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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What Ciscoe Morris says you should know about spring gardening around Seattle in 2024
Spring gardening season has arrived in the Seattle area. Since every year has its seasonal quirks, expert Ciscoe Morris spoke with "Soundside" to deliver some spring 2024 gardening tips.
A few quick tips:
- Right now (April 2024) is a good time to start planting salad greens, like lettuce and mustard.
- It's also a good time to plant shrubs.
- Ryegrass is a good option for lawns that take a beating and need repair.
- If the plants are at the nursery, then it's OK to plant them at home. Don't leave them in the nursery pots. They can suffer in pots and get root bound if you wait too long.
Get pruning right now
Check in on those plants in the yard, especially since they went through the recent cold snaps that struck the Northwest. Severe cold may have knocked a few down, even if they don't show it.
If you have outdoor plants that are woody, get out some clippers and give them a little scrape.
"I scrape it near the base, if it's green under there, don't cut it down, it's probably going to branch out. If it's brown under there, you might as well cut off that dead branch and then you just got to hang on and hope it comes back," Morris said.
Morris notes that some plants may not come back until June. So be patient.
What the 9A?!
Gardeners may have noticed a certain code changing at their local plant nursery. Whereas Western Washington plants used to state they were good for USDA zone 8B, they now say their apt for hardiness zone 9A.
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Migrants descended on a Seattle tennis court. Then an anonymous donor paid for their hotel
The tents appeared on Tuesday evening. Migrants and asylum-seekers from Venezuela, Congo, and Angola set up camp on tennis courts down the street from Seattle’s Garfield High School and slept there overnight.
On Wednesday, more tents popped up on the green concrete. At least 150 people milled about inside the court’s chain link fence.
By Wednesday evening, they were gone. An anonymous donor put up $50,000 to move the migrants to a Quality Inn in Kent, a 30-minute drive south.
King County Councilmember Sara Perry, who helped coordinate the donation and hotel arrangements, told KUOW that the donor was working through a nonprofit but did not want to be identified.
“They are going to house as many people as possible,” Perry said, adding that the donation was enough to move up to 250 people into 61 rooms at a rate of $70 a night – that is, until the money runs out.
Migrants who camped at the tennis courts had previously stayed at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila and later found temporary housing at the Kent Quality Inn. After several months in the hotel, their funding dried up.
On Tuesday, they appealed unsuccessfully to the King County Council for more assistance and had to move out of the hotel rooms.
An employee at the Kent Quality Inn confirmed Wednesday night that a large group of migrants had moved back into the hotel, but couldn’t confirm the precise number of people occupying the rooms.
This group represents just a sliver of the migrant crisis unfolding in western Washington, and across the U.S.
Last December, agents with the U.S. Border Patrol logged close to 250,000 encounters with migrants crossing from Mexico – a record high in a single month.
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A food union officer and district alumna: Meet Seattle schools' newest board members
The Seattle School Board has chosen two new members to join their ranks.
In unanimous votes Wednesday, the board selected Sarah Clark to represent District 2, which includes neighborhoods like Ballard, Green Lake, and Magnolia, and Joe Mizrahi for District 4, spanning Fremont, Queen Anne, and Belltown.
Clark and Mizrahi fill the vacancies created by Vivian Song and Lisa Rivera, who unexpectedly resigned in February amid concerns they were violating state residency requirements.
Clark is the director of policy at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. She's lived in Crown Hill for the majority of her life, and is a graduate of Madrona Elementary, Washington Middle School, and Garfield High School.
Board Vice President Michelle Sarju said Clark brings an important perspective to the board as a woman of color who attended Seattle Public Schools — something she said she knows is difficult from her own children's experiences.
"She understands deeply what it means to try to be seen for the bright, intelligent student that she was, regardless of the color of her skin," Sarju said. "And yet, she still persisted and she still went on to do great things.”
Mizrahi is the secretary-treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers 3000, Washington's largest labor union. He is a first generation American who grew up in suburban San Diego, but says he has lived in North Seattle for 16 years and has three kids in the district.
Board member Gina Topp said Mizrahi's lived and professional experiences — particularly serving on a board and managing a more than $32 million budget — would be valuable.
"Joe exemplifies some of the things that we're looking for and is able to sort of hit the ground running," she said.
Mizrahi and Clark will serve through the next regularly-scheduled school board election in November 2025.
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7 Washington culinary hotshots are still in the running for a 2024 James Beard Award
The race for top prizes in the 2024 James Beard Awards has gotten tighter, leaving just seven culinary heroes from Washington state still in the running.
Semifinalists for the coveted foodie awards were announced in January and included plenty of Seattle-area representation — 14 chefs and restaurateurs were nominated. That list has been whittled down. Now, seven contestants from Washington state remain in four categories (including a mix of chefs, restaurants, and restaurateurs).
