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Seattle Council and Mayor Butt Heads Over Universal Free School Meals

Seattle City Council is weighing an amendment that would delay Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposal for universal free school meals in favor of a more cautious expansion and a voucher food assistance program.

Weekend Listen: WA Democrats are hopeful Yakima could go blue this year, Snohomish County looks to its residents for AI policy, and when school’s out, this King County program keeps kids fed for free

Today, we’re bringing you the best from the KUOW Newsroom. First, Democrats are working to flip a few Republican seats in the state legislature this year. One of them is in farm country in central Washington. Next, artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, and many local governments are trying to figure out how, or if, they should be using it. In Snohomish County, local leaders are trying a new experiment by convening what’s known as a “civic assembly.” And finally, while many families can access free lunches during the school year, experts say summer creates a hunger gap. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.  Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected], leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online or on the KUOW App.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Evening Headlines

Washington officials are responding to President Trump's claims of election fraud, Boeing is now allowed to certify its own planes for the first time since 2019, and a look into Amanda Knox's one-woman show. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.  Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected], leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online or on the KUOW App.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ditch your smartphone for a flip phone for a month? This group wants Seattleites to try

In one of the world’s biggest technology hubs, a growing group of Seattle residents is trying something counterintuitive: spending a month with fewer digital distractions by trading smartphones for “dumb phones Read More

Seattle indie hit ‘Stardew Valley’ is coming to ‘Magic: The Gathering’

Stardew Valley, the blockbuster farming sim from solo Seattle developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, is coming to Magic: The Gathering via a three-part Secret Lair drop from Renton-based Wizards of the Coast — with original pixel art from Barone himself. Read More

Icertis CEO is departing; contract management company names CFO and board member interim leaders

Anand Subbaraman is departing as CEO of Icertis less than a year after taking the role. CFO Rajat Bahri and board member Jim Moffatt will serve as interim co-CEOs while the Bellevue company searches for a permanent leader. Read More

Jenks and Kang Offer Differing Views at D5 Seattle Council Forum

Seattle’s D5 Council frontrunners Nilu Jenks and Julie Kang diverged around the issues of surveillance cameras, Aurora “stay out” orders, and relative enthusiasm for the mayor’s Taller Denser Faster housing proposal.

Departing AWS exec Dave Brown is reportedly joining Meta, as Facebook parent mulls its own cloud

Dave Brown, the senior AWS executive whose departure Amazon announced this week, is joining Meta to work on its data center build-out, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The move comes as Meta weighs whether to launch a cloud business of its own, which would put it in competition with AWS. Read More

Indigenous Violence Survivors See Fewer Services After Federal Cuts

Seattle Sounders FC pay tribute to S. ‘Soma’ Somasegar, beloved tech leader and team owner

The Seattle Sounders honored the late S. "Soma" Somasegar before Thursday night's match against the Portland Timbers, recognizing the Microsoft and Madrona leader, startup mentor, and Sounders minority owner whose impact extended far beyond Seattle's technology community. Read More

Seattle region’s office market shows signs of life as AI companies bring new stability

A new report finds the Seattle-area office market is on steadier footing, helped by AI companies opening engineering hubs across the region. Technology firms accounted for 42.5% of leasing activity in the second quarter. Read More

Wilson's Transit Measure Advances Out of Council Committee Intact

While amendments from the Council did make a mark on the Seattle Transit Measure renewal, it still largely resembles Wilson's initial proposal. Amendments that would have scaled it back in scope and duration were both defeated Thursday.