The Pulse: Bring the Heat
A new Uwajimaya, rising electric bills, and the question of who’ll lead Seattle’s AI future
By Sarah Stackhouse July 30, 2025
These are my family plans for the week: a ferry ride to Kingston, banh mi at Rise & Shine Bakery, a stop at Third Place Books, maybe a baseball game. July’s wrapping up, and everything’s starting to speed up. But this week? We’re still in it. Warm, sunny, bright — the kind of stretch we wait all year for. What are you doing this week in this perfect weather?
Here’s what’s happening around town…
There was a tsunami advisory for coastal Western Washington after an 8.8‑magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The advisory has since been canceled. Impacts never reached inland, but if you’re planning beach time, it’s worth using caution in the water.
After 12 years of full-time travel, a retired couple just settled in Edmonds. They’ve lived in 95 countries and now share a ZIP code with Rick Steves. There must be something about Edmonds.
Electric bills are going up.
This show looks wild. If you go, report back.
This Olympic Peninsula guide is packed with road trip-worthy stops. Who’s headed west this summer?
What a fantastic city we live in!
Some good news: Trump’s freeze on billions in federal education funds just got reversed. The program, which blocked money for districts that didn’t cooperate with immigration enforcement, is finally dead.
Seattle’s packed with AI talent, but the question is whether we’ll go big or get left behind.
Uwajimaya is headed to Issaquah, taking over the former Rite Aid space at Town & Country Square. Big win for Eastsiders.
Navy ship tours are back for Seafair Fleet Week — bring a Real ID and wear flat shoes.
Cannonball Arts is hiring. The massive new music and arts venue — once a Bed Bath & Beyond — opens later this summer downtown, backed by the Muckleshoot Tribe and the crew behind Bumbershoot.
Who’s headed to see Paul Simon next week at McCaw Hall?
These photographs of UW and Seattle are all stunning. Summer in full color.
Reader Comment of the Week:
From our story on the new Pier 58, written by our social media manager Emma:
Totally. Multi-generational joy is the best.
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