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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Washington state is trashy, and there's a study to prove it
Cigarette butts, construction and demolition debris, and food wrappers. That's what Washingtonians are littering the most across the state. And it's piling up.
The first study of its kind in nearly 20 years says we've got a lot of litter collecting along Washington's roadways and in public areas.
RELATED: Farewell, torture ads. 'Don't litter' signs become gentler in Washington state
Washington's Department of Ecology discovered that there were more than 8,100 pieces of litter per mile in 2022, spread along Washington's roads and in public spaces. That's more than the national average of 5,700 pieces reported in a 2020 national study.
There were no reasons cited as to why Washington's roads and public spaces were so highly littered. But state officials say a contributing factor is that most drivers don't have a trash receptacle in their car.
Ecology estimates:
- 37.8 million pounds of litter accumulates along the state's roads and in public areas annually.
- It adds up to 4.8 pounds, or 897 pieces of litter, per resident.
- State workers picked up 6 million pounds of litter over the first half of 2023, which is nearly an all-time high.
- Ecology spends more than $9 million each year to clean up a small portion of the litter load.
- Freeways and other roadways received the vast majority of litter.
- The study is based on litter collected from 182 randomly selected sites, including roads, on and off ramps, rest areas, parks, and recreational areas. Trash associated with encampments was not included in the study.
Many of the sites chosen for the 2022 study were the same sites included in a 2004 study, the last time the state looked at litter. A total of 6,315 tons of trash were found on Washington's roadways in 2004, about a third of litter found in 2022 (close to 18,900 tons).
RELATED: Seattle is really good at recycling. Maybe a little too good
Washingtonians can be fined $103 for throwing a small piece of trash out their car windows onto the road, and they can be fined as much as $5,000 for illegally dumping larger amounts of trash.
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Seattle settles lawsuit over 911 'blacklist'
William Yurek died in 2021, even after his 13-year-old son called 911 twice to get him emergency help. Medics arrived but were told to wait for a police escort before entering the home.
The address had been flagged as dangerous, but that was because of a previous tenant.
Now, the City of Seattle is going to pay more than $1.8 million to Yurek's family.
"The family had no idea about this list. I had no idea about this list. It was only through the filing of this lawsuit that we became aware of the list," the family's attorney Mark Lindquist told KUOW. "When you're keeping a list people's lives depend upon, it needs to be accurate and up to date. This list was not."
The "blacklist" — or "caution notes" — with Yurek's address flagged people who were hostile to first responders.
Lindquist said the city failed to update that list, leaving medics to wait outside for backup. After Yurek's son called a second time, they decided to break that protocol. They went inside with an escort and tried to save Yurek, according to Lindquist. It was too late, though, and Yurek died from cardiac arrest.
Yurek was in recovery for addiction at the time of his death. According to Lindquist, experts believed he would have had a 25% chance of survival if medics had not been delayed, though the city argued his chance of survival was lower.
In any case, the city has made efforts to better maintain the "caution notes" since Yurek's death — and his family's lawsuit.
"No amount of money can fully compensate for this kind of loss, obviously. But the family is pleased with the settlement," Lindquist said. "The family wanted justice. They wanted accountability. And they wanted the city to fix this problem, so it doesn't happen to anyone else. We've achieved all that."
And, Lindquist added, Yurek's son who called for help wants to go to law school.
"Now, he won't have to worry about paying for it," he said.
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The price to ride a Washington state ferry just went up
It's now more expensive to ride a ferry in Washington state.
A 4.25% rate increase went into effect Sunday, Oct. 1.
That adds up to 70 cents more for cars on the Edmonds/Kingston, Seattle/Bremerton, and Seattle/Bainbridge routes. Walk-on passengers will pay 40 cents more.
RELATED: Washington can now look to out-of-state shipbuilders for its next ferries
The rate hike was approved by the state's Transportation Commission over the summer. Another 4.25% rate increase is slated for October 2024.
The commission said the rate increases are needed to meet revenue requirements in the 2023-25 transportation budget that was passed by the state Legislature.
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Washington state's minimum wage is slated to rise in 2024
Washington's minimum wage workers will get a 54-cent bump next year.
RELATED: Seattle becomes first in U.S. to protect gig workers from sudden 'deactivation'
On Jan. 1, 2024, the state's minimum wage will rise to $16.28 per hour (for ages 16 and older). That's a 3.4% increase from the current $15.74 per hour.
Each year, the state Department of Labor and Industries adjusts the minimum wage according to inflation. As of 2023, Washington has the highest minimum wage in the United States, but inflation is pushing the rate up even further.
Washington's cities and counties can still set their own minimum wages that are higher than the state's rate. Seattle's minimum wage is currently $18.69, and SeaTac's is $19.06. In July, Tukwila matched SeaTac's wage.
