Planet Seattle

The week in Seattle kicks off with Smashing Pumpkins and an evening featuring local urban wineries. The schedule also includes the Baba Obscura festival, a craft fair, a free Diwali celebration, and Sea-Meow cat convention. Families may enjoy the fall foliage festival in Federal Way and free Día de los Muertos events, while those looking for something unusual can check out the immersive show Queen of the Sky or a paranormal investigation tour in Port Gamble. The city also has the Ghost Stories...

This roundup is designed to help you plan ahead, so you can choose concerts, shows, games, and holiday events for the first week of December. It covers events across the region, from large arenas and downtown Seattle theaters to intimate clubs and comedy venues in Tacoma, Bremerton, and on Bainbridge Island. You’ll find classic Christmas productions such as The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol, holiday concerts featuring well-known performers, NHL and NFL matchups, basketball games, and parties...

The historic Springwater Lodge on Mayne Island is for sale for C$1.999 million—less than the average price of a home in Vancouver. The property has been vacant since 2024 but could be revived. The province’s new Conservative government plans to repeal Bills 43 and 44, which promoted denser development; according to expert Tom Davidoff, doing so could worsen the housing shortage and drive prices higher. Meanwhile, Environment Canada has issued a heavy-rainfall warning for much of Vancouver...

A bench at a SkyTrain station in Burnaby caused a transit shutdown, a funeral procession passed through Richmond to honor a soldier killed during training, and accounts belonging to a British Columbia couple suspected of insider trading were frozen. Burnaby bench fire: How a morning incident on SkyTrain disrupted transit—and what lies behind it Early Wednesday morning, SkyTrain passengers in Burnaby, a Vancouver suburb, faced an unexpected transit disruption: three stations were closed after a...

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 sharp drop in U.S. stocks after the midterm elections showed just how heavily the market’s current rally depends on the artificial intelligence boom. Investors were rattled by Democrats’ plans to restrict data center construction—the infrastructure needed to expand AI. While some market participants see the sell-off as a painful but limited correction, others worry about project delays and higher costs. The impact on retirement savings will vary: much depends on portfolio composition, time...

Three articles look at health from different angles: habits associated with dementia risk, research on coffee and liver cancer, and the growing number of doctors among US lawmakers. Together, they show that health is shaped by more than one “magic” habit: lifestyle, access to preventive care and political decisions all play a role. But an association between a habit and a disease does not prove that the habit caused the illness—or that it will reliably protect against it. An HuffPost UK article...

In the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress, while Gina Hinojosa, the winner of the Texas gubernatorial race, announced a platform of economic support for families and a review of state policies. Both stories center on voters’ trust in government: judging by the results, Americans expressed dissatisfaction with the war, rising prices, and the policies of the Donald Trump administration. In Texas, meanwhile, Hinojosa proposed returning money to...

Search is becoming more than a way to find a link: it is part of a struggle over digital infrastructure and user habits. Google is simultaneously strengthening its AI tools, competing with ChatGPT for search queries, and changing the interfaces of familiar apps. These developments show that the question is no longer just which system answers a query more accurately, but who controls access to information, how the user experience is shaped, and what role advertising and commercial interests...

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...

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez visited the Leti pharmaceutical plant in Guarenas, Miranda state, and said the country aims to bring industrial capacity utilization to 100% over the next five years. She said the plant plans to produce 66 million units in 2026 and increase output in 2027. Rodríguez said priorities include reducing dependence on imports, supplying the domestic market and expanding exports. This, she said, should create jobs and generate foreign currency revenue for the...

What people in Caracas are talking about these days is not so much the American actions themselves as what they mean for the transitional period that began after the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The Republicans’ defeat in the U.S. midterm elections on November 3, rumors of a forthcoming Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), and a drone strike on Colombian guerrilla positions—reportedly carried out with U.S. intelligence support—have all converged. Venezuelan society is divided not over whether it is...

For many Syrians, Al Jazeera was not just a news channel, but a window onto another world and an alternative to official television, which was controlled by the regime and avoided open debate. For a long time, viewers depended on state channels, where there was no room for a plurality of opinions. Satellite television was initially out of reach for many because receivers were expensive. The author recalls buying a satellite dish primarily to watch Al Jazeera. The first experience was...

