Seattle’s LGBTQ community members say they hope that this Friday’s World Cup “Pride Match” between Egypt and Iran, two countries where homosexuality is criminalized, can be an opportunity to change minds.
Seattle, WA
Salk: 7 words that stick out with Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald
It has been a long time since the main stage in the Seattle Seahawks meeting room belonged to someone other than Pete Carroll. Walking into that room was somewhat surreal. Remember, it had been just three weeks since it was stuffed to the brim with applauding employees thanking Pete for all he had done. The basketball hoop was still in the corner and all of the other faces were familiar. But once John Schneider and Mike Macdonald took their pictures and sat at the table, it was an entirely new world.
What Mike Macdonald plans to do with Seattle Seahawks’ defense, QB
I’m glad I went. I haven’t made much of a secret of my skepticism. Macdonald clearly has the brainpower and successful resume of a top-tier coordinator. But for years I have argued that NFL teams do a disservice to their fans by simply hiring the top coordinator on whatever team had a good season and assuming that person will also have the skills and talents that translate to the new job.
I was perfectly willing to believe Macdonald had the soft skills to go with the obvious ones. But it struck me as a little premature to assume he had them before we got a chance to know him and hear about the process.
There was no way for him to answer all of those questions in just a short press conference, and obviously it’s a whole lot more important that he show the players, coaches and everyone in that building how he leads rather than proving it to a media chump like me. But as far as first impressions go, this one couldn’t have gone much better.
Here are seven key words that stood out from the day:
As Schneider introduced Macdonald, it didn’t seem like an accident when he said “this is the future.” It seemed like a clear message that the organization was looking forward, getting younger, and concentrating on what is to come. And if you are more of a visual learner, you couldn’t miss the slim fit hoodie under Macdonald’s suit (or the Jordan’s on his feet). It was very clear that they were demonstrating that this was a new day and about the future.
It makes sense and it’s exactly what I would want in their situation. The ghosts of Pete Carroll are going to haunt those halls for a while. His impact was so thoroughly felt in that building that it would be impossible to eradicate that energy even after you take down the signs and messaging. But for Macdonald to have a chance to succeed a legend, it needs to be about the future. And while it may not have been a conscious decision, it doesn’t seem like an accident to have gone from the oldest coach in the league to the youngest. Nor did it seem accidental to emphasize that in the introduction.
Macdonald is intense. Very intense. As much as his fashion choices screamed youth, his demeaner was more that of an old soul. He took every question seriously, and you could just feel the intensity emanating off him. He didn’t offer a full philosophical mantra nor even any slogans – in fact, he bristled at the odea of co-opting “the Ravens Way” in Seattle – but he did say they would work by “giving all we got, one day at a time.” It struck me as the kind of process that has helped him climb so quickly to the top of his chosen profession.
Similarly, he struck me as very methodical. We had heard he was detail-oriented, and that’s hard to judge in a press conference environment. But it sure wouldn’t surprise me based on the way he answered questions. He considered the question, took them seriously, and answered at his own pace. He was polite and forthcoming, but didn’t give away any more than he chose to. I got the sense that he had a plan and would stick to it.
He commanded the room. This might be the No. 1 thing I was looking for, and it was evident. All eyes were on him and he was very comfortable with that. He didn’t blabber on and he didn’t deflect with jokes. He was just straight up in charge. Whereas Pete would fill up a room with words upon words upon words, Macdonald let it breathe. He let the room come to him. And that made me feel a lot better about his jump from coordinator to head coach.
He wants the team to be physical. He wouldn’t commit to an offense and he was adamant that his defensive style isn’t about reaching specific percentages or blitz rates. Instead, it is all about doing what needs to be done on that day , for that play, or in that moment. As much as we heard the name “Harbaugh” invoked throughout the morning, in some ways his defensive scheme sounded more like something we would attribute to Bill Belichick. But he wants the team to be physical, and I think every Seahawks fan would agree that has been missing for the past few years.
He is modern. Yes, that is similar to the bit about the future, but this more about how he twice mentioned “growth mentalities.” In fact, he went so far as to say that was what he was looking for in an offensive coordinator. For all of the contrasts with Pete Carroll, this was where they were most similar. It was from Pete that I first heard this term (along with his emphasis on “grit,” and it’s one that we often use at my house in raising out two daughters.
