'Bye': Seattle mayor laughs off wealth exodus from her flagging, crime-ridden city



Katie Wilson, the 43-year-old leftist blogger elected mayor of Seattle last year, apparently finds it amusing that deep-pocketed residents and businesses are fleeing her crime-ridden city.

During a recent event at Seattle University, lecturer Joni Balter raised the matter of downtown Seattle's apparent inability to "grow job these days," noting that "the city has lost 25,000 jobs over four years, and the thinking is — the data folks say — that if you extend that out five years, it could be as high as 37,000 jobs."

'We still have the very regressive tax system.'

According to a recent report from the the Downtown Seattle Association, the Emerald City's downtown has seen a 14% decrease in brick-and-mortar retail jobs since 2010 and lost an estimated 13,000 jobs just last year, amounting to the biggest decrease in jobs since the pandemic.

The report noted further that Seattle's downtown office vacancy remained at a post-pandemic high of 25%; the central business district experienced an office vacancy rate of 32% last year, nearly double the previous high point during the Great Recession in 2009; and the combined taxable value of the 20 highest-valued properties in Seattle's downtown has declined from over $10 billion in 2021 to roughly $5.1 billion this year.

When asked about her plan to "turn that around," Wilson — who appeared on stage alongside fellow radical Girmay Zahilay, the newly elected King County executive — attributed Seattle's exodus of jobs and businesses to a number of factors including potential workers' apparent inability to afford living in or near the downtown; homelessness and public safety issues; and the "tax environment."

While apparently interested in tackling the affordability, homelessness, and public safety issues, Wilson signaled that her city's crushing taxes won't soon be changed.

RELATED: Mamdani finally admits what people knew about his candidacy from the start

David Ryder/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Wilson, who co-founded the Transit Riders Union in 2011 and endeavored in years past to "Trump-proof Seattle," was later asked about the "taxing climate" and whether progressive taxes were an "easy and promising solution."

After noting that she found it "very exciting" that state Democrats passed a 9.9% tax on annual taxable income exceeding $1 million for individuals or households and recalling her efforts to push similar taxes in Seattle, Wilson said that claims that wealthy residents will flee the state are "super overblown."

But to those beleaguered residents who have chosen to leave or might do so in the near future, the mayor waved, said, "Bye," and laughed in concert with fellow travelers in the sparsely populated audience.

"In general, we still have the very regressive tax system, and my office is doing a lot of work to look at what our options are in terms of progressive taxation," continued Wilson. "We do have more flexibility at the city than the county, in terms of our taxing authority."

Despite Wilson's casual dismissal, high taxes in Seattle appear to be chasing jobs to cities like Bellevue.

Jon Scholes, president of the Downtown Seattle Association, suggested that Amazon's decision to relocate thousands of employees from Seattle to other King County locations was the direct result of Seattle's overwhelming tax burden, reported the Center Square. Starbucks, which is headquartered in Seattle, also appears to be angling for greener pastures.

Among the taxes the city has implemented is the Social Housing Tax, a 5% levy on employee compensation exceeding $1 million, and the JumpStart Payroll Expense Tax, which the city slapped on companies with employees making more than $150,000 annually.

"What we need is more businesses in Seattle paying taxes," said Scholes. "That's how we strengthen the tax base."

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Armed crooks allegedly enter home in middle of night, but homeowner is prepared — and opens fire



Armed individuals allegedly entered a Kent, Washington, home in the middle of the night earlier this week, but the homeowner also was armed — and opened fire. Kent is about a half hour south of Seattle.

Officers were dispatched to the residence on Hampton Way shortly before 3 a.m. Monday, KOMO-TV reported.

'It's just terrifying.'

The victims told officers that several armed people entered the home, the station said.

But the homeowner shot at the intruders and hit one suspect several times, KOMO noted, citing a Kent Police Department spokesperson.

The other suspects fled before officers arrived, the station said.

Police entered the home, cleared it, and began treating the wounded suspect until medics arrived and took him to Harborview Medical Center, KOMO reported.

While a K-9 team tried to find the other suspects, the station said none were located.

RELATED: 'I didn't have any hesitation': Gun-toting homeowner says he spotted intruder in his house and 'just let it fire'

"It's just terrifying," neighborhood resident Sarah told KOMO. "We have kids here, two schools, we've got a middle school, an elementary school."

