Wednesday, already. We love to see it.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 72.

This newsletter is 954 words, a 3.5-minute read.

The M's and the Sounders are learning that if you can't be spectacularly good, there's something to be said for being spectacularly bad.

Why it matters: Both teams have spent the summer losing with such commitment that fans are talking about needing a miracle to save the season.

🧙 Flashback: Last year, a Mariners fan paid an Etsy witch to lift the team's curse — and the Mariners promptly won 10 straight games, then had a deeper run in the playoffs than ever before.

• This season, both teams could use that witch's number.

By the numbers: The Mariners are 70–81, guaranteeing their first non-winning season since 2020, one year after a magical run that persuaded fans to hope again.

• This month, the M's beat the Athletics 19–1, the largest margin of victory in franchise history, then turned around and lost 6–4 to the Angels, the worst team in the American League.

Meanwhile: The Sounders haven't won an MLS match since May 13. Since the World Cup break, they're 0–6–4 in league play — including a 5-1 home loss on July 16 to Portland and four straight draws.

The big picture: Longtime Mariners fans — who've had 50 seasons to metabolize heartbreak, hope and dismal failure on a cellular level — are uniquely qualified to share coping tips with Sounders fans accustomed to playoffs and trophies.

The bottom line: Witch or no witch, we might as well laugh and enjoy having something to root for together.

Tell a fan

Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman says the race to build ever more powerful AI needs a red line: AI must remain under human control.

Why it matters: Microsoft is taking a harder line than rivals on AI design when there's growing concern that the industry's current path could threaten humanity.

What they're saying: That could mean sacrificing capabilities others are willing to pursue.

• "I think some people think that it's inevitable that superintelligence is going to exceed human control," Suleyman told Axios.
• "But I don't agree with that. I think that would be very, very dangerous, and it means that we're going to have to make decisions about what we're not going to do."

Driving the news: Microsoft on Monday published a new "Humanist AI" code of conduct that says people must retain meaningful control.

• The code says Microsoft AI models should remain subordinate to humans and rejects "the race to produce an all-purpose superintelligence."

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🌆 Mayor Wilson unveiled a gun violence plan yesterday that would increase police patrols and crisis response, spend $5 million on community intervention programs and push for tighter state firearm restrictions. (MyNorthwest)

🏀 NBA expansion talks are moving forward, with Seattle still in the mix for a team potentially starting in 2028-29, though the process has moved faster in Las Vegas, per commissioner Adam Silver. (Bleacher Report)

🏢 The city's Social Housing Developer has paused applications from its lowest-income applicants at its first building while it puts stronger support services in place, but plans to resume processing those applications in November. (Seattle Times)

💼 About 50 Seattle-area government, business and labor leaders warned the region is losing its competitive edge after shedding nearly 7,000 jobs last year, calling for a coordinated strategy to keep tech jobs and investment here. (GeekWire)

🎮 Local VR gaming studio Polyarc is shutting down after 11 years, the latest in a string of closures and layoffs across the region's video game industry. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

I was in Wallingford last week, wondering where I should get my caffeine fix now that Fuel Coffee in the neighborhood is no more.

• Hamsa quickly became my answer.

Zoom in: Hamsa opened last October in the former Sea Thai space on North 45th Street. It serves Arabic street food and specialty coffees with flavors like cardamom, rose honey and pistachio.

What to expect: I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I ordered the shakshouka — two eggs swimming in tomato sauce with a side of lavash bread.

• When the dish arrived, I knew I'd made the right choice. The sauce tasted freshly made, spiked with onion and the crunch of almonds. (I added a little turkey bacon at an employee's recommendation.)
• The cardamom latte I ordered was flavorful and not-too-sweet — a perfect accompaniment to the savory egg dish.

I'll be back soon to try some of their sandwiches, bowls and mezze.

Stop by: 10am-8pm daily. 2313 North 45th Street.

Axios Social Club brings together curious locals for good food, good conversation and a night out with people you might never meet otherwise.

How it works: Take a quick quiz, reserve your seat and we'll match you with five fellow locals at one of our favorite restaurants.

Here's the twist: You won't find out your restaurant or dinner crew until the day of the event.

• After dinner, all the tables meet up at a surprise afterparty.

If you go: Join us Oct. 6 at 6:30pm in Fremont.

• Tickets are $15.99 per person.
• Food and drinks are purchased separately.

👉 Come hungry. We'll handle the rest.

Seattle is getting its own Monopoly board next year, and residents can nominate the local landmarks, businesses and nonprofits they want to see in the game.

Your turn: Submit your picks to Top Trumps USA — then tell us which Seattle places you'd put on the board.

Of note: We're late to the game. Bellevue already has one.

🧐 Melissa hasn't played Monopoly in years, but thinks maybe it's time to revisit it.

🗓️ Clarridge is stunned by how fast the year is flying by.

This newsletter was edited by Hadley Malcolm.