In this issue: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson found herself at the center of a linguistic controversy over the pronunciation of the store name Nordstrom, an audit uncovered $13 million missing from the regional homelessness authority, and experts debunked myths about whether ordinary walking can help with weight loss.
Nordstroms or Nordstrom: What’s wrong with Seattle mayor’s pronunciation
A small slip of the tongue can become a big story, especially when it involves a public figure in a major city. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson recently found herself at the center of an unexpected discussion that, however, had little to do with city policy or budgets. On the John Curley Show on KIRO Radio, where the mayor was outlining plans to expand housing programs to fight homelessness, a moment attracted the attention of linguists and residents. When host John noticed her stylish blazer and asked where she had bought it, Wilson replied, “At Nordstroms” (in the original she said “Nordstroms” — with an “s” at the end). The host immediately asked whether she meant the discount Nordstrom Rack or the full department store, and the mayor, slightly embarrassed, confirmed it was the “real Nordstroms.” John quipped that this might be the top story of the day: “Katie Wilson now shops at Nordstrom.”
This seemingly mundane detail sparked a wave of discussion among listeners and experts, who were quick to explain why Mayor Wilson is not alone in her mistake. As noted in an article on MyNorthwest.com, linguists consider this a common phenomenon. Laurel Sutton, an expert in language and branding, pointed out that many consumers instinctively add possessive endings to company names, especially those named after their founders. This habit has roots in perception psychology: when a brand bears a person’s surname, the brain automatically interprets the store as “the Nordstrom family’s store” or “Bartell’s pharmacy.” As a result, even established brands in everyday speech acquire an extra “s,” becoming “Nordstroms,” “Fred Meyers,” or “Bartells.”
This case vividly illustrates how oral tradition can diverge from official naming. For many Seattle residents, “Nordstroms” sounds more familiar and cozy than the strict “Nordstrom,” even though the company officially dropped the “s” from its name. The mayor herself noted that she values the pace of the work and the opportunity to hear different viewpoints, and apparently the new blazer was a pleasant purchase for her. In the end, as the journalist writing the article admits, we all make the same slips from time to time, and this incident is just another reason to consider how language adapts to corporate names.
Obesity on the move: Can walking really help you lose weight?
The question of whether walking can help fight excess weight remains one of the most popular among those thinking about their health. Surprisingly, the answer is not as straightforward as it might seem at first glance. Research and fitness experts increasingly stress that ordinary walking is not just a way to burn a few calories but a fundamental tool to kickstart metabolic processes. In a recent report by KIRO 7 News Seattle, specialists tried to untangle the mechanisms that make walking an effective method for weight loss. It’s worth noting that the article on the KIRO 7 News Seattle website raises not only biological aspects but also social ones, especially in the context of supporting international programs.
The key conclusion is that walking itself is not a panacea, but with the right approach it can become a powerful catalyst. In conversations with reporters, fitness trainers emphasized that to trigger fat burning, it’s not just the number of steps that matters but their intensity. Many mistakenly believe that a person loses weight only during active movement. In fact, as specialists explain, the main magic happens at rest, when metabolism is accelerated. For example, if you walk 10,000 steps, your body continues to expend more energy for several hours after the walk. This phenomenon is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Data from the article show that even a 30-minute brisk walk can increase metabolic rate by 10–15% over the next day. But there is an important caveat: effectiveness strongly depends on the person’s initial fitness level. For an untrained person, even slow walking becomes a stressor to the body, which triggers hormonal changes that promote weight loss.
However, the piece notes that modern society faces a paradox: despite the clear benefits of walking, many people still lead sedentary lifestyles. And this is already a problem not only of personal choice but of social infrastructure. Interestingly, the report draws a parallel with a seemingly distant topic — the situation in Haiti. A new international contingent, supported by the UN and aimed at combating gangs in the country, has secured funding beyond the planned 5,500 military and police personnel. Part of this contingent has already arrived in Port-au-Prince. This news, at first glance unrelated to weight loss, serves as an illustration of how global efforts can mobilize resources if a problem receives sufficient attention. Similarly with walking: for it to become a mass practice, not only individual efforts are needed but also the creation of safe and convenient urban environments.
