Skip to main content
KUOW Blog Header.jpg
KUOW Blog Header.jpg

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.

Stories

  • Seattle police should apologize for 2020 protest response, oversight panel says

    The Seattle Police Department should apologize to protesters for its responses amid the 2020 protests, according to the latest report from the city's Office of Inspector General.

    The suggestion of an apology stands out among 22 recommendations included in a report from Seattle's Office of Inspector General, most of which address Seattle Police policies, tactics, and training (see the full list of recommendations below). In full, the recommendation states: "Acknowledge the harm to BIPOC community caused by Seattle Police actions over time and issue a public apology for the actions of Seattle Police during the 2020 protests."

    RELATED: We know who made the call to leave Seattle Police’s East Precinct, finally

    Other recommendations include better communication with media; addressing officer fatigue and providing mental and physical support; increasing the diversity of officers in crowd management; and evaluating police policies, including use of force and bicycle tactics.

    The recommendations focus on the department's actions during the 2020 protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. They are the result of a report focusing on "crowd management tactics" used by Seattle police at three protests between July and September 2020.

    • July 25: March on Capitol Hill that included more than 5,000 people. Police reported using force 140 times over 11 hours.
    • September 7: Protest outside the office of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, during which police reported 56 reports of use of force incidents over 90 minutes.
    • September 23: March on Capitol Hill, following a Kentucky grand jury's decision on the death of Breonna Taylor. Police reported 45 use-of-force incidents over four hours.

    The Office of Inspector General began its review process in the fall of 2020 following concerns over police response to protests. This process — called "Sentinel Event Reviews" — included a panel of community members, police officers, and police accountability stakeholders.

    This is the fourth and final report as a result of that work.

    The inspector general relied on police cameras, investigations by the Office of Police Accountability, Seattle police reports, media accounts and social media.

    Continue reading »
  • Washington lawmakers pass modifications to controversial police pursuit law

    The Washington Legislature is making minor changes to the state's rules around police car chases.

    The state Senate gave final approval to Senate Bill 5352 Monday, that aims to give police more leeway to pursue suspects in vehicles. The legislation passed 26-22. The bill now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee's desk where he's expected to sign it into law.

    RELATED: One WA police chief's argument for changing state vehicle pursuits law

    After the bill passed, both Democrats and Republicans have commented that more work needs to be done.

    "I know how dangerous many of these high-speed chases can be,” said Sen. John Lovick, who previously spent 31 years serving in the Washington State Patrol. “They are some of the worst situations our neighbors and officers can be in. It is my hope that we follow this bill with renewed calls to continue our work to build safer, healthier communities, as we know the issue extends far beyond the officer and chases.”

    Lovick, a Democrat from Mill Creek representing Washington's 44th Legislative District, also said that the larger goal for lawmakers is to "reach zero high-speed chases and find technological alternatives to a scenario that is dangerous for law enforcement, the community, and the suspect." Lovick added that officers have a "duty to limit them to only the most serious situations.”

    Republican Rep. Gina Mosbrucker of Goldendale represents the state's 14th Legislative District. Her office says she "reluctantly" voted in favor of the police pursuit bill in the House, and argues the law still "limits the ability of law enforcement officers to chase vehicles."

    "The vote was 57-40, and the goal is to get back to reasonable suspicion so that law enforcement can do their job," Rep. Mosbrucker said following the vote.

    "This bill didn't quite get there, but it was a step forward, so we had a difficult decision to make," Mosbrucker said. "There were reasons for 'yes,' reasons for 'no'. I support both sides of that, but I had to keep it moving so that we can continue this dialogue to make sure we do get to that reasonable suspicion for law enforcement, and the community."

    RELATED: Police pursuit debate in WA Legislature involves dueling data sets

    Continue reading »
  • The second time the same ferry has crashed on Bainbridge Island: Today So Far

    • The sun now sets after 8 p.m. in the Northwest!
    • How do you get off a ferry boat after it runs aground at Bainbridge Island?
    • If you have a spare $200,000 laying around, here are some tips for what to do with it.
    • Questions around Washington's recent "middle housing" move.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for April 17, 2023.

    It may seem like so long ago, but the last time our region saw sunsets after 8 p.m. was ... last night. Before that, sunsets after 8 p.m. were last seen on Aug. 26. Just a nice warm thought to start the week.

