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This Week On PubliCola: June 6, 2026

AI use by SPD, doubling taxes for transit, fare gates at light rail stations, and more. By Erica C. Barnett… The post This Week On PubliCola: June 6, 2026 appeared first on PubliCola.

Seattle Nice: Mayor Wilson Doubles Down on Transit Sales Tax

By Erica C. Barnett On this week’s third (!) edition of Seattle Nice, we have a short but (I think)… The post Seattle Nice: Mayor Wilson Doubles Down on Transit Sales Tax appeared first on PubliCola.

Wilson Caves on Stadium Surveillance, Two More Cops Allege Discrimination as SPD Settles Earlier Claims

1. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson used unspecified “general but credible threats to safety and security” during the upcoming World Cup games… The post Wilson Caves on Stadium Surveillance, Two More Cops Allege Discrimination as SPD Settles Earlier Claims appeared first on PubliCola.

SPD’s Chief Spokesperson Asked AI for Help with Interview Prep, Rewriting Blog Posts, and More

SPD says the communications director only used AI tools a handful of times, and only “to evaluate their utility” By… The post SPD’s Chief Spokesperson Asked AI for Help with Interview Prep, Rewriting Blog Posts, and More appeared first on PubliCola.

Investigation Found That KCRHA Director Retaliated Against Staffers Who Complained

By Erica C. Barnett An investigation last year found that a “preponderance of the evidence” supports the conclusion that King… The post Investigation Found That KCRHA Director Retaliated Against Staffers Who Complained appeared first on PubliCola.

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No More Laissez-Fare: Pilot Program Will Install Fare Gates at Up to 14 Stations

By Erica C. Barnett Sound Transit is recommending a “pilot” project that would add fare gates to as many as… The post No More Laissez-Fare: Pilot Program Will Install Fare Gates at Up to 14 Stations appeared first on PubliCola.

At City Club Event, Mayor Answers Questions Like “Why Isn’t Pizza Cheap Yet””

  By Erica C. Barnett FOX 13 anchor Han Kim interviewed Wilson last night at an event sponsored by City… The post At City Club Event, Mayor Answers Questions Like “Why Isn’t Pizza Cheap Yet”” appeared first on PubliCola.

Seattle Torrent Protect Wilgren, Murphy, Carpenter in Expansion Draft

The Torrent have made some interesting choices in the upcoming expansion process by choosing to protect Anna Wilgren, Hannah Murphy, and Alex Carpenter. Not exactly an expansion draft, the PWHL’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process is a six-phase series of very complicated (I would argue unnecessarily complicated) rules to add four new teams to the previously eight-team league, increasing the size by 50%. Because so many of the players are free agents, they couldn’t do a traditional expansion draft process, so we ended up with this. The Torrent signed Alex Carpenter and protected her, which was one of the three protection slots. The players on the roster eligible for protection are Fowards: Jenna Buglioni, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Hannah Bilka, Alex Carpenter, Lexia Adzija, Danielle Sardachny Defenders: Cayla Barnes, Anna Wilgren Goalies: Corinne Schroeder, Hannah Murphy Everyone else is a free agent, including Hilary Knight. It’s all turmoil these days with expansion. With two more slots to go, the Torrent chose to protect defender Anna Wilgren and goalie Hannah Murphy. “Ha ha, Zaiem,” I can hear you saying now with a tinge of contempt, “you’ve made a mistake. You accidentally typed some other name instead of Hannah Bilka’s! Nice journalism and attention to detail.” If only. Yes that’s right, forward Hannah Bilka was not protected. Now, I don’t know what GM Meghan Turner is thinking here, but one thing that is of concern is that Bilka did not return to the Torrent after sustaining an undisclosed injury en route to winning gold in the Olympics in Milan. Since hockey injuries aren’t required to be disclosed and therefore never ever are, we don’t know what it was (is?). Maybe it’s serious? Maybe they are betting that she won’t get taken by an expansion team because of the injury? Or maybe it’s just an interesting decision. Hannah Murphy is not a surprising pick. She’s 22 years old and she has a lot of upside as a goalie, a position that tends to peak later in age. I also find her impossibly charming, but that was probably not a factor in the decision to keep her (probably). Defender Anna Wilgren was the third protection slot, which was the real surprise. Bilka or Barnes were the ones I was expecting, but Wilgren was a surprise. I have, however, since talked myself into it. Steve O’Rourke, the recently fired Torrent coach, spoke highly of her and I do like her 200 foot game. He talked about how she altered her game to try to make the Olympic team and it messed with her a bit, but as the season went on, she got better and better. Anna Wilgren being protected by the Seattle Torrent is probably the one decision that stands out as a surprise to most.My mind immediately went back to the postgame after her 3-point game vs. Minnesota. O'Rourke is obviously gone, but it shows how the org feels about her. pic.twitter.com/EMlQuiKX2B— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) June 3, 2026 And so we march on with this overwrought expansion process. Where were you when we moved from Phase 1 to Phase 2?

Seattle Nice: Is Seattle’s Housing Market In Trouble?

By Erica C. Barnett On the latest episode of Seattle Nice, we talked to Redfin’s chief economist, Daryl Fairweather, about… The post Seattle Nice: Is Seattle’s Housing Market In Trouble? appeared first on PubliCola.

New Federal Guidelines Put Funding for Permanent Supportive Housing at Risk

By Erica C. Barnett After a long delay resulting in part from a lawsuit by the National Alliance to End… The post New Federal Guidelines Put Funding for Permanent Supportive Housing at Risk appeared first on PubliCola.

King County Transportation District nears finalizing new sales tax

Board members agree cities should receive a portion of the $100 million in expected revenue, but are now debating minimum and maximum amounts.