🚗 Street parking costs $8?!

Federal Government Seeks to Override WA Bill Removing Medical Debt From Credit Reports

In May, Governor Ferguson signed bill SB 5840, which prevents medical debt from being reported to credit bureaus. The bill was intended to protect residents from being unable to rent an apartment, buy a car, or seek treatment because of medical debt, hurting their credit scores. Now, the Trump administration is looking to block policies like this one with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau saying federal law preempts laws like SB 5840. [Washington State Standard]

• This comes as many in Washington may forgo health insurance due to increases in premiums and may incur more debt as a result. Six in 10 Washingtonians said they would struggle to pay an unexpected $500 medical bill.
• A similar number of Washingtonians have avoided seeking medical treatment or modified their use of prescriptions in the last year due to the cost.
• The impact of health care costs is especially high among some Washington communities of color:
  • 75% of Black respondents and 75% of Latine respondents report impacts on their physical health care, compared to 57% of white respondents.
• 81% of Washingtonians with a disability say they have difficulties affording, accessing, understanding, or using their health insurance.

Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson Announces Transition Team: As the cost of living increases, Seattleites can glimpse how the city might transform under the new Wilson administration. Yesterday, Wilson named a director and four co-chairs of her transition team. The five leaders are Andrés Mantilla, Brian Surratt, Tiffani McCoy, Karen Estevenin, and Quynh Pham. The list includes a progressive organizer for publicly owned housing, the first labor figure to back Wilson’s candidacy, an advocate for Little Saigon, and two mainstream political alums of the Jenny Durkan and Ed Murray administrations. Wilson said she will reveal the rest of her transition team next week, though she has not announced any staffing decisions. [Seattle Times]

🅿️ Want to Park on Pike/Pine Tonight? That’ll be $8: SDOT adjusted parking prices this month throughout the city. About 14% increased, about 15% got cheaper, and about 70% stayed the same. The Pike/Pine corridor increased $3.50 from its midday rate. Fremont and Ballard tied for the second most expensive with a $6.50 per hour evening rate. Parking in Pioneer Square, the University District, and Westlake is free after 5 p.m. Plan ahead by using this helpful site to find on-street parking. [Seattle Times]

💰 Seattle Nonprofits Awarded Millions From the Allen Family: KEXP, the Museum of Pop Culture, and Pacific Science Center are just a few of the organizations that will be receiving nearly $7 million in grants from Allen Family Philanthropies. The foundation said the money is intended to help increase access to arts and culture engagement on the Seattle Center campus. [GeekWire]

🎥 Harbor Island Studios Will Continue For Now: After being on the budgetary chopping block earlier this week, Seattle’s film production facility Harbor Island Studios has a six-month lease on life. King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci proposed an amendment that waives the first six months of rent, and requests an analysis of the economic impact of the studio, along with a determination of fair market rental value for the lease. However, this fix is only temporary. While the amendment passed, King County Executive-elect Girmay Zahilay says he won’t propose using general funds again. Tune in to the City Cast Seattle podcast on Monday to hear more about Harbor Island Studios’ significance for local filmmakers. [Seattle Times]

🖼️ Free Wednesdays at the Seattle Art Museum: Bring two non-perishable canned food items to the SAM on Wednesdays and you get in for free! If you missed it last night, don’t worry, this offer lasts through Dec. 17 and supports the Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank. [Joe Veyera, Bluesky]

📦 Are You Eligible for a Refund From Amazon Prime? Amazon has begun sending out refunds to the millions of people who were stuck paying for Prime memberships through “deceptive methods,” according to the FTC. Prime subscribers who tried to cancel between June 2019 and June 2025 and were unsuccessful qualified for a refund. [Axios]