Planet Seattle

Plan ahead: November 21–28, Seattle and nearby cities will host concerts, theatrical performances, hockey games, and holiday events. The lineup includes performances by Polyrhythmics, Jai Wolf, Gwar, and Steve Lacy; The Nutcracker ballet; The Wizard of Oz musical; a Christmas market; and a tree-lighting ceremony. You can also catch a comedy show, visit the Wild Lanterns light festival, or go ice skating. Details and tickets are available at the event links: November 21, November 22, November...

A political conflict is heating up in British Columbia over the repeal of DRIPA, the law on Indigenous rights. Meanwhile, two pedestrian collisions have occurred in Vancouver within days of each other, one of them fatal, and a humpback whale has collided with a BC Ferries vessel in Howe Sound. British Columbia changes course: what lies behind the promise to repeal DRIPA British Columbia’s incoming Conservative government is reaffirming its intention to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of...

News roundup: Uniqlo will open in downtown Vancouver in the former Nordstrom space, the B.C. Greens held on to two seats in the legislature, and Vancouver rock bands raised money to protect bats. Uniqlo heads to downtown Vancouver: Japanese retailer to take Nordstrom’s place at Pacific Centre The opening of the first Uniqlo store in downtown Vancouver is more than just another expansion by the chain. It signals tectonic shifts in Canada’s urban retail landscape, where Asian brands are moving in...

The British Columbia election ended in a crushing victory for Lorne Doerkson’s Conservative Party, which is forming a provincial government for the first time since 1928. The Conservatives won 48.1% of the vote and 64 seats, taking 15 Metro Vancouver ridings from the NDP. David Eby held on to Vancouver-Point Grey but resigned as NDP leader, accepting full responsibility for the failure of the snap election. Bowinn Ma was re-elected in North Vancouver, but her party is heading into...

British Columbia has drawn attention on several fronts at once: the province’s resorts dominated a prestigious Condé Nast Traveller ranking, with eleven of Canada’s top fifteen located there, while a tense campaign is underway ahead of the snap election on October 24. Voters will have to navigate 93 electoral districts, and five on Vancouver Island could change political colors. The NDP’s traditional stronghold may swing to the Conservatives, making the coming vote especially...

Residents of key regions in British Columbia gave their communities an average C+ for quality of life: nature and parks scored highly, while housing policy received the lowest marks. Sixteen-year-old musician Richard Lee raised more than $22,000 for BC Children’s Hospital, and Vancouver’s First Christian Reformed Church is marking its centennial as it stands on the brink of leaving its denomination. British Columbia gives its cities a C+: housing falls short, parks save the day Residents of...

A poll found that eight in 10 British Columbians have cut spending because of rising prices, with young people and low-income families hit hardest and groceries accounting for the largest share of cutbacks. Meanwhile, businesses in the province are rethinking what they expect from employees: AI agents are taking on routine tasks, and companies increasingly value “generalists” who can set goals and make decisions. In another alarming incident, a rabid skunk in downtown Vancouver bit several...

This digest covers three stories from British Columbia. In Pender Harbour, the nearly century-old Sundowner Inn is on the market for $2.6 million. The former St. Mary’s Hospital on the water is priced at roughly the same level as a benchmark house in Vancouver. A column in The Tyee takes an ironic look at whether “Green” Pete Fry’s victory in the Vancouver mayoral election foreshadows the provincial election; the author points to the differing political contexts and the absence of a single...

The province stands on the threshold of change: an election race in which the Conservatives hold only a narrow lead over the NDP, multibillion-dollar deficits have become a political norm, and a legal battle over Cowichan Nation land threatens to reshape property ownership and infrastructure. British Columbia: Deficits as the New Political Norm The election campaign in British Columbia promises voters a miraculous rescue of the province’s finances. But, as Rob Shaw’s analysis for Business in...

This digest covers a B.C. Ferries collision with a humpback whale off the coast, BC NDP campaign promises to open new urgent care centres on Vancouver Island, and an expert column arguing that the hospital crisis is being driven by underfunding of long-term care. Canadian ferry collides with humpback whale off British Columbia coast Last weekend, an incident off Canada’s Pacific coast once again drew attention to the challenge of coexistence between large marine vessels and whales. Ferry...

The Donald Trump administration is seeking to have Washington state set aside more than 400 ballots cast by voters whom federal officials consider potentially ineligible to vote. The move echoes a similar request to California and puts a broader dispute in the spotlight: how to identify possible violations of election rules without jeopardizing citizens’ right to vote and trust in elections. According to The Washington Post, the US Department of Justice asked Washington state officials to set...

The Ebola outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the largest and deadliest in the country’s history. The virus is spreading faster than health officials can trace chains of transmission, while staff shortages, mistrust and dangerous working conditions are hampering efforts to contain it where it began. At the same time, lessons from previous outbreaks are helping hospitals outside Africa prepare for a possible imported case—even though experts consider the risk...

