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Seattle residents say they are in 'survival mode,' selling homes as high prices squeeze middle class
Even a family with ties to one of America's biggest tech companies says it can no longer make the numbers work. Faced with rising costs for groceries, gas, insurance and housing, a Seattle-area family is selling their home and downsizing as inflation continues to strain household budgets.
"The last year has definitely been an absolute tightening up of what we’re spending on," Liesl Gatcheco told The Seattle Times in an article by business reporter Jessica Fu published Tuesday.
"It’s very stressful," Gatcheco said. "I feel like I’ve been living emotionally in survival mode."
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Fu wrote that inflation in the Seattle area "remained high" in June and continued to outpace the rest of the country. Consumer prices in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region rose 4.5% over the past year, down from 4.9% in April but still higher than the U.S. inflation rate of 3.5%.
Gatcheco is a self-employed esthetician, whose income "has gone down as fewer clients make bookings," according to The Seattle Times.
Her husband works at Microsoft.
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"That used to mean stability and even upward mobility," Fu wrote. "Now, he’s constantly worried about layoffs. Just last week, the company cut 4,800 workers in its Xbox division and sales teams; in 2025, it laid off 15,000 employees. This year, the tech giant also offered voluntary buyouts to 7% U.S.-based employees."
Gatcheco said, "Working in tech used to be a sure thing, and it’s absolutely not anymore."
Gatcheco and her husband, who have twins, said they are selling their home in Crown Hill, a neighborhood in the city of Seattle, where her sister also lives with them in their downstairs unit, to downsize and "take control."
STEVE MOORE: POLITICIANS ARE BLAMING THE WRONG VILLAIN FOR AMERICA’S RISING FOOD PRICES
Dusty Wilson, a math teacher at Highline College in Des Moines, about 20 minutes from Seattle, said that he and his wife, Charlene, drive less and use light rail because gas has gotten so expensive.
"We were always just drivers, and then gas hit $6 a gallon," Wilson said.
Fu also reported that food at restaurants have risen 6.2% over the year ending in June.
"Expenses that used to be ordinary, like takeout and dining out, have started to feel more like indulgences, even for people who never anticipated having to scale back," Fu wrote.
Veronica Brown, 36, who works in tech, told Fu, "I’m not hurting for money in any way."
However, Fu wrote that Brown said she no longer orders takeout after the total cost of her usual pad thai exceeded $40 once taxes, fees and a tip were added. She previously ordered delivery once or twice a month.
Brown said she is concerned about being able to make bigger purchases, like buying a house.
"Our money doesn’t go as far," Brown told Fu.
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A spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson told Fox News Digital that "Fu's story illustrates why affordability and inequality remain among the most urgent challenges facing Seattle and why it is a priority for this Administration. Mayor Katie Wilson is fighting for housing, childcare, and good jobs while expanding access to public benefits for Seattle residents."
The spokesperson continued by highlighting that over the past six months, Wilson's office has, "transmitted legislation to ban certain "junk fees" that landlords, particularly large ones, charge renters, reducing unexpected renter fees, accelerated construction of new shelters to help bring people indoors and help them shift to long-term housing," and "released the Seattle Transit Measure Proposal offering a low-cost way to bring people more and better of the cheapest option available, public transit for the next 10 years."
Her office also highlighted it has "proposed strengthening access to public libraries by delivering more physical and e-books, and keeping facilities safe, clean, and well maintained through the Seattle Library Levy, transmitted legislation for universal school meals, including both breakfast and lunch, so that students don’t have learn while hungry" and "supported City Council modifying eligibility for the City’s utility discount program qualifying more low-income residents and seniors."
"We look forward to the next six months and pulling together with our neighbors, families, immigrants, and workers to tackle challenges and keep Seattle a place everyone can call home," the spokesperson said.
Social media reacts to Jennifer Hudson and Patti Labelle's performances at MLB All-Star Game
Jennifer Hudson's agent might need a raise because they booked her one heck of a week of singin' gigs, and it started with a stirring rendition of "God Bless America" at the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
The singer and talk show host is from Chicago, but again, that agent put in some work and got her hooked up with this gig in Philly.
