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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Audit cracks open what's worked, fizzled on Seattle soda tax
Years after Seattle passed a tax on sugary drinks, it's consumers — not businesses — taking on the cost.
The city of Seattle released a series of audit documents on its soda tax this year, with the most recent reports on Monday. The findings have shown the tax is delivering on some of its promises, but may not be as effective as hoped at reducing demand.
One concern when the tax took effect in 2018 was higher costs for stores. That has not been a problem for small stores and independent convenience stores. The city's auditors found "no evidence of a loss of gross revenue among Seattle stores."
Jesse Jones-Smith, an associate professor at the University of Washington's School of Public Health, has tracked the policy since its inception.
"We evaluated whether the tax had an impact on small business revenue, and small store closures, and we found no impact on either of those two things," Jones-Smith said.
That's because customers, not stores, are paying the price.
Stores have, on average, passed the soda tax onto customers by raising prices on sweetened drinks. Drinks are more expensive in Seattle than in surrounding communities without the tax.
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Check your Android phone. Latest update could cause a 911 glitch
A heads up for Android smartphone users who may have recently updated their phones — your phone may be calling 911 without you knowing.
Snohomish County 911 dispatchers, and others across North America, say a feature of that update is causing people's phones to accidentally dial 911.
They say the number of calls increased by 24% between April 27-29. Similar 911 upticks have been reported in Florida, Ontario, and elsewhere.
The apparent glitch turns on a user's emergency SOS feature, which causes the phone to dial 911.
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What's in a name, like 'assault weapon'?: Today So Far
KUOW's Bill Radke had a dilemma when he had to talk on air about how Washington state passed an assault weapon ban last session. The issue was, that term "assault weapon." There's a lot bound up in that term, including an ethical question for journalists.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 3, 2023.
I found myself going through the same mental and ethical debate when posting our reporting on KUOW.org.
"Every gun is an 'assault' weapon, so why even use 'assault'?" Bill said on his recent "Words in Review" segment.
The term is not descriptive enough for him. He'd rather describe and let other people characterize. Still, when he posted this segment online, and podcasted it, he had to write a headline. That headline had to effectively communicate the topic. Could he use "assault weapon"?
"I think to call it an assault weapon is to use a word to sell your point of view," Bill said. "Now, it's such a common phrase, we're just calling it what people call it, but people are calling it that because we've used it so much ... somebody could use it to hunt, right, it seems like it's taking sides, calling it an 'assault weapon,' whereas 'AR-15 style' seems more neutral."
Journalists Joseph O'Sullivan with Crosscut, and Melissa Santos with Axios, had to navigate similar decisions.
"Traditionally, I would go with 'semiautomatic rifles' ... that's an example of a sort of clarity and specificity," O'Sullivan said, adding that he has also opted to use the term "assault style" and sometimes "AR style" in his reporting, which he feels meets the common understanding readers have.
Santos agrees readers are aware of the concepts, but it was also more about the reporting as a whole.
"In the first sentence of that story, I clarified that these are guns that they are classifying as assault weapons, and wrote what they are using to make that justification," Santos said.
"That's why I was OK using it in a headline and explaining immediately that it is an arbitrary classification ... so I think as long as you are clear that there is some specific definition here, it can be OK to use 'assault weapons,' even though it is not my preference."
The Associated Press Stylebook, aka the Bible for reporters, instructs journalists to avoid terms like "assault weapon" due to the politicization of such words. I personally would stick with the AP style, but I also found myself thinking about this dynamic between specifics and common understandings.
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Volunteers needed to defend Washington against the green crab invasion
Take a hike, and join the fight against the green crab invasion in Washington's waters.
The Washington Sea Grant is teaming up with Washington State University Extension to counter the rapid increase in the number of green crabs populating Puget Sound.
Nearly a quarter million European Green Crabs were trapped along the Washington coast last year, after Gov. Jay Inslee declared a green crab emergency. That's twice the number from the prior year, further indicating that the green crab population is booming. Shellfish businesses, tribes, and others have called for a green crab "blitz" across Washington's waters.
