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.
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Suspects in Christmas grid attacks planned additional crimes, prosecutors say
The men charged with attacking four substations in Pierce County on Christmas Day were plotting even more attacks on the power grid before they were arrested, according to federal prosecutors.
On Friday, prosecutors convinced a federal judge to keep Matthew Greenwood of Puyallup behind bars until he goes to trial. His alleged co-conspirator, Jeremy Crahan of Puyallup, faces a similar federal detention hearing on Tuesday in Tacoma.
The Christmas Day attacks were the latest in a string of at least 15 in the Northwest last year. Federal officials have been warning utilities of white-nationalist plots to target the nation’s electrical grid.
Prosecutors say, though federal investigations are ongoing, they have found no evidence yet of any political motivation for the Christmas attacks.
Greenwood’s attorney, assistant federal defender Becky Fish, said an addiction to methamphetamine led to poor judgment, and poverty and a baby on the way left her client desperate to make money.
“His record indicates to me is someone who whose judgment was not at its best, was not at its healthiest,” Fish said.
Charging documents state that Greenwood told the FBI he wanted to cause power outages so he could rob local businesses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg, of the Western District of Washington's violent crimes and terrorism unit, said Greenwood and Crahan cased another substation, driving around it with their headlights off between 2 and 5 a.m. two nights after Christmas. Greenberg said they also drove around with a chainsaw, looking for trees to cut down to knock out more power lines.
“Having committed these offenses and planning to do yet another similar but slightly different, equally dangerous power attack, again, shows that this is a defendant who is at high risk of reoffending,” Greenberg said.
Rather than detention, Fish urged Greenwood be enrolled in a 30- to 45-day drug treatment program, with electronic monitoring of his location. She said he was not a serious flight risk.
“His baby is going to be born soon in this district. He has every reason to stay here,” Fish said.
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Police vehicle pursuits could be hot topic at WA Legislature – again
Citing “a growing sense of lawlessness,” some new coalitions of police, mayors and prosecutors say they will press state legislators to revisit current restrictions on police vehicle pursuits in the upcoming session. But defenders of the restrictions passed in 2021 say the new law is meeting its goal of reducing deaths among innocent bystanders.
In a Nov. 22, 2022, letter to legislators, Pierce County Prosecutor Mary Robnett said, “We urge the Legislature to repeal this prohibition and empower law enforcement to investigate crime, stop cars, detain suspects, and hold criminals accountable.” The letter was signed by 16 local mayors.
Under the current law a police officer may only initiate a vehicle pursuit if the officer has reasonable suspicion of a DUI, or probable cause for a violent crime or sex crime. Members of law enforcement say since the law passed nearly two years ago, pursuits have diminished and drivers routinely flout orders to stop.
Steve Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, said the new law “creates such a high bar that it has changed the atmosphere to one where criminals just sort of have a knowledge that they can drive away and nothing can be done.”
Strachan said there’s broad agreement that police vehicle pursuits are dangerous, and many jurisdictions already had restrictions in place. He said he favors a balancing test that would still limit pursuits, but give police more discretion. WASPC called changing the law one of their top priorities for the coming session.
A bill that passed both chambers last year but failed to make it to the governor’s desk required that pursuits meet four criteria including that “the person poses a public safety risk, and the safety risk of failing to apprehend or identify the person is greater than the safety risks of the vehicular pursuit under the circumstances.”
State Senator and Deputy Majority Leader Manka Dhingra, a Democrat, said at a legislative preview convened by Seattle CityClub on Friday that she views the current restrictions as successful at reducing the number of innocent people killed by police vehicle pursuits.
She said the impact of the restrictions has been exaggerated. Dhingra said she was on a call where a detective said new state laws were hindering sexual assault investigations, which prompted Dhingra to follow up. “I said, 'I’m sorry, in all my 18 years, of being a prosecutor, I have yet to see a case where a sexual assault predator gets in a car and flees and there’s a chase. Have you ever come across a case like that?'” She said the detective backed down, adding, “That’s just an example of how it’s politicized and not necessarily based on the rationale of what is good policy.”
