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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Seattle weather heats up this week with temps reaching the 80s
Daytime temperatures are expected to climb into the 80s this week, and potentially into the 90s by next Monday. Meteorologists say the heat could set new records for early May.
“This is kind of the first significant heat event, likely so far of the season and over the year,” said Jacob DeFlitch, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle. “So certainly, remaining hydrated is very important.”
DeFlitch says May is typically when Seattle starts to feel the summer season, but this week will be above normal, with temperatures expected to climb into the 80s this weekend. Early next week could have temps reach the 90s.
“This is reaching a higher threshold, we may even break some daily records over the weekend,” DeFlitch said.
The Weather Service further notes that the earliest day in May that Seattle has recorded 90 degrees was May 17, 2008. It says there is a 40% chance of breaking that record on May 15, and a 45% chance of breaking in on May 15.
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Washington needs YOU to fight the green crab invasion: Today So Far
- Seattle hasn't had a new affordable housing apartment tower in 50 years ... until now.
- Washington needs YOU to fight the scourge of invading green crabs. Will you answer the call?
- Why salmon fishing in southeast Alaska is nixed this summer.
- Seattle police aren't ready for Washington's new police pursuit rules.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 8, 2023.
Seattle hasn't had a new affordable housing apartment tower in 50 years. Think about that for a minute. All these cranes in the air, all these new apartment buildings going up, jobs and people coming to town, and no affordable housing towers among it all. That is, until now.
The first such affordable housing tower in decades just opened up in Seattle's First Hill. It's the product of a rather unique circumstance. Sound Transit took ownership of the land years ago with the intention of building a light rail station at the site. That plan fizzled out, and Sound Transit was left with some prime First Hill property that it didn't have any use for. Enter Plymouth Housing and Bellwether Housing — two nonprofits with similar goals.
With their powers combined, today, a new high-rise tower is up and running in a thriving corner of Seattle. The building itself is split in half. Part of it is dedicated to helping people get off the streets and out of shelters. The other portion is geared more toward offering affordable costs to people who need it. The good part about that portion is that it can offer affordability in advance of potential problems arising, which in this city can result in people ending up on the street.
As KUOW's Joshua McNichols discovered, the result is a building where both someone who has spent years living on the street, and a medical student, can find a place to live. Read the full story here.
Washington needs YOU to fight the scourge of invading green crabs. Will you answer the call? In my head, I have an Uncle Sam type character pointing at us, telling us that we're needed for the battle at hand. The battle, in this case, is over the health of Puget Sound. Green crabs are advancing into local waters, where they are making things hard for our beloved Dungeness crabs, and other wildlife.
The Washington Sea Grant is joining forces with Washington State University Extension to start a volunteer program aimed at pushing back against the green crabs spreading throughout Puget Sound. It's an invasive species that wreaks havoc on local habitats and wildlife. There is a series of training events and more coming up soon. In short, take a hike, and join the fight.
So how exactly can you help? Check out the full story here.
While the message around Puget Sound is all about green crabs, if you travel up the Salish Sea into southeast Alaska, you'll begin to hear a range of voices arguing over salmon, orca, and the fishing industry.
"The cost of losing species is incalculable, therefore the species should be prioritized above other interests and priorities," said Brian Knutsen, an attorney with the Wild Fish Conservancy about salmon populations and the orca who rely on them for food. "They should be given the benefit of the doubt when you're weighing equities."
The conservancy just won a court battle, which will halt the upcoming summer and winter salmon fishing seasons in southeast Alaska. The short story here is that the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Services develops a plan every few years to manage the marine environment and fishing. Its plan in 2019 was to spend millions on habitat restoration and increased hatchery production to offset the harms that the fishing harvest would have on salmon populations around this part of Alaska. The conservancy challenged this plan in court, arguing that it didn't comply with federal regulations, and last week, a federal judge in Seattle agreed. This decision means that the government agency has to redo its fishing plans.
