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
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How the Seattle City Council plans to patch a budget hole with JumpStart revenue
Government
The Seattle skyline at night, with I-5 running through downtown.Seattle will use money originally earmarked for affordable housing to plug a $250-million hole in the city’s budget.
The money comes from the JumpStart Tax, a tax on big companies with highly-paid employees.
Tuesday's vote on a budget package at the Seattle City Council included a showdown on the future of JumpStart Tax revenue.
On one side, Councilmember Cathy Moore wanted to force the mayor to spend at least some of the money on affordable housing.
"It's a choice between putting some guardrails on the executive or not," Moore said. "I have tried to find the middle ground, in terms of those guardrails. Where I come down on mandating guardrails is with affordable housing."
On the other hand, Councilmember Bob Kettle wanted the government to spend less money, and that can mean painful cuts.
"We need budget reform," Kettle said. "And I'd like to thank [Budget Committee] Chair [Dan] Strauss for the efforts that have been ongoing this year, but we need more. We need to complete the mission of budget reform."
In the end, Kettle's arguments won the day: By providing maximum flexibility on how the JumpStart tax is used, there's less need to find new sources of revenue.
RELATED: How city leaders want to patch Seattle's $250 million budget deficit
Strauss warned that a path of continually raiding the JumpStart Tax would prove unsustainable.
"We’re not out of the woods," he said. "We're so far in the woods, it's a thicket that some folks are having trouble seeing the trees."
Council Bill 120912 adjusting how JumpStart taxes are spent has one more vote Thursday before it heads to the mayor’s desk for a signature as part of the budget package. However, Thursday's vote is considered a technicality, as the budget committee already includes all nine council members.
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Dam siren blares false alarm to Skagit Valley town
Environment
Puget Sound Energy's Lower Baker Dam in 2009.WikipediaSome residents of the Skagit Valley got a scare early Monday morning: An evacuation siren went off at 6:53 a.m. near the town of Hamilton.
Puget Sound Energy operates two dams on the Baker River, a tributary of the Skagit River, that turn runoff from Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan into hydropower.
Just to the south, eight sirens spread along a 12-mile stretch of Highway 20 are designed to blare should a dam fail.
The upper dam, 312 feet tall and 65 years old, holds back Baker Lake, while the lower dam, 285 feet tall and 99 years old, holds back Lake Shannon.
Here’s what blasted from a Puget Sound Energy loudspeaker just east of Hamilton:
The utility notified county emergency officials, who then notified residents that the dams were not in trouble: "Skagit County Department of Emergency Management: PSE siren is sounding. This is a siren failure. The dams are NOT failing. Do NOT evacuate."
Puget Sound Energy officials say they are investigating the false alarm.
“PSE takes this malfunction seriously and is working to troubleshoot the cause of the equipment failure,” Puget Sound Energy spokesperson Andrew Padula said by email.
Padula said the utility’s seven other dam sirens along Highway 20 stayed silent and are working as they should.
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Western Washington braces for severe rain, wind storms brought by Pacific bomb cyclone
High winds and rain are expected to strike Western Washington on Tuesday. Meteorologists are advising residents to prepare for power outages and other stormy disruptions.
"We're going to see pretty strong easterly winds throughout Puget Sound and along the coast," Maddie Kristell with the National Weather Service told KUOW.
Washington's coast can expect winds up to 55 mph, and gusts up to 70 mph, through Wednesday. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch alert for the coast through the east Puget Sound lowlands. Stormy weather is expected to peak Tuesday night through Wednesday morning.
"We are going to have some pretty strong and elevated seas, which can make the beach very hazardous to be on as well," Kristell said. Hazards will not only include high winds, but also rain and some snow in the Cascade Mountains, she added.
Western Washington can expect power outages, downed trees, and property damage. Coastal areas could experience some flooding, even as the recent King Tide fades away. The mountains will get snow around 3,000 to 4,000 feet, and passes may be impacted.
The rest of November is expected to be rainy.
The severe weather is caused by a bomb cyclone abut 300 miles out in the Pacific Ocean, where atmospheric pressure has considerably dropped in a short period of time. That creates a significant storm, so much that it is sending high winds and precipitation all the way to Western Washington.
National Weather Service Seattle meteorologist Dana Felton told KUOW that that heavy winds will spread throughout the "Cascade foothills, along the coast, west part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca; the winds could come down I-90 and even get as far as Bellevue or Lake Sammamish."
