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  • caption: From left, friends Nile, Julia, Ben and Catherine play UNO while waiting for Men In Black to begin on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at the drive-in theater at Marymoor Park in Redmond.

    Updates on the Covid-19 pandemic in Washington state (August 16-23)

    This post will be updated with information about the Covid-19 pandemic in Washington state. Scroll down for older information. As of Sunday, August 16, the Washington State Department of Health reports: 1,766 Covid-19 related deaths; 66,885 confirmed cases (2.6% death rate among positive cases). Note that tests have been limited, so there are likely more unreported cases. Compared to white people, the rate of Covid cases is three times higher for Black people, five times higher for Latinx people, and six times higher for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. While the pandemic initially struck older populations hard, more recent surges in case numbers (June/July) have been driven by younger people -- ages 40 and below. Versión en español aquí / Read KUOW's coronavirus coverage in Spanish

  • caption: Carmen Best smiles during a press conference on Monday, December 4, 2017, at Seattle City Hall.

    Seattle reacts to Chief Carmen Best's exit from the police department

    Chief Carmen Best will leave the Seattle Police Department on September 2, after nearly 30 years of service in the city. She is the city's first Black female police chief. Her decision to leave comes as a shock, both to some of her longtime supporters and sharpest critics. It also comes amid tensions between the City Council, city leaders, and ongoing protests for racial justice.

  • caption: The 2020 August primary ballot.

    Election results: August 4, 2020 primary

    Here are the top vote-getters in Washington state's 2020 primary election, as of 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, likely to proceed to the November general election. These are preliminary results, as ballots will come in by mail for several more days.

  • caption: Young adults gather on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at Montlake Cut in Seattle.

    Blog: Continuing Covid-19 pandemic in Washington state (July 27-Aug 3)

    This post will be updated with information about the coronavirus pandemic in Washington state. Scroll down for older information. As of Sunday, July 26, the Washington State Department of Health reports: 1,494 Covid-19 related deaths; 51,849 confirmed cases (5.7% positive rate among those tested, and 3% death rate among positive cases). Note that tests have been limited, so there are likely more unreported cases. The most heavily hit Western Washington counties have been King, Snohomish, and Pierce. A cluster of Central Washington counties are getting hit particularly hard. Yakima County has a 25% positive rate among those tested (in contrast, King County has a roughly 5% positive rate); Franklin County is 26%; Benton County is 17%; and Grant County is 11%. Compared to white people, the rate of Covid cases is three times higher for Black people, five times higher for Latinx people, and six times higher for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. While the pandemic initially struck older populations hard, more recent surges in case numbers (June/July) have been driven by younger people -- ages 40 and below. Versión en español aquí / Read KUOW's coronavirus coverage in Spanish

  • caption: A banner with artwork created by Stat The Artist was recently defaced at the intersection of Yesler Way and 2nd Avenue in Pioneer Square. The artwork, shown here on Sunday, August 2, 2020, previously included the words 'Defund The Police.' Local community organizers are demanding that the city of Seattle defund the police department by at least 50% and reallocate those funds to investing in black and brown communities.

    Updates on protests for racial justice in the Seattle area (July 26-31)

    Demonstrations and protests for racial justice continue in Western Washington. What to know: The back story: After weeks of protests, Seattle police retreated from the East Precinct at 11th and Pine on Capitol Hill, leaving it empty and boarded up. Protesters began blocking off an area around it on Capitol Hill, first naming it CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone), and then renaming it CHOP (Capitol Hill Organized Protest). Around 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 1, Seattle police began to clear people from the CHOP zone. The rallying cry has been to defund the police. Here's what that means. Deaths and injuries: There have been four shootings, resulting in two deaths, that occurred in or near the CHOP. It is unclear whether the shooters have a connection to the protest. On Saturday, July 4, a motorist sped through a protest on Interstate 5, killing Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old demonstrator, and seriously harming Diaz Love, also part of the demonstration.

  • caption: Nurse Leah Silver tends to her patient on the Covid ICU at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle on April 24, 2020.

    Updates: Continuing Covid-19 pandemic in Washington state (July 13-26)

    This post will be updated with information about the coronavirus pandemic in Washington state. Scroll down for older information. As of July 8, the Washington State Department of Health reports: 1,438 Covid-19 related deaths; 40,656 confirmed cases (5.9% positive rate among those tested, and 3.5% death rate among positive cases). Note that tests have been limited, so there are likely more unreported cases. The most heavily hit Western Washington counties have been King, Snohomish, and Pierce. A cluster of Central Washington counties are getting hit particularly hard. Yakima County has a 26% positive rate among those tested (in contrast, King County has 5.8%); Franklin County is 28%; Benton County is 17%; and Grant County is 11%. Compared to white people, the rate of Covid cases is three times higher for Black people, five times higher for Latinx people, and six times higher for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. While the pandemic initially struck older populations hard, more recent surges in case numbers (June/July) have been driven by younger people -- ages 40 and below. Versión en español aquí / Read KUOW's coronavirus coverage in Spanish