Planet Seattle

This roundup is designed for advance planning and features events taking place in Seattle and the surrounding area from December 2 through 6, 2026. There’s something for everyone, from stand-up comedy and rock concerts to ballets, musicals and festive evenings at some of the city’s top venues. Some events take place at multiple venues, so it’s worth checking the dates in advance and choosing what best fits your plans. If you want to catch the weekend’s biggest events, consider booking tickets...

British Columbia is bracing for a sharp change in the weather: after a record-dry October, an atmospheric river is moving into the province, bringing torrential rain, mountain snow and strong winds, with a risk of flooding and power outages. Meanwhile, the Civil Resolution Tribunal has overturned a fine imposed on X, ruling that geoblocking an intimate image was a reasonable measure under Canadian jurisdiction and underscoring the challenges of regulating global platforms. And the resort...

Prosecutors have charged two people in connection with the death of 11-year-old Kai Pavlovich of Burnaby, who went missing in September 2025. Their names, motives and the specific charges have not been disclosed, and the case has entered the criminal prosecution stage. At the same time, Indigenous communities in British Columbia—the Tsartlip First Nation and the St’at’imc Chiefs Council—are challenging in Federal Court the designation of the Pacific Link pipeline as a project of national...

In West Vancouver, a creek has been named after conservationist Hugh Hamilton; a CityNews story about “Gastown ghosts” is actually about a series of pedestrian collisions in Metro Vancouver, two of them fatal; and sleep experts are criticizing British Columbia’s decision to adopt permanent daylight saving time, warning of disrupted circadian rhythms and winter sleep loss. West Vancouver creek named after conservationist Hugh Hamilton West Vancouver has dedicated an unusual memorial to a man who...

This roundup covers British Columbia’s decision to stop changing its clocks and the technical challenges that come with it, a CFL semifinal in Vancouver amid worrying pedestrian collision statistics, and the designation of the Vancouver port expansion as a project of national interest to diversify exports. British Columbia skips the clock change for the first time in decades: What it means for residents and technology For the first time in decades, residents of the Canadian province of British...

The Supreme Court of Canada overturned the acquittal of a driver who struck and killed a child in Vancouver, and ordered a new trial. Jennifer Whiteside became interim leader of the B.C. NDP after its defeat by the Conservatives. The Holdom Overpass in Burnaby received Envision’s Platinum certification for sustainability. Supreme Court of Canada overturns acquittal of driver who killed child in Vancouver The story began in July 2021 at one of downtown Vancouver’s busiest intersections and...

Vancouver is preparing for changes in city leadership: Robert Weeks will head the fire department, while mayor-elect Pete Fry is assembling a transition team and appointing a deputy mayor. Meanwhile, a woman was fatally struck by a cement truck near the airport, renewing questions about pedestrian safety. Robert Weeks to lead Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, bringing experience and continuity The City of Vancouver has announced the appointment of a new fire chief. Robert Weeks will officially...

In this edition: a scandal at a Vancouver school, where a teacher crossed professional boundaries with a seventh-grade student and was suspended; a cooling housing market in British Columbia, where sales are falling, prices are sliding and construction is rising amid economic uncertainty that could last until 2027; and a roundup of family-friendly Halloween events across Greater Vancouver from immigrant services organization ISSofBC, with six ideas ranging from a “pumpkin train” and a glowing...

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...

Coverage of the upcoming elections in Ohio, Maine, Kentucky and Indiana points to a common theme: races for governor and Senate seats are increasingly becoming a test of the federal government’s performance and politicians’ responses to voters’ everyday concerns. Discontent with the economy and the cost of living could give Democrats a chance even in states where Republicans have gained ground. But polls do not guarantee an outcome: experienced candidates, local reputations and the makeup of...

The reports point to a common theme: the conflict between the United States and Iran is caught between efforts to reach an agreement and the risk of further military escalation. Reports of a strike on Qeshm Island have heightened Tehran’s threats and unsettled oil markets, even as Qatar continues its mediation efforts. Against this backdrop, a separate article discussing a possible nuclear strike on an Iranian facility illustrates how dangerous speculation about extreme scenarios can become,...

All three reports converge on the same story: the United States, Iran and Israel are discussing a possible end to the war even as they prepare for it to resume. Diplomatic contacts are advancing, but key disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. blockade and sanctions remain unresolved. Washington has not disclosed whether it is ready to continue negotiations or launch new strikes; Tehran says the next move is up to the United States, while Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly pushing for...

