Free Republic

During Thursday night’s mayoral debate, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said he wouldn’t jail aneight-time convicted offender and would rather learn about that person’s life story. Faced with a shockingly high number of prolific offenders severely harming the city of Seattle’s quality of life, Harrell’s comment was one of the most jaw-dropping, tone-deaf moments I’ve ever seen from a sitting mayor—and that bar is already subterranean in this city. Harrell delivered the kind of response that makes you wonder if he even lives in the same city the rest of us do. No jail time for eight-time repeat criminal The moderator...

For years, Starbucks has been circling the "go woke, go broke" drain, and they've been trying to reverse course: ending their open bathrooms policy, going back to plastic straws, and even reportedly disallowing pride decorations. They've tried everything short of not burning their beans or lowering the price of their drinks to lure back the other half of the country they spurned and have only managed to upset the folks still going to Starbucks. Now according to CNN, Starbucks has announced massive layoffs and store closures. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced Thursday that Starbucks will close hundreds of stores this...

An ABC News joint investigation with its owned television stations sheds new light on the likely flow of the coronavirus from global hotspots into the U.S. and provides a glimpse the toll the virus has taken on some of the first Americans to interact with international travelers: airport workers. From December 2019 through March 2020, as severe outbreaks cropped up in China and then Italy and Spain, among others, thousands of flights from the hard-hit nations poured into U.S. cities, according to an ABC News analysis of more than 20 million flight records obtained from the tracking service Flightradar-24. While...

On Sept. 8, the DOJ sent a letter to Hobbs requesting a copy of the state's voter registration database within 14 days. The request included sensitive personal data for each registered voter: full name, date of birth, residential address, driver's license number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs has no intention of complying with a U.S. Department of Justice request for information from the state’s voter registration list. On Sept. 8, the DOJ sent a letter to Hobbs requesting a copy of the state's voter registration database within 14 days....

A day after President Donald Trump endorsed the prospect of designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh says he is convinced, like the president, that many Antifa protesters are “paid agitators.” “We've seen examples of that sort of behavior here in Washington,” Walsh texted The Center Square on Tuesday. The movement has historical roots in the Pacific Northwest, including forming one of the nation's earliest modern such groups, Rose City Antifa, in Portland, Ore., in 2007. On Monday, The Center Square asked the president if he would designate Antifa a domestic terror organization...

As educators and public servants, we believe symbolic acts such as lowering the flag should reflect the principles we work to instill in our students and community. When a person has made public statements that conflict with the values of inclusivity, respect, and student safety that we as a District strive to uphold, we may choose to not fly the flag at half-staff. Our decision reflects both our compliance with Washington State law and our unwavering commitment to ethical leadership and educational equity.

SEATTLE, Wash. — Washington state currently holds the highest gas prices in the nation, with the average cost for a gallon of regular gasoline at $4.66, according to AAA. This figure far surpasses the national average of $3.18.

A Washington teenager was arrested after investigators found a large cache of weapons and writings about 'mass shooting scenarios' in his home. The alleged would-be killer, who has not been named, was obsessed with 'previous mass shooters' and 'idolized' them as he hatched a chilling plot to carry out his own murder spree, cops said. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office said they descended on the boy's home in Tacoma, Washington after being notified on Friday afternoon that he was 'making threats to kill.' Following a sweep of his home on Saturday morning, authorities said they seized a 'large quantity' of...

Four Democrat-run states have issued their own vaccine guidelines after Florida banned all mandates. The governors of California, Oregon and Washington state announced this week they have formed the West Coast Health Alliance in an effort to 'ensure residents remain protected by science, not politics.' The alliance plans to review scientific data and make vaccine recommendations for residents in these states that are independent from federal guidelines. These guidelines will sidestep those enacted by the Trump administration and vaccine skeptic Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, including recent restrictions on the Covid shot. It's the first blue-state...

The Brief: -Video shows four masked thieves stealing over $2 million in jewelry from a West Seattle store in a 90-second smash-and-grab. -The suspects used hammers to break in and threatened staff with bear spray and a taser. -Police are investigating, but the suspects escaped in a getaway car and remain at large. Smash-and-grab thieves in Seattle made off with an estimated $2 million in diamonds, luxury watches, gold and other items in a daring midday jewelry store robbery that took just about 90 seconds, police said Friday. Video from the West Seattle store's surveillance cameras shows four masked suspects...

A Washington gun shop is taking its case against the state’s ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines to the U.S. Supreme Court.Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso filed a petition this week, asking the high court to review the state Supreme Court’s decision in May upholding the controversial law. Supporters of the restriction see it as an important step for quelling gun violence.Walter Wentz, the Cowlitz County store’s owner, said Friday he hopes to convince the Supreme Court justices to “do their job and not accept all these lower courts waving their finger at them.”“I look forward to exercising...

