Flood Watch: Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency yesterday over record flooding in Western Washington, activating the National Guard and sending calls for help to the federal government. An estimated 100,000 people could face evacuation orders. Evacuation orders have been issued in Skagit County for people living within the 100-year floodplain (an area with a 1% annual chance of flooding), in Concrete, Sumas in Whatcom County, Mount Vernon, and others. Rising rivers could spill over levees. The dam in Grays Harbor is “showing signs of distress.”
The National Weather Service warned the flooding could be “catastrophic” and “life threatening.” Major General Gent Welsh said more than 300 National Guard members will be deployed by the end of today, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending response teams to the state. The Seattle Times has live updates.
How to Protect Yourself: Seattle isn’t at high risk of flooding, but for locations that are, KING 5 has steps you can take to keep yourself safe in the storm. This includes making sure storm drains are clear, preparing an emergency kit and putting up barriers. The county is also handing out free sandbags at these locations. The Seattle Times has a list of shelters and links to sign up for emergency alerts here.
Some Pawsitive News: As floods threaten Snohomish County, the Everett Animal Shelter pulled off a massive rescue operation yesterday, evacuating all 120 dogs and cats before rising water could reach its building. After receiving an evacuation order Tuesday night, the shelter put out a call for community help. Within hours, all the animals had been placed in foster homes.
Hmm: Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson is keeping Police Chief Shon Barnes when she takes office next month. Barnes stepped into the interim chief role in January and was sworn in in July, after leaving his post as police chief in Madison, Wisconsin. Before leaving Madison, Barnes was accused (and later cleared) of creating a hostile work environment. In Seattle, he’s fired key civilian oversight staff and surrounded himself with a tight inner circle that some say has hurt morale, insiders told Publicola.
The U.S. military seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a major escalation in President Trump’s months-long antagonization of President Nicolás Maduro. Trump confirmed the operation yesterday, saying it was “a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized, actually.” US Attorney General Pam Bondi said they seized the tanker because it was transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Since August, the U.S. has launched the largest naval deployment in the Caribbean since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, enacted airstrikes on alleged drug vessels that killed more than 80 people, and put out a $50 million reward for the arrest of Maduro.
DHS posted an edit of the seizure footage to LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out. Sorry you have to see this:
KNOCKOUT.
If you threaten our nation, or break the law, there is no place on land or sea where we won’t find you.
Thank you to the brave service members from @USCG, @ICEGOV, @FBI, @DeptofWar, and @TheJusticeDept. pic.twitter.com/KUCRjES267
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) December 11, 2025
New Militarized Zone Just Dropped: The Trump administration has militarized another stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border in California. It extends from almost the Arizona state line to the Otay Mountain Wilderness, covering the Imperial Valley. It’s a strategy. Troops can apprehend immigrants in militarized zones and accuse them of trespassing on military bases, which can carry criminal charges.
Sheriff’s Car Kills Pedestrian: A 26-year-old woman died Tuesday morning after a King County Sheriff’s Office vehicle hit her on Highway 2. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Preliminary findings indicate the woman was hit in a part of the highway with no stop signs or traffic lights, said police.
Wave Goodbye: Federal Way’s Wild Waves Theme Park will close after the 2026 season. The park, which opened in 1977, has lost “millions” in revenue from COVID-19 pandemic impacts, said officials. Property owner Jeff Stock said future plans for the site are in the early stages.
Green Card but “Better”: President Trump just announced his new “gold card” program, which offers legal status and an eventual pathway to U.S. citizenship—basically a green card “but much better,” said Trump. It costs immigrants and their employers $1 million each. The “gold” card will replace EB-5 visas, which were created by Congress in 1990.
Meanwhile, Trump is on a racist, anti-Somali rampage. He’s called the country a “shithole,” and says he’s permanently paused “Third World migration, including from hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia and many other countries,” while pleading for European immigrants instead. On Tuesday, ICE agents tackled and arrested a Somali American man, detaining him for about two hours for no reason other than his ethnicity.
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will reprise their roles as Katniss and Peeta for Sunrise on the Reaping next year. Here’s a piece of pop culture history to celebrate:
