KTTH – MyNorthwest.com Seattle news, sports, weather, traffic, talk and community. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 01:29:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8 /wp-content/uploads/2024/06/favicon-needle.png KTTH – MyNorthwest.com 32 32 Video: Do not wear this shirt this Summer! /youtube_videos/video-do-not-wear-this-shirt-this-summer Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:56:48 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-do-not-wear-this-shirt-this-summer The Summer is here, and Jason Rantz thinks Jake Skorheim’s Summer attire is a bit… how do you say it? Oh yeah… LOUD. What do you think? Enjoy a Double Shot.☕☕

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Video: FIFA Study Exposes Gender Hypocrisy /youtube_videos/video-fifa-study-exposes-gender-hypocrisy Thu, 26 Jun 2025 22:27:24 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-fifa-study-exposes-gender-hypocrisy FIFA just dropped a study that suggests biological women are up to 8x more likely to tear their ACLs than men, in part due to hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle.

So naturally, progressives who can’t define what a woman is are now applauding the science. Yes, even Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, who have long advocated for men competing in women’s sports, are suddenly real big fans of gender-based research.

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Rantz: Seattle mayor’s office backs sidewalk murals for fentanyl addicts to pass out on /ktth/rantz-opinion/seattle-homeless-murals/4103647 Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:30:34 +0000 /?p=4103647 As fentanyl addicts and the mentally ill continue to languish and die on our streets, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s administration has decided that what downtown Seattle really needs are sidewalk murals. Because nothing says “we’re tackling the root causes of homelessness” quite like ensuring that when a drug addict passes out, they do so on a vibrant, city-supported work of art.

The sidewalk murals align with Harrell’s uninspired . One of the action steps? “Create more murals and other art installations throughout Downtown and activate street corners, parks, and transit stations with buskers and other forms of entertainment to create a more beautiful and welcoming environment, mitigating the impact of graffiti and street disorder.” Harrell, via a spokesperson, said this particular project was sponsored by the Downtown Seattle Association.

The logic, if you can call it that, seems to be that if we make the scenery prettier, the human suffering playing out against it will somehow be less tragic. It’s a continuation of the same tired, ineffective, and lazy approach we’ve seen countless times from our city’s leadership. Harrell is a master of the performative gesture, the symbolic act that accomplishes nothing but allows the mayor to pat himself on the back for a job well done.

This is not a parody. This is the actual strategy of a city in the throes of a humanitarian crisis.

Note: This piece originally attributed the mural to the mayor’s office when it was sponsored by the Downtown Seattle Association. A Harrell spokesperson says the “initiative is aligned with one of the goals of the mayor’s Downtown Activation Plan to increase public art opportunities, [but] this specific project was not completed by the City or mayor’s Office.”

Bruce Harrell’s homelessness plans? Sidewalk art and lighting

This sidewalk mural initiative is a perfect companion piece to another of the mayor’s recent beautification-as-solution projects: strings of lights a few blocks away from where the homeless congregate.

Billed as a way to “enhance community safety and vibrancy,” the decorative lights are meant to deter crime and make residents feel more secure. But ask anyone who lives or works in the downtown core and Belltown, and they’ll tell you that the problem isn’t a lack of ambient lighting. The problem is the open-air drug markets, the relentless property crime, and the sense that the city has all but abandoned them to the wolves.

The lights and sidewalk murals are a slap in the face to a community that has been begging for a real plan, for more police, and for a commitment to prosecuting the criminals who are making their lives a living hell.

Seattle residents should be insulted

What these initiatives share is a fundamental misunderstanding, or perhaps a willful ignorance, of the nature of the problem.

We are not dealing with a crisis of aesthetics. We are dealing with a crisis of addiction, of mental illness, and of a complete and utter breakdown of law and order. Painting a mural on a sidewalk will not get a fentanyl addict into treatment. Installing a light fixture will not stop a prolific offender from breaking into another small business.

These are solutions for a city that is not in crisis, for a city that has the luxury of worrying about its appearance. That is not Seattle.

We actually know what tackles homelessness

The tragic irony is that we know what works. We know that a compassionate, but firm approach, one that combines robust and readily available treatment options with a law enforcement presence that makes it clear that criminal behavior will not be tolerated, is the only way to make a real difference.

Seattle should be investing in long-term treatment facilities, in mental health care, and in a criminal justice system that is allowed to do its job. Instead, we get murals and mood lighting. Soon? Buskers.

It’s a tale of two cities. In the Seattle mayor’s press releases, the city is becoming more vibrant, more beautiful, and more welcoming with each passing day. In the real Seattle, the one that the rest of us have to live in, things are getting worse. The open-air drug use, the homeless encampments, the property crime—these are the realities that a fresh coat of paint and some light bulbs cannot hide.

