The Seattle City Council unanimously approved an amendment to its budget on Wednesday that would reallocate $300,000 to fund resources for members of the trans community from across the country who wish to move to Seattle.
A leading Seattle Democrat argued for the amendment, claiming there is an “ongoing crisis and displacement of queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming people.”
“This amendment responds to the ongoing crisis and displacement of queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming people that are seeking refuge from hostile jurisdictions from across the country,” Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck said at the Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee <a href="https://www.seattlechannel.org/mayor-and-council/city-council/2026-2027-finance-native-communities-and-tribal-governments">meeting</a> on August 4.
The $300,000 would go from the city’s JumpStart fund in the Human Services Department to LGBTQ community organizations that will provide emergency shelter, food access, employment support, and other services to trans-refugees. According to <a href="https://seattle.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&amp;ID=15739116&amp;GUID=AF193D51-0D29-40BF-B894-4081509CAEAA">the report</a>, the $300,000 is coming from a budget dedicated to building homes in Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood.
Since the project no longer needs the funds, council members have decided what to do with the excess money. Rather than directing the funds toward other problems facing Seattle, the city council chose to spend the money in expanding services for the city’s growing LGBTQ population.
“I just think it’s absolutely ridiculous that in a city that has a housing crisis, sex-trafficking problem, a city that has a serious drug problem, you guys want to give $300,000 away in the name of fictional genocide that’s not occuring,” Ari, a de-transitioner, said at the <a href="https://www.seattlechannel.org/FullCouncil">city council meeting</a> on August 11.
Ari said he also moved from state-to-state like other trans-migrants, eventually landing in Seattle 10 years ago.
“But they’ve moved [the new batch of trans-refugees] because women, adult human females have said they’re not comfortable with males in their bathrooms, in their prisons, in their rape shelters,” Ari said at the meeting. “So they’ve come here to hide so they can oppress women. That’s what it’s really about. And I just think it’s absolutely ridiculous a city council with this many women on it do not know what women are.”
After the public testimony segment concluded, Rinck said she wanted to make it clear to members of the transgender community that they belong in Seattle.
“I want to state to our queer and trans community directly: You belong in Seattle,” Rinck said. “I am glad you are here. You deserve dignity and respect and we are going to do the work to live up to our promise of being a welcoming city.”
Seattle has become one of the hubs for LGBTQ activism. From rainbow-painted sidewalks to Pride-themed Seattle Storm basketball games, the city advertises itself as being one of the most welcoming cities for LGBTQ people.
But that welcome has also raised questions about the city’s broader approach to gender-related issues.
A <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-wolves-in-white-coats.pdf">recent report</a> published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services listed over 200 hospitals that may have engaged in insurance fraud to conduct sex-rejecting procedures on minors. Seattle Children’s Hospital was among the hospitals named on the list.
According to the report, doctors ordered sex-rejecting procedures using diagnostic codes, like “endocrine disorder, unspecified” so that patients could get insurance coverage for their treatment.
“During this same timeframe, nearly $11 million was billed for puberty blockers, including to Medicaid and Medicare, for hundreds of patients between the age of 13 and 17 with a diagnostic code for precious puberty,” the <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-wolves-white-coats-executive-summary.pdf">executive summary</a> said. “By definition, anyone 13 or older cannot have a diagnosis of precocious puberty and should not be given puberty blockers at that age for this indication.”

Transgender Flag

Seattle City Council Approves Funding For ‘Trans-Refugees’

LGBTQ

Refugees

Seattle

Transgender

There is sadness that comes from feeling isolated in your own community. It is the loneliness of keeping your mouth shut. Of nodding. Of editing yourself because you already know the social cost of candor.
Over the years, I have come to a difficult realization: Seattle thinks it is inclusive but may very well be the least inclusive city in America. The WNBA incident was a very typical Seattle moment and didn’t come as a surprise to those of us who live here.
This city has remarkable qualities. It is beautiful, economically vibrant, and filled with talented people. But a city is more than its skyline or its natural beauty. A home is where you feel free to be yourself—where you can speak honestly without wondering whether your neighbors, colleagues, or even friends will quietly decide you are a black sheep among swans.
I no longer have that feeling here in Washington State.
As someone who holds political views outside the prevailing consensus and who openly identifies as a Zionist, I often feel that parts of my identity are not merely disagreed with but are disdained. There is a profound difference between disagreement and exclusion. I welcome debate and expect criticism; what I will never understand is the sense that certain beliefs automatically place someone outside the bounds of what is considered “acceptable” in society.
That realization has changed how I think about my future.
For the first time, I know I will not spend the rest of my life in Seattle. That is not because I stopped loving the mountains, the water, or the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. It is because I no longer feel welcomed by a culture that believes there is only one way to think; a city cannot truly call itself inclusive if inclusion depends on ideological conformity.
I do not write these words out of anger. I write them out of sadness.
I wanted Seattle to remain a place of innovation, kindness, and opportunity — I wanted it to succeed. But it needs to rediscover something just as important: the ability to welcome people whose convictions differ from the majority&#8217;s. A confident society does not fear dissent. It invites it. That just isn’t the case here, and it starts at the top.
Until that happens, many will continue to live as quiet dissenters — carefully measuring our words, concealing ourselves, and wondering whether there is still a place for us in a city that prides itself on celebrating diversity while vilifying diversity of thought.
My hope is not that Seattle conforms to my views. My hope is that it becomes more curious. More considerate. More willing to believe that thoughtful, decent people can disagree without becoming enemies.
If Seattle truly wants to be known as one of America&#8217;s most welcoming cities, it should ask itself a simple question: Is everyone welcome — or only those who think the right way?
For me, the answer to that question has become painfully personal. It is why, despite everything I once loved about this city, I know I will never call Seattle my permanent home.
***
Jessica Piha resides in Kirkland, Washington, with her dog Evee.

