Guest Rant Today 12:57 PM

Guest Rant: Bruce Harrell Is a Failure Unfit for Office

Four Years And All We Got Were The Same Problems, But Worse

When Seattle elected Bruce Harrell in 2021, voters were clear they wanted safer streets, housing they could afford, and far fewer people living without a home. They’re still our top concerns, and they’ve all gotten worse in the last four years. He has also presided over a city hall marked by misogyny, abuse, and a culture of contempt.

Harrell doesn’t break promises and produce abysmal results because he’s overwhelmed. It’s because fixing these problems is in direct conflict with his guiding principle to protect the powerful at any cost. The Chamber of Commerce, mansion-owners, corrupt cops, and serial sexual predators—he is their knight. We pay the price. 

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EverOut Today 10:00 AM

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Seattle This Weekend: July 18–20, 2025

Alki Art Fair, Seafair Indian Days Powwow, and More Cheap & Easy Events Under $15

Happy Capitol Hill Block Party weekend to those who celebrate! For folks who are in search of a more lowkey weekend, we've got several cheap and easy picks for you, from the Alki Art Fair to the Seafair Indian Days Powwow and from West Seattle Grand Parade to the Seattle Boba Fest. Looking for more things to do? Check out our top picks of the week.

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Downtown Summer Sounds 2025
Downtown Summer Sounds brings free, live music to the heart of Seattle for their 46th annual concert series. Shows run through August and take place across several parks and outdoor venues, featuring artists from smaller local bands like Cumulus to world-renowned names like multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi. This Friday, head to the Harbor Steps for a performance by Austin-hailing singer-songwriter and guitar Jackie Venson. SHANNON LUBETICH
(Harbor Steps, Downtown, free)

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Gird for Gridlock: Freeways are so dumb. Unfortunately, we are stuck in a world where we rely on them. And, in this world, they are old and broken and need a whole lot of fixing. This weekend will kick off 30 days of the northbound lanes on I-5 to repave the Ship Canal Bridge. That's only the first stage of the project, though. This 30-day closure only fixes a 900-foot-long section. To tackle more construction necessities, the bridge will be closed occasionally for construction until 2027. According to the Seattle Times, the freeway will be closed starting at "the I-90 junction to Northeast 45th Street, from 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 18, until 5 a.m. Monday, July 21." Maybe think twice about those out of town trips this weekend. Or, take a bus or train. 

Colbert Canceled: Stephen Colbert announced at The Late Show Thursday that CBS will end his show in May. He will not be replaced, the Late Show will simply end. The decision came suspiciously soon after Colbert criticized Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, for coughing up $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump who alleged election interference over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, Paramount Global is also in the middle of seeking "Federal Communications Commission approval to merge with Skydance Media, a $8.4 billion agreement," NPR reports. It is not a sign of a democracy's health when the late night comedy shows start being muzzled. 

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News Yesterday 4:43 PM

Thousands of Bruce Harrell’s Employees Endorse His Opponent

They Want A New Boss, and Katie Wilson Is Their Choice

This morning, in front of a small crowd of union members at City Hall, mayoral candidate Katie Wilson stood at a podium to accept an endorsement from PROTEC17. 

“I am so honored to receive the endorsement of PROTEC17, and so grateful to the thousands of city employees who have decided to put their faith in our campaign because they believe in our vision of what Seattle can be,” she said. 

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EverOut Yesterday 1:25 PM

Ticket Alert: Paul Simon, Robert Plant, and More Seattle Events Going On Sale This Week

Plus, Jordan Klepper and More Event Updates for July 17

Ready for your weekly ticket download? Don’t miss folk rock legend Paul Simon in concert as he plays his Grammy-nommed album Seven Psalms live for the first time alongside his classics. Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant comes to town with his acoustic band Saving Grace. Plus, Daily Show guest host Jordan Klepper brings his hot takes to the stage. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

ON SALE FRIDAY, JULY 18

MUSIC

The 502s – Easy Street Tour
Showbox SoDo (Sat Nov 15)

6arelyhuman
The Showbox (Sun Oct 26)

Aurorawave
Hidden Hall (Wed Oct 1)

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News Yesterday 10:51 AM

Hot Rat Summer Gets Its Own Media Stunt

On 2025’s Most Scorching Day, City Officials Pinky Swear Guerilla Mosaic Will Live to See Another Day

The sun beat down on the Capitol Hill gatehouse structure as the temperature slunk toward 90 degrees. Pigeon behinds butted over the lip of the building’s roof, pooping with abandon. A person named Bug stood on the small walkway jutting into the park’s reflecting pool and scraped at one of the arched windows, attempting to free Seattle’s new favorite art piece, a guerilla mosaic known as Saint Rat or Hot Rat Summer, from the prison of paint slapped on by the maintenance team at Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). Another person, Cyanasen (the unofficial custodian of the saintly rat), kept watch while smoking a joint. 

