SEATTLE – November 03, 2026 -- REI Co-op will close all of its stores on Black Friday, Nov. 27, giving its 12,000 employees a paid day off while online shoppers can still place orders.

Every REI location shuts down on Nov. 27

Stores, distribution centers, call centers and headquarters will all be closed. Customers can browse and order on the website that day. Order processing and fulfillment resume the following day.

Seattle – October 30, 2026 -- Redfin is turning famous American houses into listing-style web pages, complete with immersive tours, detailed photography and free in-person events, and the first event takes place at Philadelphia's Betsy Ross House on November 7.

Seattle – October 28, 2026 -- Alaska Airlines will start its first nonstop service between Anchorage and Tokyo Narita on May 13, 2027, with introductory round-trip fares from $999. The seasonal route links Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and Narita International Airport. It remains subject to government approval.

Melville, N.Y. – October 21, 2026 -- A student in Cologne, Germany, has won the 52nd annual Nikon Small World photomicrography competition with a photo of ink droplets suspended in midair inside a printer as it prints. Nikon Instruments announced the winners, with first place going to Ole Bielfeldt.

Seattle – October 20, 2026 -- Seabourn is turning its Earth & Ocean restaurant concept into a fleetwide culinary philosophy, with locally inspired menus and new dining experiences coming to guests at sea and ashore.

The philosophy pairs regional specialties, seasonal produce and culinary traditions with gourmet ingredients sourced worldwide for their quality, flavor and craftsmanship. It takes its name from the Earth & Ocean restaurant that Seabourn introduced in 2018, which offered rotating menus built on fresh, locally available ingredients.

Seattle – October 20, 2026 -- Zillow has launched a connector that lets Claude users browse homes for sale or rent, check home values and estimate what they can afford without leaving the AI assistant.

Setup takes four steps in Claude's settings

Users open Claude, go to "Customize," select "Connectors" and connect Zillow. From there, they can ask specific questions, such as finding three-bedroom homes for sale in Denver under $600,000 with a garage, or apartments for rent in Seattle under $2,500 a month.

Seattle – October 19, 2026 -- Homeowners can now check for hidden water leaks in about five minutes using two meter readings and a free online Water Leak Rate Calculator from Simply Leak Detection.

A $2,777 bill covered seven months of use

The company points to a July 2026 Arizona's Family report on Phoenix homeowner Cameron Green. His bill covered seven months and 344,000 gallons of water use after a city-owned transmitter stopped reporting readings. Green said an underground leak, invisible from the surface, contributed to the high usage.

Pompano Beach – October 16, 2026 -- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate now averages 7.4%, the highest since November 2023, even as the US housing market tilts toward buyers for the first time in years. The 15-year fixed rate averages 6.73%, up from 5.53% a year ago.

Sellers outnumber buyers by 58% nationwide

In August, there were 58% more sellers than buyers, the widest gap since Redfin began tracking the data in 2013. The National Association of Realtors puts supply at 4.9 months at the current sales pace, the highest in almost ten years.

Seattle – October 16, 2026 -- Holland America Line is adding Bar 1873 to Oosterdam, a two-story atrium bar with cocktails, live piano and a three-meter illuminated tulip sculpture, and bookings are now open for cruises aboard the transformed ship.

The bar debuts as part of Holland America Evolution, the cruise line's fleet update. Oosterdam also gets a reimagined Crow's Nest with expanded live music.

Seattle – October 15, 2026 -- Holland America Line is offering up to 50% off cruise fares on select 2026 holiday sailings, which include Thanksgiving dinner, Brunch with Santa and a Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes at sea. The celebrations run across Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's voyages.