KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
Have any leads or feedback for the KUOW Blog? Contact Dyer Oxley at dyer@kuow.org.
Stories
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Brandi Carlile goes home with 3 Grammys, thanks Seattle for making her 'strive for this'
Maple Valley folk rocker Brandi Carlile won a Grammy Sunday night, then another, and then another.
Carlile took home three Grammys at the awards ceremony Sunday, after being nominated for seven awards. She won best rock performance for “Broken Horses," best Americana album for “In These Silent Days,” and best rock song and a writer’s award for “Broken Horses," which she wrote with Phil and Tim Hanseroth.
"Oh, I cannot tell you how much this means to us," Carlile said. "We were born and raised in Seattle and when I met these guys 22 years ago, we decided to get in a van and be a band together. And I met them, and they were covered in Ramones tattoos, they had never even played an acoustic guitar. And then this happened.”
“Oh my god, this is amazing,” Carlile shouted. “Oh, I’ll never be the same.”
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Hunger strike suspended at ICE facility in Tacoma, but objections remain
Advocates for people detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma say dozens of detainees have ended a hunger strike — for now.
The group La Resistencia says 85 people began refusing food last week to protest what they describe as deteriorating conditions, including sporadic food service and limited access to medical care.
Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, confirmed to KUOW last week that chemical agents were used against detainees after a disruption.
RELATED: ICE detainees in Tacoma begin hunger strike
The detainees' advocates say ICE officials have promised to improve conditions, but if their demands are not met by Tuesday, Feb. 7, the detainees plan to restart their hunger strike.
According to La Resistencia, one hunger striker, Jose Hernandez, has continued to refuse to eat as a form of protest.
"I won't stop until I see results," Hernandez told the advocacy group. "This isn’t just about me, it is about everyone."
The group's demands include:
- Humane treatment to all.
- Resolve medical issues including dental.
- Food service be on time, serve warm food and provide utensils.
- Provide proper clothing, shoe wear, linens, and clean laundry. Change mattresses and chairs. There are not enough.
- Lower telecommunications price. Provide service that works: No more dropped calls, counted as used, not credited.
- End unnecessary detention incarceration, overdue or ignored processes.
- End the excessive punishment, administrative segregation for minor and augmented justifications.
- Grievance process must change. Grievances are ignored, oscillated tactics are used, misleading and authored responses such as “unfounded.”
- Recreational area must be fixed. There are pot holes, black mold, which make us prone to injuries. T.V. is on low volume and turned off early.
- Access to the barbershop . We demand haircuts more than once a month.
- Clean water to shower.
- Allow stress relievers through arts and crafts such as art, origami, color pencils, etc.
- Shorten count time. Right now the count time takes from an hour to an hour and half.
- Access to toiletries in units such as razors, paper towels, soap, etc.
- Clean air supply.
According to La Resistencia, at least nine detainees from a unit involved in the hunger strike are being held in solitary confinement.
One of the protesters who was in the unit that was tear gassed told the advocacy group that detainees are desperate to get the word out about conditions in the facility, which is formerly known as the Northwest Detention Center.
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PHOTOS: Welcoming the Year of the Rabbit in Seattle
Hundreds gathered to welcome the Year of the Rabbit during the Lunar New Year celebration in Seattle's Chinatown–International District on Saturday.
“We get to really represent Chinatown in a way that we think it's best shown with its bustling culture and not only that but we get to do it with all the generations we have here,” said Han Eckelberg with Mak Fai dragon and lion dancers.
"It's a time to bring the culture to life, the lion dance to life," he said. "I think we all need that unity this year."
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What to expect from NW weather ahead: Today So Far
- January was pretty light as far as winter goes in the Northwest. But a state climatologist says winter is not finished with Washington just yet.
- Got art? Luckily, KUOW has a bevy of recommendations for what to do around here, from cage fighting poets to shoeless art exhibits and sculptures you can pet — check out what's happening.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for February 3, 2023.
La Niña was supposed to bring cold, wet weather to our corner of the planet this winter, but it seems that the Northwest was spared that fate. Instead, other parts of the USA got hit, especially California, which suffered massive floods. But as Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond tells KUOW, Washington's turn will come around soon. Winter is not done with the Northwest.