And, man, did she ever bring down the house.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR DURING THE 2026 MLB ALL-STAR GAME AT CITIZENS BANK PARK IN PHILADELPHIA
"God Bless America" is not new to MLB All-Star Games, but it's especially cool to hear it sung in Philadelphia, a little over a week removed from the nation's 250th birthday.
Plus, right across the parking lot from Citizens Bank Park over at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Philadelphia Flyers like to dust that tune off for big games.
But man, Hudson really leaned into that one and gave it everything she had, and social media certainly took notice.
THIS 'AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL' RENDITION BEFORE THE FRANCE VS PARAGUAY MATCH WILL GIVE YOU GOOSEBUMPS
That's a heck of a tune-up for when Hudson is part of the FIFA World Cup Final ceremony.
Of course, someone had to handle "Star-Spangled Banner" duties, and this year, that honor, fittingly, went to a Philadelphia native.
Patti LaBelle, the Godmother of Soul.
How's that for a one-two punch of patriotism before the Midsummer Classic?!
Throw in that giant replica of the Declaration of Independence all the starters got to sign, and I don't think you could do any better for America's 250th.
After that, I can't think of anything better for the fans in attendance to do than to kick back and watch some baseball.
Well, maybe get a brewski from the Liberty Bell too.
Multiple rescued from pontoon boat near Alcatraz as search continues for missing persons
Two people are missing, and 17 others were rescued Tuesday from a pontoon boat near Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, authorities said.
One of the 17 people pulled from the water was receiving CPR, while one person remained missing, San Francisco Fire Lt. Mariano Elias said.
Elias described the vessel as a "pontoon pleasure boat" that was roughly 600 yards from Alcatraz Island when the fire started.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Man fleeing ICE officers in Florida is struck and killed by tractor-trailer, police say
A man fleeing federal immigration authorities and other federal agents was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on Tuesday, authorities said.
The unidentified 28-year-old Mexican citizen was among four people in a vehicle that was stopped in a gas station parking lot just before 6:45 a.m. in St. Augustine, Florida, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital.
All four occupants fled on foot during an encounter with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). One ran across a busy road, was struck by an oncoming semitruck and was pronounced dead.
ICE AGENTS INSTRUCTED TO END MOST VEHICLE STOPS IN MAJOR POLICY SHIFT
"The pedestrian was struck by the tractor-trailer in the right lane and sustained fatal injuries on scene," the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said.
The 64-year-old truck driver stopped immediately and tried to render aid to the man, the agency said. FHP is investigating the traffic fatality.
Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE for comment.
The death is the third in about a week involving people fleeing or encountering ICE agents. In Texas, a man was shot and killed after DHS said he tried to ram agents with his vehicle.
In Maine, another man was shot and killed while inside a vehicle.
Hours after the incident Tuesday, the Trump administration instructed ICE agents to temporarily halt most vehicle stops nationwide, marking a major policy shift.
Far-left podcaster Jennifer Welch calls homeschooling 'trickle down stupidity,' a 'huge problem'
Co-hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan of the far-left "I've Had It" podcast condemned homeschooling as "weird as f---" and the "worst" idea during their show on Tuesday.
Their comments were in response to a caller to the show complaining about "morons attempting to homeschool their children" when they "probably shouldn't have even had children to start with."
Sullivan quickly seized on the caller's comments, remarking that she worries about "people in Bible study" homeschooling their kids.
BLUE STATE BILL TARGETS HOMESCHOOLERS IN LATEST GOVERNMENT POWER GRAB
"I just think homeschooling is a bad idea, from soup to nuts," Sullivan said. "I don’t care if you’re a nuclear physicist. I think it’s just f---ing weird as f--- that you want your kids around you all day, every day and all night. And just the socialization.
