Benjamin Cassidy edits and writes for the magazine’s news section, “Currents,” as well as the health and real estate channels online. Prior to joining Seattle Met, Ben was the arts and entertainment reporter for The Berkshire Eagle, a regional daily based in the mountains of Western Massachusetts. He graduated from the University of Michigan and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Dismal Doppler

Seattle Can Officially Complain about This Gloomy Spring Weather

The local meteorological authorities say we haven't had a Seattle spring this cold and rainy in a decade.

05/17/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Not Carding

A Fare-Free Weekend Ushers in a New ORCA Card System

Riding light rail, buses, and even ferries in the Puget Sound region just got even more enticing.

05/13/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

On the Trail

Three Plotlines to Follow in Washington State’s Midterm Elections

Local U.S. Senate and House races, as well as the state legislature, are already off and running. Will senator Patty Murray face a real challenge?

05/12/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Surprise

A Common Roadblock Delays Two of Seattle's Biggest Projects

The city and Sound Transit cite the same roadblock for pushing back completion of the East Link light rail extension and Waterfront Park.

05/11/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

ICYMI

Weird Seattle News of Late

A Wordle rescue and the planned egging of a Jeff Bezos yacht highlight another odd chapter of Emerald City history.

05/10/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Curb Real Estate

A Guide to Passing the Seattle Parking Test

Do you have to pay for parking in Seattle? How much does street parking cost? And what is the 72 hour rule? All your questions about parking, answered.

05/05/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Group Chat

How Should King County Handle Fare Enforcement?

The pandemic halted bus payments and ORCA card checks on light rail just as the city aimed to expand its routes. Three transit pros map a path forward.

05/04/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

News Wire

The Fate of Abortion Access in Washington If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned

A Supreme Court draft opinion which indicates a potential reversal of Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey has raised the question once again.

05/03/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

This Month in Seattle Tech

Google Bets Big on a Kirkland Campus

The tech company's new digs in the Seattle suburbs, accompanying a South Lake Union expansion, aren't built for a remote work world.

04/29/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Currents

Seattle’s Worker Revolution Is Bigger This Time

From union drives to requests for remote work, employees are reminding their employers who is really essential.

04/28/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

The View from "Out Here"

Joe Biden’s Seattle Visit Was So Predictable

A visit to big-tech donors and a couple of speeches praising Patty Murray and Jay Inslee doth not a memorable presidential visit make.

04/22/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Conscience Clearing

How to Get Rid of Stuff in Seattle

How to recycle and donate TVs, fridges, extra canned food, and everything in between, whether you're moving or just tidying up.

04/21/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Brain Buster

Is Mindfulness Always Such a Good Thing?

A University of Washington researcher's recent findings raise questions about when to apply the popular form of meditation.

04/20/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Philanthropy City

Why Seattle Donations Should Flow from Ukraine to Somalia and Beyond

Mercy Corps CEO Tjada D’Oyen McKenna explains how a war in Europe affects the food supply in Africa and other parts of the world.

04/18/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Audibles

Hey, Seahawks: Sign Colin Kaepernick

How are the Seahawks going to replace Russell Wilson after trading him to the Broncos? They ought to take a stand for the quarterback who took a knee.

04/14/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

2022 Legislative Session

The Value of Pay Ranges in Job Postings

Washington's new salary disclosure law is part of a national movement to promote pay equity. But it still leaves much to the imagination.

04/11/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

2022 Legislative Session

A Missing Indigenous People Alert Is Coming to a Highway, or Phone, Near You

A Washington law is the first of its kind in the country to address the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

04/04/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

This Month in Seattle Tech

A Seattle Startup Helps Companies Measure Their Pay Gaps

At the fore of the salary transparency movement, Syndio’s advocating for more than just gender pay equity.

03/31/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Currents

What Downtown Seattle Says about Downtown Seattle

Talking to people who live and work in an area that has become the nexus for debates about the issues facing our city, including crime and addiction.

03/30/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy

Feature

Seattle’s Gum Wall: An Oral History

One single story about the Pike Place Market tourist attraction's creation and evolution hasn’t stuck—until now.

03/29/2022 By Benjamin Cassidy Photography by Brandon Hill