The Pike Place Market Preservation and Public Development Authority cited positive feedback, increased foot traffic, and a need for more research as reasons to continue its car-free pilot program.

“You don’t have to dodge delivery vans anymore while you’re picking out your peaches or your flowers,” 成人X站 host Ursula Reutin said. “And people seem to love this.”

Foot traffic is up more than 7% compared to last year, while multiple vendors stated they have seen improvements both for their business and for overall convenience. Vendors were initially worried that fewer people would shop at the market if they couldn鈥檛 drive there, but that hasn’t been the case so far.

“Market leaders are not ready to say this is a forever thing,” Ursula said. “They’re extending this pilot program through next spring to see how it works during the slower winter months, and then they’re hoping to have a full street plan ready before Seattle hosts the FIFA World Cup next June. What do you think?”

“Keep it. Keep it like it is. Keep them cars away,” 成人X站 host Gee Scott answered. “I had a great, great experience going down to Pike Place. It was beautiful. No cars, just people, just moving. All about this is fantastic. Keep it. I know this pilot is going to continue.”

When the car-free pilot program launched, the vehicle restriction was in effect from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. But, according to , the market decided to move the start time back to 10 a.m. The end of the vehicle restriction was also changed from 6 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Listen to the full conversation here.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on听鈥淭he Gee and Ursula Show鈥�听weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on 成人X站 Newsradio.听

Follow Frank Sumrall .听厂别苍诲听news tips here.

There have been massive renovations over the past 15 years to get the waterfront to where it is today.

To build the ocean pavilion to last for generations, millions of pounds and miles of rebar lining the reef habitat are beyond what you鈥檇 find in tall skyscrapers.

鈥淗istory鈥檚 literally going up in front of our eyes,鈥� Seattle historian Feliks Banel said.

Banel reminds us that long before the Seattle Aquarium was ever a concept to teach conservation, profiteers lured tourists to Seattle and used sealife to make a fast buck.

In the mid-1930s, a post-Civil War era clipper ship was a floating museum, where for a dime you were promised a small display of sea life from Puget Sound.

Then there was the frozen fish museum of 2,000 fish frozen solid. Somehow, this odd attraction stayed open for 30 years.

Long before Seattle showman Ivar Haglund ever sold a single cup of chowder, his big business idea was what he called an aquarium on the waterfront.

鈥淚var was inviting people to look at octopuses in a fish tank, and those people, he sold fish and chips and chowder to. The fish and chips and chowder came second. The first was an aquarium, and it morphed into a business selling fish and chips,鈥� Banel said.

Ivar Haglund charged a nickel to show live sea life, but Banel said it was a sideshow.

鈥淚var would do things like take a baby seal and put it in a baby carriage and push it around the city to generate publicity for his business,鈥� Banel said.

Years later, when the World鈥檚 Fair attracted millions of visitors, businessman Ted Griffin cashed in by opening a for-profit marine aquarium, which took a dark dive in 1965.

鈥淎n orca, a killer whale, is captured by mistake off Vancouver Island, caught in some fisherman鈥檚 nets,” Banel shared. “Giffin buys it, builds a floating pen, and tows it all the way back to Seattle. It鈥檚 a media spectacle. Radio DJs are following along. TV stations are doing remote shots from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, trying to get footage of this whale coming to town because no one had ever successfully had a whale in captivity.鈥�

They named the whale Namu and charged people to watch him caged in a pen on the waterfront. Hollywood filmmakers quickly moved in and made a movie starring Namu as a character. People protested, demanding Namu鈥檚 freedom.

“Unfortunately, before that movie could open to the public, Namu died of a bacterial infection,” Banel said.

An infection reportedly caused by raw sewage, which was, at the time, polluting Elliott Bay.

“It all begins with this sad whale, Namu, who was captured, dragged to Seattle, made to be a movie star against his will, and died in captivity less than a year later,” Banel said. “It鈥檚 a real tragedy.”

Having learned from dark decisions, Seattle city leaders offered a better way. Voters approved a 1968 tax to build a real nonprofit aquarium, building a new relationship between Seattle and the sea for the next hundred years.

鈥淭here was a very strong ethic here in the 50s, 60s, and 70s into the 80s to invest in things that people could benefit from for decades to come, and the aquarium fits right into that mix,鈥� Banel said.

On May 20, 1977, the Seattle Aquarium opened to a crowd. The Seattle mayor called it the age of the aquarium.

Banel said the ocean pavilion will show how a city can transform an attitude while transforming a waterfront, while educating generations on the power of preservation instead of profit.

Seattle’s summer weekend events:

The Seattle SeaFair continues to ramp up and one of the hallmark events is this Saturday, ! According to the event’s website, the parade has returned to its roots with a nighttime start and a new parade route.

The new route goes along the Seattle Waterfront, starting at 7:30 p.m. There will be a pre-parade run while spectators can start lining up at 6 p.m. It’s free and open to the public.

Pier 58 reopens

Also, along the waterfront, , and there is a celebration today from 4 to 8 p.m. The pier adds around 50,000 square feet of park space with a family-friendly focus, including the new marine-themed playground and an elevated lawn space.

The opening celebration is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to dance, play, and come dressed in marine-themed attire. Local mascots will also be in attendance.

Local artists featured in Bellevue Arts Festival

The weekend is here. Highlighting upwards of 350 artists using more than 20 different artistic mediums, including traditional painting, jewelry, and printmaking, but also newer forms like 3D mixed media. There will also be plenty of food vendors, family-friendly activities, live music, and special programming at the Bellevue Art Museum!

