This story originally appeared in our Queer Issue on June 4, 2025.

Y’all, money is scary. Given the state of the world, I find myself oscillating between caring about financial stability as a potential way to feel safe, and pondering if the US will continue to exist long enough for the dollar to be of little more use than wallpaper.

Even though this is a super weird time to think about your wallet, if you happen to be on the side of stability craving vs country escape plans, I’d love to share some clear, shame-free, and actionable financial basics. 

You’re not the only one who doesn’t understand money stuff. I sure as hell didn’t, and most don’t. That’s why we have crypto bros buying NFTs, grandparents mailing checks to TV salesmen, and high-powered financiers robbing us all. However, the more stability you build, the more power you’ll have to support your community and stand up for what matters.

More Misery for Microsoftees: It's hell over there in Redmond. Microsoft is planning to lay off "thousands" of employees next month as it pares back its numbers and funnels spending into artificial intelligence. Most of the cuts will hit the sales department. These layoffs follow the 6,000 jobs Microsoft axed in May. 

Powerless in South Seattle: Power outages struck Seattle City Light customers in Tukwila and South Seattle on Wednesday afternoon. A fallen branch is the likely culprit. 

Oh I forgot about this guy: Sorry, the news (and life in general) is so chaotic right now I completely forgot about the manhunt for the man who allegedly murdered his young daughters and fled into the Washington woods. The lead suspect in that Wenatchee triple homicide is still on the lam. Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison believes he's still alive and evading search efforts. But he is confident that the suspect will be caught. As a reminder, the manhunt is now in its third week. 

WEDNESDAY 6/18  

Rocking with William Shatner & Neil deGrasse Tyson

(SCIENCE) Beam us up, Scotty. Actor William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in the Star Trek franchise for over 25 years, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson are sitting down for a cosmically candid convo, spilling stories "from Earth, space, and their recent Antarctic journey." I had no idea these two were buddies, but it honestly tracks. And, their matching jackets are pretty sweet. I'm curious to hear more about Shatner's experience in space, which he wrote about in his 2022 book, Boldly Go. "I had thought that going into space would be the ultimate catharsis of that connection I had been looking for between all living things," he writes. "I had a different experience, because I discovered that the beauty isn't out there, it's down here." (McCaw Hall, 7:30 pm, all ages) JANEY WONG

Iran Refuses to Back Down: Yesterday, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to demand that Iran surrender. Well, at least he posted on Truth in all caps “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.” In another post, he threatened the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, writing, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Several news outlets are reporting on Trump’s “statements” as though these were official proclamations made via professional press releases and not unhinged social media posts spewed out by an elderly man with brain rot. Terrifying.

In Related News: “Iran Is Preparing Missiles for Possible Retaliatory Strikes on U.S. Bases, Officials Say.” Cue “This Is Fine” dog.

More Bad News! Sounds like the federal appeals court is cool with Trump using California’s National Guard to continue protecting ICE agents! This comes after a district court judge deemed Trump’s use of the National Guard illegal. And it's possible none of that will matter because Defense Secretary Pete Hedseth told a Senate hearing today that "we'll see" if the administration will follow a Supreme Court decision on military deployment in US cities. TOTALLY NORMAL COUNTRY WE’VE GOT HERE.

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.

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.

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

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. 

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. 

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.”

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. 

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.” 

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. 

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.

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).