Many commenters underneath the station's story seemed squarely behind the homeowner's actions:

  • "I love starting the day with a feel good story," one commenter said.
  • "Too bad this was in King County," another commenter wrote. "The homeowner will likely need to hire a lawyer and spend lots of $$. Even though this was pretty clear[ly] a justified shooting."
  • "Excellent," another commenter stated. "Well done, sir!"
  • "Awesome!" another commenter declared. "Too bad he didn’t drop all of them!"
  • "I love a 'good news' story to start off the week," another commenter quipped.
  • "More target practice is required," another commenter observed.
  • "FAFO," another commenter stated. "YOU are the first responder."
  • "Great job by the homeowner!!!" another commenter exclaimed. "Need more of this kind of rock-solid SELF-protection. Thank you!"

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Trump renews call for speedy completion of White House project after WHCD shooting



The shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night has renewed the fervor of another debate raging in the nation's capital.

On Sunday morning, President Trump made a post on Truth Social renewing his call to complete the White House ballroom, a project that has been halted due to an ongoing lawsuit.

'The White House ballroom is essential for the safety and security of the president, his family, his Cabinet, and his staff.'

Trump argued that the shooting over the weekend demonstrates why the president needs a secure venue to host large events.

"What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE," Trump wrote. "This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!"

RELATED: WHCD attendees caught snatching wine bottles off tables amid chaos in aftermath of shooting

Pete Marovich/Washington Post/Getty Images

He added that the ballroom is both beautiful and far more secure than the Hilton hotel in Washington.

Trump then pivoted to attack the ongoing lawsuit that has obstructed the construction of the ballroom despite his wishes.

"The ridiculous Ballroom lawsuit, brought by a woman walking her dog, who has absolutely No Standing to bring such a suit, must be dropped, immediately. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with with [sic] its construction, which is on budget and substantially ahead of schedule!!!" Trump concluded.

Trump echoed this message in a White House press briefing in the aftermath of the shooting, adding that modern times place higher demands on security than those of the past: "We need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before."

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signaled his agreement with Trump's calls to continue the project, posting a copy of a letter regarding the lawsuit along with the caption, "It's time to build the ballroom."

The letter, signed by Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, begins by stating that the shooting Saturday was not the first attempt on a president's life at the Washington Hilton hotel, referring to an attempt on President Ronald Reagan's life by John Hinckley Jr., at the beginning of his presidency.

Shumate continues: "Yesterday's assassination attempt on President Trump proves, yet again, that the White House ballroom is essential for the safety and security of the president, his family, his Cabinet, and his staff. When the White House ballroom is complete, President Trump and his successors will no longer need to venture beyond the safety of the White House perimeter to attend large gatherings at the Washington Hilton ballroom."

He says that the lawsuit therefore puts the president and those close to him at "grave risk," adding that he hopes "yesterday's narrow miss will help you finally realize the folly of a lawsuit that literally serves no purpose except to stop President Trump no matter the cost."

Blanche added in a reply to the post that the lawsuit is "on behalf of a single person who walks in the vicinity of the White House once a month and expects to dislike the East Wing's new design."

However, the reality is a bit more complicated than the "passing aesthetic gripe of a single person," as Blanche described.

The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress in 1949. The organization represents thousands of members across the country, according to the complaint.

Blanche appears to be describing one member of the organization who is explicitly mentioned in the lawsuit, though she is not the only member whose interests are represented.

That said, she is described as a "professor emerita at a university where she taught history and historic preservation" who "frequently visits the White House neighborhood in order to enjoy the historic buildings and the beauty of the city's design, in which the White House prominently features."

Many right-leaning X accounts posted messages following the shooting urging the completion of the White House ballroom.

"THIS IS WHY WE NEED TRUMP'S BALLROOM," Libs of TikTok wrote.

"Now you know why the left is suing to block Trump's privately-funded WH ballroom," End Wokeness said.

"I don't want to hear one more f**king criticism of Trump's new ballroom at the White House," Meghan McCain added.

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Suspected WHCD shooter and another would-be Trump assassin have a lot in common — and it's not just Ukraine



Nine weeks after Thomas Matthew Crooks' attempt on Donald Trump's life at a July 13, 2024, rally in Pennsylvania, Ryan Routh tried his hand at assassinating then-candidate Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Cole Allen, identified as the suspect who opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday night, appears to share much in common with Routh.

'I'm a random Californian guy.'

Besides making donations to the same party and obsessing over the same foreign power, both Routh — who was sentenced in February to life in prison over his attempted assassination of Trump — and Allen were apparently radicalized in recent years with the help of Democrats' incendiary rhetoric.

Donations and slogans

Although not a registered member of a political party for decades, Routh, a 60-year-old North Carolina native, made multiple donations to support Democrats beginning in 2019 and voted in North Carolina's Democratic primary in March 2024.

