Business closures across Seattle continue. This time, two Goodwill locations will close due to the city’s escalating crime, homelessness, and drug issues. Derieontay Sparks, senior vice president at Evergreen Goodwill, cited rising property damage, break-ins, and employee safety concerns as primary reasons, along with high rental costs. As Shift WA has reported, these closures follow a growing trend of businesses, like Nike and Lululemon, leaving Seattle because of the lawlessness that thrives unchecked. Goodwill, known for helping those in need, simply can no longer operate in such a dangerous environment – and who can blame them?

As KTTH’s Jason Rantz recently pointed out, despite these clear warning signs, city leaders seem unlikely to make the tough policy changes needed, as they continue pushing failed progressive strategies. The closures aren’t just a loss for those relying on Goodwill for jobs or affordable goods—they signal a deeper community decline. As boarded-up storefronts and street crime become more common, Seattle’s “doom loop” intensifies, fueled by political reluctance to address the root causes. It’s just another example of far-left failures. Read more at KTTH.

In a nail-biter of a race, King County election officials are hand-recounting ballots in Washington’s commissioner of public lands primary. The recount was triggered after the second and third place candidates, Democrat Dave Upthegrove and Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson, ended up separated by just 51 votes out of 1.9 million. This marks Washington’s first statewide recount in a primary since 1960 and the closest race in state primary history. The recount covers nearly 560,000 ballots in King County alone, with officials carefully tallying votes and double-checking each other’s work.

As of yesterday, only three votes have shifted in King County, none of which impact Upthegrove or Kuehl Pederson’s totals. The winner will move on to face Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, who finished first with 22% of the vote. The recount is expected to finish by early September, with the outcome certified soon after. Read more at the Seattle Times.

As Shift WA previously reported, the Cheney teachers’ union threatened to strike even as so many students are still grappling with significant learning losses from COVID-19 shutdowns. Despite months of contract negotiations, the union voted 96% to authorize a strike that could have disrupted the start of school. After 18 sessions, a tentative agreement was reached just days before classes. It’s yet unclear just what the agreement included. While the union claims they worked “tirelessly” to reach this deal, it’s hard to justify why negotiations dragged on to the brink of a strike when the focus should be on addressing students’ needs after years of disruption. Read more at the Spokesman Review.

Democrats at the DNC were giddy after swapping out Biden for Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee, acting like they’d found the magic formula to win. Jay Inslee even called the Harris-Walz ticket “the largest increase of serotonin in American history,” while delegates cheered like they were at a Beyoncé concert (that, of course, never materialized.

But as a recent article in the Seattle Times reveals, while Democrats may be hyped about the new ticket, they are still haunted by 2016’s defeat. And that fear has led WA Democrats to reminds supporters not to get too cocky. On the state-level, Washington’s Democrat establishment nervously eyeing GOP-backed initiatives targeting their pet policies like the capital gains tax and climate laws. Democrats might be busy celebrating, but beneath the confetti, they appear terrified of losing ground. Read more at the Seattle Times.

Is trouble brewing for Marko Liias? See the original tweet here.

An excellent question…

Have you subscribed to the new Shift WA podcast yet? We’ve already released three full episodes, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive:

• Judge Dave Larson joins the podcast to discuss his run for the Washington State Supreme Court, his journey into law, and the realities of judicial elections. He also touches on bias in the judiciary, legal news on ballot initiatives, and whether legal shows get it right. Finally, he shares ideas for improving the justice system.
• The hosts break down the results of the Washington state primary election. Why are people reflexively voting for Cantwell? What did we learn in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th congressional races? They touch on all those federal questions and pontificate about the major state races including OSPI, commissioner of public lands, and that other one.
• David Olson talks about his bid for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, including the role of OSPI, implications of I-2081, and his approaches to learning loss and school tech policies. He also addresses rising anti-Semitism in schools and the need for more apprenticeships.

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