In yet another episode of “Seattle Spirals,” left-wing protesters—led by the charmingly radical Students for a Democratic Society at UW—spent their Tuesday blocking entrances to a federal building, chanting about abolishing ICE, and capping it all off by burning American flags in downtown Seattle. Because nothing says “we care about justice” like lighting up the symbol of the country that lets you tantrum in public without consequence.

After hours of drum circles and revolutionary cosplay, the crowd finally drew police attention when things turned spicy near 2nd and Marion. Cue the pepper balls. By night’s end, two were arrested, flags were torched, and the demonstration dwindled to a dozen stragglers—presumably still trying to find their Uber credits.

Naturally, Seattle is planning an encore tonight at Cal Anderson Park—home of the CHOP disaster—because clearly we didn’t learn anything the first time. Meanwhile, Governor Bob Ferguson is panicking over a potential federal National Guard deployment and just passed a law to stop “out-of-state troops,” presumably to keep Washington safe for flag-burning.

Because when the left runs your city and your state, protecting ICE facilities and American symbols becomes a bigger problem than the people lighting them on fire. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

Washington state just earned itself a participation trophy in the latest American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) report on labor policy—and that’s being generous. Ranking 40th out of 50 states, the Evergreen State is once again leading from behind when it comes to worker freedom, economic growth potential, and business competitiveness.

ALEC’s third annual States That Work report evaluates states based on 10 commonsense labor policies that support workplace freedom and economic mobility. Washington managed a measly 1.5 out of 10 gold stars. The full star came from a 2023 bill that—wait for it—reviews whether professional licenses are even necessary. Bold stuff. The half-star? For doing the bare minimum to help those with criminal records avoid lifetime economic punishment—but without any formal petition process in place.

Meanwhile, Washington’s $16.66/hour minimum wage—the highest in the country—put the state dead last (No. 50) for sensible wage policy. Add in thick union entanglements and rigid licensing, and you’ve built a state where breaking in is harder than breaking even.

The data speaks volumes:

• Private sector union membership: 10.03% (47th worst)
• Public sector union membership: 49.94% (42nd worst)
• Government jobs: 16.4% of employment (33rd)
• Private sector growth (10-year): Surprisingly solid at No. 11—but mostly in spite of state policy, not because of it.

As ALEC’s Alan Jernigan put it bluntly:

“Washington state is a warning… Unless you’re already in the system, it’s nearly impossible to get ahead.”

Democrats continue to dominate Olympia, and it shows. Washington is becoming a state of locked gates and golden handcuffs—great if you’re in the club, nearly impossible if you’re trying to get in. Read more at Center Square.

Washington’s health care system is on life support—and Democrats in Olympia are the ones holding the scalpel. At a June 3 meeting of the Health Care Cost Transparency Board, industry leaders warned that recent legislation is hurting, not helping, efforts to control costs and preserve access to care.

The main culprits?

• House Bill 2081, which jacks up the B&O tax on physician groups and hospitals—a 40% hike since 2019, according to the Washington State Medical Association.
• House Bill 1123, which imposes government price controls on hospital services for Medicaid and Medicare patients—likely triggering higher costs for everyone else through cost shifting.

Chelene Whiteaker of the Washington State Hospital Association didn’t mince words:

“Hospitals are not doing well, and we believe it’s going to get worse… If there were another COVID pandemic right now, our hospitals wouldn’t be able to operate like we did.”

Translation: lawmakers are pushing hospitals into the red with no plan beyond hoping they don’t collapse.

Jeb Shepard of the WSMA added that shrinking reimbursements, rising taxes, and growing regulations are choking physician groups, especially independents—putting future access to care at risk.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth New of the Washington Policy Center says the so-called transparency board has drifted from its mission.

“They were supposed to help consumers see health care prices. Instead, they’re setting price growth caps—without tackling the reasons costs go up.”

And those reasons aren’t a mystery. As New puts it:

“Regulations cost money. Taxes cost money. And when the government squeezes one end of the tube, it just bursts out somewhere else.”

Coming soon in 2026: skyrocketing premiums, fewer services, and more closures—all brought to you by Olympia’s version of “cost control.” Read more at Center Square.

When you coddle radicals, burn flags, and leak ICE raids to the media, guess what? You get ICE Special Response Teams at your doorstep. Seattle has now joined the exclusive club of Democrat-run disaster zones—alongside Chicago, Philly, and NYC—that need elite federal units just to deal with basic law enforcement.

As KTTH’s Jason Rantz reports, ICE’s SRTs, normally reserved for high-risk takedowns, are being deployed here thanks to escalating violence from Antifa-style mobs and spineless local officials. Agents are being undermined by the very departments they’re supposed to coordinate with—because apparently some SPD insiders would rather tip off the media than protect federal agents from violent criminals.

Federal agents aren’t just fighting gangs—they’re dodging sabotage from within. But rest assured, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Police Chief Shon Barnes are laser-focused on appeasing the activist base, not actual public safety. Barnes even joked about going to jail under Trump—as if being a law enforcement officer who follows federal law is now a liability in Seattle.

Let’s be clear: ICE isn’t the problem. The problem is a city government more interested in playing footsie with flag-burning anarchists than protecting citizens. SRTs are showing up because someone has to be the adult in the room. Read more at KTTH.

King County Democrats are at it again—proposing yet another tax hike to clean up their own fiscal mess, and they’re pretending it’s all about “public safety.” Executive Shannon Braddock wants to slap a new 0.1% sales tax on residents already drowning in one of the most unaffordable regions in the country. Why? Because after years of bloated budgets, activist giveaways, and anti-police policies, they’ve somehow “discovered” a $150 million shortfall.

As KTTH’s Jason Rantz points out, now they want credit for saving the sheriff’s office from cuts they planned months ago. It’s the same tired playbook: overspend, underdeliver, and when the bills come due—shake down the taxpayers.

Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, the same guy who’s been undermining police for years, now wants you to believe he’s reluctantly taxing you “to avoid devastating cuts.” Translation: we lit the budget on fire, now hand us the hose and your wallet. And let’s not forget Budget Chair Rod Dembowski’s pitch—“just ten cents on a $100 purchase.” That’s how they always start. Then you blink, and it’s $95 million a year gone from working families.

The cherry on top? These are the same Democrats who’ve controlled every lever of power for over a decade and still whine about a “regressive tax system” they built. They don’t need more money—they need a calculator and a conscience.

It’s not about saving public safety—it’s about saving face. Read more at KTTH.

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