Grab a bite to eat in Seattle

If you want to see all the great food that Seattle has to offer, the Seattle Center is where you will want to be. is here, and I bet you can smell the food already! More than 300 food and retail vendors will take over the center, serving up tasty dishes from around the world.

While you enjoy your food, you can watch three days of live music. There will be beer and wine gardens, cider tasting, and they’ll have everything you can think of when it comes to the world of food. The Bite of Seattle event is free to attend, but vendors will be charging for their food.

Sunset film showings at Cal Anderson

There are a couple of free movies this weekend. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is being shown at Cal Anderson Park tonight as part of the . Ratatouille is being shown at the Mural Amphitheater, and for both movies, you are encouraged to bring your own chairs and blankets. The films will start once the sun begins to set.

The Northwest Film Forum is also hosting the throughout the weekend. Day passes and weekend passes are available.

Renton’s annual River Days

Over in Renton, enjoy a weekend on the river for There will be a drone show, a concert, a parade, and tons of summer fun for you and the family. There will also be an all-ages chalk art competition and a Rubber Ducky Derby on Sunday!

Free admission options

If you are looking for free fun to do with the family this weekend that involves getting outside, there will be a beach shore stroll along Olympic Sculpture Park today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the lowest tide at approximately 11:52 a.m. Naturalists will be there to answer questions and show you how much is happening along our shores.

Also, this weekend is a bicycle weekend here in Seattle. A portion of Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed to motor vehicles from 10 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday, giving you a perfect route for a weekend ride along the water.

How are you enjoying the summer? Remember to plan ahead for traffic and to let me know about the cool stuff going on in your neighborhood by emailing me at paulh@kiroradio.com.

Read more of Paul Holden鈥檚 stories听here.

The permit, issued by the Oregon State Marine Board, can be obtained for either a seven-day period for $6 or annually for $20.

“The only reason I’m reporting on this story is because I’m making a timestamp,” 成人X站 host Jake Skorheim said. “This is a prediction of what will happen in Washington State. When they see that other people have gotten away with shenanigans, they will also try to get away with shenanigans. And so this is a tax that will absolutely come to our waterways at some point in the near future.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” 成人X站 host Spike O’Neill added.

The Oregon State Marine Board claimed the state needs a permit to educate and work against invasive species. According to听, only two other states require paddleboards under 10 feet to have a permit.

“You’re not using the boat ramp to get in, you’re literally just hopping off the dock or pushing off on a beach or waterway on the rocks in a river, and now you have to get a permit?” Jake stated. It’s not crazy expensive … but you didn’t have to pay these things before if you just wanted to go down on a paddleboard. Now you’re going to have to pay an extra fee, which is going to stop people from doing it, which is going to stop people from getting healthy, and everybody’s going to be fat.”

$120 fine for paddling on Oregon waterways without a permit

For those willing to risk it and paddle on Oregon waterways without a permit, there is a $120 fine if caught.

“The headline ought to be ‘Oregon found population segment not yet taxed, and corrected their mistake,'” Spike said.

This permit follows another recreational permit in Oregon, the bicycle excise tax. Established in 2017, it’s a flat tax of $15 per purchase of any bicycle worth $200 or more.

“This is criminal, Spike. This is wrong,” Jake said. “We need to call it out when it happens. This is wrong. They shouldn’t be doing this, and Washington’s going to do this.”

More information on the permits required for kayaks, rafts, and stand-up paddleboards in Oregon can be found .

Listen to the full conversation here.

Listen to听鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥�听weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on 成人X站听Newsradio听97.3 FM.听Subscribe to the podcast here.

The mixed reality theme park is a 25,000-square-foot space that opened on July 19, located at 1100 W. Ewing St. near the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

DreamPark debuts in Seattle’s Queen Anne

DreamPark’s objective is to combine digital world experiences into a physical environment through the use of Meta Quest headsets and mobile devices. Some of the experiences include real-life Mario Kart gameplay with the use of Razor scooter tricycles and a floor made of digital lava where users are tasked with jumping from block to block to survive.

Co-founders Brent Bushnell, Aidan Wolf, and Kevin Habich appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in April, pitching their idea for a downloadable theme park and asking for a $500,000 investment for a 5% stake, according to . Bushnell is a Seattle-based entrepreneur, also the son of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell.

DreamPark did not reach a deal with investors on Shark Tank and later announced in May that the company raised $1.1 million in seed funding, according to .

“This West Canal Yards installation, spearheaded by lead developer Ned Carner, addresses the growing need to revitalize idle retail spaces across the country,” Wolf said in a press release, obtained by The Puget Sound Business Journal. “It’s the world’s largest mixed reality theme park, offering an unparalleled experience that differentiates us in the virtual reality marketplace.”

DreamPark is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. General admission tickets are $20, and the outdoor DreamPark raceway is selling for $10.

Seattle is DreamPark’s largest location to date, with other locations including Santa Monica and the Los Angeles County Fair.

Follow Jason Sutich听.听厂别苍诲听news tips here.

The two were caught in a warm embrace on the jumbotron and immediately ducked, but 成人X站 host Gee Scott believes their reaction made the situation worse.

“If they would have just kept going, nobody would have paid any attention, because the person with the video wouldn’t know what they had,” he said. “But instead, they ducked down.”

Coldplay singer Chris Martin even acknowledged the moment, saying, “Either they鈥檙e having an affair, or they鈥檙e just very shy.”

