These days, there's so much news.

It can be hard to keep up with what it all means for you, your family, and your community.

The Consider This Podcast from NPR features our award-winning journalism.

Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a news story and provide the context and analysis that helps you make sense of the news.

We get behind the headlines.

We get to the truth.

Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. Hey, good morning. It's Patricia Murphy. It's Thursday. This is Seattle now. Last week,

Seattle lost Shelley Brothers. You may know her as the co-owner of Seattle's only lesbian bar for the last 20 years.

In a minute, we'll talk about her legacy with her good friend and business partner Martha Manning.

But first, let's get you caught up.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell will give an update this afternoon on his downtown activation plan.

That's the city's effort to bring more residents, businesses, and tourists to downtown Seattle

and reduce crime. The city says it's introduced 46 initiatives so far, like installing murals,

improving street lighting, and upzoning a stretch

of 3rd Avenue to allow for more residential housing. The mayor plans to talk about what's in

store for 2025 at 1 o'clock today. State lawmakers will hear public testimony tomorrow on a proposal

to ban the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products. The ban would include menthol cigarettes,

flavored vape products, and nicotine pouches. The hearing begins tomorrow at 8 in the morning on TVW.

We'll drop a link in the show notes if you want to watch. And tomorrow is Valentine's Day,

but it's not all wine and roses. The Seattle Police Department is warning about romance scams that

target people on dating apps. SPD warned readers that scammers could steal your heart and your money.

The Federal Trade Commission reports that romance scam victims lost more than $800 million

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