Now, WSU Extension and the Washington Sea Grant is launching a volunteer-based early detection program. Members of the public can help researchers spot and stop the creatures that destroy underwater habitats and attack local species, like Dungeness crabs.
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West Seattle Bridge ramp connecting Hwy 99 closed after pothole snarls traffic
UPDATE: The Washington State Department of Transportation reports that the ramp between the West Seattle Bridge and northbound SR99 will reopen at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, May 9.
WSDOT reports that the weekend's warm temperatures helped cure the concrete quick, leading to an earlier than expected reopening.
ORIGINAL REPORT
Wednesday morning traffic out of West Seattle was snarled after a large hole was discovered in a busy onramp.
The onramp connects eastbound West Seattle Bridge to northbound Highway 99. Crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation are working to repair the large pothole that has shut down the route.
And by "pothole" we mean a 4-by-5-foot hole in the ramp. Folks passing underneath the ramp could see straight through to the sky.
The hole was discovered around 10 p.m. Tuesday. The tires on several cars were blown out by the hole before traffic was diverted.
WSDOT crews inspected the hole Wednesday, and began chipping away "unsuitable concrete" in the area. The span could potentially be closed up to 10 days for repairs.
WSDOT is telling drivers to find alternate routes.
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NW's wildlife rehabilitators need more help
Spring and summer are busy times of year for the Northwest’s wildlife rehabilitators, but such organizations need more help, especially in Washington state.
“We do what we can, but we don't have enough volunteers here or enough paid staff here to go out and collect wild animals," said Marcie Logsdon, a wildlife veterinarian at Washington State University. "We, for the most part, rely on the public and good Samaritans to bring them to us."
There are only seven permitted wildlife rehab centers in Eastern Washington, including a site at WSU.
Logsdon says she’s hopeful more Northwest residents might be interested in becoming wildlife rehabilitators, or volunteers to help transport animals that need help. There’s a need to transport these animals from the Tri-Cities, Spokane, Clarkston, and Lewiston areas.
Logsdon says people interested in becoming rehabbers in Washington have to do six months, or 1,000 hours, of volunteer work at a wildlife rehabilitation center.
Read the full story on the challenges that Northwest wildlife rehabilitators face,and learn about volunteering opportunities, at Northwest Public Broadcasting.
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Remote work has changed us, but for good?: Today So Far
- Remote work, and hybrid work, has certainly changed our office lives. For better or for worse? That depends on who you ask.
- A day after Gov. Inslee said he won't run for re-election, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he's eying the office.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 2, 2023.
Well that didn't take long. Breaking news this morning. Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that he is forming an exploratory committee around a gubernatorial run. It comes a day after Gov. Jay Inslee announced he is not running for another term.
This is not the exactly same as announcing a campaign for governor. An "exploratory committee" is akin to saying, "I'm paying smart people to investigate whether or not this is a good idea, while also collecting as much money as I can." Still, Ferguson's name has long been tossed around as a potential Democratic successor to the governor's office. But he's not the only name in town. Read more here.
I found myself at a dinner party recently, practicing what I call, "not being weird." I find that I need to practice this more often these days. If I'm being honest, even before the pandemic forced many of us to socially isolate, I was a rather socially awkward fellow. Now, well, as I said, I need more practice.
Around the table was a cluster of others like me who are part of the pajamas-optional workforce. In fact, four of the five people at that table were working from home with jobs spanning billing, the video game industry, and local public radio. At KUOW, we've shifted into a more hybrid work schedule with some folks coming into the office a few days a week. You're likely to start hearing about similar work scenarios moving forward, alongside a debate over the merits and downsides of going back to the old ways. The times, they are a changin, or they continue to change. Exactly how has yet to be determined.
I've previously pointed to experts who argue that remote work and hybrid work are the new reality of 21st Century working, and many are trading office chit-chats with conversing with our dogs at home about whether or not pop culture references will be understood in the newsletter we're writing ... just me?
"You can vote for the future, or you can try to hold on to those old ways of working from the past, and then pay a consulting company in five years to tell you to get with the future. Those are your options," author Anne Helen Petersen told KUOW's Seattle Now last year.