The people of Seattle are not asking for a more scenic city. Our city is beautiful—when you clean up the mess made by the homeless.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on ,,, and .

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Video: “Busy work is the best,” said no one EVER /youtube_videos/video-busy-work-is-the-best-said-no-one-ever Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:29:37 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-busy-work-is-the-best-said-no-one-ever We all have busy work we have to do at our jobs. So, how do you motivate yourself to do those often mundane tasks? Jason Rantz wants to know. Tell us in the comments and enjoy a Double Shot. ☕☕

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

Listen to the Jake and Spike Show every weekday from 12pm – 3pm on Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

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Rantz: Sounders supporters embrace antisemitic displays during match /ktth/rantz-opinion/sounders-antisemitic/4102915 Wed, 25 Jun 2025 02:00:44 +0000 /?p=4102915 The Seattle Sounders hosted a FIFA match featuring antisemitic activism from the supporters groups the club prioritizes over the greater fan base.

At Monday’s unsuccessful Club World Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain, the supporters’ section at Lumen Field was once again awash in Palestinian flags. These flags have become a symbol of antisemitism; a rebuke of a country fighting a terrorist group, Hamas. When activists wave Palestinian flags, they’re taking a “Free Palestine!” position, believing Israel is on “stolen” Palestinian land. That they engaged in this behavior right after the United States struck Iran’s nuclear sites is revealing.

This wasn’t about cheering on their team, and the display had nothing to do with professional soccer or the Sounders. It was a typical brazen, defiant, radical political statement by groups who have long operated outside the bounds of reasonable fan conduct, without any meaningful consequence. There won’t be this time, either.

These aren’t your typical passionate fans, either. They’re radical, far-left groups, many of whom as Antifa. They consistently flout stadium rules, using the Sounders’ need for “fan engagement” as leverage. It’s an arrangement that allows them to push a divisive agenda, alienating many potential fans and undermining the very sport they claim to support. This isn’t inclusivity; it’s virtue signaling that only serves to highlight their own narrow, ideological echo chamber.

Sounders FC’s embrace of antisemitism is hardly new

Monday’s display of Palestinian flags, which violates stadium rules, is part of a pattern, not an anomaly.

The club’s updated code of conduct “flags of Israel or Palestine,” yet these groups routinely ignore it. And what does the club do? Virtually nothing. Sometimes they get a “stern talking to,” the bare minimum so that the club can say they did something if they’re ever pressed. Of course, local left-wing media almost never presses them.

In this case, because it’s a FIFA event, the front office can conveniently sidestep this issue. It’s not technically their event, so FIFA can take a stance if it wants. Something tells me that if the supporters group held up messaging the club felt was sufficiently offensive enough, they wouldn’t stay quiet.

The front office clings to that silence, hoping to avoid public scrutiny and sidestep media questions that might force them to confront the radical fringe they’ve emboldened. Why? Because the Sounders, as evidenced by declining attendance figures, feel like they must placate a hardcore base that cares more about political posturing than wins.

And what came of the Sounders’ tepid condemnation of antisemitic team minority owner Macklemore, exactly?

Seattle Sounders fans put on a big show of solidarity with Palestine during their FIFA Club World Cup game against PSG. Photos by Juan Mabromata and Buda Mendes.

Embracing fringe politics stifles Sounders growth

When I was part of the broadcast team for the Sounders, there was talk of filling Lumen Field as if it were a Seahawks game. But rather than grow the team, the front desk leaned into political positions and placated the most radical fans. They’ve suffered as a consequence.

The Sounders’ attendance has been declining, dropping from peaks in the 40,000s in the to an average of 30,754 . The team is actively trying to “rebuild their fan base,” even launching a “First Match On Us” promotion to bring in new attendees. This isn’t the sign of a thriving, growing franchise; it’s the sign of a team grasping at straws, all while allowing a vocal, radical minority to define its public image.

Want to grow attendance and exploit World Cup interest? It should stop embracing radical political views. As the front office is finding out, there’s not an appetite to attend a political rally filled with antisemites and socialists at Lumen Field.

Sounders at a crossroads

This team isn’t what it once was, both on and off the field. The close-minded, radical shift extends beyond the stands.

Players, too, are expected to tow the line. As I reported previously, players with differing political opinions have found themselves benched and even traded. There’s a chilling uniformity of thought demanded by this radical element that stifles genuine expression. Past players and staff have privately expressed frustration with “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

The Sounders are at a crossroads. Do they continue to capitulate to a radical few, sacrificing their broad appeal and long-term viability, leading to closed-off sections of the stadium to seem less empty on broadcasts? Or do they finally enforce their own rules, prioritize the game, and remember that professional sports are meant to unite, not divide? The Sounders are a victim of their own politically charged priorities and cowardice when faced with their antisemitic extremist supporters.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on ,,, and .