A fake statement, purported to be written by Byron, has been circulating online.

“As a friend once sang: ‘Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you,'” the last line of the false statement read.

However, neither Byron nor Cabot has spoken publicly about the incident, according to听.

成人X站 host Ursula Reutin posed the question: “What would you do if you were him?”

“I don’t know if he is sorry or not, but if he is: ‘I am sorry for the embarrassment that I caused my family, my company, and there is no excuse for what I did. I’m not trying to minimize this,'” Gee said. “‘Not only did I let down my family and company, but I violated by dating a subordinate at my company, the head of HR. Going forward, I’m probably about to lose my family, probably about to lose my job as CEO, but I will learn from this,’ because the truth is, you have no choice but to learn.

“My boy, you’re gonna learn,” he added.

Gee and Ursula’s advice for Astronomer CEO

Gee claimed there are two rules Byron violated, in addition to cheating on his wife. The first 鈥� “Don’t date anybody at work” and the second 鈥� “Don’t date another man’s wife.”

“Yeah, that might be the starting message,” Ursula agreed. “Let’s just start there: Try not to be a cheater and, if you’re going to be a cheater, you better own it and do a better job of masking it, because what you did has now become the world’s largest meme.”

compiled a list as the incident sparked a slew of memes.

Who did this? 馃ぃ

鈥� Dr. Clown, PhD (@DrClownPhD)

Gee noted that while people may forget about the scandal by Monday, memes are forever.

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on听鈥淭he Gee and Ursula Show鈥�听weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on 成人X站 Newsradio.听

“You just shot your stand-up special over the weekend, how’d it go?” “Seattle’s Morning News” host Charlie Harger asked Piven.

“It was incredible. You’re the first people I’m talking to about it,” Piven replied. “I’m actually in St Louis. I just finished a show here, and I’ve been doing different cities every day. I went home to Chicago and filmed (the special) in front of my people, a couple of sold-out shows at the Vic theater. The whole thing was a miracle.”

Career-defining turn as Entourage’s Ari Gold

Piven became an overnight sensation after appearing as Ari Gold in the comedy series “Entourage,” for which he won a Golden Globe Award听and three consecutive听Emmy Awards across 96 episodes.

“With ‘Entourage,’ my job and, my God, was I lucky to have it, my honor was to take the written word, every single word, and make it feel improvisational,” Piven said. “Make it feel like, ‘Oh, man, this guy’s just making it up,’ because everyone thought I was just making it up, and what a great compliment that is.”

But his dedication to the character Ari Gold and the lexicon of profanity that came with it eventually caught up to him, as producers became convinced he wasn’t even acting.

“An agent actually said to me one time, ‘I’m having trouble getting you work on your hiatus because everyone’s saying there’s no way that’s acting,'” Piven said. “And I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, wait, what?'”

Piven’s love for Seattle

“I love Seattle,” Piven said. “My memory of Seattle is filming with Cameron Crowe in Seattle. I did ‘Singles’ and ‘Say Anything’ with Cameron, and then I did a music video with him in Seattle.”

One part of the Seattle leg of his tour that Piven is particularly excited about is performing at the Neptune Theatre, a historic 104-year-old venue with a 1,000-person capacity in the University District. In 2014, the theater was designated as a Seattle landmark.

“It’s a great venue,” Harger said. “I’ve been to a couple of shows there. In fact, I brought my daughter to a concert there once, and they brought us up on stage. I danced on stage there. It seemed like a lot of people were judging me and my dancing.”

“And, by the way, that feeling is very common. That’s what everyone feels the first time they really enter into a new arena like that,” Piven said. “If you wanted to be a professional dancer, and I don’t suggest it, my good man, I don’t know if you have it in you. I think if you were a stripper, your stripper name would be ‘Vanilla Drizzle’ or ‘Put some ice on it.'”

Piven’s show is happening . Show starts at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

Listen to听鈥淪eattle鈥檚 Morning News鈥�听with Charlie Harger and Manda Factor weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio. Subscribe to the podcast听here.

“I’m not trying to be funny by this, but I’m just going to say it right now,” Gee said on “Seattle’s Morning News.” “If you, or anybody that you know, is still letting off fireworks after 12 a.m. on July 5, you’re a jerk!”

“We’re now days later, and I heard some at midnight last night,” 成人X站 host Manda Factor said Monday morning, three days after the Fourth of July. “I think that you have no regard for our elderly population, and there’s always somebody who says to me, ‘Well, all you got to do is pack up and take your animals with you.’ My neighbor next door is an elderly person. She can’t just pick up and leave. I’m tired of the fireworks, plus they’re dangerous.”

2024 stats on injuries related to fireworks

Last year, 14,700 people were sent to the ER for fireworks-related injuries, resulting in 11 deaths, according to the . This year, Harborview Medical Center treated dozens of patients for fireworks-related injuries, while a man in Snohomish County lost his entire hand as a result of the fireworks accident.

“Doesn’t it take the significance out of the Fourth of July if you just keep blasting these things off?” Gee added.

Listen to the full conversation here.

Listen to听鈥淪eattle鈥檚 Morning News鈥�听with Charlie Harger and Manda Factor weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio. Subscribe to the podcast听here.

The sold-out event will feature 鈥�speedcubing鈥澨�experts solving the cube听in mere seconds, repeatedly, until a champion is crowned.

Events include timed, fewest moves, blindfolded, and one-handed.

This is the twelfth World Championship for the Rubik’s Cube, which turns 51 this month. This year, 2,000 speedcubers from 74 countries registered to compete. They will compete in front of approximately 4,500 spectators.