“I come here daily. I hang out with the rat wall and I clean up a lot of stuff and help maintain it,” Cyanesen says. (She says the mosaic is different from Saint Rat, a familiar graffiti tag around town. She calls it Hot Rat Summer.) 

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Weather: News-wise, I’m not gonna lie to you, it's gonna suck harder than a Hoover vacuum in a black hole. But while the headlines are a disaster buffet, and no, you can’t skip the sides, thank the maker for small mercies (at least if you live in Seattle): clear skies and a high of 85. Sure, the world spirals into climate collapse and political absurdity, at least the sun’s still pretending everything’s fine.

Not all of Western Washington is catching a break, though. Temps hit the 90s in some areas yesterday, and since we now live in a world where the weather is actively trying to kill us, the National Weather Service has extended its Heat Advisory through Thursday for parts of the Puget Sound region. Meanwhile, the Cascades are under a Red Flag Warning thanks to hot, dry, wildfire-friendly conditions. The NWS is basically pleading with people not to keel over in the heat, especially the young, the elderly, and anyone stuck without A/C. So here’s the plan: hydrate, avoid the sun like it’s your ex with a grudge, and try not to burst into flames before the weekend.

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I take the Link train to work four days a week, and I’d love to have a place to put my coffee. I mean, we do live in Seattle, we drink lots of coffee—a few cup holders would be so nice. I can set my li’l coffee down and read my book.

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EverOut Wed 3:01 PM

EverOut's Guide to Capitol Hill Block Party 2025

Artist Highlights, Food Options, and More Pro Tips

Capitol Hill Block Party celebrates 27 years this summer. And with that comes a milestone shift: the fest has switched to a two-day format and is now 21+ only. But as always, the gayborhood will welcome the flood of fest-goers packing the streets for artists like prolific producer and neo-funk king Thundercat, the sultry seducer Anderson .Paak (performing as his DJ alias Pee .Wee), EDM’s favorite kawaii multi-instrumentalist Porter Robinson, and the mind- (and gender-) bending chaos of 100 gecs. This isn’t your lounge-in-the-grass-type music festival, but an absolutely debaucherous dance party with food trucks, big-name and local acts, and a true “freakin’ in the heart of the city” vibe. For a "small" festival, there's a lot to explore, so we've put together this handy guide to help you get the most out of your block party experience. See you in the streets!

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

What (and What Not) to Bring

Every festival has its unique challenges, but with a little prep and planning you can be the mom to your entire friend group, handing out earplugs and leading your little festival horses to refillable water stations. It all starts with the bag: CHBP allows small bags, fanny packs, and single compartment backpacks under 12” x 12” (or transparent bags over 12” x 12”) that will be checked upon entry and re-entry. Don’t bother with cash, the fest is card only, but make sure you’ve got your ID. 

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News Wed 2:05 PM

Thank Science for All the Beach Closures

It’s Good, Unless You Like Swimming in Poop

It’s a Godless 90 degrees. You’ve escaped the inferno of your non-airconditioned apartment and high-tailed it to Madison Beach. The dock is waiting for you to jump off of it into the cool of Lake Washington. You even waited 30 minutes after eating. But there’s a problem: The beach is closed. The water is full of shit. Welcome to hell.

All summer, beaches in King County shut down due to bacteria and toxins in the water.

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Weather people are predicting that today might be the hottest one of the year. The sun, which will face no opposition from clouds, is set to grill Seattle with temperatures that surpass 90. Yesterday was supposed to be as bad, but, mercifully, it never went beyond the mid-80s. Also the city enjoyed bursts of breezes on Tuesday and Monday (Sunday was just the worst). These breezes were the real deal. Each, though brief, had the power to substantially cool a sweaty body. One such breeze I encountered around 3 pm shook the leaves around me in a way that recalled a famous scene in Andrei Tarkovsky's masterpiece The Mirror. Breezes of this kind have something of the supernatural about them. They come and go like a presence or visit from the other side of this our phenomenal world.    

