KUOW Blog
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On the rise in Washington state: Today So Far
- Minimum wage is set to go up in Seattle, and Washington state.
- Also on the rise are gas prices, and soon, utility bills.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 5, 2022.
Things are on the rise around Washington state these days. Fair warning: I'm going to throw a lot of numbers at you today. That is sort of a news no-no. But I have faith in TSF readers.
For starters, Seattle's minimum wage will go up in 2023. How much it goes up depends on where you work. Large employers (more than 500 employees), and other businesses that don't contribute toward medical benefits, will start paying at least $18.69 per hour on Jan. 1. Small businesses that do contribute to health insurance will have a minimum rate of $16.50 per hour. Depending on where someone falls in that range, this adds up to a 75 cent or a $1.42 raise.
At the same time, Washington state's minimum wage will rise to $15.74 per hour. That's a $1.25 raise (an increase of 8.66%), which is tied to inflation. This makes Washington state's minimum wage the highest in the United States.
Also on the rise are utility bills. Seattle City Light raised rates 6% a couple weeks ago (5.6% for businesses). Now Puget Sound Energy aims to raise its rates, too. The utility, that covers much of Western Washington, is asking permission from the state's Utilities and Transportation Commission to hike rates. If the state approves, the average PSE customer can expect a rate increase of $8 in 2023, and about $2 in 2024. Gas customers would see a rate increase of $5 in 2023, and $1 in 2024. PSE says it needs to raise rates because of "rising natural gas prices, state policy objectives for clean energy, and continued investments in system reliability and safety." Read more here.
And once again, gas prices are heading higher. Gas prices were on a 14-week decline before prices began rebounding in late September.
The current average for a gallon of regular gas in Washington state is $5.35, according to AAA. That's 2 cents up from yesterday, and 25 cents up from a week ago. A month ago, it was $4.68. Some of the highest prices are in King County where the average is $5.56.
In short, this all adds up to rising prices at the pump by a few cents each day. All the usual suspects are behind this trend: production snafus, hurricanes, and overseas conflicts. GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan says that gas prices are more or less severe in different parts of the USA.
“Some West Coast states saw prices rise 35 to 55 cents per gallon in the last week as refinery issues continued to impact gasoline supply, which fell to its lowest level in a decade in the region, causing prices to skyrocket," De Haan said. "While I’m hopeful there will eventually be relief, prices could go a bit higher before cooling off. In addition, OPEC could decide to cut oil production by a million barrels as the global economy slows down, potentially creating a catalyst that could push gas prices up further.”
De Haan made that statement in an Oct. 3 blog post. NPR reported this morning that the OPEC+ alliance will cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day. That move is expected to cause gas prices to tick up even further.
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Gas prices continue to rise in Washington state
Gas prices have continued to rise in Washington state over the past week, following a 14-week decline.
The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Washington state is $5.35, as of Wednesday, according to AAA. That's 2 cents up from Tuesday, and 25 cents up from a week ago. A month ago, it was $4.68. Some of the highest prices are in King County where the average is $5.56.
RELATED: Pain at the pump drives debate in Washington’s closest congressional race
In short, this all adds up to rising prices at the pump by a few cents each day. All the usual suspects are behind this trend: production snafus, hurricanes, and overseas conflicts.
GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan says that gas prices are more or less severe in different parts of the country.
“Some West Coast states saw prices rise 35 to 55 cents per gallon in the last week as refinery issues continued to impact gasoline supply, which fell to its lowest level in a decade in the region, causing prices to skyrocket," De Haan said. "While I’m hopeful there will eventually be relief, prices could go a bit higher before cooling off. In addition, OPEC could decide to cut oil production by a million barrels as the global economy slows down, potentially creating a catalyst that could push gas prices up further.”
De Haan made that statement in an Oct. 3 blog post. NPR reported this morning that the OPEC+ alliance will cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day. That move is expected to cause gas prices to tick up even further.
This segment on gas prices in Washington state was originally published in the Oct. 5 edition of the Today So Far newsletter.
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Seattle launches program to help small businesses deal with rash of vandalism
Small businesses in Seattle that have experienced repeated vandalism and break-ins can now apply for some financial relief.
The city of Seattle has launched the Storefront Repair Fund, a program to help businesses with property damage.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell introduced the program in the U-District, where four students were injured near campus this past weekend. Harrell says the program is just one part of addressing public safety. Fixing broken windows may not directly deter crime, but it’s a way to create a welcoming space.
“We believe in a comprehensive approach to public safety, where economic revitalization and beautification and creating welcoming activated spaces becomes part of our critical strategy,” Harrell said.
Storefront repairs are often costly. Some owners are reluctant to file insurance claims for fear of increased premiums.
Thanks to $2 million in federal funding, small businesses may apply for grants up to $2,000 for property damage repairs. The Office of Economic Development will start accepting applications for those federal funds beginning Oct. 18. It will continue until the money runs out.
Don Blakeney, executive director of U District Partnership, notes the U District is one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in the city with new residential units under construction, and the recent opening of new light rail stations.
About a year ago, the neighborhood saw a rash of vandalism that resulted in around 30 small businesses having their windows broken or bashed.
“This vibrancy and prosperity is fragile,” Blakeney said. “And can’t be taken for granted.”
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Cody Easterday sentenced to 11 years in prison for cattle fraud scam
The sentence that came down for Cody Easterday Tuesday concludes one of the biggest cattle rustling cases in the history of the West.
Easterday was sentenced to 11 years in prison for wire fraud.
Easterday’s family and friends were boisterous as they waited in the hall outside of Federal Courtroom 203 in Yakima.
Almost two years ago, Easterday confessed to swindling meat companies of hundreds of millions of dollars for the care and feeding of nonexistent cattle. After he came clean, Easterday worked with the bankruptcy court to sell off most of his family’s massive farm and ranch empire.
“It’s all come to a collapse," Judge Stanley Bastian said in the courtroom Tuesday before sentencing Easterday to 11 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref said the $244 million Easterday stole was the largest amount in a criminal fraud case in the district of Eastern Washington.
“It’s very critical that we send a message to the community that this type of fraud — almost a quarter of a billion dollars — is taken seriously," Waldref said.
Easterday’s lawyer Carl Oreskovich had argued for a lighter sentence, saying Easterday had been a community stalwart to the local 4-H kids, his workers and his family.
“He’s somebody that has helped everybody. And this is something that he’ll take hard," Oreskovich said.
After the sentencing, Easterday’s supporters filed out of the courtroom silently.
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First Lady Jill Biden to visit Western Washington Friday
First Lady Jill Biden will spend a couple days visiting the Seattle-Tacoma area Friday and Saturday.
The first lady's schedule states she will arrive Friday afternoon in King County.
She's making stops to discuss community colleges, celebrate the children of military and veterans, and attend a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.
Biden will first stop at Bates Technical College in Tacoma on Friday afternoon to discuss workforce development programs in technical careers.
On Saturday, the First Lady will attend an undisclosed fundraising event for Sen. Murray at noon.
She will then head to the Pacific Science Center to meet military families — the stop is for the Hidden Helpers Coalition (Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project), which benefits military children and families.
She'll be joined Saturday by Sen. Murray, who is up for election, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough.
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Seattle minimum wage will rise in 2023
The minimum wage in Seattle will go up in 2023, but how much depends on the employer.
Seattle's Office of Labor Standards has set the city's new minimum wage for small and large employers to between $16.50 and $18.69. The new wages start on Jan. 1.
The new $16.50 rate is for small employers who pay medical benefits or allow tips for employees. This is a 75 cent raise from the current $15.75 per hour rate.
The minimum for small employers who don't pay for insurance, and for all large employers, is $18.69 per hour. This is a $1.42 raise from the current $17.27 rate.
The city defines a small employer as a business with fewer than 500 employees.
Washington state's minimum wage was also recently revised and is slated for a raise in 2023. Washington's 8.66% increase (tied to the cost of inflation) will raise the state's minimum wage to the highest in the nation (though Washington, D.C., still has a higher minimum wage).
Washington state's minimum wage will go up $1.25 to $15.74 in 2023.
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Washington's GOP is reaching out for more votes: Today So Far
- Washington's GOP hopes to gain more Latino votes.
- Washington's winemakers are adapting to the smoky summers we've had over the past few years.
- Closing the homeownership gap in Washington state.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 4, 2022.
We can't avoid this anymore. It's October. It's time to start talking about elections.
With about a month to go, we won't be able to escape sensational campaign ads from our mailbox to our TVs, or the online bickering, or the last-minute "surprises" planned just in time to swing a few votes. Beyond all that, the issues are real and so are the candidates, which sounds odd since conspiracy theories are still driving a lot of voters — particularly election fraud and anything that sows doubt. In the Northwest, you'll hear candidates promote "election integrity" as an extension of this.
Another story that has come through KUOW's newsroom is the concerted effort by Democrats and Republicans in Washington to gain Latino votes. After every election, Democrats always seem so surprised that every single vote in the Latino demographic did not go their way. While it's true that, statistically, Latino votes generally favor Democrats, locally and nationally, there are communities that lean right. With the economy not doing so well, and a few other points, Republicans are looking to open up more votes in their favor.
“Religiously, economically, they fit, I think in my opinion, much better on the Republican side of the political spectrum,” said Republican Congressmember Dan Newhouse who is running for re-election in Washington's Fourth District.
“This is a big voting bloc that is very much open to considering voting for Republican candidates,” state GOP Chair Caleb Heimlich said.
