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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A new Soundgarden album? It's in the works
Soundgarden fans kicked off the week with good news Monday — a new Soundgarden album is in the works.
After singer Chris Cornell passed away in 2017, unreleased recordings that he made before his death lived on. Band members planned to finish the work and release the songs.
RELATED: 'Seattle son' Chris Cornell immortalized outside MoPOP
Cornell's wife Vicky Cornell sued the band in 2019, arguing that the recordings were solely performed by the late singer. The lawsuit sought royalties from the tracks. The band argued that the lingering songs were the result of collaboration.
On Monday, both Vicky Cornell and the band announced via social media that the two parties have "reached an amicable out-of-court resolution," and that the "reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on."
RELATED: Remembering Chris Cornell — 'It's so devastating'
According to the Associated Press, seven Cornell recordings were at the center of the dispute. They were recorded at the singer's Miami Beach home before his death.
Cornell founded Soundgarden in 1984 with guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell initially played drums in the band, but eventually moved to guitar. Cornell and Thayil were fixtures in the band through various member changes over the years, leading to Soundgarden's rise to grunge prominence in the 1990s.
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Bremerton-Seattle ferry runs aground on Bainbridge Island
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
A Washington state ferry ran aground at the south end of Bainbridge Island around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
The M/V Walla Walla was en route to Seattle when it ran aground in Rich Passage. No injuries have been reported. Washington State Ferries reports that the vessel "suffered a generator failure," but also says that an investigation into the incident will be conducted.
Haley Socha was on the Walla Walla when it happened, about 10 minutes after it left the Bremerton dock. Socha says the ferry lost power as it was making a turn through Rich Passage. Passengers then heard a loud whistle. An order for passengers to put on life jackets was issued.
"Then the engines came back on, then they quickly went off again," Socha said. "Then they made an announcement that we had lost steering and propulsion and we were going to run aground. They announced we should brace for impact. Gradually, we scraped the bottom and then ran aground on Bainbridge Island."
"It was fairly slow ... everyone could feel it. A couple people were jarred, a little bit, but everyone seems to be OK."
On the shore, Bainbridge Island residents John Ellis and Ann Wilkinson Ellis could tell something was wrong with the Walla Walla before it ran aground.
"We heard five blasts from the ferry, usually five blasts is a signal of danger or something," John Ellis told KUOW. "The next thing we heard was a 'boom,' so we ran out and we watched as the ferryboat Walla Walla went in front of our house, kept going, and went straight up onto Pleasant Beach."
"We heard this explosion ... we have never heard that sound before," Wilkinson Ellis said. "We ran out on our deck. There was no collision, but the Walla Walla, sadly, one of my favorite ferry boats, was drifting into Pleasant Beach and grounded there, north of Lytle Beach and south of Lynwood Center, right in front of people's homes."
Ellis observed that the ferry was going slowly as it ran onto the beach, and didn't make it far enough to reach nearby houses along the shoreline. He said he then saw people from the shore lingering on the beach, "looking at their new, hopefully temporary, neighbor."
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Is this trashy ad in Seattle full of hot air?: Today So Far
- The ads on garbage trucks around Seattle may not be entirely accurate.
- This is who should get a statue in Seattle, according to TSF readers.
- Bye bye Pearl Jam exhibit at MoPop.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for April 14, 2023.
You may have seen garbage trucks driving around Seattle, boasting that they are "powered by renewable natural gas." Apparently, that's a bunch of hot air.
KUOW's John Ryan reports this morning that the city of Seattle is asking Waste Management to take down the feel-good advertising on its garbage trucks because it's misleading.
In short, the city's contract with Waste Management states that the trucks should use "100% Renewable Natural Gas, as certified under the U.S. EPA renewable fuel program." What has been happening is that Waste Management has been collecting methane seeping from landfills in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. It uses that gas to fuel trucks in those cities, not Seattle. But it claims credit for that renewable gas in Seattle, while using fossil fuel natural gas locally.
Waste Management argues that, “This is how renewable energy works. It’s a ‘book and claim’ offset system similar to how renewable energy credits work for wind and solar.”
Still, continuing to use the fossil fuel variety of natural gas and advertising, "Breathe Clean, Seattle: Powered by renewable natural gas" doesn't really represent reality. Read the full story here.
A quick heads up for fans of Seattle, music, history, and Seattle music history — MoPop's Pearl Jam exhibit will close April 23. If you want to see it, now is your chance before it's gone. MoPop has more artifacts in its "Pearl Jam: Home and Away" exhibit than any other museum feature. Read more here.