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Boeing is laying off nearly 2,200 Washington employees before Christmas
Business
The Boeing Renton Factory is shown on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Renton.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerAs the holiday season arrives, and people begin wrapping presents in red, green, and gold paper, Boeing is sending pink slips to some of its employees, including 2,199 in Washington state.
The aerospace company notified Washington's Employment Security Department on Nov. 15 of the staff reductions.
RELATED: Boeing, my dad, and Airplane Economics 101
Last week, a Boeing spokesperson told KUOW that most "affected U.S. employees will be notified mid-November and leave the company on Jan. 17." According to the notice filed with the state, the permanent layoffs in Washington are slated for Dec. 20, 2024.
The layoffs have been expected. The company announced in October that it planned to reduce its workforce by 10%. Boeing has about 170,000 employees companywide. Layoff notices were expected this month.
The company statement further said, “We are supporting these teammates with additional resources such as severance pay and career transition services."
RELATED: Could be a decade before Boeing is back to normal, analyst says
Workers that are not expected to be affected are the machinists who recently ended their eight-week strike. Union members approved a contract offer from Boeing by 59%. That new contract raises machinists' general wages by 38% over four years.
In October, Boeing's CEO Kelly Ortberg noted that the strike and layoffs were separate issues.
"The realities of our business is we're overstaffed for the forecast of our business going forward," Ortberg said on CNBC. "So we need to right size and be efficient and I think we need to continue to do that as we go forward. Obviously, the later the strike ends the more more impact that will have."
Boeing reported a third quarter loss of $6 billion in October. The company has a backlog of more than 5,400 airplane orders.
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Gov. Inslee in Azerbaijan for global climate talks
Environment
2024 is on track to be the Earth's warmest year on record and the first to pass 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is spending the week in Azerbaijan, an oil-producing nation between Russia and Iran, for the latest round of the United Nations’ global climate talks.
Each year, world leaders try to hash out plans to reduce fossil-fuel pollution and help poorer nations survive the planet’s overheating.
Agreements don’t come easily.
At the 2024 summit, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev called fossil fuels “a gift of the God.”
At a protest in the neighboring nation of Georgia, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said holding a global climate summit “in an authoritarian petro-state is beyond absurd.”
RELATED: Trump's reelection casts a shadow over the start of global climate negotiations
European Union scientists say 2024 is “virtually certain” to be the hottest year on record.
Since the first global climate talks in 1992, the world’s carbon dioxide emissions have grown 47%, according to the nonprofit Global Carbon Project.
Since Inslee became governor in January 2013, Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased at least 11%, though the state’s published data only covers emissions up to 2019.
Inslee first attended the climate talks as governor in 2017 in Germany, after a newly elected President Trump announced he would withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris climate agreement. This week marks Inslee’s fourth appearance at these annual summits.
Inslee has argued that “subnational” governments, such as cities and states, can tackle emissions faster than nations and helped found an alliance of U.S. governors aiming to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.
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Jeff Bezos, other tech leaders congratulate Trump on ‘extraordinary political comeback’
Politics
In this Sept. 13, 2018, file photo Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, speaks at The Economic Club of Washington's Milestone Celebration in Washington.AP Photo/Cliff Owen, FileGone are the days when Amazon founder Jeff Bezos joked about sending Donald Trump to the moon on a rocket to keep him out of the White House.
Bezos took to X on Wednesday to congratulate Trump on “an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory.”
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Apple’s Tim Cook issued similar statements following Trump’s second presidential win.
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Could be a decade before Boeing is back to normal, analyst says
Business
A Boeing B-747-400 landing at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif.After a few PR emergencies, federal scrutiny, legal proceedings, a machinists strike, and other business woes, it will likely be 10 years before Boeing can be back to business as normal.
That's according to Scott Hamilton, an aviation analyst with Leeham Company, an aviation news outlet. Hamilton told KUOW's Angela King that the labor contract Boeing's machinist union approved Monday is just one hurdle the company is facing. Boeing has a lot of work ahead to build itself back up.
RELATED: Inside the '90s merger that started Boeing's long decline
"The future is going to be bleak in the near term, because they are losing billions of dollars a year, and the cash flow is still negative," Hamilton said. "The cash flow is probably going to be negative well into next year ... Here at Leeham company, we think it'll take Boeing a decade to get itself back to its 2018 level, where everything was going smoothly, all the production lines were producing a good rates, they were making profits, good cash flow."
After rejecting multiple contract offers from Boeing, members of the machinist union IAM District 751 approved a labor contract with the company Monday evening by 59%, bringing an eight-week strike to an end.
