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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 8d

The mayor's campaign now says Harrell's 2021 pledge was just to "identify" 2,000 units, but that doesn't match how Harrell talked on the campaign trail back then. www.axios.com/local/seattl...

Catch up quick: The 2,000-unit goal was part of Harrell's plan to implement key aspects of Compassion Seattle, a 2021 charter amendment that was struck down by the courts before it could go to voters. The measure would have required the city to "provide" 2,000 new units in a year "in addition to those already funded."

"We can do that," Harrell said during a KIRO Radio interview in 2021, shortly after the charter amendment was blocked from the ballot.
In at least two other instances that year, Harrell also talked about how he would "build" — not identify — 2,000 units in 12 months.

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 8d

Some of the weirdnesses we found included the mayor's office claiming it opened new tiny house units that were only moved from one site to another, and 29 units claimed at a Salvation Army shelter that hasn't added beds during Harrell's term. Story here: www.axios.com/local/seattl...

Seattle shelter tally falls short of Harrell's campaign pledge

Harrell promised 2,000 units in year one. After 3+ years, he was still short, an Axios review finds.

www.axios.com

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 8d

I cite Erica's work in the story including this piece:

publicola.com/2023/01/04/h...

Harrell Promised 2,000 Units of Housing or Shelter by the End of His First Year. He Didn't Deliver. - PubliCola

By Erica C. Barnett When he ran for mayor in 2021, Bruce Harrell vowed to implement key elements of the…

publicola.com

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 8d

Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell pledged on the campaign trail in 2021 to build 2,000 units of shelter or permanent supportive housing in a year. More than three years into his term, he still hasn't added that many net new units, an Axios analysis finds.

The latest: After Axios questioned the city's data this month, the mayor's office revised its count of units opened under Harrell, lowering the number on its dashboard from 2,016 to 1,991.

Yet that amended figure still doesn't reflect how much new capacity was created during more than three years of Harrell's leadership.
When adjusted to remove units that were replaced rather than added, the total opened through spring 2025 was under 1,800, Axios found.

And, if you remove projects that were in progress before Harrell took office, the number of units added under Harrell's watch is fewer than 1,300.

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 8d

Also Fremont Coffee. how could i forget them

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 8d

Great add, used to go there all the time when I lived nearby. Will add to the list (if I ever compile these into a story listicle thingy)

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 8d

What are the Seattle cafes that most scream "old school Seattle" coffee shop experience to you? I'm thinking like: Cafe Allegro, Cafe Umbria, the Cherry Street Coffee on 1st and Cherry, and Zeitgeist Coffee (where I am now). Where else?

A view of the interior of Zeitgeist coffee featuring exposed rafters, scratched up floors and lots of wood and metal and art.

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Reposted by Melissa Santos

David Kroman @kromandavid.bsky.social · 15d

I understand most people's final day is Oct. 31. As if you needed more confirmation of how out of touch KCTS leadership is with its own news operation, I'm pretty sure this is the second time they've fired people days before an election.

David Kroman @kromandavid.bsky.social · 16d

I heard the news this morning. I owe everything to Crosscut and this breaks my heart. Frankly, it always felt over managed by people who’d never worked in print journalism before. My heart goes out to everyone there

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 16d

BREAKING: Cascade PBS, which operates the website Crosscut, is laying off 19 people, reportedly including its entire news staff. In an email to staff, CEO Rob Dunlop blamed federal cuts, saying the nonprofit is "winding down our longform, written journalism."

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 15d

It was a special time.

David Kroman @kromandavid.bsky.social · 15d

Some of my best journalism memories are grinding with @lillyanafowler.bsky.social, @melissajsantos.bsky.social and @jcohenwrites.bsky.social on the news desk

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · 15d

I've struggled to put into words how I feel about Cascade PBS cutting its entire newsroom today. That newsroom (formerly Crosscut) gave me space to do the most in-depth, informative public policy journalism of my career -- work other journalists continued after I left. The region is now worse off.

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Reposted by Melissa Santos

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 16d

"We do not yet fully understand why this decision was made and we will be meeting in Cascade PBS executives and management in the coming days to discuss the impact on our union members and the reasoning behinds these decisions," the Pacific NW Newspaper Guild said about the layoffs.

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Reposted by Melissa Santos

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 16d

BREAKING: Cascade PBS, which operates the website Crosscut, is laying off 19 people, reportedly including its entire news staff. In an email to staff, CEO Rob Dunlop blamed federal cuts, saying the nonprofit is "winding down our longform, written journalism."

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Sep 5

The perils of taking an iPhone on a ferry. My keys are fine in my bag, not in the bay

iPhone notification saying “Melissa’s Keys” left behind, and that they were last seen near Elliott Bay

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 27

Which is why I find it funny that Brooks --- on the Wallingford side of the street -- says it is in Fremont, while Spinnaker -- which is on the other side, closer to Fremont --- says it is in Wallingford.

I lived in the zone between Stone and Aurora and can attest it's a shorter walk to Fremont....

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 27

Do others consider the area around 35th and Stone Way Fremont, or Wallingford?

Context: A business on one side of the street says it's in Fremont, while another across the street (on the side closest to Fremont) says it's in Wallingford

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Reposted by Melissa Santos

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

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 21

Obviously it's not the acronym's fault, outside of it being so effective I've never actually had to really learn the order of streets (I sometimes mix up which of the two streets associated with each letter comes first is all)

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 21

Seattle's murder rate didn't rank among the top 100 among big cities last year www.axios.com/local/seattl...

How Seattle's murder rate stacks up to other U.S. cities

Seattle didn't crack the top 100 cities for its homicide rate last year, per FBI crime data.

www.axios.com

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 21

Seattleites: When did you first hear the mnemonic device "Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest" to remember downtown streets? Who came up with this originally?

On my mind because for some reason (I blame the acroynym) I mixed up Union and University in a story today even *while looking at a map*

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 15

I feel very Karen-y going to complain about the waitlist in person. but for real I'm just trying to send my kid to the neighborhood school closest to our house -- and he's been No. 1 on the waitlist for 3 months

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 14

Given school starts in three weeks, I kinda want to know where my kid is starting kindergarten? Also because I need to plan after care? Seems reasonable

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 14

Has any Seattle Public Schools parent seen their waitlist move since early May? Asking for me and my kid, right now, sitting here in the district HQ lobby with zero movement for more than three months.

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 8

Katie Wilson now has more than 50% of the primary vote in the Seattle mayor's race. That's definitely not where Bruce Harrell wants to be as the incumbent. #waelex

Mayoral candidates in Seattle primary, with Katie Wilson's 50.15% highlighted. Bruce Harrell has 41.7%

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 8

I was gonna say, mine did the same thing and I did a double take then realized the percentage I was looking at was the same as yesterday's, and refreshed. Big jump today

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Melissa Santos @melissajsantos.bsky.social · Aug 6

Three moderate Seattle incumbents, including the mayor, continue to lag behind progressive challengers in the latest vote counts from Tuesday's primary election. www.axios.com/local/seattl... #waelex

Progressives loom over Seattle moderates in early returns

Challengers from the left are leading Harrell, Davison and Nelson in early primary election results.

www.axios.com

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