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Fire destroys Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge
The Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge, a popular destination in Olympic National Park, caught fire Sunday, May 7. Park officials say the structure appears to be a complete loss.
The lodge was still smoldering a day after flames tore it apart.
“We're just now in the process of organizing an outside investigator, a certified fire investigator will come and figure out the origin and the cause of the fire," said Lee Snook, spokesperson for Olympic National Park.
At about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, park officials say a law enforcement ranger on patrol reported that the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge was fully engulfed in flames. Snook said no one was in the structure at the time of the fire and no injuries have been reported.
The building was constructed in the 1950s and housed exhibits on an upper floor, with a gift shop, and a small café below.
In a statement, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) said, “The loss of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is devastating for the Olympic Peninsula and for the more than 300,000 travelers who visit the iconic visitor center every year.”
Cantwell said she is working with U.S Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and the National Park Service to make sure the historic lodge is rebuilt.
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Fred Meyer, QFC workers can wear Black Lives Matter buttons, judge says
A union that represents more than 50,000 grocery store, retail, and other workers celebrated a victory Friday after a judge said they could wear their union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons at work.
UFCW 3000 says an administrative law judge from the National Labor Relations Board has ruled in favor of a group of Fred Meyer and QFC workers who were banned from wearing Black Lives Matter buttons, and other items like certain masks, to work.
“It feels good to win again!” said Sam Dancy, a front end Supervisor at the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle. Dancy has worked for QFC for more than 30 years.
“When we as workers speak out through these buttons and collectively say Black Lives Matter and then QFC and Fred Meyer said to take the buttons off, that was insulting and a violation of the law," Dancy said. "We knew all along we had the right to call out social and racial injustice in the workplace and in our neighborhoods and this judge’s decision reiterates that right.”
The union provided the buttons to workers in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, and amid the protests that followed. The stores did not favor its employees wearing the buttons, which led to the union challenging the policy. This is the second ruling in the union's favor, following a previous decision in 2021.
The union says the judge agreed with their argument that their right to wear the items was protected under federal labor laws because racism is a workplace issue. The union argued that the employees in this case acted to advance their interest to an “affirmatively anti-racist, pro-civil rights, and pro-justice workplace.”
The judge’s decision further struck down employers’ broad dress codes. No word yet if the stores will appeal this decision to the NLRB in Washington, D.C.
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Careful, Seattle drivers: Your right to turn on red is going away
Seattle has historically allowed drivers to turn right on a red light. That luxury is going away.
Seattle will soon have more "No Turn On Red" signs throughout downtown. The city is increasing the number of intersections where it forbids cars from turning right at a red light. The aim is to reduce pedestrians getting hit.
There are currently 28 intersections that already restrict such a right turn, but the goal is to put these restrictions in place at a total of 41 new downtown locations (at the start of 2023, Seattle already restricted this type of turn at 100 locations).
"Let’s not trade people’s safety so people in cars can save a few seconds of waiting for their turn to go," Seattle Department of Transportation Director Greg Spotts said in a statement. "Adding 40 'No Turn on Red' intersections downtown is the first step in our plan to expand this proven safety measure to pedestrian-dense neighborhoods."
In other words, there is potential for Seattle to restrict right turns at red lights in other parts of the city over the coming year.
This is part of the city's Vision Zero initiative to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by the year 2030. The Seattle Department of Transportation argues that turning right at red lights "is linked to a 60% increase in people being hit by turning cars."
According to a statement on SDOT's blog:
"Turning right at a red light was illegal in most cities, including Seattle, until a few decades ago. Seattle did not make it legal to turn right at a red light until 1959. In 1975, the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act required all states to allow right turns on red to reduce fuel consumption, estimating a travel time savings of 1-5 seconds for turning vehicles."
But studies since that time, the city's transportation department notes, have indicated a greater risk of hitting pedestrians when turning on red lights is allowed. In Seattle, the department says that 9% of collisions involving people crossing the street are from cars turning right at a red light.
