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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Bellevue motorcycle officer dies following traffic collision
Bellevue police are mourning the loss of one of their motorcycle officers following a fatal collision with a car early Monday.
Officer Jordan Jackson was riding northbound in the 500 block of Bellevue Way SE around 10 a.m. A car exiting a parking lot struck him on the road.
Jackson suffered life-threatening injuries and was quickly taken to Harborview Medical Center where he passed away.
Washington State Patrol is investigating the collision. So far, troopers have determined that neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor in the incident, and neither was speed.
“We are devastated by Officer Jackson’s tragic death,” Chief Wendell Shirley said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to his wife, two children, his family and friends, and extended BPD family as they grieve. This is a huge loss for the entire community.”
Jackson, 34, started working at the Bellevue Police Department in 2018. He has served on the traffic unit since 2020. During that time, he earned employee of the quarter.
Prior to joining BPD, Jackson worked as an EMT and also a volunteer firefighter. He also volunteered on the King County Sheriff's Search and Rescue K-9 unit. According to BPD, Jackson graduated from Issaquah High School and Central Washington University. He is survived by a wife and two children.
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When is graffiti art?: Today So Far
Seattle has a new effort to address graffiti. Could it work?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 21, 2022.
Imagine there is something that younger folks are interested in, and the older folks don't like it. This happens all the time. There's one thing the adults can do to ensure the younger folks lose interest — become interested in it themselves. Whatever it is, it will stop being cool. There's also something adults can do that will ensure younger folks double down on the offending interest — make it official and organize it.
I have a feeling that one of these two outcomes will happen in Seattle under the city's newest approach to graffiti.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is making graffiti a focus of his administration. He announced a series of measures being taken on the issue in October. The measures include increasing abatement and anti-graffiti volunteers. It also includes the Many Hands Art Initiative, which is run through the city's Office of Arts and Culture. Harrell proposed $940,000 for the effort. It basically seeks to find common ground between graffiti and public art, like murals, while leading youth programs for street art.
"It's an opportunity for new voices, it's an opportunity for communities to come together, it's an opportunity for all of us to have an ongoing solution of street art to this negative behavior of graffiti, whether it is violent or non-permission based," Royal Alley-Barnes, acting director of the Office of Arts and Culture, told KUOW's Mike Davis.
Alley-Barnes says that there are lines not to cross when it comes to street art, and that is what Seattle is pushing back on. One major line is the "negative behavior" Alley-Barnes spoke about. The city aims to have more positive and artistic displays on its streets.
Alley-Barnes points to the Martin Luther King Jr. mural on the corner of MLK Jr Way and Cherry Street. The mural was originally painted in the 1990s, and was recently redone by the original artist.
"The graffiti that was on there (before) was violent, it was misogynist, racist graffiti. This is what the mayor is talking about. That is not art. I don't care if the calligraphy is amazing, I don't care if it is done with the kinds of symbols we would see on a t-shirt ... no. Once it gets into all those negative, racist activities, once it gets into disrespect, and once it gets into premonition of violent behavior and violent statements — not acceptable."
Another line is throwing up paint on someone's business, or home, where it is not welcome.
"For me, it boils down to consent, or what is wanted or unwanted for a property owner," Mayor Harrell told KUOW. "There's a baseline, right? Hate crimes, racialized graffiti, things like that are graffiti and we want to not have that. That is non-negotiable."
On the other hand, Harrell says he has seen graffiti around Seattle, good art, and has wanted to find a way to foster that end of the spectrum.
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You'll have to work a few more hours to afford Seattle rent, Zillow says
If you want to pay your rent in Seattle, you're going to have to work more hours. That's the message from Zillow in its latest assessment of rising rents in the United States.
Zillow calculates that a Seattle renter would have to work a total of 56.3 hours to pay the "typical" rent for the city of $2,285. The real estate company notes that rent has increased by 29% in Seattle over the past five years, yet the average wage has only risen 12%.