RELATED: There are as many pho restaurants as Starbucks coffee shops in Seattle. Here's why
Outstanding Restaurateur
Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham who operate Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat in Seattle.
They are up against four other restaurateurs from Colorado, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Washington, D.C.
Emerging Chef
Janet Becerra from Pancita in Seattle. They're up against four other chefs from New York, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C.
Best New Restaurant
Bar Bacetto in Waitsburg, Washington. This is located roughly 22 miles northeast of Walla Walla. Bar Bacetto is competing against 10 other restaurants, including Hayward in McMinnville, Oregon.
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington)
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Queer eye for the home buy: Bonney Lake model homes boast Bobby Berk designs
Bobby Berk may be widely known for his role on Netflix's hit series "Queer Eye," but around Western Washington, he can also be known as the celebrity designer behind a handful of new homes in Bonney Lake.
“Your surroundings affect every aspect of your life, including your physical and mental well-being," Berk said in a statement. "My passion is creating spaces that are designed and organized in a way that nourishes one’s spirit. The ongoing projects with Tri Pointe Homes have given me an opportunity to tie local inspiration with timeless design trends.”
RELATED: You need to earn how much for a 'starter home' in Seattle?!
On "Queer Eye," Berk is the show's interior design and home organization expert. That celebrity status has added up to a book, an appearance in a Taylor Swift music video, and partnerships, such as the one Tri Pointe Homes is now showcasing in Bonney Lake.
"Queer Eye" has little to do with the interior design packages Berk has brought to model homes at "Glacier Pointe at Teheleh." Don't expect TV cameras. A home featuring interior designs by Berk means that he picked and organized details such as flooring materials, light fixtures, and cabinets. Such elements are what Tri Pointe is now boasting at its three model homes in Pierce County (15317 204th Avenue East, Bonney Lake).
Berk said the collaboration is based on "our shared desire to create innovative designs that speak to how people live in their homes."
These are not the first homes in Washington state to boast the celebrity connection. In 2022, Tri Pointe brought Berk in for designs at a Kirkland housing development. Following that venture, Berk and Tri Pointe established a more official partnership.
At between 2,612 and 3,306 square feet, the Bonney Lake homes are massive, with three to five bedrooms, up to four bathrooms, and three-car garages. Prices for these new homes start at around $750,000, with some going as high as $956,000. Tri Pointe is marketing them as "flexible work-from-home spaces" with access to local parks and trails.
RELATED: Seattle area now has more 'million-dollar cities' than ever
According to a statement from Tri Pointe Homes, the Pierce County models "provide a fresh take on classic farmhouse styling and draw inspiration from traditional, modern and organic elements. Plus, the third model is a custom design that combines Scandinavian style with a light and airy ambiance layered with primary colors that create a vibrant yet serene space that Bobby has named 'Retro Scandinavian.'"
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Seattle Deaf Film Festival returns to the big screen with a 'hearing-friendly environment'
Deafness is a spectrum. That's one message that the Seattle Deaf Film Festival stresses this year as it presents filmmakers' work from China, Chile, Kyrgyzstan, the United States, and more.
The films being screened center Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing filmmakers and communities, festival director Patty Liang said.
RELATED: New name, same chocolate popcorn — Seattle's Cinerama reopens as SIFF Cinema Downtown in December
"[It's] not often we can go to any film festivals at any time because they do not provide all films with subtitles or advertise that they have subtitled films," she said. "We can just show up at the Seattle Deaf Film Festival and enjoy the films without having to do additional steps to ensure access needs are in place before. This is a Deaf [and] sign language-centric space."
What: The Seattle Deaf Film Festival, featuring 44 films from 11 different countries, as well as panels, interviews, and Q&As with filmmakers.
Where: Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Avenue, Seattle. The festival is also selling virtual tickets for those who cannot attend in-person, as well as hybrid tickets for both in-person and virtual screenings.
When: April 5-7, 2024 (virtually from April 8-22)
According to Director of Programming Andrea Passafiume, it's important for Seattle's hearing community to know about the Deaf Film Festival, "because it is for them, too. "Passafiume noted that the festival is a "hearing-friendly environment."
"Some people think that sign language is universal. It's not," she said. "There is ASL — American Sign Language — and there are different sign languages used all over the world. It's an opportunity in these international films ... to see different types of signing. We have a couple films from the UK and they use British Sign Language, so it's all different."
Accessibility is a major theme for festival organizers. All 44 films in the 2024 lineup are in sign language and subtitled in English. There will also be vocal and Deaf interpreters for panels and audience Q&As. Tickets are sold across four price tiers with the aim of reducing financial barriers.