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Primary Election Issue Tue 10:30 AM

How to Vote in August’s Primary Election

Don’t Be a Fool, Primaries Can Be Cool!

I know what you’re thinking: Didn’t we just do this? Yes. Yes, we did. King County has already held two special elections this year, in February and April. But democracy does not rest! It’s the 2025 primary election, bitches! It is time, once again, to put blue or black ink to oblong bubble and make some big choices about our future.

Sure, local primary elections have a reputation for being uneventful snoozefests, but some very vital decisions will be made come August 5. Not only will Seattle voters narrow down the crowded mayoral candidate field—in which there are currently nine contenders—but we also get to decide who’ll take on Republican Seattle City Attorney incumbent Ann Davison, who’s ready to make a run at NIMBY-loving Sara Nelson’s City Council seat, and which of the eight people running for King County Executive will appear on the ballot in November’s general election.

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Savage Love Tue 9:48 AM

Privacy Settings

How to Avoid Familiar Faces in Kink Spaces

I’m in my early twenties, and I’m looking to start exploring kink further, especially since my hometown is in a metropolitan area with a large kink community. I have no shame or fear about entering kink spaces beyond the typical nerves any beginner might have. I was lucky to be raised by some really awesome sex-positive parents, who explained that kinks are normal and okay. Kink is not the issue. The issue is this: I’m worried I’m going to run into my dad in a kink space. I’ve never had what I would consider an inappropriate conversation with my dad about his sexual interests or activities, but I’m pretty sure my dad has been involved in the local kink scene for a long time. I’ve asked one of my dad’s closest friends about my concern and she said my worry isn’t entirely unfounded, which I took as confirmation that my dad goes to kink spaces and I’m almost certain to run into him at an event. How the hell do I go about having a conversation like this when it’s guaranteed to be awkward? Does one simply stroll in and say, “Hey I’m making a FetLife account. Dad, could you please immediately block me, so I don’t have to worry?” I know this conversation will probably go fine I just have no idea how to start it. And there aren’t many people out there giving advice on how to talk to your dad about not going to kink events on the same nights. 

Need To Know Basis

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Lelo Self-Deports: The Washington farmworker and union activist Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino arrested and detained by ICE this March while driving his partner to work in Mount Vernon has decided to leave the country “voluntarily.” Not that anyone who chooses self-deportation has much agency in the context of Trump’s mass deportation plan, but his attorney told The Seattle Times it could make a future return to the US easier. Back in March, activists told me Lelo has been organizing since he was a 14-year-old kid. It’s an enormous loss for farmworkers in Washington, particularly those in his Mexican Mixteco community.

Immigrant Rights Melt Like ICE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement says millions of undocumented immigrants won’t get a bond hearing when they fight their deportation in court. Acting director Todd M. Lyons told officers in a July 8 memo to hold undocumented immigrants “for the duration” of their months- to years-long immigration proceedings. In the rare cases immigrants are released on parole, it’ll be up to an officer instead of a judge. Congress has allocated $45 billion to jail immigrants over the next four years.

What’s Happening With That? In Florida, the Trump administration is packing migrants into cages at "Alligator Alcatraz.” Republicans call the facility “safe and secure.” Democrats say it's “inhumane.” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told reporters cages are “wall-to-wall humans, 32 detainees per cage.” Detainees say there are worms in the food, human waste overflows from toilets on the floor, and air conditioners are abruptly shut off at night. (According to the National Weather Service, temps will be in the high 80s and low 90s this week.) According to public records reviewed by The Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times, hundreds of the "vicious" and “deranged psychopaths” the federal government says it is holding there have not been charged with a crime.

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News Mon 4:02 PM

Washington Is Investing Money in Palantir

Jewish Voice for Peace Wants It to Stop

At 7:30 a.m. this morning, the bespectacled, 73-year-old Peter Lippman was in a crowd of activists with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). 

As he walked around the corner from Cascade Playground to Fairview Market, 400 Fairview Ave. N., Lippman explained he was there for the same reason as everyone else marching with him: To ruin Palantir’s day.

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