Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Rian Watt

Timothy Burke @bubbaprog.xyz · 1d

This baseball game has officially outlasted the NWSL match next door that started 2 1/2 hours after it

2 27 170

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 1d

where’s Michael Barrett when you need him

3

Reposted by Rian Watt

Holly @holls.bsky.social · 1d

peace be with Adam Wainwright as he tries to get his coworker to make a different point in the meeting

5 23 210

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 1d

It's not an exaggeration to say that @typewriteralley.bsky.social is the only reporter in the region who could write this story in quite this way.

Please consider donating to @theurbanist.org to help support our work. theurbanist.org/donate

www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/10/h...

How Ballard and West Seattle Light Rail Became a $30 Billion Undertaking » The Urbanist

# Since voters approved West Seattle and Ballard Link in 2016, the two projects have been caught in a perfect storm of factors that led to the eye-popping cost estimates that we have today. While the ...

www.theurbanist.org

8 36

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 1d

I was on @kuow.org's Week in Review this afternoon. A good time!

www.kuow.org/stories/week...

Week in Review: National Guard, Washington state Capitol, and empty hotel rooms

Guest Host Cat Smith discusses the week’s news with Seattle Times Claudia Rowe, columnist Bill Bryant, and Economic Opportunity Institute’s Rian Watt.

www.kuow.org

5

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 1d

Five years ago, for the 10th World Homelessness Day, I wrote this brief call to action. Five years gone and little progress. But I stand by each word:

community.solutions/homelessness...

We can end homelessness, and therefore we should

World Homeless Day reminds us that it is possible to end homelessness.

community.solutions

1 1

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 2d

There's two blocks between the East Precinct and 12th and Union. Two blocks, two reversed decisions, one week.

Do you need management experience to get it wrong this reliably?

1 1 26

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 2d

Then it was this whole mess in the heart of Capitol Hill:

publicola.com/2025/10/09/r...

Reversing Decision, SPD Removes Controversial Captain Tietjen from East Precinct - PubliCola

By Erica C. Barnett Two days after PubliCola exclusively reported that Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes had promoted controversial police…

publicola.com

1 3 24

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 2d

First, it was eliminating a bus lane advocates fought for for years after developers wanted space for their right turns from the East side. Advocates fought back and the city immediately reversed.

www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/02/s...

SDOT Backpedals on Plans for Capitol Hill Bus Lane Removal » The Urbanist

# Work will continue on upgrades to E Union Street that will allow Route 2 buses to return to the corridor, but the idea of reopening the street to all westbound traffic has been taken off the table -...

www.theurbanist.org

1 3 31

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 2d

If Bruce Harrell's case for re-election is his management experience, what should we make of two separate instances in the last week of city decisions made under his watch being immediately reversed after huge community blowback?

5 18 110

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 2d

Extraordinarily thoughtful and nuanced from one of Seattle’s best, Marcus Harrison Greene:

southseattleemerald.org/voices/2025/...

COLUMN | What This Mayoral Election Owes 'Black Seattle'

From City Hall to the Central District, Seattle's mayoral race raises deeper questions: Who speaks for "Black Seattle," and what does real representation look like beyond the ballot? Marcus Harrison G...

southseattleemerald.org

3 32 94

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 7d

It is 8 am on Saturday at Madison/12th/Union and … no work crews in sight 😊 What a beautiful sight, thanks to so many transportation advocates!

1 42

Reposted by Rian Watt

Tiffani @tiffanimc.bsky.social · 9d

Harrell needs to pick up any anti-fascist/anti-authoritarian book, quickly. Radical hope, love, resistance, and a bold social program are the only hope we have to combat fascism. Telling people to not hope is dangerous.

Ron Davis @ronpdavis.bsky.social · 9d

Bruce Harrell makes his closing statement for why he should keep his job after his poor performance as Seattle Mayor and this line says it all.

"This is not the time to hope."

2 7 39

Reposted by Rian Watt

Gordon Padelford @gordonofseattle.bsky.social · 9d

I take no credit here and will transfer my kudos to @csgreenways.bsky.social volunteers who have been piling on the pressure

1 7

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 9d

Incredible mobilization by so many to make this happen, including @typewriteralley.bsky.social and @alexis4seattle.bsky.social and @gordonofseattle.bsky.social and many others.

The Urbanist @theurbanist.org · 9d

NEW STORY // SDOT Backpedals on Plans for Capitol Hill Bus Lane Removal
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/02/s...