Who should get a statue in Seattle? That's a question I put forth following Soundside's segment on public art in Seattle. It's been pointed out that there is only one statue in the city of a real, historic female figure. There are plenty of abstract depictions, but nothing that commemorates women from real life. So I asked you which women you would choose to honor with a statue in Seattle. This question really stirred TSF readers, who wrote in with a lot to say.
- There was a lot of love for the Bullitt family. Laurie wrote in to note that Dorothy Stimson Bullitt was the first woman in the country to buy and manage a TV station (KING); Patsy Bullitt Collins' philanthropy benefited the Seattle Public Library, low-income housing projects, environmental causes, and the region's music; Harriett Bullitt earned the title "environmental hero"; Kay Muller Bullitt worked for causes ranging from education, civil rights, historic preservation, environment, and more. Honestly, there's a long list of accomplishments across many family members; too much to list here.
- Gail wrote in to point out Gypsy Rose Lee, a Seattle-born burlesque performer, actress, writer, and playwright. The musical "Gypsy" is based on her memoir. Gail also pointed out the Bullitt family.
- Karin also mentioned the Bullitt Family, and agreed with my recommendation for Princess Angeline, but also said, "Ruby Chow, Patty Murray, Betty MacDonald are the names that pop into my head first ... My great-aunt was a Seattle Public Schools teacher in the '50s and she used to talk about an African American teacher she worked with, Thelma Dewitty."
- Lisa points to Alice Augusta Ball, who was the first woman and first Black student to receive a master's degree from the University of Hawai'i. Before that, Ball graduated from Seattle High School in 1910, and went to the University of Washington where she got bachelor's degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacy. While working as a scientist and professor in Hawaii, she invented the Ball method. It was a breakthrough and became the leading treatment for leprosy in its day.
- Morgan also suggested Ruby Chow, and also jazz and blues singer Ernestine Anderson. Anderson had an impressive career that started at Garfield High School. In Seattle, she sang in a jazz band with Quincy Jones and Ray Charles.
- Steph says, "Statues for Mother Damnable and Lou Graham, please! They capture the spunk and humor of the women who helped build our town, one 'seamstress' at a time."
- Donna recommends Pastor Patrinell “Pat” Wright, who led Seattle’s Total Experience Gospel Choir. Wright passed away in 2022.
- Mary suggests Lee Minto, who was the first executive director of Seattle King County Planned Parenthood. Minto helped the effort to establish sex education in schools and to pass Referendum 20 in 1970, the voter-approved referendum that allowed abortion in the state.
Not everybody liked my approach to the issue, or at least did not agree with some of my suggestions, which included Sue Bird, Brandi Carlile, Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart, Bertha Knight Landes, Dixy Lee Ray, and Kikisoblu aka Princess Angeline.
Tom feels that Seattle should consider a single monument to honor many people who have influenced the region's history and character. He says that names can be added or removed in case of any controversies or their relevance fades over time. Tom was not impressed with some of my ideas, commenting, "I mean Brandi Carlile? Nancy Wilson? Really?"
I also got a mixed reaction from Edith, who found it "sad that when thinking of statues of women who have contributed to Seattle over its many years of history, the first two to come to your mind were two contemporary women in the entertainment business." Those two names were Sue Bird and Brandi Carlile. Hey, in my defense, Carlile already has a local restaurant named after her, and it's pretty good.
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I'm going back to MySpace: Today So Far
KUOW is following NPR's lead and is ditching Twitter after its latest move to mislabel the public radio network.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for April 13, 2023.
On Monday, I noted that NPR was recently tagged as "state-affiliated media" and also "government-funded media" on Twitter. These labels spurred quite a controversy. On Wednesday, NPR quit Twitter. As of last night, so has KUOW.
This is from KUOW’s President and CEO Caryn G. Mathes.
“We believe Twitter’s false, misleading and inconsistent application of labels undermines the platform’s credibility. We are worried that our continued engagement on this platform will erode public trust. So, we’re following NPR’s lead. As of today, KUOW has made the decision to indefinitely pause activity on Twitter.
KUOW’s mission is to create and serve a more informed public. Historically, Twitter has been an important tool for real-time information dissemination — a way to get trusted news out to our local community in real-time. However, the recent decision-making at Twitter has made it clear that an active presence on the platform no longer supports our mission.”
Read KUOW's full statement here.
NPR's Twitter page will remain up, it just won't use it.
This situation offers a moment for us all to reflect on our social media lives, the news we consume, and how it all interacts.
