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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

  • Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown challenges state Sen. Manka Dhingra in race for WA attorney general

    Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown is throwing his hat in the ring to become Washington state's next attorney general.

    Last month, Brown resigned from his job as the U.S. attorney for Western Washington. Now he's announced his bid to become the state's next attorney general. He previously served as general counsel for Gov. Jay Inslee.

    "That leadership experience, I think, is important for me and is hopefully something that will give people confidence that I can do the job," Brown told Northwest News Network.

    Brown was appointed to his role as U.S. attorney by the Biden administration in October 2021. He focused on civil rights issues, the drug crisis, public safety, and gun crime. Brown stepped down from the job in June, saying that he was "grateful for the opportunity" and that he hoped "to return to public service in the future." He was the first Black U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington.

    He also previously worked for Seattle-based Pacifica Law Group, was an assistant attorney for the Western District of Washington before that, and was an attorney in the Army. In 2001, he was a contestant on the second season of "Survivor," which took place in the Australian Outback.

    In his first campaign video, "Give a Damn," Brown emphasizes his upbringing in Steilacoom, Wash. and time in the military.

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  • West Pierce Fire has already put out as many brush fires as it did in all of 2022

    The brush and wildfire season is just getting started in Western Washington, but West Pierce Fire and Rescue says it has already put out nearly the same number of fires so far this year as crews did in all of 2022.

    The fire district covers Lakewood, Steilacoom, and University Place. It reports that there were 137 brush fires last season, and at last check, West Pierce firefighters have already responded to 135 in 2023.

    The fire district also says that a rising issue it faces is "wildland/urban interface" — areas common in Western Washington, where the woods sit adjacent to residential neighborhoods. This dynamic requires different equipment, such as smaller trucks for forested areas than would traditionally be used in urban settings. The district is using a $400,000 federal grant to pay for equipment and training for this scenario.

    The risk of wildfires and brush fires is particularly high this summer. In June, Northwest climatologists warned that the region was reaching "peak dryness" much sooner than usual for the year. This is when the region dries out from all the winter and spring rain. It usually happens toward the middle or end of summer. This prompted concerns over increased fire dangers.

    Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond told KUOW in June that, "It could be another one of those summers in which we have more fires than we used to have or, at least, larger fires." He also said the rest of summer was expected to have above normal temperatures.

    Fourth of July fireworks added to concerns. At least two building fires in Seattle were set by fireworks (fireworks are banned in Seattle). It wasn't clear how many brush fires were set by fireworks in the city, but the Seattle Fire Department responded to 67 brush fires from July 1 to July 5, the majority of which happened after July 4.

    During this same time, Western Washington's air quality dove into hazardous and unhealthy categories, due to local wildfire and firework smoke.

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  • Why are we seeing more black bears in King County these days?

    It's that time of year when black bears are wandering into local neighborhoods looking for food and water.

    Some have recently set their sights on backyard animals, adding to the recent uptick in bear activity around King County.

    In late June, a bear killed and ate a goat that was kept in the Bridle Trails neighborhood in Bellevue. Cpt. Jennifer Maurstad with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife told KUOW's Angela King that a pet rabbit and some chickens have also been killed in the area recently.

    This may seem unusual, but Maurstad said it's really not.

    "We're definitely no stranger to bear sightings and bear encounters throughout Washington state and, specifically, in King County where there's several if not hundreds of sightings every year," she said. "This is the time of year when bears are out and about, and their number one goal is looking for food."

    They're not exactly picky.

    Anything from garbage and compost to bird feeders and, yes, pets could attract them, especially if they've found food in an area before.

    "They have really long memories," Maurstad said. "If they found a food source somewhere last year, they're going to go back this year."

    The best thing people can do to prevent unwanted visitors is to put those food sources away, bring pets inside, and protect farm animals with electric fencing.

    Maurstad said there hasn't exactly been an uptick in bear encounters recently, though there have been more sightings. That's not because of an increase in activity or bear population, though — it's more likely because of the rising human population.

    "A lot of it is there's just more cameras and more people," she said. "Just about everybody has some type of a camera on their house."

    "A lot of people are working from home. Obviously, there are just more people in our state in general. And that is what leads to more sightings."