Indiana Fever v Seattle Storm

The Seattle Hellscape Is A Natural Setting For The Sophie Cunningham Controversy

Celeste Keaton

Democrats

DW Opinion

Seattle Storm

Sophie Cunningham

WNBA

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes was relieved of his duties by Mayor Katie Wilson on Wednesday night following the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/family-friendly-festival-turns-into-horrific-nightmare-as-gunmen-open-fire">mass shooting</a> that took place at the Bite of Seattle food festival Sunday night.
FOX 13 Seattle first reported the news after tips from several sources. Scrutiny of the police department intensified after Barnes skipped a briefing held several hours after the shooting.
During a second press conference Monday morning, Barnes informed reporters that he&#8217;d been out of town Sunday to attend the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference in Dallas. On Wednesday, Barnes abruptly canceled a media session after a silent vigil for victims, reportedly meeting with the mayor instead. Wilson asked for his resignation.
The mayor’s office has not responded to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.
Although the hourslong delay in the press briefing sparked backlash against Barnes and the department, others have raised concerns about how little time Barnes has spent in the city he is supposed to be serving.
During Monday’s conference, one reporter asked Barnes why he was not in the city during the time of the shooting, citing a <a href="https://publicola.com/2025/07/09/in-first-four-months-seattles-new-police-chief-spent-most-weekends-out-of-town/">report from PubliCola</a> that Barnes spends most of his weekends out of town. In the report, Barnes&#8217; schedule shows almost every Friday afternoon blocked off — either completely blank or titled &#8220;admin block&#8221; or &#8220;travel.&#8221; Barnes was out of town 13 of 18 weekends between February and May, according to the report.
Barnes responded to the reporter, acknowledging he was &#8220;not in town&#8221; the day before the shooting. After the media session, Barnes approached the reporter to confront him.
Some in the community attempted to mobilize against Chief Barnes&#8217; removal before Wilson acted. On Wednesday, The Seattle Medium published &#8220;<a href="https://seattlemedium.com/seattle-groups-support-chief-barnes/">An Open Letter To Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson From the Black Community</a>,&#8221; a request to Mayor Wilson not to fire Barnes. In the piece, Barnes&#8217; termination is deemed the “wrong decision,” and the authors claim it would “disrupt Seattle’s progress in public safety.”
Barnes was appointed chief of police in 2024.
During the investigation into the shooting, police identified 15- and 19-year-old suspects, with authorities on the lookout for a potential third suspect in what police have called “targeted, gang-related” violence. The 19-year-old suspect is among the three dead. Authorities are still investigating the shooting.
The Bite of Seattle event typically attracts around 350,000 people.

Shooting At Seattle Festival Leaves 3 Dead And 4 Wounded

Seattle Police Chief Out As City Officials Face Backlash Over Mass Shooting Response

Police

Shooting

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham ripped a WNBA team co-owner for harassing and cursing out teen girls with signs supporting Cunningham and female sports, calling the incident &#8220;truly embarrassing.&#8221;
&#8220;Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe. You’ll be hearing from me soon,&#8221; Cunningham said in a <a href="https://x.com/sophaller/status/2082675804874604615">post</a> published late Wednesday night. &#8220;Truly embarrassing of the co-owner. Unfortunately shows the type of leader she is.&#8221; 
The WNBA star added that there should be a safe space for all people, writing, &#8220;I truly believe there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind.&#8221;
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-co-owner-accused-of-cursing-out-teen-girls-over-xx-xy-shirts?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WNBA+Co-Owner+Accused+Of+Cursing+Out+Teen+Girls+Over+XX-XY+Shirts">The Daily Wire</a>, two teen athletes sporting signs in support of Cunningham and female-only sports were <a href="https://x.com/BrandiKruse/status/2082500178226155685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">harassed</a> at a Tuesday night WNBA game. Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton reportedly unleashed a wild, unprovoked tirade, branding the teenagers “f*cking insane,&#8221; leaving one of the 16-year-old girls in tears. The teens were repping XX-XY Athletics gear, which stands in support of female sports.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1146913" style="width: 662px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1146913" class="wp-image-1146913 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-30-at-8.34.31-AM.png" alt="" width="652" height="452" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-30-at-8.34.31-AM.png 652w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-30-at-8.34.31-AM-300x208.png 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 652px) 100vw, 652px" />Credit: Brandi Kruse</div>
Storm players and fans also harassed the young Cunningham fans, according to Fox News. One adult male fan referred to the girls as &#8220;trash&#8221; that needs to be &#8220;taken out&#8221; by security.
Cunningham <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-star-breaks-with-league-on-explosive-issue?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WNBA+Star+Breaks+With+League+On+Explosive+Issue">told</a> ESPN last week that she will always stand up for girls&#8217; sports and is against biological males in female locker rooms and athletics.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,&#8217;” Cunningham said, referring to her position on women’s sports. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
The athlete later doubled down on her position, bluntly telling sports reporters, &#8220;I said what I said.&#8221; She also called her position to keep female sports female only &#8220;common sense.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-co-owner-accused-of-cursing-out-teen-girls-over-xx-xy-shirts?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WNBA+Co-Owner+Accused+Of+Cursing+Out+Teen+Girls+Over+XX-XY+Shirts">WNBA Co-Owner Accused Of Cursing Out Teen Girls Over XX-XY Shirts</a>

