Are you dreading increasingly shorter days and longer nights?

Do cold, overcast northwest winters bum you out.

You may be suffering from the big dark.

But there is a solution.

I'm Dyer Oxley, telling you to talk to your podcast app about Meet Me Here, KUOW's Arts Podcast,

a weekly dose of events and culture to lighten up your life.

Side effects of Meet Me Here include laughter, curiosity, and inspiration.

Find Meet Me Here on your local KOW app or wherever you get your podcast.

Hey, good morning. I'm Patricia Murphy. It's Wednesday. This is Seattle now. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy are getting closer, including the fan favorite sport of curling.

Two members of Team USA curling have Seattle roots, and they're ready to compete for the goal.

Ben Richardson and Luke Violet are here to talk about their time on the ice in Seattle and now for Team USA.

But first, let's get you caught up.

Hey, it's New Year's Eve.

If you're heading out, be sure and take advantage of free transportation options for getting around.

King County Metro and Link

Light Rail are offering free trips through 3 a.m. on New Year's Day. You can also ride free on the

First Hill and South Lake Union streetcars and on the King County water taxi. But over at the

Monorail, there are no free rides. So be prepared to pay for your one-mile celebration.

Good Air Travel News for the new year. Zetak Airport is offering non-stop flights to five new cities in

26. You'll be able to fly directly to Hong Kong starting in late March. Non-stop flights to Barcelona and

Rome begin in May. Also, this spring, Alaska Airlines

will begin offering direct flights to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and to Humboldt County in Northern California.

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