Dhingra also said police can often arrest someone later rather than initiating a vehicle pursuit, and the person then faces an additional felony charge of eluding police.
But Senate Republican Leader John Braun disagreed, saying arresting people after the fact isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. “I would disagree pretty strongly with the notion that this is being politicized,” he said.
Still, Braun said the two parties aren’t as far apart on the issue as the public might believe. He said there’s broad support for some restrictions on vehicle pursuits.
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A bottle proposal for Washington: Today So Far
Washington state lawmakers have tucked a proposal for a bottle/can deposit program into legislation slated for this year's session. Could it pass, and what would be the benefits?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for January 6, 2023.
In another life, I was a stellar housekeeper at a Bavarian hotel. I was good. I could put hospital corners on a bed so tight it would cut off circulation before you got a good night's sleep. I was so good that the hotel gave me my own room to live in.
OK, they gave all employees a room, and we had to share it with a roommate — I got top bunk. But I say all this as a roundabout explanation for why I once lived in Bavaria, and in turn, was able take advantage of the region's beer bottle deposit program. Basically, whenever you bought a bottle of beer, you paid a small deposit on it. If you returned that empty bottle, you got the money back.
We hotel workers bought beer by the crateful. I forget how the beer math worked at the time (in my defense, I don't think a lot of people remember beer math), but if we returned X number of crates, we earned the equivalent of a free crate of fresh beer. It was like you were sipping toward savings. For part of the year, we would keep the crates outside our window, in the cold alpine snow. And once, when the snow melted away, we discovered we had a whole crate of beer we forgot about. I imagine that this is what gold miners felt like, or when squirrels find nuts they forgot they buried.
That little bottle deposit brought a lot of joy back then, after a hard day of scrubbing showers, cleaning messes, and coming away with traveler horror stories that I try to forget to this day. Perhaps that's why I got a little excited to hear that Washington lawmakers are considering a bottle deposit for our own state — buy a can or a bottle, pay 10 cents, return the container, and get 10 cents back.
This proposal is tucked into a larger "WRAP Act" (Washington Recycling and Packaging Act) being pushed by state Rep. Liz Berry (D–Seattle) and state Sen. Christine Rolfes (D–Bainbridge Island). The overall goal is to cut down on waste from packaging, and get more waste into the recycling system. The bottle deposit program plays into the big picture.
"I am most excited about the inclusion of a bottle deposit system in the bill, similar to what Oregon has," Berry said this week.
After moving back to the states from Bavaria, I went to Portland where I learned that, in a pinch, I could collect up all the cans and bottles around me and get some quick cash. Oregon has had a bottle deposit program since 1971, under the idea that it encourages folks to clean up littered beverage containers. I would save up all the containers around my place, plus any I came across. Then I'd take them to Fred Meyer, which had an automated center for returning bottles and cans. After suffering through the stench of stale beer, I'd get a receipt which I traded for money at the store. There were a few steps, but it was simple.
Oregon's program has evolved over the years. In 2019, lawmakers in that state updated the law to fine people $250 if they attempt to take containers down from Washington and exchange them for Oregon deposit money. Basically, the same interstate fraud that Kramer and Newman attempted on "Seinfeld."
Oregon is not alone. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Vermont each have deposit programs of their own. Guam has one, too.
This is not the first time Washington has considered a container deposit program like this. There were attempts in 2011, 1982, 1979, and 1970. In most cases, the idea was shot down by voters. Each time, the argument focused on keeping things clean on the street, in parks, and other corners of the state. As someone who has lived among a deposit culture, I can say that, if such a program is approved in Washington, you can expect your streets to be a bit cleaner. The plastic bags, caps, and random socks will still be there, but the bottles and cans will be gone. It's also likely that folks will rummage through your recycling bin. On the upside, you could get to know your local rummager, like I did in Portland. He was a cool dude. And folks will have some extra cash to throw around. Not enough to replace a paycheck. But 200 cans can get you $20, enough to help out every now and then, put into a gas tank, contribute to groceries, etc.