This represents an improvement in overall turnout, as only 1,187 competitors participated in听the Rubik’s Cube world championship two years ago in South Korea.

The current world record in the three-by-three-by-three-inch cube category is held by 10-year-old Xuanyi Geng, according to , who did it in 3.05 seconds.

The mixed result came on the third day of deliberations. It could still send Combs, 55, to prison for as long as a decade, and is likely to end his career as a hitmaking music executive, fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and reality TV star.

The foreperson confirmed the verdict reached was unanimous.

After they read the verdict, Combs held his hands up in a prayer motion, looking at jury and hugged his defense lawyer Teny Geragos.

Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act.

But the jury of eight men and four women acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, related to allegations that he used his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate his girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fueled sex marathons with the men.

Combs and his defense team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges.

After the verdict was read, the judge gave the jury guidance on speaking about the case to the media, to the public, and more.

Combs continuing to pump his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges.

听seemed buoyant arriving in the courtroom earlier Wednesday morning, a contrast to his mood a day earlier after he learned that the jury at his sex trafficking trial had reached a听听on all but one of the five charges the hip-hop mogul faces.

Combs smiled and clasped his hands together in the air toward his family and supporters before hugging several of his lawyers and sitting down to await the outcome of the jury鈥檚 third day of deliberations.

A short while later, Combs, his head bowed, stood several feet from his family for less than a minute as they sat with their heads bowed in prayer. As they did on Monday, Combs and family members then applauded before he was led from the courtroom by U.S. marshals. The family later got in a van and left the courthouse.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered the jury to continue its closed-door discussions for a third day after听听said it was unable to reach consensus on the top count: racketeering conspiracy.

The judge agreed with prosecutors and Combs鈥� defense team that less than 13 hours of deliberations was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts.

The jury鈥檚 decision on the other charges 鈥� two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution 鈥� remains under wraps for now.

In a note to the court late Tuesday, the jury said 鈥渦npersuadable opinions on both sides鈥� among some jurors had prevented the group from reaching a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge.

Racketeering conspiracy is the most complicated charge in the trial and carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison.

The sex trafficking charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. Transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The disclosure of the jury note about the partial verdict seemed to put defense attorneys and their client in a dour mood even before it was read in open court by the judge.

Eight defense lawyers formed a half-circle behind Combs as the smiles and lighthearted mood that accompanied the arrival of other jury notes over two days seemed absent as the attorneys contemplated the possibility that jurors had reached agreement on counts that carry the heaviest sentencing penalties.

Combs appeared morose as his lawyers spoke with him. At one point,听听solemnly read a piece of paper that attorney Marc Agnifilo handed to him.

After the jury came in for instructions and then exited the room, a subdued Combs sat in his chair for a few minutes. As he stood to leave, he faced his relatives and supporters in the audience, blew a kiss and tapped his heart, as he frequently has done at the start and end of each day.

Then he paused before his mother and exchanged a few words, telling her, 鈥淟ove you鈥� and 鈥淚鈥檒l be all right.鈥�

Marshals then led him from the room.

Earlier in their deliberations the jury asked to review testimony from听, the R&B singer who was Diddy鈥檚 former longtime girlfriend, as well as from Daniel Phillip, a male stripper Diddy is accused of paying to have sex with Cassie.

Prosecutors say Combs coerced two girlfriends into drug-fueled听听with male sex workers.

Lawyers for the Bad Boy Records founder听听prosecutors are trying to criminalize Combs鈥� swinger lifestyle. They say his conduct, if anything, amounted to domestic violence, not federal felonies.

Combs .

About a 1.7 mile stretch from 4th Ave will be closed from S Washington Street in Pioneer Square to the Seattle Center for the parade, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).

It should be noted that east and west crossing streets along the parade route will be closed too (meaning you will have to take a detour if you鈥檙e trying to access streets from either 3rd Ave. down toward the waterfront or from 5th Ave. and beyond toward Capitol Hill).

Additionally, 4th Ave N will close from Broad Street to Denny Way at noon for parade staging.

The closures will remain in place until the parade concludes, according to the SDOT.

Parking Lots around the route:

鈼� 6th Avenue & Bell Street – Two blocks east of the 4th & Bell Stage

鈻� Lot #15: 2231 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

鈼� 5th Avenue & Bell Street – One block east of the 4th & Bell Stage

鈻� Lot #14: 2230 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

鈼� Denny Building Garage – Two blocks east of 4th & Bell Stage

鈻� Lot #4: 2224 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Getting to the parade

If you don鈥檛 want to stress about road closures and parking, consider taking public transit.

Seattle Pride Parade attendees can save on travel time, parking and gas by taking Sound Transit鈥檚 Sounder trains to this Sunday鈥檚 Pride Parade.

This service is in addition to Link light rail, ST Express and King County Metro service to and from downtown Seattle.

The special service will be available Sunday, June 29, for the 11 a.m. parade, which begins downtown and ends at Seattle Center.

The inbound Sounder S Line train departs Lakewood at 8:11 a.m. The train will stop at all Sounder S Line stations and arrive at King Street Station at 9:27 a.m.

From the north, the inbound Sounder N Line train from Snohomish County departs Everett at 8:45 a.m. with stops in Mukilteo and Edmonds, arriving at King Street Station at 9:44 a.m.

The return train to Lakewood departs King Street Station at 5:20 p.m. The return train to Everett departs King Street at 5:15 p.m.

