Chehalis River: ‘We need a shared vision’
Re: “Quinault Indian Nation opposes new dam on Chehalis, seeks alternatives” [April 16, Northwest]: As a resident of Lewis County, I appreciate the leadership of the Quinault Nation opposing a massive dam proposed for the Chehalis River. Gratitude should also go to the Chehalis Tribe for its opposition. The Chehalis River is an aquatic artery […]
Where would you cut Washington’s budget?
Tell us how you would cut Washington state’s budget, in 200 words or less, at letters@seattletimes.com with “State Budget Cuts” in the subject line. Please include your full name, telephone number and address for verification only.
Remember less fortunate: ‘We’re all in this together’
Tim Burgess’ Op-Ed “Pandemic exposes our neglect of children, families” [Opinion, April 24] and the letter to the editor “Inequities: Don’t waste opportunity” [May 1, Opinion] demonstrate how low-income people suffer more during a crisis. I agree that a moratorium on evictions and a 15% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would help […]
‘Fractured politics’: Educate yourself
Re: “How we got here: One country, several nations” [May 3, Opinion]: Thank you to David Horsey for an excellent column that summarized the book “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America” by Colin Woodard (and also provided a colorful map). It is a book I have shared over […]
A catalyst for bridging the digital divide
Could this spring be the kick in the pants that finally gets it done?
Lockdown order: Where’s the ‘practicality and common sense’?
Gov. Jay Inslee’s continued lockdown is not giving us transparency on metrics for reopening the state. Even with the so-called “phased approach,” there’s nothing that the public can look for to know whether the next phase is in sight. The governor keeps talking about “data.” The Seattle Times publishes graphs of the daily number of […]
A chance to change our harmful habits of eating and abusing animals
There are no more excuses to use and abuse animals when humankind’s collective minds have conjured up every possible alternative.
State crisis demands prompt budget fix
Gov. Jay Inslee and lawmakers must quickly and transparently cut state spending to get through the virus-induced economic crisis. The urgency of their task is driven home by a new forecast estimating a $7 billion drop in state revenue through 2023. Washington’s chief economist, Steve Lerch, emphasized that’s a preliminary, unofficial prediction, but it should […]
Meat and dairy: ‘Unsustainable’
Re: “The business of burps: Scientists smell profit in cow emissions” [May 2, Business]: The lengths to which humans will go to subdue and tweak nature and animals for their own whims and profit boggles my mind. When I read that scientist are lending their names and investors money to studies about how to make […]
Why journalists at The Inlander didn’t jump for joy when a federal loan saved their jobs
Journalists at The Inlander, Spokane's alt-weekly, surprised their boss when they learned a federal loan would put their newsroom back together. Here's why.
Early learning: ‘Think both locally and globally’
Re: “Pandemic exposes our neglect of children, families” [April 26, Opinion]: Tim Burgess points out that “nowhere are our systemic failures more damaging and longer lasting than in the education of our children,” and he goes on to note research that early learning opportunities in child care and preschool can have a lifetime impact. As […]
Yay, or nay, for Jay?
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee imposed strict measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus and did not flinch from extending them for a second month.
Sales pitch, meet reality
Trump claims victory against the virus, but casualties continue to pile up.
Congress may want to learn from Canada before it tries to prop up local news with a COVID-19 ad campaign
Supporters of local journalism in Congress say a nationwide campaign of public service announcements about COVID-19 would both inform citizens and throw local news outlets a lifeline. But Canada tried the same thing 40 days ago and little of the money has reached news publishers.
Small-business boost: Don’t forsake LGBTQ community
Re: “King County Executive Dow Constantine proposes additional $57 million for coronavirus response” [April 23, Northwest]: While this proposal, expected to be voted on by the Metropolitan King County Council Tuesday, distributes $16 million among small businesses; tourism promotion; homeless-youth programs; and arts and culture groups, it designates no allocation for queer bars and nightclubs. […]
Homelessness: No more ‘business as usual’
“Coronavirus pushed Seattle to treat homelessness differently. Will those changes last?” [May 3, Project Homeless]: Greater than the fear engendered by exposure to the coronavirus, we are facing our society’s unwillingness to address growing economic inequality. It has taken an extreme crisis for local government to take action that has long been in its grasp. […]
Happy Mother’s Day? Not exactly
What do I want for Mother’s Day? I want schools to be back fully operational this fall.
