Some local leaders are calling for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) to be dismantled — the latest fallout from the release of a scathing audit this week.

Why it matters: The forensic audit lays bare years of financial problems inside the region's flagship homelessness response effort. It raises new questions about whether the model can, or should, survive.

By the numbers: Among the audit's top findings:

• The authority ran a negative cash balance as large as $44.7 million.
• $8 million in funds couldn't be reconciled.
• $4.26 million was lost to administrative overspend, including interest payments that cannot be recovered.

Funded primarily by Seattle and King County and overseen by a regional governing board that includes local elected officials, KCRHA launched in 2021 as a regional approach to a fragmented homelessness system.

Driving the news: Seattle City Councilmember Maritza Rivera called the findings "egregious" and urged the dissolution of KCRHA, while King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski said it's time to end the "failed experiment."

Zoom in: Auditors flagged weak accounting systems and controls, delayed invoicing that slowed reimbursement and instability created by leadership churn.

Yes, but: The audit found no evidence of large-scale fraud and said problems didn't come from any single decision but instead built up over years.

The other side: KCRHA CEO Kelly Kinnison said in a letter to the agency's governing board that many of the issues stem from the agency's early startup period and that improvements were already underway, PubliCola reported.

What's next: The agency must by early next month submit a detailed plan to address unreconciled funds, administrative overspending and growing interest costs, according to an April 22 letter signed by Mayor Katie Wilson and County Executive Girmay Zahilay.

• It must also outline how it will separate financial duties and strengthen internal controls.

What they're saying: Wilson said "all options are on the table" when it comes to KCRHA's future.

The bottom line: KCRHA was built to fix a broken system. Now it looks broken too — and the region has to decide whether to fix it or start over.

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Four Seattle breweries have snagged gold medals at this year's World Beer Cup.

• Billed by organizers as the "Olympics of beer," the contest is the industry's most prestigious global competition.

Zoom in: Seattle's Cloudburst Brewing led the pack locally with two golds — for Long Time Sunshine (a West Coast-style pilsner) and Exquisite Taste, which won best rice lager.

• Reuben's Brews took top honors among barleywine-style ales with Three Ryes Men.
• Elliott Bay Brewing Co. earned gold in the Belgian-style Flanders oud bruin or oud red ale category for De Rode Duivels.
• Ghostfish Brewing Co. topped the gluten-free category with It Came From the Haze.

Zoom out: Washington breweries and cideries won more than two dozen medals in the competition, with additional golds going to breweries in Yakima, Burlington, Vancouver and Cle Elum.

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🏟️ The Seahawks used their No. 32 pick to draft Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, adding needed depth at the position after Kenneth Walker III's departure in free agency and Zach Charbonnet's ACL injury. (Seattle Sports)

💻 Microsoft is offering voluntary retirement to eligible U.S. employees as it reins in costs amid its AI buildup. It's the first such program in the company's 51-year history. (GeekWire)

🏫 Washington charter schools are losing $7.5 million in state funding, raising concerns about cuts to staffing and student programming. (KOMO)

✈️ Alaska Airlines is trimming service on some Seattle routes as jet fuel prices rise. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

🚗 Seattle's number of registered cars is rising again after a long slump, offering a new snapshot of local transportation trends. (Seattle Times)

Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert caught a 108-mph line drive in his jersey on Wednesday — a bizarre play that quickly went viral.

The ball flew back at Gilbert and slipped between the buttons on his uniform.

• "I have never seen that before," said Mariners manager Dan Wilson, according to The Seattle Times.
• Gilbert looked around for the ball for a moment — then pulled it out of his jersey.

Yes, but: It didn't count as a catch, based on MLB rules. Oakland A's hitter Carlos Cortes instead advanced to first base.

• So basically, we were robbed — but the video almost makes up for it.

Earlier this week, we asked you to share photos of your animal companions — and the cute images keep on coming.

• Today, we're featuring 7-year-old Yang Yang (or 痒痒 in Chinese characters), shown above relaxing by the water at Mount Baker Beach.
• He loves to patrol for critters and go on backpacking trips with his owners, Luke D. and Lily A.
• They adopted him while living in China, after a group of climbers found him suffering from severe mange in the mountains. (Yang Yang translates to "itchy" in Mandarin.)

Nowadays, Yang Yang's biggest problem is when other dogs have the audacity to walk in front of his house on the public sidewalk, or when his owners accidentally nudge him while he's sleeping.

📸 Want to see your pet featured here? Send their name and photo to us — just hit reply.