In addition to supporting Democrats monetarily and at the ballot box, Routh supported their divisive narrative.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats not only characterized Trump and other Republicans as fascists and imminent threats to the republic ahead of the 2024 election but repeatedly claimed that "democracy is on the ballot in November."

In some instances, Harris — who joked in 2018 about Trump dying — coupled this claim with combative language, stating that democracy "is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it" and painting a target on Trump by referring to him as a would-be "dictator."

Then-President Joe Biden was far less subtle, stating on a July 8, 2024, phone call with donors, "We're done talking about the debate. It's time to put Trump in a bull's-eye."

RELATED: Stunning new details reveal the 'depraved' motivation of the suspected WHCD shooter

FBI outside a home associated with the suspected WHCAD shooter in Torrance, California. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

Routh accepted this alarmist view, sometimes repeating Democrats' slogan verbatim.

On April 22, 2024, for instance, Routh tweeted to then-President Joe Biden, writing, "@POTUS Your campaign should be called something like KADAF. Keep America democratic and free. Trumps should be MASA ... make Americans slave again master. DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose. We cannot afford to fail. The world is counting on us to show the way."

Allen, like Routh, contributed a modest donation to at least one Democratic cause, a Harris-supporting Democratic PAC in October 2024, reported the Associated Press.

The suspected WHCAD shooter, who was reportedly engaged in political activism in recent years and a member of the leftist group "the Wide Awakes," also amplified unhinged anti-Trump messaging from Democrats online.

The investigative journalist behind the Substack Kanekoa News reported that ahead of the 2024 election, a X user believed to be Allen repeatedly shared alarmist social media posts on X from Kamala Harris, Democratic lawmakers, liberal media personalities, and the anti-Trump propaganda outfit MeidasTouch and amplified liberal characterizations of Trump as a fascist or Nazi.

Allen's alleged manifesto and the Bluesky account ascribed to Allen are replete with evidence suggesting that he continued to stew in alarmist Democratic propaganda in the time since the 2024 election.

For instance, the Bluesky user believed to be Allen — the handle is @coldforce.bsky.social, and Cole allegedly signed his manifesto "Cole 'coldForce' 'Friendly Federal Assassin' Allen" — shared a post from Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) earlier this month claiming that Trump "is deranged, unstable, and unfit to lead," as well as a post from Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden (D) that stated Trump "must be impeached and removed from office" and "Republicans who don't stop him will have blood on their hands."

Ukraine obsession

Routh was unmistakably a Ukraine obsessive.

The would-be assassin:

  • ran a website called "Fight for Ukraine," which details various ways — including unlawful ways — people could supposedly go to fight as mercenaries in Ukraine;
  • pleaded online with Western defense officials and organizations to allow Afghan mercenaries into Ukraine;
  • demonstrated in support of Ukraine's infamous Azov Brigade;
  • self-published a book in 2023 titled "Ukraine's Unwinnable War" detailing his unsuccessful attempts to aid Ukraine's war effort; and
  • asserted on X that he was "going to fight and die for Ukraine."

The social media accounts ascribed to Allen — who allegedly stated in the manifesto, "I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes" — provide evidence of a similar obsession with Ukraine and its efforts to repel Russian forces.

For starters, the bio for Allen's alleged Bluesky account states, "I'm a random Californian guy with posts about American politics, support for Ukraine, and observations of small creatures."

The Bluesky user believed to be Allen also shared Ukrainian military fundraiser posts, updates on Russian attacks, and multiple posts insinuating that Trump is in league with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

While highly critical of Trump, the user also directed Ukraine-related ire toward Vice President JD Vance.

At a Turning Point USA event on April 14, Vance recalled how his advocacy for ending funding for the Ukraine war ruffled feathers, then noted he was proud of the Trump administration's refusal to continue "buying weapons and sending them to Ukraine anymore."

This evidently enraged the Bluesky user believed to be Cole, who wrote, "He's proud that we don't uphold our commitments[;] what a piece of s**t."

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The EPA just proved it can lower gas prices overnight — so why wait for a crisis?



Washington finally did something that actually helps drivers at the pump — but only halfway.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a temporary waiver allowing broader sales of E15 gasoline and suspending summer-blend fuel requirements.

The contradiction is hard to ignore: Rules designed to manage emissions are now being suspended to manage affordability.

The move is meant to offset rising gas prices tied to global instability, including tensions involving Iran — but it also exposes our own role in keeping gas prices high.