The arrival of foldable phones is turning the familiar contest for the best specifications into a more complicated choice: get a large screen and new ways to use your device, or opt for a more mature smartphone with better battery life, a better camera and a lower price. A comparison of the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro Max shows that a foldable design still requires significant compromises. Reports about Samsung’s upcoming devices point to another way to compete: improve specific features and...

In the final days before the U.S. Senate election, the Michigan campaign has become more than a debate over candidates and policy platforms: it is also a test of how durable party loyalty and ties between communities are. Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens’ decision to endorse Republican Mike Rogers has intensified her conflict with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. At the same time, his team is trying to build support among Black voters in Detroit, a group that is crucial to the Democratic...

The United States and Iran are negotiating an end to the conflict while preparing for a possible resumption of military action. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan are trying to agree on terms for de-escalation, but the future of the Strait of Hormuz, US sanctions and Iran’s nuclear program remain sources of acute confrontation. Sharp statements from Donald Trump and Iranian leaders show that the diplomatic channel is open, but both sides are trying to negotiate from a position of strength....

Across three stories, Nintendo Switch 2 emerges in several roles at once: a platform for reviving classics, a home for indie games, and the subject of a technical experiment. Nintendo is promoting a new version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and showcasing a selection of independent games for Switch and Switch 2, while the arrival of an early emulator shows that interest in the console’s hardware extends beyond the official ecosystem. Together, these stories reflect different aspects...

In the days before the U.S. midterm elections, two trends intensified at once: early voting reached record levels by the standards of recent midterm campaigns, and tensions grew over who controls the election process and how. National polls show Democrats holding a significant lead over Republicans in preferences for the House of Representatives, while the outcome of the Senate race remains less clear. Against this backdrop, the Justice Department sent all states warnings about criminal...

The stories cover different markets, but they share one question: how much are companies and consumers willing to pay for a technological edge? Samsung touts its longstanding leadership in foldable phones while releasing an especially expensive model for China. In artificial intelligence, by contrast, investors are demanding ever stronger evidence that record investments in infrastructure will pay off. Together, these stories show how technological promises become marketing arguments and...

A group of U.S. lawmakers has urged the Department of Commerce to ease export restrictions on Syria and remove the country from the “E:1” category. In their view, keeping the restrictions in place “prevents American companies from entering the Syrian market.” Senator Joe Wilson warned that further delays in shipments of U.S. technology could push Damascus closer to China, and stressed that speeding up the issuance of permits to U.S. exporters was necessary to give Syria more...

María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela, the first meeting between the two countries’ top diplomats in Washington, and Caracas’s promise to hold elections all came together over the course of three days. Venezuelan politicians, experts and journalists are not debating whether there will be a transition, but who will manage it, on what terms, and when the country will go to the polls. Washington is pressing for a timeline, the opposition is urging haste, acting President Delcy Rodríguez is...

On Sunday, a ceremony was held in Damascus to mark the 30th anniversary of the Al Jazeera media network, under the slogan “And We’re Still Telling the Story.” It took place simultaneously with a ceremony in Doha to launch Al Jazeera’s channel system. Guests included Syria’s Minister of Communications Abdel Salam Haykal, Minister of Culture Mohammed Yassin Saleh, members of the People’s Assembly, ambassadors accredited to the Syrian capital and many Syrian journalists. The event highlighted the...

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez took part on Saturday in a ceremony to switch on the Christmas lights along Los Próceres Promenade in Caracas, officially marking the start of the holiday season. She said that, after the difficult events the country has endured, Christmas could be a time for solidarity, coming together and emotional healing. She described supporting loved ones and strengthening family and friendship ties as the holiday’s greatest value. Rodríguez also invited those gathered...

The focus is on four highly secure military headquarters, presented here as symbols of preparations for a redistribution of global power. Two are in East Asia, a third in the heart of Europe, and the fourth in a city straddling two continents and bordered by two seas. Their locations and personnel, the author argues, help explain how major powers are taking on roles once reserved for Washington. The argument draws on a long-running debate over the decline of American hegemony. In The Rise and...

María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela after 319 days in exile has shaken the country and exposed the tensions at the heart of Venezuelan politics today: who is really running the transition — Washington, Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government, or the crowds who turned out to welcome the Nobel Peace Prize laureate? At the same time, the country is recording a record increase in oil exports to the United States following the easing of sanctions, while the trial of Nicolás Maduro continues in...

The purchasing power of Syrian families has fallen significantly in recent months: the gap between wages and the cost of living is widening, fuel is getting more expensive, and local production remains weak. As a result, even meeting basic needs—food, housing, transport and medicine—has become a struggle for many households, while constant efforts to save are changing their way of life. Against this backdrop, Syria’s economy presents a mixed picture. Official forecasts promise growth of more...

