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
-
MacKenzie Scott is shaking up philanthropy's traditions. Is that a good thing?
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a series of devastating climate change-fueled events and high food and energy costs, 2022 was a year of significant turmoil. But at least in the philanthropy sector, there may be reason for optimism.
On December 14, 2022 billionaire philanthropist and novelist MacKenzie Scott announced that her donations since 2019 have totaled more than $14 billion and helped fund around 1,600 nonprofits. But as much as the scale, it is the style of giving that is causing a stir; it's targeted at a wide spectrum of causes, without a formal application process and--it appears--no strings attached.
"I cried!" admits Katherine Williford, chief growth officer of the international nonprofit Water For People, recalling the day in August 2022 that their $15 million grant was confirmed.
Williford said the previous January, a representative of someone only referred to as a "high net-worth individual" interested in promoting health and equality contacted them.
"We walked them through our plans, visions, finances. Then after six months we get $15 million with no restrictions or reporting requirements. We even offered to send an annual report or an update on the funding but they said, 'We trust you.' I've never had that happen in all my years in fundraising."
It was only when the grant was confirmed that Scott was revealed as the donor.
As of December 2022, Scott was the fifth richest woman in the U.S. with an estimated fortune of about $26 billion. Scott divorced Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos in 2019, and as part of the settlement, received a 4% stake in Amazon. That same year, she vowed to give away her "disproportionate amount of money" and to "keep at it until the safe is empty."
She rarely grants interviews and did not respond to a request for comment from NPR for this story. In keeping with her low-profile approach to gift-giving in the last several years, she has only vaguely explained her rationale for deciding whom to fund and, until December 2022, did not even have a website that tracked the gifts.
Initially, some potential recipients ignored Scott's representatives' emails or hung up on their calls, believing them to be scams or hoaxes. For many of Scott's recipients, it was the largest grant they have ever received.
The lack of information about Scott's team, method and decision-making process has invited some skepticism. Stanford University professor and co-director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society Rob Reich told Bloomberg in 2021:
Continue reading » -
Seattle area housing market shifts amid recession predictions: Today So Far
From Redfin to Zillow, real estate experts and economists are predicting a few changes in the housing market for 2023. Such predictions come as some expect a recession in the months ahead.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for January 9, 2023.
How close are you with friends and family? Would you buy a house with them? It's questions like these that a lot of homebuyers in the Seattle area are considering, according to one real estate company. Such measures may become more common as the region's housing and rental market go through major shifts in 2023, amid concerns of a looming recession.
Seattle real estate company Zillow made a series of 2023 predictions recently, and among them is this: "Buying with friends and family will gain momentum."
"Ultimately, this prediction comes down to affordability, which we think will be the main driver of the market in 2023," said Zillow senior economist Nicole Bachaud. "Mortgage payments for a typical U.S. home rose from needing 27% of median household income in January, to 30% in March, to 37% in October. That’s far beyond the 30% line where housing becomes a financial burden. People want to own homes, but many need help to get across that threshold. We expect more people will take uncommon measures to buy a house and start building equity, including buying with friends and family."
Bachaud further points to Zillow survey data which states that 18% of recent buyers made the purchase with a friend or relative, and 19% of prospective buyers currently intend to invest in a home with a friend or relative over the next year. Also, roughly "40% of buyers with a mortgage used a gift or loan from friends or family to help with their down payment."
Using the "Bank of Mom and Dad" isn't unheard of, but the bank of "My old pal Joe from college" or "Maybe Deborah will go in on this condo with us" is perhaps not so common. I've always said that becoming roommates with friends will either make you really good friends, or make you never want to speak to them again. Investing in a home has to take that to a whole new level. But this is the level our region seems to be at. As Bachaud mentions above, a lot of this is being driven by affordability. Zillow notes that home prices shot up in recent years. On top of that, mortgage rates recently rose considerably.