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Veterans chip in to help Seattle's South Park in wake of flood
Seattle's South Park neighborhood is still clearing out debris from last week's significant flooding. Now, veterans are helping with the disaster response.
The vet-led organization Team Rubicon says it has started a five-day debris clean-up, collaborating with Seattle's Office of Emergency Management and other city departments. Rubicon's volunteers are called "Greyshirts." They were contacted by Seattle Public Utilities and asked to help out in South Park.
Their focus is on assisting residents adjacent to the Duwamish River, flooded with water and other floating waste last week. Greyshirts will be charged with removing a range of debris from the neighborhood.
About 20 families were displaced in South Park due to the flood.
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Proposal would stop businesses from going cashless in King County
Cash will remain king in King County under a new council proposal that would require all businesses in unincorporated areas to accept cash.
County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles introduced the legislation Thursday. She says accepting cash ensures that residents who don't have access to credit or banking accounts, and therefore rely on cash, can still participate in the economy.
“When I am out and about, I am finding that more and more businesses are only accepting payment by credit cards or smart phones rather than cash,” Kohl-Welles said. “I believe the trend in this direction is highly problematic as it will prevent many people in our community who do not have bank accounts from participating in the economy. And this isn’t just a novel problem, it has the capacity to further hurt our most marginalized communities from accessing the goods and services they need to survive.”
Kohl-Welles says that when businesses go cashless, it most affects communities of color, seniors, people with disabilities, undocumented residents, refugee and immigrant groups, and low-income residents.
Many businesses are gradually shifting away from cash transactions for simplicity and greater security. Kohl-Welles' office points to the latest FDIC survey, in 2021, which shows at least 2% of Washingtonians don't use bank services, such as debit and credit cards. The office says this figure implies that as many at 67,000 people in King County are "unbanked."
Kohl-Welles' office admits it is unknown exactly how many businesses in the county have gone cashless. The council member hopes the proposal will address any potential issues in the future.
“While it is true that this legislation will only pertain to unincorporated King County, I believe that King County is a trend– and example–setter,” Kohl-Welles said. “I am confident that if this ordinance is approved, we will bring attention on this burgeoning issue to a much wider audience.”
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Idaho Supreme Court upholds abortion ban
The Idaho Supreme Court has upheld the state’s near-total abortion ban with a 5-2 decision this week. It's a decision that could affect reproductive health care providers in Washington state, where abortion rights are protected.
In her majority opinion, Idaho Supreme Court Justice Robyn Brody argued that there is no right to access abortion in the Idaho State Constitution and the state’s founders never intended for abortion to be protected.
The court also upheld a law that allowed family members of the fetus to enforce the ban by suing the medical provider for a minimum of $20,000.
Paul Dillon, the vice president of public affairs of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, says said clinics are prepared to care for patients who have to travel.
“It’s really important to remember that even though these bans remain in effect in Idaho, patients still have options to access the care that they need," Dillon said. "And we can see patients who are traveling, and we will continue to do so and will never stop fighting for a person's ability to control their own life and their future.”
Idaho’s legislation only allows for exceptions if the life of the mother is in danger, or if a rape has been reported to the police and the victim has a copy of that report.
In a statement Thursday, Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon praised the state’s Supreme Court and called on the public to “remain vigilant in defending life.”
Read Rebecca White's full reporting on this story at Spokane Public Radio.
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Jayapal: Chaos around House speaker vote signals 'a very difficult two years' ahead
The U.S. House has, so far, failed to elect a speaker, delaying the work ahead.
Despite wanting Friday off to mark the second anniversary of the January 6 attacks on the Capitol, representatives are headed back to the floor to try yet again to get the job done.
But Washington Democratic Congressmember Pramila Jayapal says the "drama" will "quickly seep out to the rest of the country" even after a speaker is selected.
"The dysfunction of the last two days is currently limited to the House floor," she told KUOW's Paige Browning. "What about when we have to raise the debt ceiling? What about when we have to do government appropriations? These are things that are going to affect every single constituent."