Sophie Cunningham Rips WNBA Team Co-Owner For Harassing Teen Girls With XX-XY Shirts

Sophie Cunningham Rips WNBA Team Co-Owner For Harassing Teens Girls With XX-XY Signs

Basketball

Girls

Women's sports

Talk about a big-league blowup.
Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton allegedly hurled a series of expletives at a pair of teenage girls during Tuesday night&#8217;s game, leaving one of the 16-year-olds in tears after they showed support for Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham while wearing XX-XY Athletics gear.
Independent journalist Brandi Kruse broke the jaw-dropping story after spotting the distressed teens in the arena. She interviewed the girls and first reported their account.
The girls told Kruse that Keaton stormed up to them when they were seated in the stands holding signs supporting Cunningham and unleashed a wild, unprovoked tirade, branding the teenagers &#8220;f***ing insane.&#8221;
&#8220;I’ve never been yelled at like that,&#8221; one of the shaken girls said afterward. While she&#8217;d dealt with criticism online before, she said being confronted in person by an adult she later learned was a team owner left her shaken. &#8220;I thought she was going to be nice &#8230; then she started screaming at us and cussing at us.&#8221;
According to one of the teens, Keaton initially approached them calmly before dropping bizarre religious jabs like, &#8220;Jesus loves everyone &#8230; I hope Jesus can forgive you for what sin you’ve done,&#8221; before making a gesturing motion to her head and telling them to &#8220;stop pulling this.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Footage obtained by <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> shows the young Sophie Cunningham fans also face a confrontation with a grown man and a woman with him. The man shouted &#8220;take the trash out&#8221; to arena staff, in reference to the girls and the other supporters with them. <a href="https://t.co/0jaSjUmMbn">https://t.co/0jaSjUmMbn</a> <a href="https://t.co/MjwfUyHmb4">pic.twitter.com/MjwfUyHmb4</a>
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) <a href="https://x.com/JackThompsonFOX/status/2082599355446374911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When the girls tried to report the hostile confrontation, they said arena security brushed them off, telling Kruse that if they had a complaint, they should just &#8220;email the front office.&#8221; Other nearby fans reportedly turned their backs and refused to step in, even while sitting near hypocrisy-laden signs reading &#8220;No Hate in these United States.&#8221;
The teens said they only realized who had berated them after the fact.
&#8220;It&#8217;s just sad,&#8221; one of the teens said, calling out the blatant double standard. &#8220;She&#8217;s also a woman &#8230; maybe they should work on being more kind to people, even though our opinions differ.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Last night, <a href="https://x.com/seattlestorm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@seattlestorm</a> co-owner Celeste Keaton cursed out two teen girls for wearing <a href="https://x.com/xx_xyathletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@xx_xyathletics</a> shirts, calling them &quot;f*cking insane.&quot; One of them was left in tears. I tried to get security involved and was told I should email the front office. <a href="https://t.co/Qi8TcfRtYB">pic.twitter.com/Qi8TcfRtYB</a>
&mdash; Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) <a href="https://x.com/BrandiKruse/status/2082500178226155685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In a statement to Fox, the Storm provided an apology: &#8220;We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night&#8217;s game. We apologize that this happened. Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect.&#8221;
The ugly court-side harassment overshadowed the <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49476986/clark-32-point-night-fuels-fever-latest-100-point-explosion">action on the hardwood</a>, where the visiting Indiana Fever beat the Storm 105-95. Indiana’s high-octane offense made league history by dropping more than 100 points for the fourth consecutive matchup. Caitlin Clark led the charge with a blazing 32-point performance alongside Kelsey Mitchell&#8217;s 28, dropping Seattle to a grim 6-24 record and extending their painful losing streak to seven games.
So much for the WNBA&#8217;s whole &#8220;inclusive&#8221; vibe!

WNBA Co-Owner Accused Of Cursing Out Teen Girls Over XX-XY Shirts

Abuse

Gender

jennifer sey

Jesus

Jesus Christ

Sports

Teenagers

teens

Washington

Women's Basketball

xx-xy athletics

Leftists

Leftists Can’t Make Up Their Minds About Body Cams. It’s Hilarious.