    Despite how grown up Bainbridge Island is, it still maintains a small town vibe where everybody knows somebody, who knows somebody. Case-in-point: It's been years since I lived on Bainbridge Island, yet my phone kept buzzing while I was deep into some gardening soil in Tacoma this weekend. It was my friend Liz in Los Angeles. She was sending me videos from her dad on Bainbridge Island, which showed a ferry "crashing" into the sandy shores at the south end of the island. I put "crashing" in quotes, because it was a slow, soft nudge up onto the beach. Despite being a few years and cities away, Bainbridge is still a town where I know someone, who knows someone — chit-chat can echo from the island to LA to Tacoma within minutes.

    That's how the news of the M/V Walla Walla running aground got started Saturday. Like most good stories, it came from people like you getting in touch with KUOW. Shortly after departing the Bremerton ferry dock, the ferry's generator reportedly failed while in Rich Passage, a stretch of waterway that runs along the south end of Bainbridge Island. Ferries pass through it en route to Seattle every day. When the Walla Walla lost power, it lost the ability to steer, and the boat coasted into the island shore.

    "They made an announcement that we had lost steering and propulsion and we were going to run aground," Haley Socha told KUOW while still on the ferry that day. "They announced we should brace for impact. Gradually, we scraped the bottom and then ran aground on Bainbridge Island."

    Ann Wilkinson Ellis has often watched ferries pass by her Bainbridge house, but knew something was wrong on Saturday.

    "We heard this explosion ... we have never heard that sound before," Wilkinson Ellis said. "We ran out on our deck ... the Walla Walla, sadly, one of my favorite ferry boats, was drifting into Pleasant Beach and grounded there, north of Lytle Beach and south of Lynwood Center, right in front of people's homes."

    The Walla Walla opened its galley for the more than 600 people waiting to hear how they were going to get off the ferry. Coast Guard boats were dispatched to the area. Within minutes, www.istheferrystillstuck.com went online with a single purpose — watch the ferry to see if it was still stuck. Island kids set up a hot cocoa table on the beach, just in case passengers would be coming ashore. By 8 p.m., passengers were being offloaded to a Kitsap Fast Ferry, which runs the same route. All passengers were off the ferry shortly before 11 p.m.

    After midnight, the tide rose, making it easier to tow the ferry away. The M/V Walla Walla was returned to the Bremerton dock. IsTheFerryStillStuck.com was updated.

    Read more and see video of the incident here.

    Here's a tip: If you want to give away a lot of money, consider a raffle, or give it to a worthy cause, or call me up. What you should not do is toss $200,000 out of your car window while driving down a freeway. That's what one Oregon man did recently, which caused quite a scene.

    Continue reading »
  • Eastside light rail expansion could be delayed after work along I-90 demolished

    Sound Transit has announced that the light rail expansion project along I-90 may be delayed once again.

    The stretch of light rail tracks being constructed around the floating I-90 bridge is at the center of the delay.

    The track supports, called "plinths," are located along I-90 as it approaches the floating bridge. The concrete used in their construction was found to be faulty. Contractors could not salvage the supports, and just finished demolishing them.

    “The unfortunate thing is that even the delayed date of spring of 2025, to open light rail to east King County, looks like it may slip even further. But there's no magic wand here," said King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, chair of the Sound Transit Expansion Committee.

    Balducci said it’s not clear who will take on any additional costs from the delay — the contractors or a government agency. She wants the Eastside expansion to launch in spring of 2024, before light rail over I-90 is finished. This would bring stations online as they finish construction.

    Currently, the opening dates of Sound Transit's light rail expansion are:

    • East Link Starter Line: Spring 2024
    • Lynnwood Link: Summer/Fall 2024
    • East Link I-90 corridor: Spring 2025
    • Downtown Redmond Link: Spring 2025

    A previous version of this story stated that the concrete portions of the tracks were located on the floating bridge. The faulty supports are located along I-90, approaching the floating bridge.

    Continue reading »
  • Shawn Kemp charged in wake of shooting at Tacoma Mall parking lot


    The Pierce County Prosecutor's Office has charged former Seattle Sonics star Shawn Kemp with first-degree assault.

    The charge stems from a shooting at Tacoma Mall last month. Kemp is scheduled to be arraigned on May 4.