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  • The future of Seattle is on the line, but few are expected to vote

    Local races that could shape the future of Seattle and other places in King County are on the line as ballots get mailed out Wednesday for the August primary. But turnout is not expected to knock anyone’s socks off.

    King County Council elections officials are forecasting only around 35% of registered voters will return ballots. Nothing special, as usual, especially for local primary elections.

    “The bar is so low. It's about what turnout was in the 2021 primary election,” said Jake Grumbach, a professor of political science who studies elections and voting at the University of Washington.

    Despite the forecast for another round of anemic turnout, there’s still room for some civic pride.

    “That’s unfortunately somewhat better than primaries in other states. Washington is a relatively high turnout state,” Grumbach added.

    Grumbach said the state’s relatively high turnout compared to other places is because lawmakers have done a better job making it easier to vote in Washington. He cites innovations like vote-by-mail and same-day voter registration.

    But Grumbach said there's still a lot of room for improvement compared to other countries.

    “The U.S. system of elections, where you have many different elections in odd years for different levels of government is what keeps turnout quite low,” Grumbach said.

    In contrast, in many countries all elections are held on the same day. Grumbach said that it focuses the campaign’s messaging and media coverage which, in turn, helps juice turnout.

    “So, there's not the staggered elections across different times and months and odd years and even years with some low-level offices, and some elections and some national offices,” Grumbach said.

    There have been proposals to make such changes here, but shifting elections to a single voting day in the U.S. would be extremely difficult politically, Grumbach said.

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  • Seattle is 14th geekiest city in the USA (really!?)


    What do New York, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Chicago, and Las Vegas all have in common? They are the nation's top five geekiest cities for 2023.

    Wait a minute ... where's Seattle on this list?

    Seattle comes in at 14th, which might have some Northwesterners scratching their heads a bit. As someone who dabbles in the local geek scene, and a defender of nerd pride, it feels as if Seattle should rank higher.

    Rounding up the Pacific Northwest's representation on this list of 2023's Geekiest Cities:

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  • Seattle's All-Star busker fest: Today So Far
    • There's a busker fest in downtown Seattle ... and also All-Star Week.
    • Metropolitan Market is expanding its footprint in Seattle with a new location slated for Crown Hill.
    • Reminder: Don't forget to sign your kids up for kindergarten.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 11, 2023.

    Quick hits

    Reminder: Don't forget to sign your kids up for kindergarten. KUOW's Isolde Raftery did, so she wrote up a reminder and a few tips for parents out there. Check that out here.

    There has been a lot of talk about MLB's All-Star Week, but a side effect of all the baseball events is a bit of a busker fest across downtown Seattle.

    “The Seattle music scene is so much more diverse than just a guy with a guitar,” Kate Olson told KUOW, between performances on her alto saxophone. Now, speaking as one of those guys with a guitar ... OK, Olson has a good point.

    The city lined up a total of 28 busking events across all days of All-Star w]Week. They're scattered near T-Mobile Park, but also around the Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square, and Westlake. KUOW's Casey Martin took a stroll through the busking scene so far. Check that out here.

    Metropolitan Market is expanding its footprint in Seattle with a new location slated for Crown Hill. According to a statement from the market's CEO, they're coming to the area because of relationships, bringing people together, and building long-lasting memories. If we're being completely honest, the fact that Crown Hill has a median income of $146,887 doesn't hurt either ($180,000 for families, $194,783 for married couples, and $88,510 for nonfamilies). There are about 35,600 people living in the zip code for Crown Hill, 98117.

    Those numbers seem to be right in Metropolitan Market's sweet spot, like Queen Anne ($111,059 median income), West Seattle ($124,795), Kirkland ($149,131), and Magnolia ($148,878). Though, it's a bit under the demographics for the market's other locations, like Mercer Island and Sammamish, but I mean, come on, that's a bit obvious. Do I really have to produce numbers for those? ($170,000 and $207,341 respectively) I initially figured numbers like those might help paint a picture of where such luxury, high-end markets go. But it turns out, these days, Seattle has a lot of money stuffed into just about every corner of the city.

    Isolde Raftery also has this story here.