Republican Congressmember Kevin McCarthy of California failed to secure the speakership 11 times by the end of the day Thursday.
Washington Democratic Congressmember Suzan DelBene echoes Jayapal's sentiments. She says, in failing to come together to elect a speaker, Republicans are causing serious problems in the House.
"The dysfunction on the Republican side impacts our ability to govern," DelBene said.
DelBene points out that members can't be sworn without a speaker in place. As a result, they can't perform basic functions of government, like attend security briefings. But DelBene also feels that the chaos could actually help her party in coming years. She's the new head of the Congressional Campaign Committee that will work to get Democrats elected in 2024.
Washington's two Republican House members could not be reached for comment.
"You reap what you sow"
Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, points to the loss of more moderate Republicans who either chose not to run for reelection or who lost their contests to candidates even further to the right — members of McCarthy's own party who are now blocking his rise to speaker.
"You reap what you sow," she says of the chaos on the House floor. "This has been a long time coming. Republicans, including moderate Republicans, allowed extreme MAGA Republicans to get away with some of the worst assaults on the United States Capitol on January 6 [2021]. ... And I think this is another version of the attack on the institutions that allow us to be a functioning democracy. That is very much on the shoulders of these Republicans who have allowed Donald Trump to be the cult figure of the Republican Party."
Two years after the attack on the Capitol, Jayapal says our democracy is fragile, and the struggle to elect a speaker suggests "a very difficult two years" ahead.
Democrats have so far been united in the speaker race, voting for Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York; they lack enough votes to actually put the Democratic leader into the speaker's chair.
McCarthy could strike a deal for some of their 212 votes to get the 218 he needs to win. Jayapal is highly skeptical of that possibility, though.
"If we were to agree to Democratic votes for a Republican speaker without a full agreement, then what happens when that Republican speaker cuts Social Security or Medicare?" she says. "I don't think anybody is looking for this to continue. We want a speaker of the House, but we want a speaker of the House that is going to negotiate in good faith for the American people. And I do worry that the concessions that Kevin McCarthy now appears to be making are going to mean a complete disruption to the work of the United States Congress over the next two years."
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Washington grid attacks flew under the radar for months
Recent attacks on the Northwest electrical grid have law enforcement agencies on high alert.
Two Puyallup men were arrested after four Pierce County substations were targeted Christmas day. Detention hearings for Matthew Greenwood and Jeremy Crahan, charged with the federal crime of conspiracy to damage energy facilities, are scheduled for Friday and Tuesday, respectively, in Tacoma.
But KUOW has learned that attacks on the grid have been surging in Washington state since last summer.
The U.S. Department of Energy keeps tabs on disturbances to the nation’s electrical grid from natural, accidental, and intentional causes.
That DOE data and other reporting by KUOW reveal previously unreported physical attacks on substations in southwest Washington this summer.
On June 16, someone knocked out a substation in the Lewis County town of Morton. Five days later, a substation in the Grays Harbor County town of Central Park was attacked.
On Aug. 5, somebody used a similar method to knock out a substation in the town of Toledo.
A Lewis County Sheriff’s Office report shows a steel cable used in the Toledo attack burned in half by high-voltage electricity.
Other substations were targeted on Aug. 31 in Oakville and Oct. 6 in Central Park.
“For someone to seek entry to a substation and attempt to do damage is incredibly dangerous,” Grays Harbor Public Utility District spokesperson Ian Cope said. “It really is amazing to me that there hasn't been a fatality for one of these vandals or thieves or whoever attempts to gain entry to a substation without the proper training.”
Other substations were targeted in November in Washington and Oregon, before a more damaging attack in North Carolina generated widespread power outages and national headlines.
The five summer incidents bring the number of known grid attacks in the Northwest to at least 15 in 2022, with 10 of them in November and December.
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Did you know?: This list of banished words and phrases may not be the GOAT, but it is what it is...
