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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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  • Washington's emergency order has ended, but you still have to wear masks in these places

    Washington's statewide state of emergency order for the pandemic is over as of this morning, but some pandemic-era rules and precautions will remain.

    Employees with the city of Seattle and the state of Washington will still have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 as a condition of employment. No boosters are required.

    Covid workplace rules will still be in place. Folks with Covid will still have to stay home for five days, and employers will have to provide accommodations for high-risk employees, and notify staff when there is a case at work.

    Masking requirements will also stick around certain settings: hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities.

    In September, the CDC dropped its recommendation that everyone mask up in health-care settings. The agency now only recommends that people wear masks when they’re sick or caring for someone with Covid, if they’re personally at risk of a severe case, or if community Covid risk is high.

    Now, only about a dozen states and D.C. still require masking in health-care facilities, including Washington, California, Oregon, New York and Massachusetts.

    Washington, D.C., has some of the most stringent rules, requiring people to mask up not only in health-care settings, long-term care facilities, and prisons, but also in homeless shelters, city government buildings, and libraries.

    Continue reading »

  • Takeaways from the Larkin-Schrier debate for the 8th Congressional District race

    Congressmember Kim Schrier and Republican challenger Matt Larkin are back campaigning after their one and only debate. Their race for the 8th Congressional District is a close one. It could determine future control of the U.S. House.

    In their debate over the weekend, the two candidates were often evasive.

    Larkin called for big cuts to federal spending, for example, but declined to answer a question about what he would actually cut.

    "I think there's a whole bunch of things that we need to take a good hard look at," Larkin said.

    Larkin also did not answer a question about his view on recent gun safety laws. Or another about whether former President Trump bears any responsibility for Americans believing false information about the 2020 election, and in some cases turning to violence.

    "Everyone who who is screaming right now, and mad, and upset on both sides of the aisle can be blamed for this," Larkin said.

    For her part, Schrier did not answer a question about the time Georgia Democrat Stacy Abrams called her own election stolen.

    "I can't comment on what another politician has said," Schrier said.

    On abortion, Larkin has said he's against it, even in cases of rape and incest, but in the debate, he would not say what exceptions or limits he’d want to see in any federal abortion ban.

    "That's not in my topic playbook, Larkin said. "I've got other things to worry about."

    Continue reading »

  • The difference between Día de los Muertos and Halloween: Today So Far
    • Día de los Muertos celebrations have been growing in the Seattle area. This holiday is not the same as Halloween.
    • Seattle wants to put its money where its graffiti is.
    • The latest court conclusion over Everett's bikini barista dress code states that the ordinance is unconstitutional.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 31, 2022.

    Happy Halloween everybody! It's the most wonderful time of the year, in my opinion, so I hope you're having a great day.

    Following Halloween, you might notice another event taking place over the next two days — Día de los Muertos. Last week, I mentioned that many cultures across the globe have holidays and events around this time that share a lot of themes. Día de los Muertos is one of them. It's celebrated across Mexico and is a time to reflect on loved ones who have passed away. Skull imagery is common along with a range of other traditions. This holiday takes place on Nov. 1-2, right after Halloween, but unlike the creepy, spooky holiday the United States is familiar with, Día de los Muertos has a more joyful vibe.

    "It's not Halloween," Judy Avitia-Gonzalez told Seattle Now. "Everybody has gotten mixed up now that it has become more widespread in the United States. It's celebrated very differently throughout Mexico. For example, my family is from northern Mexico and it is celebrated from Nov. 1-2. Nov. 1 being the day for children who have passed, Día de los Angelitos, and Nov. 2 ... where you go and share space with your loved ones who have passed, you take food to the cemetery, you clean up, decorate, bring flowers and celebrate with them."

    Avitia-Gonzalez co-founded the Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery in White Center with Jake Prendez. The gallery has featured work from more than 40 artists over the past month on the theme of Día de los Muertos.

