We've established that Initiative 1183 is a Costco-backed mess that favors corporations over individuals and small businesses. But if it passes, it won't be the end of the world -- and we can start talking about what's best for the state in terms of deregulation. The question here is: will it be harder to pass a different privatization initiative, or harder to pass a new tax structure on liquor that doesn't favor corporations as much? more ›

Seattlest's resident beer warrior, Dikla, makes her case against the Costco-backed liquor privatization initiative--but not because of deregulation. She says the way the initiative is written hurts the craft industries -- breweries, wineries and distilleries -- that we hold dear in exchange for corporate profits. more ›

Costco's deep pockets, SPD's giant overtime bill (thanks, Occupy), and the Governor's Halloween party. Good times all around, right? more ›

Today: The religious pot calls the religious kettle black, seriously disturbing news for local aquaculture, light rail in Queen Anne takes another step towards reality, Jay Inslee picks his ballot choices, and Costco's latest contribution to I-1183 proves that liquor is a true cash cow. more ›

Criminals beware: if you flash children or carry a weapon around a crowded protest, you'll probably get arrested. more ›

Costco gives big, Mitt Romney is a snore, and Amanda Knox has questionable fashion taste. At long last, it's Friday. more ›

Admit it - you want to buy booze at QFC. Or better, in bulk at Costco. But does it make sense for the state? This report seems to think so. Drinks all around! more ›

Murder charges for an alleged heroin dealer, a package from Santa, meteors, the Barefoot Bandit, Costco's initiative and a man shot by King County Sheriff's deputies. more ›

Last night, the Legislature passed its liquor privatization proposal -- as Costco gears up to put its revised liquor privatization initiative on the November ballot. Here's what you need to know about these two very, very different proposals. more ›

Booze and pills! Costco wants everyone to have liquor, SPD seizes a load of drugs, and Rob McKenna is in a tizzy over the "turf war" in Seattle. Ah, Friday. more ›

Seattle's publicly traded big businesses have only eight more days to announce their second-quarter results by the SEC-mandated August 14 deadline. Already, it seems that the Puget Sound Business Journal has nearly used up an entire thesaurus-worth of words that can describe losing a ridiculous amount of money. So far, we've heard: Jones Soda loses $2 million, Costco July sales fall, ZymoGenetics loses $27M in Q2, Nordstrom's July sales slid and Radio, TV ad dips hurt Fisher in Q2. Well, here's to hoping for better third-quarter results and positive, uplifting descriptors. more ›

Yes, yes, Seafair is this weekend, but if you are a parent of a gradeschooler, or a nerd, or both, then there is a much more important event. Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince is playing at the Pacific Science Center IMAX. more ›

So much for the idea of having separate Costco stores for home furnishings: the company just announced they'll be closing their two home stores in Kirkland and Tempe, Arizona this summer. The whole point of Costco, in our experience, is that all the great wholesale deals are under one roof. We can buy exorbitantly large bags of frozen potstickers, twelve-pound sacks of Jolly Ranchers, the latest Harry Potter book, a new shelving system, a couch, and a diamond tennis bracelet for our beloved, all in the same fluorescent-lit warehouse for cheaper than just about anywhere else, and then we can go home and cry over our debit card balance. Lesson learned, right, Costco? more ›

We can't get enough stimulus, and still we're exhausted. We feel like Richard McIver, who just announced his retirement from Seattle City Council, saying "I want to go home and sit down." Should we ever be up for a walk, West Seattle Blog has info on the plans for Alki Point's sidewalks and Mayor Nickels asks you to volunteer in his State of the City, which is a good thing since few of us still have paying jobs. Maybe we'll find work at Costco or Target, two stores that will stock the soon-to-be wildly popular Starbucks instant coffee-flavored product. more ›

Conference call this morning with Uncle Howard, who says there's nothing to worry about, really. Those Dunkin Donuts commercials, nah; America runs on Starbucks, folks. Micky D? A low-rent interloper. Cut the price of $4 lattes and you imply that Starbucks might not be a premium company after all. Coffee taste tests? Don't even think about it. Loyalty cards for sale in bulk at Costco, on the other hand, that's classy. The market lapped it up; shares jumped 8.5 percent. more ›

Just in time for the holidays, Starbucks is teaming up with Costco to offer gift cards at a 20% discount: five $20 cards for $80. Regular gift cards in the Starbucks stores for 10% off. USA Today notes that it's high time Starbucks did something to reward its core customers, especially in these tough times. Shelling out (coughing up?) $4 for a double-tall may not be a whole $700 billion, but might cause some hesitation. Promotion starts November 4th; company announces third quarter earnings (losses?) a week later. more ›

Was two weeks ago in this space, Seattlest James took up the cudgel for Gypsy dinners, falling right into the outlaws' trap. No and no, wrong and wrong. These guys aren't romantic Zorros, they're behaving like petulant teenagers. more ›

Wait, before you answer, one detail: Costco's private label hef will be brewed by beloved local micro-operation Gordon Biersch. more ›

We have a friend who tells a story about taking a broken TV back to Costco -- four years after she bought it. She didn't expect them to, but Costco gave her store credit. She upgraded to a nicer TV for not a lot of money, and they won her heart for life. (Lesson learned: It never hurts to ask.) more ›