Nationally, renters need to work six more hours a month than they did before the pandemic to make the typical U.S rent of $2,040, according to Zillow.
"The rental market has cooled this year, but so far that has meant prices growing more slowly, not any real relief for renters," said Zillow senior economist Jeff Tucker in a statement. "Rents were growing at a record pace for much of 2021, squeezing budgets for renters moving or renewing leases. Now, it appears more people are opting to double up with roommates or family, which means more vacancies and pressure on landlords to price their units competitively, offering some hope of relief on the horizon. Rents fell last month for the first time in two years, possibly the start of more price drops to come, or at least a signal that we are back to the usual seasonal rhythms of the rental market."
Zillow's assessment comes shorty after Redfin, another Seattle real estate company, announced that a person needs to earn at least $205,000 annually to by a median-priced home in the city. That is up from $141,000 a year ago.
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Fish farming banned in Washington waters by executive order
Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands has issued an executive order that bans fish farming in Washington waters.
Many coastal tribes, and environmentalists, are celebrating the move.
"This is a critical step to support our waters, our fishermen and women, our tribes and our native salmon that we are so ferociously trying to save and have so little time to do so," said Commissioner Hilary Franz as she announced Friday that net pen aquaculture is over in Washington.
"Salmon are in danger of going extinct, the way of life that supports numerous coast Salish tribes and our entire Northwest culture hangs in the balance."
The executive order goes a step further than last week's news that DNR would not renew any fish farm leases under its purview.
Franz says this is about freeing Washington waters from cages. Net pens can hold hundreds of thousands of farmed, non-native fish. In 2017, one such pen broke open, spilling Atlantic salmon into Puget Sound, leading to years of litigation. It spurred tribal concerns for native salmon and their food stock, among other risks of non-native fish inhabiting local waters.
Other forms of aquatic farming are still welcome in Washington waters, such as shellfish. Tribal fisheries also maintain the right to use aquatic net pens for fin fish.
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Jayapal calls for FTC investigation into Kroger-Albertsons merger
Congressmember Pramila Jayapal is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Kroger's proposed acquisition of Albertsons.
The Seattle representative says the merger will stifle competition, hurt consumers, and small businesses, and will ultimately lead to higher prices and fewer products on the market.
RELATED: The rise of Krogersons
State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has made similar arguments in his efforts to keep a $4 billion payout to Albertsons' shareholders from going through.
A judge delayed a hearing on that matter until Dec. 9. There is currently a temporary restraining order on any payout to shareholders.
Jayapal called for the FTC to look into the $25 billion merger at a press event Monday afternoon at Seattle's Junction Park Plaza. She was joined by local members of UFCW 3000, which represents grocery workers.
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Washington state is not short on money as it debates its next two-year budget
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and state lawmakers will have billions more in tax dollars than last time around when they sit down to write a budget for the next two years.
State tax collections are defying fears of a recession as lawmakers get ready to debate the new budget. Real estate excise tax collections are currently dropping from slowing home sales, but other important taxes are still bringing in the dough big time. Business income taxes are stronger than expected; so is the retail sales tax.
All of it adds up to a growing positive bottom line for Washington state government.
Southwest Washington Republican state Rep. Ed Orcutt says it’s time for a broad-based property tax or sales tax cut.
“Somewhere in here, we’ve got to figure out some sort of tax relief because we’ve got a lot of people who are suffering," Orcutt said.
Majority Democrats greeted Orcutt’s suggestion cautiously.
The Washington Legislature’s lead budget writers say inflation is affecting state agencies as well as school costs. They say any tax relief next year will likely be targeted to the most needy.
Democrat Timm Ormsby, the House appropriations chair, says there are "volatile risks lingering on the horizon," but also says that the state's revenue forecasts are in "good shape" over the coming two years.
“House Democrats have heard from their communities about the needs in schools and student support to give every child the education they deserve," Ormsby said in a statement. "Statewide we need to invest in and support our workforce so that we can provide health care, behavioral health, long-term and disability care to ensure families aren’t left without critical services. We must ensure financial support to address significant housing and homelessness needs. There is a lot of work to be done.
