Mountain View
Axios Seattle
Meet Mariners' utility player Dylan Moore
In a year beset by injuries and roster changes, one quiet mainstay in the Mariners' lineup has been utility player Dylan Moore. Why it matters: Sometimes described as a Swiss Army knife that can be plugged into any position, Moore can find himself anyplace on the field. State of play:...
Prosecutor: School absences linked to higher youth gun crimes
Among young people in the Seattle area who've been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, 85% had interrupted school attendance, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.Why it matters: Shootings and other serious juvenile crimes are up in the county, defying a nationwide trend of decreasing violent crime, per data collected by prosecutors.The region has also seen an increase this year in the number of juvenile victims of gun crime, Rafael Serrano, a data analyst with the prosecutor's office, told Axios.State of play: Regular school attendance is a "huge protective factor" against violence and crime, senior deputy prosecuting...
Five great motorcycle rides to take in Washington state
Washington motorcyclists are spoiled for choice when it comes to having easy access to some of the best rides in the nation. Driving the news: With the foliage getting ready to put on a vibrant display and a few more weeks of potentially great weather, now is a good time to pack up the saddle bags and hit the road.
Pike Place Market named one of the most popular U.S. businesses of all time by Yelp
Yelp has named Seattle's Pike Place Market one of the country's top 20 most popular businesses of all time.Zoom in: The market came in at No. 12 on the review site's most-popular business list, which Yelp put out in celebration of its 20th anniversary.What they're saying: "Pike Place Market is a must-visit Seattle destination, with more than 70 farmers, 220 independently-owned shops and restaurants, and 160 crafters.""Users rave about the variety of shops, delicious food stalls, and iconic fish throwing."Don't miss: Chihuly Garden and Glass at Seattle Center also ranked as the 15th most photographed attraction in the U.S., according to Yelpers.Go deeper: What Seattle locals love most about Pike Place MarketPike Place Market is a gem, not a tourist trap
State sees record-breaking year for sockeye salmon
Washington is seeing a record-breaking sockeye salmon run this year despite a July heatwave that threatened a kill-off in the Okanogan River.By the numbers: Nearly 756,000 sockeye were recorded over the Bonneville Dam as of this week, far above the 10-year-average of 329,570, according to the Fish Passage Center.More than 700,000 sockeye were counted at the Dalles Dam and 663,000 at the John Day Dam this year compared with 295,000 and 282,000, respectively, last year, per the passage center.Why it matters: The surge is a tangible sign of success for a water management plan adopted in 2014 that has Indian...
How Seattle may change with Amazon's back-to-office mandate
Amazon's mandate that its workers return to the office five days a week is giving nearby Seattle retailers something to cheer about — though thousands of Amazon employees losing their hybrid work schedules may not feel the same way.Why it matters: Office-worker foot traffic in Seattle has been slow to recover since the pandemic, which business groups say has hurt downtown restaurants and shops.In July, office worker foot traffic in central Seattle was estimated at 62% of 2019 levels, according to the Downtown Seattle Association.Catch up quick: Starting Jan. 2, Amazon employees will be expected to come in five days...
Seattle council considers prostitution exclusion zone
The Seattle City Council is considering a measure that shows the pendulum at City Hall swinging from limited oversight of so-called vice crimes to a more aggressive approach toward prostitution.Why it matters: The bill would allow a judge to ban people convicted or charged with certain prostitution-related offenses from a miles-long strip of Aurora Avenue long known for the presence of sex workers.It also reinstates the charge of prostitution loitering as a misdemeanor, but targets buyers and promoters of commercial sex as opposed to sellers, for whom the preferred approach is "diversion" and not prosecution, according to the council.Driving the...
Gov. Inslee's last fight: Defending Washington's cap-and-trade law
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is spending his final months in office fighting to preserve one of his signature policies: a carbon-pricing law known as the Climate Commitment Act.Why it matters: Initiative 2117, if approved by Washington voters in November, would repeal the statewide cap-and-trade law that took effect last year, eliminating billions of dollars for clean energy projects and programs to combat climate change.The latest: Inslee, a Democrat who isn't seeking re-election this year, has been busy urging voters to reject I-2117 and to keep the anti-pollution law on the books.Earlier this month, he was out volunteering with the anti-I-2117...
How to see the harvest supermoon eclipse
Moon gazers will get an extra treat when a partial lunar eclipse shaves a sliver off the top of the full supermoon Tuesday night.State of play: September's full Moon, which is called the Harvest Moon because it allowed farmers more light to gather crops before first frost, is the second of four supermoons this year, according to NASA.A supermoon occurs when the Moon is near its closest point, or perigee, to Earth in its orbit.It can look brighter than an average Moon and appear around 14% larger than when it's farthest from Earth, per NASA.Plus: The eclipse can best be seen when the Moon starts entering the Earth's full shadow at 7:13pm Pacific time, per NASA.It will peak at 7:44pm, when the top 8% of the Moon will be dark, per NASA.
Seal swims free from a humpback's jaws
A whale letting a seal out of its mouth is not something you spot everyday, but that's exactly what whale watchers on tour in the Strait of Juan de Fuca saw Thursday.State of play: The Blue Kingdom Whale & Wildlife Tours was observing a humpback whale known as "Zillion" feeding on a school of small bait fish, said Erin Gless, executive director of Pacific Whale Watch Association.Zoom in: At one point, Zillion opened her jaws and lunged toward the surface for a scoop of fish, but got an unexpected surprise with a mouthful of seal, who was probably feeding on the same fish, Gless told Axios.Humpback whales eat small fish and krill, not seals, and their throats are only the size of a grapefruit, Gless said.Zillion repeatedly opened her jaw and lowered her head into the water until the seal was able to successfully swim away, she said.Yes, but: While the seal may have survived this round with a whale, an encounter with a Bigg's transient orca, which eat marine mammals, would have had a different ending.
