Light rail to Ballard will cost billions more than Sound Transit has on hand — but trains still have a chance of getting there by 2042, the agency says.

Why it matters: Sound Transit approved a cost-saving plan in May that only funds the Ballard light rail line to Seattle Center, several miles south of the busy neighborhood.

• Getting to Ballard's Market Street would require another $7 billion to $9 billion, officials estimated at the time.

The latest: Sound Transit officials now say they could begin service to Ballard and Seattle Center simultaneously in 2042 if they do the following:

• Come up with $1 billion by 2030. This money would go toward buying land needed to build the eventual extension to Market Street.
• Find more cost savings. Agency officials say they'll look for ways to build the line more cheaply. They'll use a review process like the one used for the West Seattle extension, which found more than $2 billion in savings.
• Close the remaining funding gap by 2033. This could involve finding third-party funding, securing longer bond terms, speeding up projects through permitting reform or increasing the agency's debt capacity.

Yes, but: If the region doesn't come up with the money in time, light rail service to Smith Cove, Interbay and Ballard's Market Street could be delayed until around 2060, Sound Transit says.

The big picture: Voters approved light rail to Ballard as part of a transit tax package 10 years ago, but the agency's timelines for building those projects keep slipping.

• Last week, Sound Transit said light rail service to West Seattle won't begin until 2035, a delay of three more years.

What they're saying: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said in a news release she is "confident we will find creative ways to lower costs and fund construction" all the way to Ballard.

What's next: Design work on the Ballard extension is expected to be completed by 2032, which could help identify ways to cut costs.

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Portland is kicking Seattle's butt.

Why it matters: Across three major pro leagues in which both cities have teams, Portland is 7-1 against Seattle this year.

By the numbers: The expansion Portland Fire completed a 4-0 season sweep of the Storm on Friday with an 84-82 win at Climate Pledge Arena.

• The Timbers are 2-0 against the Sounders, including a 5-1 thrashing at Lumen Field last month.
• The Thorns and Reign have split their two meetings, 1-1.
• That makes the Reign the only major Seattle pro team to beat its Portland counterpart in 2026.

The big picture: The Cascadia sports feud has long centered on soccer, but the arrival of the Fire has given the cities another reason to keep score.

• Consider it fresh fuel for Seattle and Portland's long-running regional rivalry.

What's next: Seattle has opportunities left this year to make the final tally a little less cringe.

🐈 At least 80 cats and kittens were rescued in two separate Tacoma incidents — one involving an abandoned sailboat and the other a stolen car — prompting a city council member to call for more spay and neuter resources. (KING 5)

🏫 Seattle Public Schools will be auditing its HR department after staff complaints that the system is dysfunctional. (KUOW)

🏈 The Seahawks opened the preseason with a 17-7 loss to the Cowboys on Saturday, racking up 21 penalties while most of the starters sat the game out. (Field Gulls)

🎲 A King County judge ordered wagering platform Kalshi to stop offering most bets in Washington, ruling that its operations violated state gambling and consumer protection laws. (MyNorthwest)

🏢 A Capitol Hill apartment building sold for $30 million — barely more than its 2014 sale price — as the buyer bets on Seattle's tight housing supply. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Seattle has no shortage of pho, but I have a pretty simple test for whether a bowl is worth coming back for: How good is the broth before I start messing with it?

Recently, I stopped by Phở Bắc Súp Shop in Little Saigon just after the Friday lunch rush.

The menu: This Vietnamese institution keeps things pretty tight, with pho at the center of the menu alongside a handful of appetizers — and a surprisingly ambitious cocktail list.

• I ordered a regular brisket pho and the gỏi cuốn, or fresh spring rolls, with peanut sauce.

The bite: The broth passed my test. It was savory and fragrant before I added a drop of hoisin or hot sauce — or even the usual sprouts, jalapeño, basil and lime.

• The brisket was tender, too. The gỏi cuốn and peanut sauce, though? Pretty mid, but that's ok. The soup was enough to make my day.

The vibe: The cocktails seemed to be the other star of the show. They were beautiful and some drinkers around me were audibly delighted by them.

Worth noting: Next door, sibling restaurant The Boat specializes in Vietnamese chicken and rice dishes.