A Warm Water Blob, Russell Wilson’s Giant Contract & More News

Warmer Waters: KING 5 News states that a “blob” of warm water is expanding inland from the Pacific Ocean, causing water temperatures to be about four degrees higher than usual. Four degrees might not sound like a lot, but that small change can threaten marine life and increase toxins in the water. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains that the blob could make it more difficult for salmon to survive once they migrate from the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. Add the blob to list of things already threatening the salmon population in Washington (like over fishing, pollution, and habitat destruction) and you’ll realize salmon have had a pretty rough go of it lately.

A Happy QB: According to ESPN, Russell Wilson has signed a four-year contract extension with the Seahawks for $87.6 Million, with $60 Million guaranteed. Yahoo Sports states that this deal makes Wilson the second-highest paid quarterback in the NFL behind only Aaron Rodgers. Now that all the Seahawks players are safely back in training camp (well, except for one pretty important one) let’s get back to the task at hand: trying to make it to a third straight Super Bowl.

Whiz Kid: Ever heard of Fox Rio Brunner? The Seattle Times reports that the Issaquah resident won 5 gold medals in skateboard competitions just in 2015. He is regularly mentored by Mitchie Brusco, a current skateboarding star, and he has 32,000 Instagram followers. Oh, and also, he’s 6 years old. He recently put on a demonstration at the Kia World Extreme Games in Shanghai, and will continue on to South Africa to show off more of his unbelievable skills. Maybe the most impressive thing about the whole story? Fox just started skateboarding about a year ago. The kid is really good, and seems set to become one of the best ever.

Saint Laurent to SAM: According to The New York Times, the Yves Saint Laurent collection will be coming to the Seattle Art Museum in the fall of 2016. The collection includes Saint Laurent’s “Paper Doll Couture House,” which he designed as a teenager in 1936. It will be the first time the doll house is shown in the United States. The exhibit at SAM, part of Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style, will also feature 100 different Saint Laurent outfits, many of which are new to the collection. If you need a reminder of how genius of a designer Saint Laurent was, get this: he was hired by Christian Dior at age 19. Two years later, he was made artistic director. Yeah, I’ll be heading to the SAM during opening week for this one.

Cheap(er) Whole Foods: The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that Bellevue Square will get Washington’s first 365 by Whole Foods Market. The store will sell cheaper items at “everyday low prices” and have less variety than a large-scale Whole Foods. Apparently, the new lower-priced stores are an attempt to compete with chains like Trader Joe’s. The new store will be built in part of the South Commons at Bellevue Square, where JC Penney used to be.