Serving Queen Anne & Magnolia Since 1919 www.QueenAnneNews.com
AUGUST 12, 2026
City Leaders Food Affordability Policy
Emergency Hub Seeking Volunteers
City Of Seattle Office of the Mayor
M
ayor Katie Wilson, City Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster are announcing a new affordability policy to stop the price gouging, promote equal discounts for all, and make groceries more affordable. “This policy stops corporations from using personal data to squeeze more money out of shoppers,” said Mayor Katie Wilson. “They’re not compiling all this information about us to charge us less; they’re trying to maximize what they can charge. Businesses are free to set their prices in a fair and transparent manner. The same product, in the same store, should cost the same no matter who’s pushing the cart.” “Groceries are getting more expensive for everyday Seattleites, while the buying, selling, and leveraging our private information to manipulate prices is making big national grocery corporations millions in profits,” said City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck. “At a time when SNAP reductions have rocked our community and people have less to spend on food, this is an important step we can take to prevent AI-assisted price gouging and ensure fair discounts for everyone.”
Staff Report
I
magine a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hits Seattle in the middle of the workday. Buildings are damaged. Landslides block roads. Fires break out. Water and sewer lines rupture. Power is out across large parts of the city. Cell service is spotty, emergency responders are overwhelmed and neighbors are trying to figure out what to do next. That is the kind of moment Seattle Emergency Hub volunteers are preparing for - and this month, they are asking the public to help them practice. Seattle Emergency Hub volunteers will hold “Quake, Rattle, and Roll!” activation drills from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at four neighborhood hubs across the city. The exercise is based on a major earthquake scenario similar to the 2001 Nisqually quake and is designed to test how neighbors can organize before outside help arrives. The drills come as volunteers are also working to reenergize the Magnolia Playfield Hub and establish a second hub at Magnolia Manor Park. Magnolia neighbors are encouraged to visit one of the citywide drills to see how a hub works in action and bring those ideas back to the neighborhood. Community members are invited to stop by, observe the drills, learn about disaster preparedness and, if they want, play the role of “neighbors in need.” No registration is required. The four drill locations are: Roosevelt All Nations Church 6801 Roosevelt Way NE
POLICY DETAILS
The Fair and Transparent Pricing policy will bar large online and brick-and-mortar grocery retailers from using sensitive personal information such as employment status, race, gender, social media posts, browsing history, chatbot conversations, or other similar data to set different prices for different customers. Prices must be clearly posted and publicly available. Conventional coupons and discounts for seniors, veterans, and other similar groups are protected, as are other types of
open and transparent discounts which were identified through conversations with advocates and local grocery business owners. The policy was inspired by a growing body of evidence that shows personal information is used to price-max customers by squeezing prices as high as they’re willing to pay. For example, a recent Consumer Reports investigation – which included customers in Seattle – found Instacart conducted AI pricing experiments in which different customers were charged substantially different prices for the same goods.
“As a City, we must make certain that innovation serves the public, not the other way around, and that every Seattle resident can shop knowing they’re being treated fairly. Technology will continue to change the way we shop– our consumer protections must evolve alongside it.” said City Councilmember Dionne Foster. “We need to stop the pricegouging at grocery stores in its tracks. Corporate grocery companies want you to believe that they plan to invest millions
FOOD, 3
Wildfire Smoke Disrupts Seattle as Fires Devastate Eastern Washington
Madison Valley MLK Fame Community Center 3201 E. Republican St. Rainier Beach Rainier Beach Community Club 6038 S. Pilgrim St.
W
West Seattle Morgan Junction Park 6401 California Ave. SW
EMERGENCY HUB, 3 PHOTO COURTESY SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES (RECORD SERIES 0207-01, ITEM 113523)
The Cadillac Hotel in Pioneer Square sits heavily damaged after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, which shook Seattle and caused visible damage to older brick buildings across the city.
VOL. 107, NO. 33
ildfire smoke pushed Seattle’s air quality into unhealthy territory last week, prompting health warnings, disrupting outdoor activities and bringing the effects of fires burning across Central and Eastern Washington into local neighborhoods. Fine-particle pollution, known as PM2.5, was the primary concern. Official monitors in Seattle recorded Air Quality Index readings above 100, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. The Beacon Hill monitor reached at least 132 during the smoke episode. Wildfire smoke can irritate the eyes and sinuses, cause coughing and headaches, aggravate asthma and place additional strain on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Those at greater risk include children, adults over 65, pregnant people and people with heart or lung conditions, diabetes or a history of stroke. Health officials advise residents to limit strenuous outdoor activity when smoke is present, keep windows closed, run air conditioning on recirculation and use a portable air cleaner when possible. A properly fitted N95 or N100 mask can reduce exposure outdoors.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES CANCELED
Smoke disrupted outdoor activities across Seattle. Dancing Til Dusk at Occidental Square and a dance-fitness class at Pier 62 were canceled, followed the next evening by an outdoor movie at Ballard Commons. Workouts, farmers markets and
Smoky Queen Anne Waterfront from Alki Beach, Wednesday August 5th 2026. major concerts elsewhere around Puget Sound were also canceled or postponed. The smoke later cleared from much of the Seattle area as onshore winds brought cleaner marine air. However, continuing fires, drought and dry vegetation leave open the possibility that shifting winds could carry smoke back into Western Washington before the fire season ends. Residents can check current conditions through the Washington Department of Ecology air-quality map or AirNow.gov. Emergency declarations and burn bans Washington entered August amid its fourth consecutive statewide drought. More than 1,000 fires had burned approximately 425,000 acres by the beginning of
the month, the most acreage burned in the state since 2021, according to state officials. Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and activated Washington National Guard members to assist firefighting operations. The federal government subsequently approved an emergency declaration covering Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens and Yakima counties, along with the Yakama Nation, Colville Tribes and Spokane Tribe. A federal public-health emergency was also approved for the affected communities. It allows health agencies and medical providers to replace lost medications
SMOKE, 3