This is not just GOP campaign rhetoric. There are political analysts in Washington who have noticed a slight sway to the right in recent elections. Republicans have noticed too. That's why state Republicans have opened an office in Wenatchee, and have hired a full-time employee with the purpose of reaching out to Latino communities in Yakima and the Tri-Cities. Read more here.
Washington's winemakers are adapting to the smoky summers we've had over the past few years. While smoke is great for sunsets, it's not so great for wine grapes which soak it up. That smoky taint stays with the grapes throughout the winemaking process and gives an ashy flavor. Many winemakers have a mission to mitigate this taint. Some have blended the 2020 crush with other wines to get past the smoky flavor. But there is another effort to get technology to help out. Some new work out of Washington State University has uncovered the undesirable smoky compounds that are causing the problem. The goal now is to develop a way to remove them. Read more here.
The homeownership gap between white and Black residents in Washington is worse than it was in the 1960s. That's one finding of a new study from the state's Department of Commerce, which was initially ordered up by the Legislature. Black, Indigenous and people of color would have to purchase more than 140,000 houses to achieve parity with white homeowners. The study is meant to inform future policies to help bridge the gap.
Michael Brown with the Seattle Foundation's Black Home Initiative tells KUOW that its "focus on home ownership isn’t just a nice thing – it’s meant to be transformative.” That's because homeownership can feed into other benefits, like financial and community stability. Brown promotes subsidies to help low-income people buy homes. He argues that the market will not come up with such housing on its own, so it has to be intentional. Read more here.
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Fight leads to shooting outside U District bar
University of Washington students are one week into the school year, and already, some are concerned for their safety after a shooting near campus.
Freshman Nandina Talukder was with her parents when they got an emergency alert about the shooting a little after 1 a.m. on Sunday.
“I was very shocked because this is my first year as freshmen and I've just been here like for a week now," Talukder said. "And to get such news at the beginning of me being here, it was very shocking, and also kind of disappointing because it's not a good way to welcome people here.”
RELATED: Shootings spiked during the pandemic. The spike now looks like a 'new normal'
The Seattle Police Department reports that officers and medics with the Fire Department were dispatched to the 4300 block of University Way around 1 a.m. Sunday. Two men reportedly got into a fight outside of a bar. One man pulled a gun and fired 3-5 rounds before fleeing the scene. Officers did not find the suspect in the area following the shooting.
Four students suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting. Two were released from the hospital Sunday and the others are in satisfactory condition.
Talukder says more police should be around with students back on campus.
“Will I get shot every time I go out? That's not something that you should probably think about it," Talukder said.
Shootings around Seattle have been on the rise in recent years with most occurring downtown or Central Seattle.
UW Police have not said yet if they’ll increase patrols in the U District.
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30 Congress members send letter to Starbucks, urging cooperation with unions
Members of Congress are urging Starbucks to work with the unions that have sprung up at nearly 250 stores in the United States, saying they're concerned about reports of withheld pay and other accusations of union busting.
A letter signed by 30 lawmakers was sent to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on Oct. 3. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Seattle is the only Washington House member to sign the letter.
RELATED: Laxman Narasimhan begins role as Starbucks new CEO
The effort was led by U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California who told MarketWatch that Starbucks "could set a model for the food and drink industry in America" and "could rightly say they’re being progressive," if it supports the union efforts across hundreds of its stores.
The lawmakers also note they're concerned about reports of pay increases and benefits going only to stores that are not unionizing. Starbucks has said it prefers to talk directly with its employees about working conditions instead of through a union.
"As workers renegotiate the compact between employee and employer across workplaces nationwide, we encourage both parties to work together, mend differences and unite to help build an economy that works for everyone," the letter states.
Read the full letter here.
RELATED: Regulars react to their Starbucks closing
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Puget Sound Energy bills are about to rise
Puget Sound Energy is telling customers they will likely see higher energy bills in the coming months, starting with gas customers.
According to PSE: "This is due to a combination of factors, including rising natural gas prices, state policy objectives for clean energy, and continued investments in system reliability and safety."
A hike in natural gas prices will hit utility bills in November 2022. But more could be coming along in 2023.
RELATED: Seattle hikes electricity rates
PSE has filed a request to increase its rates with Washington's Utilities and Transportation Commission. The new rates would kick in January 2023.
- If approved, the average electric customer will see a rate increase of $8 in 2023, and a little less than $2 in 2024.
- Gas customers will see an increase of $5 in 2023, and $1 in 2024.
PSE says the increased rates are needed to cover $3.1 billion in investments over the past four years. The utility company says it won't "profit from the natural gas it purchases for customers."
“We are making our customers aware of these increases now, to give them time to learn about their options for controlling their energy usage and how to get help paying their energy bills,” said Andy Wappler, PSE senior vice president and chief customer officer. “We are urging customers to take advantage of our bill assistance and energy efficiency programs to help them manage those higher costs.”
