Open Newswire

(The Center Square) - Seattle lawmakers are considering a new ordinance that would make it illegal to solicit unwilling homeowners to sell their properties. The legislation, introduced by Councilmember Dionne Foster, aims to establish a voluntary, city-managed "do not solicit" list. Under the proposed ordinance, contacting any resident on this list with offers to buy or help sell their home would be classified as an unfair housing practice. Violators would face a $1,000 fine for a first offense, with subsequent violations increasing to $2,000. Foster said at a meeting of the Housing, Arts & Civil Rights Committee Monday that many locals felt "hunted" in their own homes due to a barrage of cold calls, unsolicited flyers, direct emails and door-knockers. "Homeownership is a tool for building generational wealth," Foster said. "We want to make sure people who want to stay in their homes are able to do so." A contingent of residents spoke, many from Seattle’s Central District at the meeting. Once a neighborhood where Black residents made up 70% of the population, it has shrunk to less than 10% as property values have increased and existing residents have sold their homes. Larry Dean said he is one of only three Black families left in his Central Seattle neighborhood and that he doesn’t want to sell his house. "That was my parents’ home,” he said. But Dean said the calls kept on coming. “My house is not for sale,” he said he tells the frequent callers. Brenetta Ward, a former Central District resident of over 30 years, testified she had gotten frequent calls in her home. She got solicitations when she lived in Central Seattle. She relocated to Rainier Beach a decade again, and recently she said the aggressive solicitation tactics had resumed in her new neighborhood. "It’s not fair and it’s not requested," Ward told the committee. "If we want to sell our home, we know what to do." Real estate agents appearing at the committee hearing urged caution, saying the legislation could hurt legitimate business activity. Randy Bannecker, representing Seattle King County Realtors, cautioned that the definition of solicitation is overly broad. He said it could inadvertently criminalize routine, non-coercive market updates and general advertising. Some real estate professionals put the blame at the committee hearing on "wholesalers" — unlicensed buyers who target distressed properties to flip them to investors for a quick profit. The committee did not vote on the ordinance, as questions remained on how it should be worded. Councilmember Eddie Lin voiced concerns about potential unintended consequences, questioning whether the strict wording might legally prevent mortgage lenders from reaching out to homeowners about beneficial refinancing opportunities. If passed, the task of enforcing the registry would fall to the city’s Office for Civil Rights. It has requested funding for a new full-time position to manage the workload. The proposed ordinance builds upon a measure passed last year under former Mayor Bruce Harrell, which required prospective buyers to obtain independent property appraisals from sellers before closing a deal. If Seattle successfully implements the "do not solicit" list, it will join cities like Philadelphia, which have enacted similar protections. Foster said she wants to make sure that unsuspecting homeowners aren’t taken advantage of and noted that the proposed law comes at a time when city zoning laws have changed to allow single-family plots to have multiple homes, making property more valuable. The bill is scheduled for at least one more committee review before heading to the full City Council for a final vote later this summer.

Residents continue to raise concerns about the proposed redevelopment of the former Walmart at 5825 W. Hope Ave. in Midtown Center. The post Here’s what residents are saying about proposed redevelopment in Midtown Center appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Tras décadas de espera, silencio y una incansable búsqueda de justicia, la dignidad regresa a las comunidades de Pacoj y Cruz Nueva. En un acto de profundo respeto y memoria histórica, los restos de 68 personas que permanecían resguardados en una bóveda colectiva fueron trasladados finalmente a sus nichos individuales, cerrando un ciclo de dolor ... Read more The post “Aquí estoy para contar la historia”: sobrevivientes en Pacoj y Cruz Nueva, San Martín Jilotepeque dignifican la memoria de sus desaparecidos appeared first on Prensa Comunitaria.

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1. The office of the governor and other emergency management officials have issued a statement encouraging residents across the state to take as many precautionary measures as possible. The State Emergency Response... The post Gov. Stein urges NC residents to prepare for the 2026 hurricane season, which began June 1 appeared first on EdNC.

Сборная Франции в 1/16 чемпионата мира по футболу обыграла Швецию со счетом 3:0. В первой половине встречи судьба хранила ворота Швеции от попыток французов заработать гол, однако усилия подопечных Дидье Дешама увенчались успехом: Килиан Мбаппе сделал дубль, также забил Брадли Барколя. Теперь сборную ждет матч против Парагвая в 1/8 чемпионата 4 июля.

Dans une rencontre à sens unique, l’équipe de France a facilement écarté la Suède (3-0) pour se qualifier en huitièmes de finale, où l’attend le Paraguay. Grâce à un doublé de Mbappé et un but de Barcola, les Bleus ont marqué les esprits et assumé leur statut de favoris à la victoire finale.

Oregon’s landmark effort allowing adults older than 21 to access psilocybin has evolved beyond “strictly medical uses” and may be allowing more people to enroll in the program than is safe, according to a new study.  Researchers at Johns Hopkins University published their findings in mid-June in the International Journal of Drug Policy, drawing upon […]

The Rutgers professor discusses Hurricane Sandy, climate change, and the future of weather in New Jersey.

Three public education advocates who were challenging Gov. Jeff Landry’s plan to pay for teacher pay stipends by cutting money from public schools’ general operations withdrew their lawsuit Tuesday.

REDMOND — Homelessness in central Oregon is finally on a decline following years of steady increase, a milestone housing advocates, state lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek celebrated Monday. Nearly 1,700 individuals experienced homelessness across three central Oregon counties in 2026, a 19.1% drop from about 2,100 people in 2025, according to the Homeless Leadership Coalition’s […]

A HUD official told NM lawmakers the department is encouraging local officals to impose work requirements on tenants in subsidized housing.

Across many Indigenous Filipino communities, expressions of gender and identity have long existed outside mainstream definitions. The post Quiet queerness among the Ayta people appeared first on Bulatlat.

جدال فرانسه و سوئد؛ شانزه‌لیزه در تب فوتبال

The ballot proposal for November would have allowed the council to authorize non-citizens to vote in council and school board elections.

پیمان آتلانتیک شمالی ، ۸ دهه مقابله و مقاومت

تشکل دانشجویان پیشرو خواستار اقدام تشکل‌ها و فعالان دانشجویی جهت حمایت از دانشجویان زیر سرکوب شد. هم‌زمان تعدادی از دانشجویان مقابل سازمان مرکزی دانشگاه آزاد در تهران و دیگر شهرها تجمع کردند.

نماینده عالی اتحادیه اروپا در دیدار با اردوغان، بر نقش مهم ترکیه در امنیت، مهاجرت، انرژی و حفاظت از جناح شرقی ناتو تأکید کرد

رویترز: تجمع مجاهدین خلق در فرانسه به دلیل تهدیدات گروهی از پادشاهی‌خواهان و حکومت ایران لغو‌ شد

Montana residents are seeking oversight of data center construction by putting voter initiatives on the ballot this year.  In Yellowstone and Butte-Silver Bow counties, groups are gathering signatures for initiatives that would require approval from two-thirds of registered voters before construction or expansion of data centers.  Last week, Broadview resident Kassi Solberg told the Daily […]

Both chambers anticipate voting on the budget this Wednesday and Thursday, according to House Speaker Destin Hall.