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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Inquest jury concludes 2 Seattle officers used justifiable force when they shot and killed Charleena Lyles
A King County inquest jury has concluded that two Seattle police officers used reasonable or justifiable force when they shot and killed Charleena Lyles in 2017.
Lyles' relatives say they reject the findings.
In June 2017, Charleena Lyles, a pregnant Black woman, called police to her apartment about a suspected burglary. The officers say that part way through their encounter, Lyles demeanor changed and she lunged at one of them with a knife.
They shot her seven times in front of her children.
On Wednesday, the jury found the officers largely followed department procedures and training during the encounter, and that there was no reasonable alternative to the use of deadly force at the time officers fired.
The attorney for Lyles' family said in a statement that the process focused on the officers' states of mind, not on Lyles, and that SPD policies are designed to allow an officer to shoot and kill someone in mental health crisis with a pairing knife.
In a statement, the SPD called Lyles' death a tragic event.
The jury’s findings are not legally binding. But they could play a role in whether the King County prosecutor decides to charge the officers.
More updates in KUOW's Today So Far Blog
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Is our tech hub too big for just Seattle?: Today So Far
- Amazon is now the second-largest employer in Bellevue. Other tech companies are expanding on the Eastside, too.
- Out with the old, and in with "Cayou Channel." Why Washington just renamed this stretch of water.
- Washington leaders are further preparing for fallout from the overturning of Roe v Wade.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 6, 2022.
Remember that whole Amazon HQ2 thing? Back in 2017, Amazon announced it was searching for a second headquarters, outside of Seattle. Long story short, Amazon chose two locations, but one didn't work out. And today, it refers to Arlington, Virginia as its HQ2.
However, when it was all going down, I looked across Lake Washington toward Bellevue and said, "Well, that's actually HQ2." And now, Amazon just overtook T-Mobile to become Bellevue's second largest employer. The number of employees in Bellevue are nowhere near the levels at the Seattle HQ (about 61,000 people). Amazon has roughly 7,500 employees in Bellevue. It currently has 5,000 at its Virginia offices, though it aims to eventually have 25,000 people there. Then again, Amazon has also said it wants just as many employees in Bellevue by 2025.
It's an indicator that Bellevue and other Eastside communities are where Seattle's tech industry will further be expanding in the years ahead. KUOW's Joshua McNichol's has done a great job covering the fact that the Seattle area doesn't have enough office space for the demand. And that demand is driving further development in cities like Bellevue.
There may be lines drawn on a map separating cities, but my Dyer prediction is that this growth will add up to a single Lake Washington tech hub, with companies working more and more across offices in Seattle, Bellevue, Issaquah, Renton, Redmond, and beyond. We won't just be looking toward South Lake Union when we talk about the local tech hub. Read more in KUOW's Today So Far Blog.
If you plan on taking a trip to Orcas Island, you will now be passing by the new Cayou Channel. It's not a new body of water, and if you already travel this stretch, you may be quite familiar with it. For generations, maps have called it "Harney Channel." But a recent dive into history by a local resident revealed that General William Harney, who the channel was named after, wasn't exactly the type of character that modern residents would want to honor.
After a lengthy effort, this stretch is now named "Cayou Channel," after Henry Cayou. Before he passed away in 1959, he was an Indigenous entrepreneur, a fisher, and a San Juan County Commissioner for nearly 30 years. In fact, Cayou was one of the first Indigenous elected officials in the state. It's the type of character that's as inspirational as the view of Cayou Channel. Read more here.
Local officials are preparing to protect abortion rights in our corner of the United States now that Roe v Wade has been overturned.
Some states have already begun banning abortions, and there is further concern that those states will take legal action against residents who seek abortion services outside their borders. It's something that Washington is already expecting — people coming from out-of-state for medical care that is legal here. It is unclear if any law regulating what a state's residents do out of state will even hold up in court. But officials in King County are not taking any risks. Executive Dow Constantine issued an order, barring the Sheriff's Office from helping out-of-state investigations into local abortion services. Gov. Jay Inslee already issued a similar order to the Washington State Patrol.
The King County Council has also approved half a million dollars for the Northwest Abortion Access Fund to help with any influx of out-of-state patients. The lone "no" vote on the matter came from Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who said he doesn't want the county paying for people who aren't residents.
And one other development worth noting. On the national level, Sen. Maria Cantwell aims to protect personal health data. She is co-sponsoring a bill that would give users more control over such information. The concern here is over any potential digital trail that patients leave. Also, any data that people provide on smartphone apps, such as period-tracking apps. Read more here.
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Monkeypox spreading among community in King County
Monkeypox is spreading through the community in King County, according to local health officials.