"It's better than 50 plus one [percent], no question about that, but it still tells you that 41% of the members voted no," Hamilton noted, adding that the contract offer was a good one, and Boeing was never likely going to give in on a demand for a pension, a sticking point for many union members.
The contract approval even spurred a shoutout from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
"This contract is also important for Boeing’s future as a critical part of America’s aerospace sector," Biden said in a statement, while also highlighting the fact that his administration intervened to help negotiations. (Labor Secretary Julie Su and National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard came to Washington state to meet with both parties.)
While Hamilton believes it will take Boeing about a decade to get back to smooth operations, the relationship between the company and its employees could take even longer.
"It's going to take decades, because the relationship between management and labor at Boeing has been toxic for a long, long time, and [new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg] is not going to come in and be able to walk the factory floor, and glad hand, and just say, 'Everything's fine. Let's do a reset.' Some of the way that Boeing handled these contract offers really irritated some of the members. This one was characterized as an ultimatum. Well, none of us like to be faced with an ultimatum. It's going to take him a long time to change the tone here."
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What does a 'weak La Niña' even mean? And what can Washington expect this winter?
A pedestrian crosses First Avenue with an umbrella on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerA "wimpy La Niña" has been slated for winter 2024-25 in the Pacific Northwest, with normal temperatures, but also maybe cooler-than-normal temperatures.
What does all this even mean?
RELATED: Mudslide shuts down I-5 North in Bellingham following extreme rain
"This is going to be kind of a weak [La Niña], and that is problematic for our forecasts," Nick Bond, state climatologist emeritus, told KUOW.
The expected effects of a strong La Niña can be easier to nail down. But Bond notes that "there's kind of conflicting information about temperatures relative to normal," under a weak La Niña.
Washington state has been under an emergency drought declaration since April. Snowpack in the mountains has severely suffered over the past year (snowpack = summer water supply). The upcoming weak La Niña could be just what Washington needs right now.
“I think our snowpack is going to be reasonably good and healthy, and hopefully it would be sufficient for next summer's water supplies," Bond said.
La Niña comes along when water temperatures way out in the Pacific Ocean are cooler than normal. This influences weather around the globe in different ways. In the Pacific Northwest, it generally causes wetter and colder conditions. So when weather forecasters and climatologist see La Niña ahead, they expect more rain and colder temperatures.
RELATED: The U.S. gets a new national marine sanctuary, the first led by a tribe
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Movie ideas to pair with your 2024 Halloween
Arts & Life
Seattle Now spoke with Scarecrow Video's Matt Lynch to get a few ideas for Halloween movies, ranging from horror to not-so-scary at all. KUOW's Dyer Oxley has added a few recommendations of his own.
One reason Matt Lynch decided to move to Seattle in 2003 was that he saw a movie — "The Ring," a horror film set in the city.
"It has this very Seattle dreary, gray-blue vibe, but that is very cozy to me," Lynch told KUOW's Patricia Murphy on Seattle Now. "I moved here in part for the gloom."
RELATED: This horror genre is scary as folk – and perfect October viewing
Fast forward, and today, Lynch is Scarecrow Video's marketing coordinator, making him an ideal person to ask for scary movie recommendations amid the Halloween season (or any time of year, really). He has some pretty solid picks for just about every level of interest — from "I don't like horror movies" to "come on, scare me!" Check them out below.
"Horror movies allow you to confront anything that is bothering you, down deep inside, your anxieties about anything, because the fear of some impending doom is very palpable to all of us," he said. "We all know what it feels like to anticipate that something bad is happening. I think horror movies give you a way out of that ... they offer you this vicarious catharsis. If you can get through this scary movie, then maybe everything is going to be OK."
And the great thing about a place like Scarecrow Video, with one of the largest collection of films on physical media, is that there is always something new to you. Hear Lynch's full conversation with Seattle Now below.
RELATED: 'Love Hurts': Former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch steps further onto the big screen
As KUOW's resident nerd, and a former video store clerk, I'm going to throw in a few of my own recommendations for a spooky good time. (Sorry KUOW. If you don't want me randomly geeking out about movies, then you shouldn't have given me the keys to the website.)
Horror movies for people who don't like horror movies
Lynch recommends watching old, classic films that predate heavy gore, such as "The Haunting" (1963) or "The Seventh Victim" (1943).
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Mudslide shuts down I-5 North in Bellingham following extreme rain
Environment
A truck sits stuck in mud on northbound Interstate 5 in Bellingham, Washington, on Oct. 27, 2024.Washington State Department of TransportationInterstate 5 in Bellingham, Washington, was slammed by 2,000 cubic yards of mud early Sunday morning following extraordinarily intense rain.
