Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm kick off the new year by breaking down Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson's inauguration and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson's budget proposal, which included deep cuts to public education, while also queuing up a millionaires income tax for 2029.

Seattle City Councilmember Dionne Foster took office Tuesday, echoing Mayor Katie Wilson's call for "bread and roses" to tackle the city's affordability crisis while strengthening the social and cultural fabric.

Seattle renters are largely locked out of cost-saving and comfort-improving clean energy appliances, like heat pumps, induction stoves, and solar panels. Sightline's Emily Moore argues that newly inaugurated Mayor Katie Wilson could help change that, in part because Seattle owns its own electric utility.

On Monday, Erika Evans was sworn in as the first Black Seattle City Attorney, following a resounding victory over Republican incumbent Ann Davison. The Seattle police guild was already on the attack, seeking to brand her as soft on crime.

With 46,000 workers commuting to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport every day, Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa shares the Port of Seattle's plans to improve transportation options and encourage transit use.

District 3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth will head the Seattle City Council following a progressive wave election, and will be tasked with managing several distinct factions. Her first task was navigating committee assignments, where comity was prioritized over policymaking priorities.

Washington State is forcing Kitsap County to re-do its Comprehensive Plan for lack of low-income housing, ignoring wildfire risk, and neglecting safe streets requirements. The do-over is a chance to turn away from sprawl, writes Travis Merrigan.

While the upgrades wouldn't happen all at once, and would only go in as other maintenance work occurs, the proposed concept sets a strong baseline for one of the state's most dangerous surface highways.