KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
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Stories
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How much blame does social media bear? Today So Far
- Two Washington school districts have filed lawsuits against social media companies, arguing that their products can harm youth mental health. Some experts agree with that assessment, but not everybody.
- I accidentally participated in Dry January. Are you giving up anything this month?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for January 13, 2023.
Happy Friday the 13th! I know a lot of folks don't like that day or number, but just like Mike Ness said, "13 is my lucky number."
The Seattle and Kent school districts have filed lawsuits against social media companies, arguing that their products are harming youth mental health. How this will play out in the courts remains to be seen. A lawsuit exactly like this hasn't happened before.
"The basic theory is the companies shouldn't get immunity for that process of matching vulnerable people with highly problematic content," Ryan Calo, a law professor at the University of Washington, told KUOW. "And who knows what the Supreme Court will do."
This sort of conversation around social media isn't new to child health experts, such as Dr. Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute.
"Many of us who have been researching the effects of media on children have been concerned for a long time about the negative effects on children's emotional and mental health, as well as other developmental outcomes," Christakis said.
"It's very difficult for a parent to know what their child is looking at online. But Instagram knows it, Facebook knows it, TikTok knows it. And instead of alerting parents or caregivers or teachers or pediatricians that, 'Hey, this child is looking at a lot of suicide videos,' they just feed that child more of the same content."
Check out KUOW's full conversation with Calo and Chistakis here. Beyond that, check out NPR's three initial takeaways from the lawsuit here.
It should be noted that there are other experts out there who are skeptical of these arguments around social media, such as Dr. Katy Pearce with UW's Department of Communication. She recently told KUOW that parents should certainly monitor the content their kids are consuming.
"But decades of research shows that the effects are small and under very specific circumstances. And in fact, for many people with mental health issues, online support is essential. Also, the research cited in the lawsuit is very easy to critique. It is all correlational. Heck, there are many reasons why kids might be depressed nowadays environmental issues, racism, a global pandemic, inflation."
While two Washington cities have made this move against social media companies, don't expect any action at the state level anytime soon. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal has his eye on the lawsuits, but says that there are no current plans to jump on the bandwagon. Despite having no interest in joining the legal fight, Reykdal did offer some fighting words. While he notes there are positives to social media (exchange of information, connecting people), he also says "You can't just sell the positives of it without recognizing that some of the darkest things students see are on there. And that too has an impact and influence."
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Vietnamese New Year starts the Year of the Cat. Here's what that means
Vietnamese New Year is upon us. Technically, the Vietnamese New Year, aka Tết, is January 22 but Seattle's Vietnamese community is hosting a celebration this weekend.
Seattle's Tết will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Seattle Center, Jan. 14-15. Expect to see food, vendors, live music, crafts, and a spelling bee. There will also be appearances by singers Ánh Minh and Hà Thanh Xuân.
Admission is free. This is the 27th year that Seattle has celebrated Tết. More information here.
Tết is similar to the Chinese New Year in that it is based on a lunar calendar, which is why it occurs on a different date each year. Vietnamese culture has its own zodiac, too, that differs from the Chinese zodiac with a few different creatures. This January marks the start of the Year of the Cat in the Vietnamese zodiac (we are exiting the 2022 Year of the Tiger). Next Tết in 2024 will start the Year of the Dragon.
Other years of the cat include 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, and 2011. If you're born in a year of the cat, you're said to be realistic, sensitive, peaceful, intelligent, and artistic.
There are some traditions associated with the holiday, such as having a big festival, games, fireworks, and meeting up with friends and family. Some folks go vegetarian for Tết, which is said to be good luck.
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40 years since Seattle recognized its first MLK Day
- The big annual march through Seattle starts at 12:30 p.m. at Garfield High School. Find more information about the MLK Day schedule here.
- The Northwest African American Museum is opening Monday for the first time since it closed during the pandemic.
It's been 40 years since Seattle recognized its first Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This year, the city is honoring that milestone with the theme: 40 years of continuing King's mission.
"The spirit of Dr. King is the spirit of love and tolerance, and at a time where maybe people haven't been this intolerant in a long time, it's good to remember that we're all just people," said Bobby Alexander, vice chair of the Seattle MLK Coalition.
RELATED: Martin Luther King workshopped his 'I have a dream' speech in Seattle
"When we have a polarizing political environment people are reminded of politics more often, and they're reminded of the issues more often, and not even speaking on extreme ideologies but just the idea that where people disagree now they are less likely to share community."