A caution for folks driving to the All-Star Baseball game in July — the transporation says it plans to have all the new "No Turn On Red" signs in place before the game comes to town.
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Oregon Republicans walk out of state Legislature in protest of Democrat-sponsored bills
Oregon's Republican state lawmakers staged a walkout this week, in a protest over bills that Democrats are pushing through the state Legislature. The move could be a test of new voter-approved rules.
Last year, Oregon voters approved a statewide measure that ensures stiff penalties if lawmakers participate in a walkout. That’s not stopping Senate Republicans. The minority party looks ready to test the new law in court.
Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) said Democrats left them with no choice, as they pushed a progressive agenda creating new gun regulations and adding protections for abortion and gender-affirming care.
"Therefore we are engaged in a peaceful, constitutional protest by denying the quorum," Knopp said.
Republicans are also accusing Democrats of breaking a long overlooked law that requires bill summaries be written in straightforward language.
It’s unclear how long Republicans plan to try and block Democrats in this way. The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to conclude at the end of June.
Read the full story on Oregon's GOP walkout at Oregon Public Broadcasting.
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Mike's adventures in art: Sweeney Todd, Drug Lord, BAIT
If you're looking for tips on how to experience art in the Seattle area, you're in the right place. In this weekly post, KUOW arts reporter Mike Davis has suggestions for what to do around Seattle over the weekend so you can have your own adventures in arts and culture.
Theater
"Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street," is showing at the 5th Ave Theatre. Visually, this production is stunning. Scenic designer, Lex Marcos, stole the show. The set is three levels. It's metallic, sharp, and gloomy. The third level puts characters in a position to loom over the audience in such a bold and at times creepy way. The center piece, which contains Mrs. Lovett's pie shop on the first story and Sweeney Todd's barbershop on the second story, is placed on a rotating panel. With a half turn, we see a grungy brick wall that puts us in London, where the huge ensemble created the feeling of actually being on the busy streets of London. There were moments where up to 15 actors shared the stage. The full rotation of the platform revealed the bakeshop in the back of the meat pie shop where human bodies were turned into pies. The brilliance of the set design came in moments where characters entered and exited the meat pie shop while it rotated seamlessly changing the perspective of the audience and allowing for flawless movement of actors. The pace of the play was breathtaking.
But enough about the technical components! Yes, the set was amazing, and yes, costume designer Danielle Nieves is responsible for my favorite scene — a masked ball where the costumes were immaculate. The shimmering glitter of the wardrobes as they danced was incredible. But the story itself is worth mentioning. A tale of revenge, greed, violence, and cannibalism that was presented with just enough comedy to not make the audience flinch when a neck was cut, but maintaining enough eeriness to keep us intrigued.
This is my pick of the week, and everywhere I go people are mentioning this show to me. The bold stage design, the creepy costumes, the use of lighting to create blood, the chilling narration from the ensemble, and the classic story and songs audiences have loved for years. This play has something for everyone.
"Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is showing April 24 – May 15 at the 5th Ave Theatre
Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre is showing at 12th Avenue Arts. This is a change of pace from the previous show, and that is a big part of why I'm putting it here. There something special about the intimacy an audience gets from a performance in a black-box theater. And I left this show feeling like I get to know each of the four actors in the cast.
The play takes place in the tree house of Pipe, the president of the Dead Leaders Club. On its face, this production is the journey of the club as they fight to be reinstated as an official club at the members high school so that they can use the extracurricular activity on college applications. But the heart of the story is so much more.
Somehow, in a 90-minute sprint, this production tackles themes including the recent suicide of a parent, self-harm, abortion, gender identity, political affiliation, sex, race, and class. And to be clear, I'm sure there are a few I missed. With no intermission, it was a whirlwind.
