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Passengers go through security at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac last month. As we approach the holiday travel season, many travelers are wrestling with the question of whether it feels safe enough to travel again. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times) — Passengers go through security at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac last month. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Travel Troubleshooter

As we approach the holiday travel season, is it safe to travel yet?

This is the time of year when many Americans begin to think about holiday trips, spring break and maybe even next summer’s vacation. But is it safe to travel yet? Here are the questions to ask as you weigh your decision.

LiveCoronavirus daily news updates, Oct. 19: What to know today about COVID-19 Updated 6:35 pm
‘SPD officers deserve to be safe on the job, too’: Seattle’s interim police chief condemns violence at protests
Council members, Mayor’s Office reach tentative deal on homeless outreach through the end of 2020 Updated 6:37 pm
Seattle agrees to pay $35,000 to settle lawsuit alleging city council broke open meetings law over head tax repeal Updated 5:24 pm
Cheers to a West Seattle brewery that won Small Brewpub of the Year
After COVID-19 protocols meant a low-key week off, the Seahawks are ‘all fired up’ to defend their 5-0 record Updated 6:46 pm
Two teenagers injured in Bothell shooting Sunday night

UW football players practice at Husky Stadium on October 16, 2020. 215364

Pac-12 Hotline

Will the Pac-12 be forced to cancel games? Here’s how the aggressive COVID-19 testing plan could prevent outbreaks

The Pac-12’s testing program is unlike any in college football, a mix of daily antigen and PCR tests designed to snuff out spread, reduce the need for contact tracing, keep quarantine levels low and allow the season to unfold uninterrupted.

SEAHAWKS FILE —

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson lines up to take the field before the Seattle Seahawks take on the Dallas Cowboys Sunday September 27, 2020 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. 215167

Matt Calkins

No. 3 is the clear No. 1: Why the MVP award is Russell Wilson’s to lose Updated 6:31 pm

Elizabeth Ralston, the founder of the Seattle Cultural Accessibility Consortium, is photographed at Olympic Sculpture Park Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. Ralston says she works with organizations on “incorporating universal design principles and integrating accessibility into the structure and philosophy of an organization” like gravel versus paved pathways.
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Naomi Ishisaka

How embracing universal design could make the world better after COVID-19

Don't Miss

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, testifies during a Senate hearing Sept. 23. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)

Nation & World

Fauci ‘absolutely not’ surprised by Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis: ‘I was worried that he was going to get sick’

University of Washington Huskies defensive linemen Tuli Letuligasenoa, left, and Josiah Bronson practice at Husky Stadium on October 16, 2020. 215364

Husky Football

The Bronsons always win: how Husky defensive lineman Josiah Bronson’s equally athletic siblings still push him to succeed

Harborview Medical Center on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2020. ICU coronavirus patients at Harborview Medical Center. 213807

Local Politics

Ballot measure would authorize property taxes for $1.74 billion Harborview Medical Center expansion

Editorial

Seattle Times editorial board endorsements: Election 2020

Election 2020

Democrat and current state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, left, and Republican challenger Matt Larkin.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson touts legal wins as he faces GOP challenger Matt Larkin

Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal talks to reporters during a press conference, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020, in Philadelphia. Public servants, firefighters, paramedics, emergency responders and a diverse group of law enforcement professionals denounce the Fraternal Order of Police and Local 22 for not listening to the concerns of the dues paying union members when endorsing President Donald J. Trump for re-election. (AP Photo/Michael Perez) PAMP107 PAMP107

Black officers break from unions over Trump endorsements VIEW Updated 6:25 pm

The Colstrip power plant in southeast Montana employs about 360 people and is partially owned by Puget Sound Energy (PSE). The plant consists of four separate units, each with its own boiler that collectively can produce 2094 megawatts of energy. The two oldest units are scheduled to close by 2022, a decision spurred by the plant‚Äôs difficult economics and a push toward cleaner energy. Castle Rock Lake in the foreground supplies water for the power plant and the city of Colstrip.
Photographed on December 6, 2017. 204974 204974

Climate change policy a stark divide as Biden and Trump battle for the White House VIEW

Commission says it will mute Trump’s and Biden’s microphones during some parts of Thursday’s debate Updated 6:37 pm

Heck vs. Liias: Longtime Democratic lawmakers vying for lieutenant governor

Inside the ‘Malarkey Factory,’ Biden’s online war room to fight misinformation

Trump ‘running angry,’ attacks polls, press and Dr. Fauci Updated 7:11 pm

Behind in polls, Republicans see a silver lining in voter registrations

Local News

Cuauhtemoc Escobedo, also known as Mr. E, is the band teacher at Eckstein Middle School in Northeast Seattle, and is known for his dedication to the didgeridoo. He has been making DIY didgeridoos out of plumbing supplies to give to students for years. Mr. E is continuing to teach his music classes remotely via Zoom during distance learning.

Photographed in Seattle Friday October 16, 2020. 215367

This Seattle teacher uses the didgeridoo to help kids get through online classes, one breath at a time WATCH

Naomi Ishisaka

How embracing universal design could make the world better after COVID-19

Traffic Lab

In pandemic budget cuts, Metro will stop work on Rainier Avenue RapidRide bus line

If the coast is clear, you can legally coast your bike through stop signs in Washington state

Seattle to require minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers

See how Seattle-area commutes have changed over the years — including the impact of COVID-19

A new West Seattle Bridge could be even higher than the current 140-foot-tall span

Business & Tech

Workers gather dried cocoa beans outside a cooperative facility earlier this year in the Ivory Coast village of Gloplou. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Salwan Georges.

U.S. report: Much of the world’s chocolate supply relies on more than a million child workers

Jon Talton

Economy’s no longer a selling point for Trump

PRODUCED BY THE SEATTLE TIMES CONTENT STUDIO

Nation & World

A poster showing six wanted Russian military intelligence officers is displayed before a news conference at the Department of Justice, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, pool) DCAH104 DCAH104

U.S. charges Russian intelligence officers in high-profile cyberattacks

Coronavirus

Border closure can’t keep grandparents from Canadian wedding

As the couple said their vows on a wharf in New Brunswick, some relatives watched from a boat on the Maine side of the St. Crois River, which divides the two countries. “It was happy and emotional and overwhelming,” said the bride.