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Video: Eggslut is coming to Capitol Hill and people are mad! /youtube_videos/video-eggslut-is-coming-to-capitol-hill-and-people-are-mad Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:29:31 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-eggslut-is-coming-to-capitol-hill-and-people-are-mad The popular sandwich chain Eggslut plans to open its Capitol Hill location in Seattle. Jason Rantz wants to discuss how current businesses are upset about the construction. Jake Skorheim, on the other hand, has a tough time even saying the word Eggslut. It’s a Double Shot. ☕☕

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

Listen to the Jake and Spike Show every weekday from 12pm – 3pm on Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

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Video: Helping the poor? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves /youtube_videos/video-helping-the-poor-lets-not-get-ahead-of-ourselves Tue, 24 Jun 2025 21:49:22 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-helping-the-poor-lets-not-get-ahead-of-ourselves King County Housing Authority says it’s just being cautious by putting a freeze on new project-based housing vouchers, even though no federal budget cuts have happened yet. You know — preemptive belt-tightening… at the expense of the poorest people in the region.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

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Rantz: Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe briefly drop trans lie, acknowledge differences between men and women /ktth/rantz-opinion/bird-rapinoe-trans-truth/4102571 Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:01:50 +0000 /?p=4102571 FIFA is studying the potential link between a woman’s menstrual cycle and susceptibility to ACL tears. The research is being celebrated by the woke Radical Left who, up until this news story, couldn’t define a woman. Suddenly they’re recognizing the differences between men and women?

For years, the prevailing left-wing narrative has dismissed the significance of biological sex differences in athletic competition. Any assertion of obvious biological differences is framed as discriminatory or a bigoted attack on identity. The basics of biology was set aside in favor of a more fluid, socially constructed understanding of human physiology.

Oh how times have changed. At least for a few moments.

FIFA studies female-only injury links. Shouldn’t the Left call this controversial?

A FIFA-commissioned study, highlighted by KING 5, confronts an uncomfortable truth: “Women are two to eight times more likely to tear their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than men.” The research further suspects that female hormones like estrogen and relaxin, which fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, can increase risk of injury.

“Female athletes are at increased risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The influence of hormonal variation on female ACL injury risk remains ill-defined. Recent data suggests that the collagen-degrading menstrual hormone relaxin may cyclically impact female ACL tissue quality. This review aims to identify any correlation between menstrual relaxin peaks and rates of female ACL injury,” the claimed.

This revelation—that inherent biological disparities between the sexes influence athletic performance and susceptibility to injury—is inconvenient for the established progressive narrative. One might anticipate a dismissal of such findings as perpetuating outdated biological determinism. Instead, the response from some of the very athletes who have championed these progressive viewpoints has been one of enthusiastic acceptance.

Woke athletes celebrate study

On their , former professional athletes Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe discussed the study.

Bird mocked the idea that the study is “groundbreaking” because when she suffered an ACL tear in the late 90s, she said the first thing her doctors asked her was whether or not she was on her period. “Where has this research been? We’ve known this!” she noted.

Rapinoe agreed, hoping that they’ll actually study “what we can do about it,” rather than if there’s a link, since they’ve already known about that link. She said she was on her period for all three of her ACL tears.

The are now demanding gendered-studies? Perhaps the researchers can even things out by needlessly studying transgender women?

Woke athletes suddenly recognize gender?

It is interesting that when the discussion pertains to their own physical well-being, the intricate biological realities of being a woman—specifically female hormones and the menstrual cycle—are suddenly deemed “paramount” and critical.

Bird, Rapinoe and all the others celebrating the study stopped to pretend there’s no differences between men and women, even if it was for just a moment. They know there is an underlying recognition of distinct, undeniable biological differences. Yet they pretend otherwise in interviews when they can earn woke social currency.

The profound hypocrisy inherent in this position cannot be overstated.

For years, these very individuals and their ideological allies have vigorously argued against the notion that biological males, who identify as “women” or “trans women,” possess an inherent physiological advantage over biological females in sports. Any mention of male puberty, bone density, muscle mass, or lung capacity has been denounced as “transphobic” and discriminatory. We have been warned to ignore these biological realities as irrelevant in the name of inclusivity.

However, the FIFA study’s focus is explicitly on women’s bodies, female hormones, and physiological factors unique to biological females. One must ask: Are “trans women” included in this research to assess if their (non-existent) menstrual cycles affect their ACLs? The answer, unequivocally, is no. This omission is not arbitrary; it comes from a fundamental understanding that “trans women” are biological men. The study, by its very design, implicitly acknowledges and relies upon the irreducible biological distinctions between the sexes.

Add this to long list of studies proving the Radical Left wrong on gender

If there were genuinely no relevant biological differences between men and women impacting athletic performance, there would be no logical basis for a study exclusively focused on a female-specific injury pattern linked to female-specific biological processes.