"The month of January was kind of a dud," Bond said. "After the first of the year, during La Niña winters, we tend to have some cool wet weather; not the case this past January. But looking ahead to February into March, we should have a return to more normal weather."
That means more snowpack in the mountains, which is good. Some areas still need more snow. That's important for summer when we rely on water coming down the mountain.
"I think it's going to be our turn with some storms coming out of the Gulf of Alaska into the Pacific Northwest over the course of February into March," Bond said.
In short, when spring comes along, Washington can expect things to dry out amid some warmer temps. Same for the upcoming summer, though it's important to note that climatologists and meteorologists are never quite certain when it comes to looking out that far ahead. Check out all of Bond's weather insights for what's to come here.
Got art?
One thing I'm very proud of KUOW for lately is our arts and culture coverage, which is producing a lot of recommendations for things to see and do. From cage fighting poets to shoeless art exhibits and sculptures you can pet — check out what's happening.
Writer and Seattle's civic poet Shin Yu Pai points out a few events of interest for KUOW this week. Poet and former cage fighter Jenny Liou will read from her new book of poetry "Muscle Memory" on Feb. 6 at Elliott Bay Books. She also recommends "Shapes of Things to Come," at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. This exhibit offers a collection of book art from local to international artists. I have to say, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art is a hidden gem in our region. At the risk of sounding snobby, you don't often expect an art museum to be that well done in smaller towns, but Bainbridge really has something going on over there. Check out Shin Yu Pai's recommendations here.
KUOW's arts and culture reporter Mike Davis is also sharing his adventures in art through his new weekly post ... Mike's adventures in art. It spans everything from museums to the stage, and even what to stream at home. This week, Mike is pointing you to a few attractions that are slated to close soon, so you better act fast. For example, "Thoreau at Home," at the 18th and Union Art Space, is streaming for home audiences through this weekend. The performance is apt for fans of classic literature, as well as for Seattleites who love "screaming about people needing to be outside."
The Museum of Museums is Mike's pick of the week. The "Gum Baby" exhibit requires folks to remove their shoes. Apparently, you find out why once your there. Another exhibit, "Soft Touch," is like a petting zoo for sculptures. The tactile and soft-sculpture art featured here is meant to be interacted with. Check out all of Mike's adventurous recommendations here.
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Scientists try to keep up with chemical blizzard entering Puget Sound
Wastewater treatment plants are sending hundreds of unregulated chemicals into Puget Sound.
The plants sterilize sewage and remove solids and organic materials from it. But they were never designed to remove things like antibiotics, cosmetics, hormones, pharmaceuticals, and other consumer products that wash down household drains.
“The latest estimate of the number of chemicals that are used in commerce is 350,000. That doesn't include degradation products and metabolites that may also be in the environment,” said Western Washington University environmental toxicologist Ruth Sofield.
“The work that we're doing, we're looking at chemicals in the low hundreds,” she told the Puget Sound Partnership’s Science Panel on Wednesday.
Sofield and other scientists are trying to help the state agency identify and prioritize the most harmful substances in the dilute chemical broth that is wastewater.
“We know that we're missing the large universe of chemicals,” Sofield said.
The researchers, who expect to submit their findings for publication in a peer-reviewed journal later in February, have identified 57 high-priority chemicals, including the antibiotics tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, the steroid prednisone, and the plasticizer BPA. They’ve put another 84 on their “watch list.”
Nearly half of the priority chemicals are antibiotics, about 18% are hormones, another 18% are pharmaceuticals, and 10% are perfluorinated substances, according to Sofield.
A new study from King County (see page 23 here) focuses on these so-called "chemicals of emerging concern" in wastewater.
It finds that most of the substances that have been examined are not at levels high enough to harm fish or marine mammals.
But some of the long-lasting chemicals could be building up in Chinook salmon.
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Oh. My. Gawd! FRIENDS Experience lands in downtown Seattle
This is the one where fans squeal and cry, "Oh ... My ... God!" around every corner, while snapping endless photos in the world of "Friends," the iconic 1990s sitcom.
The FRIENDS Experience opened in Seattle this week, offering a deep dive into the sitcom. While the attraction certainly offers a fun time for the casual viewer, hardcore fans will find moments of awe — the sort of fans who clap at the right moment during the theme song, and who have an opinion about whether Ross and Rachel were on a break.
