Both of Washington Senators voted “yes” on two joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) that would block the sale of $446.8 million worth of weapons and equipment to Israel. Sen. Patty Murray already did her big one flipping on Israel when a similar measure came up last summer, but Sen. Maria Cantwell surprised progressives when she finally voted in what will one day soon be seen as the only defensible position. While the measures ultimately failed thanks largely to the Republ

Did Mayor Katie Wilson keep her promise to turn off one surveillance camera? It depends on how you’re counting.  Last week, anti-surveillance advocates accused  Wilson of failing to follow through on her already limited concession to turn off just one of the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) surveillance cameras, the one at N 105th St & Aurora Ave N,  which faces a Planned Parenthood clinic. But in an email to The Burner, Wilson’s office maintained the Mayor had kept her prom

It’s time to call your Senators and tell them to vote “yes” this week on three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs ) that would block hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. weapons transfers to the terrorist Israeli occupation forces and government. The pressure of Washingtonians is particularly important. In July, a majority of Democrats voted to block weapons to Israel for the first time, marking a historic turning of the tides. Washington’s Sen. Patty Murray flipped on

Masked ICE agents snatched an asylum seeker in the Federal Building in Downtown Seattle following an immigration hearing Tuesday.  For a brief, terrifying period last spring, ICE used to lurk the halls of the Seattle Immigration Court to arrest people if a judge dismissed their deportation proceedings. But ICE stopped showing up after activists attempted to trap agents inside the building by blocking the garage exits with Lime bikes and scooters.  Tuesday marks the first time

Rent in Seattle has spiked  20% since 2021 , and landlords have found a clever way to raise the rent without raising the rent . In April 2025 Cornell & Associates switched tenants from paying a flat rate utility bill of $50 to up to $429 through Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS). One year later, Metropolitan Management charged a single tenant  over $700 for the first RUBS bill . RUBS is more than a creepy acronym. RUBS is a price-setting tool that landlords use to drive up

The University of Washington removed Dr. Aria Fani  from his position as the director of the university’s Middle East Center  (MEC). While UW admin won’t publicly admit it, Fani believes he was removed because he offered critical analysis of the ongoing US-Israel attacks on Iran, analysis based on the research and expertise the university literally hired him to share with their students. The incident is just one of many cases of universities suppressing criticism of Israel, i

Union airport workers rallied at the Seattle-Tacoma International airport Wednesday afternoon to demand that the Port Commission act to guarantee quality health care for all airport workers, protect workers from federal targeting, and remove barriers for workers to exercise their right to free speech rights at the airport.  Ironically, before the chanting even began, Port of Seattle Police Department (PSPD) kicked the union workers out of the airport and demanded they leave t

About a month after her underdog election victory, Mayor Katie Wilson spoke  to her truest base, the Transit Riders Union (TRU), a grassroots organization dedicated to building political power for working and poor people which Wilson co-founded in 2011. She told them, “I expect you all to hold me accountable. I’m a politician just like all the other politicians now, so don’t go easy on me.” TRU is holding up their end of the bargain. Over the weekend, TRU published a letter  

Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine told The Burner he and the board of Sound Transit are “committed” to delivering light rail to Ballard despite considering alternatives that stop short of the vision voters approved in 2016. But don’t hold your breath — Sound Transit does not have a specific plan or timeline for how to get trains to Ballard. Advocates are still sending letters to the board to make sure they follow through. Earlier this month, Sound Transit reviewed three “ill

Seattle officials and community members want to rename César Chávez Park to honor labor organizer Dolores Huerta after she came forward, levying a long-hidden accusation that he raped her. The name change feels like a slam dunk: Seattle still gets to acknowledge the important work of the National Farm Workers Association , but also send a message of support to survivors of sexual abuse. However, the Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) naming policy appears to stand in the way,