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New Seahawks owner on moving the team: "Never say never"

The Seahawks' Lumen Field lease runs through 2032, with renewal options extending through 2062.

News

New Seahawks owner <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Vinod Khosla" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/08/27/seahawks-sale-khosla-family-9-billion-allen-ownership" data-vars-content-id="fa0271b9-06eb-4d59-a1ec-17e911e74094" data-vars-headline="New Seahawks owner on moving the team: &quot;Never say never&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/08/27/seahawks-sale-khosla-family-9-billion-allen-ownership" target="_self">Vinod Khosla</a> told Axios this week that he has no plans to move the team out of Seattle — but he &quot;will never say never.&quot; Why it matters: Seattleites, who are still stinging over the loss of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sonics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/03/26/seattle-officials-cheer-potential-return-of-sonics" data-vars-content-id="fa0271b9-06eb-4d59-a1ec-17e911e74094" data-vars-headline="New Seahawks owner on moving the team: &quot;Never say never&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/03/26/seattle-officials-cheer-potential-return-of-sonics" target="_self">Sonics</a> nearly 20 years ago, have a strong interest in keeping the reigning <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Super Bowl champs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/super-bowl-lx-results-seahawks-patriots" data-vars-content-id="fa0271b9-06eb-4d59-a1ec-17e911e74094" data-vars-headline="New Seahawks owner on moving the team: &quot;Never say never&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/super-bowl-lx-results-seahawks-patriots" target="_self">Super Bowl champs</a> in town.

Washington's sick season appears to be starting early

ER visits are climbing as flu spreads early and Seattle wastewater shows high COVID activity.

Health

Winter may be months away, but cold season in Washington doesn&#x27;t seem to be waiting.Driving the news: Emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses are rising as October begins, while COVID is also showing up increasingly in wastewater and hospitals, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="state data" data-vars-click-url="https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/diseases-and-chronic-conditions/communicable-disease-surveillance-data/respiratory-illness-data-dashboard" data-vars-content-id="4656f36a-ef1f-45c1-8443-9b5c5d769aff" data-vars-headline="Washington&#x27;s sick season appears to be starting early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/diseases-and-chronic-conditions/communicable-disease-surveillance-data/respiratory-illness-data-dashboard" target="_blank">state data</a>.

UW fentanyl vaccine moves closer to human testing

Researchers are preparing for human trials after years of work on the experimental vaccine.

University of Washington researchers are closing in on a vaccine that could help prevent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fentanyl overdoses" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/05/30/fentanyl-overdoses-rise-portland-oregon" data-vars-content-id="4f39f9aa-2b80-454b-8249-0dd92987ba85" data-vars-headline="UW fentanyl vaccine moves closer to human testing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/05/30/fentanyl-overdoses-rise-portland-oregon" target="_self">fentanyl overdoses</a> by teaching the immune system to stop the drug before it reaches the brain. Why it matters: Washington has been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hit hard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/09/27/opioid-overdoses-washington-king-county" data-vars-content-id="4f39f9aa-2b80-454b-8249-0dd92987ba85" data-vars-headline="UW fentanyl vaccine moves closer to human testing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/09/27/opioid-overdoses-washington-king-county" target="_self">hit hard</a> by the fentanyl crisis in recent years. And though overdose deaths involving the drug <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="have fallen" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/05/16/washington-overdose-deaths-decline-2024" data-vars-content-id="4f39f9aa-2b80-454b-8249-0dd92987ba85" data-vars-headline="UW fentanyl vaccine moves closer to human testing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/05/16/washington-overdose-deaths-decline-2024" target="_self">have fallen</a> since 2023, they <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="remain" data-vars-click-url="https://adai.uw.edu/wadata/major_drug_deaths.htm" data-vars-content-id="4f39f9aa-2b80-454b-8249-0dd92987ba85" data-vars-headline="UW fentanyl vaccine moves closer to human testing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://adai.uw.edu/wadata/major_drug_deaths.htm" target="_blank">remain</a> well above pre-pandemic levels.