"We are fans of the show, too, and we spent a lot of time doing our research ... we worked with the Warner Bros. archive team. We got every detail," said Stacy Moscatelli, copresident of Original X Productions, which tours the FRIENDS Experience from city-to-city.
The attraction is part immersive experience, and part museum. Expect to spend around an hour meandering through a range of recreated sets apt for photos, and behind-the-scenes exhibits for loyal viewers.
"People are blown away by how much we have here, not just sets and photo moments, but there is a museum aspect, there's a history, there is storytelling," Moscatelli said. "We have a signed script from the pilot ... if you're sort of a surface-level fan and want to sit in Central Perk and get a picture, knock yourself out. If you want to read everything and pose next to Rachel's hair, we've got that for you, too."
Then there are "Friends" fans who don't want to openly admit it, but we know, and they don't know that we know they know.
There are also deep cuts, some of which require the keen eye of a "Friends" devotee. If you've ever wondered what was in the letter, it's all on display, front and back. So is the hand drawn "Science Boy" comic book. If you listen closely, you may hear the sound of a baby chick chirping in a corner of Joey and Chandler's apartment. An entire exhibit is dedicated to Rachel's hairstyles. Then there are the wardrobes, the props, the scripts, and other aspects of show.
"Over the course of 10 seasons, there are all sorts of little differences on the sets," Moscatelli said. "In the boys' apartment we have black La-Z-Boys, but there were some seasons when they had brown La-Z-Boys. So we had to ask, 'What did they have the most of that we think will be recognizable?' But we've had really big fans come in, they'll stand in the room and say, 'Wait a minute, those chairs were brown.'"
Moscatelli also pointed to one exhibit featuring an interview with Debra McGuire, the costume designer for the show.
"She gives a really interesting and thoughtful perspective on how she created personalities for each of the cast members through their wardrobe, and the thoughtfulness she put into into everybody's color pallet ... she really thought about what goes into the lengths of somebody's personality through their clothes ... I think that is something that very few fans have seen."
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Let's talk about downtown Seattle: Today So Far
Downtown Seattle was taking hits before the pandemic struck and exacerbated its challenges. Locals reflect on what downtown has to offer, and what it doesn't. Could the neighborhood be due for a comeback?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for February 2, 2023.
I found myself downtown a couple days ago with some time to kill, so I opened my handy pinball map to see if there were any machines nearby. No luck. I mean, there were a few listed at Gameworks, but you have to buy one of those prepaid cards, so ... no. Consider that next door in Belltown, there are nearly 60 pinball machines within a few blocks of each other.
My pinball dilemma is just one issue — a very superficial and unique-to-me issue — facing downtown Seattle. But it speaks to a larger woe — downtown Seattle is suffering. Not just economically, but as Seattle Now puts it, it's having an "identity crisis."
"Family visits me and they're like, 'Oh you have a Cheesecake Factory,' and I'm like, 'We're not going to Cheesecake Factory mom, please,'" Millie told Seattle Now.
Millie lives downtown, but they note that there isn't much to do in the neighborhood, filled mostly with chain stores and restaurants. The local options that are around are pretty expensive.
"All the shops tend to be really kitschy or not really useful to me. The ones that I would go to before are all closed, like Barnes and Noble," Millie said.
"It's a food desert. There used to be a good grocery store on Third and Pike, but it closed a while back, so now it's just Target and PCC, and I don't make PCC money, so it's Target."
Millie's comments on Seattle Now had me thinking about my advice to visitors, who are usually seeking the unique, genuine Seattle that locals know. I don't think I've ever recommended that they visit downtown (outside of Emerald City Comic Con), especially if travelers are on a budget. I can already see the emails coming in, so let me clarify that while downtown has never had much to offer me, that doesn't mean it isn't important to the success of the city as a whole.
"Sure, you can get Pike Place Market out of the way, and MoPop is great," I've told visitors, listing off my best hits of Seattle. "But head over to Ballard for some great local bars and restaurants. Fremont has a troll, a rocket ship, antiques, and more. A walk on Alki Beach is worth it. Sunset at Golden Gardens. Georgetown preserves the spirit of Seattle that you wish the rest of the city could have held onto. The night life on Capitol Hill is a thing, and yes, folks really do eat at Dick's, not for the fries though, but if you don't want to wait in the lines, there is more than one location..."