In May, a local case of monkeypox was discovered in a patient who recently traveled to an area where it was being spread. This matches other accounts around the globe where people returned from traveling having contracted monkeypox.
But new cases have emerged in King County which indicate that monkeypox is spreading among the community.
“Finding monkeypox in residents who were likely exposed locally highlights the importance for people who are at higher risk for monkeypox and for healthcare providers to be able to recognize the symptoms promptly, and to take steps to limit the risk for infection and the spread to others," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for King County.
According to Public Health Seattle-King County, of the 7,000 global monkeypox cases, about 560 are in the United States. As of July 6, there are nine cases in King County. Dr. Duchin says this is to be "expected." He also says that vaccines for monkeypox are being prioritized for higher risk people.
“We expect to see additional cases locally as the outbreak grows in the US and globally," Dr. Duchin said. "We are working to limit the impact on our community, collaborating with a strong network of community-based organizations to share information so that people can quickly recognize if they develop a rash or other flu-like symptoms, limit close contact if symptoms develop, and get checked out right away.”
King County has set up a website with monkeypox information. Anyone with symptoms is urged to contact their doctor.
Monkeypox symptoms generally show up within two weeks of exposure and are similar to the flu, plus a rash. Most people recover within 2-4 weeks, however, monkeypox can be dangerous for higher risk people.
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King County prepares for fallout from overturning Roe v Wade
King County Executive Dow Constantine signed an executive order Tuesday that prevents the Sheriff’s Office from cooperating with out-of-state investigations of people seeking abortions locally.
More updates in KUOW's Today So Far Blog!
The move comes in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade, and a number of states already implementing abortion bans. States like Massachusetts and Nevada have similar order in place, preventing local aid of out-of-state investigations. Concerns around such a situation stem from places like Missouri, which have proposals to make it illegal for its residents to get abortions, even if they are out-of-state. The legal landscape on such cross-state regulations are unclear at this point.
At the same time, Washington Senator Maria Cantwell is responding at the federal level. She wants to protect the health data of those who might seek an abortion.
"We want a tool in place that says women's healthcare data should be protected," Cantwell said Tuesday.
Sen. Cantwell is now co-sponsoring a bill that would require things like period-tracking apps to let users know what information is being collected and how it is being used or shared. If passed, the law would also require apps, phones, and browsers, for example, to give users a mechanism for requesting that their sexual and reproductive health data be deleted. The onus would still be on users to make the request.
Cantwell said she’s worried people’s digital trail — say, information about a pregnancy, or travel to an abortion clinic — might be used against them, and against the provider who gave them an abortion. She said giving people more control over their data would thus help protect both people who seek, and people who provide, abortions.
Out-of-state abortion needs
In the wake of the overturning of Roe v Wade, King County expects to get an influx of patients coming from out-of-state, where abortions have been banned. Officials are now preparing for that surge.
The King County Council approved half a million dollars for the Northwest Abortion Access Fund on Tuesday. The non-profit will help pay for transportation, lodging, and abortion services. The organization says it’s already received calls from out of state since the court ruling.
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Say hello to Cayou Channel: Orcas Island waterway gets a new name
Washington state has renamed a body of water south of Orcas Island after a local indigenous man.
More updates in KUOW's Today So Far Blog!
When ferries pull into the dock on Orcas Island, they pass by Harney Channel. It was named after General William Harney who became well known for his role in the "Pig War" between the United States and England. That incident eventually led to U.S. control of the San Juan Islands.
But Harney's name has also been cemented in history as the man who led troops to kill Indigenous women and children in what is now Nebraska, during the 1855 Battle of Ash Hollow. That incident is also known as "the Harney Massacre."
After that history was discovered by a local history aficionado, an effort was spurred to change the name to something with more admirable character.
RELATED: Changing the channel — San Juan locals propose new name for waterway
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Amazon expands to become Bellevue's second-largest employer
Amazon continues to expand in Western Washington, and not just at its Seattle HQ.
More updates in KUOW's Today So Far Blog!
The Puget Sound Business Journal is reporting that Amazon is grown significantly in Bellevue, so much that it has ousted T-Mobile as the second largest employer in town.
RELATED: Amazon is releasing delivery drones in this small town
Between 2020 and 2021, the online giant more than doubled its Bellevue employees — from 3,100 to 7,500 people. Over at T-Mobile, the company added 100 workers during that same time. In Seattle, Amazon still holds more than 61,000 workers.
The Business Journal estimates that Amazon's employee count is even larger now. The company did an internal headcount last month and added up more than 9,100 employee. It is possible Amazon will have more than 10,000 workers on the Eastside by the end of summer.
The Journal further notes that tech companies have generally grown in Bellevue, with Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, and Salesforce all adding new employees.
Amazon has been eying Bellevue for a few years as a place to expand its workforce — and Bellevue has been welcoming the company.
