💩 Don’t swim at these beaches

Is Anyone Happy With the Denny Blaine Verdict?

King County Superior Court Judge Samuel Chung ruled that Denny Blaine Park, home to a nude beach frequented by Seattle’s LGBTQ community, will remain open, but with conditions in place to ensure that it’s not a “public nuisance.” Kind of no one got what they wanted? [The Stranger]

• Denny Blaine For All: The group that sued the city, Denny Blaine For All, alleged that the park was a public nuisance and should be shut down. The park will remain open, but the current fence, installed last summer, will stay in place. Additionally, a code of conduct will be established, as well as buffer zones to block the neighbors’ view, and staff will monitor beachgoers’ behavior. [source]
• Friends of Denny Blaine respond: In a statement, Friends of Denny Blaine said that they think the entire park should be made clothing optional, as nudity is legal in Seattle. The group, friends of Denny Blaine, had intervened on behalf of park users who celebrate the park’s nude & queer character.
• More on the podcast: City Cast contributor Guy Oron has been covering the trial extensively and joined us to talk about it on the podcast. To quote Guy: “People are cheering that this cherished queer and historically nude space will remain that way. But at the same time, it has all these conditions, and the city still has to perform various acts to mitigate lewd behavior and masturbation.” [City Cast Seattle]

💩 Don’t swim at these beaches: King County officials are warning residents not to swim at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach, Houghton Beach, and Mount Baker Beach due to high levels of bacteria (yes, it’s poop) or at Lake Marcel due to Toxic Algae. Doing so can cause issues like diarrhea, rash, fever, and other uncomfortable issues. Check the status of these beaches (and the others that are safe to swim at!) at King County’s website.

🧊 ICE arrests increase in WA: ICE arrests are ramping up in Western Washington, according to the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN), which reported 42 arrests in June, an uptick of 45% since January. The increase in arrests comes as ICE has murdered two people, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine. [Seattle Times]

💡 City Council approves utility discount: The Seattle City Council approved legislation to expand the Utility Discount Program. 31,000 additional low-income homes will be eligible for discounts on their utility bills in 2027. The discounts are open to households earning 60% less than the median income. Rates are expected to go up 50 cents for Seattle City Light customers and 27 cents for Seattle Public Utilities. [MyBallard]