This situation reveals an inconsistency.  On one hand, biological reality is denied to advance a specific, woke political agenda. On the other, biological reality is embraced wholeheartedly when it serves personal performance and injury prevention.

The FIFA study, while focused on a specific athletic injury, inadvertently serves as a powerful affirmation of biological reality that the vast majority of Americans have been pointing out throughout the entirety of the Democrats’ war on gender and women. It exposes the intellectual dishonesty of those who choose to selectively acknowledge scientific truths.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on ,,, and .

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Image: Megan Rapinoe, right, holds hands with Sue Bird after OL Reign, now the Seattle Reign, lost ...
Video: Judge freaks out over funny shirt in court! /youtube_videos/video-judge-freaks-out-over-funny-shirt-in-court Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:08:56 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-judge-freaks-out-over-funny-shirt-in-court When Jason Rantz says, “Farting is the burping of the butt,” you just know that the Double Shot is gonna be extra special. And it was… enjoy an all-new Double Shot.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

Listen to the Jake and Spike Show every weekday from 12pm – 3pm on Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

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Video: WSP launches “Target Zero Trooper” patrols /youtube_videos/video-wsp-launches-target-zero-trooper-patrols Mon, 23 Jun 2025 23:11:43 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-wsp-launches-target-zero-trooper-patrols WSP’s Target Zero Troopers are stepping up patrols on I‑5, I‑90, and more—using data to curb speeding, save lives, and oh yeah… give out more tickets.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

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Rantz: My adorable, patriotic dog snapped at pro-Iran protesters in Seattle. Good boy, D’Artagnan. /ktth/rantz-opinion/dog-barks-iran-activists/4102365 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:00:27 +0000 /?p=4102365 My dog snapped at nearly a half-dozen anti-American, pro-Iran activists at a Seattle rally, and I can’t say I blame him. He can spot a threat a mile away.

It was Sunday, a day usually reserved for a bit of relaxation before a week of radio and television broadcasts, with a few peaceful, long walks with . But in Seattle, even my dog can’t escape the lunacy that spills out onto our streets. We walked by a gathering of the usual suspects, all geared up to oppose President Donald Trump’s decisive action against Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions. And that’s when D’Artagnan, usually a well-behaved if high-energy pup, decided to offer his own, rather vocal, opinion.

I’ve been working with D’Artagnan on his anxiety in loud, crowded spaces. He’s a smart dog, but a sudden cacophony of shouting strangers with body odor and clothes that haven’t been washed in weeks will obviously make him a little antsy. Yet, as the chants grew louder and the signs waved, my pup didn’t just get antsy; he got righteously indignant. He bristled, a low growl rumbling in his chest, then erupted into a chorus of sharp barks, snapping at the air in the direction of the earnest, sign-waving crowd and anyone who came up to pet him, thinking he was a K9 comrade. He most certainly was not.

And honestly, can you blame him?

D’Artagnan has been trained to spot danger

These weren’t your garden-variety protestors. These were the folks railing against America, justifying the very regime that funds global terror, and, in some cases, openly spouting antisemitic rhetoric and promoting socialism.

One male speaker, apparently under the delusion that he was channeling a civil rights icon, blathered, “The Iranian and American people alike do not want another ‘Forever War.’ Trump is spitting in our faces. We are forced to learn this about the US war machine time and time again. As Martin Luther King Jr pointed out decades ago, and I quote, ‘The bombs in Vietnam explode at home.'”

The sheer intellectual dishonesty is breathtaking. These aren’t carpet bombs on a village. This is targeted decapitation of a terrorist apparatus that has destabilized an entire region for decades. It’s not about “destroying the village to save it,” as another speaker melodramatically quoted from the Vietnam War. It’s about taking out the very architects of that destruction.

Barking at the enemy

D’Artagnan’s barks intensified, particularly when a “De-escalation Volunteer” approached to say hello. The irony was thick.

My dog, a creature of pure instinct whom I adopted as a stray in Mexico (he came here legally, I think), was barking at the “peace” activist, clearly sensing a threat to the natural order of things. Perhaps D’Artagnan understood what these activists couldn’t or wouldn’t: that sometimes you have to bark back at the threat, kind of like what Trump and Israel did with Iran.

If she truly wanted to de-escalate something, she could have started with her own movement supporting Hamas terrorists and their Iranian regime backers.

Another male voice piped up, painting a world where, “Both the Republican and Democratic parties are in lockstep when it comes to war. They both sign off on bombs, sanctions, and interventions.”

This is the kind of moral equivalence that only a privileged few, safe in their Western democracies, can afford. They demonize legitimate defense while ignoring the actual terror committed by regimes they seem determined to defend.

