The left calls Antifa an “idea,” but – for something so imaginary – it sure keeps assaulting reporters and torching cities.

Trump Takes On Antifa — While Democrats Pretend It’s Just a “Vibe”

At a White House roundtable on Antifa, President Donald Trump didn’t mince words — calling the violent far-left group a “serious left-wing terror threat” and vowing to formally designate it as a foreign terror organization. Meanwhile, Democrats and their media allies still insist Antifa doesn’t really exist… even as journalists who’ve covered them keep ending up in the ER.

Seattle-based reporters Brandi Kruse and Jonathan Choe joined the discussion, sharing firsthand accounts of the chaos Antifa has unleashed in the Pacific Northwest. Kruse recalled being targeted for years — from the Occupy protests to Seattle’s infamous “summer of love” — where her security guard once had to disarm Antifa members wielding stolen police rifles. When she returned to cover protests last year, she was attacked again, sprayed in the face with wasp killer within 30 seconds of arriving.

Choe warned that Antifa isn’t just rioting anymore — it’s burrowed into the region’s homeless and nonprofit networks, operating under the radar with activist protection. He handed Trump a 114-page report detailing those ties and praised the administration for finally taking the threat seriously.

The Democratic Socialists of America, accused of funneling money toward Antifa-linked groups, brushed it all off as “ridiculous and false.” Of course they did. In the Pacific Northwest, pretending Antifa doesn’t exist is practically a party platform — right up until someone gets assaulted for reporting the truth. Read more at Center Square.

King County’s $115 Million “Safety Plan”: Paying the Price for Soft-on-Crime Policies

After years of ignoring crime and fare enforcement on public transit, King County Metro is now begging for $115 million in “safety improvements” — because surprise, it’s not safe anymore. The call for action comes after the brutal murder of bus driver Shawn Yim, who was stabbed to death by a passenger in Seattle’s University District.

Union president Greg Woodfill blasted county leadership, saying drivers had been pleading for help long before Yim’s killing. They faced assaults, daily fentanyl exposure, and zero accountability from the county. Workers who complained about being sickened were told it was “all in their minds.”

Now Metro’s general manager Michelle Allison is pitching a $115 million “safety” plan — complete with thicker glass barriers and a new task force — to a council that’s suddenly discovered crime exists. Council Chair Claudia Balducci says the county must “show” the public that something’s being done, while conveniently ignoring years of policies that created this disaster in the first place.

Republican Councilmembers Pete von Reichbauer and Reagan Dunn were blunt: drivers can’t be safe when fare enforcement and transit policing were gutted to appease activists. Dunn called it an “expensive failed experiment” — one that left drivers and riders at risk, and now leaves taxpayers holding the bill.

It’s a classic King County move: dismantle order, ignore the warnings, wait for tragedy, then spend millions trying to patch the fallout. Read more at Center Square.

Bob Ferguson’s Ferry Fumble: Cheaper, Slower, and Built in Hurricane Alley

Gov. Bob Ferguson is hailing his $715 million contract for three hybrid-electric ferries as a major win for Washington — but here’s the catch: commuters will wait an extra year for the first boat, and the deal ships hundreds of millions in state work clear across the country to Florida.

Ferguson picked Eastern Shipbuilding, a Gulf Coast company that underbid Washington’s own Nichols Brothers Shipyard by $350 million. The result? A delivery timeline pushed back to 2030, the slowest ferry rollout in 50 years. The governor’s team insists the “cost savings outweighed the longer schedule,” which is bureaucratic shorthand for we’ll save a little now and pay for it later.

Eastern Shipbuilding also negotiated a sweet hurricane clause — no late penalties if a storm hits their shipyard. That’s right: Washington’s ferry future now depends on Florida’s weather. And this same company already delivered Staten Island ferries more than a year late after Hurricane Michael, so maybe they’re just getting ahead of the excuses.

Meanwhile, local shipbuilders who could’ve done the job faster and created in-state jobs were iced out. Ferry riders, stuck with aging boats and chronic cancellations, are told to be patient — again — while the state “learns” how to build something new.

Even Democratic lawmakers are quietly admitting the 2040 “all-electric fleet” goal is a fantasy. But Ferguson got his press release, and that’s what really matters. The ferries may be hybrid, but the results are pure, old-fashioned government incompetence. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

King County’s “Oops” of the Year: Hiring Jail Guards Who Weren’t Even Eligible

King County just confirmed a bombshell whistleblower complaint: the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (run by Democrat appointees) hired corrections officers who weren’t legally eligible to serve. In plain English? The people guarding inmates may not have been allowed to hold the job in the first place.

County officials are calling it a “potential oversight” — which is one way to describe ignoring a state law that literally spells out who can work in jails. Four recruits have already been kicked out of the state’s training academy after King County admitted they didn’t meet basic legal standards. The whistleblower says over 100 officers were hired under expired or invalid visas, a direct violation of RCW 43.101.095 — the rule that limits certification to U.S. citizens, green card holders, or DACA recipients.

Director Allen Nance now admits the situation “could deeply impact staff,” which is bureaucrat-speak for “we really messed up.” The County is scrambling to downplay the scope, insisting the number is “well below what’s been reported.” Translation: they got caught, and now they’re in damage control mode.

If the whistleblower’s numbers are even close to true, King County could be facing one of the biggest hiring scandals in its history — and another reminder that Democratic leadership can’t even follow its own laws while demanding everyone else does. Read more at Seattle Red.

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