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez announced on October 31 that 1,157 renovated homes had been handed over in the states of La Guaira and Miranda, as well as in Caracas. During a visit to the Terrazas del Aeropuerto housing complex in La Guaira, she reviewed the construction of housing for families affected by the June 24 earthquakes and the restoration of four towers containing 102 apartments. According to Rodríguez, more than 21,000 homes are being repaired for 87,000 people under the...

On September 14, Syria’s Ministry of Energy raised the prices of petroleum products by 25–40%. The price of a liter of 95-octane gasoline rose from 152 to 195 Syrian pounds, 90-octane gasoline now costs 185 pounds, and diesel costs 175 pounds, up from 125. With the exchange rate at around 143 pounds to the dollar, the decision quickly affected residents’ day-to-day expenses. Students, civil servants and low-income families have felt the impact most acutely: fares for city transport and...

Imagine enormous rusted towers that once belched smoke, and ground soaked with tar. Now imagine children flying kites and having picnics in that same place. That is what Gas Works Park in Seattle looks like. Its story is about more than a beautiful view: the land there was healed in some unusual ways, with help from microbes too small to see. Before the Park For more than fifty years, from 1906 to 1956, a gas plant operated on the shore of Lake Union. It produced gas from coal, and later from...

Seattle was once home to a much-loved basketball team called the SuperSonics. Then the team moved to another city, and many people were very sad. But the huge building where the games were played didn’t disappear. In fact, it got a fascinating new life—and this story has a little sadness, a little courage, and a lot of care for the environment. Who Were the SuperSonics, and Why Were They Called That? The name “SuperSonics” was chosen back in 1967. Seattle is home to the big airplane company...

Imagine being told you can’t bake pies at home and can only buy them in big stores. For almost half a century, homebrewing in the United States was a bit like that. Then it became legal, and ordinary people started experimenting, inventing and learning. A whole industry grew out of it, and Seattle became one of its major hubs. A forgotten ban no one remembered In the 1920s, the United States had Prohibition: making and selling alcohol was illegal. Prohibition was repealed in 1933, but a strange...

Every May, a cheerful parade takes place on the streets of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Children wave flags, wear bright traditional costumes, and follow a marching band through town. It’s a Norwegian celebration—Constitution Day, marked on May 17. But how did this northern tradition take root in an American city? It turns out that behind it was not one major event, but many small groups of ordinary people. Let’s find out who they were and why we know so little about some of them. How...

Do you know where great success begins? Not in huge stadiums, but in small, cramped rooms where there’s barely enough space for a drum kit onstage. Seattle was full of places like that. It was in these rooms that bands who would later be heard around the world began playing in the 1990s. But what happened to those venues afterward? Far fewer people know, and the story is much quieter than the music that once filled them. How it all began: a stage the size of a rug Imagine an art club at school....

Long ago, in the 1940s, there was a street in Seattle where lights glowed in the windows at night, trumpets and pianos played, and people of different skin colors sat side by side, listening to the same music. Back then, that wasn’t easy in America, where many places followed unfair rules. But Jackson Street showed that music can bring people together. What segregation was and why it was unfair The word “segregation” sounds complicated, but it’s easy to explain. Imagine that some children at...

Imagine building a big city out of building blocks with your friends. Every time you build a school or a bridge, you set one block aside out of every hundred—not for a wall or a roof, but to make the city beautiful. That’s exactly what Seattle came up with in real life. In 1973, the city launched its “1% for Art” program, and ever since, sculptures, mosaics, and unusual benches have been brightening its streets. How It All Began Seattle is a large city in the northwestern United States, with...

Imagine you had to build a home but had no money at all. All you had were boards found along the shore, rusty sheets of metal, and a couple of old barrels. Could you make anything out of that? More than ninety years ago, in the American city of Seattle, hundreds of people faced this challenge in real life, not in a game. That’s how Hooverville came to be—a remarkable settlement that was considered a real city, even without a mayor or brick walls. When the Jobs Disappeared In 1929, the Great...

Picture an ordinary rainy evening in Seattle. A mother walks by with a bag, schoolchildren hurry past with backpacks, and the window of a small café glows on the corner. Inside, pieces of chicken sizzle on a hot griddle, and the whole street smells of sweet sauce. It’s a teriyaki café—and in Seattle, these places seem to be on almost every block. The story began with one small kitchen and one person who came up with a simple dish. What Is “Teriyaki,” and Who First Made the Seattle Version? The...