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

  • Getting naked in Seattle: Today So Far
    • The robots have arrived, for our grandparents.
    • Boeing design gets "x-plane" status.
    • Just a reminder: It's legal to be naked in Seattle.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 29, 2023.

    Quick hits

    The robots have arrived. Pilot programs are currently up and running in various corners of Washington state, which are pairing seniors, often in rural areas, with robotic companions. It's being called "age-tech." This can range from "grandpads" (tablets designed for seniors), to an AI equipped portals (a combo of a tablet, smart speaker, video phone, and AI) that can interact with people. And there are even cuddly robot puppies and kittens that interact with you.

    Northwest News Network reports that about 20 seniors along Washington's coast have received an ElliQ, which is one of those AI portals described above. These can carry on conversations with people, remind them of appointments, and even have virtual coffee dates. More than 700 interactive pets have been handed out across the state for about two years now.

    Skipping past the fact that Saturday Night Live sort of predicted this, these pilot programs are points where pop culture and reality collide. In this case, they sound more like futuristic scenarios presented in the movie "Her" or even "Blade Runner 2049," where AI tech is used as assistants and companions. In the here and now, robots are being used to deliver food to seniors at a Tacoma retirement home, AI is being looked to as a potential remedy for loneliness, and some tech can even call 911 when a senior falls. There are so many angles into this fascinating story, so read the full article here.

    I'm going to tell you how Boeing just got x-plane status for a new airplane design that is giving new hope for cutting down airline carbon emissions. But first, we need to clarify an important distinction.

    "X-plane" does not refer to the Blackbird X-Jet used by Professor Xavier's elite team of mutant heroes who protect the world from various malevolent actors ... also, it does not refer to the T-65 X-wing starfighter famously used by Rebel forces to take down the Death Star. I'm sure that's what immediately came to everybody's mind when they heard this x-plane news, right? OK, I'm glad we cleared that up.

    NASA contracted with Boeing earlier this year to develop a new single-aisle airplane that is more fuel efficient. The end goal is to push the airline industry toward reducing carbon pollution, or even get to zero-emissions. The design Boeing has come up with just received x-plane designation from the Air Force. That's a pretty cool designation to have. It's used for experimental aircraft that have historically advanced aerospace technology. The first x-plane broke the sound barrier. Others helped get us into space.

    The design, now called the X-66A, will be a modified Boeing MD-90. But it's going to look a bit different. Read more here.

    And just a reminder: It's legal to be naked in Seattle.

    Continue reading »

  • Theo Chocolate announces merger, plans to close Seattle factory

    For 18 years, Theo Chocolate has been a fragrant landmark in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. But now, company officials say rising costs are forcing them to close their local factory.

    The store and headquarters will remain.

    Theo Chocolate is merging with the Indiana-based American Licorice Company, which makes Red Vines as well as some higher-end sweets. Officials said in a press release that Theo’s commitment to making organic, fair trade products will remain unchanged.

    CEO Etienne Patout called the changes “tough but necessary decisions to ensure the company's long-term viability.”

    Approximately 60 employees will be laid off at the end of August, when factory tours will also end.

    “We are committed to supporting those impacted by the transition ahead,” Patout said, adding that those employees were offered a severance package.

    The factory space will be available for lease. Theo Chocolate will maintain its adjoining headquarters, flagship store, and “confection kitchen” in its historic Seattle building.

    Continue reading »

  • Good deal: Savers Value Village worth nearly $4 billion after strong public debut

    America’s largest private thrift store just went public.

    Savers Value Village began trading on the New York Stock Exchange today at $18 per share. That’s higher than Savers initially forecast. The share price continued to climb Thursday, earning the company a market capitalization of nearly $4 billion in its debut.

    The Bellevue-based company operates hundreds of thrift stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.

    Secondhand stores often operate as nonprofits and aren’t typically considered Wall Street material, but thrifting has become big business. The secondhand market was estimated at $35 billion in 2021 and it’s expected to more than double in the next three years, according to CNBC.

    The vintage boom is driven by younger generations as an eco-friendly, affordable alternative to fast fashion. “Thrift hauls” are popular on TikTok with Gen Z and millennial shoppers posting videos of their vintage finds.

    “When you pair the rise of the environmentally conscious consumer with our superior value and desirable in-store experience, we’re capitalizing on a significant opportunity to bring more Savers Value Village stores to more people,” said Savers CEO Mark Walsh in a statement to KUOW.