    RELATED: Former NBA superstar Shawn Kemp is arrested over a shooting in a parking lot

    According to Pierce County Superior Court documents filed on April 14, police were called to reports of a shooting in a Tacoma Mall parking lot, near the JCPenney and Firestone, in the early morning hours of March 8, 2023. No one was hurt in the incident.

    Witnesses told officers that a gun was thrown into nearby bushes following the gunshots. Officers found a .357 revolver where witnesses indicated. Court documents also state that the incident was captured on cell phone video as well as security camera footage from neighboring businesses.

    The video evidence is described in court documents, which further detail allegations against Kemp. It states that a Porsche is seen on video arriving at the parking lot with four other vehicles, including a 4Runner, around 1:51 a.m. Within the span of 10 minutes, multiple confrontations happen between the driver of the Porsche and the 4Runner. The Porsche driver reportedly fired multiple shots at the SUV. At one point, it appeared a shot was fired directly at the 4Runner driver, as the driver ducked to avoid being hit. Court documents allege that Kemp is the driver of the Porsche who was firing the handgun.

    Court documents also detail an interview a detective had with Kemp, following the shooting. In that interview, Kemp reportedly told police that his car was prowled earlier that evening, while he was at an event in downtown Seattle. He reportedly said that a cell phone was stolen during that incident and he was able to track it to a location in Fife. He confronted people in an SUV in Fife who quickly left. Then, he tracked the phone to the Tacoma Mall parking lot where the shooting happened. Kemp reportedly claimed he was shot at first. Police argue that this is not seen on security camera video.

    Court documents also state that text messages obtained from Kemp's phone are also being used as evidence in the case.

    Kemp is a six-time NBA All-Star and is involved in a local cannabis business.

    Continue reading »
  • Kirkland has new cameras targeting speeding drivers

    Speedsters beware: Kirkland has two new speed cameras posted and they started ticketing drivers Monday.

    The two cameras are placed in school zones, where lower speeds are posted. One is located at 84th Avenue Northeast, near the Finn Hill school zone. Another camera is posted near Lakeview Elementary on Northeast 68th Street.

    The cameras were installed a month ago. Since then, they have only issued warnings. But the grace period is over. As of Monday, drivers caught speeding in these zones are getting cited.

    Kirkland's first speed camera program for school zones was established in 2019. Cameras were placed near John Muir Elementary / Kamiakin Middle School and Rose Hill Elementary. The city says that the cameras prompted lower speeds in the area.

    The city opted to add more cameras in 2022. Kirkland has posted 130 signs in the two new camera locations, notifying drivers of their presence. The cameras also feature a flashing light.

    Revenue from the speeding tickets is being directed at expanding the speed camera program and also into traffic safety projects.

    The city of Kirkland has embraced a tech approach to enforcing traffic laws in recent years. In 2022, the city started a pilot program for tech designed to capture street racers. The camera and microphone system detects loud noises associated with street racing and documents the cars involved.

    Continue reading »
  • A new Soundgarden album? It's in the works


    Soundgarden fans kicked off the week with good news Monday — a new Soundgarden album is in the works.

    After singer Chris Cornell passed away in 2017, unreleased recordings that he made before his death lived on. Band members planned to finish the work and release the songs.

    RELATED: 'Seattle son' Chris Cornell immortalized outside MoPOP

    Cornell's wife Vicky Cornell sued the band in 2019, arguing that the recordings were solely performed by the late singer. The lawsuit sought royalties from the tracks. The band argued that the lingering songs were the result of collaboration.

    On Monday, both Vicky Cornell and the band announced via social media that the two parties have "reached an amicable out-of-court resolution," and that the "reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on."

    RELATED: Remembering Chris Cornell — 'It's so devastating'

    According to the Associated Press, seven Cornell recordings were at the center of the dispute. They were recorded at the singer's Miami Beach home before his death.

    Cornell founded Soundgarden in 1984 with guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell initially played drums in the band, but eventually moved to guitar. Cornell and Thayil were fixtures in the band through various member changes over the years, leading to Soundgarden's rise to grunge prominence in the 1990s.