It started such plans in 2019 when it began moving its Worldwide Operations Team across Lake Washington (the team that helps get packages from the warehouse to customers' doors). Upon hearing those plans, Bellevue Mayor John Chelminiak said, "Welcome home, Amazon." And technically, founder Jeff Bezos started the company in the garage of his West Bellevue home in 1994.
The region's commercial and office space is growing alongside the tech expansion in Bellevue. The demand for Seattle area office space is the second highest in the nation. And companies are signing 10-year contracts for office space.
As KUOW's Joshua McNichols reported earlier this year, the growth is largely driven by tech companies as they expand.
More updates in KUOW's Today So Far Blog!
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Oregon faces firefighter shortage as it looks toward wildfire season
This year's fire season could be a challenging one for crews in Oregon. They're dealing with a firefighter shortage and a delayed pay raise.
Sen. Ron Wyden visited Southern Oregon Tuesday to get an update on this year's fire season from state fire officials.
Wyden has been pressuring the Biden administration to speed up a promised pay increase for wildland firefighters. Congress approved $600 million last year to raise firefighter pay, but that’s been delayed by over a month.
Wyden said agencies have fewer firefighters to share with other states as they deal with an ongoing worker shortage.
“We are looking at a fire challenge where all of these western states are simultaneously gonna need very large numbers of firefighters," Wyden said.
During his meeting with state officials, Wyden said he learned the combination of drought conditions and late rainfall this year means there’s more fuel to burn. That could lead to more wildfires across the region.
— Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio
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Objects that mean something: Today So Far
- Why are so many people turning over their pets?
- Covid cases are high in many Washington counties.
- KUOW's newest podcast "The Blue Suit" debuts, showcasing heirlooms and objects that hold special meaning.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 5, 2022.
Stay up to date with the Today So Far Blog!
I just moved into a new neighborhood and came across some recent street-side gossip — someone dropped off their dog, still a puppy, in the neighborhood, and left it there. The dog is now safe at a local shelter, but it got me thinking about a somewhat unexpected statement from Seattle Humane recently — there's been an uptick in people turning over their pets, willingly, because they cannot care for them.
There are many guesses as to why more and more people are dropping off their pets at shelters these days. Perhaps people are finding they cannot care for their pandemic adoptions as they return to office life, or life in general. But Seattle Humane wants people to know that it sees something else going on.
"From our perspective, this trend is instead being driven by increasing levels of financial and housing insecurity," Seattle Humane said in a statement.
What Seattle Humane is seeing locally is an echo of what Humane Society locations are seeing on a national scale. In January, the number of monthly surrenders was about 35,000. It jumped to 43,250 in May, according to Seattle Humane. In Washington state, more than 4,300 pets have been surrendered so far in 2022. Seattle Humane believes it will see more surrenders due to housing issues this year than it did in 2021. Read more in KUOW's Today So Far Blog.
Reminder: The pandemic is still happening. I know it can seem as if it isn't. The current version of the virus is not as deadly, nor is it straining our hospital systems as much as before. You may hear those facts stated as if it all doesn't matter anymore. But that's like saying, "Hey, you have insurance, and a seatbelt. Who cares if you get in a car crash?" I still don't want to get in car crash, and hey, I still don't want to get sick!
The reason I bring this up is that Washington currently has 15 counties with high levels of Covid transmission, including Pierce and Thurston counties in Western Washington. Covid levels are "medium" in King and Snohomish counties, according to the CDC. In King County, levels are still not as high as the peak in May and early June. But it's still ticking up — 3% since last week. Read more in the Today So Far Blog.
Is there a family heirloom you keep around? What does it say? When I think about it, I have a typewriter that my grandmother owned. I have a few typewriters, but I feel a need to keep this one up and running a bit more than the others, because it came down from family. I imagine that one day, I'll hand it off to someone else, a relative, who can carry it forward.
I got to thinking about that after hearing the intro to KUOW's new podcast series "The Blue Suit." A unique inspiration for this endeavor came to poet Shin Yu Pai amid pandemic shutdowns, when she was cut off from her parents. It spurred further thoughts about the experiences of Asian Americans.
"...we as Asian Americas are connected by a common separation — a separation from historical homeland and people and things left behind. Sometimes by choice, often by circumstance," Pai says in the introduction to "The Blue Suit." "Like many others before and after us, we leave something behind to make something new — a new livelihood, a new identity, a new future."
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15 Washington counties have high Covid levels
A total of 15 counties in Washington state are experiencing high Covid community levels.
According to the CDC, six of those are in Western Washington, including: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Lewis, Pierce, and Thurston counties.
The remaining nine counties in Eastern Washington include: Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Spokane, Ferry, Lincoln, Walla Walla, Columbia, and Asotin.