    Although all of the Value Village stores in Seattle proper have closed, they’ve had a significant cultural impact on the city. Parts of Seattle rapper Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” music video were shot at a Value Village in Capitol Hill.

    There are still several Value Village stores in cities surrounding Seattle, as well as hundreds across North America and Australia. In some regions, the stores are simply called Savers.

    Some market watchers are celebrating Savers’ strong public debut as a sign that initial public offerings are rebounding after a slump in recent years. But there’s also a glass-half-empty perspective. After all, who stands to gain more from a recession than a chain of thrift stores?

    Continue reading »

  • Seattle City Council announces 10 year contract for Bumbershoot

    After a three year hiatus, Seattle's Bumbershoot is back and the festival is all set to kick off on its traditional slot during Labor Day weekend 2023.

    This week, the Seattle City Council announced that this year's festival organizers, local nonprofit New Rising Sun, won a bid with the city to host Bumbershoot for the next 10 years, with a back-end option to host for five additional years.

    Councilmember Andrew Lewis said the bid from New Rising Sun stood out because of the group's plans to grow the festival.

    “That was really a big part of the vision in the bid from New Rising Sun,” Lewis said. “Why does Bumbershoot only have to be on that three day weekend? Why can't we have pop ups around the year under the Bumbershoot brand? And do they always have to happen at the Seattle Center?”

    New Rising Sun plans to expand Bumbershoot programming to happen year-round with potential popups in vacant office space downtown that can be converted into venues and event spaces.

    Joe Paganelli, CEO of New Rising Sun, said there are many possibilities to explore with expansion of the Bumbershoot brand. With the essential characteristics of the festival in mind, which include music, comedy, family entertainment, and visual art, New Rising Sun aims to get to work on creating new programs once this summer's festival is complete.

    “Right now, we're eight weeks out from the core festival,” Paganelli said. “We are highly focused on the mission of presenting a safe, inclusive, affordable, and accessible Bumbershoot. If we don't get that right, then it doesn't make a lot of sense for us to be trying to focus elsewhere.”

    This year, the new-look festival will roll out much more than music, with an increased focus on the arts. This includes nail arts, tattoos, culinary arts, wrestling, skating, fashion, and more.

    In addition to the inclusion of different art forms, New Rising Sun has also introduced educational programs for youth that will happen throughout the year with cohorts completing training sessions during the core festival.

    “We like to say that we are wrapping everything around the Workforce Development Program,” Paganelli said. “We want to make an impact and remove barriers and create opportunity. It involves shadow-shifts, workshops, guest speakers, hands on training, mentorship.”

    This new program, for young people ages 17-25, is aimed at using working experience to train the next generation of workers in the creative economy. The current cohort will finish their six-month session on Labor Day weekend, and Paganelli hopes to expand this program in the future.

    The new-look Bumbershoot festival will be at the Seattle Center September 2-3. With the signing of this new bid, the festival returns to its annual status for at least the next 10 years.

    Continue reading »

  • About the gun that killed a boy at Seattle’s Ingraham High School

    This is the story of a gun.

    It begins with a 14-year-old boy showing it off.

    It ends with another boy dying in a high school hallway.

    The gun is a Glock 32 that was manufactured in 2017. It is easy to control because it is light, with the feel of a two-pound weight when its 13 bullets are in the magazine.

    It is all black, no frills, and moves through the recoil quickly. That means the shooter barely feels it when it discharges, allowing him to take aim again, and shoot again, even if he is a child. It is valued at $491.

    The gun’s owner is a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, a 39-year-old man named Mark who lives in Lynnwood, Washington, a suburb north of Seattle, in an apartment complex with his wife and children – and until last fall, the Glock, which he kept in a black belt bag in his bedroom closet.

    ***

    Last October, a few days before Halloween, Mark called 911. The Glock was gone. He told police that he asked his wife and 14-year-old son if they’d seen it, and they said they had not. We are not including Mark’s last name because he has not been charged with a crime, nor is there talk that he might be, even though there could: Washington state requires that you lock up your gun if you live with children.

    Mark’s son admitted later that he had lied and had, in fact, taken the gun.

    It was 5 p.m. on a late summer day, or maybe early fall; accounts differ. He took the belt bag from his dad’s closet and walked down three flights of stairs to a secluded spot behind his apartment building, a narrow area with a railing that oversees a lush ravine. There, he opened the bag so his friends could see the gun.