The highlight of the play, was the ability to cover this ground without ever making the audience feel lectured. All of these complexes issues were folded into the dialogue and action of the play seamlessly. We met these teens, and immediately witnessed them confront obstacles as if they were part of their everyday lives. This was both refreshing, from the standpoint of not wanting to be preached at by a play, and crushing as a parent with two elementary age children who watched these youth, who seem like everyday American teens, go through the toughest situations as if they were a normal part of their daily lives.
My reflection of this experience is the need for more — 20 more minutes, maybe even an intermission to break the tension. With so much ground to cover, with a little longer runtime, the audience could have had more time to sit with the despair. The lows would have felt lower if we had a breath to experience them, but oftentimes we moved on before the weight of the blows could fully land. When we face the reveal of the death of a sibling, or learn that a father recently took his own life, or see an abortion, we need time to feel the gravity of those moments.
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As Seattle loses tree canopy, a city council bill may let developers cut down more
Developers and density advocates scored a potential victory from the Seattle City Council on Thursday. The council's Land Use Committee voted 4-1 to guarantee developers' rights to remove trees on lots slated for higher density development.
The complex legislation was first introduced by Mayor Bruce Harrell in March. It would allow “hardscape” — that's non-living landscaping elements like patios or walkways along with the building itself — to cover at least 85% of individual properties that have been zoned for low-rise development (townhomes) and above, regardless of existing tree cover. If, for example, a large tree would prevent developers from reaching that 85% hardscape threshold on a single property, the tree could be removed.
On Thursday, the Land Use Committee amended the legislation so that in higher density zones, developers are guaranteed the ability to develop 100% of the property.
Councilmember Alex Pedersen, who cast the lone vote against the ordinance, said those guarantees remove any incentive for developers to preserve existing trees. He said the current city policy, which is to consider the ratio of the building to the size of the lot, provides more flexibility to adapt construction around trees.
But architect David Nieman told the council during public comment that the new proposal reflects the reality that it's nearly impossible to save big trees in areas zoned for higher density. He said the city currently requires developers to document large trees on lots slated for multifamily housing projects, but in his experience, all the trees have ultimately been removed anyway.
“While we haven’t had a project that has saved any of these trees, it does require an enormous amount of analysis and effort to get to the point of proving the tree can’t be saved, while maintaining full development potential,” Nieman said.
Pedersen proposed an unsuccessful amendment that would have allowed the city to retain its current approach to development in low-rise zones.
“This may be the most important amendment all day,“ he said. “I’m worried that this 85% will actually make things worse for trees in Seattle.”
A recent study found that Seattle is losing tree canopy, and that less affluent neighborhoods had fewer trees to start with. Lower canopy is linked to heat islands in Seattle that see the hottest temperatures during record heat waves.
However, researchers also find that urban density can reduce the carbon emissions fueling climate change, and decrease development pressure on the outskirts of cities.
The Urban Forestry Commission, which is appointed by the council and mayor, recommended against the development guarantees, in part citing a lack of evidence to support how they'd work.
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What's so special about WA's upcoming special session?
The 2023 regular legislative session may be over, but lawmakers will be heading back to Olympia soon for a special session.
Gov. Jay Inslee is calling them back to work on May 16, so they can come up with a new statewide drug possession law. The law as it stands right now is a stopgap measure that will expire July 1.
Inslee told Soundside host Libby Denkmann he's hopeful the Legislature can come to a bipartisan agreement during the special session.
"I do want the Legislature to move now because we don't want cities to have to be going off in a hundred different directions on this very important policy," he said. "I think there's good reason to believe they will get this done."
In fact, dozens of cities are considering new bans on possession or public use of illegal drugs. A key question — for cities and towns as well as state lawmakers — is whether such offenses should be a misdemeanor or a gross misdemeanor. Misdemeanors can mean up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail. Gross misdemeanors can receive up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
They're weighing the need for more treatment and overdose-prevention services, too, further complicating the effort to strike a deal that members of both parties can get behind.
