raised and born in St. Louis, Missouri). Her first book, My Horse and Other Stories, won the PEN/Faulkner Literary Award for Fiction in 1994. Her second novel, Frances Johnson, published in 2005, played a role in her winning The Stranger’s Genius Award for writing in 2009. Her latest novel, Mice 1961, is set in Miami during the month, April, that’s now remembered for US’s failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro, the Bay of Pigs Invasion. 

Though this world-historical clusterfuck plays an important role in Mice 1961’s plot, particularly in its penultimate chapter, the greatness of the novel is not found in the story but in the way it’s told. And this is the way it should be. One doesn’t read literary fiction for narrative design—the sole function and art of the kind of detective fiction that counts Dorothy L. Sayers as a master of the interwar years (1920s and 1930s). The art found in Mice 1961, as well as Levine’s other novels and short stories, concerns language, the English language. Levine handles words and sentences with what can best be described by the German word for a form of care that’s philosophically (or existentially) sensitive, sorge. You will not find a neglected word, sentence, passage in this book. Such is her sorge.

What follows is a conversation I had recently had with Levine. I emailed her questions; and she emailed me her responses.

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Savage Love Today 2:56 PM

Had to Getaway

Regretting a Holiday Hook-Up

Dear Readers: I’m at a family event — a happy one — this week. This column originally appeared in July 2013. Back with a new Savage Love next week. — Dan


I’m a 26-year-old straight female. I’m writing because I need to ask someone what to think right now. I just fucked a guy while on holiday in Costa Rica. I thought I was sex-positive and adventurous, so why do I feel so ashamed? I’m dating a boy back in the US who I absolutely adore, but we’re not necessarily exclusive. The guy was a 22-year-old local—I thought he was so sweet. But he did that bullshit “fuck her and then get her out of bed and drive her home” shit. I told him it wasn’t okay, and he made excuses. I feel so fucking pathetic right now. Is this because I did something stupid? Is this a natural feeling? Or is it a result of some deep psychological self-induced slut-shaming? Why would he kick me out like that? Please help me wrap my head around this.

Truly Underestimated Risk In Sexy Travel Adventure

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Food & Drink Today 1:59 PM

Sweetness & Spice

Shikorina’s Fruity Pop-Tarts and Caramel Cookies Are Fueled by Community

A sign hanging above the door of Shikorina Bakeshop & Cafe greets guests with the welcoming message: “You deserve a sweet little treat.”

If you heed its siren call and enter, you’ll find yourself ensconced in a cozy queer oasis with lofty ceilings and a soothing lavender interior. Lesbian and gay pride flags are proudly displayed front and center, and a pastry case beckons with enticing treats like homemade Pop-Tarts, cookies, banana bread, brownies, pie, and whimsically decorated cakes. You might hear Chappell Roan or SZA playing in the background.

Shikorina owner and pastry chef Hana Yohannes first fell in love with baking as a kid via the Betty Crocker mixes her Eritrean mom used to use, which were always crowd-pleasers. But it wasn’t until 2019, when Yohannes found the community bakeshop the Pastry Project, that she learned how to create a range of baked goods from scratch. “My mom’s an amazing cook, but in our country, we traditionally don’t have any desserts, so we were pretty limited in terms of our skills there,” she says. 

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Trump Tells Tehran to Evacuate: On Monday, Israel struck an Iranian state TV station, and Iran leveled a pre-dawn airstrike against Israel, killing eight people. Later, Donald Trump of all people issued an evacuation order on Truth Social for all of Tehran, Iran's capital city that has a population of over 9 million people and a metropolitan area with a population of over 16 million people. Trump wrote, "IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" 

Peacing Out of G7: Trump made that post while attending the G7 Summit. After making that evacuation post, Trump dipped out of G7 and went back home. He said, "they [Iran] want to make a deal, and as soon as I leave here, we're going to be doing something. But I have to leave here."

Sad News for Selig: Nothing gold can stay. Martin Selig, Seattle's real estate developer kingpin, is finding that out first hand. Over the last year, Selig's given up 19 of the 30 downtown office buildings he owns after pandemic vacancies left him with more than $850 million in loans. Recently, Selig defaulted on a on a $378 million debt and had to transfer nine of his buildings to a "custodial receiver." A month earlier, he lost a different building due to a loan trouble. Martin! How are you going to shell out big bucks to sway a Seattle election when you can't even pay to keep your real estate empire intact? 

The Weather: Beautiful, sunny, and 70s today. Later this week? Probably kind of shitty and wet-ish. 

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News Yesterday 5:08 PM

Almost 10 Percent of Seattle Marched at No Kings Rally

The rally wasn't radical, but it was undeniable. 

Ever wonder what 10 percent of Seattle’s population looks like? 

If you came out to the No Kings rally on Saturday, you found out. An estimated 70,000 protesters gathered at Cal Anderson for a rally, where Rep. Pramila Jayapal, labor leaders, immigrant rights advocates, and federal workers all spoke. “This is gonna require a lot of us. We have to adjust ourselves. We have to dig even more deeply,” Jayapal said. “I’m not ashamed to say I’ve got moments of fear. Of course I do, and so do you. But you and I are more than afraid. We are furious.”