A range of community events will take place on MLK Day (Monday, Jan. 16, 2023), such as workshops on early childhood and civil rights. Youth will give a presentation on racism in school.
"We have a job fair in the morning with our workshops," Alexander said. "Our workshops are always an opportunity to become educated, and our program actually starts at 11 a.m. at Garfield High School. So come out to our event, attend the workshops, go to the march and rally where you'll be entertained and educated."
RELATED: 'They've Killed Martin.' Remembering The Day MLK Was Assassinated
"You can talk about economic stratification, gentrification, and we can throw vocabulary words all around, but basically it's more expensive to live now than it has been in a long time," Alexander said. "So what are the reasons you would come out this year? It would be those things, but also a desire to join folks out in community in the spirit of Dr. King."
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Starbucks says it's time for employees to return to the office
Starbucks is pivoting away from pandemic work practices that sent most of its office workers home. Now, the company says it's time for employees to get back to their desks.
According to a letter from Howard Schultz posted on the coffee giant's website:
"The pandemic was a full-out attack on the ideas that make Starbucks, Starbucks. It disrupted human connection. It made the world harder for so many. And it threatened our ability to be a safe haven and a Third Place .... Partners, it’s time for us to come back to the office—to do this Mission-critical work face-to-face, and in person. It’s time we rebuild and revive the energy of the SSC and our regional offices as thriving, active hubs."
RELATED: Starbucks posts record-breaking sales even as U.S. inflation soars
Specifically, Starbucks' new policy states that, starting Jan. 30, office workers will be required to come into its Seattle headquarters a minimum of three days a week. Two of those days must be on Tuesday and Wednesday. It notes that this policy is for employees "within commuting distance."
Schultz argues that employees are needed back at the office because Starbucks values human connection. He says wants to rebuild such connections at the headquarters that were lost amid pandemic measures.
He says it's because he wants to be "fair," noting that employees were previously required to be in the office one day a week, but many haven't followed that guidance. The company has been monitoring which badges have been accessing the HQ, Schultz says.
After the Covid-19 pandemic first struck in 2020, Starbucks said it was taking a year to rethink its in-office policies. At the time, talk among company leaders, and other business leaders in Seattle, was about "hoteling" work spaces. That means workers would not have assigned desks, and would instead work in communal spaces. If they required a desk, they would reserve the space ahead of time.
Two years later, it is unclear if that is the still the vibe around Starbuck's HQ. What is clear is that Schultz wants employees back in the office by the end of January.
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Tariffs stopped many Washington apples from reaching India. Lawmakers want to fix that
The Northwest ships many of its apple harvest to India, including boat loads of red delicious apples.
But retaliatory tariffs put in place in 2019 are taking a bite out of the valuable market. Now, Washington's full congressional delegation is asking the federal government for help.
This week, the entire Washington Congressional delegation — about a dozen politicians spanning Democrat Senator Maria Cantwell to Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse — requested help from the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce to help remove Indian tariffs on U.S. apples.
India has been one of the largest export markets for Northwest growers for decades. In 2017, Washington apple exports hit a high of $120 million. But a steel and aluminum tariff, slapped on India by the Trump Administration in 2018, caused the Indian government to put an additional 20% tax on U.S. apple imports. That sliced the Northwest apple exports to India down to just $3 million.
According to the letter sent by Washington lawmakers:
"Dear Ambassador Tai and Secretary Raimondo:
We request your assistance to remedy burdensome tariffs imposed by the Government of India on U.S. tree fruit industry at the upcoming Trade Policy Forum (TPF.) The TPF provides a unique opportunity for the U.S. Trade Representative and the Government of India to discuss retaliatory tariffs that are hurting tree fruit growers in Washington state and nationally. It is important to use this forum to work towards a solution that will allow the tree fruit industry to remain viable and continue to produce tree fruit domestically.
The tree fruit industry has suffered significant losses due to India’s retaliation for U.S. Section 232 tariffs. On average, 30 percent of the apples, cherries, and pears produced in the Pacific Northwest are exported and India was once a strong market. With retaliatory tariffs in place, Washington state apples growers have continuously lost market share in India. Prior to the implementation of these tariffs, India was our number two export market, valued at $120 million annually. Last season, growers exported barely $3 million. As growers have watched hard-earned market share and sales evaporate, their competitors in other countries have gained more of the market share.