    In the small group was a 14-year-old boy, an aspiring rapper whose music showed promise. The boy asked if he could hold the gun, according to a police report, and Mark’s son relented. Then, allegedly, the boy sped off with the Glock to the Safeway next to the apartment complex, and to a waiting rideshare.

    Mark’s son ran after him, shouting, according to witnesses, “Give it back!” and “Yo, bro, it’s not even my gun. It’s my dad’s.”

    When Mark’s son reached the boy, the boy was stepping into the car.

    Continue reading »

  • 7 graphics on kids and guns in the Seattle area

    T

    here are 68 dots in the image below, representing 68 kids and teens who died by gun, either suicide or homicide, in King County between 2017 and 2022. Another way to think about that number: It's the equivalent of three elementary classrooms wiped out in King County in those six years.

    Most of the stories of the kids who died did not make the news. About two-thirds of the deaths were homicides. The rest were deaths by suicide.

    To better understand guns and kids in King County, KUOW requested data from King County. From the medical examiner, we reviewed gun-related deaths from 2017 to 2022, including homicide and suicide. From the prosecutor's office, we read 54 open cases involving juveniles and guns.

    Continue reading »

  • Cash is King County: Today So Far
    • Certain King County businesses are now required to accept cash, and cannot go cashless.
    • Seattle is bringing back its graffiti-cleanup program.
    • Mass transit across Western Washington is getting a surge of funding to pay for electric and hybrid buses.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 28, 2023.

    Quick hits

    There are only so many puns I can spin out of cash being king in King County, so getting straight to the point: The King County Council has voted in favor of requiring businesses to accept cash. But before you start searching your couch cushions for coins and dollar bills, there is some nuance around this new law, and some exceptions to the rule.

    First of all, this only affects businesses in unincorporated King County. So we're talking about places like White Center, Bryn Mawr-Skyway, or most rural areas in the county. This does not influence Seattle, Bellevue, Auburn, or all the other cities in the county that have their own local governments. Also, businesses can apply to be exempt from the cash law if they feel they have security or "hardship" concerns. It only applies to in-person transactions (not online or automated kiosks, etc.). And businesses are only required to accept cash payments up to $200.

    King County's cash law comes as cashless transactions are growing in popularity. It is also promoted as a protection for "unbanked" people, those without access to a bank account or bank cards. For more on that, KUOW's David Hyde has the full story here.

    Seattle is bringing back its graffiti-cleanup program.

    The mayor's office says that graffiti in Seattle has increased by 50% since 2019. You might recall that Seattle hyped a graffiti abatement program in 2022. That pilot was focused on Belltown. Now, the mayor's office says that 100% of reported graffiti has been taken down within 10 business days over the past year, and 98% has been cleaned up within two days. This next phase of the program will shift focus to downtown and the Chinatown-International District.

    An interesting angle of this effort is the city's partnership with Uplift Northwest. The organization provides job training and other services to folks experiencing homelessness and poverty. Seattle's need to clean up graffiti is being turned into an opportunity for job training through Uplift Northwest. The organization will provide three work crews for the program. Read more here.

    This next bit of news is shocking. It will really charge you up about the surge of funding for electric and hybrid buses coming to Western Washington.

    Buses are the conduit to the world for many in our region who do not rely on cars. There is a circuit of local transit agencies getting wired federal grant money to pay for EV and hybrid upgrades, one of which is King County Metro. The feds are giving Metro $33.5 million to purchase 30 electric buses. These buses are slated for routes in low-income areas.

    Continue reading »

  • Seattle relaunches graffiti cleanup effort

    Mayor Bruce Harrell is relaunching a graffiti cleanup program, this time targeted at downtown Seattle and the Chinatown-International District.

    “We know that graffiti and tagging not only detract from the vibrancy of our neighborhoods, but also have tangible impacts on our small businesses whose storefronts are defaced and on marginalized communities who are targeted by hate speech,” Mayor Harrell said in a statement.

    “We must combat a surge in graffiti with a One Seattle approach, building partnerships with the community to find thoughtful, sustainable solutions that improve the quality of life for everyone in our city.

    The relaunched Graffiti Abatement Program will enhance our efforts to beautify our city while also developing our workforce, giving more people critical job training so they can access new employment opportunities and build better lives.”