"For me personally, it was that I would have gotten up on my hands and knees and strapped them to my back and crawled to get them to school every day just to get them where I wasn't," she continued. "So, I don't trust somebody that wants to be with their kids 24/7. I think a lot of dumb people do it because it's just easier. and that's a concern."
Welch accused parents who choose to homeschool of attempting to "project a script onto their kids" and claimed they were incapable of critical thinking.
"This is trickle-down stupidity. This is MAGA on steroids. This is MAHA. This is tradwife. This is unvaxxed and unjacked and all that s---. This is the worst, worst, worst," Welch said.
The far-left podcaster argued that homeschooling was part of America's "fundamental crazy Christian problem," suggesting it was essentially child abuse.
"I think it's a huge problem," Welch said. "I cannot stand these people, but, again, it's a pretty big red flag when somebody tells you, when you're like, 'What's their deal? They seem kind of awful,' [and they say] 'I was homeschooled.' You're like, 'Yeah.' I just think it's such a selfish thing for parents to do.
"I honestly ... I'm just gonna say this. I think it's selfish for parents to push a religion on a child and make them believe just one before they're old enough to hear about all of them or none of them and decide for themselves. I think it's all child abuse, honestly."
HOMESCHOOLING RATES SURGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE WAKE OF COVID: REPORT
In a comment to Fox News Digital, American Culture Project senior fellow and education policy advocate Corey DeAngelis remarked that sending children to government schools for a majority of their childhoods was the real "weird" position.
"It's not weird to love your children and want them around. It’s weird to outsource them to strangers employed by the government while pretending it’s for their own good. The government school system is filled with documented abuse, bullying, fights, drugs, gangs, violence and relentless socialist indoctrination. That’s the 'socialization' these hosts are defending," DeAngelis said.
"Homeschooling isn’t some radical new experiment," he continued. "Parents teaching their own children at home is how human beings learned for thousands of years. The real experiment is the factory-model government schooling system that only exists because of 19th-century Prussian militarism and 20th-century progressive social engineering.
"And that experiment has failed millions of kids," he added. "The podcast comments reveal more about the hosts’ contempt for family and parental authority than they do about homeschooling.
"Parents choosing to raise and educate their own children isn’t 'MAGA on steroids' or 'trickle-down stupidity.' It’s the most natural thing in the world."
Man who allegedly sent racial insult to Aces' Chelsea Gray is fired from job at Hilton, company says
Hilton Grand Vacations announced Tuesday that it has fired an employee who allegedly sent a racial insult to Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray.
"The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company," Hilton Grand Vacations said in its statement. "His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company's values in any way."
Gray posted a screenshot of an alleged Instagram direct message she received after her loss to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
HOST CLAIMS WNBA COMMISSIONER CATHY ENGELBERT CANCELED INTERVIEW AS CAITLIN CLARK CONTROVERSY MOUNTS
The screenshot contained an alleged racial slur against Gray, and included the user's profile name and photo.
"People act like we just make this s--- up. And the audacity to tell us as athletes to 'shut up and dribble,'" Gray wrote under the screenshot.
The Fever defeated the Aces 109-75, as Clark had 12 points with seven rebounds and six assists. The Fever guard continued to work her way back to a full-time role after suffering a back injury on June 24.
SUSPENDED ALYSSA THOMAS RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM TEAMMATE & COACH AFTER CHEAP SHOT ON CAITLIN CLARK
The game against the Aces came amid heightened tension among WNBA fans and players which followed the incident where Clark was punched in the throat by Alyssa Thomas during a June 24 game between the Fever and Phoenix Mercury.
The incident and subsequent discourse has resurfaced contentious racial debates surrounding Clark's presence as the preeminent player in the WNBA. Thomas and her teammates previously revealed they also received racial insults and threats after the throat punch.
Last week, 11 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert alleging Clark faces racially motivated hostility and expressing concern that the "physical hostility" and "violence" she faces may also be racially motivated.
"Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games. These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable," the letter states.
Engelbert then allegedly canceled an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show" late last week, Patrick claimed on Friday's show, due to guidance from the league's public relations team.