The light rail stations will be running as normal. If you want to see the parade, it鈥檚 recommended you get off at the Westlake station. From the Westlake station, you can take the monorail to the Seattle Center for additional celebrations after the parade.

You can also take King County Metro to and from downtown Seattle.听.

Parade accessibility

There will be three announcer stages at the parade: Westlake Park, 4th and Bell Street and 4th and Denny Way.

There are multiple. All are ADA accessible. There are multiple ADA units at each of the stage areas.

Medical tents for basic first aid are located at Westlake Park and the 4th Ave and Bell Street stage area.

A low sensory and decompression space is also available. The space is provided by SIFF at Cinema Downtown (4th & Lenora). Quiet space, public restrooms, light concessions. Grandstand seats available.

From February 2019 to February 2020, approximately 41% of the adult population visited the market, a 10% drop.

Seattle Sounders games, the Pacific Science Center, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Great Wheel, events at Lumen Field, Seattle Mariners games, the Museum of Pop Culture, the Woodland Park Zoo, and the Museum of Flight all have had less foot traffic and visitors compared to five years prior.

“The Pacific Science Center, that’s a gem. The Seattle Center, that’s a gem in the city,” 成人X站 host Ursula Reutin added. “The Giant Wheel, the big wheel. I haven’t even done that.”

“I’m glad you brought up the big wheel,” 成人X站 host Gee Scott said. “The big wheel is down 10% in the last five years.”

A combination of crime in the areas where these tourist destinations are located, higher prices, and pandemic hangovers could all be contributing to the drop in traffic.

“For me, it’s parking,” Ursula said. “I know for a lot of people, too, they just don’t have as much money to spend. All these things cost money.”

“That’s true,” Gee said. “And parking starts that, and then all activities surrounding it. I will say, there is some nice public transit you can get on if you do get a chance.”

Of the common Seattle tourist destinations that saw an uptick in traffic, the Seattle Aquarium experienced 11% growth, while Seattle Seahawks games increased by 15% and Seattle Storm games rose an astonishing 115% since 2020.

Listen to the full conversation here.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on听鈥淭he Gee and Ursula Show鈥�听weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on 成人X站 Newsradio.听

Below is a list of restaurants and eateries closing down shop in Seattle’s various neighborhoods or the surrounding areas this past month.

Capitol Hill

The Redhook Ale Brewery in Capitol Hill is set to close after eight years of operation. It was听the only location remaining in Seattle for one of the city鈥檚 first craft brewers.

Redhook did not announce a date for the microbrewery鈥檚 closure, but is planning to open a new location in the future, according to听.

鈥淒uring this transition period, Redhook beer will continue to be brewed and available, ensuring that our loyal customers can still enjoy their favorite brews without interruption,鈥� Tilray said in a statement, according to听The听Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.

Additionally, in Capitol Hill, a听collection of restaurants and eateries run by James Beard Award-winning Seattle chef Renee Erickson is set to close, with some locations closing either temporarily or permanently.

Bateau, a contemporary steakhouse, and Boat Bar, a French-inspired oyster bar, are shutting down temporarily on June 19. Both restaurants are expected to reopen in the next three to six months.

鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly proud of what Bateau and Boat Bar have brought to Seattle鈥檚 dining scene,鈥� Erickson said in a prepared statement. 鈥淭his closure will allow us the time and space to refresh and retool these restaurants after a long 10 years, so they can evolve and continue to inspire.鈥�

Beataeu鈥檚 next-door neighbor, The General Porpoise caf茅, also owned and operated by Erickson, is set to close permanently in order to be converted into a private dining room. The General Porpoise location in Laurelhurst is also closing permanently by June 24.

Chinatown鈥擨nternational District

Momosan’s Seattle location is shuttering its doors, according to . Momosan is an upscale ramen chain created and led by celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto.

Denny Triangle

In the Denny Triangle neighborhood,听 closed on June 7. There are still three stores in operation within Seattle.

Georgetown

Starbucks will now charge 80 cents for any combination of syrups or sauces it offers, instead of charging per added flavor, among other changes.

Starbucks price change details

Starbucks announced that the updated 80-cent charge will only be valid for one of their unflavored drinks, allowing any combination of flavors to be added for only 80 cents, according to .

“A visit to Starbucks is about connection and joy, and of course great coffee,” Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol wrote in an .

Additionally, Starbucks will not charge its customers for substituting sauces or syrups for some of its pre-flavored drinks.

“Our stores have always been more than a place to get a drink,” Niccol said. “They鈥檝e been a gathering space, a community center where conversations are sparked, friendships form, and everyone is greeted by a welcoming barista.”

Starbucks will also charge $1 per scoop of matcha powder when added to a non-matcha drink. The final change Starbucks announced is a 50-cent charge for the addition of dried fruit in a beverage.

“Many of our customers still experience this magic every day, but in some places, we aren鈥檛 always delivering,” Niccol wrote. “It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, the product is inconsistent, the wait is too long, or the handoff is too hectic. These moments are opportunities for us to do better.”

Follow Jason Sutich听.听厂别苍诲听news tips here.

Everywhere Caitlin Clark goes, exorbitant ticket prices and mass interest follow. Seattle was no different when Clark and the Fever arrived earlier this week, defeating the Storm 94-86 Tuesday.

The cheapest tickets to get into Climate Pledge Arena to see Clark were going for roughly $75-85, according to GameTime Tickets, with floor seats costing $894 and courtside seats ranging anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000.