bodycam footage

bodycams

Corey Ruiz

Flock camera

Madison

Surveillance

Wisconsin

Police identified a 15-year-old and a 19-year-old as gunmen behind the deadly shooting that turned a Seattle food festival into a chaotic nightmare on Sunday. Authorities also said they are looking for &#8220;a third possible suspect&#8221; in the shooting.
The two teens opened fire in a large crowd that included young children, resulting in the death of 19-year-old gunman Junior Cee Niko Semo, who was hit by multiple rounds of gunfire, according to the medical examiner. Two other people were also shot and killed: Ashley Whitehead, 56, and Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44. Four people, including a 2-year-old boy, were wounded in the shooting.
Police believe the deadly shooting could be gang-related and that the two teenagers were &#8220;associates.&#8221; The 15-year-old has not been named by authorities and is currently being held in juvenile detention.
Shots rang out at around 6:00 p.m. PT at the Bite of Seattle food festival, an annual free weekend-long event that typically attracts 350,000 people. When police arrived on the scene, two people were seen shooting at each other and officers immediately sought to chase down the suspects while other officers provided first aid to the wounded, according to the Seattle Police Department.
One suspect was taken into custody &#8220;within seconds,&#8221; Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said on Monday evening.
Three of the shooting victims were found in the direction where the 15-year-old suspect is believed to have fired, including the toddler who was with his mother when he was struck by gunfire, according to court documents, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/seattle-food-festival-shooting-may-gang-related-prosecutors-say-rcna589412">reported</a>. The toddler is currently in stable condition and recovering well.
After the shooting, Seattle authorities have faced criticism over the city&#8217;s response to the shooting and have gotten into heated exchanges with reporters. City officials are facing questions over why they waited nearly five hours to provide an update on the shooting, especially considering one of the gunmen was at-large.
Leftist mayor opened her press conference on Sunday with a discussion on “gun violence,&#8221; arguing that the city and the country have “a lot of work to do … to make this better.”
A reporter chimed in shortly into the mayor&#8217;s spiel, asking her to get to the information on the shooting. “I get your passion, mayor, but we need to know what happened tonight, please.”
Then, on Monday, a reporter asked Shon Barnes why he wasn&#8217;t in the city on Sunday night when the shooting occurred. The city&#8217;s assistant police chief handled the immediate response and the initial press briefing on Sunday night.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t have to tell you where I go,&#8221; Barnes told a KOMO News reporter. &#8220;I have a medical procedure I gotta do on Friday. &#8230; You need to know this: I have been here working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here. You got that?&#8221;
&#8220;There are reports that you are out of town often,&#8221; the reporter pressed.
&#8220;Their reports are wrong, you understand?&#8221; the chief shot back as another man stepped in between him and the reporter.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 400px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/5zv3xeuq3Ifb5p3ELnVuHZ00uVPaKvp2S?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=51866766-d433-4bc9-b704-4cceaf22f82e&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-07-28%20Where%20is%20the%20Seattle%20police%20chief%3F!%20&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2Fe661d16d-36bb-47be-8fda-96d9a21a9866.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>

Shooting Leaves Multiple Killed And Injured In Seattle

Police Identify Teens As Suspects Behind Deadly Shooting At Family-Friendly Festival

Crime

Mass Shooting

Three people were killed and four more were wounded when at least two gunmen opened fire at a bustling food festival beneath the Space Needle in Seattle on Sunday.
Shots rang out at around 6:00 p.m. PT at the Bite of Seattle food festival, an annual free weekend-long event that typically attracts 350,000 people. When police arrived on the scene, two people were seen shooting at each other and officers immediately sought to chase down the suspects while other officers provided first aid to the wounded, according to the Seattle Police Department, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/multiple-people-shot-seattle-center-police/story?id=135108867">reported</a>.
One of the suspects was found and taken into custody on Sunday evening, but police are still searching for the other suspect as of Monday morning. It remains unclear if the gunmen were only targeting each other or if they purposely fired at other festival attendees.
While one suspect remains on the loose, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lMwXrLfGA">said</a> at a press conference on Sunday night that there is no ongoing threat to the community. Police recovered two weapons at the scene of the shooting.
In a press conference on Sunday night, leftist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson opened the briefing to discuss &#8220;gun violence&#8221; and argue that the city and the country have &#8220;a lot of work to do &#8230; to make this better.&#8221; As the mayor lectured about &#8220;gun violence,&#8221; a reporter cut in, saying, &#8220;I get your passion, mayor, but we need to know what happened tonight, please.&#8221;
The mayor then turned the press conference over to the assistant police chief to go through the details of the shooting.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, and a third person died later at the hospital, according to Davis. Those killed were a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman. A 2-year-old boy was among the four people wounded and is in stable condition in an area hospital. Michael Girardi, a man who witnessed the shooting, told The Seattle Times that the toddler&#8217;s mother was &#8220;in anguish&#8221; as her son was being treated by paramedics. The young boy appeared to be conscious and wasn&#8217;t crying, according to Girardi.
A 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman are also in stable condition, while a 40-year-old woman with minor injuries declined to be transported to a hospital.
&#8220;Thankfully, we had officers on the scene that were brave, went to those shots, and prevented more victims from being injured,&#8221; Davis said.
Estan Wakonabo <a href="https://apnews.com/article/seattle-center-shooting-food-festival-space-needle-90548c65364e742a97fb7cb0fea31209">told</a> the Associated Press that he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth at the festival when he was pushed in the back and turned around to see chaos.
“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said.