Seattle's daylight shrinks fast with autumn's approach
Data: NOAA; Map: Jacque Schrag, Erin Davis, Kavya Beheraj/AxiosFor many Americans, the air is getting crisper and the leaves are starting to change as fall approaches — but one thing's certain in Seattle: The days are getting shorter fast.Why it matters: "When you get where we are now, the loss accelerates and all of a sudden you're waking up in the pitch black or commuting in the dark," Justin Shaw of Seattle Weather Blog told Axios. "Our transition to fall is startling and fast."State of play: Seattle loses or gains about one minute of light per day near the solstices...
Up to 21 Seattle schools could close under one district proposal
Seattle Public Schools unveiled two possible plans this week for closing at least 17 schools — part of a plan to shrink the district's looming budget gap.Why it matters: Many students would have to shift schools next fall if the closures are approved.The latest: The district released two proposals Wednesday that it will consider over the next two to three months.One of the proposed closure plans would close 21 schools, saving the district $31.5 million per year.The other proposed list of closures would save $25.5 million, closing 17 schools.Both plans would close a mixture of elementary schools and K-8 schools...
Seattle's baby gorilla gets a new home in Kentucky
The 2-month-old baby gorilla that was rejected by his mother at Woodland Park Zoo could be in his new mother's arms soon. What's happening: Abeo arrived at Louisville Zoo in Kentucky last month after his birth mother ignored him and efforts to find a foster mother at the Seattle zoo were unsuccessful.
WSU and OSU vote to add 4 schools to the Pac-12
Four more schools plan to join Washington State University and Oregon State University in a rebuilt Pac-12 athletic conference, starting in the 2026-27 season. Why it matters: OSU and WSU became the last two schools standing in the Pac-12 earlier this year — a tenuous situation that threatened their athletics revenue and ability to pay for programs like women's sports.
Earlier Apple Cup fires up rivalry between UW and WSU
Break out the college colors and the boxing gloves.What's happening: The Washington Huskies will face the Washington State Cougars on Saturday at Lumen Field in their first meeting since the Pac-12 athletic conference shrank from 12 schools to two this year.Why it matters: The in-state rivalry, known as the Apple Cup, is a major event for Washington's college football fans, when trash talking between Dawgs and Cougs typically reaches its peak.Catch up quick: Even though UW and WSU are now in different athletic conferences, school leaders reached a deal last year to make sure the annual matchup would continue.Four former...
Seattle-area rents are rising again
Data: CoStar; Chart: Jacque Schrag/AxiosRent is ticking up again in the Seattle area and nationwide, after new apartment construction temporarily helped slow the pace of rent hikes.The big picture: Despite a national surge in apartment construction last year, the average U.S. rent from March to June remained 19% above pre-pandemic levels, according to CoStar Group data.In the Seattle area, the average asking rent from March to June was about 16% higher than it was at the end of 2019, and about 2.5% higher than the same period in 2023, per CoStar.By the numbers: From March to June, rent for Seattle-area...
4 key moments from the first Washington governor's debate
Democrat Bob Ferguson criticized Republican Dave Reichert's stance on abortion while Reichert promised to veto any new tax proposals during the first debate between the Washington state gubernatorial candidates Tuesday. Why it matters: Washington is about to get its first new governor in 12 years, after incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee...
Stuck in Seattle traffic is the norm, new study finds
Drivers in the Seattle metro area are more likely to get stuck in traffic than drivers in nearly any other city in the U.S., according to a new analysis.Why it matters: Understanding which cities have the worst congestion can help people make decisions about where to work, when to work, when to run errands or even when it's time to move, the researchers said.Driving the news: Seattle has the second worst congestion and the third worst traffic among 49 major metro areas, according to the September Consumer Affairs report that looked at congestion, travel times and fatal crashes.By the numbers:...
Autumn is getting warmer in Seattle
Data: Climate Central; Chart: Axios VisualsAutumn is getting warmer across the continental U.S., including in Seattle, a new analysis finds.Zoom in: Fall temperatures in Seattle rose 2.2° on average between 1970 and 2023, according to a new Climate Central report.The nonprofit climate research group's analysis is based on average temperatures between September and November each year.Zoom out: The group analyzed data from 242 U.S. cities and found that autumn temperatures rose in 234 of them, by an average of 2.5°, from 1970-2023.Eight cities analyzed by the group didn't see a rise in fall temperatures during that time.Between the lines: The trends are consistent with climate science findings showing how the planet is responding to human-caused increases in greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.All other seasons are also warming, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.What's next: Expect above-normal temperatures across much of the country this fall, per NOAA's seasonal outlook.
Seattle's Sophon makes Bon Appétit's best new restaurant list
Seattle restaurant Sophon has made Bon Appétit's list of the best new restaurants of 2024.What's happening: Sophon, which serves Cambodian food with Northwest flair in Phinney Ridge, was among 20 U.S. restaurants to receive the honor.Zoom in: The magazine gave Sophon especially high marks for its beverage program and its "Khmer-inspired cocktails."What they're saying: "The very existence of Sophon is a testament to Cambodian resilience," the magazine writes.Chef Karuna Long's "menu is rooted in traditional flavors but pulls influences from Seattle's cultural and culinary bounty," the writeup adds.
Axios Seattle
2K+
Posts
7M+
Views
Axios Seattle is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.