🧑🏻‍💻 Musk brings his AI biz to Bellevue

A Seattle Guide To Celebrate Love in All Its Forms

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! And Seattle is brimming over with fun things to do – be it with a significant other, a beloved friend, a solo date, or some secret fourth thing.

• A Procrastinator’s Guide To V-Day: Food writer Tan Vinh has tips for how to choose a last-minute spot for dinner this weekend if you haven’t already. And for those of you wanting to avoid PDA, Tan recommends cocktail bar Canon on Capitol Hill. The bar apparently has a not-publicized tradition of discouraging public displays of affection by squirting lovey couples with a squirt gun and encouraging other customers to join in the attack 😆 [KUOW]
• Recommended By Our Friends at Hearth Music: We recently had Devon Leger on the show to talk about our city’s music scene. He recommends checking out Cécile McLorin Salvant at Dmitriou’s Jazz Alley. He says she “is a giant of modern jazz, and a very accessible jazz vocalist. Dmitriou’s is a classy listening room, so this will be a Valentine’s to remember! Plus, she's playing four days total, so if you can't get a reservation on Feb 14, pick another date nearby!” [Hearth Music]
• A Guide to V-Day Books and Films: Art Critic Moira Macdonald has this breakdown of new-ish rom-coms to stream at home. And if staying in with a steamy romance novel, some fairy-smut, or a work of classic literature is more your cup of tea, Sara Ramey has that covered, too. [Seattle Times]
• A Voyeur's Guide to V-Day: As part of The Stranger’s annual tradition of asking Seattleites about their sex lives in the name of the nosy profession (with ethics) we call journalism, I have to recommend checking out the 2026 Sex Survey results. The apps are out, meeting people in person is in, and apparently, people are getting it on in the Archie McPhee bathroom and the 90-second ride that is the monorail. [The Stranger]

‘Millionaires Tax’ Advances To the State Senate 💰

This week, Senate Bill 6346 moved out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee with a few changes. It’s still a 9.9 percent tax on income above $1 million a year, but now it adds a tax break for small businesses. Senate Majority Leader Jaime Pedersen, D-Seattle, the bill’s main sponsor, said that would exempt more than 70% of small businesses from the state B&O tax. The state Senate could vote on the bill as early as next week. But regardless, the tax itself wouldn’t start until 2028. [Washington State Standard]

Hawks Fans Take to the Streets To Celebrate 🦅

Today, somewhere between 750,000 and 1 million people are expected to descend on Downtown Seattle for the parade celebrating the Seahawks' second Super Bowl title. For those who snagged tickets for the trophy celebration at Lumen Field, the gates open at 8:30 a.m. Everyone else will join the parade at 11 a.m., starting at 4th Avenue South and South Washington Street. The parade will end near Seattle Center. The two-mile route is expected to take about two hours to complete, and most public transit in the region will be increasing frequency to meet demand. [Axios]

Elon Musk Brings AI Business to the East Side 🤖

xAI is establishing its Seattle-area engineering center in a former Epic Games space in downtown Bellevue. The lease makes xAI the latest AI company to set up shop in Bellevue, following the news last week that OpenAI is expanding to nearly 300,000 square feet at nearby City Center Plaza. Job listings show xAI is hiring for a range of engineering roles in the Seattle area, with salaries from $180,000 to $440,000. [GeekWire]

Thai Coffee Comes to Capitol Hill ☕

Nudibranch Coffee, which says it is the first Thai coffee shop in Seattle, is now open at 12th and Madison. Their menu includes a Tangerine Americano, Jasmine Latte, and Coconut Cloud with cold foam. Maddy’s Bakeshop is stocking the Thai-flavored pastry case. The coffee shop takes over the former Mighty-O spot across from Seattle Academy. They hope to also host community events, pop-ups, and performances. [Capitol Hill Seattle Blog]

Anacortes Man Forgoes Funeral, Sends Postcards Instead 📨

‘If you’re reading this I’m dead, and I really liked you.’ This was the message on more than 100 postcards sent out by the daughter of Anacortes’ Don Glickman upon his death. Don worked with famed architect R. Buckminster Fuller before teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University at Buffalo. When he was in hospice in his home in Anacortes, he and his daughter discussed how he wanted to be memorialized. He said no to a funeral so she threw out the idea of sending a postcard and his eyes lit up. What a way to be remembered! [Seattle Times]