In comparison to Friday’s game against the Connecticut Sun, the most expensive ticket costs less than $1,200 while the cheapest available seats are going for less than $20.

The goal is to have these liaisons host visitors and showcase the vibrant communities in each neighborhood.

“With hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to pass through these stadium neighborhoods during the tournament, preparations have focused not only on celebration, but on managing the impact of this unprecedented scale of activity on local residents and small businesses,” Hana Tadesse, the vice president of communications for Seattle FIFA World Cup 26, said. “The recently hired Stadium Neighborhood World Cup Liaisons are positioned to help businesses and communities mitigate potential impacts and prepare for the massive economic benefit of the FIFA World Cup.”

The liaisons’ responsibilities include leading culturally relevant outreach and engagement, supporting neighborhood-specific planning efforts, coordinating logistics and communications with SeattleFWC26, and elevating the unique identities of each neighborhood during the World Cup.

Liaison’s impact on CID

“With the tournament being such an unprecedented event, it will be incredibly helpful to have the CID liaison on board a full year ahead to solidify strategies and projects,” the CID Small Business Relief Team stated. “The CID neighborhood needs to see positive impacts and economic benefits from stadium events instead of just being a pass-through. With this collaboration, we will have a full-time staff dedicated to bringing culturally informed, multilingual support to CID small businesses and help them manage and adapt their operations to large-scale events.”

Carmen Pan was appointed as the CID liaison. Hired by the Small Business Relief Team, she will bring experience in community engagement, public service, and small business support to the field.

“Carmen will be available for one-on-one consultations for businesses to assist in understanding, planning, preparing for, and getting questions answered about the tournament,” Tadesse stated.

Last month, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell gathered with community leaders, small business owners, and corporations at Hing Hay Park Wednesday to announce that the CID will receive $1 million for upgrades to safety while continuing efforts to make the CID safer, more livable, and healthier for small businesses.

Harrell said safe, bustling streets in the CID, filled with visitors and locals, will benefit shops, restaurants, residents, and tourists who come here every year.

A liaison for Pioneer Square

Nadia Flusche will be installed as the liaison for Pioneer Square. A Seattle native for 25 years, she has worked extensively in Pioneer Square.

“Our communities face unique challenges and are too often left out of the planning process for events that directly affect us,” Alliance for Pioneer Square stated after the announcement. “We鈥檙e thankful to the Local Organizing Committee for creating this collaborative platform that supports shared success. Having World Cup Liaisons embedded within our community organizations is especially meaningful, as it helps extend trusted relationships and local expertise well beyond the World Cup itself.”

Her outreach goals are to keep local businesses informed and engaged in shaping Pioneer Square鈥檚 FIFA World Cup experience, and to strengthen the neighborhood鈥檚 long-term sustainability by positioning this historic district as a premier destination before, during, and beyond the tournament, all while honoring local Indigenous history.

Pioneer Square is 63% above the national average for total crime, according to data released from the听FBI in September 2024, including 22% for violent crime and 71% for property crime.

SODO appointing a team to be its liaison

The SODO Business Improvement Area Team will shoulder the responsibility of being the neighborhood’s liaison for the upcoming event.

“Since 2014, the SODO BIA has served as a liaison, problem-solver, and advocate for the SODO business community,” Tadesse said. “As the FIFA World Cup 26 approaches, the team will prioritize informing and engaging businesses about the opportunities this global event brings to SODO鈥檚 front steps and showcasing the best of what SODO has to offer.”

Additionally, the team will also collaborate with government partners and other stakeholders to identify possible challenges that impact SODO businesses鈥� ability to operate throughout the tournament. This can include accessibility, public safety, cleanliness, and transportation access.

“We know that the neighborhoods surrounding Seattle Stadium are more than just the backdrop to the FIFA World Cup鈥攖hey are home to vibrant communities, small businesses, and deep-rooted cultural legacies,” said Peter Tomozawa, the CEO of Seattle FIFA World Cup 26. “That鈥檚 why this partnership with community organizations in the Chinatown International District, Pioneer Square, and SODO is so important. By embedding dedicated World Cup Neighborhood Liaisons, we鈥檙e not only helping prepare for the scale and excitement of the tournament鈥攚e鈥檙e also investing in lasting local relationships that will extend far beyond 2026.”

It’s a convention for fans of just about anything in pop culture, or at least that’s how they describe the , which is taking over the Washington State Fair and Events Center in Puyallup this weekend.

Meet the people behind some of your favorite franchises, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Super Mario, TMNT, X-Men, and so many more. Not to mention hundreds of vendors selling collectibles, an arcade to enjoy, and panels to learn something new about your favorite movies and shows. You’ll want to see the full guest list and get tickets on the.

Multiple summer fairs

Fair season continues this weekend with the and on Saturday and Sunday, which will host tons of vendors selling crafts, clothing, and other specialty goods. Plus, there will be plenty of food and live music all going down in Fremont on Saturday and Sunday!

If you’re a fan of crafts, the is also taking place on Saturday and Sunday at Magnuson Park Hangar 30, showcasing more than 180 artists of all kinds.

You can also celebrate Juneteenth at the on Pier 62 tonight from 3:30-9:30 p.m. According to the event’s website, the market will feature a “diverse lineup of BIPOC vendors, performers, and food trucks.” All these events are free to attend.