Macdonald struck me as a student. And Schneider addressed that by calling him a “learning networker rather than a climbing networker.” Interesting distinction! But I think he’s saying that Macdonald has sought out other coaches to learn from them rather than just to get noticed for the next job.
He is authentic. He isn’t Pete Carroll, nor do I expect him to be. He isn’t John Schneider nor John Harnaugh. He seemed very comfortable being Mike Macdonald. He is going to succeed (or not) by being himself. And hopefully that is what will make him relatable to the players. It’s the only way to be.
It’ll be some time before we find out what kind of coach we have here in Seattle. And the comparisons to his legendary predecessor are almost unavoidable. But on day one, he showed the public everything we would want to see. That’s all any of us can ask right now.
More on new Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald
• Seahawks hope ‘disruptor’ Macdonald can make them contenders again
• What Stood Out: New Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald joins Bump & Stacy
• Key takeaways from Mike Macdonald’s 1st Seahawks press conference
• The File: Who is new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald?
• A Ravens insider breaks down strengths of Seattle Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald
• What Macdonald must do when making jump to Seahawks head coach
Seattle, WA
Council eyes street barricades in fight against violence, sex trafficking in north Seattle
SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council is expected to vote next week on a plan that would give the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) the authority to close off street access for public safety reasons.
The proposal comes after months of outcry from residents in north Seattle who say sex traffickers and sex buyers are looping through the streets surrounding Aurora Avenue North.
The street-closure proposal passed the council’s Public Safety Committee on Tuesday and is expected to be voted on by the full council next week.
“I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say the crime has gotten much worse, much more violent, and much more predator,” said District 5 councilmember Debora Juarez. “I think that we do have the authority to shut down a street for bullets flying and endangering the lives of those who live there.”
Frustrated neighbors have installed their own homemade barricades after a spate of gun violence between sex traffickers in May.
RELATED | SDOT removes street barricades near Aurora Ave; neighbors doubtful of temporary measures
Councilmember Bob Kettle says street closures will help tamp down sex buying in certain areas, but he emphasizes it must be accompanied by an increase in outreach and enforcement.
“We have to have a sustained effort,” Kettle told KOMO News. “My concern is for every action, there’s a reaction. We need to take this flex and then really attack it … because if we do just a bit and our attention wanders, we could have this conversation three months from now and we’re talking about the same thing.”
A 15-year-old boy was shot near 95th Street and Aurora Avenue North around 10:45 p.m. last night. The teen initially claimed he had been shot while walking down the street, but investigators now say he was shot by a passenger in his car.
RELATED | Seattle police say ‘drive-by’ on Aurora Ave. was actually passenger shooting teen driver
Kettle credited the city’s Real Time Crime Center cameras with helping investigators quickly piece together the events of the shooting.
“Just as important to finding out what happened, the cameras help police determine what did not happen,” Kettle said.
According to Seattle police data, reports of shootings and shots fired in the north precinct area are at their lowest levels since 2021.
Through the end of May, there were 48 total reports of shootings or shots fired, with one fatal shooting and seven nonfatal injury shootings.
That’s down from 63 total reports of shootings and shots fired – one fatal and seven injuries – in 2025; and 64 shootings or shots fired reports – one fatal and 17 injuries – in 2024.
At Tuesday’s committee meeting, councilmembers pointed out residents are calling for a new police precinct to be built on Aurora Avenue.
Ten years ago, a new North Precinct building was slated to be built at 130th Avenue and Aurora Avenue North to replace the existing precinct building, which was decades old and did not have enough space for the department’s needs.
Led by former councilmember Kshama Sawant, the “Block the Bunker” movement successfully got the North Precinct replacement project killed in city council.
Kettle said the city’s current financial issues make it essentially impossible to bring back a project similar to the one the previous council defeated.
“We have to connect the dots back,” Kettle said. “If we want to know why we are where we are today, we have to look at decisions made over the last two councils.”
Seattle, WA
Iran and Egypt to play in Seattle ‘Pride Match’ despite earlier complaints | The Jerusalem Post
Seattle revels in its reputation as a welcoming place and Pride flags are visible all over the city, all year round. Its June Pride weekend is one of the biggest in the United States.