"Basically, what I've been saying now for a couple of months is what I believe the vast majority of Washingtonians believe," Inslee said. "We need to make sure people get treatment for drug addiction and have it available to them but have some sanction if they refuse to participate in that."
The governor is confident lawmakers will find a compromise along those lines.
So, how will the special session work?
Starting May 16, lawmakers will have 30 days to make a deal and get a bill passed.
The entire special session is dedicated to one issue — a statewide drug possession law — unlike during the regular session when many issues are up for debate.
KUOW's Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay said that could make it easier to find a deal that enough people can agree to pass. After all, lawmakers will be spending all of their time and energy on the same problem.
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Sweet insights into Seattle's soda tax: Today So Far
- After roughly five years with Seattle's tax on sugary drinks, more and more insights into its effects are emerging.
- Would you eat gene-edited meat? In the future, perhaps you might not have a choice.
- Are your summer plans starting to take shape? Any concerts coming up?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 5, 2023.
After roughly five years with Seattle's tax on sugary drinks, more and more insights into its effects are emerging. For starters, people are drinking less of these drinks.
But don't credit the soda tax too quickly. Researchers say that consumption of sugary drinks is not only down in Seattle, but also in neighboring communities (Auburn, Federal Way, and Kent), which don't have the tax. I try not to make this newsletter about my opinions, or put any hot takes out there, but I'll break with that tradition this time and say — good. I have a whole tirade about RC Cola being a guilty pleasure, and there is no such thing as moderation, etc. But we'll skip all that. I think it's safe to say that those drinks aren't good for anybody. Back to the real news, the main headline here is that folks around Western Washington seem to be drinking less sodas — tax or no tax.
Another takeaway from recent audits of Seattle's soda tax is that businesses aren't taking on any new costs. As expected, it's customers who are paying the tax, which adds up to 1.75 cents per ounce. Shops just hike the price to cover the tax. Anyone who has seen price tags at the store is well aware of this.
It should be noted that the city's recent audit is only a window into two years of the soda tax. And the audit is just one report among a handful of studies on the tax that were recently published. Other studies, for example, monitored Seattle residents' BMI (body mass index). The short version of that: The region's average BMI has increased in recent years, but less so in Seattle. Read more here.
Would you eat gene-edited meat? In the future, perhaps you might not have a choice.
Researchers over at Washington State University recently held a barbecue featuring locally produced pork sausages, very local. They came from WSU's lab. Researchers have been using CRISPR to edit the genes of pigs. If you're not familiar with CRISPR, the short story is that it's tech that can modify DNA. It's used for a lot of things. If Jurassic Park ever becomes a reality in our world, CRISPR will likely be a part of that.
At WSU, however, they are focused on these pigs, and potentially other livestock. The concern is that the livestock our food supply relies on may not hold up so well to our changing climate. There's also world hunger to consider. Over the course of human history, we've taken animals and bred them to get certain traits we like. That takes generations. But a change to some DNA here, and a little tweak there, and researchers can speed up the process to produce livestock ready for climate change — reduced water, altered pasture and grazing land, hotter and colder weather, etc.
So how did those sausages taste at WSU. Well, they tasted like pork. They're still pigs after all. CRISPR can't edit cotton candy sausages into existence, or anything like that. Read the full story here.
Are your summer plans starting to take shape? Any concerts coming up?
That's a question Soundside just pondered along with sound engineer Bunnie on the Board, KISW's Kevin Diers, and The Inlander's music editor Seth Sommerfeld. There are a lot of big names coming to the region — Drake, Boygenius, Taylor Swift, The Cure, Madonna, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé, George Strait, and more. You got the Gorge Amphitheater, Chateau Ste Michelle, Lumen Field, Climate Pledge Arena, Bumbershoot, and others spots to see this all. Of course, without naming names, after I get excited about an upcoming concert, I then see the ticket prices, and that's the end of that.
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Washington's GOP and the 2024 governor's race: Today So Far
- Washington's GOP has a positive outlook toward the 2024 governor's race. But there are challenges they face.