California suspect's alleged $30K meth stash seized after he left backpack in rideshare: police
A California man's alleged drug haul was foiled after he accidentally left behind a backpack containing a massive stash of suspected methamphetamine in a rideshare vehicle, officials said in a news release.
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) said authorities recovered roughly three-quarters of a pound of suspected meth after the rideshare driver contacted officers Sunday afternoon.
The drugs have an estimated street value of more than $30,000, according to treatment directory Recovered, which cites typical prices of up to $100 per gram.
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"A suspect's rideshare trip took an unexpected turn after he left behind a bag containing more than 300 grams of methamphetamine," SFPD said.
The incident unfolded near the Tenderloin neighborhood, one of San Francisco's most notorious areas plagued by open-air drug activity, homelessness and violent crime.
Police identified the suspect as 41-year-old Sacramento resident Jessie Ottman-Combs.
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Authorities said they quickly located Ottman-Combs after working with the rideshare driver to arrange for the backpack to be returned to its owner, ultimately leading officers to a motel where he was staying.
During a search of the motel room, officers reportedly recovered two cellphones, two tablets and drug paraphernalia.
Police seized all the items, along with the suspected methamphetamine found in the rideshare vehicle, as evidence.
Authorities recovered 355.7 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
Ottman-Combs was booked into the San Francisco County Jail on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and transportation or sale of methamphetamine.
The investigation remains active, police said.
Trump threatens to expand strikes on Iran, says power plants are next to go: 'Hit them hard'
President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday to expand military strikes and continue to hit Iran "very hard" until it returns to the negotiating table, lamenting that every time a deal is made, Tehran breaks its promise.
"We're going to hit them very hard tonight," he said in an exclusive interview with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst. "We're going to hit them hard tomorrow night. We're gonna hit them really hard the night after."
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has conducted consecutive strikes near the Strait of Hormuz over the past several days, and Trump said the operations will continue until he determines it is "enough."
TRUMP SAYS US WILL STRIKE IRAN 'VERY HARD' AGAIN TODAY
"Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants," the president warned. "Next week comes the bridges. We're gonna knock out all their power plants. We're going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate."
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President Trump made the comments after he walked back plans to charge a 20% toll on all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, Middle Eastern nations will make "massive" investment and trade deals with the United States, Trump said.
"I was going to charge a fee, but instead they'd rather spend a lot of money in the United States, which frankly is better because I don't like the idea of a fee," he said in the interview aired on "Special Report."
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The U.S. also reimposed its naval blockade on Iranian ports in the strait at Trump’s order.
Trump, who said U.S. representatives recently spoke with Iranian negotiators, expressed frustration over what he described as Iran’s tendency to break promises and warned the country will face severe consequences if it fails to reach an agreement.
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"They want to make a deal. But every time they make a deal, they break it," the president said.
TRUMP WARNS IRAN'S 'CLOCK IS TICKING': MOVE 'FAST' OR 'THERE WON'T BE ANYTHING LEFT'
"You better make a deal. You're not going to have anybody left. We're being very careful with the civilian population, as you know, but I said, 'You better make a deal you're going to not have anything left.'"
Trump said his military objectives in Iran, including keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, have been achieved despite traffic through the waterway being down roughly 90% from normal levels Monday.
"I think they're completed now, honestly," the president said. "If we left right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild what they have."
Yingst asked Trump about new activity at a nuclear site outside Tehran previously hit by U.S. strikes. Trump dismissed it as not a main concern.
"We can hit that one very easily. You know, it only takes a matter of minutes for us to do it and do major damage. Major damage," he said. "And when they know it's coming, they disappear."
The president touted "tremendous progress" in degrading Iran’s military capabilities while admitting Tehran still retains some ability to fight, comparing the country to a boxer.
"They've been degraded to a very low level," Trump said. "And they have fight. You know? It's like a great boxer. You think you have him beat, and then, all of a sudden, he comes back, and he gives you a shot. They have some fight left, but they don't have much."
