Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has tapped Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes for top cop. Demoted former police chief Adrian Diaz, meanwhile, was sent packing for lying to investigators over his romantic relationship with his chief of staff.

The Seattle City Council is preparing to pass new crowd control legislation in January that would largely defer to police over use of "less lethal" weapons. These weapons are still very dangerous and should be tightly regulated, critics contend.

Rory O'Sullivan is a long-time Democratic party leader and legal aid attorney. He's challenging Republican Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, who he sees as ineffective and out of step with Seattle values.

In February, Seattleites should vote yes on Proposition 1A to launch the Seattle Social Housing Developer with progressive revenue. The Urbanist Elections Committee lays out why.

A small tweak to Seattle's land use code will allow a 182-unit tower to move forward in Belltown after years of appeal. Clearer direction around stacking height incentives like those in the sustainability-focused Living Building program could potentially allow more homes throughout downtown in the coming years.

District 2 Councilmember Tammy Morales announced Wednesday morning that she will resign in January, saying she has been undermined and frozen out of legislating by the more conservative-leaning Seattle City Council majority. The resignation sets up another council appointment and a special election next fall.

Alexis Mercedes Rinck vowed to make Seattle a welcoming city for all and resist Trumpism in her inaugural speech as a city councilmember. It was a more defiant tone than struck by the more conciliatory Mayor Bruce Harrell.

Shaun Scott, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Ryan Mello, and Jessica Bateman will bring progressive urbanist leadership to their respective offices.