1 big thing: Making school lockdown drills less traumatic

Illustration of young seated woman with her head in her hands and a scribble bubble above her head

2. Inquest into Lyles shooting starts today

Image of a protester holding a sign with a photo of Charleena Lyles.

3. Morning Buzz:  Host money and hate groups

Illustration of a retro diner style sign that says "The Morning Buzz."

Fresh job openings around town

4. The word we can't spell

A tweet by Google trends showing a map of the United States with the top word Googled with "hot to spell..." listed in each state.

5. Coffee stop: Cafe Allegro

A brick facade with large windows and a hanging sign with a painted coffee mug that says "Cafe Allegro," with a sandwich board out front and a man sitting at a red cafe table. 

It's Tuesday! Happy summer solstice and welcome back from what we hope was a restful weekend.

🌤 Today's weather: Mostly sunny with a high near 73. Sun for the first day of summer!

Situational awareness: Today is the longest day of the year in Seattle, with the sun rising at 5:11am and setting at 9:10pm. That's 15 hours, 59 minutes of daylight!

Today's newsletter is 961 words — a 4-minute read.

🌊 Melissa is trying to get back into the rhythm of the week after wandering Whidbey Island’s beaches all weekend. 

📷  Lewis captured this photo of a soaring eagle after mountain biking in Port Gamble on Father's Day. More bird pics!

Want free Axios swag? Refer your friends to Axios Seattle and get cool merch like stickers, totes, hats, T-shirts and more!

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Seattle

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Seattle.

Axios Seattle

1 big thing: Pro-impeachment Republicans under fire

At left, a man with white hair in a suit and at right, a woman with brown hair in a suit jacket.

2. Wolves are making a comeback

Two gray wolves stand in a clearing amid a forest of green trees.

3. We're the most expensive state to hire a nanny

4. Morning Buzz: Landmark status, plus a ban

Illustration of a coffee mug that says "The Morning Buzz" with bees flying around. 

New jobs to check out

5. Brew stop: Aslan Brewing Company

A view of the interior of a tap room with murals on the walls and people at small tables, and a pride flag at the end of the bar.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high near 74. 

🚨 Situational awareness: The National Weather Service has issued a weather advisory about an incoming heatwave, which is expected to last through Monday. 

Temperatures could reach 90℉ Sunday in parts of western Washington, according to the advisory.

Today's newsletter is 944 words — a 3.5-minute read.

 🗽Lewis is in New York City. He'll share more about his trip Monday. 

⛱ Melissa is thinking about going paddleboarding this weekend, but might end up just reading a book at home instead to stay out of the heat. 

Hope you have a lovely weekend! Same place — Monday.

1 big thing: Our college enrollment plummets

2. Woman sues MOD Pizza over discrimination claims

Picture of a store font of a MOD Pizza restaurant.

3. Morning Buzz: Winery woes + a rosy $$ forecast

Illustration of an osprey wearing reading glasses and reading its phone.

4. Americans ❤️ thrift stores

Now hiring: New job openings

5. Favorite eats at Pike Place Market

A braided baked pastry with nuts on top and chocolate and cinnamon woven throughout.

 It's Thursday! Coasting toward the weekend. 

🌤 Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.

In Seattle, that's pretty much considered shirtless jogging weather.

Today's newsletter is 968 words — a 3.5-minute read.

 ✈️ Lewis is leaving on a jet plane this afternoon.

⛲️ Melissa is in awe of the spray parks today’s kids have access to. Where were these when I was a kid?! 

1 big thing: Washington state without Roe

💭 Welcome to the Axios Seattle Thought Bubble, our snap-analysis dispatch to break down events that shape our city and state as they happen.

Let's take a deeper look what today's Supreme Court decision means for Washington state.

Today's newsletter is 317 words — a 2-minute read.

Check back for more news and analysis next week.  

Axios Seattle Thought Bubble

1 big thing: Blocking hospital mergers that would limit abortions

Illustration of a gavel coming down on a hospital. 

2. Court upholds Seattle payroll tax

Illustration of a hurdle with a gavel as the hurdle board. 

3. We ❤️ bikes

4. Morning Buzz: RV lots and traffic deaths

Illustration of the Seattle Space Needle wearing sunglasses

Do you see yourself with a new career?

5. A mess o' mussels to go

A stainless steel pot filled with steamed mussels on a wooden table.

☁️ Today's weather: Cloudy with a chance of drizzle early. High near 65.

☀️ Situational awareness: It took until June 21, but the 76 degrees attained in Seattle on Tuesday prevented 2022 from becoming the year with the latest recorded date for reaching at least 75 degrees in the city.

That distinction still belongs to 2010, which didn't record its first 75-degree day until June 23, per the National Weather service.