Country singer RaeLynn files for divorce from Army veteran husband after decade-long marriage
RaeLynn revealed this week that she filed for divorce from her husband of more than 10 years.
"After much thought and prayer, I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce," the 32-year-old country singer wrote on social media Tuesday.
"As a working mom, I am committed to giving my daughter the love, stability, and support she will need while we navigate this next chapter together. I am grateful for the love and encouragement of my family, friends, and fans, and I respectfully ask for privacy as we move forward with grace and compassion."
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The couple share one daughter, Daisy Rae, who is 4 years old.
The singer spoke to Fox News in 2017, calling her husband "selfless" for his military service.
"I’m just so proud of him," she said at the time.
The pair met at church in 2012 and later reconnected at a wedding before marrying in 2016.
Davis is a former financial advisor and an Army veteran.
The "God Made Girls" singer has written several songs about her husband, including "Camo," "Diamonds" and "Lonely Call."
"I wrote ‘Diamonds’ after we got engaged, and the hook of the song is a diamond is just a diamond until you put it on the right left hand," she told Fox News in 2017, shortly after Davis had returned from basic training.
"It’s one of my favorite songs to sing because I love to honor my husband."
She filed for divorce in Nashville June 8, citing irreconcilable differences, according to People magazine.
RaeLynn has shared several photos of her daughter this summer, including one of the two of them dancing to her duet with Rhett Akins, "We’re American Made."
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She and her daughter danced in the video while twinning in patriotic clothing as her daughter clutched a Woody doll from "Toy Story."
In the video, RaeLynn wore blue cowgirl boots with red stars, and Daisy Rae sported a red checkered jumper, red cowgirl boots and American flag bows in her hair.
In 2016, RaeLynn told Taste of Country she wrote her song "Love Triangle" about her parents’ divorce.
"Anybody that I've ever talked to that comes as a child of divorce like me, there's a part of you that's scared, but there's also a part of you that knows that you don't ever want to repeat those mistakes," she told the outlet soon after her marriage.
"I will never ever put my kid through that, and I never want to go through that, because I saw how much it hurt my mom and how much it hurt my dad.
"I look at marriage in a totally different way. I feel like our generation kind of looks at it as a disposable thing, but it's not. It's a commitment. When I made that commitment, I made it for life, and I'm gonna stick to it."
Legends Justin Verlander and Kate Upton make one last All-Star Game red carpet appearance
This is it. In all likelihood, Tuesday in Philadelphia is the last time that legends Justin Verlander and Kate Upton will walk the MLB All-Star Red Carpet.
At least as a member of an MLB roster. Verlander, the All-Star Game "Legend Pick," is calling it a career at the end of the season.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
The future Hall of Famer threw cold water on the idea of making a comeback while on the red carpet. He was asked about his retirement and what it would take to keep him from calling it quits.
He replied, "I don't know if there's much you can do at this point."
Verlander, 43, then added that his teammate Tarik Skubal has been telling him that all the best come back. This prompted a comment about him training and popping up at the trade deadline ready to be signed next year.
"Sure. Here we are at the All-Star Break and I can't get healthy and pitch...," he said of the idea. "But hopefully, I get healthy in the second half, you know? You know that's what I'm trying to do."
WHAT TO WATCH FOR DURING THE 2026 MLB ALL-STAR GAME AT CITIZENS BANK PARK IN PHILADELPHIA
The reality is that baseball is a young man's game. At 43, Verlander knows that's the case. He's focusing on getting healthy in the second half and riding off into the sunset.
The game of baseball and the red carpets that come with success are for a new generation. They're for the likes of Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne.
They're for Brandon Marsh and his mom, sister and girlfriend. And the game and the red carpets are for guys like Corbin Carroll and his girlfriend Emma Broyles.
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But that doesn’t mean we don't deserve one last red carpet appearance from Justin Verlander and Kate Upton. They've earned it and so have we.
Cue the music as we thank them by taking a look back at some of their past All-Star Game Red Carpet appearances. What a run.
We'll see them in Cooperstown in a few years.