Then came the female speaker, warning of “a global war” and the “recklessness of our ruling class and their unending interest to get the most profits in their pockets, no matter the cost.” The predictable anti-capitalist trope, of course. Because in their world, geopolitical strategy isn’t about protecting national interests or preventing a rogue regime from acquiring nuclear weapons; it’s always about “profits.” It’s a convenient narrative for those who prefer to blame their own country for every ill in the world.

Surrounded by ignorance

One of my favorites of the ignorant speakers came from a woman (apologies, I assumed gender) conflating military action with domestic policy failures.

“Kidnapping and brutalizing our black sisters and brothers all across the country and throwing them in jail, funding wars, funding ICE, funding the police, that takes a higher priority than anything else,” she said. “And that’s why we can’t have affordable health care, that’s why we can’t have quality education, that’s why we don’t have access to healthy food or a robust public transportation system or anything.”

Because obviously, the only reason we don’t have utopian healthcare and robust public transit is because we’re not letting Iran build nukes.

Obviously, the activists hate Israel

But the real heart-wrencher, meant to tug at every bleeding heart, came from a self-identified second-generation Iranian immigrant: “My father currently lives in Yazd, and the first text I received this morning was a text message from a friend that Yazd had been struck by Israeli missiles… I don’t have words to describe how terrifying it can be to know if your loved ones are alive or dead… The West claims that Iran has nuclear weapons, and they say that Iran is a threat. Last night in a nationally televised address, war criminal, Donald Trump, called Iran the number one state sponsor of terror. Despite that, there is only one nation that is bombing country after country. The apartheid state of Israel has been actively terrorizing multiple countries in Southwest Asia, all while engaging in ethnic cleansing as they work to slaughter the Palestinian people.”

There it is. The blatant victim-blaming, the twisted narrative that paints Israel as the aggressor, and ignores Iran’s decades of sponsoring terrorism. Then claim that the “US media does not actually cover what happens in Iran… accurately… authentically.” What do they want us to cover? The glorious parades of anti-Americanism? The public hangings of dissidents?

Bombing Iran’s nuclear sites was necessary

For decades, we’ve tried negotiation with Iran. Each time, they’ve laughed in our faces, continued their clandestine nuclear programs, and funded terrorist proxies like Hamas, Houthis, and Hezbollah.

This isn’t the Iraq War, where we sent hundreds of thousands of troops into a prolonged, costly ground campaign. These are surgical strikes designed to cripple their ability to threaten regional and global security. This is not about regime change in the traditional sense; it’s about denying a rogue regime the tools to fulfill its openly stated desire to wipe out nations and develop weapons of mass destruction.

So, when D’Artagnan, my otherwise sweet and cuddly Malinois mix, starts barking and snapping at a crowd of anti-American, pro-Iran apologists, I can’t exactly scold him. Some things, some threats, are just instinctively understood. And sometimes, a dog’s gut reaction is clearer than any nuanced, politically correct analysis.

Good boy, D’Artagnan. Good boy.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on ,,, and .

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Jason Rantz's dog D'Artagnan barked at fringe, pro-Iran activists at a rally in Seattle. (Photo: Ja...
Rantz: Seattle Mayor’s Office silent as homeless addicts assault and terrorize biz, residents in Belltown /ktth/rantz-opinion/seattle-homeless-addicts/4100998 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 03:00:55 +0000 /?p=4100998 As Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell continues to shuffle homeless addicts from one neighborhood to the next to mask the depth of the crisis, one area is under siege. In Belltown, workers and residents are being assaulted, forced to clean up human waste, and now keep their doors locked during business hours—for safety.

Walk down Blanchard Street between Second and Third Avenues at any time of day, and you’ll see the decay firsthand: open-air drug deals, addicts smoking fentanyl, and mentally ill homeless people wandering naked or sexually harassing women. Trash lines the sidewalks. The once-popular fenced-in dog park is now virtually unusable. At the nearby bus stop on Third Avenue, commuters cling to their belongings, heads on swivels, waiting for a bus to get them out of there.

But for the people who live and work in Belltown, there is no easy escape. They’re desperate for the city to intervene. Instead, officials have let the neighborhood spiral into the dangerous mess it has become.

A homeless man sets up a basecamp in Belltown. (Photo: Jason Rantz/KTTH Radio)

A homeless man sets up a base camp in Belltown. (Photo: Jason Rantz, KTTH Radio)

“It can be very stressful… just turned the corner every day and wondering what’s going to be outside your business today, whether it’s going to be safe, whether you’re going to get pepper sprayed, whether you’re going to have to clean up human feces or get piles of garbage, fentanyl leftovers, all kinds of garbage that’s left behind,” the manager of a business on 3rd and Blanchard explained exclusively to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. (Note: I am a customer.)