“I look forward to reviewing the governor’s proposed 2023-2025 Operating Budget and working with my colleagues to ensure the state provides sustainable and equitable access to resources that address our most urgent needs.”
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More people have died from overdoses so far in 2022 than in all of 2021
More people have died of overdoses in King County so far this year than in all of 2021.
Public Health — Seattle & King County says it's recorded an average of 17 overdose deaths per week in 2022. According to the public health department:
"Since 2019, the number of overdose deaths in King County has grown exponentially, jumping by 20% between 2019 and 2020 and 39% between 2020 and 2021. By October 15, 2022, 710 overdose deaths had occurred in King County, surpassing the total number of deaths in 2021."
Fentanyl is being blamed for 70% of all confirmed overdose deaths to date this year. Prior to 2018, that number was below 10%.
RELATED: King County declares fentanyl a public health crisis
The health department also says that the most disproportionately impacted communities in King County are: people experiencing homelessness; American Indian and Alaskan Native and Black residents; and communities in Seattle and South King County.
RELATED: Fentanyl is a great drug for cartels. But those blue pills are killing King County
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More layoffs at Amazon possible in 2023
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the company could start laying off even more workers in 2023, adding that "leaders across the company" are reviewing their employees, teams, and workloads.
"This year’s review is more difficult due to the fact that the economy remains in a challenging spot and we’ve hired rapidly the last several years," Jassy said in a statement.
The news comes after the Seattle-based online retail giant confirmed this week that it's laying off employees who work on its smart devices and speakers, as well as those who work in retail stores. It's estimated that upwards of 10,000 workers could be laid off soon.
RELATED: Tech industry is shedding employees in the NW
Amazon plans to offer some employees severance packages, or help them find a different position within the company. Jassy said they don't know how many more people they'll let go, but expect more layoffs in the People and Stores divisions.
According to Jassy, the recent decision involves eliminating "a number of positions across our Devices and Books businesses," as well as "some employees in our People, Experience, and Technology (PXT) organization."
Jassy further stated:
"Our annual planning process extends into the new year, which means there will be more role reductions as leaders continue to make adjustments. Those decisions will be shared with impacted employees and organizations early in 2023. We haven’t concluded yet exactly how many other roles will be impacted (we know that there will be reductions in our Stores and PXT organizations), but each leader will communicate to their respective teams when we have the details nailed down. And, as has been the case this week, we will prioritize communicating directly with impacted employees before making broad public or internal announcements."
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Can I ruin this turkey?: Today So Far
What these NW chefs (and others) are cooking up, and what it means.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 18, 2022.
A couple years ago I made goose for Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, I made duck. Both times ... it didn't go well.
This year, we decided to stop fighting tradition and are going with a turkey, and the usual roast vegetables, cranberries, and so forth. I'll be making cherry pie while I'm at it. Also this year, I'll have some backup. My ma-in-law has secured sticky rice and Thai sausage (though she says it might be Lao, but really, "You know, sausage. It has herbs. It's good!").
I've also noticed that family just shows up with food at such gatherings. So that's comforting, but still, it feels somewhat odd this year. Nina and I moved since the goose and duck dinners, and brought her mom along with us. That means more potential for family around holidays (not my sister and her husband though; they've already started decorating for Christmas, so they're not invited). So when I think about all of this — I've never had the opportunity to screw up Thanksgiving dinner in front of so many people before. This should be an experience to remember...
Chef Shota Nakajima is likely to have a very different experience this year, and he's cooking duck! He's the owner of Taku and Kobo restaurants on Capitol Hill, and therefore, he knows what he's doing. Chef Nakajima tells KUOW's Soundside that he will brine the duck for two days, then blanche it in hot water, before drying and roasting it up in the oven to make it crispy. The duck will be stuffed with mochi rice and hijiki (a type of seaweed).