More than an inch of rain fell on Bellingham Airport in less than an hour, and more than 2 inches in 6 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
The mudslide closed northbound I-5 shortly before 5 a.m., with no estimate as of 11 a.m. Sunday when it would reopen. Northbound traffic backed up for 3 miles, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The agency called in a specialty tow truck to remove an 18-wheeler stuck in the mud and vegetation covering the highway.
Extreme rain can lubricate surface soil layers and lead to landslides.
Scientists say the Northwest can expect more intense storms and more mudslides as fossil-fuel pollution keeps overheating the planet.
RELATED: Europe's intense rainfall in September twice as likely thanks to climate change
National Weather Service meteorologist Harrison Rademacher told KUOW local rainfall varied greatly with this storm due to its unstable air and swirling patterns of convection.
"This resulted in localized bands of heavy rainfall," Rademacher said by email.
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The West Seattle light rail route has been chosen. But can Sound Transit afford it?
A Sound Transit Link light rail station. On Oct. 24, 2024, the Sound Transit Board approved a route for the West Seattle extension of the system that will connect between SoDo and the Alaska Junction.Sound Transit has chosen a light rail route to West Seattle. Construction on the 4.1 mile West Seattle Link extension is expected to start in 2027, with service slated to begin in 2032.
But in the meantime, the agency must come up with the money to actually pay for it.
"Today marks an important milestone in delivering light rail to West Seattle,” Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine said in a statement, filled with just enough wonky jargon to water down any enthusiasm for the moment. “Through the board-directed work plan, our action today allows Sound Transit to use the design process to address cost pressures, reduce impacts, and prepare projects for construction, fulfilling our promise to the voters.”
In other words, the Sound Transit Board has approved a new light rail route into West Seattle (which was previously approved by voters), but it will be more expensive than previously thought. The new light rail route comes with a price tag of between $6.7 and $7.1 billion (in 2023, it was estimate to cost $4 billion), so the agency is looking for "financial opportunities" to account for that.
The Sound Transit Board passed a resolution this week outlining several potential money sources, including grant revenues, federal loans, strategic property acquisition, and improving cost efficiencies. The motion doesn't explicitly propose additional taxes, which currently fund about 63% of the agency's construction and operations, but does mention "new revenue sources."
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Why pensions are a hot button issue in the Boeing machinists' strike
Union members count votes from striking Boeing machinists on whether to accept or reject the latest contract offer from Boeing on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at IAM Hall in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerA major sticking point in the Boeing machinists strike is the question of a return to a defined benefit plan, or pension. Boeing says that's a no go, and has refused to offer one. So far, the machinists, who gave up their pension benefit in 2014, are standing fast. They want it back and voted down Boeing's latest contract offer Wednesday night.
KUOW’s Kim Malcolm talked pensions and their alternatives with Kevin Bay, a professor of finance at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Kim Malcolm: What's your short answer on what a pension is and how it's managed?
Kevin Boeh: The short answer is the defined benefit pension plan, which is the traditional pension plan that our grandparents had, is a fixed stream of income that is guaranteed that you will get once you retire, until you pass. It's primarily managed by the company.
How do those kinds of pensions compare with the 401(k) style of retirement plan?
This is what most companies offer today. It's a defined contribution, as opposed to defined benefit. We contribute some defined amount along with your paycheck. Depending on the company, the individual employee can make a lot of decisions, and has a lot of discretion as to where the money is invested and how it's invested.
Part of the difference is that the employee, then, is the one who's taking more of the risk about where those funds are invested, right?
Yes, and that's exactly the good and bad of a defined contribution plan. Some employees just aren't very good at managing it. They may be fantastic at their jobs, but this isn't their profession, and unfortunately, some don't do very well.
Not a lot of companies offer pensions anymore. The preference seems to be for the 401(k) plans. Why is that?
The primary reason is that it's costly. A single company is offering and running a program, a pension plan, a retirement scheme, for a handful of employees. And let's say in the case of Boeing, Boeing is very good at making airplanes. They may not be professionals at running a retirement plan.
One of the other reasons that companies have moved away from these historically, is that they're a guaranteed stream of income to the employee in retirement. The idea is that if the investment returns throughout the course of the employee's employment haven't been sufficient, the company itself is the one who guarantees whether the employee gets the money. In other words, the company is putting itself at risk. And let's say they under-contribute through the years, or they underperform in their investment performance. The company is on the hook.
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