Pride events continue this weekend

Pride events are continuing this weekend, including , which takes place this Saturday. The event features a street fair at Bloom Bistro from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a neighborhood parade at Oxbow Park from 3-4 p.m., and participation from numerous other businesses throughout Georgetown. There are events for all ages, but some are age restricted, so check out the event listing before checking it out.

is putting on their “Pride and Power Jams” event at Pierce College on Saturday. There will be two bouts, plus art vendors, food trucks, a raffle, plus a beer garden for those of age.

Food walks

Saturday is the first of three from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the walk, participating businesses will offer $6 special bites of food as well as other discounts. There’s an information booth at Hing Hay Park that will have a menu to map your route, but for more information, head to their website.

Nature activities

For the nature lovers out there, you will want to head to Camp Long in West Seattle for ! According to Seattle Parks, this free activity for all ages features rock climbing, bouldering, rappelling, nature walks, a scavenger hunt, and a high ropes course. The forecast does call for light rain, so be prepared!

Sporting events this weekend

For the sports fans, the takes on the 2024 WNBA champion New York Liberty at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday at 4 p.m.

The FIFA Club World Cup continues through the weekend with a few matches to see. The Sounders will finish the group stage against PSG on Monday at Lumen Field.

And lastly, here’s an event sent to me by a listener.

June is Dravet Syndrome Awareness Month, and to shed light on this rare form of epilepsy, Camp Small Steps will be offering a safe, inclusive, and accessible camp-themed event for families on Saturday in Tacoma. There will be arts and crafts, a communal dinner, and a bonfire celebration. This event will take place at the Marriott Tacoma Downtown from 5-9 p.m.

How are you kicking off the summer? Let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com.

1,038 people participated in a 30-minute soccer lesson, making it the largest soccer lesson in the world. Washingtonians beat the previous mark of 956 set in San Jose in 2023.

Carla and Jeff Running brought their kids Ian and Evan to be a part of the attempt.

鈥淭hey love soccer and it鈥檚 happening in our city so we have to support and feel the vibe being here,鈥� Carla said.

The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed the record, counting the participants and deducting those who didn鈥檛 commit to the lesson for all 30 minutes.

鈥淚 remember being a kid and growing up with the Guiness Book of World Records,鈥� Kelly Erdmanczyk said with her young ones in tow. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really exciting and I don鈥檛 think we鈥檒l ever have another opportunity like this again.鈥�

Kelly and her husband Steven brought their three kids, Ira, Skye, and Willa. The record created a once-in-a-lifetime gift for Father鈥檚 Day.

鈥淚t will be cool to look back and say we were there for that,鈥� Steven said.

Pier 62 on the Seattle Waterfront, just below the new Waterfront Park, was packed with people inside the corrals for the soccer lesson.

鈥淭he line when I came up this morning, there were hundreds of people down the waterfront, basically waiting to come in for this,鈥� Michael Empric, the adjudicator on hand for Guinness, said. 鈥淚 think people are really amped for the World Cup and this record attempt.鈥�

The event kicks off the Club World Cup, an international tournament where teams from around the world will come to the United States for matches. The Sounders are one of several teams hosting, with the first game Sunday with Botofoga in town from Brazil.

鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful and stunning,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淚 just hope people see how amazing our city is. I鈥檓 so proud of where we live and where we鈥檙e bringing up our children.鈥�

Kelly and her family already have tickets for the Sounders match hosting Paris Saint-Germain. The Running family has their tickets for the second game when the Sounders take on Atl茅tico de Madrid.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty special for them to come here and play in Seattle,鈥� Ian said.

The FIFA World Cup not only brings the highest level of competition in the sport to Seattle, it鈥檚 looking to grow the game from the grassroots鈥攍iterally.

initiative built 26 mini fields across Washington to support youth soccer programs. Organizers announced that the goal has already been met. In 2026, Seattle will host six FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.

“For the last 2.5 years, I’ve been working on a musical, and tomorrow is the first staged reading of it,” Poe Russell said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on 成人X站 Newsradio.

A stage reading is one of the final stages for a play before it premieres, where a live audience attends a showing with no set, costumes, or choreography.

“But you will get to hear the whole story and all of the music,” Poe Russell said. “To me, the magical part about it is that the audience gets to provide feedback. The goal for the writing team, me, the composer, the director, is to actually hear it on its feet, and then hear how audiences are reacting to it. Then we rewrite it, and then we stage it.”

What ‘Aviatrix’ is about

The play, set to officially debut June 14, 2026, is about a girl from rural Texas in 1917 who has dreams of flying. But flight schools didn’t accept women, much less one who was Black and Native, during this time, causing her to chart a most unique path, making her an aviation legend in the process.

The play is based on a true story of a real-life figure, Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman.

“Orville Wright said that women weren’t mechanically inclined,” Poe Russell said. “So it follows a story of this one woman who refused to take no for an answer and managed to find a way. And they would call her the ‘Aviatrix.’ It’s just really this inspiring story. She’s been very inspiring to me.”

The book and lyrics were written by Poe Russell. The play is directed by Amy Poisson, with music and lyrics by Dionne McClain-Freeney.

“I traveled to her hometown where she grew up, got to do a lot of research,” Poe Russell said. “I traveled to Atlanta, Texas, where she was born. This tiny town has a little museum there for her with some of her memorabilia. What’s crazy is that she was before Amelia Earhart. I love highlighting these overlooked stories.”

The first stage reading for “Aviatrix” by Angela Poe Russell is Friday, June 13, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Listen to the full conversation here.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on听鈥淭he Gee and Ursula Show鈥�听weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on 成人X站 Newsradio.听

“I wanted to be a hero,” Day said. “I wanted to be the center of attention. I wanted the glory. I wanted the fame. I wanted the pretty girls coming up and saying, ‘Hi, I see that you’re good at centipede.'”