Washington ranks third in U.S. for library checkouts

Library checkouts in Washington remain far above the national average.

In case you needed more evidence that we&#x27;re a state full of bookworms: Washington ranks third in the nation for public library checkouts per person, federal data shows.Why it matters: Libraries remain a heavily used public resource in Washington, whether readers are borrowing from shelves or screens.

World Cup had an $889M economic impact on Seattle, analysis finds

A report finds six matches supported 20,000 jobs and generated $109 million in state and local taxes.

Sports

Seattle&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Cup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/07/22/what-seattle-kept-after-the-world-cup" data-vars-content-id="a121a592-677e-4ac5-8ed8-04fbc2b96590" data-vars-headline="World Cup had an $889M economic impact on Seattle, analysis finds" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/07/22/what-seattle-kept-after-the-world-cup" target="_self">World Cup</a> matches brought the region a nearly $900 million economic boost, a new analysis finds.The big picture: This summer&#x27;s six matches made Seattle a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="global focal point" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/07/06/seattle-world-cup-host-city-fan-festival-tourism-fifa26" data-vars-content-id="a121a592-677e-4ac5-8ed8-04fbc2b96590" data-vars-headline="World Cup had an $889M economic impact on Seattle, analysis finds" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/07/06/seattle-world-cup-host-city-fan-festival-tourism-fifa26" target="_self">global focal point</a> — a moment the city, state and region <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="spent years" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/01/29/fifa-world-cup-2026-host-city" data-vars-content-id="a121a592-677e-4ac5-8ed8-04fbc2b96590" data-vars-headline="World Cup had an $889M economic impact on Seattle, analysis finds" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/01/29/fifa-world-cup-2026-host-city" target="_self">spent years</a> preparing for.

Mariners and Sounders make misery a team sport

The Mariners and Sounders have turned a rough summer into a shared exercise in sports-fan suffering.

The M&#x27;s and the Sounders are learning that if you can&#x27;t be spectacularly good, there&#x27;s something to be said for being spectacularly bad.Why it matters: Both teams have spent the summer losing with such commitment that fans are talking about needing a miracle to save the season.

Seahawks chase another title in a loaded NFC West

Seattle is a top contender, but roster turnover and a brutal division complicate its path to a repeat.

The Seahawks open their title defense Wednesday as one of the NFL&#x27;s best teams — but not as the team to beat, according to oddsmakers.Why it matters: While Seattle is trying to take home another Lombardi after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="winning Super Bowl LX" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/super-bowl-lx-results-seahawks-patriots" data-vars-content-id="e8c14c21-1a79-4fd6-87c9-85a58b0c2655" data-vars-headline="Seahawks chase another title in a loaded NFC West" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/super-bowl-lx-results-seahawks-patriots" target="_self">winning Super Bowl LX</a>, the West Coast competition is fierce.

How to bird like a Hawk 

Seattle's Sam Darnold uses the Merlin Bird ID app to identify species by their sounds.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has an ear for more than play calls.The intrigue: He&#x27;s a bona fide birder who uses <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Merlin Bird ID" data-vars-click-url="https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/" data-vars-content-id="776fab0c-ced5-4ea7-81a8-5d3c539bfbe4" data-vars-headline="How to bird like a Hawk " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/" target="_blank">Merlin Bird ID</a> to identify the birds by their calls and songs.

Our favorite Seahawks moments from HBO's "Hard Knocks"

Players gardened, sang and shared their side hustles in HBO's Seahawks training camp series

The Seattle Seahawks starred in their own HBO &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hard Knocks" data-vars-click-url="https://play.hbomax.com/show/22ecd056-64fb-4421-8fd5-21ac673911aa" data-vars-content-id="32e1e035-252a-4126-8a99-0d51c9011fcc" data-vars-headline="Our favorite Seahawks moments from HBO&#x27;s &quot;Hard Knocks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://play.hbomax.com/show/22ecd056-64fb-4421-8fd5-21ac673911aa" target="_blank">Hard Knocks</a>&quot; documentary during training camp — and the footage taught us quite a bit about the reigning NFL champions.Here are some of our favorite moments from the five-episode series.