Family-Friendly Festival Turns Into Horrific Nightmare As Gunmen Open Fire

Death

The final FIFA World Cup game hosted in Seattle ended in the disappointing loss of the United States to Belgium. But for Seattle, a city so overcome by drug addiction, mental illness, and street-level homelessness, the weeks-long event was a smashing success.
Downtown sparkled as it welcomed visitors from around the world for the six games it hosted at Lumen Field, rebranded Seattle Stadium for the tournament. In addition to exciting games, soccer fans enjoyed a city with noticeably cleaner streets and few visible signs of homelessness, drug addiction, and mental illness that are familiar to residents.
But this is not what long-term success looks like.
Mayor Katie Wilson and her team did not clean up the city. They simply moved the problem elsewhere, like a child shoving his toys under the bed when told to clean his room.
Under Wilson’s direction, the homeless were swept out of downtown and pushed into surrounding neighborhoods and minority communities already struggling with crime and disorder.
Journalist Jonathan Choe <a href="https://fixhomelessness.org/?s=chinatown&amp;from=&amp;to=&amp;author=&amp;orderby=relevance&amp;site-current-site=1">regularly reports</a> on the plight of Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, an Asian American community overwhelmed by open-air drug use and stolen-goods markets. Here, many businesses are boarded up, and those that have survived are quickly losing money. Merchants <a href="https://fixhomelessness.org/2026/henrys-taiwan-kitchen-the-real-cost-local-business-owners-pay-for-seattle-homelessness-policies/">report</a> ongoing theft and crime. Parks meant for children and families are instead filled with drug users and paraphernalia. Residents have <a href="https://fixhomelessness.org/2025/seattle-mayor-makes-moves-to-improve-public-safety-in-chinatown/">pleaded</a> with city officials for help, but there has been little response. Choe calls it “the city’s human dumping ground.”
Seattle is not the first to engage in these deceptive city-cleaning tactics. Hiding the homeless is a common occurrence in cities across the nation when they host large events or important national and international figures. The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-homelessness-housing-503d6dd10b274ab1bc5e63782d5e6f0e">noted</a> such instances in New Orleans ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl, Chicago ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and Atlanta ahead of the 1996 Olympics. The most notorious might be the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/san-francisco-cleans-up-for-xi-why-not-for-thee-242c67e3">cleanup</a> of San Francisco in preparation for Chinese dictator Xi Jinping.
These cities appear more concerned with making a good impression on visiting tourists, dignitaries, and soccer fans than with the experiences of residents who live with these conditions year-round.
Those who live and work in downtown Seattle know the reality. Daily commutes often involve navigating not only traffic, but discarded needles, human waste, and individuals who shout, scream, and curse at random. The Emerald City has the third-highest number of individuals experiencing homelessness in the nation, outranked only by Los Angeles and New York City. Despite the city spending millions over the years, the crisis has only worsened.
Seattle is like this because its leaders allow it. One homeless man <a href="https://fixhomelessness.org/2026/homeless-man-says-he-came-to-seattle-because-nowhere-else-tolerates-street-life/">explained</a> that he left his home in Whatcom County, two hours north of Seattle, because the residents there wouldn’t tolerate his lifestyle. He came to Seattle because, in his words, he and his friends can “live how we want to live.”
Under the faulty belief that housing is the solution for this crisis, Seattle and many other cities have poured millions of taxpayer dollars into housing projects that often fail to materialize. For instance, Wilson promised 500 new shelter units ahead of the FIFA World Cup. She <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_eacfc5fa-73e2-45ee-b471-82e48c81dd0c.html">delivered</a> 75 at a cost of $3.95 million — and those units <a href="https://x.com/weheartseattle/status/2066358855794364539">appeared</a> to remain empty 24 hours before the first game. Not a promising start for her larger campaign promise to open 4,000 shelter beds during her first term as mayor.
Even when they finally open, these projects fail to meaningfully change lives. Addicts continue to use illicit drugs, the mentally ill go untreated, and many end up back on the streets. <a href="https://fixhomelessness.org/2024/whistleblower-dies-inside-low-barrier-plymouth-housing-building/">Some die</a>.
Homelessness is not an economic problem. The people living on our streets are not primarily suffering from a lack of housing, but from addiction, untreated mental illness, and broken relationships. This requires a different response than just housing; they need detox, treatment, and help restoring their lives. Hopefully, <a href="https://fixhomelessness.org/2026/hud-re-issues-new-homeless-grant-criteria-freeing-cities-to-ditch-housing-first-pursue-real-solutions/">recent federal reforms</a> will encourage cities in a better direction.
When the World Cup ends, and the visitors return to their home cities, states, and countries, the homeless who were pushed to the outskirts will return, still addicted, still mentally ill, still desperately in need of help. Until these cities take the needs of these individuals seriously and enforce the laws against prostitution, theft, and violence, the homelessness crisis will continue to grow.
The best way to showcase our country’s cities to the world is not to stage a clean downtown for a few weeks. It is to create clean, safe, and thriving cities for their own residents every day.
***
Caitlin Cory writes about homelessness at <a href="https://www.discovery.org/">Discovery Institute</a>. She has been published in The Federalist and the Puget Sound Business Journal. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Maryland.