Continued export losses coincide with ongoing cost-of-production increases that are forcing multigenerational family farms out of business. The Red Delicious variety accounts for nearly all the exports to India. Families operating legacy Red Delicious orchards, many of whom may not have the financial capacity to modernize their orchards, are disproportionately affected by the tariffs. This year the Red Delicious crop is the lowest since 1968. Corporate, out-of-state, entities are acquiring and consolidating larger operations, while smaller farms simply go out of business.
The damage inflicted by the retaliatory tariffs on tree fruit growers, their employees, and communities is clear and a solution is long overdue. On behalf of the many stakeholders throughout our region, we appreciate your attention to this matter. Following the TPF, we request that you meet with members of the Pacific Northwest tree fruit industry to discuss the next steps to remove the retaliatory tariffs."
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AP photographer Jack Smith, who shot Mount St. Helens, dies
SEATTLE (AP) — Jack Smith, an Associated Press photographer who captured unforgettable shots of the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, boxer Mike Tyson biting off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear, and weeping figure skater Tonya Harding at the Olympics during a 35-year career with the news organization, has died. He was 80.
Smith passed away on Jan. 4 at his home in La Mesa, California. He had cancer and had been in hospice care, said his wife, Judy Smith.
“People use the word legendary way too often, but in Jack’s case it might be an understatement,” said David Ake, the AP’s director of photography. “He could make pictures and friends faster than anyone I have ever met. If there was a big story in the West, there would be Jack — with his huge smile, beating you to the scene and making pictures you only wish you could have made.”
Smith joined the AP in Chicago as a photographer in 1966, after serving in the military in Vietnam, and spent a decade working there and in Washington, D.C. Then, in a bid to improve coverage in Oregon and lure some of the state’s newspapers away from rival United Press International, the AP made him its first staff photographer in Portland in 1977, said Steve Graham, who was the bureau’s news editor at the time.
Smith immediately improved the photo operation not just with his keen eye and knack for getting a definitive shot, but through his exceptional organizational skills — maintaining a stable of freelancers and developing relationships with photographers at AP member newspapers around the state, Graham said.
Smith arranged assignments for the many out-of-town photographers who arrived when Mount St. Helens, in southwestern Washington state, began rumbling in 1980. He was among the first to capture images of the volcano when it blew on May 18 that year, and he produced indelible pictures of oil-soaked wildlife following the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
Smith had a big personality to match his 6-foot-4 frame, and was known as “Chainsaw” for his resemblance to a stereotypical lumberjack. He was among a breed of hard-charging, competitive and sharp-elbowed wire service photographers who sought to get a good image at whatever cost and in whatever conditions, several colleagues recalled.
In 1988, he traveled to Barrow, Alaska, where several California gray whales had become trapped in Arctic Ocean ice. Alaska Native whalers had chopped holes where the animals could surface and breathe in an effort to save them.
Knowing he was going to be on that remote assignment for days or weeks, he persuaded the AP to let him rent a snowmobile so he could reach the icebound scene whenever he needed to, recalled Don Ryan, a former AP photographer in Portland who worked with Smith for about 25 years.
Furthermore, Ryan said, Smith convinced the company to buy him a shotgun, telling his bosses he needed it for protection against “rabid snow wolves.”
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Arguments surrounding Inslee's State-of-the-State: Today So Far
Shortly after Washington Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his 2023 State-of-the-State address, state Republicans began commenting. It's not all battle lines that are being drawn as lawmakers look to the current legislative session, but that doesn't mean there isn't a gap between Washington's red and blue.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for January 12, 2023.
There's a pretty simple formula when reporting most political news stories. Set up opposing sides, document their jabs at each other, cover the triumphs, and in the end you'll either have a tale of victory or a tragedy.
It's actually the same formula for a lot of sports writing, talk radio, or Marvel films. The downside to this sort of coverage is that it relies on conflict and battle. It's easy to fall into reporting the battle because, honestly, conflict actually is what's happening between Republicans and Democrats most of the time. Sadly, battle-laden headlines are certain to get attention, just as lines will form for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vo. 3" in May.
Consider Gov. Jay Inslee's 2023 State-of-the-State address this week. The issues he leaned into, such as housing and homelessness, are the same issues Republicans are highlighting and are expected to be hot topics in the Legislature this session. Of course, there are battle lines drawn over how to exactly fix such problems. It's important to note these lines, but it's just as important to go beyond them and find where work may actually progress, and where we can expect the same old friction.