DOUGLAS CUEVA
MELODY SUMMERFIELD

After the speeches, the rally snaked down Pine St., spanning almost two miles from end-to-end. The “No Kings” branding was strong, but less memorable than Seattle’s handmade signs: “I hate big crowds up I hate fascism more;” “ICE=Gestapo (btw that’s bad);” “Aspire to live like a Tsar, plan to go out like one.” One woman carried a head on a bloody pike wearing a rubber pig mask, crown and blonde wig. 

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Visual Art Yesterday 12:35 PM

Unstoppably Real 

Still Mighty Real Offers the Strength of Community Rendered in Art 

For the third year, Anouk Rawkson and Jordan Christianson bring you a gallery of powerful, boundless, and queer-as-fuck artwork in the form of Still Mighty Real at Vermillion Art Gallery throughout Pride month. At the opening reception on June 12 as part of Capitol Hill Art Walk, you can expect to see a wide range of queer-made pieces ranging from garments to paintings, photography, and even a vending machine of kawaii dolls. 

With previous years being titled Mighty Real and Mighty Realer, this year’s gallery especially emboldens the necessary reminder that “we’ve been here, we are here, we will always be here, henny!” Amid the tidal wave of conservative politics and rising costs of just about everything, Still Mighty Real fortifies an accessible space for community to engage with art, resources for artists, and the celebration of self-expression. This year features work from a robust roster, including both Christianson and Rawkson, as well as Kerstin Graudins, David van der Linden, Tara Thomas, Kelly O, Nell Kerr, Julianee Mendoza, Varin Volk, Ham West, Samara Dot Ghoul, Harlen Munsö, and Sidney Woodruff. It will also feature archival posters from ’80s and ’90s gay bars provided by Doghouse Leathers, and projection visuals by Rajah Makonnen. 

As Christianson says, another reason for this year’s title is in response to “all the push back on our community, trying to tamp us down. Historically, it’s happened over and over and over, and we’re more equipped now because there’s more people who are comfortable with standing up and being loud.” 

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Books Yesterday 10:33 AM

Unseen in America

Daniel Tam-Claiborne Shows Us a New Way to Be Here in His Debut Novel, Transplants

They say an MFA in creative writing will ruin your enjoyment of a book. Instead of getting caught up in the story, in the characters you love or hate, in the world that’s built to get lost in, you think instead about timing and language, and generally devolve into a joyless obsessive consumed with how to imitate or become an original best. I’ll admit that I think this side of me took over in the first 50 pages of Daniel Tam-Claiborne’s debut novel, Transplants, especially because he is a friend, and I was looking for his voice, himself, in the phrasing and choices. But the deeper I got into the book, the more I forgot him and myself, evermore invested in the two protagonists and how they and their experiences mirror each other. 

Transplants is a compelling and surprising novel about Lin, a Chinese college student, who becomes friends with Liz, an American English teacher in China. The two play out a Sliding Doors-adjacent scenario, and the book is braided so that each chapter switches between their two stories. The lines are both generous and tight, the story successfully had me gasping at times, angry, heartbroken. I don’t read a ton of novels, so I don’t read a lot of novels about China and Chinese American experiences, but this book’s existence and this story feel essential. 

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Good morning! This day wasted no time getting sunny and beautiful. Clear skies, highs in the mid-70s, extremely high grass pollen. It’s summer.

Let’s do the news.

If the Seattle Times’ estimates are right, 70,000 people showed up to the No Kings rally on Saturday. That would mean almost 10 percent of Seattle turned out with sneakers on and handmade signs to shout down fascism this weekend. It didn’t beat the Women’s March’s 125k record, but hot damn that’s a lot of people that hate Trump, care about immigrants and queer people, and wanna see Elon Musk, Pete Hegseth, JD Vance, and every other helmet-haired, puppy-killing Trump official lick rust.

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News Sat 11:04 AM

Everything You Want to Know About Protesting in Seattle

With demonstrations all over the city today, we talked to experts about how to show up and stay safe. 

There are two major protests planned in Seattle this weekend: one that starts in Cal Anderson Park and plans to march to Seattle Center, and another at the University of Washington's Red Square. Meanwhile, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has said that it's preparing to deploy its Special Response Teams to five cities run by Democratic leaders, including Seattle.

This is a lot! So we talked to local attorneys and advocates to help protesters figure out how to show up, mitigate their risk of arrest, and stay safe. 

How can protesters choose to mitigate their risk of arrest?

The highest risk of arrest comes when police issue dispersal orders—which typically happens if they believe there’s a risk of riot, disruption, or a threat to public safety (which leaves a lot of room for police discretion).

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Juneteenth (a portmanteau of "June" and "nineteenth") commemorates the 1865 emancipation of Black slaves in the United States. Today, the celebration often includes singing, street fairs, cookouts, and Miss Juneteenth contests. In 2022, Juneteenth officially became a state-recognized holiday in Washington. Read on for the biggest events planned for the holiday, from Atlantic Street Center's 24th Annual Juneteenth Celebration to Juneteenth at NAAM: A Movement for Joy, or check out our Juneteenth calendar for even more options.