Coronavirus Pandemic 2022 – Homelessness in America

The Cities Hiding Homelessness For The World Cup

FIFA

Homelessness

Katie Wilson

LGBTQ activists in Seattle believe a sharp influx of transgender young adults is causing a civil emergency — and they want taxpayer help.
The <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/lgbtq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seattle LGBTQ Commission</a> asked Mayor Katie Wilson in a May 2026<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYfRlKWm3yM/?img_index=2&amp;igsh=MWRkd2toYWwwNjdnMQ%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> letter</a> to declare a civil emergency caused by a mass influx of “transgender and gender-nonconforming” individuals relocating to the city. The commission has asked the city officials to fund cash-strapped LGBTQ+ groups providing shelter and relocation services to transgender refugees.
&#8220;Due to the rapid influx of 2SLGBTQIA+ persons seeking refuge in Seattle for increased safety needs, civil rights protections, and access to essential services the Seattle LGBTQ Commission formally recommends that City leaders declare a civil emergency that ensures an effective and empathetic response to protecting these internally displaced persons (IDPs) at a time of urgent crisis for our community,&#8221; states the letter.
Transplants are coming to Seattle from red states such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Kansas, and Idaho &#8220;due to anti-trans legislation, threats to personal safety, and barriers to healthcare and legal recognition,&#8221; according to the letter, which lists several transgender-affirming groups  &#8220;already responding to this crisis.&#8221; The listed groups include Gender Justice League, Seattle&#8217;s LGBTQ+ Center, and Traction, a nonprofit that helps &#8220;red state refugees&#8221; relocate to the Pacific Northwest through its<a href="https://tractionpnw.org/open-arms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Project Open Arms</a> initiative.
&#8220;Hundreds of thousands of Two-Spirit, transgender, nonbinary, gender-diverse, and gender-nonconforming (trans+) people and their families are seeking to escape legislative persecution and violence,&#8221; states Traction&#8217;s<a href="https://tractionpnw.org/open-arms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> website</a>. &#8220;Our goal then and now is to support U.S. &#8216;transplants&#8217; – trans+ people and their loved ones displaced by violence and persecution – seeking safer, more welcoming places to live.&#8221;
C. Michael Woodward, executive director of Traction, told The Daily Wire it&#8217;s had more than 1600 applicants for relocation services since President Trump&#8217;s election but has only been able to help around 130 individuals move, due to resource limitations.
&#8220;I&#8217;m 63 and transitioned nearly 30 years ago. I&#8217;ve been doing trans+ and LGBTQ+ advocacy for almost that long, too,&#8221; Woodward told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Even so, I never once imagined we&#8217;d be doing this kind of work for our community, but here we are.&#8221;
Woodward said the group does not work with unaccompanied minors and has not been &#8220;presented with the opportunity to work with any emancipated youth&#8221; but would &#8220;handle those on a case-by-case basis.&#8221;
Traction is working to build &#8220;a nationwide network of groups doing similar work in other states,&#8221; according to its <a href="https://tractionpnw.org/open-arms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1132095 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/megs-piece.jpeg" alt="" width="1010" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/megs-piece.jpeg 1010w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/megs-piece-300x171.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/megs-piece-768x438.jpeg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px" /></div>
Screenshot from June 25, 2026, Seattle City Council Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes meeting.
Many of Seattle’s transgender transplants are “young adults,” according to<a href="https://www.seattle.gov/lgbtq/who-we-are" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Kody Allen</a>, co-chair of the Seattle LGBTQ Commission and a social worker at a youth homeless shelter, who spoke on a panel about 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities in Seattle at a June 25, 2026,<a href="https://www.seattlechannel.org/mayor-and-council/city-council/2026-2027-select-committee-on-federal-administration-and-policy-changes?videoid=x188271" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> city council meeting</a>.
&#8220;In my day job, I am a program manager for a homeless shelter. We have seen a massive increase in trans&#8211;specifically&#8211;and queer young adults who are coming here from other states,&#8221; said Allen. &#8220;We are turning away 10, at least 10 young adults a night, and we are the biggest shelter in the city. And many, many, many of our clients are trans refugees who have come here.&#8221;
The meeting focused on how changes in federal policy have impacted local funding. Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ panel discussed how Seattle could build long-term infrastructure to provide social services, such as housing, to the city&#8217;s growing number of transgender refugees. Allen warned groups that provide &#8220;queer&#8221; and &#8220;trans specific healthcare&#8221; are facing a funding crisis and may not be able to stay open throughout the year.
&#8220;If these community-based organizations that are specifically for queer people close, the impact that would have, obviously on the people who use those services, but also every other community-based organization in the city who are also experiencing decreased funding because of the federal&#8211;this federal administration&#8211;would put a huge strain on the system,&#8221; Allen stated.
Dominque Stephens, who was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVsCsq_DAG_/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appointed</a> by Mayor Wilson as Seattle&#8217;s special advisor on LGBTQ+ affairs, told city council the Mayor&#8217;s office was planning to create transgender homeless shelters.
&#8220;We want to make sure that we&#8217;re doing this in a very intentional way,&#8221; said Stephens. &#8220;We know that in our shelter expansion, there will be a trans specific site that will be stood up.&#8221;
Stephens explained the mayor formed a Trans and Queer Community Stabilization Interdepartmental Team to create long-term transgender infrastructure as the group figures out &#8220;what we do in terms of folks who are migrating here.&#8221;
Seattle City Councilwoman <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/council/members/alexis-mercedes-rinck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexis Mercedes Rinck</a> said Seattle needed to &#8220;stand firm&#8221; in welcoming &#8220;queer and trans people.&#8221;
&#8220;Across the country we have seen intense attacks against queer and trans people, both with hostile legislation and physical violence,&#8221; said Rinck at the meeting. &#8220;So, I want to say loud and clear, while we know we have more work to do here in the city of Seattle we need to stand firm in being a welcoming city for queer and trans people.&#8221;
A total of<a href="https://familypolicyalliance.com/help-not-harm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 27 states</a> have passed legislation protecting minors from receiving harmful sex-rejecting medical procedures such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex-change surgeries.
Washington State took a major step towards becoming a transgender sanctuary for minors when former Governor Jay Inslee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/washington-to-allow-shelters-to-keep-runaway-children-from-parents-if-child-seeking-transgender-surgery-abortion?row=0&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed SB 5599</a> into law in May 2023.  The law allows homeless shelters to shield runaway minors seeking transgender medical procedures without contacting their parents. International Partners for Ethical Care Inc. filed a lawsuit challenging SB 5599 in<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67697823/international-partners-for-ethical-care-inc-v-inslee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> August 2023</a>, arguing it violates the fundamental rights of parents. After being dismissed by a lower court, the Supreme Court announced in June 2026 that it would<a href="https://aflegal.org/press-release/u-s-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-america-first-legals-landmark-case-defending-parents-right-to-challenge-laws-that-hide-their-childrens-gender-transitions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> hear the case on appeal</a>.
&#8220;SB 5599 is directed toward families in Washington state, and sets up a terrifying scenario for parents whose kids have fallen prey to gender ideology,&#8221; a representative from International Partners for Ethical Care told The Daily Wire. &#8220;A child can run away from home in Washington to seek &#8216;gender affirming care&#8217; and the state authorities or shelters where the child may be found are not required by law to notify the parents of the child&#8217;s whereabouts with any urgency.&#8221;
Florida, Idaho, and 14 other red states filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the plaintiffs. The coalition of states expressed concerns the law could impact parents across state lines, writing they &#8220;fear that their own residents whose runaway children cross state lines may be harmed by Washington’s law&#8221; in the<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-840/396471/20260217151332802_Intl%20Partners%20v.%20Ferguson%20-%20Amicus%20Brief%20for%20Filing.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> brief</a>.
International Partners for Ethical Care agreed the law could impact parents nationwide, telling The Daily Wire, &#8220;Nothing in the law&#8217;s language that would prevent it from being applied to children who arrive in Washington from other states.&#8221;
The Daily Wire asked the Seattle LGBTQ Commission and Mayor Wilson&#8217;s office for information on how many of the transgender refugees were 18 and under but did not receive a comment. Mayor Wilson did not provide any additional information on the transgender shelter expansion project discussed at the city council meeting.