    "Here in the United States, Chicanos have put their own spin on Día de los Muertos," Prendez said. "Even the way it is celebrated in LA versus San Antonio, versus Seattle, is going to be different."

    Prendez said that when he moved to the Seattle area seven years ago, there were three local events for the holiday, with altars honoring those who passed on. Food, drinks, candles, photos and more, which were loved by the deceased, would be placed at the altars. Today, he notes a lot more is going on with vendors, art, and other happenings.

    "I've really seen the celebration grow, and from these three that I knew of, now we're getting emails from all over the place," for more and more Día de los Muertos events, Prendez said.

    "To me it shows that communities are recognizing their Latinx folks ... I think it just shows that we're here and it's changing the face of Seattle for the better."

    Check out the full conversation with Seattle Now here.

    You would have thought that bikini barista news was so 2017. Well, it's back now that yet another court has ruled on Everett's barista dress code. A few years ago, Everett passed an ordinance that regulated attire at bikini barista drive-thrus. If you don't recall that story, perhaps you'll remember the term "anal cleft" that became a news content sensation across headlines, TV, and radio coverage. Yes, the coverage was a bit ridiculous ... clearly, it's supposed to be called the "intergluteal cleft," or the "cleftal horizon" depending on whether you're referencing an x or y axis. Reporters dissected Everett's dress code to explain it to the public, but in short, it came down to covering up your bottom at a barista stand (if you call it a "plumber's crack," however, then it's legal).

    Continue reading »

  • Washington's lingering pandemic emergency orders are expiring

    After more than two and a half years, the final lingering emergency declarations in Washington state are set to expire, marking a major milestone in the state’s pandemic battle.

    RELATED: As Seattle’s Covid orders end, so will extra pay for food delivery drivers

    RELATED: Emergency Covid orders are ending. Where does that leave renters and landlords?

    Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency over the Covid pandemic in February 2020. There have been more than 80 emergency orders since then. The majority of such emergency orders have already expired, such as stay-at-home orders, business closures, or limits on gatherings.

    A total of 10 orders are set to expire at the end of October. They include:

    A federal vaccine mandate remains in effect for health care workers at facilities receiving federal funding. Also, employers can still require vaccines if they choose.

    RELATED: Seattle is ending its Covid emergency Oct. 31

    A new statewide mask mandate is unlikely at this point. The state secretary of health has the ability to adjust masking orders if needed. There are a few mask orders that remain in place beyond the expiration of emergency orders, like requiring face coverings in health care settings in areas with medium to high community Covid spread. Rules around this level of masking are expected to be updated in mid-November.

    Gov. Inslee faced Republican pushback for keeping the orders in place as long as he did. Inslee’s response: Washington has the fifth-lowest death rate from Covid in the nation, according to CDC data in September 2022.

    Continue reading »

  • As Seattle’s Covid orders end, so will extra pay for food delivery drivers

    As of Tuesday, Nov. 1, an estimated 40,000 gig workers will no longer receive extra pay for their work. That’s because Seattle’s Covid emergency proclamation that offered workers extra protection is ending at the end of October.

    For many workers like Carmen Figueroa, the extra pay was financial boost.

    “I was finally at a point where I wasn’t financially drowning,” said Figueroa, a gig worker with DoorDash. “Now that our pay is going to be cut in half, I’m going to start drowning again.”

    With hazard pay ending Figueroa says she’ll have to work more hours to make up the difference.

    “It seems so trivial, but $2.50 to me, it’s the world,” she explained.

    Figueroa is not alone. Michelle Balzer fills and delivers grocery orders for Instacart. She says every dollar counts.

    “We’re still dealing with high gas prices, and we're dealing with inflation across the board, especially in our groceries,” Balzer said.

    Earlier this month the mayor’s office announced the end of the emergency proclamation as the city heads toward recovery and revitalization. Seattle’s hazard pay for food delivery workers has been in effect since June 2020.