WSU takes aim at fans throwing Fireball onto the field

The Cougars can keep selling beer and wine, but officials want mini bottles kept off the field.

Washington State University can continue selling alcohol at its football games — but the university has to crack down on fans throwing bottles of Fireball onto the field, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Spokesman-Review reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/01/wsu-cleared-to-sell-beer-and-wine-at-football-game/" data-vars-content-id="cf860551-315b-448e-99b3-7de16115a691" data-vars-headline="WSU takes aim at fans throwing Fireball onto the field" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/01/wsu-cleared-to-sell-beer-and-wine-at-football-game/" target="_blank">The Spokesman-Review reports</a>.The latest: The state liquor board agreed this week to extend a pilot program allowing beer and wine sales at WSU&#x27;s Gesa Field for another year. But there are a few conditions.

Seattle Reign keep playoff hopes alive with Houston win

Maddie Dahlien's lone goal helped team earn three crucial points.

Seattle Reign beat the Houston Dash 1-0 yesterday, keeping their playoff hopes alive.Driving the news: Forward Maddie Dahlien scored the game&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="only goal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dcr3-zUhySs/" data-vars-content-id="568b7ef1-c56b-4429-9d6e-cc7ce3ccb3ea" data-vars-headline="Seattle Reign keep playoff hopes alive with Houston win" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dcr3-zUhySs/" target="_blank">only goal</a>, helping Seattle earn three crucial points against the Houston team that entered the day just <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="two points behind" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reignfc.com/news/match-forecast-reign-fc-host-the-houston-dash-on-sunday" data-vars-content-id="568b7ef1-c56b-4429-9d6e-cc7ce3ccb3ea" data-vars-headline="Seattle Reign keep playoff hopes alive with Houston win" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reignfc.com/news/match-forecast-reign-fc-host-the-houston-dash-on-sunday" target="_blank">two points behind</a> Reign in the standings.

NFL approves Seahawks' record $9.6 billion sale

NFL owners approved the record $9.6 billion sale, which could be finalized within two weeks.

The Seattle Seahawks are one step away from a change in ownership. What&#x27;s happening: The NFL unanimously approved the sale of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Seahawks" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/12/super-bowl-champion-seahawks-9-billion" data-vars-content-id="f13ef202-2b83-41de-97db-c61bf4b0cbf6" data-vars-headline="NFL approves Seahawks&#x27; record $9.6 billion sale" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/12/super-bowl-champion-seahawks-9-billion" target="_self">Seahawks</a> yesterday to a group led by the Khosla family, setting up the end of the Allen family&#x27;s 29-year run as team owners.

Mariners fans abandon ship after historic 22-0 loss 

A 22-0 drubbing turned Mariners Reddit into a baseball-free refuge filled with ships, sailors and maritime lore.

After a historic humiliation at the hands of the Brewers, Mariners fans have abandoned baseball for the high seas.Driving the news: When the M&#x27;s suffered the worst loss in franchise history Tuesday — a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="22-0 annihilation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-tie-franchise-record-22-runs-in-win-over-mariners" data-vars-content-id="194aed66-baf3-4861-9c47-a180b7467069" data-vars-headline="Mariners fans abandon ship after historic 22-0 loss " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-tie-franchise-record-22-runs-in-win-over-mariners" target="_blank">22-0 annihilation</a> — fans on Reddit commandeered <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="r/Mariners" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reddit.com/r/Mariners/" data-vars-content-id="194aed66-baf3-4861-9c47-a180b7467069" data-vars-headline="Mariners fans abandon ship after historic 22-0 loss " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Mariners/" target="_blank">r/Mariners</a> and dedicated it to the other kind of mariners: sailors, ships and seafaring.

Sports 🏅

New Seahawks owner on moving the team: "Never say never"

World Cup had an $889M economic impact on Seattle, analysis finds

Mariners and Sounders make misery a team sport

Seahawks chase another title in a loaded NFC West

How to bird like a Hawk