Nakajima wasn't the only chef who Soundside quizzed about their holiday plans. Corie Ratliff, owner of Mama Corie's Kitchen in Yakima, is keeping up family traditions with a broccoli puff dish. James Lim, owner of Watson's Counter in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, is going for an American / Korean combo meal.
For Ratliff, holiday cooking is special because of family, not just the ones at the table, but the people and recipes that came before. Her broccoli puff dish originated with her great grandmother. Lim shared a similar sentiment, saying, "my mom cooked as a labor of love. My grandma cooked as a labor of love. And so for me to cook is just that — it's a labor of love for community."
Over at Seattle Now, Andrew Walsh with the podcast "Too Beautiful to Live" is having a "warm and cozy" dinner with a small group of family. His main goal is to not ruin brussels sprouts. Author Jodi-Ann Burey will spend the day at home with her dog, writing a book, though she aims to get leftovers from her neighbor, or any non-burnt brussels sprouts from Andrew. Hear that conversation here.
Chef Nakajima told Soundside that he is also celebrating alone this year, with his duck, to take time for reflection and gratitude. That's the thing that can be nice about holidays. Whether you lean into, or cut away, the myths surrounding it all, they really are what you make them, and what you put into them.
I'm not exactly sure how to cook/ruin a turkey. So far, I figure you can't go wrong with butter, garlic, and rosemary. Maybe some lemon. That should cook up nicely in, like, say 30 minutes-ish ... right? I am open to any ideas and tips from TSF readers out there.
Despite not going at it alone this year, I think I lean more into Chef Nakajima's approach — focus on gratitude. If there is one thing I can expect from holidays like Thanksgiving, and the inevitable chaos, is that I am certainly thankful when it's over.
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Mayor Harrell appoints panel to address sexual assault, police reform
Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the names Thursday of six people who will form a new advisory panel to provide recommendations on how Seattle police handle sexual assault investigations.
Harrell said in a press release that the advisory panel is the next step in a process that started this summer, after he issued an executive order in July to support victims of sexual assault and enhance investigations. A KUOW and Seattle Times investigation in June reported that Seattle Police had stopped investigating sexual assaults committed against adults.
The sergeant overseeing the sexual assault and child abuse unit outlined the problems facing the unit in an internal memo last spring.
“The community expects our agency to respond to reports of sexual violence,” Sgt. Pamela St. John wrote, “and at current staffing levels that objective is unattainable.”
The Seattle Police Department has struggled to retain employees. The sexual assault and child abuse unit is now staffed with eight detectives, according to Harrell, an increase from earlier this year.
The new panel includes local stakeholders and those with expertise on the subject of sexual crimes:
- Megan Allen, Legal Advocacy Manager, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
- Michael Cervantes, Policy Manager, Seattle Indian Health Board
- George Gonzalez, Assistant Director, Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center
- Jackie Helfgott, PhD, Professor of Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Forensics; Director of the Crime & Justice Research Center, Seattle University
- Sara Mooney, Pro Bono Counsel, Sexual Violence Law Center
Jennifer Wallace, Program Director – Sexual Assault, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission
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New regulations to push WA homes away from fossil fuels in 2023
In an effort to meet the state’s climate goals, new regulations will push home construction in Washington toward all-electric heating and away from natural gas. Proponents of the change, which takes effect in July 2023, say it will also have public health benefits.
The regulations require new homes to have heat pumps, which are usually electric and more efficient than gas furnaces.
The requirements will apply to new single-family homes, duplexes, and townhouse clusters.
Cardiologist Mark Vossler, president of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, said it’s better for people’s health to not burn fossil fuels in the home.
“The pollutants released by burning gas increase the risk of asthma and other lung diseases, heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases, dementia and other neurological diseases,” he said.
Dr. Vossler said this change will especially benefit low-income families and communities of color, who are more likely to live in smaller homes — where pollution can't dissipate — and are more likely to be exposed to other forms of air pollution. The effects of air pollution are cumulative.