Homeless addicts knock out, pepper-spray random passers-by

The business manager asked for anonymity out of fear that she would be targeted. She also lives on the block, so she experiences the harassment, drug use, and criminal behavior daily.

“Some of our employees have been physically attacked,” she explained. “One was knocked out, and then picked off the ground and hit repeatedly by somebody who thought they were looking at them the wrong way, and that was someone who was just walking into work. That person was quite a small person, and they were badly injured, concussed. We’ve been pepper-sprayed by people. We’ve had people break windows, which was a great expense, and actually took away a key component of the business.”

She said she’s forced to keep her door locked at all times to keep her staff and clients safe.

The neighborhood has been under siege for over two years and is part of an area of emphasis for Seattle Police and the city’s Unified Care Team. Despite their efforts, the situation isn’t getting any better, and Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office isn’t responding to requests for comment on what can be done.

Homeless people have overrun the Belltown neighborhood between Second and Third Avenue on Blanchard St. (Photo: Jason Rantz/KTTH)

Homeless people have overrun the Belltown neighborhood between Second and Third Avenue on Blanchard St. (Photo: Jason Rantz, KTTH)

Seattle Police making a dent, but benefits don’t last

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has been more focused on the neighborhood in the last several weeks.

“SPD routinely arrests suspects during narcotics operations throughout the Downtown core, Belltown, and the Chinatown-International District. West Precinct officers also proactively make arrests during their regular patrol shifts every day,” an SPD spokesperson explained to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “SPD also participates in the Downtown Activation Zone with other City departments. Narcotics operations and arrests often occur during these cleanups.”

While the Belltown business manager said the SPD makes a difference—it’s ephemeral. After recent undercover operations that arrested suspected drug dealers, the problem has returned and even worsened.

“We got to know them [the drug dealers who were arrested] and they tend to almost be helpful, the ones that were there in the beginning,” the manager explained. “It’s kind of a funny coexistence, but they know that keeping people off our business front is better for them. The more noise we create, the worse it is for them, so they were actually helpful.”

After the arrests, new drug dealers came into the area, some of them look as if they’re addicts themselves. They’ve not worked to keep homeless addicts from interfering with the business she manages.

CARE Team to the rescue?

Dr. Amy Barden leads the city’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) team, which is tasked with managing community crisis responders and behavioral health specialists as they offer services and assistance to the area’s growing homeless population.

In an interview with “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH, she said the area is in an emphasis zone that the city remains hyper-focused on, but acknowledges the region doesn’t have a comprehensive strategy.

“You can connect people to services, but then we need a system to refer to. We need 24/7 detox,” she said, explaining that regional crisis centers will be helpful once fully operational.

“You need a really good place-based strategy that’s more comprehensive,” Barden explained. “I feel like until we get to a place where we consistently have all the helpers, where you have adequate police staffing. We do need CARE responders, and we’ve got the and folks like that. But I’m always saying…I don’t have a system to refer to. So officers can make an arrest, but then if that person doesn’t get booked or if they don’t come into services, it’s not really doing anything. It’s not that I don’t think you should at least signal that this [open drug use] is not lawful. I appreciate that we’re doing that, but I think with drugs like fentanyl, I’m not meeting people in recovery who are saying, ‘Yeah, the arrest alone was a deterrent to break the cycle.'”

Homeless people have overrun the Belltown neighborhood between Second and Third Avenue on Blanchard Street. In this photo, you can see tin foil used to smoke fentanyl. (Photo: Jason Rantz, KTTH)

What about employees and residents?

As understaffed city agencies tiptoe around enforcement, Mayor Bruce Harrell has once again refused to lead.

Rather than focus on the core responsibilities of his office, Harrell delegates the heavy lifting to his deputy mayors while he bounces between dinner parties and public appearances. He continues to downplay the city’s worsening homelessness crisis. His biggest “accomplishment” downtown? Hanging a block away from where a large homeless contingent once stood. The kicker? The city didn’t even cover the electric bill—one struggling business owner was unknowingly stuck paying for the power.

Now, half the homeless population that once filled downtown has simply migrated to Belltown, where they spend their days openly smoking fentanyl. The other half has trickled back into downtown, but are now spread out, avoiding concentrated visibility, giving off the impression that the mayor has been effective on tackling homelessness. He has not been.

The manager in Belltown says she has little hope that things will improve. Just days ago, there was another shooting. Cops pass through but rarely make arrests, even as addicts use drugs in plain sight. And those addicts? They’re not getting help—they’re being abandoned to die in public while city leaders pretend their plan is working.

“It’s kind of terrifying when you see how people are reacting, people with open sores on their bodies, and they’re taking their clothes off when it’s raining or cold outside,” she said. “So it’s kind of terrifying. We’ve seen deaths out front. There have been a couple of people who have died and overdosed. And it breaks your heart when you see a young person out there overdosing. And it’s not once a week, it’s several times a week.”