Scenes from the Seattle Pride Parade, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Genna Martin)

Massive Influx Of Transgender Refugees Is Causing ‘Civil Emergency’ In Leftist City

LGBT

Parental Rights

Washington State

Seattle’s thin blue line is refusing to bow to City Hall’s woke thought police.
In an attempt to muzzle the rank-and-file, Mayor Katie Wilson’s administration tried to strong-arm the Seattle Police Officers Guild into scrubbing a social media post highlighting a bloody triple shooting. But the cops aren&#8217;t backing down from the anti-police regime. Instead, they’re firing back with a clear message: You won’t intimidate us.
The drama erupted after a horrific ambush outside a Capitol Hill nightclub left three people leaking blood onto the pavement. The police union blasted out a video of the carnage with a direct, common-sense demand: “Mayor Katie, how many more examples do you need? Don&#8217;t take away the vital tools officers rely on.”
The post hammered Wilson for freezing the expansion of city surveillance cameras that feed the Real-Time Crime Center — vital tech desperately needed to hunt down killers while the department suffocates under an unprecedented staffing crisis.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson ordered the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild to DELETE this post criticizing her, per KOMO News.
.<a href="https://x.com/MayorofSeattle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorofSeattle</a> really doesn’t want you to see this post! Would be a shame if it went viral! <a href="https://t.co/KJuLWdsrn3">https://t.co/KJuLWdsrn3</a> <a href="https://t.co/9ovpD9mn12">pic.twitter.com/9ovpD9mn12</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2059747247017824568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But instead of tackling the violent thugs terrorizing Seattle’s streets, Wilson’s spreadsheet warriors immediately weaponized City Hall to protect her fragile ego.
By the next morning, the mayor&#8217;s office fired off a threatening email to Seattle Police Officers Guild President Kent Loux, falsely claiming the post broke police policy and municipal code. The brass-knuckle directive demanded: “Please pull the post immediately.”
“That’s an order,” Loux told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6_WhDZ4JL0">KOMO</a>, exposing the political hit job. “I looked at the content of the email. I thought, well, that sounds like a threat.”
Making the mayor’s temper tantrum even more embarrassing? City Hall got the facts completely wrong.
The thin-skinned bureaucrats claimed the union leaked sensitive city camera footage. In reality, the video was publicly available, lifted straight from KOMO’s news broadcast. Loux even sent the clueless politicians the link to prove it.
“In no way do I feel like I&#8217;m being unprofessional by alerting the public to a publicly sourced video pointing to the fact that these work and these capture good data for us,” Loux said.
The guild hit the mayor back with a cease-and-desist order, legally freezing any attempts to discipline officers over the free-speech dustup.
Realizing they brought a butter knife to a gunfight, Wilson’s team did a U-turn, retracting their censorship demand and claiming they &#8220;look forward to working with the police union.&#8221;
Don&#8217;t hold your breath. Loux says the guild will keep blasting Wilson’s soft-on-crime lunacy.
“We&#8217;re not changing our tone, our rhetoric,” Loux warned. “We&#8217;re not going to be threatened or intimidated.”