    In addition to the extra pay, the emergency order also provided paid sick leave.

    "That sick time has been a godsend because it’s really kept me afloat on the times that I’ve had Covid or have gotten injured to kind of rest my ankle,” Balzer said.

    The city’s paid sick leave for food delivery workers expires in six months. Come January 2023, the state’s paid sick time kicks in.

    Continue reading »

  • Ghosts on a boat: Today So Far

    What would you do if you woke up late at night, and someone was smoking next to your bed?

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 28, 2022.

    Joni was a straight-laced 19-year-old. Everything had to be neat before she left the house. She was generally skeptical. Joni describes herself as "rigid."

    Perhaps the reason for her disposition is that Joni had dreams and goals, and no time for nonsense. She set her sights on a travel industry job, and found such a role working for a cruise company offering trips along Northwest rivers, though the Caribbean, to Tahiti, and to Alaska. It came with perks, quite attractive to a young person — free trips on cruise ships. Joni took full advantage. Many of her younger colleagues liked sailing up to Alaska where, at the time, the drinking age was 18. That wasn't the appeal for buttoned-up Joni, however.

    "I was a typical Virgo," she said. "I took my profession very seriously, so consequently I didn't really drink around the people I worked with."

    But the excitement of a free Alaskan trip soon faded, as Joni discovered that passengers and crew weren't the only ones aboard the boat. They were sharing this trip ... with something else.

    "I think we were two nights into the cruise and I had turned in rather early, got in my little, tiny bunk — sound asleep by 11 p.m." Joni recalled.

    Around 2 a.m., she awoke to the smell of cigarette smoke. She thought someone must have been smoking outside her room, in the hallway, but upon further inspection, no one was there.

    "I glanced around the room and noticed sitting on the bed next to me was a woman who was dressed in this beautiful peach-colored summer dress, sitting there smoking a cigarette and blowing smoke rings into the air."

    Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Joni stared at this women, wondering why she was there in her room.

    "I leaned over and turned on the light, and she was still there, but now she was a little bit less solid," Joni said. "So I rubbed my eyes, put my head on the pillow and turned out the light and thought, 'I'm not going to deal with this.' I still smell cigarette smoke, and of course, now my heart is racing."

    What happened next? Well, the smoking woman wasn't alone. To find out more, you'll have to listen to "Ghosts like vacation too," a special story from KUOW Shorts. It's one of a Halloween handful of stories KUOW released this week that includes creepy children, a river ghost, haunted theater attire, Northwest ghost hunters, and a renter who finds that the house he lives in holds a mystery ... but the house fights back to keep its secrets. Check out those stories here:

    Continue reading »

  • Only 15% of Washingtonians have gotten the updated omicron booster

    Only 15% of Washington residents have gotten the new Covid booster shot, updated for omicron, according to state public health officials.

    "This is concerning, because we're rolling into respiratory virus season, and we really urge all Washingtonians who are eligible to make getting their bivalent booster a priority. It's especially important for seniors," said Lacy Fehrenbach with the Washington State Department of Health.

    About 95% of Washington residents 65 and older completed their primary Covid vaccine series.

    Fehrenbach says that she expects a winter swell of Covid, flu, and RSV cases in children.

    She notes that a few factors are at play that will add up to increased cases. Many people have lowered immunity after a couple years of pandemic precautions (masks, social distancing, etc.). That means not as many people's immune systems have been exposed to viruses. Also, as colder, wetter months arrive, more people will be heading indoors to mingle with crowds.

    So far, virus data from the state shows flu activity is minimal. Two people have died from the flu this season.

    RSV cases are higher than normal in Washington state. RSV symptoms are similar to the common cold, but can also include pale skin in kids.

    A reminder: You can still order free Covid tests from the state, online, each month.

    Continue reading »

  • Seattle wants to put its money where its graffiti is

    Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has announced a new plan to address a surge of graffiti in the city.