There is also an effort on the King County Council to increase the county's minimum wage to $19, to be more competitive with cities like Seattle.
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Seattle’s University District receives a $5M upgrade
Seattle's University District got $5 million to spruce up "the Ave" as businesses continue to recover from pandemic challenges.
Michelle Liu’s family owns Boba Up, a self-serve boba store on University Way. She said the money allowed their business, and surrounding shops, to improve their storefronts.
"[We're] using the money to help make our customers' experience better," Liu said, "and help the small businesses here bring more attention, and more people in, so people can continue enjoying the small businesses here, and just having this neighborhood iconic the way it is.”
Boba Up has been a victim to various property damages in recent years. Liu said the grant money paid to upgrade the storefront, making it "super bright." The store's outdoor seating was reimagined with new furniture.
A total of 141 small businesses in the University District received grant money to fix damaged store windows, revamp signage, and make their stores more welcoming. Each shop was eligible to receive up to $200,000. The average amount awarded was $34,360.
The grant money came from the Washington State Department of Commerce's Urban Vitality Grant Program. Funds were distributed through the U District Partnership. The Department of Commerce notes that more than 20 businesses used the money to create or improve outdoor seating, which has added 450 new outdoor seats. A majority of the businesses (69%) were food and beverage establishments, while 23% were retail. About half of the businesses that received grant money are owned by women, and 68% are BIPOC-owned (Black, Indigenous, and people of color).
“Students and professors will feel like they are returning to an entirely new neighborhood this fall quarter with bright new facades and signage now adorning their favorite businesses along the Ave,” U District Partnership Executive Director Don Blakeney said in a statement. “These grants have been a once-in-a-generation chance to catalyze investment and build momentum for one of Seattle’s most dynamic neighborhoods.”
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Weekend vote to keep government open has WA state politicians calling for bipartisanship
While all of Washington state's representatives in D.C. — Democrats and Republicans — voted in favor of keeping the government open on Saturday, it's only a short-term solution. As work continues to find a final fix, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray sent a plea to Republicans in the wake of the vote.
"Let's now leave behind the partisan politics being championed by the loudest voices, who are the farthest on the right, and come together so we can help people and solve problems, just like we were sent to do," Murray said after Saturday's vote.
RELATED: GOP wants Rep. Jamaal Bowman punished after he triggered a fire alarm on Saturday
She also had some words of advice for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican who has attempted to keep work moving while also facing members of his own party who want him gone.
"I urge [McCarthy] not to retreat back to a partisan corner, not to push for extreme partisan spending bills that go back on the deal he made just a few months ago," Murray said. "If you follow the most extreme members of your party and go down that same partisan path, they're going to lead you to the same dead end."
The measure approved Saturday keeps the federal government open for another 45 days, while the House debates appropriations bills. Sen. Murray notes that she and her colleagues have 12 bipartisan bills in the Senate that have passed out of committee with overwhelming support.
Murray, and the rest of Washington's Democratic delegation, voted in favor of the bill to avoid a government shutdown. Washington's Republican Representatives, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse, also voted in favor of keeping the government open. Newhouse said he's committed to ensuring fiscal responsibility and passing appropriations bills are the best way to do so.
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Northwest pond turtles to get federal protection as they near extinction
Federal officials say pond turtles are nearing extinction from Washington state to Mexico.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed protecting the turtles as a threatened species on Friday.
Fewer than 1,000 pond turtles are thought to live in Washington state. Populations in Oregon’s Willamette Valley have plunged 99%, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
The activist group first petitioned the federal government to protect western pond turtles in 2012. A genetic analysis in 2014 led scientists to split the species into two: northwestern pond turtles and southwestern pond turtles, which roam (very slowly) from central California to Mexico’s Baja California.
The Fish and Wildlife Service wants to list both as threatened species.
On Friday, the agency cited drought, loss of freshwater habitats, and invasive species such as bullfrogs as the main threats to the turtles’ continued existence.
The agency is taking public comment on the proposed listing for 60 days.
Western pond turtles can live 55 years in the wild and depend on ponds, wetlands, streams, as well as upland habitats.
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Amazon starts tracking employee badge swipes to enforce return-to-office policy
This week, Amazon escalated its battle with employees over returning to the office.
The company is now tracking employee badge swipes to enforce its policy, which requires corporate employees to be in-person three days per week.
Until recently, Amazon only shared data on badge swipes in aggregate, not on an individual employee level. But now, employees can log into a dashboard that shows how often they were recorded badging into an Amazon building.
In a statement, Amazon said swipe monitoring will guide conversations between employees and managers about coming into the office with their coworkers.