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Seattle area now has more 'million-dollar cities' than ever
The number of "million-dollar cities" in the Seattle metro area — where typical homes are worth $1 million or more — continues to rise. There are now more of these properties than the region has ever previously had.
"Affordability is still a big challenge for buyers, but that hasn't stopped prices from growing," Zillow economic research data scientist Anushna Prakash said in a statement, adding that there are more options for homebuyers these days, but that also means more competition.
RELATED: Queer eye for the home buy — Bobby Berk designs 3 homes in Western Washington
"Competition will stay fierce, especially for the most attractive and well-priced homes. If mortgage rates drop later this year, as many expect, we may see a surge in million-dollar cities as even more buyers jump in and drive prices higher."
The Seattle metro area has 17 "million dollar cities" as of February 2024 (it had 15 in February 2023). Statewide, Washington has 18 cities with a million-dollar stamp (it had 16 a year ago). See a full list of these pricy communities below.
Zillow reports that there are now 550 "million dollar cities" in the United States (up from 491 a year ago). That is a record high for the nation.
While California, and its metro areas, have the most million dollar cities, the Seattle metro area is still near the top of the list. Washington comes in seventh on Zillow's list. Focusing on cities, the Seattle metro area comes in sixth.
A "typical" home in Zillow terms is a bit different than the "average" or "median" value that real estate officials often refer to. Zillow considers a typical home value to be the average for the middle third of homes (it focuses in on a portion of prices at the middle of the pack and averages those out, excluding the very high and very low end of the spectrum). Zillow says that the current average home value in Seattle is $847,419).
RELATED: You need to earn how much for a 'starter home' in Seattle?!
Zillow's report echoes a sentiment about affordability from another Seattle-based real estate company, Redfin, which recently reported that a homebuyer should earn about $173,000 annually to afford a "starter home" in Seattle. That's according to February data, which is up 8.4% ($31,000) from just six months ago.
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Former Seattle mayor’s son arrested for child porn possession
Jack Francis McGinn, 29, was arrested Friday morning in Seattle for possession of child pornography. He was charged in King County Superior Court on Tuesday with dealing and possessing child pornography, or, as the Prosecutor’s Office wrote, “peddling in the misery of sexually abused children to satiate deviant interests.”
McGinn is the son of Mike McGinn, Seattle’s mayor from 2010 to 2013. The younger McGinn lived at his parents’ home at the time of the arrest; his parents have since moved to the East Coast, according to court records.
At McGinn’s first appearance on Saturday afternoon, a King County Superior Court judge lowered bail to $70,000, down from $100,000. His mother attended the hearing.
In December, Google reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that McGinn had downloaded 700 files “containing depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
The videos include children as young as 4 years old being sexually abused and raped, although McGinn said he would close videos immediately if it was a very young child. According to charging documents, he said that he viewed videos of young teen girls because he did not talk to many girls in high school and has a fantasy of being back in high school.
Police also found "child-size sex dolls in McGinn's bedroom that appeared to have been used."
The case was sent to the Seattle Police Department in January. A Seattle Police officer interviewed McGinn, who reportedly admitted to downloading the files onto his desktop.
“McGinn stated he knew it was wrong and would feel gross after masturbating to the child sex abuse material,” the officer wrote. “According to McGinn, he has a cocaine addiction and goes on weekend benders which is when he typically views the child sex abuse material on his desktop. McGinn advised he has never been hands on with a child.”
McGinn told the detective that he didn’t know why he hadn’t deleted the files after viewing them. He said he learned about the child porn through targeted ads for Silk Road, which used keywords like "young," and "porn."
As of Monday morning, McGinn was no longer listed on the roster for the King County jail.
Usage of child pornography is widespread, according to a presentation by Laura Harmon, senior deputy prosecuting attorney for King County.
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Want to reduce food waste? Turn your kitchen scraps into something tasty
Washington's Department of Ecology wants you to think twice before throwing out those kitchen scraps — they could be something delicious.
With a little help from local chef Joel Gamoran, you can up your kitchen game, so less food waste goes into the trash.
When KUOW visited Gamoran’s Seattle kitchen, he was cooking what seemed like bacon. But on closer look, it was a banana peel that’s been marinated in brown sugar, smoked paprika chili flakes, maple syrup, and olive oil. After frying over medium high heat, he placed a piece over bread with lettuce and tomato to complete his upcycled BLT sandwich.
(Gamoran called it a “scrappy BLT,” featuring his banana peel bacon along with “revived” mushy tomatoes and mayo made with aquafaba, or chickpea water.)
“It’s about looking at things you would normally throw away and seeing potential,” Gamoran said.
Gamoran even wrote a book on the concept in 2018. It's called “Cooking Scrappy.” Those scraps, he said, can be an inspiration for delicious food or drink.