Inslee's address didn't offer anything new. It was mostly a hype event for his budget and the work state Democrats have done in recent years. It was similar to past State-of-the-State addresses: this is what is going well, and these are our challenges, that's why you should support my agenda, and Washington is so wicked awesome (my version, not his exact words).
Republicans wouldn't refer to such problems as "challenges," however. The GOP response was delivered by Republican Rep. Peter Abbarno of Centralia, who came out swinging with the argument that such challenges are actually failures that have grown under Inslee's leadership, as well as under Democratic control of the Capitol. Like the governor's presentation, the rhetoric here wasn't anything new. The GOP response was essentially a list of the same challenges, along with: Washington's problems have only gotten worse, also freedom, American dream, your children, and Washington is so wicked awesome (again, my version, for the sake of brevity).
The GOP argument is logical, to a point. Washington has had some very negative outcomes, from homelessness to housing, and the environment, despite the rhetoric many promote. And Democrats do maintain a majority at the state level. We want to be good on climate change issues, but our carbon output is up. In 2005, King County said it was going to end homelessness within 10 years and, well, that didn't happen. And despite how often Seattleites say they will hang out with you, they don't call, and they don't text. Did they even mean what they said when they told you they wanted to hang out soon?!
Gov. Inslee also has a logical argument. When Washington Republicans say crime is up, for example, they often point to police accountability laws passed in Washington, recently. But those laws cannot account for the crime across the United States where Washington's laws don't extend. You'll find a mix of blue and red states with similar crime issues. When it comes to climate change, much of the Democrats' big carbon plans have only come online recently. The cap and invest program doesn't even start until next month.
It might be helpful to note that our problems have continued amid something else that has persisted over the years — the rhetoric of pointing fingers, tribalism, and calling out people who aren't on your team. This level of rhetoric doesn't rise above the maturity of two kids who have been ordered to stay on their side of the car during a long road trip, but insist upon screaming over who crossed the line first. Unlike that car trip, however, I don't think we have enough Benadryl to chill folks out at the Capitol. We're more likely to hear party jabs, instead of, "Hey, we don't agree, but let's find a way to make things work because we are elected officials after all and should at least try to do our jobs."
Perhaps this is why more and more of Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z are turning away from party affiliation and checking the box for "independent."
There will remain a divide between Republicans and Gov. Inslee in the session ahead on some issues. At a GOP press conference Tuesday, state Republican leaders (Rep. J.T. Wilcox, Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, Sen. John Braun, Sen. Judy Warnick, and Rep. Abbarno) showed as much. Republicans continue to disagree with Democrats' approaches on public safety. Rep. Wilcox said it was the one part of Inslee's address that he reacted very negatively to. Sen. Braun commented that Washington law protecting abortion rights has been in place for decades and does not see any need to establish a state constitutional amendment for this issue, as Inslee has promoted. Braun further said he would talk about approaches to gun safety if Democrats "are serious," but then also said that the real issue is larger and wants to talk about mental health and substance abuse. Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson are pushing a series of measures, including a ban on assault weapons.
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Leavenworth gets Prime screen time in 'Somebody I Used to Know'
The trailer for the film "Somebody I Used to Know" dropped early Thursday. Viewers from around Washington state may notice a familiar feature among the promotional footage — Leavenworth.
Good times around the maypole, reindeer, giant pretzels and other Bavarian delights make a brief appearance in the rom-com trailer, also featuring Alison Brie ("Community," "GLOW"), Jay Ellis ("Top Gun: Maverick"), Danny Pudi ("Community," "Star Trek Beyond," and generally an amazing dude), and Kiersey Clemons ("Dope," "Justice League," "Sweetheart").
RELATED: Highway to the danger zone passes through the Pacific Northwest
The rom-com was written by Brie and her husband Dave Franco. It's being distributed by Amazon Studios. According to the film's credits, it has two main filming locations, including Estacada, Ore. and Leavenworth, Wash.
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Period tracking apps would have to follow new WA health privacy laws if this bill passes
Social media lit up with an ominous warning last year, after the Supreme Court rescinded the constitutional right to an abortion: Stop using period tracking apps.
That’s because health information people provide to period tracking apps and other health sites are not protected by federal privacy laws like HIPAA.
Some lawmakers in Washington state want to change that, and have introduced a bill around how consumer data is shared.
Democratic Rep. Vandana Slatter represents Washington's 48th legislative district, which covers much of the Eastside, including Redmond, Bellevue, and Kirkland. She is sponsoring HB 1155, which addresses the collection, sharing, and selling of consumer health data.