“This isn’t a de facto gas ban,” said Jonny Kocher, an advocate with the nonprofit clean energy group RMI, who helped draft the regulation. “It basically promotes electrification by requiring heat pumps.”
He said there are gas-powered heat pumps, or people could have gas backup for electric heat pumps, but “there’s a high incentive for folks to just go all-electric.”
A second building code change will increase the ventilation required in new homes that do have gas stoves installed.
These changes follow a related requirement in new apartment buildings, condos, and commercial buildings that passed in April. Those now have to heat both water and the building itself with electricity. In those buildings, gas stoves are also still allowed, but the electric heating requirement means it won’t usually be cost-effective to install them.
These changes aim to bring down Washington’s overall carbon emissions — about a quarter of which come from buildings.
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A grizzly situation in Washington: Today So Far
- Should we bring grizzly bears back to the North Cascades?
- Washington's DNR is nixing fishy business in Puget Sound.
- When will our dry November end?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 17, 2022.
Once upon a time, there were grizzly bears in Cascade Mountains. Then settlers came, and the grizzlies went away.
That's the end of the story as far as people are concerned, but the story continued for the environment and other animals in the region. Now, there is an effort to start a new chapter for grizzlies in our neck of the woods.
"Essentially, what changed was people arriving," Seattle Times Environmental Reporter Isabella Breda told Seattle Now. "Their value never changed."
Just as with wolves in the Northwest, grizzlies were viewed as a threat to people and livestock. They were hunted for fur, or to just get rid of them. Turns out, they served a purpose for the region's ecosystem. Breda notes that grizzlies turned up the soil as they searched for food, which helped a range of plant species. They ate berries, and in turn, distributed their seeds, such as huckleberries, which are popular with black and white tail deer. Populations exploded among smaller animals that the bears preyed on. The absence of the bears turned the "food chain upside-down," Breda said.
"When the grizzlies left, those processes that the ecosystem relied on them for, left."
In 2014, under the Obama administration, a process was launched to bring the bears back to the North Cascades. That "process" just meant that wildlife officials were going to look into it, but this was all paused under Trump, and now it's being relaunched. The basic idea under consideration is to round up three to five grizzlies from other national parks and bring them to the North Cascades. Then do that every year until you have about 25 bears. Hopefully, the region would have about 200 bears after a century.
Sounds simple enough, until you remember that grizzlies are massive, giant bears and we have all these people in the Cascades now — living there or just driving over for a hike or a camping trip. That brings us back to square one. It's probably why Congressmember Dan Newhouse is pushing back against this idea. Newhouse represents the 4th Congressional District, which spans the North Cascades. In an op-ed, Newhouse argues that reintroducing the bears would "upset our ecosystem and cause undue hardships on agriculture producers, businesses, and families." Newhouse further says that locals have repeatedly shot down this idea, but "outside interest groups and government bureaucrats" who don't have to live with the grizzlies, keep pushing.
A proposal like this is likely to take time. Expect battle lines to be drawn through the North Cascades as this issue moves forward. Check out Breda's full conversation with Seattle Now here.
As one effort to bring animals to one corner of the Northwest begins, another effort is underway to remove another. Washington is nixing all its public waterway leases for fish farms.
You may recall that a fish farm pen near the San Juan Islands broke in 2017, and about 263,000 Atlantic salmon escaped into Puget Sound waters. That was a fish pen off Cypress Island operated by Cooke Aquaculture. The company initially said that far fewer fish escaped, which rubbed state officials the wrong way when the truth was revealed. Relations between the company and the state haven't gotten much better since then. At the time, Cooke was farming Atlantic salmon, which as the name implies, are not native to our Pacific region. As such, they pose certain risks, such as spreading diseases our local salmon have not evolved to handle. The Atlantic salmon that escaped in 2017 reportedly carried a virus which made locals concerned. Beyond all this, local tribes have objected to fish farms and have argued they conflict with treaty rights.
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