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
-
Washington governor, AG unveil 3 gun safety proposals
Washington leaders are aiming to ban the sale of assault weapons in the state. Similar attempts have not gotten far in the past, but they say they now have the momentum to do it as they push for three gun safety measures next session.
On Monday, Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced a pair of gun safety bills they are jointly proposing for the upcoming legislative session — including a ban on semiautomatic rifles and a law establishing liability for the gun industry. Inslee further announced a third measure he is pursuing, which would create a permit program to purchase a gun.
"You need to get a license to drive a car in the state of Washington, you need to get a license to go fishing, it's time that you get a license to make sure that you have safety training to purchase a gun in the state of Washington, and it's high time that we pass a bill to make sure you get a permit before you purchase a firearm," Inslee said.
Inslee added that gun safety laws will not be the only tactic used in the upcoming year, and that state officials will also work to "provide mental health to our young people, we are going to attack the homelessness crisis, we are going to train more police officers so there are more officers on the streets to protect us."
But he argues that "too many guns, of the wrong kind" are in too many hands. The governor said that Washington loses more than 800 residents to gun violence each year.
Ferguson noted that this is the seventh year that he has pushed for an assault weapons ban. Inslee and Ferguson did not provide details on what firearms would classify as an assault weapon, but the AG's Office website states they are targeting "military style" guns.
The proposal to establish a level of liability for gun manufacturers and sellers is a new effort in Washington. Such lawsuits against manufacturers and sellers are difficult at the federal level, but Ferguson says that states can implement their own laws to create local legal liability.
"This is a bill that will ensure that firearms manufacturers and sellers face consequences, liability, when they are irresponsible," he said.
The proposal charges firearm industry members to establish and enforce controls on various aspects of gun sales — manufacturing, selling, distribution, and marketing.
"And if they don't, if those weapons get in the wrong hands, and the tragic outcomes that we are all too familiar with occur, on their watch, and as a result of their actions, then these lawsuits can be brought," Ferguson said.
Gun violence victims speak
Continue reading » -
Cold temps, lowland snow and possible flooding in the forecast
Beware, holiday travelers. Record cold temperatures and heavy lowland snow are possible early this week, followed by rain and potential flooding over the weekend.
The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a winter storm warning through 7 p.m. Tuesday for Seattle and surrounding areas. Snow accumulations of 2-8 inches are possible, with heavy snow accumulation expected to impact morning and evening commutes on Tuesday.
"It looks like widespread potential for at least 2-4 inches in the Seattle Metro through tomorrow afternoon," said Carly Kovacik, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. "There could be areas where we've got localized higher amounts to like maybe 5 or 6 inches."
Meanwhile, extremely low temperatures are in the forecast through the week with lows well below freezing and wind chills into the single digits. The National Weather Service says lows on Thursday morning could be between 10 and 20 degrees, with afternoon highs only reaching the mid-20s.
For those in need of shelter, below is an Instagram post listing cold-weather shelters in the Seattle region.
As temperatures rise toward the end of the week, forecasters warn of the potential for freezing rain and then urban and river flooding over the weekend from rain and snow melt.
Continue reading » -
How the bird flu can affect you: Today So Far
The bird flu rarely spreads to humans, but that doesn't mean it can't affect you.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 16, 2022.
Covid, and RSV, and the flu. Now get ready for ... bird flu.
Ya know, I look forward to a period when I don't write so much about viruses and pandemics, but the news is the news. And the latest news is that the bird flu has dramatically spiked throughout the Northwest and the United States. It is being called the deadliest bird flu outbreak in U.S. history.
The bird flu, as the name implies, affects birds. It doesn't spread to humans so much (that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep your distance from infected/dead birds), though the first human case of bird flu was detected in Colorado in April. That person recovered within a few days.
"This year, avian influenza is spreading much more quickly in wild birds," Kevin Snekvik, executive director for the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, told Soundside. "There's over 40 different species of wild birds that are affected by this strain. So, its hosts are much more diversified than previous years."
Considering bird populations around Washington, wild birds do have one advantage — they're wild, and there are a lot of them. So far, the hundreds of cases in Washington won't make much of a dent in the total population of many species. They also have the opportunity to spread out. This isn't the case for a very specific population — commercial flocks, like chicken farms. That's where this will affect us.