Donald Trump has sent an unmistakable message—Barack Obama’s White House portrait has once again been moved. It’s been tucked away where visitors won’t see the grinning image of a president whose tenure was marked by scandal, deception, and failed policies. Advertisement Unfortunately, it’s not in the garbage. CNN reports the portrait now sits in an out-of-the-way corner, away from guests who don’t need a reminder of Obama’s disastrous legacy and his effort to frame Trump with collusion charges. This is more than redecorating — it’s a statement about accountability and honesty in presidential legacies. By moving the portrait, Trump delivers...

The BriefHundreds of people attended a vigil to remember Christopher "LeBron" Castleberry, a 28-year-old man who was shot and killed outside of Pursuit NW Church. The targeted shooting, which occurred while Castleberry was at a youth BBQ with his wife and son, has prompted the church to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.SEATTLE - Hundreds turned out to remember "LeBron Givaun", also known as Christopher "LeBron" Castleberry on Sunday night during a vigil outside Pursuit NW Church in the University District. LeBron was shot and killed near the steps of his church on Thursday evening while...

LACEY, Wash. - A verdict has been reached in the trial of a Lacey father and mother accused in an attempted "honor killing" of their own teenage daughter. A jury found 44-year-old Ihsan Ali not guilty of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. However, Ali was found guilty of second-degree and fourth-degree assault, and unlawful imprisonment. The backstory: Ali was captured on video appearing to choke his 17-year-old daughter on the ground outside Timberline High School in October 2024. The assault happened after the teen ran away from home, claiming her parents planned to forcefully send her to Iraq to...

Two Lacey parents have been found not guilty of attempted murder in connection with an assault on their teenage daughter. Ihsan and Zahraa Ali were accused of trying to kill their teen daughter outside Timberline High School last fall. After three days of deliberations, a jury found both parents not guilty of attempted murder. However, the girl’s father, Ihsan, was found guilty of assault and unlawful imprisonment. The mother, Zahraa, was only found guilty of violating a court order, but was determined to be not guilty of attempted murder, unlawful imprisonment or assault. Sentencing for both parents is set for...

Matson, a major U.S.-based cargo shipping company, has announced an immediate and indefinite halt to all shipments of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) across its entire maritime network, citing rising concerns over fire hazards linked to lithium-ion batteries. The decision affects routes between the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska, creating massive logistical headaches for both automakers and private owners trying to move EVs across the Pacific. This unprecedented move follows a string of high-profile shipping fires—including the June 2025 loss of the Morning Midas, which sank after a suspected battery-related blaze aboard its vehicle deck. Matson confirmed...

Thieves cut through padlocks and latches to filch 12,000 rounds of ammunition from a decommissioned military base in southwest Washington now used as a shooting range by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, deputies said Monday. The rounds of 9 mm and rifle ammo were discovered stolen from a storage shed at Camp Bonneville on Jan. 15 — about two weeks since deputies had last visited the remote training facility, said Clark County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Skidmore.

I am testifying in Court today as a witness for Cloud (@Numerarch), the Portland resident who confronted Antifa and is suing the city over the illicit occupation at the ICE facility. The lawsuit claims that Portland has failed to quell the nightly noise disturbances at the ICE facility, causing local residents persisting harm. A couple of Antifa militants involved in the occupation are beginning to show as city witnesses. A judge should be issuing a decision today. Stay tuned for updates!

A Seattle woman has accused the US Navy's Blue Angels of 'terrorizing' her elderly cat before its death, then violating her rights after they blocked her on social media for complaining, according to a new lawsuit. Lauren Ann Lombardi's 14-year-old cat Layla died on August 11 after suffering from congestive heart disease, which the cat mom claims was worsened by noise from the Blue Angels. 'Layla's final days on Earth were marred by sadistic suffering - cowering in terror beneath furniture while her ailing heart struggled against the Blue Angels' relentless noise pollution,' her federal lawsuit said.

SEATTLE — A “No to Blue Angels” billboard just went up in Seattle’s Rainier Valley. The Blue Angels have been a fixture of Seafair for more than 50 year-- their thunderous roar could is the soundtrack to summer’s in Seattle. “I miss it more now because I don’t live on this side of town anymore,” said Carolyn Finney. She says she enjoyed the acrobatic show before moving to SeaTac. “Just seeing them fly around just close to the house down on, by the beach, that kind of stuff,” Finney said. “Yeah, it was exciting to see that.” However, a group...