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Today’s newsletter is 946 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Winter may be months away, but cold season in Washington doesn'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 state data.

• Flu typically peaks between December and February, making the early uptick noteworthy.

By the numbers: Acute respiratory illnesses accounted for 11% of Washington ER visits in the week ending Sept. 26, up from 8.2% three weeks earlier, according to the Washington Department of Health's respiratory illness data.

• There were 233 ER visits associated with influenza in King County in the week ending Sept. 19, compared with 31 during the same week last year, KUOW reported, citing city and county data.

Meanwhile, COVID is sending signals of its own, with several Seattle-area wastewater sites reporting high or very high levels of the virus as of Sept. 23, per state data.

• COVID hospital use has also risen from its late-summer lows, state data shows.

The big picture: Washington and Oregon appear to be running ahead of much of the country, with the CDC still rating overall respiratory illness as very low nationally and flu activity as low.

What to do: Health officials recommend staying up to date on flu and COVID vaccinations, staying home when you're sick and taking added precautions around people at higher risk of severe illness.

The bottom line: If it feels like sick season started early this year, the numbers suggest you're not wrong.

Pass it on

New Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla told Axios this week that he has no plans to move the team out of Seattle — but he "will never say never."

Why it matters: Seattleites, who are still stinging over the loss of the Sonics nearly 20 years ago, have a strong interest in keeping the reigning Super Bowl champs in town.

The Seahawks' lease at Lumen Field runs through 2032, with options to renew through 2062.

What they're saying: When asked if he would formally commit to keeping the Seahawks in Seattle for the long term, Khosla was somewhat noncommittal.

• "I will never say never," Khosla told Axios' Dan Primack during a phone interview this week.
• "Will this team be in Seattle 500 years from now? But I have no current plans to change anything about the team, including the coach, president, operation or Lumen Field. It all functions well."

Khosla was similarly vague about whether he would seek upgrades to Lumen Field when the Hawks' current lease is up.

• "Three months ago I wasn't even thinking about buying an NFL team," Khosla said.
• "Now I ended up with a Super Bowl-winning team with one of the most amazing fan bases. But I know very little about running a team. I don't think I'll do anything but learn for a while."

One thing he is sure about, though: He won't accidentally cheer for the 49ers when they play the Hawks, despite previously owning a stake in the San Francisco team and attending many 49ers home games.

• "No, I'm not confused," Khosla said.

You can read the full interview here.

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A court ruling has affirmed Roger Rogoff's status as Western Washington's U.S. attorney, more than two months after President Trump ordered his removal. (KOMO)

• Rogoff was appointed to the role by federal judges in July.

🌊 A slow rise in sea level — called a Kelvin wave — is headed up the West Coast, potentially bringing months of elevated water levels, flooding and erosion to Washington's coast. (Seattle Times)

A pilot was killed yesterday when a small plane crashed after taking off from Paine Field in Everett. No one else was aboard. (MyNorthwest)

🃏 Kirkland-based Maverick Gaming will close eight Washington casinos by the end of November, laying off 850 workers as the company restructures in bankruptcy. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

📈 The statewide minimum wage will rise by 60 cents next year, hitting $17.73 on Jan. 1. (KING 5)

Next year's home paint palette is getting greener and more adventurous.

The big picture: Paint companies Behr and Sherwin-Williams recently named their picks for the next big hues in home design — and both were shades of green.

• Behr chose Grounded, a "mossy olive," as its 2027 color of the year.
• And Sherwin-Williams chose Celery, a pale green that looks just like, well, the vegetable.

The intrigue: A 2026 Zillow analysis found sage green walls could add more than $1,000 to offer prices.

Yes, but: Playing it safe is deeply ingrained: A 2025 survey found 84% of real estate agents recommended painting interiors white, gray or beige before selling.

Zoom in: Here in Washington, our favorite non-neutral shade still leans gray.

• Adirondack Blue, a muted blue-gray, is Behr's top-selling non-neutral paint color in the state this year.

Tell a friend

Melissa here. I was out of town for a few days, and came back to find Seattle's leaves turning brilliant shades of red and orange.

• With views like these, I'm not mad at all about autumn taking over.

✈️ Clarridge is recovering from jet lag and family fun.

🦮 Melissa is finding time to take her 10-year-old dog, Eddie, to the dog park again — and he still seems as young as ever.

This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.