“This tool gives employees and managers visibility into the days they badged into a corporate building,” said Rob Munoz, a spokesperson for Amazon.
Swipe monitoring does not account for paid time off or personal time, the company said.
Amazon has emerged as one of the most aggressive enforcers of hybrid work in the wake of the pandemic. CEO Andy Jassy recently implied employees who don’t comply with the policy won’t have a future at Amazon.
Despite pressure from the top, many employees are still resisting the in-office mandate. Workers in Seattle staged a walkout in May protesting the policy.
RELATED: Amazon CEO says ‘it’s probably not going to work out’ for employees who defy return-to-office policy
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was edited to more accurately explain Amazon's previous policy when it comes to sharing data related to badge swipes.
Amazon is a financial supporter of KUOW programming. The newsroom operates independently of the business department.
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How will the government shutdown impact you?
KUOW journalists would like to hear how the government shutdown will affect your life if it goes into effect on Sunday morning, October 1, 2023.
Please fill out this form to let us know. Past examples have included science research floundering, parks closing, and clinical trials on hold. Thank you!
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Seattle drug plan will balance rehabilitation and public safety, Harrell says
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell explained his plan Thursday to balance public safety and rehabilitation in the face of a growing opioid crisis that has killed more Washingtonians so far in 2023 than all of last year.
Harrell issued an executive order Thursday that spells out what police and other officials will do to enforce the city’s new drug consumption law. That controversial law was approved last week to align Seattle’s city code with state law and allow the city attorney to prosecute charges of public drug use and possession.
Harrell’s enforcement order emphasizes rehabilitation and providing people with services over arrests and imprisonment. Officers will only arrest opioid users if they are a threat to others, using drugs near businesses, public events child care facilities, parks, or transportation stops.
If an opioid user is not posing a threat to others, officers will “make a reasonable attempt” to connect them with resources instead of arresting them, Harrell said.
“Fentanyl and other dangerous drugs are killing people, causing harm, and creating unsafe conditions Downtown and in neighborhoods across Seattle,” Harrell said in a prepared statement. “This law gives us another tool to help those in need access treatment and to keep sidewalks and neighborhoods welcoming for all residents.”
Chief Adrian Diaz said Seattle Police are ready to implement the new law in accordance with Harrell’s guidelines.
“We are committed to ensuring that the enforcement efforts are equitable, treatment-focused, and evidence-based, but which also provides communities some respite from the chronic public harm that both the ordinance and the executive order acknowledge,” Diaz said in a written response to Harrell’s announcement.
The executive order also provides measures for the city to collect data to measure the effectiveness of the new drug law. That data includes the number of people referred to diversion programs compared to the number of people arrested for drug possession and use.
The city’s new drug law takes effect next month.
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MacPherson's, longtime Seattle produce market, is closing
MacPherson’s Fruit and Produce, a longtime fixture on Beacon Hill, will close next month.
Owner Greg MacPherson declined to comment. An employee said he’s not ready to talk and feeling emotional about the decision.
The employee said rising food costs have played a role. She also noted that ever since Mercer Middle School closed for demolition, business dropped. Store workers, who were informed two weeks ago, are still processing the news.
Some customers are hearing about the closure for the first time.
“That’s really sad,” said Rob Wood of Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood. He points to the containers of strawberries in his cart —99 cents a pound.
“In these neighborhoods and in these spaces, affordable produce is really important. And I’m sad to see one more space go by the wayside.”
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There are as many pho restaurants as Starbucks coffee shops in Seattle. Here's why
If an alien landed in Seattle, it might get the impression the city runs on coffee and pho. There are as many pho restaurants as Starbucks coffee shops.
This humble soup, a breakfast staple in Vietnam, has become a Seattle mainstay, thanks to the refugees who made their home in Washington state following the collapse of South Vietnam.
Pho Bac, on the corner of South Jackson Street and 13th Avenue in Seattle’s Little Saigon, is the O.G.
Quyenvy Pham’s parents were part of the first wave of refugees to resettle in Seattle. In 1982, they opened a sandwich shop on Jackson Street called Cat’s Submarine. Pham’s mother would make a pot of pho on weekends for homesick friends when they visited the shop.
“Word just spread,” Pham said, “and they sold more pho than sandwiches.”
Pham said that’s when her parents decided to ditch the sandwich menu for pho. Pho Bac, Seattle’s first pho restaurant was born. Soon, even non-Vietnamese customers started coming in for hot bowls of noodles.
The funny thing, Quyenvy said, is that their mom didn’t cook until they came to America.
“She wrote a letter to a friend back home in Vietnam and asked for the [pho] recipe. From there, she kind of created something of her own.”
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