Today's newsletter is 984 words — a 4-minute read.

🌞 Melissa is enjoying the sunshine and hoping we get more of it in the coming days.

Seattle remains a bike-friendly mecca, cracking the top 10 among U.S. cities in two recent rankings.

By the numbers: A Wallethub analysis ranked Seattle the 8th most bike-friendly city in the U.S., while Anytime Estimate slotted us at No. 10.

The rankings used a variety of metrics to score a city’s bike-friendliness, including geographic traversability, number of cycling commuters and access to trails and bicycle shops.

Seattle received a bikeability score of 70 out of a possible 100 from Wallethub (deemed "very bikeable"), and 71 from Anytime Estimate (17 points above the national average).

Why it matters: Seattle’s geniality toward biking, while not exactly breaking news, remains a constant trait of the city’s overall livability, even amid spikes in housing costs and overall affordability in recent years.

Biking became an especially important activity in Seattle and other cities during the pandemic, as Americans turned to cycling as a reprieve from home isolation and as a new commuting option, per the U.S. Census Bureau.

The big picture: Our regional rival, Portland, outranked us on both lists, scoring No. 2 in the Wallethub rankings and No. 1 in the Anytime Estimate list.

California had the most cities of any state in the top 20, with five on both lists. 

San Francisco ranked highest among California’s cities (#6 Wallethub; #2 Anytime Estimate).

What they're saying: ​​"The West is best when it comes to bike-friendly cities – one-third of our 15 most bike-friendly cities are located on the West Coast," per the Anytime Estimate report.

Seattle ranks among top 10 bike-friendly cities

Seattle remains a bike-friendly mecca, cracking the top 10 among U.S. cities in two recent rankings.By the numbers: A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Wallethub analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-green-cities/16246" data-vars-content-id="17eef527-13ef-4235-8d64-3d360158683d" data-vars-headline="Seattle ranks among top 10 bike-friendly cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-green-cities/16246" target="_blank">Wallethub analysis</a> ranked Seattle the 8th most bike-friendly city in the U.S., while <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Anytime Estimate " data-vars-click-url="https://anytimeestimate.com/research/most-bike-friendly-cities-us-2022/" data-vars-content-id="17eef527-13ef-4235-8d64-3d360158683d" data-vars-headline="Seattle ranks among top 10 bike-friendly cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://anytimeestimate.com/research/most-bike-friendly-cities-us-2022/" target="_blank">Anytime Estimate </a>slotted us at No. 10.

News

Things to Do

Over time, I've learned my dad has been a lot of things in his life: a farm boy, a war veteran, a lawyer, a judge, a horseplayer, a card shark.

Zoom in: As the youngest of his kids, I learned soon enough that my dad had lived four decades before I ever existed.

Background: The generational gaps between my dad and me served as a barrier to "knowing" each other better.

Growing up, sometimes I even felt a bit ripped off that I didn't know my dad as a younger man like some of my older siblings did.

Yes, but: This month, I learned a story about my dad I'd never heard before.

My oldest brother unearthed a scrapbook from my folks' attic with an old photo and a yellowed newspaper clipping.

What it said: The photo captured a kid of about 10 in a cowboy hat standing next to a woman in a flannel shirt, in front of a pack horse laden with supplies.

The clipping's headline: "Woman, boy on long hike."

Context: The news story described how the woman and "little John Kamb" — my dad — set out on a months-long hike from their hometown in Skagit County, over the Cascade Mountains to Lake Chelan in eastern Washington, and back again.

That's a roughly 300-mile round-trip trek over the North Cascades via a pass beneath a peak 5,300+ feet high.

Zoom out: My dad was about as young as my youngest kid is today.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact a kid that age would ask to join a seemingly random adult — his neighbor — on a hike across mountains so rugged they're nicknamed the "American Alps."

And, that the kid's parents agreed to let him go!

State of play: These new details about my pop were enlightening enough, but this week I called to quiz him about that adventure.

What he said: "Well, I wore tennis shoes instead of hiking shoes," he told me. "My feet got so sore I couldn't walk past Sedro Woolley."

His parents picked him up from the logging town after he couldn't go any further.

Meanwhile, the neighbor went on to complete the trip.

Still, a 10-mile hike to the Cascade foothills wasn't a bad showing for a boy who clearly dreamed big.

Why hadn't my dad ever shared this story before? "Nobody asked," he said.

Between the lines: I'd like to think that perhaps that far-off, abandoned endeavor happened for no other reason than to be rediscovered decades later.

It sparked a phone call that helped a dad share a never-told-before tale about himself — and a few laughs — with his son.

I'm still discovering things about my pop — and to me, that’s magic.

I hope you get to make some magic with your dad this weekend, too.