    Harrell is not only calling on multiple city departments to address the graffiti — he’s also looking to citizens in the community to support these efforts.

    “We're going to enhance our volunteer programming and coordination," Harrell said. "Building on experience from anti-graffiti volunteers, our plan will include up to 1,000 graffiti-abatement kits.”

    The $940,000 anti-graffiti plan is outlined in Mayor Harrell's budget proposal, which the Seattle City Council will vote on next month. The proposal aims to encourage more public street art in place of the graffiti. It also will pay for the graffiti-abatement kits, which will contain all the tools necessary to clean up graffiti.

    Continue reading »

  • Proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger under state scrutiny

    Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is now weighing in on the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons stores.

    Ferguson also joined his counterparts in the District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Idaho and Illinois to express concerns about the $4 billion shareholder payout in November that’s part of the merger.

    In a joint letter to Albertsons, the attorneys general noted that federal and state laws forbid companies to enter agreements that would substantially lessen competition or restrain trade. They say paying a dividend this size before the merger is approved could deprive Albertsons of cash and affect its ability to operate and compete with Kroger.

    The letter urged Albertsons to hold off on the dividend until the merger is completed.

    Union leaders representing 26,000 grocery workers in Washington applauded the move, adding that any rush payment would threaten thousands of jobs, reduce consumer choice and increase costs.

    Last week, Kroger announced plans to buy Albertsons. If approved, the acquisition would create a company with nearly 5,000 stores with an annual revenue of $200 billion.

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  • Where leaded gas still flies in the United States

    The United States banned leaded paint and leaded gasoline decades ago, but many floatplanes and other small aircrafts still run on leaded fuel.

    Federal officials have taken a major step toward changing that.

    RELATED: Investigators find faulty part in seaplane that crashed near Whidbey Island, warn others

    Small airplanes are the largest source of lead pollution in the air of Washington state, pumping about 17 tons of the brain-damaging substance into the air each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

    This month, the agency said that leaded aviation fuel endangers public health, especially that of children living or attending school near airports that dispense the harmful fuel.

    The nonprofit group Friends of the Earth first petitioned the EPA to get the lead out of the fuel used by small planes 16 years ago. The agency is now taking public comment on its long-awaited, but preliminary, finding.

    “Their finding is a good first step but, really, what we need is some sort of the legislation or some regulation to actually get rid of leaded fuels from airplanes, because it’s really causing a lot of health problems,” said activist and former South Seattle state Rep. Velma Veloria.

    King County International Airport in South Seattle is one of the state’s biggest sources of airborne lead because of all the small, piston-engine planes that fly out of the airport more commonly called Boeing Field.

    “We share the concern about trying to find a safe way to reduce the use of leaded fuel and are going to do what we can to facilitate the conversion to unleaded fuels,” said airport director John Parrott.

    Veloria is working with a coalition of community groups to oppose King County’s expansion plans at Boeing Field.

    “Most of the people in our communities are low-income people of color,” Veloria said.

    Continue reading »

  • Seattle home prices down a smidge, but nowhere close to affordable yet

    Various indicators show a slowdown in the real estate market in the central Puget Sound area. That has raised hopes that homes could become much more affordable soon.

    Don't hold your breath.

    According to data from Zillow, it’s true that average home values have come down by about 6% since the real estate market peaked in April.

    Over a third of homes for sale have been cutting their price lately, but those savings are eclipsed by the 48% increase in home values since September of 2019, just before the pandemic.

    "The key to making housing more affordable is an increase in supply," said Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow.

    There are many reasons the supply of homes is constrained: Restrictive zoning policies, for example. Now, market forces are worsening that underlying shortage. A major problem, currently, is that home owners are not selling.

    "They are locked into these low 2.5%, 3% fixed rate mortgages, and they’re not willing to trade them for a much higher rate today," Divounguy said.

    Mortgage rates today are around 7%.

    Nationally, the supply of homes for sale is 3% higher than it was a year ago, but still 38% lower than in 2019.