2026 Seattle International Film Festival

Socialist Mayor Orders Police Union To Scrub Post That Called Her Out

Social Media

The NBA took a historic step Wednesday, voting unanimously to explore expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas. After 18 years of waiting, there&#8217;s finally real hope that the SuperSonics are coming home. It&#8217;s genuinely good news for a city that desperately needs something to cheer about.
But leave it to Washington Democrats to find a way to pick the team&#8217;s pockets before it plays a single game.
Seattle has been gutted by years of soft-on-consequences governance. King County&#8217;s homelessness authority tallied a revised 16,868 homeless individuals in its most recent completed count, and the agency&#8217;s own leadership has already signaled the 2026 survey, completed just weeks ago, will push that number higher still. Open-air drug use has become a defining feature of Seattle&#8217;s public spaces, with encampments stretching across parks and neighborhood corridors that once drew shoppers and tourists. Businesses fled. Residents followed. From 2021 to 2022, Washington logged a <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_faf025f3-cf18-4cb7-aa19-907760238841.html">net migration loss</a> of nearly 19,000 people and a $1.66 billion net loss in adjusted gross income.
This is the economic wreckage that Democrat-run Olympia and Seattle City Hall built through years of consequence-free drug policies and hostility to accountability. So when the NBA Board of Governors voted to formally pursue expansion talks with One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the ice hockey team the Kraken&#8217;s umbrella ownership group, fans had every reason to celebrate.
Climate Pledge Arena, a little virtue signal for woke Seattle, is ready. The fanbase never actually left. And for a city that&#8217;s been told for years things are improving while watching them deteriorate, the return of the Sonics is a rare piece of unambiguously good news. A possible 2028-29 season start is now squarely on the table.
The unconstitutional income tax that crashed the party
Here&#8217;s the catch. Just weeks before the NBA made its move, Democrats <a href="https://seattlered.com/seattle-red/jason-rantz-opinion/ferguson-delays-signing-washington-income-tax-sb-6346/4117495">rammed through Senate Bill 6346</a>, a 9.9% income tax on households earning more than $1 million annually. It passed the House 51-46 after Republicans waged a historic 25-hour floor fight, then cleared the Senate 27-21. Gov. Bob Ferguson has pledged to sign it.
Republicans called it exactly what it is. A 1933 Washington Supreme Court ruling established that income is property under the state constitution, meaning it must be taxed at a uniform rate. Democrats are betting courts will reverse nearly a century of precedent. That is a bold gamble with other people&#8217;s money.
Visiting players are on the hook
Here is what most fans celebrating the expansion news haven&#8217;t fully absorbed: SB 6346 doesn&#8217;t just hit Seattle residents. The bill codifies duty-day apportionment rules for nonresident athletes, meaning every opposing NBA team that walks into Climate Pledge Arena will owe Washington state a cut of income earned during those games. Tax professionals call this a &#8220;jock tax,&#8221; and Washington has never had one until now.
The math is ugly. For an NBA player earning $35 million a season, a two-game road trip to Seattle could generate over $800,000 in Washington-sourced income subject to the 9.9% rate, after only a minimal prorated deduction. Add coaches and high-earning staff, and a visiting team&#8217;s aggregate tax exposure for a single Seattle road stop could run several hundred thousand dollars.
This also changes the Sonics&#8217; own competitive position in free agency. For years, playing in Washington meant zero state income tax, a genuine edge when players compared contract offers. That advantage evaporates above the million-dollar threshold. Democrats didn&#8217;t just tax the team. They taxed every opponent who came to watch them play.
Silver lining: the encampments will disappear (temporarily)
There is one unexpected upside to the NBA expansion push, and Seattle residents near the city&#8217;s worst encampments already know what it is. A homeless camp sat for five months in the shadow of the Space Needle, on a vacant private lot at 5th Avenue North and Harrison Street, right across the street from Seattle Center, where Climate Pledge Arena is located. Neighbors and nearby businesses reported open drug use, discarded needles, and assaults.
The city claimed for months that it couldn&#8217;t touch it because the land was privately owned. It took a court-appointed receiver, a negotiated agreement, and a police presence to finally clear it last week.
&#8220;This is a high-profile spot, a very high-profile corner,&#8221; the receiver told <a href="https://komonews.com/news/local/space-needle-area-encampment-cleared-after-five-months-on-private-lot-housing-crisis-shelter-resources-drugs-needles-pollution-assault-crime-police-statistics-sweeps-katie-wilson-seattle">KOMO News</a>. &#8220;There was an emphasis to get this taken care of.&#8221;
Seattleites have seen this movie before. When the city hosted MLB All-Star Week in 2023, Mayor Bruce Harrell&#8217;s administration suddenly found the <a href="https://seattlered.com/seattle-red/jason-rantz-opinion/rantz-seattle-cleans-up-the-city-for-mlb-all-star-week-not-for-us/3905798">urgency to clear SODO</a>, Pioneer Square, and downtown of the encampments that residents had begged them to address for years. The streets looked almost livable for about a week.
I covered it at the time and was clear about what was actually happening. The city cleaned up for baseball executives, not for the people who live and work there. The same performance is coming for the NBA&#8217;s ownership vetting process, when someone has to justify writing a check somewhere between $7 and $10 billion for an expansion franchise. I&#8217;ll be honest with you: as a Seattle resident, I&#8217;ll take it. Beggars can&#8217;t be choosers. Just don&#8217;t mistake a pressure-wash before a sales pitch for an actual policy change. And, by the way, it did little to end the stench of urine downtown that is so thick you can taste it.
Democrats broke it. Now they want the trophy.
Progressive leadership spent years presiding over open-air drug markets, soaring homelessness, and a documented business exodus. Now they are racing to be photographed standing next to the NBA expansion announcement.
Democrats didn&#8217;t fix Seattle. They just got lucky the NBA still sees enough value in a market they&#8217;ve been running into the ground. The Sonics may well be back by 2028. They&#8217;ll arrive right as Washington&#8217;s unconstitutional income tax kicks in, ready to collect from every player who pulls on the jersey and every opponent who comes to town.
Welcome home, Sonics. Watch your wallets.
***
Jason Rantz is a <a href="https://seattlered.com/podcast_results?i=1676&amp;n=The+Jason+Rantz+Show">Seattle-based talk show host</a> and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Killing-America-Radical-Destruction/dp/1546006141/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0">“What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities.”</a>

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