Three reports show how military escalation, economic pressure and efforts by regional countries to contain the crisis are unfolding at the same time amid the US-Iran confrontation. Talks in Tehran between Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey do not yet signal a breakthrough: the parties remain divided on key issues, and the threat of further strikes persists. Against this backdrop, high oil and gasoline prices are not a secondary consequence of the war but part of Washington’s political...

Three articles reveal different sides of the same story: Apple has entered the foldable smartphone market with a device that can rival Samsung in performance, cameras, and battery life, yet has also sparked debate over its display, weight, and software limitations. This contrast matters beyond a comparison of two phones: it shows that in a mature category where Samsung has been building experience for nearly a decade, an impressive debut alone does not guarantee superiority. Amid the heated...

Israel’s election has become a test not only for Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, but also for a society transformed by trauma, prolonged war and international isolation since October 7, 2023. The campaign’s central question is whether war fatigue and anger over the security failure can bring about a change of government, or whether voters will prefer to continue the course of military deterrence. Challenger Gadi Eisenkot is offering a more pragmatic approach and a restoration of ties with...

The flu season has started earlier than usual in the United States: positive test results, visits to emergency departments and hospitalizations are all increasing. The hospitalization rate has reached its highest level for this time of year since the 2009–2010 season, although the overall level remains low. With H1N1 spreading, doctors advise people not to wait for the winter peak to get vaccinated, especially older adults, who face a higher risk of severe illness. Data from the U.S. Centers...

The materials cover different political stories, but their most coherent shared theme is how public discontent becomes a test of power, forcing governments both to seek public support and to maintain control. In France and Italy, this takes the form of mass protests over high prices and problems in education; in the United States, the election campaign shows how politicians try to win voters’ attention through personal image, public events and battles over cultural symbols. The sources describe...

Apple’s first foldable iPhone is testing both whether buyers are willing to pay around $2,000 for a new format and whether the company can turn a technically impressive device into an everyday product. Initial demand has been strong, and the nearly invisible hinge has earned positive reviews. But the high price, camera compromises and unfamiliar way of using the device still make the Duo feel more like an expensive novelty than an obvious replacement for a regular smartphone. The release of...

Three reports describe different crises: the threat of a wider war around Iran, Egypt’s cautious stance on the conflict in Yemen, and the US trade confrontation with Canada. They share a common theme: governments seek to project resolve but limit their actions when escalation threatens to bring excessive military, economic or electoral costs. Foreign policy is not separate from domestic circumstances here: Saudi Arabia’s security is tied to the risk of being drawn into war, oil prices to...

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has upheld the validity of the PDVSA 2020 bonds. The securities were issued in October 2016 as part of an exchange in which bonds due in 2017 were swapped for new bonds maturing in 2020. A 50.1% stake in Citgo Holding, the parent company of oil refiner Citgo Petroleum, was pledged as collateral for the issue. Bondholders representing 39.4% of the total issue agreed to the exchange; in October 2019, PDVSA stopped making payments on the bonds. The...

Following a sharp escalation in southern Syria, the Jordanian government announced on Tuesday that it was forming a joint committee with Damascus to monitor the fallout from Jordanian strikes. Government spokesperson Mohammed al-Momani said the operation was based on field intelligence about confirmed threats and terrorist activity directed against Jordan’s national security. He said Jordanian authorities were in contact with their Syrian counterparts and coordinating next steps. Al-Momani said...

The return of María Corina Machado after ten months in exile, Washington’s publication of a detailed “road map” for the transition, and Donald Trump’s joke about making Venezuela the 51st state all came together over the course of two days. Caracas and Washington are disputing the timeline, the opposition is arguing over its place at the negotiating table, and oil contracts have prompted a debate over who really runs the country. Machado’s “Show” and the Authorities’ Nervous Response The...

The Royal Jordanian Air Force struck targets in southern Syria as part of an operation called “Jordanian Deterrence—Hamoud.” The Jordanian military described the sites as “dens of terrorist organizations” and said the action was in retaliation for the deaths of Jordanians in an attack on a church in the village of Hamoud, in al-Karak Governorate, last Friday. According to Amman, the strikes killed and wounded many militants linked to the attackers. Syria’s emergency management authority said...

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that the government plans to work across all regions of the country to revive local production, strengthen the national economy, and support communities. Alongside National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, she outlined plans for the near future. The president also announced that the Christmas season will begin in the country on Sunday, November 1, with a large concert and cultural events for...

Syrian poet Issa al-Sheikh Hassan has published a book with Dar Nard titled Approaches… Thursday’s Lamp… Euphrates Amali, Part One. The book runs to 200 pages in a mid-sized format and is divided into 49 sections. Its title was handwritten by calligrapher Ubaida al-Banki, and the cover features a work by Abboud Hammam that evokes the heritage of the Euphrates. The book grew out of the author’s weekly interactive conversations on Facebook: he collected words from his native Busaldja and its...