You're going to have to go on a vocab diet in 2023, according to the nerds at Lake Superior State University. The faculty at the Michigan college have come up with their annual list of words and phrases people should just stop using in 2023. Faculty argue these words and phrases should be banished for "misuse, overuse and uselessness."
This Did You Know segment was originally published in the Jan. 5, 2023 edition of the Today So Far newsletter.
- GOAT
- Inflection point
- Quiet quitting
- Gaslighting
- Moving forward
- Amazing
- Does that make sense?
- Irregardless
- Absolutely
- It is what it is
Regardless of what you think, "irregardless" is indeed a word (despite my pedantic rants that have ruined the vibe at various parties).
I have to agree about "quiet quitting" and "gaslighting." They are used quite a lot. Plus, "quiet quitting" is one of those language mirages, where the words literally mean something, but the concept is entirely different. Quiet quitting is simply when an employee decides to stick to their job description, only work within their shift, and not put in any extra effort ... in other words, doing their job. So you're not actually quitting, are you?!
I never caught on with GOAT (greatest of all time) in the first place. It's a nice sentiment, but who wants to be likened to a goat? Why not "BEAR" for "bringing excellence and respect"? Or "SHARK" for "so hard at rocking and kicking it"? Sure, those are reaching pretty hard, but it is what it is. "It is what it is," is a phrase I am not dropping. Sometimes, it really just is what it is.
I am open to any other animal-based ideas for complimenting people, other than GOAT. Feel free to email me at dyer@kuow.org.
The list is the result of more than 1,500 nominations from across the globe. Faculty voted and came up with the top 10. They argue that the terms are so overused that they are disconnected from their actual meaning or impact. Like, how amazing can something be if we say "amazing" for just about everything? Does that make sense?
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Amazon shifts its thinking as it sheds 18K employees: Today So Far
- Amazon is now cutting 18,000 jobs, more than previously expected.
- Microsoft employees have started the company's first union.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for January 5, 2023.
When word got out in November that Amazon was preparing to make job cuts, the estimate was that the online retail giant would nix about 10,000 positions. Now, that number has inflated to more than 18,000.
"This is the biggest layoff in the company's history, it's also the biggest layoff in the past year among major tech companies, and there have been quite a few," GeekWire's Todd Bishop told KUOW this morning. "More than that, it's really a signal of a change in mindset for the company."
That mindset will be more "scrappy," and a return to the company's roots, Bishop said, noting Amazon is trying to simplify its corporate side. While the layoffs will only be about 1% of Amazon's 1.5 million workforce, Bishop said it adds up to about 5% of the corporate workforce.
"So if you take that 5% ratio and apply it to the 75,000 (employees in the Seattle area), you're somewhere in the realm of 4,000 workers (in the Seattle area) that are primarily in devices and books," he said.
Amazon plans to start letting affected employees know on Jan. 18. In a blog post, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy commented on "the difficult decision to eliminate additional roles." The jobs slated to be cut are not in warehouses or among hourly paid jobs. Rather, Amazon is targeting its stores and PXT organizations.
What is a PXT job? I was wondering the same thing. As far as I can tell it's one of those departments that Chandler Bing would work in because — through all the jargon and generic language — nobody knows what they do. According to Amazon's PXT website, the " People Experience and Technology Solutions" department "eat our own dog food by using our own solutions."
According to Bishop, PXT is Amazon speak for "human resources."
"Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so," Jassy said in his blog post. "These changes will help us pursue our long-term opportunities with a stronger cost structure; however, I’m also optimistic that we’ll be inventive, resourceful, and scrappy in this time when we’re not hiring expansively and eliminating some roles."
January is reportedly the biggest month for layoffs. Tech, health care, banking, and finance are expected to shed the most jobs in 2023. One-third of companies expect to cut 30% or more of their workforce this year. NPR also has more on this, as well as a few tips for folks facing layoffs.
In other Northwest tech news, employees have formed the first union at Microsoft. The union emerged from the company's game testers. Yes, that is an actual job, and no, I am not making fun of it by pointing that out. Despite shrinking revenue last year, the video game industry still pulls in nearly $184 billion in revenue. It spans games on your smartphone to "Minecraft," "Fortnite," "Call of Duty," you name it. I play "Catan" on my phone — a board game, on my phone. That's all to say, being such a significant industry, these games better be tested before you release a mistake and lose money.