Community Covid levels in King and Snohomish counties are medium.
King County currently has and average of 1,045 daily cases, a 3% uptick since last week. Hospitalizations are up 2% (17). The numbers are only slightly down from a recent high in May and early June.
The CDC recommends that people in areas with high community levels mask up again while indoors and on public transportation.
Two-thirds of the counties in neighboring Oregon are also dealing with high community levels. Eight of Idaho's 44 counties are listed as "high."
More updates on KUOW's Today So Far Blog
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Will Washington's new gun restrictions hold up in court?
As of the new fiscal year, there are two new bans on untraceable guns. Earlier this month, Washington state expanded locations where weapons are prohibited or restricted.
Olympia correspondent, Austin Jenkins spoke to KUOW's Angela King about the details of these new laws.
Read the full report here.
Cracking down on "ghost guns"
Ghost guns are untraceable as they don't have serial numbers. Jenkins said lawmakers are responding to a "proliferation" of untraceable guns. One can buy a ghost gun online. People can even build them at home by downloading a design plan from the web and using a 3D printer.
Jenkins said the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is facing an "explosion" of these types of guns in recent years. In 2016, law enforcement collected 17,000 untraceable guns. In 2021, the number shot up to 19,000. Nationally, about 700 of these guns were involved in homicides or attempted homicides.
Jenkins said Washington law enforcement is anecdotally seeing more untraceable guns. He noted that these homemade ghost guns tend to appeal to hobbyists and firearm collectors. But they are also attractive to criminals, because they can't be traced.
Banning the sale of gun magazines with more then 10 rounds
According to Jenkins, advocates of the ban say, "It's designed to reduce the risk of mass shootings." Gun-rights advocates already filed a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the ban.
Expanding restricted and no-weapon zones
Under the new rules, one cannot openly carry firearms in local government buildings, like city hall, where public meetings are held. According to Jenkins, guns are now banned in school-board meetings that take place on school district owned or leased property. This also applies to concealed weapons.
Bans were also expanded to include election facilities, ballot-counting centers, and voter-registration offices. Jenkins said the ban exempts concealed pistol permit holders. However, there are no exceptions at counting centers while ballots are actively being counted.
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Why Seattle Humane is seeing more and more pets at its shelter
Seattle Humane has noticed more and more pets coming into its shelter, and it wants people to know that it is not because people are starting to return to the office.
It's because they don't have housing. While there are many reasons why a person would turn in their pets, Seattle Humane believes current financial hardships and housing insecurity is prompting a spike in drop offs.
According to a statement from Seattle Humane:
"In 2022, we are seeing an increase in pet owners seeking to rehome their pets and shelters across the country are seeing this same trend. However, we don’t believe that this increase is because people are going back to the office. In fact, downtown Seattle’s office occupancy rate is currently below 40%. From our perspective, this trend is instead being driven by increasing levels of financial and housing insecurity."
For a pet to have a home, its human family also has to have one. Or at least, it has to find a living situation that allows for pets.
There are a range of factors that Seattle Humane sees when people drop off their pets. Generally, a third of adoptable pets at Seattle Humane are surrendered by their owners.
The shelter says that in January, nationally, Humane Society locations saw 34,579 pets turned in. In May, that number went up to 43,249. More than 4,300 pets were surrendered by their owners in Washington state alone this year, so far. Seattle Humane says that it, and other shelters across the Northwest, have experienced a spike in requests for pet assistance and foster services.
According to its statement: "Seattle Humane received more than 2,400 owner surrender requests in 2021. For the first 6-months of 2022, we have received nearly 1,500 owner surrender requests. The number of pets we’ve accepted due to housing insecurity in 2022 has nearly reached the total intakes due to housing concerns in all of 2021. At this rate, we can project the number of pets surrendered this year related to housing issues will far exceed our total in 2021."
Read Seattle Humane's full statement here.
More updates on KUOW's Today So Far Blog!
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See an orca in Puget Sound — stay away
Today may mark the start of the southern-resident orca watching season, but Washington wildlife officials are asking everyone to stay away from the region's endangered whales.
"The southern residents do really poorly with a lot of boats around," said Julie Watson with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. "It affects their ability to find food, and so we're asking the public to voluntarily give them a little bit more space so that especially these vulnerable whales can bounce back."
In addition to asking recreational boaters to stay away, Fish and Wildlife officials want whale watching tour boats to stay half a nautical mile from 13 vulnerable orcas.
These orcas were just categorized as "vulnerable" by the Sealife Response Rehabilitation and Research Group. They have poor health. And one is pregnant.
There are 74 southern resident orcas left. Boats are not allowed to approach them outside of the summer months.
More updates in KUOW's Today So Far Blog!
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