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Civics and Culture

A line of police offers in riot gear face off against protesters sporting Black Lives Matter signs along a Downtown Seattle street.

SPD Kettled Protesters in 2020, Escalated Violence, and Promoted the Commander

New footage shows how police kettled protesters, trapping them in a corridor of violence in the early days of 2020 protests. Despite the historic magnitude of financial costs to the city across multiple legal settlements, in the three-plus years since the summer of 2020, the department internally has rarely found any of its conduct to be worthy of punishment beyond a handful of oral and written reprimands.

Op-Ed: Parks Need More Mini Soccer Pitches, Fewer Empty Lawns

Activate underused parks with soccer pitches and courts for basketball, pickleball, and tennis to bring people out and foster social cohesion. RAVE is building 26 community fields around the metro in time for the 2026 World Cup. But we shouldn't stop there.

Harrell Plans Hasty Rollout of Massive Surveillance Expansion

Mayor Harrell is seeking to quickly roll out gun-shot detectors and closed circuit cameras to feed into real-time crime center software, raising privacy concerns. Claims that this major expansion of the surveillance state will curb serious crime are largely unsubstantiated.

Sunday Video: Could Toronto’s Kensington Market Be A Solution to Gentrification?

Uytae Lee of About Here highlights Kensington Market, a very diverse district in Toronto steeped in history. It’s increasingly become a popular area of...
The Capitol building in Olympia is marble colored and include pillars and a dome in the classic style.

State House Passes Bill Allowing Even-Year Local Elections

The Washington State House passed a bill allowing cities to move their elections to even years, when turnout is much higher. The bill still needs to pass the state senate to become law.

Dubicki: Hazbin Hotel, Good Omens, and Fixing Divine Error

We are all fighting Heaven now. Ray Dubicki reviews the show Hazbin Hotel and bids farewell in his final column.

A Christmas Market That Doesn’t Suck Is Still Elusive for Seattle

Holiday merrymaking should involve more whimsy, less rigmarole, and less price gouging. Seattle still hasn't cracked the code to create a true Christmas market that...
A line out the door at the Southcenter Jolibee

How Fried Chicken Can Ruin Cities or Enrich Them

Clogging arteries is a fast food joint specialty, but good urban planning can get things flowing. You may have seen in the news that some...