    Continue reading »
  • Bremerton-Seattle ferry runs aground on Bainbridge Island

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

    A Washington state ferry ran aground at the south end of Bainbridge Island around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

    The M/V Walla Walla was en route to Seattle when it ran aground in Rich Passage. No injuries have been reported. Washington State Ferries reports that the vessel "suffered a generator failure," but also says that an investigation into the incident will be conducted.

    Haley Socha was on the Walla Walla when it happened, about 10 minutes after it left the Bremerton dock. Socha says the ferry lost power as it was making a turn through Rich Passage. Passengers then heard a loud whistle. An order for passengers to put on life jackets was issued.

    "Then the engines came back on, then they quickly went off again," Socha said. "Then they made an announcement that we had lost steering and propulsion and we were going to run aground. They announced we should brace for impact. Gradually, we scraped the bottom and then ran aground on Bainbridge Island."

    "It was fairly slow ... everyone could feel it. A couple people were jarred, a little bit, but everyone seems to be OK."

    On the shore, Bainbridge Island residents John Ellis and Ann Wilkinson Ellis could tell something was wrong with the Walla Walla before it ran aground.

    "We heard five blasts from the ferry, usually five blasts is a signal of danger or something," John Ellis told KUOW. "The next thing we heard was a 'boom,' so we ran out and we watched as the ferryboat Walla Walla went in front of our house, kept going, and went straight up onto Pleasant Beach."

    "We heard this explosion ... we have never heard that sound before," Wilkinson Ellis said. "We ran out on our deck. There was no collision, but the Walla Walla, sadly, one of my favorite ferry boats, was drifting into Pleasant Beach and grounded there, north of Lytle Beach and south of Lynwood Center, right in front of people's homes."

    Ellis observed that the ferry was going slowly as it ran onto the beach, and didn't make it far enough to reach nearby houses along the shoreline. He said he then saw people from the shore lingering on the beach, "looking at their new, hopefully temporary, neighbor."

    Continue reading »
  • Is this trashy ad in Seattle full of hot air?: Today So Far

    • The ads on garbage trucks around Seattle may not be entirely accurate.
    • This is who should get a statue in Seattle, according to TSF readers.
    • Bye bye Pearl Jam exhibit at MoPop.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for April 14, 2023.

    You may have seen garbage trucks driving around Seattle, boasting that they are "powered by renewable natural gas." Apparently, that's a bunch of hot air.

    KUOW's John Ryan reports this morning that the city of Seattle is asking Waste Management to take down the feel-good advertising on its garbage trucks because it's misleading.

    In short, the city's contract with Waste Management states that the trucks should use "100% Renewable Natural Gas, as certified under the U.S. EPA renewable fuel program." What has been happening is that Waste Management has been collecting methane seeping from landfills in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. It uses that gas to fuel trucks in those cities, not Seattle. But it claims credit for that renewable gas in Seattle, while using fossil fuel natural gas locally.

    Waste Management argues that, “This is how renewable energy works. It’s a ‘book and claim’ offset system similar to how renewable energy credits work for wind and solar.”

    Still, continuing to use the fossil fuel variety of natural gas and advertising, "Breathe Clean, Seattle: Powered by renewable natural gas" doesn't really represent reality. Read the full story here.

    A quick heads up for fans of Seattle, music, history, and Seattle music history — MoPop's Pearl Jam exhibit will close April 23. If you want to see it, now is your chance before it's gone. MoPop has more artifacts in its "Pearl Jam: Home and Away" exhibit than any other museum feature. Read more here.

    Who should get a statue in Seattle? That's a question I put forth following Soundside's segment on public art in Seattle. It's been pointed out that there is only one statue in the city of a real, historic female figure. There are plenty of abstract depictions, but nothing that commemorates women from real life. So I asked you which women you would choose to honor with a statue in Seattle. This question really stirred TSF readers, who wrote in with a lot to say.

