Hi, I'm Monica Nicholsberg, co-host of KUOW's economy podcast, Booming.

Music festivals across the country are abruptly shutting down, and rising ticket prices are making it hard for people to go to the ones that are still around.

On the latest episode, why can't music festivals find their rhythm?

Listen to Booming on the KUOW app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, good morning.

I'm Patricia Murphy.

It's Thursday.

This is Seattle now. Big tech companies are powerful, influential, and often hard to hold accountable. But no Azure for apartheid is trying to get Microsoft to make changes through protests which have escalated recently. There's a lot to talk about. Geekwire reporter and co-founder Todd Bishop is here to discuss,

but first, let's get you caught up.

Here's some good transit news. Beginning Saturday, King County Metro plans to add bus routes

and more frequent service to the east side.

The new connections include Issaquata Bellevue and Woodenville to Kirkland.

Officials say the added service will improve transit to light rail stations on the east side.

The long-awaited light rail connection between the east side and Seattle across I-90 is expected to open next April. The list of beach closures in

the region keeps growing due to high bacteria levels. Magnuson, Pritchard Island, and Winita

beaches are now closed to swimming. That's in addition to Mount Baker, Luther Burbank, Idlewood,

and Gene Coulon beaches that have been off limits to swimming for several days now.

And the Washington State Fair opens tomorrow in Puyallup with food, rides, and live music.

They're also doing an opening night drone and fireworks show on Friday.

Kids get in free this Labor Day weekend.

The fair is celebrating its 125th year and runs through

September 21st. Check back for more headlines on tonight's episode of Seattle Now.

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