    AS SEEN ON KUOW

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  • Washington crime rates rose in 2022, report says

    Homicide and car theft rates are up in Washington state, according to data from 2022. But hate crimes went down slightly.

    A new report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs aggregates crime statistics from 2022, indicating an overall rise in crime.

    Executive Director Steven Strachan says it’s not clear what the data signals as a long term trend. He stresses that it’s important victims feel comfortable to file a report.

    “They have to feel comfortable and able to report it and feel that something will be done," Strachan said, adding that this is something they plan to monitor over time.

    According to the association's summary: "...there were 394 murders in 2022, an increase of 16.6 percent over 2021. This is the highest number of murders recorded since WASPC began collecting this data in 1980. Homicides have increased 96 percent since 2019. Crimes against persons, property and society all increased in 2022, and violent crimes showed an increase of 8.9 percent."

    Also, the rate of car thefts went up by 34%. Domestic violence calls were nearly 46% of all crimes against people.

    Some numbers decreased between 2021 and 2022. There were 1,444 arrests for drugs and narcotics (down from 2,163 in 2021). And there were 544 incidents of hate crimes last year, compared to 592 in 2021.

    Washington’s population grew by nearly 93,000 people during this time.

    Strachan says this is happening at a time when the number of commissioned officers is down.

    "We are 51st in the nation in law enforcement staffing," he said. "This is the 13th straight year of being lowest in the nation."

    The report is based on data from 231 law enforcement agencies throughout Washington, including Tribal, state, county, and city police.

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  • How good is the food around you? Today So Far
    • Seattle soccer star Megan Rapinoe is planning to retire.
    • Democrats must think Dave Reichert is serious competition for Washington governor.
    • How good is the food near you?

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 10, 2023.

    Quick hits

    Just a few days after her 38th birthday, Seattle soccer star Megan Rapinoe is planning to retire.

    OL Reign's 2023 season will be her last, after 11 years with the National Women's Soccer League. The season ends in October. The Reign is planning for a celebration of Rapinoe's career at the team's last home game on October 6. Read more here.

    I'm just going to be honest with you. When I first saw Dave Reichert's 33-second gubernatorial campaign announcement video, my knee-jerk reaction was to message his campaign: "A quick follow-up question for Mr. Reichert now that he has officially announced his campaign ... what is your workout routine? And do you have any tips for leg day?"

    I know that is not the most journalistic take on an election story, but I can't be the only one whose thinking that the reason Reichert's announcement video is just 33 seconds long is because he recorded it in between reps. His Democratic counterparts announced their campaigns with highly produced, minutes-long videos backed by sensational music. Reichert basically showed up and said, "I'm here now, buckle up."

    And that's all it took. He is now the most prominent Republican in the race for Washington governor. Shortly after his announcement went live, Republican Raul Garcia dropped out of the race (he's actually pivoting to run for Senate now). Democrats are also signaling that they think Reichert is serious competition. A handful of GOP candidates are already running, but within minutes of Reichert's campaign going live, Democrats started swinging. Both Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz attacked Reichert, citing his record on abortion rights and related issues. Read more here.

    Upon first glance, the Kitsap Community Food Co-Op could appear like a simple convenience store. But a closer look reveals that inside, it has food — like real food.

    There's locally grown produce, and basics like bulk grains, and fruit. This may sound like such a basic statement, but consider this: Seattle has it pretty good. Things can be a bit different outside of the city (and honestly, even still in parts of Seattle).

    Wherever I lived in Seattle, walking to a grocery store was pretty easy, and I had options. I could always count on Safeway. In a pinch, I could search my couch cushions for spare change and maybe I could shop at Whole Foods. Fresh food was around. Ever since moving out of the city, I've come to appreciate Seattle's grocery scene. I'll put it this way: My current neighborhood has a lot of "Beware of Dog" signs around. There are two corner stores nearby where you might find an apple, but genuine food is not really an option. It's not too far, but a trip to the grocery store involves getting into a car and hopping on the freeway.

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  • 2021 Northwest heat dome was deadlier than previously believed, according to new report

    A new report from the University of Washington says the heat dome of 2021 was likely more deadly than officials previously thought.