    RELATED: Artists call Seattle's plan to tackle unwanted graffiti 'ethically tricky'

    The city is contracting with Uplift Northwest for this next chapter of its Graffiti Abatement Program. The organization offers job training and other services to people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Uplift Northwest will provide three work crews to handle graffiti removal.

    The city's first version of the Graffiti Abatement Program was actually a class project by students at City University of Seattle. It became a pilot program in 2022, and was focused on Seattle's Belltown neighborhood. Uplift Northwest also assisted with that effort, using it as an opportunity to train around graffiti removal and safety.

    The city reports that graffiti in Seattle has increased by 50% since 2019, and that over the past 12 months, 100% of reported graffiti in Seattle has been cleaned up in 10 business days; over 98% was taken down within two days.

    In October 2022, the city announced a broad anti-graffiti plan that included cleanup programs like this one. It also included graffiti cleanup kits for city residents to use. The mayor proposed to back the effort with $940,000.

    At the time, City Attorney Ann Davison said that she would be "focused on enforcement strategies to arrest and prosecute the most prolific and destructive graffiti taggers. In order to see a meaningful change on our streets, the city must send a firm message that it will not tolerate continued destruction and defacement of our neighborhoods.”

    RELATED: How Tacoma plans to tackle rising street crime

    Continue reading »

  • 'I'm just a bill, yeah I'm only a bill...': Today So Far
    • We finally have something better than a 1970s song to help understand the legislative process.
    • Cleanup work at Seattle's Gas Works Park is not over.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 27, 2023

    Quick hits

    The last time anybody found the legislative process remotely palatable was when there was a song and cartoon about it (personally, I liked the version by Deluxx Folk Implosion). This presents a challenge for reporters.

    You see, there are all these bits of news that are important to you, but frankly, they're boring. I've long argued that if you really want to know what is going on, if you want to be in on what is actually influencing the world around you, look beyond sensational headlines and find the boring stuff. That means the ordinances coming out of your local city council meetings, and it means all the bills going back and forth in Olympia during the legislative session. That's right. I said "ordinances" and "bills." As a reporter, I've sometimes found that the gap between caring about these stories and not comes down to understanding this legislative process. Heck, it's sometimes so complicated, I even have to ask a few questions.

    But we're in luck. A special project was just published by KUOW's Teo Popescu and Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay: "Navigating the maze that rules Olympia (and your life)." No matter your level of understanding for bills and politics, this has you covered. I highly recommend it for students (because nobody told me about any of this stuff when I was in school around here).

    Did you know that when bills are numbered, it's not by accident? They're usually HB1111, or something like that, meaning "House Bill 1111." But if that number is below 1,000, then it's an initiative or referendum. If it's between 1,000 and 3,999, it's a House bill. And if it's between 4,000 and 7,999, it's a Senate bill. I got that from just one minute scrolling through this choose-your-own-adventure in Olympia politics.

    This isn't just cool because of its simplicity, or the fact that it uses the last 2023 session as an example (you can see all the bills that just happened, like that speed safety camera bill that made Seattle's current street racing effort possible). This is KUOW's first major interactive story. Just like when KUOW unveiled its daily podcast (which you should really be listening to, it's great), this is a step forward for us, and I'm pretty stoked about this.

    And hey, if fancy websites aren't your thing, you can always go back to Schoolhouse Rock from the '70s ... or the '90s. Honestly, I think those songs are due for another update.

    Check it out here.

    Despite its popularity with park goers (and cosplayers on photo shoots), the work at Seattle's Gas Works Park is far from over.

    Continue reading »

  • Boeing gets x-plane status for NASA's fuel-efficient ambitions

    Boeing is getting ready to work on an experimental new plane that could help the United States cut carbon emissions from air travel.

    NASA recently unveiled the X-66A this month, a Boeing model with a highly-coveted x-plan status that will test a new design and new technologies in the air.

    RELATED: All-electric commuter aircraft takes off on maiden flight from Moses Lake

    “We’re incredibly proud of this designation, because it means that the X-66A will be the next in a long line of experimental aircraft used to validate breakthrough designs that have transformed aviation,” Todd Citron, Boeing's chief technology officer, said in a statement. “With the learnings gained from design, construction, and flight-testing, we’ll have an opportunity to shape the future of flight and contribute to the decarbonization of aerospace.”