On the other side of this issue are company leaders and managers who are pushing to get more employees back into the office. As KUOW's Monica Nickelsburg reports, the "era of unlimited remote work is over, at least for some major Seattle employers." But this next evolution to hybrid work isn't going smoothly for everybody.
Yesterday, Amazon began requiring its employees to come into its offices three days a week. Starbucks started a similar hybrid policy in January. But many employees are defying the requirement, and employers are finding it difficult to enforce such a policy.
Perhaps the pandemic shook things up a little more than previously expected. For example, recent school enrollment data indicates that a considerable number of people have moved their families out of the big cities and to Washington's more rural communities. That means a hefty commute is now added to their jobs as the call to come back to the office is issued. Another factor that employers have to face is that the work is getting done, and some folks are just as productive at home. On the other hand, there are some employees who crave being in the mix with colleagues. And then there are those of us whose dogs are just not as interested in carrying on the same conversations at our home desks as they once were ... despite the fact that I feed you and brush you every day with a spritz of lemongrass oil; the least you can do, Cosmo, is hear me out!
Where was I? Oh yeah.
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Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler will not run for re-election
A second Washington state official announced this week that this will be their final term in office. On Monday, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said he will not run for re-election.
In a statement, Kreidler did not specify a reason for his departure.
“Serving alongside you as Insurance Commissioner for Washington state has been, and continues to be, the greatest honor of my life,” Kreidler said in a statement. “I’ve always said it was the best job I’ve ever had, and I still feel that way today."
Kreidler entered the role as head of Washington's insurance regulation in 2000, and has campaigned to keep the job ever since. He is currently serving his sixth term. Washington is among only 11 states with insurance commissioners.
As commissioner, Kreidler has advocated for protecting low-income residents seeking insurance. He also tried, but failed, to end the use of credit scores as a qualification for insurance.
His time in office was not without controversy. Last year, Gov. Jay Inslee and the state's Democratic Party asked Kreidler to resign, following complaints about his alleged mistreatment of staff and reported use of racist slurs in the office. Kreidler decided to fire a legislative liaison who had complained about his behavior.
On Monday, Gov. Inslee announced his decision not to run for re-election.
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South Lake Union businesses welcome Amazon workers' return to office
Thousands of Amazon workers are slated to return the office, after three years of working remotely. It’s the news that downtown Seattle businesses have been waiting for, particularly shops that cater to lunch crowds.
Beginning this month, thousands of Amazon workers are expected to be in the office at least three days a week. There is hope that the presence of more office workers signals a return to life as it was before the pandemic.
RELATED: Seattle employers beckon workers back to the office. Downtown can’t wait
In South Lake Union, nearby businesses can already sense a difference.
“Oh yeah, they’re back for sure,” said Megan Hewitt, general manager of Rubenstein’s Bagels on Sixth Avenue.
Hewitt says business has been picking up with more tourists coming in. Having downtown workers has added to the store’s busy pace.
“We are seeing a big uptick in catering orders and stuff here, but we only get a certain amount of bagels everyday so once they’re gone, they’re gone and starting tomorrow a third of our inventory is already sold.”
Hewitt hopes to add a couple more positions to the store, but it’s been a challenge.
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Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson takes step toward gubernatorial campaign
The race for Washington governor is on, now that Jay Inslee has announced he will not seek another term.
Inslee's announcement came Monday morning. On Tuesday morning, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced he is launching an exploratory campaign committee.
"I look forward to listening and learning from Washingtonians in every county and corner of this great state," Ferguson said in a video published Tuesday. "The only way we can win and move Washington forward is building the same grassroots coalition we always have, together."
RELATED: What will Jay Inslee's legacy be after 12 years as governor?
An "exploratory campaign" is not the same as officially running for governor, but it is a first step. Potential candidates usually make such an announcement to signal to donors and others that they're seriously testing the waters for a run, without officially declaring their candidacy.
"Here is what I believe," Ferguson said. "Washingtonians must have the freedom to make their own health care decisions, to be safe, to breathe clean air and drink clean water, to be free from discrimination, to start a small business, to make a living wage and have a safe work environment, to have opportunities to succeed in all kinds of careers."