    • There was a lot of love for the Bullitt family. Laurie wrote in to note that Dorothy Stimson Bullitt was the first woman in the country to buy and manage a TV station (KING); Patsy Bullitt Collins' philanthropy benefited the Seattle Public Library, low-income housing projects, environmental causes, and the region's music; Harriett Bullitt earned the title "environmental hero"; Kay Muller Bullitt worked for causes ranging from education, civil rights, historic preservation, environment, and more. Honestly, there's a long list of accomplishments across many family members; too much to list here.
    • Gail wrote in to point out Gypsy Rose Lee, a Seattle-born burlesque performer, actress, writer, and playwright. The musical "Gypsy" is based on her memoir. Gail also pointed out the Bullitt family.
    • Karin also mentioned the Bullitt Family, and agreed with my recommendation for Princess Angeline, but also said, "Ruby Chow, Patty Murray, Betty MacDonald are the names that pop into my head first ... My great-aunt was a Seattle Public Schools teacher in the '50s and she used to talk about an African American teacher she worked with, Thelma Dewitty."
    • Lisa points to Alice Augusta Ball, who was the first woman and first Black student to receive a master's degree from the University of Hawai'i. Before that, Ball graduated from Seattle High School in 1910, and went to the University of Washington where she got bachelor's degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacy. While working as a scientist and professor in Hawaii, she invented the Ball method. It was a breakthrough and became the leading treatment for leprosy in its day.
    • Morgan also suggested Ruby Chow, and also jazz and blues singer Ernestine Anderson. Anderson had an impressive career that started at Garfield High School. In Seattle, she sang in a jazz band with Quincy Jones and Ray Charles.
    • Steph says, "Statues for Mother Damnable and Lou Graham, please! They capture the spunk and humor of the women who helped build our town, one 'seamstress' at a time."
    • Donna recommends Pastor Patrinell “Pat” Wright, who led Seattle’s Total Experience Gospel Choir. Wright passed away in 2022.
    • Mary suggests Lee Minto, who was the first executive director of Seattle King County Planned Parenthood. Minto helped the effort to establish sex education in schools and to pass Referendum 20 in 1970, the voter-approved referendum that allowed abortion in the state.

    Not everybody liked my approach to the issue, or at least did not agree with some of my suggestions, which included Sue Bird, Brandi Carlile, Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart, Bertha Knight Landes, Dixy Lee Ray, and Kikisoblu aka Princess Angeline.

    Tom feels that Seattle should consider a single monument to honor many people who have influenced the region's history and character. He says that names can be added or removed in case of any controversies or their relevance fades over time. Tom was not impressed with some of my ideas, commenting, "I mean Brandi Carlile? Nancy Wilson? Really?"

    I also got a mixed reaction from Edith, who found it "sad that when thinking of statues of women who have contributed to Seattle over its many years of history, the first two to come to your mind were two contemporary women in the entertainment business." Those two names were Sue Bird and Brandi Carlile. Hey, in my defense, Carlile already has a local restaurant named after her, and it's pretty good.

    Continue reading »
  • I'm going back to MySpace: Today So Far

    KUOW is following NPR's lead and is ditching Twitter after its latest move to mislabel the public radio network.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for April 13, 2023.

    On Monday, I noted that NPR was recently tagged as "state-affiliated media" and also "government-funded media" on Twitter. These labels spurred quite a controversy. On Wednesday, NPR quit Twitter. As of last night, so has KUOW.

    This is from KUOW’s President and CEO Caryn G. Mathes.

    “We believe Twitter’s false, misleading and inconsistent application of labels undermines the platform’s credibility. We are worried that our continued engagement on this platform will erode public trust. So, we’re following NPR’s lead. As of today, KUOW has made the decision to indefinitely pause activity on Twitter.

    KUOW’s mission is to create and serve a more informed public. Historically, Twitter has been an important tool for real-time information dissemination — a way to get trusted news out to our local community in real-time. However, the recent decision-making at Twitter has made it clear that an active presence on the platform no longer supports our mission.”

    Read KUOW's full statement here.

    NPR's Twitter page will remain up, it just won't use it.

    This situation offers a moment for us all to reflect on our social media lives, the news we consume, and how it all interacts.

    A quick refresher on the NPR-Twitter drama

    After Twitter initially labeled NPR as “state-affiliated media," a tag used for propaganda news organizations run by countries like China or Russia, NPR pushed back. A dialogue was opened between Twitter’s owner Elon Musk and NPR officials. You could tell NPR was irate about the whole situation because it chose to use this photo of Musk in its reporting. Musk asked how NPR was run and where it got funding. NPR pointed out that it is a non-profit. Less than 1% of its funding comes from one agency, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Less than 1%. Twitter responded by relabeling NPR as "government-funded media." By Twitter’s logic, any company that has ever received a grant, subsidy, or perhaps even a tax break could be labelled as “government funded.”