Of note: If Father’s Day is difficult for you, for any reason, I hope you do something kind for yourself or others this weekend.

A father's story

An adult son learns new details about his father, just in time for Father's Day

A scrapbook photo of a boy, woman and pack horse with a newspaper clipping with headline, "Woman, boy on long hike,"

He shouldn't have worn tennis shoes. Photos: John Kamb

Over time, I&#x27;ve learned my dad has been a lot of things in his life: a farm boy, a war veteran, a lawyer, a judge, a horseplayer, a card shark.<ul><li>And, a father — nine times over.</li></ul>

The long-awaited inquest into the 2017 fatal shooting of Charleena Lyles by two Seattle police officers begins at 9am Tuesday — and the public can watch it live.

The latest: In a ruling late last Friday, inquest administrator Michael Spearman opted to allow a live public video feed, denying requests to ban it made by lawyers for officers Jason Anderson and Steven McNew.

The officers contended a live video feed could potentially subject them and their families to harassment.

A lawyer for Lyles' family countered it was necessary to meet the inquest's public transparency standards.

What they're saying: Spearman ruled that while the officers raised legitimate safety concerns, they "fail to establish how" banning the live stream would reduce potential threats or "warrant limiting the openness and transparency of the proceedings."

Why it matters: The inquest into Lyles' death, which was delayed for years, marks a key milestone in the post-George Floyd-era of police accountability reforms in Washington state.

It's only the second inquest so far under King County's newly overhauled rules for the formal inquiries, which determine facts surrounding law enforcement-related fatalities.

Lyles' inquest is scheduled through July 6.

Background: The officers fatally shot Lyles, 30, a domestic violence victim with mental health problems, after she tried to attack them with a knife when they responded to her 911 call.

Questions have since simmered about whether the two white officers had to use deadly force against the Black mother of four.

Yes, but: The officers have yet to indicate whether they'll testify or refuse by invoking their 5th Amendment rights.

If they take the 5th, Karen Koehler, a lawyer for Lyles' family, has signaled she'll seek to introduce the officers' video depositions from the family's civil case against the city, which led to a $3.5 million settlement.

Go deeper: Catch up quick on the Lyles' case

Inquest into police shooting of Charleena Lyles live-streamed Tuesday

The inquest into two Seattle Police officers' fatal shooting of Charleena Lyles will be video streamed live, starting Tuesday.

A protester holds a sign with an image of Charleena Lyles

Questions have simmered for five years about whether officers had to use deadly force during their encounter with Charleena Lyles. Photo: Dan Ryder/Getty Images.

The long-awaited inquest into the 2017 fatal shooting of Charleena Lyles by two Seattle police officers begins at 9am Tuesday — and the public can <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="watch it live" data-vars-click-url="https://kingcounty.zoom.us/j/86434024200#success" data-vars-content-id="66908dab-8a6d-4b0a-9e7a-4ea39d171a68" data-vars-headline="Inquest into police shooting of Charleena Lyles live-streamed Tuesday" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kingcounty.zoom.us/j/86434024200#success" target="_blank">watch it live</a>.The latest: In a ruling late last Friday, inquest administrator Michael Spearman <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="opted to allow a live public video feed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2022/06/14/police-ban-video-livestream-charleena-lyles-seattle" data-vars-content-id="66908dab-8a6d-4b0a-9e7a-4ea39d171a68" data-vars-headline="Inquest into police shooting of Charleena Lyles live-streamed Tuesday" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2022/06/14/police-ban-video-livestream-charleena-lyles-seattle" target="_self">opted to allow a live public video feed</a>, denying requests to ban it made by lawyers for officers Jason Anderson and Steven McNew.

Politics

A former employee of Washington-based MOD Pizza — publicly known for its inclusive hiring practices — alleges in a new lawsuit that she was largely ignored after complaining that her co-workers repeatedly called her a racial slur or used it around her.

Context: Trinity Campbell, who is Black and now lives in Texas, contends in the suit filed in federal court in Seattle on Tuesday that MOD "harmed [her] mental and emotional state" and at one point, "she attempted suicide after" a manager "uttered this racial slur at work."

What she says: Campbell claims she was forced to quit in 2020 from the unspecified MOD location where she worked due to its "toxic" atmosphere and the company's failure to take action.

The other side: A spokesperson for MOD Pizza said Thursday that the company had no comment.

Why it matters: Founded in Seattle in 2008, MOD Pizza has burgeoned into an international chain with more than 500 locations that market "superfast," customizable personal pies and salads.

The company won praise as a progressive and inclusive employer, contending it "puts people first" and gives opportunities to individuals facing social barriers.

The company's website says it strives to provide opportunities to people who were once incarcerated or who have intellectual or developmental disabilities; to youths who are out of school or unemployed; and to those struggling with addiction or homelessness.