    Boeing signed a contract with NASA in February, agreeing to build a more fuel-efficient airliner. The company aims to modify an MD-90 airplane, a common single-aisle passenger plane that NASA says contributes to almost half of airline emissions worldwide. The model's fuselage will be shortened, and its wings will get much longer and will be partially supported by trusses underneath. Boeing's design for this is the "Transonic Truss-Braced Wing." It is estimated that it could reduce fuel consumption by 30%.

    The x-plane designation (for experimental aircraft) places the X-66A in a special field, reserved for major advances in aerospace. Some are developed publicly, and others are top secret. The X-1, for example, was the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in 1947.

    RELATED: Hydrogen-powered airliner makes first flight in Washington state

    Boeing's X-66A will be the first x-plane constructed with the goal of lowering airplane emissions.

    The project is slated to take seven years. Boeing is contributing $725 million toward the effort, and NASA is putting up $425 million.

    The experimental plane is part of NASA's Sustainable Flight Demonstrator program, which seeks to develop new technologies and aircraft to lessen aviation emissions.

    Continue reading »

  • Think before you cut down Seattle trees to improve your view. It could cost you

    The City of Seattle has settled a civil lawsuit against a homeowner in the Mount Baker neighborhood and a landscaping company for $125,000 after they cut trees in a city park to improve the homeowner’s view.

    The unpermitted tree cutting occurred in Mt. Claire Park, in what the Seattle Parks & Recreation Department said was "an environmentally critical area on a steep slope near the defendant's home."

    According to the city, the homeowner, Brad Gandt, and All Four Seasons Landscape and Maintenance LLC, based in Tulalip, Washington, "were responsible for damaging multiple trees of varying sizes and damaging recent restoration efforts" in the park, which is just up from the west shore of Lake Washington.

    Gandt and All Four Seasons have repaid the entire $125,000, which is being used to restore the damage in Mt. Claire Park and other natural areas in the city, according to a statement Tuesday announcing the settlement.

    "Our hope is for this settlement to serve as a reminder that no person or company is authorized to cut trees on public land without permission," said Anthony-Paul Diaz, superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation.

    The Mount Baker neighborhood in southeast Seattle is named for the view residents looking north over Lake Washington have on clear days of Mount Baker in Whatcom County — that is, if there are no trees to block the view.

    Continue reading »

  • Starbucks issues open letter to partners amid Pride Month controversy

    Starbucks is responding to recent news that it prevented Pride Month decor at some of its stores in the United States.

    "Starbucks will always protect your right to be who you are, which is why I am writing to you all today," wrote Sara Trilling, executive vice president and president of Starbucks North America.

    In an open letter to Starbucks partners, the Seattle-based coffee giant said it's going to issue clearer guidelines about its in-store displays.

    "I want to reiterate that there has been no change to any of our policies as it relates to our inclusive store environments, our company culture, and the benefits we offer our partners," Trilling said. "To further underscore this, we intend to issue clearer centralized guidelines, and leveraging resources like the Period Planning Kit (PPK) and Siren's Eye, for in-store visual displays and decorations that will continue to represent inclusivity and our brand. Additionally, we will continue to provide the flexibility needed so that our stores reflect the communities they serve. As we reaffirm our previous commitments and standards, it will be even clearer to all who we are and what we stand for."

    The letter was prompted by a controversy reported by Starbucks Workers United, which claimed that partners in 21 states were told they could not decorate their stores for Pride Month for various reasons. Some reasons, reportedly, were that there wasn't enough time, ladders are dangerous, and that there were safety concerns after other stores received pushback for their LGBTQ displays.

    Another major retailer, Target, faced a similar issue when it rolled out LGBTQ merchandise for Pride Month, and opted to remove some products and move others to less-prominent displays.

    The Starbucks' response comes as a nationwide strike continues to play out against the coffee company. Workers at more than 150 stores — including the Seattle flagship Reserve Roastery — walked off the job Friday. They plan to picket through the week.

    Starbucks has denied the claims about the Pride decorations, has previously touted its Pride participation, and is currently selling Pride drinkware from LGBTQ artists. The company says its policy about decorations hasn't changed and it knows of no company operated stores banning them.

    Reuters is reporting that Starbucks has filed two complaints with the National Labor Relations Board against the union, accusing it of making misleading claims about its in-store decoration guidelines and gender-affirming care benefits — another issue that workers have cited in their demonstrations.

    Continue reading »