Axios Seattle

June 09, 2026
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Today's newsletter is 1,053 words, a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: 🚉 How light rail plans have slipped
Not a single light rail line that Puget Sound voters approved in 2016 is on track to open on time.
Why it matters: A decade ago, voters approved Sound Transit 3, a transit expansion plan that was projected to cost $54 billion and be completed by 2041. That timeline has now slipped to 2052 — and a key light rail connection to Ballard has no set opening date.
Catch up quick: The Sound Transit board voted last month to delay construction of some projects to help resolve a $35 billion budget shortfall.
- Rising construction costs and inflation have been major drivers of the budget crunch, according to agency officials.
- The 2016 ballot measure relied on a mix of sales taxes, car tab fees, property taxes and bonds.
Here's a look at what the Sound Transit 3 plan (ST3) promised voters in 2016 and how those timelines have changed.
Ballard: ST3 originally planned to open light rail to Ballard in 2035, with the line intended to reach Market Street in the center of the neighborhood. That timeline was later pushed back to 2039.
- Following last month's vote, the target date for reaching Ballard is undetermined, with the line now only funded for construction to Seattle Center.
- Sound Transit has pledged to provide a target date for reaching Market Street by Aug. 1.
West Seattle: The planned date for extending light rail to West Seattle Junction was originally 2030.
- It's now been pushed back to 2032 — and one of the stations originally promised, Avalon, has been cut to save money.
Everett: ST3 originally forecast that light rail from Lynnwood to Everett would open in 2036.
- The new plan aims to reach Paine Field in 2037, with service to downtown Everett by 2041.
Tacoma: A light rail extension to the Tacoma Dome is now scheduled to be completed in 2035 — five years later than originally projected under ST3.
Federal Way: Service began in 2025, a year later than planned under ST3.
Kirkland/Issaquah: A light rail line connecting Issaquah and Kirkland is now slated for completion in 2050 — nine years later than originally projected.
What's next: Sound Transit officials say they'll keep looking for ways to cut costs, secure additional funding and speed up project timelines.
2. Bellevue house at center of OnlyFans trafficking case
An Eastside luxury house was used as part of a human-trafficking enterprise fueled by earnings from OnlyFans, Bellevue police say.
The big picture: Court documents allege a system of control exerted over women, hidden beneath a flashy veneer of party mansions, luxury cars and adult content.
The latest: King County prosecutors charged 21-year-old Nikita Tyukalo with four counts of second-degree human trafficking, one count of money laundering and one count of leading organized crime.
- He remained in custody yesterday on $5 million bail.
- Tyukalo told at least one alleged victim that he ran OnlyFans accounts "like an agency," and "that he changed the entire trajectory" of women's lives by helping them travel on private jets and make "a substantial amount of money," according to court records.
- Tyukalo doesn't have an attorney of record listed yet, but KOMO reported that an unnamed attorney who appeared on his behalf last week said his client was running a legitimate business.
Catch up quick: The investigation began last fall after numerous neighbor complaints about large parties — some drawing hundreds of attendees — at a rental home on Southeast 44th Place, according to Bellevue police.
- Over the months, officers responded to more than 100 incidents at the property and ultimately connected it to a broader operation spanning multiple Eastside homes, police say.
Go deeper: Multiple women told detectives they were locked out of accounts created in their names and couldn't access earnings; one account generated nearly $230,000, according to records reviewed by investigators, per court documents.
- Women alleged they were required to livestream for at least eight hours a day — and often longer — before spending additional hours producing content, sometimes while on the prescription stimulant Adderall.
- Several women alleged they were threatened, assaulted or restrained when they resisted, and one said her belongings were donated to Goodwill.
By the numbers: Police say some parties drew more than 300 attendees, including minors.
What's next: Bellevue police say the investigation remains active and that additional arrests and charges may follow.
3. Morning Buzz: 🎸 New Crocodile owner
🎶 Music venue The Crocodile has a new owner, marking a fresh chapter for the Seattle institution. (KING 5)
🚲 The Burke-Gilman Trail "Missing Link" design is heading back out for public feedback as Seattle revisits how to complete the long-delayed connection. (MyBallard)
🏙️ Zillow co-founder Rich Barton is leaving Seattle for Las Vegas, a notable move by one of the region's best-known tech leaders. (GeekWire)
Toxic chemicals are leaking from a closed Washington mill, posing risks similar to those at the Longview mill where a disaster killed 11 people last month, federal records show. (Seattle Times)
4. 🥖 There can be only one


We're down to two titans in our contest to crown Seattle's favorite bánh mì sandwich shop.
Q Bakery and Saigon Deli have emerged on top after three rounds of voting — and now you get to decide which one reigns supreme.
- Vote at the link below below by 2pm tomorrow to take part in this important feat of culinary democracy.
5. 🫣 NeeDoh: 1, Melissa: 0
NeeDoh — the viral, squishy sensory toys that seem to be all over the internet — are no fun when they break.
- I learned this the hard way after one of ours recently got punctured by a keepsake Harry Potter wand.
The glittery goo stuck to the bottom of our toy chest so securely that I had to scrape it off with a knife and a vat of Goo Gone.
- I spent an hour trying to remove it with two children on my back — an experience I do not recommend.
Moral of the story: Don't store these things near anything pointy. (And definitely don't put them in the microwave — they can cause serious burns.)
🎬 Melissa is impressed by former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch's acting turn in "Euphoria."
🧋 Clarridge is still trying to make up for that caffeine deficiency.
This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.
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