If you need assistance with paying your Puget Sound Energy bill, go to pse.com/lower.
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People experiencing homelessness may lose decades of life
People experiencing homelessness in King County may die decades earlier than their peers in the broader community.
That's one takeaway from a recent report from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office on some of the deaths that have occurred among people living unhoused over the past decade.
The Medical Examiner's office doesn’t investigate all deaths in the county, only those that are unexpected, sudden, violent, suspicious, or where the cause of death is unknown.
Over the past 10 years, the office has investigated 1,429 deaths of people presumed to be homeless.
Most were male and most were premature, according to the report.
“The median age of presumed homeless decedents was 51 compared to the median age of all King County residents who died which was 79,” the report states.
Additionally, as is true in the overall homeless population in the county, Black and Native people were overrepresented in the deaths investigated by the office.
Derrick Belgarde, executive director for the Chief Seattle Club, a homeless service organization, said structural racism and marginalization from systems of care contribute to the disproportionate impacts seen in Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.
“We know our Native American community doesn't trust non-Native systems, doesn't trust going to clinics or getting the care that they need because of the trauma we've endured over years,” Belgarde said.
Along with a need for housing and addressing physical health-care needs of people experiencing homelessness, Belgarde said there’s also a need to address the emotional and mental health needs for that population.
He said culturally appropriate outreach and care are vital to addressing disparities.
When it comes to causes of death, the medical examiner's report shows almost half of the deaths investigated among people presumed to be homeless were classified as accidents, with most due to poisoning or drug overdoses.
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Why are you so worked up about Buoy?: Today So Far
The Seattle Kraken has a new mascot, a sea troll named Buoy. Not everyone is happy about it. But so what. Not everything is for you and that is OK.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 3, 2022.
Let's get something out of the way, right at the start this week: The Kraken's new mascot, Buoy, is not a kraken. But so what?
As soon as new mascot for Seattle's hockey team was announced on Friday, folks began airing their grievances, mostly over social media (anybody else see the irony of online trolls criticizing a troll?). The fact that most criticism people can cite is located on Twitter, that's the first sign you shouldn't take any of this too seriously.
But hey, I get it. The team is called the "Seattle Kraken." Logically, the mascot should be a kraken. The Seahawks have Blitz (a sea hawk). UW has Harry/Hendrix the Husky as well as a live Husky named Dubs (because they're the huskies). The Sounders have Sammy the Sounder, which is a stretch, but you have to give them some credit for creativity for that one. As do the Storm for the whole concept around Doppler. But when you have something that is plain and straightforward, like "kraken," I understand why folks would be scratching their heads, wondering where the kraken is. Now, I know what you're going to say: "But the Mariners have a moose!" You know what, the Mariners' mascot should be an old, cranky sailor — someone who throws salmon at the audience while spouting offensive sea slang. There, I said it. Am I going to campaign against the moose? No. I have better things to do. Also, I've met the moose and they seem alright.
But here's the thing folks — Buoy is for you ... but it's also not for you. Sports mascots serve a variety of purposes, much of which is promotion at corporate and public events (an online form to request Buoy appearances is already up and running). They're also meant to craft an endearing fandom among youngsters. It's for kids (and to encourage those kids to pester their parents to take them to a game and buy merch). A kraken probably wouldn't have conveyed the fun-loving, cuddly persona kids want. As Lamont Buford, Kraken's vice president of entertainment experience, said in a statement, Buoy is the result of months of branding development to be "kid friendly and approachable."
While Buoy may look like the love child of an orc and a Smurf, it's more likely the product of test marketing that took place in the bowels of office cubicles and meeting rooms. It's designed to go beyond the game that fans are already at, to efficiently increase visibility, and capture future fans.
Just because something is not for you, that doesn't make it bad. Meanwhile, young, up-and-coming fans are going to be just fine with Buoy. And just in case any critics forgot, there is a whole hockey game happening while you're busy complaining. Attracting new fans, and their dollars, will ultimately help keep that game going. To folks disappointed about the absence of a kraken, I encourage you to do it yourself. Seattle has always been very DIY, and the cosplay scene is strong locally, so we have the skills. If you want a kraken at the games — dress up and show up.
Over the weekend, Buoy did not let any online criticisms go unanswered. In response to one online comment, "This is up there as worst mascot design ever," Buoy responded "so what’s the excuse for your design work?" When another person simply tweeted "No" to Buoy's debut, the mascot wrote back, sarcastically, "you’re fun at parties." See more here.
All that said, as a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, I do appreciate Buoy elevating the profile of sea trolls. And if the legend is true, that Buoy once jammed with Mudhoney, that demands some local respect. Read more here.
Also on KUOW.org today:
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