From the data presented in the video, several practical recommendations follow. First, walking should be regular. Missing workouts even for one day reduces the effect, as the basal metabolic rate returns to baseline. Second, heart rate matters. To trigger fat burning, heart rate should be 60–70% of the maximum (calculated by the formula: 220 minus age). Third, experts recommend combining walking with strength training, since muscle tissue burns more calories even at rest. Finally, keep in mind that walking on an empty stomach may be less effective than after a light meal, because the body needs energy to start metabolic processes. Thus, the answer to “will walking help you lose weight” is yes, but only if you approach the process systematically rather than merely accumulating steps on a fitness tracker.
Regional homelessness authority in Seattle lost $13 million: auditors found “egregious” lack of financial discipline
A major scandal is unfolding in Seattle around the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) — the agency created to coordinate homelessness response efforts. A forensic accounting audit commissioned by the city and county found that the organization could not account for $13 million of taxpayer funds, and its overall cash deficit reached nearly $45 million. Local politicians are already calling the situation “egregious” and demanding the immediate dissolution of the structure.
According to the report published on KOMO News, the review was conducted by an accounting firm from Bellevue starting in August 2025. It covered the entire period of KCRHA’s operation — from its founding through mid-2025. The investigation was prompted by ongoing complaints about leadership turnover, delayed payments to contractors, state auditors’ findings, and chronic cash flow problems. The results were worse than the most pessimistic expectations.
The key figures presented in the piece are grim. The agency’s negative cash position (that is, liabilities exceeding actual cash on hand) reached $44.7 million. This deficit grew from December 2023 through July 31, 2025. The administrative operating deficit reached about $4.26 million, of which roughly $1.26 million was non-recoverable interest payments. But the loudest item was the unexplained $13 million: the agency simply could not document what those funds, allocated from the budgets of the City of Seattle and King County, were spent on.
The scale of funding is striking: over three years (2022–2024), the city and county provided KCRHA with more than $260 million to combat homelessness. For Seattle alone in 2024, that sum reached $113 million. It was this volume of invested funds that provoked the angry reaction of council members. Seattle Councilmember Maritza Rivera said she was “shocked and outraged” by the findings. In her statement she called the situation “egregious mismanagement of funds and an unacceptable lack of financial accountability.” She also emphasized that “KCRHA has a history of dysfunction and inefficiency” and demanded the mayor present a plan to dismantle the agency. King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, who opposed the creation of the authority from the start, joined her. He recalled that the founding documents included a mechanism to dissolve the organization in case of failure and urged it be activated immediately: “It’s time to end this failed experiment.”
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, who calls solving homelessness her top priority, responded less categorically but firmly. She said the audit results raise “serious concerns” and that “all options are on the table.” Together with King County Executive Girma Zawdi they have already sent a letter to KCRHA’s chief financial officer demanding a written response to each of the report’s “high-risk” findings. By May 23, 2026, the agency must develop a detailed corrective action plan with concrete timelines.
In addition, the city and county recommended four immediate measures to the KCRHA board of directors. First, create a financial oversight committee that will meet every two weeks and report monthly to the board. Second, impose an immediate hiring moratorium (except for cases with documented justification). Third, freeze all discretionary spending until the board lifts the restriction. And finally, suspend entering into any new agreements that could increase KCRHA’s expenditures or financial obligations.
The situation is complicated by the fact that, beyond the financial collapse, the review revealed systemic management problems. Board member Bob Kettle, who chairs the public safety committee, called the audit results “devastating.” He pointed to an “epic and consistent failure of leadership at the top of the agency, especially in the early stages,” as well as the city and county’s inability to exercise proper oversight. At the same time, not all politicians favor immediate dissolution. Board members Alexis Mercedes-Rink and Dionne Foster, who represent Seattle on the KCRHA board, urged keeping in mind the importance of a regional approach. They acknowledged that “every misstep identified in this audit is a missed opportunity to prevent further harm on the streets,” but emphasized that the homelessness emergency still requires coordinated regional efforts. It remains unknown which path authorities will take, but one thing is already clear: KCRHA’s reputation is destroyed, and taxpayers want answers about where the missing $13 million went.