Remember when we all initially responded to Covid? People socially distanced, wore masks, and eventually got shots. None of that is possible with commercial operations. There are no tiny chicken masks, as funny as that sounds. But more to the point, there is no social distancing when it comes to many commercial operations, which often keep chickens in tight groups. Those are ideal conditions for a virus to spread.
That's a big problem if you enjoy things like eggs, or baked chicken thighs in oyster sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and a dash pepper ... what was I talking about? Oh yeah...
A lot of our food in Western Washington comes from the eastern side of the state. Over near Pasco, more than a million chickens have recently come down with the virus and are being destroyed, aka killed off to stop the spread. In this case, the farm produces chicken eggs, which are sold across Washington and 10 other states. This is the first commercial flock to come down with the avian influenza in our state.
Across the USA, a total of 300 commercial flocks have been infected this year. As of early December, 52,695,450 birds were destroyed nationally. According to NPR, the situation doesn't "pose a special risk in the nation's food supply, given proper handling."
Infections at commercial flocks are mostly coming from interactions with the wild bird population. One conservation scientist told KUOW that it has been "utter chaos" recently, with so many reports of dead wild birds. From snow geese to bald eagles, crews have been responding to hundreds of bird deaths across Washington in recent months. Since many birds go into hiding when they are dying, the actual number of deaths is likely much higher.
Continue reading » -
Everett trades $25K in gift cards for firearms
Hundreds of unwanted firearms have been turned into the Everett Police Department after the city held its first ever Guns for Gift Cards event, Dec. 17, 2022.
The exchange, held at the city's precinct on Everett Mall Way, brought in 241 firearms.
- 123 handguns
- 109 long guns
- 9 AR and AK style rifles
Weapons like AR-15s and AK-47s were worth up to $300. Handguns were worth up to $200. Rifles and shotguns got $100, and $25 were paid for inoperable firearms.
The city paid $25,000 in gift cards for the entire haul.
According to My Everett News, there were 30 cars lined up ahead of the event. The police department ran out of gift cards before everyone was seen. With no gift cards, some gun owners opted to keep their firearms. Others turned them in anyway.
Continue reading » -
Sea-Tac Airport's holiday travel rebounds out of pandemic
This is going to be one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, and Sea-Tac Airport spokesperson Perry Cooper says nearly 1 million visitors will pass through Sea-Tac terminals between Dec. 19 and Jan. 3.
Cooper notes that the airport continues to rebound from the pandemic travel slump.
"So, Thanksgiving was about 95% of pre-pandemic numbers, now we're at 100%," Cooper said. "And we're asking people to be wary of that, bring your patience, and give yourself some extra time."
The Friday before Christmas, the Monday after Christmas, and after New Year's Day are expected to be the busiest days at Sea-Tac.
Drivers should expect extra company on the road. Congestion is expected on I-5 from Lacey to Tacoma, starting midday Thursday.
Traffic over the passes on I-90 and Highway 2 is forecast to be busiest in both directions on Monday, Dec. 26.
Chains are currently required over Snoqualmie Pass. Traction tires are required over Stevens Pass. Drivers are encouraged to carry chains and winter supplies.
Continue reading » -
All I want for Christmas is rent: Today So Far
- KUOW gets advice on the best ways to give during this season of goodwill.
- The Little Free Bakery effort grows in the Seattle area, baking up free food for those who need it.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 16, 2022.
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
I might not even have a Christmas tree
I just want a secure home
More than you could ever know
So I'm saving every cent
All I want for Christmas, is rent
I'm sorry/not sorry for getting that song stuck in your head. But it's a tune that a lot of folks in the Seattle area are singing this season, according to Patrick Barredo, director of social outreach and advocacy at St. James Cathedral. While speaking with KUOW about positive ways to give this holiday season, Barredo said one need sticks out more this year.
"The needs that I'm seeing are more requests for rental assistance," Barredo said. "People have been drastically affected by the pandemic. I know that we're a growing region. We are experiencing a lot of good things here. But it's also coming at a cost, where people just aren't able to afford housing. There's not enough affordable housing units, and of course, jobs. Many people want the dignity of being able to say that they are earning their own paycheck, but there are not enough jobs in our region that allow for people to be able to afford rent."
Continue reading » -
Rural incarcerations are on the rise in Washington state
Incarceration rates in Washington state’s urban and suburban areas are on a downtrend, but in rural areas, police are booking more people into jail, often for minor offenses.