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 5AA, extending partial protection until December 18, 2026, for Citgo shares pledged as collateral for PDVSA 2020 bonds carrying an 8.5% interest rate. The document replaces the previous General License 5Z and temporarily prevents bondholders from foreclosing on the collateral: the shares may be sold or transferred only with separate OFAC authorization. The US agency said it is prepared to review and...

The main event of the past two days was the first meeting in many years between the foreign ministers of Venezuela and the United States. Oliver Blanco, the new foreign minister, appointed just days earlier, was received in Washington by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and then by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Caracas has presented the meeting as a breakthrough toward “common ground” and economic recovery, while opposition and independent Venezuelan commentators read the same reports as a...

According to Rodríguez, oil production in Venezuela has increased by 8.5% over the past 12 months. The average stood at 1.244 million barrels per day in October and had risen to 1.251 million by the time of her statement. The growth was driven mainly by the domestic capabilities of the national industry and international partnerships. Many of the agreements already signed have yet to be fully implemented, however, and a more significant increase is expected from December. Rodríguez also...

Venezuela is experiencing the most contentious moment in its recent political history. After U.S. troops took Nicolás Maduro to New York in January, the country came under Washington’s close supervision. Over the past two days, this has sparked several heated debates, ranging from amnesty for political prisoners to the possibility of a permanent U.S. military presence. Caracas and Washington are signaling closer ties while carefully avoiding public details, even as debate grows within...

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...

Imagine walking into a bookstore and asking for a book that isn’t on any shelf. The bookseller smiles, presses a few buttons, and a few minutes later, you’re holding a fresh, warm book that’s just been bound. This isn’t a fairy tale. That’s exactly how a special machine in one Seattle bookstore works. And the most fascinating part is that it helps bring back voices many people have long forgotten. The City of Amazon and Its Independent Bookstores Seattle has a curious mystery. It was here, in...

Imagine you really need something, but it costs a fortune at the store. What can you do? You can be disappointed—or find friends who need the same thing and buy it together. That’s exactly how one of America’s most unusual stores, REI, got its start in Seattle in 1938. It wasn’t founded by wealthy people or business executives, but by mountain lovers who simply needed a good ice axe. An Ice Axe That Cost Too Much Lawrence Whitaker and his wife, Mary, loved the mountains. Lawrence later became a...

In the fall of 1999, something unusual happened in the American city of Seattle. Thousands of people marched through the streets, including some dressed as giant green “sea turtles.” They weren’t putting on a play or getting ready for a carnival. They were telling adults: “Please think about nature when deciding how to trade.” This story links a very simple thing—shrimp on a plate—to a much bigger question about how the world works. What Is Trade Between Countries, and Who Makes Sure the Rules...

Seattle is home to the world’s best-known online bookstore. You might think ordinary bookshops couldn’t survive alongside it. But not only have they survived—Seattle still has plenty of cozy bookstores. One of them is unlike any other: it has no director, and the workers make all the decisions themselves, like a good team. The giant and the small shops In the mid-1990s, entrepreneur Jeff Bezos launched Amazon. At first, it was just an online bookstore, and the idea came about near Seattle....

A pot of glue overheated in an ordinary workshop. Because of it, almost all of downtown Seattle burned down on June 6, 1889. But the most interesting part happened not during the fire, but afterward: the city’s residents figured out how to make their community stronger—and did it together. How It Began It was around half past two in the afternoon. A pot of glue was heating in a carpenter’s workshop at a downtown street corner. The glue overheated and caught fire, and dry wood shavings lay all...

Imagine a garage that smells of oil and metal, with old car parts scattered across the floor. Now imagine that, instead of mechanics, it’s home to invisible creatures so tiny you can’t see them without a microscope. That’s how one of Seattle’s best-known breweries got its start in 1981. It’s a story about how a small idea grew into an entire movement. Beer, of course, is for adults, but the story itself is like a fairy tale about an old place getting a new lease on life. Two Friends and an...

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...