Ferguson has strong name recognition. He’s made national press fighting former President Donald Trump in court.
Another Democrat, state lands commissioner Hilary Franz tells KUOW she may announce a run later this week. Franz has said she’s proud of her record on issues like wildfire and climate change policy.
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Walla Walla ferry is ready for a comeback just weeks after running aground
Washington State Ferries says the boat that ran aground last month off Bainbridge Island will be carrying passengers again in a couple of weeks.
The passenger ferry Walla Walla lost power and steering in Rich Passage on April 15, causing it to run aground at the south end of Bainbridge Island. About 600 passengers were stranded aboard the ferry until they could be transferred off.
RELATED: Bremerton-Seattle ferry runs aground on Bainbridge Island
The 50-year-old boat sustained minor damages to the hull, and its propeller was bent.
“Damage is pretty minimal," said Ian Sterling with the Washington State Ferries. "It's got some scratches on the hull, and the propeller is bent essentially a little bit. There is specialized machinery that can unbend a prop underwater. So the boat doesn't have to come out of water; dry docking is really expensive for something the size of the state ferry, as you can imagine.”
The cost for fixing the boat is still unknown. Sterling says the ferry will need to pass inspections and sea trials before making any voyages carrying passengers.
An investigation is still ongoing as officials look for why the boat lost power in the first place.
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Were you 'wrong' during the pandemic?: Today So Far
- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is not running for re-election next year.
- The next hot topic at Seattle City Hall.
- Were you "wrong" during pandemic times?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 1, 2023.
Nina and I emerged from our car with facemasks firmly worn, plastic gloves on our hands, and hand sanitizer clipped to our belts. We were visiting a couple relatives and it was early on in the pandemic. People were still largely isolating.
At least, they were in the city. Out in suburban Washington, you'd never know a pandemic was going on at the time. Still, Nina and I took a walk with family, wearing masks and gloves. Looking back, it's easy to say that we were going way overboard. I probably should be embarrassed by that scene, but I'm not. We were leaning into the "better safe and embarrassed than infected" perspective. We didn't know that being outdoors would eventually be deemed the safe way to go. Then again, nobody knew at the time that being outdoors was more or less safe. Eventually, somebody was going to be able to say they were "right."
Were they? Were they "right"?
I would argue: Not really. It was a gamble. No matter what anybody tells you today, for a once-in-a-century pandemic, no average person really knew the best way to handle everything. For a time there, we could only make safe bets. That sort of mental calculation around your own situation and safety was what the pandemic evolved to be.
Bill Radke considered all this in a "Words in Review" segment, "Were you 'wrong'?"
I could go back and consider how people were told to wear masks, then not, then encouraged to make masks, then told that homemade materials weren't good enough. I could remember how people were told that being outdoors, away from crowds, was the safest thing to do, and then told to not go fishing. But again, let's be honest and empathetic — aside from a medical expert, nobody was set up to best handle the situation. And to be clear, by medical expert, I mean a doctor, and not people on YouTube or social media. I mean people like University of Washington infectious disease researcher Dr. Helen Chu.
“I think the word ‘wrong’ is not the right phrase to use,” Dr. Chu told Radke. “We had to use the information that we had at the time."
A similar conversation came up in an NPR interview with Philip Zelikow. He works with the nonpartisan Covid Crisis Group, which developed a report around policies and decisions made during the pandemic. There's a lot in the report, but Zelikow notes the USA was largely prepared. It had the science, and it had the money. But there were other issues.
"I mean, this is really a crisis of competence. It's not a crisis of science. It's not a crisis of unwillingness to spend money. It's not a crisis in the sense that, 'Gosh, no one had ever heard of a pandemic danger.' There were great movies and books about it, so people knew about the danger. They had science. They were willing to spend money. The failure was in knowing what to do and how to do it and then getting ready to do it."
We had what we needed to know. Perhaps what we didn't need was division, and ire, and a lack of understanding. That's sort of where Radke took his segment, speaking with author Mónica Guzmán whose book, "I Never Thought of It That Way: How To Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations In Dangerously Divided Times," addresses this issue that persists in our daily lives. Check out the full discussion here.
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