Summertime blues

For years, drivers have been paying more at the pump because of a patchwork of seasonal fuel mandates that make gasoline more expensive to produce and harder to distribute. Every spring, refiners switch to “summer blend” gasoline, designed to reduce evaporative emissions in warmer weather.

That switch isn’t free — it tightens supply, raises refining costs, and, like clockwork, pushes prices higher just as summer driving season begins.

Now, with prices climbing again, the same government that created the problem is stepping in with a temporary waiver to ease it. This has been happening for decades.

The 20-day waiver, which begins May 1, allows broader sales of E15 — gasoline with 15% ethanol — bypassing restrictions that normally block it in the summer months. The goal is simple: Increase supply, give consumers more flexibility, and bring prices down.

Even modest estimates suggest savings of a few cents per gallon, with some projections reaching as high as 40 cents in certain markets. That raises an obvious question: If removing these restrictions lowers prices now, why are they in place at all?

Fuelish games

Summer blends are tied to EPA regulations around fuel volatility — specifically Reid Vapor Pressure — intended to reduce smog during hotter months. The goal sounds reasonable, but the real-world trade-offs are harder to ignore.

Today’s engines run cleaner than ever, yet the fuel system has become more fragmented. Different regions require different blends, limiting how gasoline can be transported and sold. When supply tightens, that lack of flexibility drives prices higher.

Instead of a national fuel market that can respond efficiently, we have a regulatory maze that raises costs before fuel even reaches your tank. Then, when global disruptions hit — whether it’s instability in the Middle East or supply shocks — the system becomes strained faster than it should.

So regulators waive the rules again.

This has become routine: temporary fixes replacing long-term solutions, while drivers pay the price in the meantime.

End the blend

Industry groups like the Renewable Fuels Association and the American Petroleum Institute support expanding E15 access, and they’re right to push for consistency — but even that debate misses the larger issue.

The real solution is simpler: Eliminate seasonal blend mandates altogether.

If removing the summer blend lowers prices during a crisis, it will lower prices when there isn’t one. It would streamline production, stabilize supply, and eliminate one of the most predictable annual price spikes — because fewer constraints mean more efficiency, and more efficiency means lower costs.

RELATED: Why gas prices won’t be dropping — and how you can minimize the pain

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Pain at the pump

There’s also another lever Washington could pull: the federal gas tax.

Suspending or reducing it — even temporarily — would provide immediate, visible relief at the pump. It’s direct, measurable, and doesn’t depend on regulatory work-arounds.

States are unlikely to follow. Fuel taxes are a major source of revenue, and few are willing to give that up, which puts the pressure squarely on the federal government.

What makes this moment different is that drivers are seeing the impact in real time. Prices have surged quickly, pushing toward $4 per gallon nationally — a direct hit to household budgets, small businesses, and anyone who depends on transportation to make a living.

And yet instead of fixing the underlying problem, Washington keeps relying on temporary waivers.

The contradiction is hard to ignore: Rules designed to manage emissions are now being suspended to manage affordability. That alone should prompt a serious reassessment of whether the system is working — not just environmentally, but economically.

Right now, it isn’t.

Drivers don’t need another short-term fix that expires in a few weeks. They need a stable fuel market that doesn’t artificially drive up prices every summer.

Permanent relief

Eliminating seasonal fuel blends would be a strong start. Expanding access to E15 year-round would help. Reducing federal gas taxes would provide immediate relief.

None of these ideas are radical.

What’s radical is continuing to defend a system that clearly isn’t working for consumers.

The EPA has already shown that loosening these rules lowers costs. The question is whether Washington is willing to make that relief permanent — or if drivers will once again be stuck waiting for the next “emergency” to get a break.

Because drivers are tired of the same problem getting a temporary fix every time prices spike.

Special-ed teacher accused of sexually abusing 10-year-old boy almost daily — up to 5 times per day — at elementary school



A special-education teacher in Washington state is accused of raping a 10-year-old student at an elementary school, according to court documents.

The Spokane Police Department said in a statement that a principal alerted officers that a "family member of a student had disclosed to them statements the child made regarding possible sex acts with an adult female teacher."

'We are additionally concerned for community safety based on the level of sophistication and planning involved in perpetrating these sexual assaults.'

Around 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12, officers responded to the reports of child sex crimes.

"When officers arrived and took the initial report, they obtained statements and evidence to believe these allegations were founded," the police news release stated. "SPD's Special Victims Unit was called and took over the investigation."

Police said investigators "worked tirelessly over the past month to obtain evidence and solidify the investigation."