So, ahead of December’s World Cup draw, it was only natural that local organizers designated the June 26 match to be held in the city as a “Pride Match.”
Then the draw happened — and the two teams scheduled to play the game were Egypt and Iran.
Egypt’s Football Association urged global soccer governing body FIFA to prevent any Pride-related activities, arguing such events clashed with the Muslim-majority country’s cultural and religious values. The governing body in Iran, where same-sex relations can carry the death penalty, filed an objection with FIFA.
Some in Seattle have doubts over the teams in the ‘Pride Match’
But in Seattle, there is no question that the Pride Match will go ahead as planned.
“The World Cup is going to come and go in three weeks,” Hedda McLendon, from Seattle’s local World Cup organizing committee, told Reuters. “The Pride celebration … has happened on this weekend for 50-plus years.
“It is going to happen this weekend, it is going to happen long after the World Cup.”
Some in the city’s LGBTQ community had mixed feelings given the participants, said Jon Cairns, 49, manager of local LGBTQ+ club Kremwerk.
Cairns, however, said his own view was that it provided a platform to promote acceptance that only the world’s biggest sporting event could offer.
“My reaction is let’s have them,” he told Reuters. “International sports is one of the biggest brokers historically of social change and individual rights and freedoms worldwide, including in the U.S.”
He cited black U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens’ four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany and Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ raised-fist protest in 1968 as moments where “only international sports could reach that big of an audience.”
“They’re not going to turn off the World Cup on state television in Iran or Egypt to block out a Pride flag in the audience,” Cairns said.
The Pride Match is “a host city initiative” and separate of FIFA, a spokesperson for soccer’s governing body told Reuters.
Seattle’s LGBTQ community sees an opportunity
Egypt and Iran’s involvement in the Pride Match is not the first time the World Cup has grappled with stark differences in attitudes between hosts and visitors.
In 2022 World Cup host Qatar, the emir said visitors should “respect our culture” when asked about gay people attending the tournament.
FIFA threatened yellow cards for captains wearing the “OneLove” armband, citing its rules against political slogans. Teams including England and the Netherlands that had been planning to wear the armbands to protest Qatar’s laws against same-sex relationships abandoned the plan.
For Ryan Webster, a 40-year-old lifestyle manager who was at Kremwerk the weekend before Pride, Seattle’s “Pride Match” was an opportunity to show solidarity with people in countries where their sexuality was outlawed.
“I’m choosing to believe that this is our moment to allow the members of the LGBTQ community that come from those countries to have the opportunity to celebrate themselves in totality that they might not have otherwise,” he said outside the club, which will host a watch party for Friday’s game.
Inside, ‘Venus Fengz’ lip-synced to Cher’s “Believe” before introducing fellow drag performers to the stage, clapped and cheered by a raucous crowd.
Fengz, who only wanted to provide their stage name, said Pride coinciding with the World Cup would bring increased visibility, anticipating perhaps some new audience members.
“I think it’s always great for us to be able to share space and share places with people who don’t have the same experiences as us,” they told Reuters.
“Sometimes you just have to be the bigger person and show grace where you can and know that everyone is a human learning (from) different experiences, but also it can get hard — because you’re on the shorter end of the stick, always trying to have to explain yourself around people who don’t grow up with the same worldview.”
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Las Vegas could be years away from landing an NBA expansion team, but the league’s commissioner is now offering a clearer sense of the timeline.
On Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told “The Dan Patrick Show” that Seattle and Las Vegas remain the cities the NBA is focused on if it expands. “If we expand, at least we’re thinking ’28-29 season,” Silver said.
Silver had previously signaled before that March meeting that Seattle and Las Vegas were at the center of the expansion discussion, while cautioning that no decision had been made.
“We will make decisions in 2026,” Silver said in February.
At the time, Silver said the league was not expected to vote in March but could emerge from those meetings ready to take the next step and begin discussions with potential ownership groups.
Las Vegas has long been viewed as Seattle’s most likely expansion partner if the NBA grows from 30 to 32 teams. Silver, however, has repeatedly said the league could expand by two teams, one team, or not at all.
The potential of an NBA Las Vegas expansion team has already drawn interest. This week, majority owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, Bill Foley, announced he is putting together a bid for the expansion team in Las Vegas.
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