SDOT Backpedals on Plans for Capitol Hill Bus Lane Removal » The Urbanist

# Work will continue on upgrades to E Union Street that will allow Route 2 buses to return to the corridor, but the idea of reopening the street to all westbound traffic has been taken off the table -...

www.theurbanist.org

1 1 23

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 10d

Spotted at the 150 stop: Week Without Driving champion Jorge Barón!

20

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · 10d

I live near this stop. It is the way I plan to get to downtown or Seattle Center. I was not asked before the lane was deleted. Process for me but not for thee.

Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 10d

Who did SDOT listen to? Business and property owners.
Why? Because drivers from *Madrona and the Eastside* are complaining about the new traffic pattern on Madison Street.

“These changes were developed with input from Metro and community stakeholders to balance access for businesses, customers, people biking and walking, and bus service,” SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali told The Urbanist. “Over the last few months, communications were restarted primarily at the request of Dunn & Hobbes, the owner of the Chophouse property, Hunters Capital, and Madrona Real Estate along with business representatives on 12th Avenue north of Madison Street.”

“While development in the area is meant to maximize the appeal of dense urban living, coming off the impacts of COVID and challenges of major street and sidewalk construction, representatives had specific concerns about customers who drive from the Eastside or neighborhoods like Madison Park and Madrona,” Ali continued. “They are having a hard time getting to their destinations or are confused by the new traffic pattern. After coordinating with Metro on Route 2 bus operations, it seemed reasonable to modify the intersection to signalize the pedestrian crossing per Metro’s request and restore the right-turn from westbound Madison St to Union St for driver access to businesses.”

3 10 53

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · Aug 27

At a bare minimum we should require disclosure of any use of ChatGPT for official business. Excellent reporting from @cascadepbsnewsroom.bsky.social .

Nate Sanford @sanfordnate.bsky.social · Aug 26

Have you ever wondered if government leaders are writing things with ChatGPT?

Through records requests, I obtained thousands of pages of chat histories from city officials in Washington.

The logs show widespread use of AI — with little transparency:
www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...

Washington city officials are using ChatGPT for government work

Records show that public servants have used generative AI to write emails to constituents, mayoral letters, policy documents and more

www.cascadepbs.org

1 17

Reposted by Rian Watt

Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · Aug 11

The main thing they’re using DHS for is a continual, indefinite effort to expand the population of those who they can effectively treat as beyond legal rights and protections.

1 12 28

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · Aug 11

Friday afternoon, @thestranger.com let me make an obvious but important point: If progressives don't use their time in power to clear away structural barriers to progress, they'll be at risk of getting swept out again in four years:

www.thestranger.com/guest-editor...

Guest Rant: Seattle Progressives Won Big Tuesday, Now Comes the Hard Part

Seattle progressives like Erika Evans, Dionne Foster, Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Katie Wilson won big in Tuesday's primary elections. Now they have to eliminate the structural barriers in the way of th...

www.thestranger.com

11

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · Aug 6

Most notably, one of the authors of Abundance explicitly makes this connection:

www.derekthompson.org/p/what-speak...

And then Yglesias (who I have mixed feelings about) explored the issue prominently recently:

www.slowboring.com/p/learning-f...

Very much part of the discourse.

'What Speaks to Me About Abundance': My Full Interview With Zohran Mamdani

The meteoric Democratic Socialist candidate and I talk about where we disagree about policy, where we agree about politics, and how to change our mind when we're wrong.

www.derekthompson.org

1 2

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · Aug 6

Yeah, it's definitely related. I think the problem with deliverism was not that delivering wasn't a good idea but that it's important to deliver on the things most centrally important to voters, rather than things they view as marginal or secondary.

1 4

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · Aug 6

Hello! I used to run @theurbanist.org and I'm talking about it. You'd be surprised!

1 2

Reposted by Rian Watt

Gordon Padelford @gordonofseattle.bsky.social · Aug 6

The broken Seattle Process™️ prevents elected officials from delivering for constituents, and helps fuel cynicism in local government.

Space race vs Seattle bus lane construction time graphic

2 14 52

Rian Watt @rianwatt.bsky.social · Aug 6

Call that whatever you want -- abundance, sewer socialism, Get Shit Done Party -- but it's key to our ability to *keep* living out our progressive values -- not just from 2025-29, but for decades.

2 2 36