Atlantic Street Center's 24th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
Check out one of Seattle's longest-running Juneteenth celebrations with an evening of live performances, delicious food, local vendors, family-friendly activities, and a resource fair. You can expect step performances, tap dancing, jump rope tricks, and hip-hop as the Atlantic Street Center honors the history and culture of Black communities in the US. If you can't make it out, don't worry! The whole thing will be streamed on Rainier Avenue Radio. SHANNON LUBETICH
Rainier Beach Community Center, Dunlap (Wed June 18)

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Guest Rant Fri 1:26 PM

The Cal Anderson Prayer Rally Was a Coordinated Attack

Seattle Isn’t Alone—Inclusive Cities Must Act Now to Counter Authoritarian Threats

This Pride season, Seattle isn’t just celebrating—it’s under siege. A roadshow of organized bigots has rolled into town, and if you think these anti-LGBTQ events are just local drama, think again. This is a national playbook—refined under Trump, reloaded for 2025.

These aren’t one-off stunts; they’re coordinated attacks. These provocateurs and bigoted actors are targeting inclusive cities like Seattle, hiding behind disingenuous claims of “free speech” and “religious liberty” to push an authoritarian agenda. But what really drives these events is baiting backlash, spinning resistance into persecution, and intimidating local leaders into silence—or goading them into missteps they can exploit.

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Music Fri 10:05 AM

Hex Education

Post-Punk Weirdos Casual Hex Hold a Black Mirror to Society with Zig Zag Lady Illusion II

Now split between Seattle, Portland, and Tacoma, Casual Hex return with new album Zig Zag Lady Illusion II (arriving June 13 via Youth Riot Records)—the politically charged sonic continuation of their first full-length. 

The band has been quiet since the 2018 release of their weirdo post-punk monolith Zig Zag Lady Illusion, and—despite being one of Seattle’s best bands at the time—went dormant for years. That is until last month, when they surprise-released the psychedelic music video for “The System,” announcing Zig Zag Lady Illusion II.

From the very beginning of their relationship, core band members Erica Miller (guitar) and Jessie Odell (bass) had plans to create music together. “Jessie and I have known each other since middle school. We had high school guitar class together and talked about moving to Portland to start a band,” explains Miller of her and Odell’s time growing up in Maryland. 

Miller did end up in Portland post-high school, with Odell heading to Seattle. Convinced of their need to start a band, Miller was driving up and down the I-5 corridor until relocating to the Emerald City. The foundation was immediately laid for Casual Hex once Miller moved to Seattle in 2015. “I was introduced to [drummer] Nick Anderson the day I moved to Seattle. The three of us hung out at Cafe Presse, then jammed until four in the morning,” remembers Miller. “That was basically the inception of us playing music together; it was meant to be.” 

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EverOut Fri 10:00 AM

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Seattle This Weekend: June 13–15, 2025

No Kings Seattle, Soccer & Sounds, and More Cheap & Easy Events Under $15

It's shaping up to be an eventful weekend with everything from No Kings Seattle to the Seattle Dragon Boat Festival and from the Georgetown Carnival to Soccer & Sounds: Travis Thompson, Yonny, & Yungtada on the calendar. For more suggestions, check out our top event picks of the week.

FRIDAY

SHOPPING

Black Night Market
If you need a quick refresher, Juneteenth commemorates the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865 (it was signed two years earlier!) in Texas at the end of the Civil War. The day was officially declared a federal holiday in 2021 and modern celebrations spotlight Black excellence and community, which is just what this Black Night Market aims to do during the two Fridays on either side of Juneteenth. Head to Pier 62 to shop from BIPOC vendors, hear from artists and entrepreneurs, and grab dinner or dessert from local food trucks. SHANNON LUBETICH
(Pier 62, Downtown, free)

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Israel Strikes Iran: On Friday, Israel launched military strikes on Iran. It targeted the country's nuclear sites and killed at least two of Iran's top military officials. The nuclear sites were those at the middle of Trump's nuclear negotiations with Iran. Apparently, Trump told Netanyahu not to target the sites since diplomatic proceedings were underway. Oopsie, Netanyahu did so anyway. However, two Israeli officials told Axios that Trump only pretended to resist the strikes in public. In private, he didn't say shit about not striking Iran. "We had a clear US green light," an Israeli official said. We are complicit. This marks the most significant military action against Iran since Iran's 1980s war against Iraq.

After the fact, Trump is now comfortably implicating himself in the military actions. 

 

 

 

These attacks mean Israel had a trove of secret information on Iran. Israel knew where the clandestine nuclear sites were and what the addresses of top Iranian military officials were. Then, Israel struck them with disturbing accuracy. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, notably a very sane, not tyrannical man, called the strikes a "blatant provocation."  

The Weather: It'll be cloudy, but not too cold. 

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