Mail carriers are essential — and so is a bailout of the Postal Service
As Congress bails out airlines, hotels, and cruise lines, it’s disgraceful that a critical public service like the Postal Service would be left out to die.
Another resurrection story for the unsinkable Bibi Netanyahu
Before there was President Donald Trump there was Bibi Netanyahu. I first covered him in 1996 when he was running for prime minister of Israel. He was in his mid-40s then, a not-yet-proven leader, not considered in the same class with the grand old men of the nation, such as his opponent, Shimon Peres, or […]
The U.S. and China are sliding into a Cold War nobody needs
The high-temperature argument over blame for the coronavirus is rapidly pushing the United States and China into a potentially dangerous new Cold War. President Donald Trump and other administration officials claim that the virus, which many scientists say originally came from a bat, emerged from a Chinese government laboratory in Wuhan. They have offered no […]
An epidemic of hardship and hunger
COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on workers. The economy has plunged so quickly that official statistics can’t keep up, but the available data suggest that tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, with more job losses to come and full recovery probably years away. But Republicans […]
Seattle-area cultural organizations projected to lose up to $135 million in revenue because of coronavirus
ArtsFund on Monday announced new projections about pandemic-related losses in regional arts, cultural and scientific nonprofits, as well as its first round of coronavirus-related relief grants.
Washington Attorney General’s Office looking into complaints about Brown Paper Tickets owing artists money
Earlier this year, clients of the Seattle-based online ticket broker — many of them artists and small-business owners — said they haven't been paid for events, some dating back to last year. Some, still unpaid, have been turning to Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson for help.
From ‘Jeopardy!’ to opera, our arts critic picks 6 of the best events to watch or listen to May 1-7
Here are a few arts-and-entertainment-y online diversions for the week, from near and far, including Seattle Opera on KING-FM and New York City Ballet.
Pacific Northwest Ballet receives $3 million in federal coronavirus-aid funds, to cover 8 weeks of pay
The company has received a $3 million loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, allowing it to cover eight weeks of pay.
Watch: To inspire smiles during coronavirus, Bellingham buds dance like no one’s watching
A dance video created by a Bellingham children's book author set to a track by a local band is so infectiously funny it is impossible to watch without smiling. And that, said Stefanie Cornell, who made the video, was exactly the idea.
9 of the most intriguing streaming and online arts events April 24-30
From the Capitol Hill Arts District Streaming Festival to a virtual benefit for "unconventional venues and the gig and production workers that make them possible," here are the streaming and online arts events to keep an eye on this week.
Folklife Festival has been postponed. But here’s how you can celebrate your own mini fest at home.
The 49th Northwest Folklife Festival was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. But here's how you can celebrate the spirit of Folklife — listening to music, watching dances from various traditions, learning crafts and more — at home.
King County Executive Dow Constantine proposes additional $57 million for coronavirus response
The emergency-spending package is expected to get a council vote on May 12.
Frantic fundraising, relief that can’t meet demand: Artists and arts groups scramble amid coronavirus crisis
The coronavirus-shutdown crisis has ripped through Seattle’s arts and culture scene, guillotining income for individual artists and organizations while they scramble to cut expenses.
Working remotely, Russian-style: Ballet practice at home
MOSCOW (AP) — Russians from many walks of life, including Bolshoi Ballet dancers, musicians and a mixed martial arts trainer, are struggling to adapt to self-isolation because of the coronavirus outbreak. As the coronavirus outbreak has engulfed Russia, President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial economic shutdown and authorities across the vast country have introduced […]
Brown Paper Tickets, facing claims by many artists who are owed money, says coronavirus pandemic led to systems failure
Artists and arts groups say money they expected from Seattle-based Brown Paper Tickets either didn’t arrive, or the checks bounced, or money was deposited, then got sucked back out of bank accounts. BPT says it and its bank lost control of which payments were able to clear and which weren’t.
Pacific Northwest Ballet furloughs all dancers, musicians and many on staff due to coronavirus pandemic
Pacific Northwest Ballet, after canceling two programs and closing both branches of its school due to the coronavirus pandemic, stands to lose approximately $3 million through the end of April
Sunday Best: Delicately lovely costumes from the ghost of PNB’s ‘Giselle’
Until it's time to gather once more, to dance and to celebrate dance together, let us admire these hauntingly beautiful costumes from Pacific Northwest Ballet's canceled April production of "Giselle."
7 skills Seattle Times features staffers learned from YouTube videos while home due to coronavirus
From baking a Japanese-style souffle cheesecake to making trivets out of wine corks, here's what our features staffers recently learned from YouTube videos.
