David Brewster

The Times may be stuffy (less so now), and its socially-liberal/fiscally-conservative editorial page grates against the progressive Seattle groupthink. But it hasn't been snapped up, gutted, or chained. Amazingly, it's still there, proudly independent. That's rare. But for how much longer?

Only 53% of Sanders supporters say they will vote for the Democratic nominee, even if their candidate is defeated.

Light rail ridership in most cities has barely budged since 1990, while heavy rail shows significant gains. Bottom line: "Most light-rail systems fell short on attracting significant new crowds of riders or shifting commuters away from their cars.

Should Seattle emulate Boston as an academic and research Mecca? Two developments are pertinent.

Purchasing a church is not easy, as the congregation is normally split between the sell-and-move faction and the nostalgic-stay-put group. It took the congregation of the Christian Science Church about 10 years to make a decision -- the kind of debate and delay that often chases off developers. But what lovely assets these old sanctuaries are!

France is working on a rural agenda, and Democrats in America could borrow some of the ideas for reviving cafes and hang-out places.

What do sharks have to do with Puget Sound? They draw crowds. One way out of this problem could be virtual reality. That's what is proposed in Sarasota, where the sharks and whales will be virtual, not captive.

Over the years, ever since the 1960s Julia Child revolution in food, few things in journalism have stayed more fixed than restaurant reviews. The basic message is a kind of luxury porn. The basic literary formula is to go from appetizer to dessert. But now that's changing. Restaurant reviews are woke.

Maybe the Gates Agenda is comprehensive enough, sensible enough, and credible enough (given the admiration of the Gateses) to be a rallying set of ideas.