As a professor of sociology at Washington State University, Jennifer Schwartz started to notice a pattern in her research. While urban area incarcerations in Washington are going down, the number of people imprisoned in rural areas is going up.
“It wasn't the serious transgressions, or the serious criminals that are a danger to the community that kept coming back in," Schwartz said. "It was these sort of minor transgressions that kept the revolving door spinning.”
RELATED: Suicide and staffing issues at King County Jail, ‘a radioactive subject’
Those minor offenses include things like driving with a suspended license or not showing up in court. Schwartz and her colleague Jennifer Sherman received a three-year grant to continue researching rural incarceration. They hope to find potential solutions for policymakers.
Sherman notes that having fewer services in rural areas can contribute to people ending up in jail, such as lack of access to health care.
“Mental health is a huge concern," Sherman said. "And for a lot of people, if that could have been stabilized, if they could have gotten services a lot earlier in their lives, they may never have ended up in the situations that they ended up in and that caused them to end up in jail.”
RELATED: Powwows return to Washington's prisons
Connecting recently released people with social services, assisting people with finding housing, and helping people access medication might help curb these arrests, Sherman said. She also said greater access to health care for rural areas overall would benefit the community as a whole.
Read the full story on Northwest Public Broadcasting.
Continue reading » -
Sea-Tac Airport now hosting Little Free Libraries
SeaTac is one of the first international airports to install little free libraries. Two such libraries are now active at the airport, thanks to the efforts of locals and artists.
According to a port blog post, the idea came from Anika Klix, a former employee at the port. Klix had already volunteered to spruce up little free libraries around Kent. The idea for Sea-Tac Airport emerged last year.
The libraries at Sea-Tac were painted by two Seattle-based artists, Elizabeth R. Gahan and Ilana Zweschi. The libraries are located in front of the children's play area and at the top of the underground escalator.
In their blog post, Klix notes that the port has also signed a Read in Color pledge, "to ensure that it provides and distributes books on diverse issues such as racism and social justice as well as in celebration of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and all marginalized voices for readers of all abilities, ages, and experiences. As an official Read in Color steward, SEA will receive shipments of diverse books at no charge, purchased from BIPOC-owned independent bookstores whenever possible and encourages book donations by BIPOC and Indigenous authors."
Little Free Libraries began in 2009 in Wisconsin. Since then, more small libraries, usually small book cabinets, have popped up in cities across the world. Today, there are more than 150,000 little free libraries across the globe.
Continue reading » -
Plenty of Amazon plastic to go around ... the Earth
There is more plastic from Amazon's packaging swirling in Earth's oceans, according the environmental advocacy group Oceana, which says the amount of plastic from the online retailer can circle the planet more than 800 times in the form of air pillows.
A new report by the environmental group states that plastic waste from Amazon packages increased by 18% last year. Oceana estimates Amazon's plastic waste jumped from 599 million pounds in 2020 to 709 million pounds in 2021.
“The science is clear, the type of plastic used by Amazon for its packaging is a threat to the oceans. Customers and shareholders are calling for the company to act. It’s time for Amazon to, as it has on climate, step up and commit to a global reduction in its use of plastic packaging,” said Matt Littlejohn, Oceana’s senior vice president for strategic initiatives, in a statement.
RELATED: Amazon to give millions for affordable housing around Seattle
Amazon has also recently claimed that its use of single-use plastic has dropped. For its part, the company said this week that it used slightly more than 200 million pounds of single-use plastic last year to ship orders to customers.
"In 2021, we reduced average plastic packaging weight per shipment by over 7%, resulting in 97,222 metric tons of single-use plastic being used across our global operations network to ship orders to customers," the company stated.
Amazon further notes that "plastics, especially single-use plastics, are difficult to recycle, so they are more likely to create waste in the long term. Although the plastic packaging Amazon uses today is recyclable, it generally requires our customers to take the materials from their homes to store drop-off locations."
The company also says it is phasing out some of its plastic packaging in favor of paper versions that can be recycled. Of the plastic that remains, it says it is using "less material and more recycled content." Amazon says it was using 50% recycled outgoing packaging in 2021.
The company's data leaves out a considerable source of other plastic packaging made possible through its online-shopping platform, Oceana notes. Third-party merchants sell items via Amazon, but don't use the company's fulfillment services. That packaging isn't included in the company's numbers.