    These underlying factors have led home values to rise beyond what most people in Seattle can afford.

    "In Seattle, homes are about 26% above where they would need to be for affordability to return to normal," Divounguy said.

    What can the average household afford?

    Continue reading »

  • How are you feeling about democracy?: Today So Far
    • Have you heard folks talking about a second civil war? The state of our democracy is on a lot of minds these days.
    • Taylor Swift just shined a spotlight on a Bellevue company.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 27, 2022.

    For a while now, we've been hearing murmurs from people who either are predicting a second civil war, or just really want one.

    KUOW's Kim Malcom focused on the state of our democracy recently, and pointed to a poll conducted by the Associated Press. It states that 9% of us feel our democracy is working "extremely" or "very well." About 52% say it's not working well at all.

    Our democracy is on a lot of minds, especially in the wake of Jan. 6, and as we head into the midterm elections next month, and look to the 2024 presidential election. It's safe to say that there are a lot of people who just can't get along these days. Divides are widening, and our Twitter feeds have become less about cats and more about culture wars.

    I've thought about this for a while now. Personally, I feel that if some folks really want to duke it out, we should let them resolve it some type of regulated Thunderdome scenario. We can go on with our lives in the meantime. Or if a group of people truly want to secede, just let them have, like, half of one of the Dakotas, or maybe just that panhandle stretch of Oklahoma. They can choose, but that's what they get. However, they don't get things like our American cars, or trips to the moon, or Washington apples, or Apple computers, or the Geek Squad to fix their computers. We keep our beer, too. If the USA is feeling charitable, we can send them what is leftover at the corner store — most likely that Budweiser Clamato drink. We keep our movies and music. They don't get "Independence Day," Marvel movies, Wes Anderson, Spike Lee, or Quentin Tarantino. And we keep Prince, Garth Brooks, Hendrix, Lady Gaga, and the like ... I'm sure they can have Ted Nugent.

    The above mentioned (immature) ideas are a big reason why I'm not allowed to make any major decisions, or sought out for rational commentary. If I'm being honest, however, I believe there are more good-natured folks out there who don't want to demonize and rush into a fight over differences. I believe we can be better. I have to believe that, because I'm not sure how well I'd do in the Thunderdome.

    Luckily, we have people like Jake Grumbach who can offer a more educated and reasonable lens on the situation throughout the United States. Grumbach is an associate professor of political science at the University of Washington. He also wrote a book on tribalism, "Laboratories Against Democracy," which discusses how national parties and activist groups target state-level politics.

    While talking with KUOW, Grumbach notes that American democracy is "under strain these days." On one hand, you have states like Washington that endeavor to increase access to democracy. On the other, there are those aiming to draw unfair district lines, and groups promoting conspiracy theories. This could hurt us in the 2024 election, Grumbach notes, with a lot of GOP candidates leaning into stolen election conspiracies. The party has also been replacing local officials with those who put conspiracy over country.

    Which brings us back to all that talk about a second civil war in the USA. Grumbach doesn't think the United States is in nearly as bad of shape as in previous tough times. But that doesn't mean we don't have challenges to address.

    "I would say the problems in American democracy are not as severe as those leading up to the Civil War, over a conflict like slavery, or in the Jim Crow era which had mass disenfranchisement, or the long history before the 19th Amendment that allowed all women to vote in the U.S. Right now, we're not in that deep of a hole, compared to the past, but the signs are extremely troubling. One unique danger is the national scope of threats to democracy. This is going to be a long-term struggle.

    "I think there are some signs of revitalization and hope. It's still a small number, but many individuals are now more engaged in thinking about democracy, and how to change the rules of the game, and protect the rules of democracy to keep them fair for all, rather than just pursuing the rules that would make your party win. So, I think there's some hope, but we're in quite a troubling time."

    Check out Grumbach's full conversation with KUOW's Kim Malcolm here.

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