Or I'd say something like, "Frasier lives in a Seattle with fine wine and sherry, and rare caviar. That's downtown. But if you want to know where regular ol' Martin Crane hangs out, follow me."
I understand that my above comments are like salt in the wound of downtown Seattle. The neighborhood has been hit pretty hard in recent years and pandemic switch ups exacerbated its challenges. Macy's left town in 2020. Sales at Nordstrom are in a slump. On my walk through downtown this week, there were a lot of vacant shops.
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Winter isn't done with the Pacific Northwest
January might have been a "dud" in terms of typical La Niña winter weather patterns, but Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond says there's plenty more winter ahead.
"Looking ahead to February into March, we should have a return of more normal weather and growth in the snowpack," Bond says. "And here's hoping that snowpack comes around, because there's some places that we could use a little bit more."
(For what it's worth, Punxsutawney Phil seems to agree with Bond. The groundhog saw his shadow Thursday, predicting another six weeks of winter.)
A healthy snowpack bodes well for water supplies across the state and less severe conditions heading into the summer months.
Bond says this summer is likely going to be on the warmer, drier side. That's no surprise as summers have been getting warmer over the last few decades, he notes.
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Seattle CM Mosqueda aiming to leap over to King County Council
Seattle Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda will run for a seat on the King County Council this year.
Mosqueda told KUOW that she hopes to bring the issues she has worked on at the city over the past six years to the larger county level.
"I've been focused on worker protections, expanding access to good living wage jobs, increasing access to child care, building housing, but we really need to build that out for the broad and diverse population that lives across our region," Mosqueda said. "The issues that we're seeing play out in Seattle are not just restricted to Seattle's borders and if I can work at the county in partnership with the County Council, the executive, or state legislative team, we can braid together funding and programs and services to support residents of Seattle and more broadly, the county and District 8 residents."
While others who are exiting the dais at Seattle City Hall cite a toxic political atmosphere, Mosqueda says that is not the reason she is attempting a run for the county council.
“I am running for King County Council District 8 to improve the opportunity for working families to be healthy, housed and resilient,” Mosqueda said in a statement. “We can do this by investing in greater behavioral health and public health supports, expanding housing and displacement efforts that make it possible for people to stay stably housed, and investing in what working families and small businesses need — affordable childcare, accessible transit, and good job opportunities.”
Her campaign says she wants to work on these issues by creating "local, regional, and state partnerships." Mosqueda describes herself as a "labor Democrat." She previously worked on statewide policies for the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and the Children’s Alliance.
“Throughout my career, I have brought diverse coalitions together to pass landmark policy changes,” Mosqueda said. “From passing historic investments in housing, to leading the statewide minimum wage raise and implementing Apple Health healthcare for all Washington children, I have united diverse interests and voices to get things done. I’ll bring that commitment — and experience working at the local and state levels — to solve problems, make a difference, and support our communities across the County.”
Mosqueda is aiming for the King County Council District 8 seat that Councilmember Joe McDermott is vacating. McDermott opted not to run for re-election this year. His term concludes at the end of 2023.
Mosqueda is currently a Seattle City Council member and represents Position 8, an at-large seat. She first entered office in 2017 and was re-elected to the role in 2021 with 59% of the vote. If she is elected to the county council, Mosqueda would exit her role at the city before her current term ends in 2025. This would leave an open seat to be filled for the remaining year of her city council term. The City Council would then appoint a replacement member.
She is also pointing to her record on the city council, such as establishing protections for hotel workers, sick leave for gig drivers, small business grants for women and people of color, affordable housing investments, and reproductive rights.
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Mike's adventures in art: A trip down the rabbit hole
If you are looking for some tips on how to experience art in the Seattle area, you are in the right place. In this weekly post, KUOW Arts Reporter Mike Davis gives you tips on what to do around Seattle over the weekend so you can have your own adventures in arts and culture.
VISUAL ART
Museum of Museums is my pick of the week. I had a sneak peak of two upcoming exhibits and, if you are looking for an adventure in art over the weekend, this is the place to be.