According to Oceana: "While Amazon claims to have reduced average plastic packaging weight per shipment by over 7% in 2021, it has not disclosed by how much its global plastic packaging footprint grew from 2020 to 2021. Amazon’s sales are reported to have grown by 22% in this time period. As sales increase, the company’s plastic footprint grows too. Oceana estimated a plastic footprint growth of 18%, accounting for the plastic reduction measures Amazon has taken in some countries (such as India)."
Continue reading » -
Remote learning options mean no more snow days for Seattle schools
As Seattle Public Schools students prepare to go on winter break (next week), they are being told to make sure they take their laptops and other electronic school devices home with them. The main reason is because school officials want students to switch to remote learning if snow cancels in-person classes.
It's the district's solution to making sure the end of the school year isn't delayed any further by unforeseen disruptions, such as snow days.
That's fine by Tamar Rosenblum, a freshman at Franklin High School.
“I actually kind of like it," Rosenblum said. "Because we get some down time that we can just, like, pop outside if it's snowing. So, I like this. And it's also gives us time to just chill at home. And in a more stress-free environment, that's nicer for me, personally.”
Students are already using their built-in weather make-up days to make up for the teacher's strike that delayed the start of the school year. Without the option of remote learning days, Seattle students could be in class until July.
Continue reading » -
Starbucks workers plan a 3-day walkout at 100 U.S. stores in a unionization effort
Starbucks workers around the U.S. are planning a three-day strike starting Friday as part of their effort to unionize the coffee chain's stores.
More than 1,000 baristas at 100 stores are planning to walk out, according to Starbucks Workers United, the labor group organizing the effort. The strike will be the longest in the year-old unionization campaign.
This is the second major strike in a month by Starbucks' U.S. workers. On Nov. 17, workers at 110 Starbucks stores held a one-day walkout. That effort coincided with Starbucks' annual Red Cup Day, when the company gives reusable cups to customers who order a holiday drink.
RELATED: Seattle Starbucks employees join nationwide strike
More than 264 of Starbucks' 9,000 company-run U.S. stores have voted to unionize since late last year.
Starbucks opposes the unionization effort, saying the company functions better when it works directly with employees. But the company said last month that it respects employees' lawful right to protest.
Tori Tambellini, a former Starbucks shift supervisor and union organizer who was fired in July, said she will be picketing in Pittsburgh this weekend. Tambellini said workers are protesting understaffed stores, poor management and what she calls Starbucks' "scorched earth method of union busting," including closing stores that have unionized.
Workers United noted that Starbucks recently closed the first store to unionize in Seattle, the company's hometown. Starbucks has said the store was closed for safety reasons.
Starbucks and the union have begun contract talks in about 50 stores but no agreements have been reached.
The process has been contentious. According to the National Labor Relations Board, Workers United has filed at least 446 unfair labor practice charges against Starbucks since late last year, including that the company fired labor organizers and refused to bargain. The company, meanwhile, has filed 47 charges against the union, among them allegations that it defied bargaining rules when it recorded sessions and posted the recordings online.
So far, the labor disputes haven't appeared to dent Starbucks' sales. Starbucks said in November that its revenue rose 3% to a record $8.41 billion in the July-September period. [Copyright 2022 NPR]
Continue reading » -
5th Avenue Theatre performances canceled due to Covid outbreak
All weekend performances, December 15-18, of The Wiz at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre have been canceled due to multiple Covid cases reported among the cast and crew.
Ticketholders were notified via voicemail and email and were offered refunds or a chance to reschedule their tickets. The 5th Ave Theatre says it will have more information about the status of future performances by Monday, Dec. 19.
RELATED: 'The Wiz' brings Black song and joy to the 5th Avenue Theatre
A spokesperson for Public Health Seattle & King County says they don't have any further information about the cancellation. There have been no public reports of an outbreak among audience goers, but local health officials say they are continuing to see very high levels of respiratory viruses and a rise in Covid hospitalizations.
There is no indoor mask mandate, but state and local public health officers are strongly encouraging people to wear face masks in crowded indoor spaces, particularly among older adults.
Public Health Seattle & King County suggests everyone wear a mask in indoor spaces when they're around others. A spokesperson for the department said, "unfortunately, it’s not particularly surprising that various activities, including shows, may be experiencing the repercussions of illness among staff."
The 5th Avenue Theatre also encourages its audience members to wear highly effective masks — N95, KN95 or KF 94 — but doesn't require them.
RELATED: The two shows in Seattle that should not be missed this holiday season
Continue reading »