    Also, under this logic, Elon Musk and his companies should carry the same label. Tesla has received billions in federal and state subsidies in recent years.

    Continue reading »
  • Seattle to get garbage hauler to take down misleading green ads

    Waste Management trucks in Seattle are plastered with advertisements on their sides: “Breathe Clean, Seattle: Powered by Renewable Natural Gas.”

    Despite the ads and despite a contractual requirement to run the trucks on renewable fuel, those garbage trucks run on regular fossil-fuel natural gas, with all of its climate and pollution impacts.

    After complaints from environmental activists, Seattle Public Utilities officials say they will get Waste Management to take down the ads.

    “The slogans on the sides of WM’s trucks in Seattle are vague and could lead to confusion,” Seattle Public Utilities spokesperson Sabrina Register said in an email Wednesday. “We are currently working with WM to develop a plan to remove the slogans from all WM trucks that serve the Seattle Solid Waste Collections Contract.”

    RELATED: Tacoma ship fire worse for climate than burning a million gallons of gasoline

    “I’m really glad to hear that Waste Management will be removing the ads,” Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold said. “But I also feel that we need to do more to move toward an all-electric fleet.”

    Climate activists had complained to Seattle City Council that the ads were misleading “greenwashing” and that the polluting trucks appeared to be violating the city’s contractual requirements.

    “The Contractor shall use 100% Renewable Natural Gas, as certified under the U.S. EPA renewable fuel program,” Waste Management’s 2018 contract for collecting garbage in North, Northwest, South, Southeast, and West Seattle states.

    Instead of running its 92 garbage trucks in Seattle on biogas, Waste Management has been vacuuming up methane seeping out of landfills in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. It uses that methane to fuel trucks in those cities, not Seattle, but claims credit for that activity in Seattle.

    “This is how renewable energy works,” Waste Management spokesperson Jackie Lang said in an email. “It’s a ‘book and claim’ offset system similar to how renewable energy credits work for wind and solar.”

    Continue reading »
  • KUOW to cease activity on Twitter after NPR is falsely labeled as ‘state-affiliated media’

    A statement from KUOW President and General Manager Caryn G. Mathes

    Following Twitter’s decision to falsely label NPR as “state-affiliated media,” a term the platform uses to identify propaganda outlets and government-controlled media, NPR leadership announced today that the organization is leaving the platform. They will no longer post new content to their 52 institutional Twitter feeds, making them the first major news organization to go inactive on the platform.

    In an interview, NPR CEO John Lansing explained, "I would never have our content go anywhere that would risk our credibility.”

    We believe Twitter’s false, misleading, and inconsistent application of labels undermines the platform’s credibility. We are worried that our continued engagement on this platform will erode public trust. So, we’re following NPR’s lead. As of today, KUOW has made the decision to indefinitely pause activity on Twitter.

    KUOW’s mission is to create and serve a more informed public. Historically, Twitter has been an important tool for real-time information dissemination — a way to get trusted news out to our local community in real-time. However, the recent decision-making at Twitter has made it clear that an active presence on the platform no longer supports our mission.

    In recent years, KUOW has also seen declining returns on Twitter. Twitter only accounted for 1% of our overall site traffic in 2022. We had already pulled back resources from Twitter to prioritize other channels with stronger audience engagement — the recent decisions from Twitter leadership simply made the business case for pulling back fairly straight-forward.

    Our decision to go silent on Twitter in no way changes our north star: to be a trusted source of information that is free and accessible to everyone in our community. We remain steadfast in our commitment to our mission and the audiences we serve. We invite you to find us on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube — as well as online, in your inbox, at community events, in your favorite podcast app, and always on-air at 94.9 FM Seattle.

    Lastly, though Twitter CEO Elon Musk reacted to NPR’s decision by tweeting “Defund @NPR” (among other things), the reality is that KUOW and NPR receive very little government funding. Only 4% of KUOW’s revenue comes from government dollars via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Over 90% of our revenue comes from community members and local businesses who share our belief that an informed public makes our democracy stronger.

    If you’d like to support our work, make a donation or become a monthly sustainer at KUOW.org/donate.

    Thank you for your support and the trust you place in us as your source for news. We never take it for granted.

    Continue reading »