    Previous estimates stated that more than 110 people died from the heat dome between June 26 and July 2, 2021, but now UW researchers estimate that more than 400 people died from direct and indirect heat-related causes during that time.

    According to the report:

    "More Washingtonians will be vulnerable to extreme heat in the future due to the state’s aging population, urbanization, and climate change. Climate models project 4 to 6°F summer warming in the Pacific Northwest in the 2050s relative to the last half of the 20th century and the number of extreme heat days is projected to increase on the order of five-fold by the 2050s."

    Researchers say the region needs to address the problem with a portfolio of strategies to avoid issues like power failures, which can limit the effectiveness of other efforts.

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  • Pregnant people, babies prioritized for syphilis antibiotics as Tacoma faces shortage

    The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is urging local doctors to save their medication used to treat syphilis, due to a shortage of the drugs.

    The health department's advice is to reserve syphilis drugs for pregnant people and babies born with congenital syphilis.

    There's a national shortage of the drug penicillin G benzathine (aka Bicillin L-A), which is also used to treat other bacterial infections, such as pneumonia or strep throat.

    The drug shortage comes after syphilis cases quadrupled in Pierce County, between 2016 and 2021. Congenital syphilis (cases among unborn babies) increased from two in 2020 to 14 in 2021. The health department notes that syphilis is on the rise among all demographics, especially heterosexuals.

    The rise in syphilis cases throughout Pierce County has prompted its health department to develop a new ad campaign, designed to spread awareness.

    Syphilis cases have been on the rise in recent years. King County experienced a dramatic spike in cases in 2021 and 2022. Cases have risen five-fold since 2015 in cisgender women throughout King County.

    One reason for the rise in cases, according to one health care worker who previously spoke with KUOW, is that cases of other diseases like HIV have gone down, perhaps causing people to ease up on protection, like condoms. Such preventative measures could also work against other diseases. Chlamydia rates in Washington state have gone up 85% since 2000. Gonorrhea cases have nearly quadrupled in that time. Read more here.

    Pierce County health officials are urging sexually active people ages 45 and younger to get tested for syphilis because it's still present when someone isn't presenting symptoms, which include a skin rash, mucous lesions, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, fatigue, and headaches. Syphilis can spread to the brain and be deadly to both adults and unborn children if left untreated.

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  • Security increasing at Point Defiance Park following shooting

    Tacoma's Point Defiance Park in Tacoma will be closing early all week long after a tragic shooting over the weekend.

    Park officials made the announcement after a 9-year-old girl was shot in the arm while sitting in a car at a stop sign Saturday night. The incident happened inside the park, not far from Owen Beach. She is expected to be OK.

    According to Metro Parks Tacoma's website:

    "Metro Parks Tacoma will close Point Defiance Park at 8:30 p.m. beginning today, July 9, 2023- Sunday, July 16, 2023 and increasing evening security patrols. These decisions have been made to address safety concerns for park goers. We are saddened by the increase in gun violence in our community and the negative impact it is having on the safety of our parks."

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  • Where should solar projects go in Washington state?

    Not everyone loves renewable energy development, but a new project in Washington state, and an upcoming project in Oregon, hope to pinpoint places where building solar farms should cause less conflict.

    More renewable energy projects will soon pop up around the Northwest, so Oregon and Washington can meet their carbon-free electricity goals. But where should all those projects go? The Washington State University Energy Program has developed new maps to help answer that question.

    RELATED: Washington is ripe for solar energy development. But where should it go?

    Picking the right places can help protect wildlife, farmers, ranchers, and nearby communities. The maps show places where solar farms would probably cause the least amount of conflict.

    “It's important that we think through the consequences, the long term impacts, so we don't end up repeating some of the mistakes that we've made in the past," said Dani Madrone with American Farmland Trust.

    Madrone helped draw up the maps. She says the groups involved tried to learn from problems with other energy projects, like dams.

    Information on tribal land isn’t included in the maps, which tribes say won’t replace on-the-ground surveys.

    Courtney Flatt with Northwest Public Broadcasting has the full story here.

    RELATED: Even in the bright of day, some Central Washington residents have a solar energy 'nightmare'

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