Officers arrested 32-year-old Mahayla Benavides on March 12, and she was charged with rape of a child in the first degree and child molestation in the first degree.

On March 17, Benavides pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Washington law defines rape of a child in the first degree when a person has "sexual intercourse with another who is less than 12 years old, and the perpetrator is at least 24 months older than the victim."

Child molestation in the first degree is when a person "has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of 18 to have, sexual contact with another who is less than 12 years old, and the perpetrator is at least 36 months older than the victim," according to Washington law.

Benavides' bond was set at $500,000, according to jail records.

RELATED: Marriage meltdown: Mom-of-two teacher busted for alleged child molestation of student; reportedly loses custody of kids

KXLY-TV reported that Spokane Police Department officers interviewed Benavides at her home in February and administered a cheek swab.

Police said Benavides didn't want to answer officers' questions, but KXLY said she "performed a 'Google search' for a lawyer."

KXLY added that "police also collected evidence from the classroom at Stevens Elementary School, which detectives say included a bean bag chair that tested positive for a bodily fluid."

Citing court records, KXLY reported that the student told investigators the alleged sexual abuse occurred almost every day — "sometimes as much as five times per day."

The boy informed investigators that the alleged child abuse often happened in a "time-out room," but Benavides would occasionally touch him sexually in the classroom when other young students were present, according to documents filed in Spokane County Superior Court.

According to the affidavit, Benavides pressured the minor to remain silent and said that disclosing the relationship could result in legal trouble or the loss of her job.

The student told investigators that Benavides recorded sexually explicit videos of herself and then showed them to him at school, KXLY reported.

KXLY reported, "In one of the videos, she uses the child's name."

Police also found videos of Benavides appearing to perform a sexual act with the student in the classroom, according to the affidavit.

The school district provided police with videos from "the classrooms in question," KXLY said.

Police said they seized items from the special-education teacher and the student, according to the affidavit.

Prosecutors said Benavides' actions were "highly predatory, and we are additionally concerned for community safety based on the level of sophistication and planning involved in perpetrating these sexual assaults," KREM-TV reported.

According to KXLY, prosecutors noted that the special-ed teacher was able to "keep her actions hidden for a long period of time."

Spokane Public Schools told KREM, "It's vital that we allow SPD to conduct its investigation, and SPS will continue to follow our policies as we take the next steps pending the outcome."

Sweetser Law Office, which is representing the alleged victim's family, said in a statement, "Parents entrust schools with their children every day. That trust exists because families believe their children will be safe in the care of the adults responsible for them. Every child deserves that safety."

The Spokane Police Department said Spokane School District 81 "acted quickly once this information was brought to their attention, promptly separating Benavides from the child and further school access, and calling police."

The Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Benavides is scheduled to appear in court May 11, according to KREM.

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‘She’s Definitely Cosplaying as a Poor Person’: Democratic Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Claims She Worked in an ‘iPhone Case Factory.’ It Was Actually a Hipster Artisanal Workshop.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a self-styled "working class" Washington Democrat, claims she worked in an "iPhone case factory" in college to pay her tuition after her father cut her off because she wouldn’t go to church. But the shop was actually a boutique artisanal workshop that made wooden, hand-crafted cases, according to her former roommate.

The post ‘She’s Definitely Cosplaying as a Poor Person’: Democratic Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Claims She Worked in an ‘iPhone Case Factory.’ It Was Actually a Hipster Artisanal Workshop. appeared first on .

Confrontational State Of The Union Speeches Help America And Should Be The New Norm

There were rumors that President Trump’s first State of the Union address was going to run two hours and anyone would be forgiven for dreading it, but it turns out it was a politically confrontational spectacle that this country needed and deserved. Trump used his nationally televised speech Tuesday to draw attention over and over […]

‘Portland Dumpster Diver’: Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Says She’s ‘Working Class’ and Her Father Cut Her Off in College. So Why Did He Finance Her First Home?

Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez—whose Washington swing district makes her one of the most endangered members of Congress—has repeatedly claimed she was forced to work three jobs after her father cut her off financially because she stopped going to church. She says she struggled to pay her tuition at Reed College, a prestigious private institution in Portland, Ore., and resorted to unorthodox living arrangements to avoid paying rent.

The post ‘Portland Dumpster Diver’: Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Says She’s ‘Working Class’ and Her Father Cut Her Off in College. So Why Did He Finance Her First Home? appeared first on .

‘You Exposed Him To Real Danger!’: Father Goes Thermonuclear On School Board After Anti-ICE Walkout

'I was not given notice'