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on ,,, and .

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Homeless people have overrun the Belltown neighborhood between Second and Third Avenue on Blanchard...
Jason Rantz, Guy Benson, Mark Levin react as U.S. strikes Iran nuclear sites /ktth/jason-rantz-guy-benson-mark-levin-react-as-u-s-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites/4102143 Sun, 22 Jun 2025 02:32:07 +0000 /?p=4102143 President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military struck three nuclear sites in Iran.

“Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier,” President Trump said from the White House in a Saturday night address.

“This cannot continue,” Trump added. “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill.”

KTTH hosts responded to air strikes with strong support

Afternoon host Jason Rantz noted that, “You can’t negotiate with Iran — the last two decades have proven that. This was necessary.” He also said that “60 days means 60 days,” a reference to a deadline for Iran to agree to end its plans to develop nuclear weapons.

Midday host Guy Benson, also a Fox News contributor, called the strikes the “correct decision.” But he warns of danger ahead.

“Iran has a ballistic weapons arsenal (though Israel has largely defanged it) and terrorist cells. Two causes for trepidation— and also two reasons why preventing Iran from getting nukes is absolutely the right call,” Benson said.

Evening host Mark Levin, meanwhile,

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President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 2...
Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik revises ‘Superman (It’s Not Easy)’ for Israeli hostages, calls out Macklemore /jason-rantz/john-ondrasik-superman-israel/4101820 Sat, 21 Jun 2025 00:45:39 +0000 /?p=4101820 John Ondrasik, the singer-songwriter behind Five for Fighting’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy)”—an iconic song that united a country after the 9/11 terrorist attacks—has updated some of the lyrics in support of Israeli hostages, using it as a symbol of hope in troubling times.

“I’ve seen through my career how music can bridge divides, it can provide solace to those who are in need, and provide fortitude and clarity,” Ondrasik said on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “(After 9/11) America came together in ways I’d never seen before, and haven’t seen since.”

‘Superman’ dedicated to Israeli hostages

Ondrasik revised “Superman” to better reflect the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, putting a focus on the hostages left in the wake.

“I was reached out to by a hostage who has been in Gaza for more than 620 days, and her son is a piano player,” Ondrasik said. “She said, ‘Can we do something musically to keep the spotlight on the hostages,’ and I thought a new version of ‘Superman’ would be appropriate.”

To Ondrasik, supporting the hostages and victims of the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7 was a no-brainer.

“I’m not Jewish. You don’t have to be Jewish to condemn Hamas. You just have to be sane,” Ondrasik said. “We’ve seen such a horrible disgrace from the music industry. They stand for human rights and women’s rights, but their silence on October 7 has been disgraceful.”

Five for Fighting’s singer calls out Macklemore

Ondrasik said he’s been disappointed by the music industry’s response to the terrorism against Jews, with some artists, including , for embracing antisemitism at a Palestine Will Live Forever Festival in Seattle last September.

“The first feeling is shame, it’s a shame that I’m a part of this industry,” Ondrasik said. “You see the younger acts like Macklemore and these bands that have been seduced by wokeism, and of course, that makes you angry.”

He argued that the artists who stood with him in New York after 9/11, should speak out again.

“They know better. They know that Hamas is evil, and they have remained silent. And that harkens back to 1938 when those with an influence remained silenced before the Holocaust,” Ondrasik said.

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on ,,, and .

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Video: Washington State Patrol traffic enforcement story makes no sense /youtube_videos/video-washington-state-patrol-traffic-enforcement-story-makes-no-sense Fri, 20 Jun 2025 23:41:34 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-washington-state-patrol-traffic-enforcement-story-makes-no-sense A KOMO report on Washington State Patrol increasing traffic enforcement to learn about driving habits completely confounds Jason Rantz. Aren’t they just giving away tickets? We’re all confused.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH and the KTTH App, or on-demand wherever you listen to podcasts.

More info on The Jason Rantz Show here: /jason-rantz/

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Rantz: Judge asked to temporarily close ‘Pervert Park’ in Seattle after Mayor Harrell breaks ‘promise’ to act /ktth/rantz-judge-asked-to-temporarily-close-pervert-park-in-seattle-after-mayor-harrell-breaks-promise-to-act/4101395 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 20:56:44 +0000 /?p=4101395 A neighborhood group is asking a King County judge to temporarily shut down Denny Blaine Park, arguing that it has become a haven for daily criminal activity, including public masturbation, sex acts, drug use, and harassment. In a motion filed this week, Denny Blaine Park For All, a coalition of frustrated neighbors and longtime parkgoers, said the City of Seattle has failed to enforce the law and has effectively abandoned the park to a group of repeat offenders.