María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela after nearly a year in exile was the biggest story of recent days, immediately exposing tensions between Washington and Caracas. While Donald Trump speaks of “total control” over the country, where U.S. companies have already been granted access on special terms, Venezuelan officials call the opposition leader’s return a “show,” and local economists describe the oil agreements with the United States as a “coalition of two kleptocracies.” Here is an...

In 2015, eleven-year-old Israa was selling cigarettes with her father, Tariq, in Izmir’s Basmane Square. Her family was preparing to leave Turkey for Germany, fleeing the war in Syria. There, she happened to meet filmmakers Atab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, who were making a BBC documentary about the journey taken by refugees. The girl caught their attention with her talkativeness, smile and curiosity about the camera, and the filmmakers decided to follow her family and document their journey to...

The Knesset elections scheduled for October 27 are of particular significance to Damascus: they will determine the future of Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition, as well as the party makeup of the next government. Security issues remain at the forefront of Israel’s election discourse, with Syria regarded as one of the priority fronts in the regional confrontation. Israel’s approach to Syria, however, rests on a strategic consensus: to treat it as a sphere of influence and an...

Imagine a dark night in Seattle almost a hundred years ago. Thick fog drifts over the water as a fast, unlit boat glides silently through the strait. Its crates conceal a drink that the law forbids transporting. And the man running this entire secret network spends his days walking around town in a police uniform. It sounds like an adventure story, but it’s a true tale from the Prohibition era. And it ended with an important decision that people still debate today. When alcohol was banned In...

In late November 1999, representatives of more than a hundred countries gathered in Seattle. They had come for a conference of the World Trade Organization—the club of countries that negotiate the rules of trade. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets to make their views on those rules heard. Those days went down in history as the “Battle of Seattle.” But alongside the dramatic events, a quiet invention also took shape: people figured out how to report the news without waiting for...

Imagine a city where water needs to flow from the taps in thousands of homes all by itself. To make that happen, it’s pumped high up a hill, then runs downhill through pipes, like water going down a slide. That’s what Seattle did: it built a huge drinking-water reservoir on Capitol Hill and put up a brick tower beside it. Today, the tower no longer stores water. Instead, people go there to enjoy the views, and it has become part of the beautiful Volunteer Park. A Slide for Water In the early...

Imagine building the biggest ships, only to find that they can leave port through a high threshold. That was roughly the situation in Seattle a little over a hundred years ago. During World War I, the city’s shipyards were working at full capacity, and ships needed a reliable route between the sea and the lakes. To create one, engineers built a “ship elevator”—and radically changed the surrounding landscape in the process. At first, many people weren’t happy about it. Today, though, both locals...

If you find yourself in downtown Seattle on a Sunday in the fall, you’ll hear thousands of people shouting so loudly the air seems to shake. They’re Seahawks fans at their stadium. Few people think about the fact that the stadium might never have been built. In 1997, Washington state residents voted on it, and “yes” won by about one percentage point. And even earlier, the team had already started packing up to move to California. The Old Dome That Started “Dropping” Its Ceiling At first, the...

Imagine a train where, during the day, you can sit by the window on a comfortable sofa, and in the evening that sofa magically turns into a bed with clean sheets and a curtain. Another bed lowers from the ceiling above it. This was called a Pullman car, and almost overnight, one person could transform it: the porter. Many porters lived in Seattle and built a community together that changed the nation’s history. The Car That Could Transform Pullman cars were invented in the United States in the...

Imagine building a fort in your backyard out of boards and old boxes. Now imagine that it isn’t a game, but a real home—and you have to live in it through the winter, when the rain pours down. Almost a hundred years ago, hundreds of people in Seattle lived this way. Their settlement was called Hooverville, and it lasted for a full ten years because its residents refused to give up and knew how to stick together. How it all began: when the jobs suddenly disappeared In 1929, the Great Depression...

Imagine you want to redo a room, but you don’t want to throw away the favorite umbrella over your bed. What do you do? First, you’ll have to prop it up, then move out all the furniture, and then build the room again. That’s roughly what the city of Seattle did with an entire basketball arena. This story began with a big celebration, continued with a sad farewell to a beloved team, and ended with the city learning how to protect its treasures. A celebration and a hat-shaped roof In 1962, Seattle...

Imagine a big green hill beside a lake. Children fly kites on it, while enormous rusty towers stand nearby, like sculptures made by giants. This is Gas Works Park in Seattle. A hundred years ago, a noisy, smoky factory stood here, and the ground beneath it was soaked with tar and oil. How did it become a safe place for picnics again? With help from microbes invisible to the naked eye. What was here before In 1906, a gas plant was built on the shore of Lake Union. It made fuel gas from coal, and...