Ashley Hiruko
Investigative Reporter
About
Ashley Hiruko reports on topics involving policing and the behind-the-scenes conduct of city leaders. Her investigations have examined police killings, allegations of abuse and sex trafficking, and labor issues.
She lives in Seattle with her husband, son, and Maltese.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Past President, Western Washington Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists
Stories
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Health
A desperate, international hunt for testing supplies so that Washington state may reopen
Before Washington state can reopen, more Covid-19 testing is needed. This approach is part of what’s fueling a non-stop hunt to acquire swabs and viral transport media and led to a huge competition between U.S. state agencies around the globe.
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Washington Supreme Court denies inmates' Covid-19 petition
Using their web cameras, and calling in from separate locations, the Washington State Supreme Court Justices and lawyers met over a Zoom call Thursday. Justices listened in as lawyers made their case on both sides of a lawsuit that seeks the release of thousands of Washington state inmates, prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Health
'If I get this, I'll die,' the Monroe prison inmate said. Then he tested positive for Covid-19
Washington inmate Todd Sloan has Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis. He’s 28, and in the past two years, received treatment 11 times outside of prison at public hospitals. He’s lost 60s pounds.
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Nearly 1,000 inmates to be released in Washington state. Not enough for social distancing, advocates say
In response to a Washington Supreme Court order, Gov. Jay Inslee announced today plans to release up to 950 inmates confined in Washington state prisons -- a reduction of about 6%, based on 2019 inmate numbers.
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'We're scared.' Inmates at two prisons protest peacefully, call on Gov. Inslee for coronavirus protection
Inmates were so freaked out about getting the coronavirus, that they even rejected bribes of McDonald’s food to move into wards that they believed had been contaminated with coronavirus.
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'The riot was the only way for us to be heard.' Monroe inmates speak out about their coronavirus fears
Inmates at the Monroe prison have called for personal protective equipment, and increased preventative measures as Covid-19 has began to sweep its way through prisoners. Their concerns prompted a protest Wednesday.
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Redmond fire chief, other leaders told to stay quiet about having coronavirus, sources say
One by one, emergency responders in Redmond were exposed to the coronavirus, as Eastside firefighters were the first to respond to the Life Care Center in Kirkland.
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Which nannies are essential during coronavirus? There's clarity on that now
On the first day Gov. Jay Inslee ordered non-essential businesses to go on hold, Rachel Crittenden spent hours on the phone with the governor's office, in an attempt to get clarification on nannies being “essential” workers. Other nannies flooded the office with hundreds of emails.
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What the Funko? A toy company, a boat yard, and house cleaners say they are 'essential'
Headquartered in downtown Everett, Funko is known for the collectible Pop! figurines that grace bookcases and shelves. They’ve opted to keep their distribution centers open.
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This anesthesiologist was told to not wear a face mask amid COVID-19 crisis
When the Swedish Cherry Hill anesthesiologist entered rooms with coronavirus patients, he wore an N95. Everywhere else, he wore a surgical mask -- sometimes using the same one for days. The mask was an added protection, in case he was an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus, he said.