Details: Campbell's suit says she was the only Black employee working at the MOD location in 2020 when a white supervisor first used the racial slur in her presence.

During a different instance, another white co-worker allegedly repeated the word four times directly to her face, telling Campbell it was "only derogatory if you use it in an offensive way," per the suit.

When Campbell complained, a Latina manager allegedly­­­­­­­ told her she also used the N-word regularly.

Yes, but: Another manager later promised Campbell he would report the incident to corporate human resources.

After more than a month passed, Campbell claims nothing happened and she could no longer tolerate the job so she had to quit.

By then, she was taking prescription medication and getting clinically treated for major depressive disorder due to the work environment, the suit says.

Nearly eight weeks after quitting, Campbell alleges she called MOD's HR and learned the company confirmed her discrimination claims.

Despite its findings, MOD didn't reach out or take action against the offending co-workers — other than providing additional workplace training, the suit says.

State of play: Campbell's 15-page complaint alleges as causes of action wrongful termination, a hostile work environment and racial discrimination.

Of note: She seeks lost wages and benefits, attorneys' fees and costs, compensatory damages for mental anguish and emotional distress and punitive damages for discrimination.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Woman sues MOD Pizza over discrimination claims

The woman claims the MOD pizza chain where she formerly worked failed to act after her co-workers used racial slurs around her.

image of a store front of a MOD Pizza restaurant.

Washington-based MOD Pizza has branded itself as an inclusive company. Photo: Getty Images

A former employee of Washington-based MOD Pizza — publicly known for its inclusive hiring practices — alleges in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new lawsuit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22066256-campbell-v-mod-pizza" data-vars-content-id="834f2f2a-64eb-461f-a7aa-d3a55bfe21a8" data-vars-headline="Woman sues MOD Pizza over discrimination claims" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22066256-campbell-v-mod-pizza" target="_blank">new lawsuit</a> that she was largely ignored after complaining that her co-workers repeatedly called her a racial slur or used it around her.Context: Trinity Campbell, who is Black and now lives in Texas, contends in the suit filed in federal court in Seattle on Tuesday that MOD &quot;harmed [her] mental and emotional state&quot; and at one point, &quot;she attempted suicide after&quot; a manager &quot;uttered this racial slur at work.&quot;

Business

Food and Drink

Gray wolves are growing more abundant in Washington and seem headed toward recovery — but they're not out of the woods yet, state wildlife officials say.

By the numbers: Washington's wolf population grew for the 13th consecutive year in 2021, climbing to 206 wolves in 33 packs, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

That's a spike of 16% from 2020's tally of 178 wolves statewide, per the department's annual year-end wolf survey.

Why it matters: Gray wolves have been on the state's endangered species list since 1980. Their recovery would mark a coup for successfully restoring a native species to the wilds of eco-friendly Washington.

The wolves also were federally relisted as endangered in the western two-thirds of Washington this year, after being taken off that list briefly last year.

Data: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios (Note: WDFW also includes survey counts from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.)

Zoom out: The latest tally represents the highest count since the state started surveying wolves in 2008.

Even so, it's likely an undercount, WDFW says.

Washington's wolf population has grown an average of 25% each year since 2008.

Most wolf packs range across public and private lands in the state's northeast and southeast regions, but wolves increasingly are seen in north-central and central Washington.

Yes, but: Wolves preying on livestock continues to be a problem.

Eight packs were involved in livestock depredation last year.

Two wolves were killed due to livestock depredation — one by state wildlife officials and another by a landowner with a permit.

What they're saying: "[W]e recorded the lowest number of livestock depredation incidents in the state since 2017 and removed the fewest wolves in response to conflict since 2015," WDFW wolf policy lead Julia Smith said in the report.

Wolves are making a comeback in Washington

Gray wolves have been on the state's endangered species list since 1980.

A photo of a pair of juvenile gray wolves in the woods.

A pair of juvenile gray wolves confabbing near Mount Rainier. Photo: Ron Reznick/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.

Wildlife

Gray wolves are growing more abundant in Washington and seem headed toward recovery — but they&#x27;re not out of the woods yet, state wildlife officials say.By the numbers: Washington&#x27;s wolf population grew for the 13th consecutive year in 2021, climbing to 206 wolves in 33 packs, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

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Stories

Wolves are making a comeback in Washington

Woman sues MOD Pizza over discrimination claims

Seattle ranks among top 10 bike-friendly cities

Inquest into police shooting of Charleena Lyles live-streamed Tuesday

A father's story

Newsletter editions

Washington without Roe

🗳 Impeachment vote blowback

🎓 Enrollment plummets

💰 Tax gets a pass

Stress from shooter drills