"Someone can actually track you, and target you, in some way that can be really harmful," Slatter said.
Slatter said the Supreme Court's decision to overturn abortion rights piqued her interest in health data privacy. Her proposed measure would make it illegal to sell any type of health data.
Republican Jim Walsh said he supports protecting a person's privacy, but said this bill focuses too much on what he calls hot button issues.
"Why do we need to use incendiary language, like about abortion?" Walsh said.
HB 1155 is set to be presented to the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee. Its companion bill in the state Senate, SB 5351, is sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra who represents District 45
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At long last, Adrian Diaz sworn in as Seattle’s new police chief
After 29 months running the Seattle Police Department, Adrian Diaz said he was relieved and happy to be officially sworn in as Seattle’s next chief of police at City Hall on Thursday. His oldest son Alex pinned the badge onto his uniform as supporters applauded.
Mayor Bruce Harrell appointed Diaz as interim chief after Carmen Best’s resignation in 2020, as tensions flared in Seattle about police handling of demonstrations and the evacuation of the East Precinct.
Harrell noted that the city launched a national search to fill the job permanently.
“It says something when we hire from within,” Harrell said, noting that Diaz has been promoted up through Seattle Police ranks since joining the department in 1997.
Diaz said since he became interim Seattle Police chief, the department has made progress on priorities, including investing in officer wellness and recovering firearms used to commit crimes.
“We’ve revamped our crowd management response, including adding public outreach engagement teams, and we’re also identifying alternative responses to policing,” he said.
To communities that distrust or fear the police, Diaz said he’s proud that use of force by Seattle Police officers has dropped 50 percent since 2015, and complaints against officers have also seen a substantial drop.
Diaz said he’s glad to see that the city’s record-breaking violent crime statistics since 2019 are also starting to taper, including aggravated assaults, robberies, and homicides.
“August was a very, very busy month for our homicides,” he said. “We’ve actually revamped a lot of what we’re trying to do, putting officers in different places, and maybe that is hopefully seeing some of that decline. Even into the month of January.”
Harrell said he and the police chief are aligned on Seattle Police priorities.
“Chief Diaz will continue to be an instrumental partner as we move to the next phase of reform, enhance officer recruitment efforts, ensure accountability, and drive innovative efforts to develop diversified emergency responses,” he said.
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Pushback begins for Washington's latest gun safety proposals
A Republican Washington state senator is voicing concerns about new gun safety measures being proposed this upcoming legislative session.
One of those measures would ban the sale of semi-automatic firearms.
Republican Senator Phil Fortunato says banning these types of guns will not improve safety, and argues that the proposal infringes on the rights of law-abiding citizens.
“We go after the drunk driver. We don't go after the vehicle," Fortunato said. "We go after the driver that committed the crime. That's what we need to focus on. It's not it's not the firearm. It's the person pulling the trigger.”
"It's not that style of a firearm that they use — that's immaterial. It is the shooter. And we we need to be stopping those people and protecting our children."
Another measure that is being proposed would make gun manufacturers and dealers take steps to keep guns out of dangerous people’s hands. Fortunato said this bill is an attempt to bankrupt the gun industry.
The gun control legislation is backed by Governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
There are three main proposals put to lawmakers this year: a ban on assault weapons; accountability measures for gun manufacturers and sellers; and a new permit program to purchase a gun.
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2022 was record year for whale sightings in Salish Sea
The Pacific Whale Watch Association says 2022 was a record year for whale sightings in the Pacific Northwest, specifically of transient orca and humpbacks.
The news comes after 2021 was noted as a great year for whale sightings in Puget Sound.
Four hundred humpback whales were photographed in the Salish Sea last year. That's the largest number recorded in at least the past century, according to the Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration.
Orca also showed up in record numbers. The Orca Behavior Institute reported more than 1,200 sightings, which is double the number recorded in 2017.
RELATED: K-pod has a new baby orca for the Salish Sea
Researchers say increased seal, sea lion, and porpoise populations are attracting more orca (aka Biggs killer whales) to the Salish Sea. They, unlike the southern resident orcas, feed on marine mammals.
When it comes to the endangered southern resident orcas, researchers tell KING 5 News that they were spotted in the Salish Sea about 60 days more than in the past, in 2022.
Researchers credit the 1972 Marine Mammals Protection Act and the implementation of whale watching and noise restrictions for the increased sightings.
RELATED: Captains of big ships eased up on the throttle during trial slowdown to help endangered orcas
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