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Student sit-in protests fossil fuel company recruitment at University of Washington
A student group at the University of Washington is calling on the university to prohibit oil, gas, and mining operation companies from recruiting on campus.
Many such companies have graduate and internship programs. The ICA-UW Chapter started holding sit-ins at the university's career center in late November. The group plans to continue doing so through winter quarter. ICA stands for Institutional Climate Action.
RELATED: UW has 5 years to divest from fossil fuel
"We're gonna sit from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day and also try to get the attention of the attorney general of Washington state, because the Attorney General's Office is the group that will eventually approve this if it does get amended," said UW junior Lauren Henrie, who is leading the sit-in at UW.
The UW has been in the process of divesting its endowment fund from fossil fuels. The university's master's program in energy infrastructure is focused on new technologies and renewable energy sources.
University officials responded to KUOW in a statement, saying that while UW understands "that some individuals or advocacy groups may take issue with certain employers or industries, the UW Career & Internship Center is committed to ensuring that students with diverse career interests have access to a wide range of internship and career opportunities."
It goes to to say that the "the Center does this by connecting students with potential employers and students can make decisions for themselves about which employers may or may not be right for them."
About half a dozen colleges in the UK have already pushed fossil fuel recruitment off campuses.
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Could bottle deposits be coming to Washington state?
Lawmakers in Olympia will consider a series of proposals to cut down on waste and increase recycling efforts across Washington this legislative session. Among the ideas being pushed is a new bottle deposit system for the state — deposit 10 cents for that can of soda, and return it to the store to get it back.
"If we really want to meet our goals to reduce litter and increase, reuse, and recycle targets, and refill targets, Washington must implement this type of program," state Rep. Liz Berry said at the Seattle Aquarium this week while unveiling the WRAP Act ahead of the 2023 legislative session.
RELATED: Soda tax-funded programs largely safe, despite lower pandemic revenue
If passed, the bottle deposit program proposed for Washington state would impose a 10 cent deposit on beverage containers. People could then return those containers to stores to get that 10 cents back. The idea is to motivate consumers to direct containers back into the recycling system, instead of risking the items getting into the waste system (landfills), or littered on the side of the road. It also could encourage folks to pick up littered containers.
Oregon has a similar system in place. It is not uncommon for grocery stores in that state to feature automated centers where cans and bottles can be returned, and the store will pay out the deposit on site. It is unclear if a similar system will evolve in Washington, should the deposit proposal pass in Olympia this year.
The bottle deposit proposal is part of a much larger bill slated for the 2023 session, called the WRAP Act (Washington Recycling and Packaging Act). State Rep. Berry (D–Seattle) and state Sen. Christine Rolfes (D–Bainbridge Island) are behind the effort. The WRAP Act ultimately aims to cut down on packaging waste across a range of consumer products, while increasing recycling rates.
RELATED: Plenty of Amazon plastic to go around ... the Earth
"The bill is a much-needed modernization of our state's recycling system," Rolfes said, adding that it builds on a 2019 assessment of the state's packaging and plastic waste, leading lawmakers to a goal of reaching 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging across Washington.
"Laws like the WRAP Act have been in place in the European Union for decades, Canada has had a law similar ... and we know from their experience that they are reducing their garbage and increasing their recycling rates. In America, four states have passed laws just like this: Maine, Oregon, Colorado, and California. It's time for Washington to do the same."
The bottle deposit program is tucked into the WRAP Act as one method, among others, of directing waste into the state's recycling system.
"I am most excited about the inclusion of a bottle deposit system in the bill, similar to what Oregon has," Berry said.
According to an informational handout, the program will have bottle distributors form a cooperative to develop ways to implement the state's reuse and recycling goals. It requires producers to pay into and set up the recycling and reuse system, funded by the distributors and unredeemed deposits.
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