RELATED: Roundup: Your Tips To Fight Food Waste
“You don’t eat cherry pits, but you can infuse that into a simple syrup make really great cocktails,” he said.
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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs his last bill
With the stroke of a pen, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the state budget into law Friday. It was almost certainly the last piece of legislation he will approve as the state’s top official.
"I will just say, we all love the Evergreen State, and long may she thrive,” Inslee said when signing the final bill of his time in office.
RELATED: WA Dems make the case to keep signature environmental law
The governor commented that he was proud of progress made on a number of issues over the past decade while he's been office, including climate change, education funding, health care access, and some others.
"We finally have a state dinosaur, the Suciasaurus, we finally have a state waterfall, the Palouse Falls, and we have the state sport, pickleball."
Inslee also signed a handful of other bills Friday morning alongside their respective supporters, pausing to smile for photos after each signature and to give a shoutout to longtime state lawmaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle), who is stepping down from office.
The event would be the last bill-signing of his governorship, provided the Legislature does not convene for a special session later this summer.
Inslee approved the measures at the University of Washington’s behavioral health teaching hospital in Seattle. It was a fitting location, as the budget includes roughly $20 million for the facility. The budget also adds hundreds of millions of dollars for schools, other behavioral health facilities, and efforts to handle homelessness and improve housing.
Though the governor left most of the budget intact, he did veto a few parts, such as studies of election issues. He commented that election workers already have plenty of other stuff to do this election year.
Inslee isn't running for another term, but 2024’s election could act as a sort of referendum on his final years in office. An initiative proposing a repeal of a key climate law is on the ballot — the Climate Commitment Act is one of the governor’s signature measures. Inslee has also endorsed state Attorney General Bob Ferguson in the race to replace him as governor.
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Seattle businesses caught in tug of war between app companies and delivery drivers
Just three months into Seattle’s new gig worker minimum wage law, a Seattle City Council committee is considering changing it, prompting another debate over gig worker pay in the city.
“The options as I see on the table right now are do nothing, fix the existing legislation, or repeal the legislation,” Council president Sara Nelson said at the city’s Government, Accountability and Economic Development meeting Thursday, adding that “do nothing” is not an option she supports.
RELATED: Seattle becomes first in U.S. to protect gig workers from sudden 'deactivation'
The new, higher pay for Seattle’s app-based delivery workers took effect in January. In response, some food delivery apps like DoorDash, tacked on a $5 fee. The discussion at City Hall was about what happened next. Some delivery drivers say their pay has improved, while others argue they are losing money.
Another voice emerged this week — small businesses, who complain that the new ordinance has prompted a significant decline in customer orders and has placed them in the middle of a tug-of-war between app companies and delivery drivers.
“We are now 20-40% below where we were last year,” said Becky Yoshitani, who operates Hurry Curry, an eatery in South Lake Union.
Yoshitani said increasing costs for food, rent, and labor have led to the need for more deliveries. Yoshitani blames the new ordinance for “ravaging” their profitability.
In a letter to city leaders this week, Uttam Mukherjee, owner of Spice Waala, echoed that sentiment, stating that “one of the biggest disruptions we have seen in our six years in business is the decline in our delivery business through third-party providers. This decline started in January 2024, which is directly correlated to the App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance.”
Mukherjee said Spice Waala relies on about 30-40% of sales from delivery orders.
“This year itself, we have seen a 30-40% dip in that delivery business," he said. "It has immediately taken us from barely profitable to unprofitable. This is a huge impact, as the revenue we receive from deliveries helps us sustain our employee living wage and benefits program.”
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After receiving racist hate mail, UW students call for action
Some University of Washington students are calling on school officials to take action in the wake of a string of Islamophobic incidents on campus.
More than 50 students chanted and waved signs reading "Islamophobia has no place on our campus" beneath the university's famous cherry blossoms during a protest and walkout Thursday afternoon.
The students are demanding university officials take concrete steps to better protect Black and Muslim students from hate and discrimination. It comes after the Somali and African student associations received racist hate mail.
RELATED: Education Department opens school probes over alleged antisemitism, Islamophobia
Both groups say they reported the letters to administrators and campus police, who are investigating. In a statement, university spokesman Victor Balta said officers "shared support and safety planning resources with students immediately after receiving the report," and any student, faculty or staff member concerned about safety is encouraged to use UW's Safe Campus program.
"We care deeply about the safety of our students and registered student organizations and want them to know that UWPD is doing everything possible to find those responsible and hold them accountable," Balta said.
But a member of the African Student Association said they want to see a swifter, stronger response to incidents like these.
"Although we took the right steps, follow-up and efforts to ensure our safety have been burdened on us," said one student, who declined to be named over safety concerns.
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