"This year, we are expecting affordability to stabilize," Bachaud said. "Home values should remain mostly flat in 2023, and may even continue to fall a bit ... While affordability will remain a major hurdle, households will at least have a much better idea of what a future home purchase will cost as they plan their budgets and savings goals."
Higher mortgage rates is a factor that has set off alarms over at Redfin, too, another major Seattle-area real estate company. Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather told KUOW that they're seeing the region's housing market react to the higher rates. Folks are sitting out the market, or looking for some other, more affordable, region to balance out the costs. Also, housing inventory is up, but it's not that more homes are being put up for sale, rather homes are sitting on the market for much longer. As long as the rates are high, Fairweather says the region's housing market is going to keep cooling off in the months ahead.
"Also, as the overall economy looks a little bit to be on shaky ground, a lot of economists, myself included, are expecting a recession this year," Fairweather said. "So it's not exactly good news for anybody in the economy, but if you happen to be in a position where you are ready to buy a home and are able to do so, then you are in the driver's seat. You can ask for concessions, you can have the home on your terms, at your pace. This is pretty unusual. There hasn't been a housing market like this in Seattle for at least four years, maybe even longer."
"The economy may be heading for a recession, and your personal income or employment may be put at risk. I think people underestimate that risk; they think that their job is safe if they've had it for a long time, but we've seen a lot of companies do layoffs. I think it's always something to be prepared for. Make sure you have an emergency fund. Don't stretch your budget with your housing budget and not have any money left over for saving for a rainy day."
*Note: There are a range of predictions about a potential recession in 2023. Exactly what that will look like is unknown. Some say it will be a softer experience, some say otherwise, and others say the economy it doing OK enough to weather a downturn.
Continue reading » -
Seattle Queen Irene 'the Alien' Dubois headed to the Drag Race stage
Seattle is sending another drag queen performer to the national stage.
RELATED: Seattle queens come home for the holidays
Queen Irene "the Alien" Dubois is the second Seattle drag performer in a row, and fifth overall, to make it to the show Rupaul's Drag Race.
Other Seattle drag queens that have competed on Drag Race include, Bosco, Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, and Robbie Turner.
Continue reading » -
Seattle hospital temporarily diverting some patients
UPDATE Jan. 9, 2023: As of Saturday night, Harborview Medical Center has returned to regular operations and is once again accepting patients as normal.
Original story published Jan. 6, 2023:
Harborview Medical Center has temporarily stopped accepting some patients due to excessively high patient volumes.
“Harborview Medical Center has made the difficult decision last evening, Jan. 5, to go temporarily on non-trauma medical divert. This includes triaging and diverting less seriously ill (non-trauma) patients to other area hospitals,” spokesperson Susan Gregg said via email.
Gregg said the decision will allow the hospital to maintain capacity to care for the most critically ill and for trauma patients.
Being on divert means the hospital is giving emergency services a cue to take lower-level patients to other hospitals.
This is the third time in the past six months that Harborview has decided to redirect some patients, according to Harborview's Mark Taylor.
Taylor said the decision is not taken lightly and is typically relatively rare.
No timeline has been given for how long patients will be diverted, but the situation is being reassessed regularly and staff say the hospital will return to normal operations as soon as it’s possible.
Hospitals across Washington state have been extremely full for months.
December was the busiest month on record for the Washington Medical Coordination Center, which helps transfer patients when they turn up at a hospital that can’t take them in.
The center received 662 requests for assistance, more than it received during the omicron surge in early 2022.
Hospital leaders say multiple factors are converging to stress hospital capacity, including staffing levels and difficulty discharging some patients who no longer need hospital-level care but can’t get a space in a nursing home or similar facility.
Continue reading » -
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.
Continue reading » -
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.
Continue reading » -
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.
Continue reading » -
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.
Continue reading » -
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.”
Continue reading » -
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.
Continue reading » -
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."
Continue reading » -
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.
Continue reading »