Walter Day and Twin Galaxies

You might know Walter Day from the 2007 documentary, “.” In the film, we learn that Day is the head referee and scorekeeper of Twin Galaxies, an international video game scoreboard and, back in the 80s, a legendary arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa. While Day wasn鈥檛 the true star of the movie, which focused on the world of competitive Donkey Kong, he鈥檚 become a fan favorite, and if you ask me, the world of competitive gaming as we know it owes him and his work a thank you.听

After researching and practicing transcendental meditation, Day wanted to know what made a champion a champion, so he got to work.听

鈥淚 started monitoring high scores as I traveled around the country as a traveling salesman. I fell in love with video game arcades, and I decided I wanted to do an arcade,” Day said. “When I did the arcade, I immediately started a scoreboard and tried to monitor who was the best in all the games.

“Next thing I know, I discovered that the video game industry had no scorekeeper and had no scoreboard, so I volunteered to do it, and the video game industry went for it,” Day continued. “Suddenly, overnight, my arcade, Twin Galaxies, became the world’s most famous arcade. It became the mecca of video game playing. It became the crossroads. It became the Dodge City of video games, and people traveled even from other countries, just to say they once played at the great Twin Galaxies.

“So suddenly, we were the center of the video game universe,” Day added. “And everything we did was completely original, pioneering, and now, historically, looking back on it, it is the birth of organized competitive video gaming, which makes it the birth of competitive eSports.”

Arcades and Love Songs

You learn more about his story and influence throughout the rest of “The King of Kong,” but his latest movie, “,” directed by Ed Cunningham, is not a sequel.听

鈥淚 got pulled back in just before I learned about Walter’s music, because Walter got pulled into a lawsuit,” Day said. “Billy Mitchell had been in a lawsuit with Twin Galaxies, which Walter had sold after ‘The King of Kong.’ Some of that lawsuit specifically mentioned the film, so I got back involved to help Walter defend himself from a lawsuit, from a movie that we produced almost 20 years ago.

“That was really a strain on Walter’s life,” Day said. “I was there as a friend, and we reconnected through what was the hardship for him.”

In 2014, Day sold Twin Galaxies to focus on his music career, hence the name of the film, “Arcades and Love Songs.” Years after the release of “The King of Kong,” Billy Mitchell, one of the Donkey Kong players featured in the movie, was accused of cheating. Mitchell was even stripped of his high scores from Twin Galaxies. Eventually, Mitchell filed a defamation lawsuit against Twin Galaxies.

In 2021, Twin Galaxies countersued Mitchell and listed Day as a cross-defendant, accusing the pair of collaborating to promote the fake score and drive up the company’s value before its sale. However, Day was later voluntarily dropped from the suit, which was eventually settled out of court.

During all this, Day was still nursing a broken heart.

Day’s step into a music career

鈥淥f course, in 1985, I had a glamorous girlfriend. One night, while I was very in love with her, she called me up and said, ‘Walter, I’ve been seeing a friend of yours, and we’re done.’ My heart was broken for the first time, and actually the only time,” Day said. “It was a very, very big experience, but what became interesting is that, a couple of weeks into the heartbreak, I started hearing music playing in me, almost like I was channeling a radio station, but that radio station was playing songs that were new. They were my songs that didn’t exist in the outside world.”

More than 100 songs are the result of Day鈥檚 heartbreak back in the 80s, and it has been his lifelong goal to produce and perform those songs. But there was one catch.

鈥淭he voice is still a work in progress. When I got up on the stage, I got up there with more courage than I had with the skill of singing. I’m brand new. I never was a singer. I never expected to be a singer. I never thought of being a singer. I never imagined being a singer,” Day said. “When I got up there on the stage, I was singing for the first time in my life in front of people, and that was a huge psychological, emotional adventure.”

Throughout “Arcades and Love Songs,” Day’s journey to build his voice and confidence is evident as he revisits the inspiration behind all this music. But the film is more than just following around a man who has dedicated his life to the world of video games. It鈥檚 a story of perseverance, and that we should never lose sight of our biggest goals in life. Sometimes the thing preventing you from what you鈥檝e always wanted is yourself.听

鈥淚 actually began to have tremendous fears, and would even have nightmares about how it鈥檚 the end of my life and I never, ever, ever did the music and never shared it to the world so the world would find out how beautiful it is,鈥� Day said.

When the word got out that Day needed help making his album, the video game world stepped up.

鈥淚 was at an event when a couple of people came out of the crowd, and they said, ‘Walter, we recognize you from “The King of Kong.” Whatever happened to that music? Anything ever come out of it?'” Day said. “I explained to them that it was still my dream to do, but it never happened just because of all the difficulties of life. And they said, ‘Well, we made a game called Color Switch. It’s been successful. We’ve got the money and we want to pay for your album as a gift, no strings attached.'”

I don鈥檛 want to spoil how the performance goes, but the film is a must for fans not only of “The King of Kong,” but for those looking for a little inspiration.

“This is not an action film at all. This is completely devoted to the impulses of the heart,” Day said. “In a sense, this is completely all about how the way people work together, and how their hearts fit together, which is becoming an important theme at this time in history, because the world is so crazy.”

You can stream “Arcades and Love Songs” on multiple platforms right now.

Read more of Paul Holden鈥檚 stories听here.