Axios Seattle

July 18, 2025
It's Friday!
🌤️ Today's weather: Increasing clouds. High near 74.
🚜 Situational awareness: Northbound I-5 through downtown Seattle is closed for construction this weekend, starting at 11:59pm today and continuing through 5am Monday.
- You can still use the I-5 express lanes heading north, FOX 13 reports, but you won't be able to access certain exits.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Seattle member Victoria Clearwater! And an early happy birthday to members Kari Abramson and Doug Johnson!
Today's newsletter is 829 words, a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Get your paddle on
Summer's in full swing and Seattle's best paddle spots are ready to float your boat.
Why it matters: There's nothing like gliding across the water to feel fresh and restored — and you don't have to have a yacht, or a trust fund, to get in on the fun.
State of play: There are numerous options in Seattle and the Puget Sound region for laid-back lake mornings and sunset paddles with a city view, but here are some of our favorites.
- Prices range from about $21 to $29 an hour.
Aqua Verde Paddle Club: See Gas Works Park, houseboats, birds and the city skyline from Lake Union on a kayak or paddleboard.
- Limited reservations are available on weekdays, but it's first come, first served on weekends.
Moss Bay: Launch from Lake Union's south shore, where you can navigate the waterways on your own or take a tour to the Washington Arboretum.
Northwest Outdoor Center: Rent a kayak or paddleboard on Lake Union's west shore. Reservations are strongly recommended on sunny evenings, weekends and holidays.
Seattle Paddle: Stand-up paddleboard and kayak rentals from noon to 8pm daily at several locations on Lake Washington, including the Adams Street Boat Ramp north of Seward Park and Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland.
- Reservations are strongly encouraged but walk-ins are accepted.
UW Waterfront Activities Center: Rent a canoe, kayak, or paddleboard from the edge of the UW campus. No reservations.
Green Lake Boathouse: Try a variety of vessels, from kayaks and paddleboards to rowboats, pedal boats and water bikes in the heart of the city. First come, first served.
Ballard Kayak & Paddleboard: Head to Shilshole Bay for kayak and paddleboard rentals with open-water views. Reservations required.
Alki Kayak Tours: Paddle along West Seattle's iconic shoreline with rentals and tours from Seacrest Park. Reservations required.
If you go: Call to confirm hours, which can change, and keep an eye on the weather as windy days can force last-minute cancellations.
- Walk-ins should arrive early in the day for the best chance to snag a rental.
- Parking may be limited. Consider bikes, rideshares or public transportation.
2. 🗑️ Strike stinks up suburbs
Nearly record-high temperatures and a regional trash strike have left piles of uncollected garbage rotting in Seattle's suburbs.
Why it matters: Some residents say the "Big Stink" is now drifting into Seattle as the strike involving about 2,000 Republic Services workers — including roughly 350 in Washington state — drags on.
What's happening: A regional work stoppage in solidarity with strikes in Thurston County and Boston has stopped trash collection in several Seattle suburbs and slowed operations at the Republic Services Recycling Facility in SoDo since July 9, per Teamsters Union spokesperson Matt McQuaid.
- Trash pickup is on hold in Kent, Covington, Renton, Bellevue, Sammamish, Clyde Hill and other suburban neighborhoods, according to Republic Services.
- In Renton, there's been an explosion of "flies, fruit flies and rats" as a result, resident Abby Klinkenberg told FOX 13.
- Curbside garbage and recycling collection is unaffected in the city of Seattle.
What they're saying: "What you smell is the labor union flexing its might," said Reddit user fssbmule1 in response to a question about the source of the stench stretching from Renton to West Seattle.
What's next: Teamsters Local 252 in Lacey is scheduled to meet with Republic Services on July 30 to negotiate their first contract, per McQuaid.
- He tells Axios the sticking points are primarily related to wages and health care.
3. Morning Buzz: 💻 Amazon sheds jobs
📉 Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in its Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit, weeks after CEO Andy Jassy said artificial intelligence adoption would lead to staff reductions. (Reuters)
⚖️ Washington is one of 20 states suing the Trump administration to try to block the cancellation of a grant program that helped protect against potential natural disasters. (Axios)
🏢 The Seattle City Council has selected six finalists to fill the vacancy left by Cathy Moore's resignation this month.
- One of those finalists is Debora Juarez, the former council member who held the seat before Moore. (KUOW)
4. Jayapal bill aims to shield U.S. citizens
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Seattle) introduced legislation this week to formally block Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining or deporting U.S. citizens.
Why it matters: U.S. citizens aren't supposed to be arrested or detained unless agents allege they're breaking laws. But reports of citizens of Latino descent being detained — or stopped and asked to prove citizenship — are rippling through Latino communities nationwide.
- Critics say reports of ICE detaining citizens are instances of racial profiling and overzealous policing — something the U.S. Department of Homeland Security angrily denies.
Zoom in: Dubbed the "Stop ICE from Kidnapping US Citizens Act," Jayapal's bill would set penalties for ICE agents who unlawfully hold U.S. citizens and place them in immigration proceedings.
What's next: The proposal will likely face a long-shot bid in the GOP-controlled House.
5. 🕘 Earlier sunsets arrive
🌅 Say goodbye to 9pm sunsets — we saw our last one of the year last night, KING 5 reports.
- Tonight, the sun in Seattle goes down at 8:59pm.
😥 Clarridge is back after a rough couple days: Imagine a fever on an already hot day with no central AC.
🤞 Melissa is hoping the earlier sunsets will make it easier to put her kids to bed.
This newsletter was edited by Hadley Malcolm.
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