You can still immerse yourself in the arts with these online concerts, shows and more, from Seattle and elsewhere
Here in Seattle — and everywhere else — live arts events have been put on pause. But we can still immerse ourselves in the arts, from rebroadcasts to livestreams, podcasts to social media. Here’s just a tiny sampling.
Emergency relief funds launching for Seattle-area arts organizations and artists
ArtsFund, along with a coalition of arts organizations, is working to launch an emergency relief fund for arts organizations in King County. Artist Trust is launching a relief fund to help individual artists who have immediate needs.
Amid coronavirus shutdown, Seattle’s livestreaming surge brings live music to your living room
In the face of ever-tightening restrictions on gatherings, wave of Seattle musicians and artists are taking their shows online.
Submit your events that have moved online due to the novel coronavirus outbreak
Due to restrictions on gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19, many organizations are canceling public gatherings and social events around the city, and are, instead, holding their events, concerts, classes, activities and more online. Submit your events and we will add them to our updating list. Loading…
City announces $1.1 million and rent relief to support arts organizations in the coronavirus economic crisis
On Tuesday, the City of Seattle announced a $1.1 million, arts-specific recovery package and rent suspension for cultural organizations, designed to help an arts sector heavily hit by the coronavirus shutdowns.
UPDATING: Seattle-area events that have been canceled, postponed or rescheduled due to novel coronavirus concerns
The list of events that have been canceled in the Seattle area continues to grow as we head into the third week of the novel coronavirus outbreak. We'll keep this list updated throughout the week.
Wayne Krantz: Write Out Your Head
What do you want from Wayne Krantz anyway? It's a particularly relevant question when new release time rolls around for the guitar icon(oclast). Not that Krantz himself seems to give the question much thought. He's more known for being preoccupied with things like inventing (and reinventing) himself, exploring and capturing ineffable group mojo, or pushing the envelope toward things he has yet to try or accomplish... [ read more ]
The TNEK Jazz Quintet: Plays the Music of Sam Jones
The late Sam Jones is mainly remembered as an earnest craftsman whose perceptive bass lines undergirded the likes of Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Peterson, Cedar Walton, Barry Harris, Kenny Dorham, Bobby Timmons, Bill Evans and a host of other jazz masters... [ read more ]
Kuzu: Purple Dark Opal
Hard as it is to believe, the wonderful Hiljaisuus (Aerophonic, 2019) documented the first encounter between Chicago reedman Dave Rempis, North Carolina-based Bhutanese guitarist Tashi Dorji and drummer Tyler Damon, under the banner Kuzu... [ read more ]
Grid: Decomposing Force
A lot of recognisable names and musical micro climes run through the blood and wires of this aggressive three. Jimi Hendrix, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, pure punk, death metal ... [ read more ]
Gary Bartz and Maisha: Night Dreamer Direct-To-Disc Sessions
This international spiritual-jazz jam promises much and delivers most of it. On the one hand, Gary Bartz, who is among the movement's American elder statesmen. On the other, Maisha, six young Londoners... [ read more ]
Derrick Shezbie: The Ghost of Buddy Bolden
Derrick Shezbie's sophomore release as leader--a mere 26 years after his highly acclaimed debut, Spodie's Back (Warner Bros., 1994)--finds the New Orleans trumpeter in much the same territory as a quarter-century ago: traditional jazz played with an assured combination of virtuosity and energy... [ read more ]
Hey Exit: Arm's Reach (Else 3)
Writers have been creating worlds for centuries. J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen King, H.P Lovecraft, they all shaped worlds and mythologies and civilisations out of words. Few musicians, however, have created new worlds out of their music. Kraftwerk's albums and aesthetics form a unique world of Pop Art, industrialism, rhythms and electricity... [ read more ]
The Seth Weaver Big Band: Truth
Truth, the debut album by New York-based trombonist / vocalist Seth Weaver, has its ups and downs, most of which involve the leader himself. The "ups" enter the picture thanks to Weaver's five far-better-than-average compositions, the "downs" whenever he chooses to sing, as he does on three of eight numbers... [ read more ]
Yuri Goloubev: Two Chevrons Apart
In recent years double bassist Yuri Goloubev has lent his rich sound to multiple projects, including the co-led Duonomics (Caligola, 2018) with Michele Di Toro. It was 2011's Titanic for a Bike (Caligola), however, that marked Goloubev's last recording as outright leader... [ read more ]