The motion for a preliminary injunction, filed in King County Superior Court, seeks an emergency closure of the park until the City produces a plan to stop the illegal behavior and restore safety. The hearing is set for July 11 before Judge Samuel Chung.

“For over 100 years, Denny Blaine Park was a small gem in the Olmsted Park System,” the motion stated. “The park is now a venue for public masturbation, public sex, and illegal drug use that attracts criminals from around the region and makes the park a public nuisance.”

Denny Blaine Park has been derisively labeled “Pervert Park” on the .

New video evidence emerges at ‘Perv Park’ in Seattle

The plaintiffs submitted more than a dozen declarations and exhibits, including new video evidence, incident logs, and photos that depict a daily pattern of lewd and dangerous behavior. One declaration identifies individuals by nickname, tracking their repeated and often graphic appearances in the park. Among the alleged conduct: filming of sex acts, harassment of park visitors, used needles and condoms littering the grounds, and aggressive nudity, even in the presence of children.

Multiple witnesses say the behavior has persisted for years, despite repeated 911 calls and formal complaints. The plaintiffs include LGBTQ residents, parents, and longtime homeowners, many of whom say they no longer feel safe visiting the park.

One of the park’s most high-profile neighbors, philanthropist Stuart Sloan, said he personally met with Mayor Bruce Harrell in 2022 to show him disturbing photos of sexual activity at the park. According to Sloan’s declaration, the mayor appeared shocked and promised to act. But those promises have not resulted in meaningful change, and the situation has worsened.

Even Friends of Denny Blaine, a nudist-friendly advocacy group, has acknowledged the severity of the problem. A recent poll they conducted found that nearly 50% of their followers had witnessed either public masturbation or sex acts in the park, according to one declaration.

Seattle is choosing to keep the park lawless

Seattle has previously shuttered other parks under similar circumstances, including Hoa Mai Park in the Chinatown/International District, which was closed in spring 2025 due to illegal activity. The difference, plaintiffs say, is that Denny Blaine Park’s issues are well-documented, yet the City has done nothing.

“This isn’t about banning nudity,” the plaintiffs argue. “This is about banning criminal behavior.”

But Denny Blaine Park has become politically treacherous for Mayor Harrell, who is in the middle of a re-election campaign. Progressive activists have claimed that criticism of the park is meant to shut down a space that is favored by the Seattle LGBT community as a “safe space.” Advocates for the park have either ignored or downplayed the criminal behavior at the park.

How will the judge respond?

The City of Seattle, which has not yet filed its response to the motion, previously denied the park is a nuisance. Yet internal records submitted with the lawsuit show officials are aware of the activity. One Parks Department webpage even references plans to add a “public masturbation deterrent infrastructure.”

For now, residents are asking the court to step in where the City has failed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on ,,, and .

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Neighbors hope a judge will temporarily close Denny Blaine Park due to public masturbation and othe...
Video: Double Shot: Why certain dogs get adopted before other dogs /youtube_videos/video-double-shot-why-certain-dogs-get-adopted-before-other-dogs Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:30:16 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-double-shot-why-certain-dogs-get-adopted-before-other-dogs Recently, three dogs were found. All three had swollen muzzles—and it appears their mouths may have been bound with tape or a strap. Jason Rantz & Jake Skorheim have an interesting take on this one. It’s a Double Shot! ☕☕

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

Listen to the Jake and Spike Show every weekday from 12pm – 3pm on Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

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Video: Don’t give into this scam! /youtube_videos/video-dont-give-into-this-scam Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:22:12 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-dont-give-into-this-scam It is a scam when a person asks if they can switch seats with you on an airplane, and Jason Rantz has the story to prove it. Here’s an all-new Double Shot!☕☕

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

Listen to the Jake and Spike Show every weekday from 12pm – 3pm on Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

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Video: WA Dems rage over ICE getting immigrant data /youtube_videos/video-wa-dems-rage-over-ice-getting-immigrant-data Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:10:36 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-wa-dems-rage-over-ice-getting-immigrant-data Washington Democrats are furious after the state’s Health Care Authority confirmed that personally identifiable information of illegal immigrants on Medicaid was shared with ICE through a federal database.

But here’s the kicker: they have only themselves to blame.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

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Video: New toll rates for Tacoma–SeaTac routes /youtube_videos/video-new-toll-rates-for-tacoma-seatac-routes Wed, 18 Jun 2025 23:27:12 +0000 /youtube_videos/video-new-toll-rates-for-tacoma-seatac-routes The Washington State Transportation Commission is preparing to implement electronic tolling on the brand-new SR 509 and SR 167 expressways, which will directly link Tacoma/Olympia to Sea‑Tac Airport without routing through Southcenter . Tolls are set to open later this year with variable rates—$1.20 to $2.40, based on peak travel direction and time .

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekdays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcast

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