"Gum Baby," an installation by artist Tariqa Waters, exists somewhere between "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wonderful Land of Oz." This new exhibit, which also features glasswork by Waters, is a fully immersive experience that requires visitors to begin by remove their shoes. I won’t spoil it here, but I will say – on my visit, I almost couldn’t find it! But once I did, I was pleasantly surprised and took a wonderful trip down the rabbit hole.
"Soft Touch" is a survey of tactile and soft-sculpture art. Most of the pieces are not only meant to be touched but designed specifically for interaction. From shaggy rugs with sprawling arms to hug you, to relaxation stations where snuggly sweaters connect you to seats, these pieces encourage people to physically engage with art.
Exhibits open for the winter season starting at 12 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3, 900 Boylston Ave., Seattle, Washington 98104
FILM
The Grand Illusion Cinema is proof that even though movie theaters may (or may not) be disappearing from downtown, people still love seeing movies, and Seattle neighborhoods have plenty of theaters. This one-screen theater in the U District is a film lovers dream, showing carefully curated classics that you won’t see anywhere else. I recently went to a sold-out midweek showing of the 1990 romcom "Wild at Heart," starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern (with a great performance from Willem Defoe). Armed with a box of Junior Mints from the cold freezer and a classic soda, I was in cinema heaven.
"Wild at Heart" plays at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2.
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Seattle Councilmember Tammy Morales is running for re-election
Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales is running for re-election and is participating in the city's Democracy Voucher Program.
Morales officially announced her re-election campaign on Feb. 1 in front of El Centro de la Raza.
“City politics is a tough job," she said in a statement. "In this city, at this moment, it’s maybe as tough as it’s ever been, and I don’t begrudge my colleagues for choosing not to run again. But for me, that isn’t a reason to give in. We have a chance to build healthy, resilient neighborhoods; to manage our city’s growth so that our kids, our elders, our neighbors can thrive. Despite the increasing chorus cynicism, I’m still hopeful for that kind of future. So let’s get to work.”
Morales mentioned that other city council members are not running for re-election, such as Alex Pedersen of District 4, who is stepping down after a single term in office. Other council members opting not to run for re-election include Council President Debora Juarez and District 1's Lisa Herbold. Teresa Mosqueda is not running for re-election and instead is running for a seat on the King County Council. Kshama Sawant says she is leaving city hall to focus on a new activist group.
District 6's Dan Strauss is the only other council member up for re-election who is running for the job again.
Morales represents District 2, which covers many of Seattle's southern neighborhoods, such as Beacon Hill, the Chinatown/International District, Rainier Valley, SoDo, Georgetown, and Columbia City. She entered office in 2020, and was elected to the job with 61% of the vote.
By mid-February, Morales' campaign announced that it is participating in Seattle's Democracy Voucher Program, which allows voters the ability to donate public funding to support campaigns.
Two of Morales' challengers, Isaiah Willoughby and Tanya Woo, are also participating in the Democracy Voucher Program.
This report was written for Councilmember Morales' re-election campaign announcement in early February 2023, but was published late on Feb. 24, 2023.
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Mayor pushes for more culturally sensitive response to immigrant deaths
Mayor Bruce Harrell signed an executive order Wednesday that aims to improve the city's response to the unexpected death of someone from Seattle's immigrant communities.
Harrell’s order calls for the city’s crisis response teams to adopt practices that meet various language, cultural and religious needs.
The order would bring together the Seattle Police Department, the Human Services Department and the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to look at measures the city could take in the future to be more culturally aware and sensitive.
The order also calls for equitable language access for people who seek out victim and family support services, or medical treatment.
The announcement comes a week after a graduate student, Jaahnavi Kandula, who is from India was fatally hit in a crosswalk by a Seattle police vehicle.
Yahya Suufi, the executive director for the Burien-based Muslim American Youth Foundation, attended a press conference with the mayor Wednesday. He said improving the city's cultural awareness and sensitivity is especially important when families are grieving according to their own traditions and practices.
“It will translate to us having better practices that increase accessibility for our community,” he said, “especially the community of color, and the immigrants that need to have certain needs to be met.”
Suufi says in his faith, there’s a desire to bury someone who’s died, as soon as possible.
A team from various city departments is due to report back to the mayor in 90 days about a strategy to improve access to city resources and make the city's response more coordinated and culturally appropriate.
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