- Gov. Inslee has something special for state lawmakers in Olympia.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 4, 2023.
It didn't take long for Democrats to jump on the opportunity that Gov. Jay Inslee delivered this week. But so far, no prominent Republicans have announced their bid for the governor's office in 2024.
Within a day of Inslee announcing he will not run for another term, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced an exploratory committee, via an online video that looks very much like a campaign announcement. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz is another name that has potential. As of this morning, she has only said "Stay tuned. Big announcement coming soon…"
KUOW's David Hyde got in touch with Republican leaders around Washington. The initial impression is that they are feeling quite optimistic about their chances in 2024. That doesn't mean they aren't aware of the steep challenges ahead. Washington's GOP has to find a way to win over independents around Puget Sound, something it hasn't pulled off in a gubernatorial race since the 1980s.
“That's just the reality of the math," Washington GOP Chair Caleb Heimlich told KUOW. "There are not enough conservative voters in Washington state to carry an election and win.”
Another branch of the local GOP is the Mainstream Republicans of Washington (a video hyping their upcoming conference features Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison). Deanna Martinez, who heads the organization, tells KUOW that mainstream Republican candidates are the ones who have made progress in recent elections, the ones who stick to being fiscally conservative and socially moderate.
“We were disappointed with this last election," Martinez said. "The red wave didn't happen. But if you break it down, it was mainstream candidates that won.”
So far, it doesn't appear that any "mainstream" candidates are emerging.
Hyde notes that Republican Semi Bird (Richland), a “constitutional Christian conservative” and a "career American," has announced he is running for governor in 2024. He's already touting endorsements from Joe Kennedy (the Bremerton High School football coach who prayed with his students), and Joe Kent (the MAGA Congressional candidate who lost the last race for Washington's District 3).
Read the full story on current GOP perspectives on the 2024 election here.
State Republicans know they need to convince middle-ground Washingtonians to vote their way; they don't have enough statewide support among their own party. This means that watching Washington's Republicans in the upcoming gubernatorial election should be interesting. At least, it is for folks who tune into local politics like local sports (it's a terrible, toxic way to engage with politics, and no, I'm not proud of it). The Republicans' story over the next year and a half has the potential to either be the "Little Engine That Could," or a total train wreck. Because — big picture — this isn't just about swaying middle-ground voters. It's also about balancing the challenges within its own party.
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These Seattle 4th graders planted trees to bring green to their barren playground
The Seattle City Council is considering updates to its current tree regulations this month. One goal is to bring more trees to areas that lack them. Mayor Harrell’s proposal includes a “fee-in-lieu” program that would require people to pay into a tree-planting fund when they cut down trees on their property.
A recent study found that Seattle is losing tree canopy, and that less affluent neighborhoods had fewer trees to start with. Proximity to trees is associated with better human health outcomes and reduced impact from the record heat waves fueled by climate change.
Replacing pavement with trees can be rewarding but involves a lot of legwork. Hawthorne Elementary in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood provides a case study.
Parent Peter Schumacher said a few years ago families started brainstorming improvements to the school’s playground. The playground was outdated and consisted of a big expanse of asphalt that got really hot on sunny days.
“We just started thinking, well, trees are a solution to that, right?” he said.
The group ultimately obtained grants from Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods, King County, and The Nature Conservancy to replace some of that asphalt with trees, wood chips and a rain garden.
But Schumacher said the process was not easy or cheap.
“If it was just planting the trees, we would have only needed probably about $5,000 to do that," he said. "But the de-paving work and the drainage associated with that was another $35,000.”
Peter’s daughter Anna noted that even when school was out, she and other community members have had to water those baby trees on hot summer days.
“It was not fun then, but now that I see all the plants that have gotten so big and they’re so green, I’m glad that we did," she said.
Fourth grader Josephine Kennedy said now those trees are starting to provide a little shade.
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