A quick refresher on the NPR-Twitter drama
After Twitter initially labeled NPR as “state-affiliated media," a tag used for propaganda news organizations run by countries like China or Russia, NPR pushed back. A dialogue was opened between Twitter’s owner Elon Musk and NPR officials. You could tell NPR was irate about the whole situation because it chose to use this photo of Musk in its reporting. Musk asked how NPR was run and where it got funding. NPR pointed out that it is a non-profit. Less than 1% of its funding comes from one agency, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Less than 1%. Twitter responded by relabeling NPR as "government-funded media." By Twitter’s logic, any company that has ever received a grant, subsidy, or perhaps even a tax break could be labelled as “government funded.”
Also, under this logic, Elon Musk and his companies should carry the same label. Tesla has received billions in federal and state subsidies in recent years.
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Seattle to get garbage hauler to take down misleading green ads
Waste Management trucks in Seattle are plastered with advertisements on their sides: “Breathe Clean, Seattle: Powered by Renewable Natural Gas.”
Despite the ads and despite a contractual requirement to run the trucks on renewable fuel, those garbage trucks run on regular fossil-fuel natural gas, with all of its climate and pollution impacts.
After complaints from environmental activists, Seattle Public Utilities officials say they will get Waste Management to take down the ads.
“The slogans on the sides of WM’s trucks in Seattle are vague and could lead to confusion,” Seattle Public Utilities spokesperson Sabrina Register said in an email Wednesday. “We are currently working with WM to develop a plan to remove the slogans from all WM trucks that serve the Seattle Solid Waste Collections Contract.”
RELATED: Tacoma ship fire worse for climate than burning a million gallons of gasoline
“I’m really glad to hear that Waste Management will be removing the ads,” Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold said. “But I also feel that we need to do more to move toward an all-electric fleet.”
Climate activists had complained to Seattle City Council that the ads were misleading “greenwashing” and that the polluting trucks appeared to be violating the city’s contractual requirements.
“The Contractor shall use 100% Renewable Natural Gas, as certified under the U.S. EPA renewable fuel program,” Waste Management’s 2018 contract for collecting garbage in North, Northwest, South, Southeast, and West Seattle states.
Instead of running its 92 garbage trucks in Seattle on biogas, Waste Management has been vacuuming up methane seeping out of landfills in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. It uses that methane to fuel trucks in those cities, not Seattle, but claims credit for that activity in Seattle.
“This is how renewable energy works,” Waste Management spokesperson Jackie Lang said in an email. “It’s a ‘book and claim’ offset system similar to how renewable energy credits work for wind and solar.”
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KUOW to cease activity on Twitter after NPR is falsely labeled as ‘state-affiliated media’
A statement from KUOW President and General Manager Caryn G. Mathes
Following Twitter’s decision to falsely label NPR as “state-affiliated media,” a term the platform uses to identify propaganda outlets and government-controlled media, NPR leadership announced today that the organization is leaving the platform. They will no longer post new content to their 52 institutional Twitter feeds, making them the first major news organization to go inactive on the platform.
In an interview, NPR CEO John Lansing explained, "I would never have our content go anywhere that would risk our credibility.”
We believe Twitter’s false, misleading, and inconsistent application of labels undermines the platform’s credibility. We are worried that our continued engagement on this platform will erode public trust. So, we’re following NPR’s lead. As of today, KUOW has made the decision to indefinitely pause activity on Twitter.
KUOW’s mission is to create and serve a more informed public. Historically, Twitter has been an important tool for real-time information dissemination — a way to get trusted news out to our local community in real-time. However, the recent decision-making at Twitter has made it clear that an active presence on the platform no longer supports our mission.
In recent years, KUOW has also seen declining returns on Twitter. Twitter only accounted for 1% of our overall site traffic in 2022. We had already pulled back resources from Twitter to prioritize other channels with stronger audience engagement — the recent decisions from Twitter leadership simply made the business case for pulling back fairly straight-forward.
Our decision to go silent on Twitter in no way changes our north star: to be a trusted source of information that is free and accessible to everyone in our community. We remain steadfast in our commitment to our mission and the audiences we serve. We invite you to find us on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube — as well as online, in your inbox, at community events, in your favorite podcast app, and always on-air at 94.9 FM Seattle.
Lastly, though Twitter CEO Elon Musk reacted to NPR’s decision by tweeting “Defund @NPR” (among other things), the reality is that KUOW and NPR receive very little government funding. Only 4% of KUOW’s revenue comes from government dollars via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Over 90% of our revenue comes from community members and local businesses who share our belief that an informed public makes our democracy stronger.
If you’d like to support our work, make a donation or become a monthly sustainer at KUOW.org/donate.
Thank you for your support and the trust you place in us as your source for news. We never take it for granted.
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Who should get a statue in Seattle?: Today So Far
- There are a lot of public works of art around Seattle. Only one features a female from real life history. Who would you honor with such a statue?
- No more tiny plastic bottles at hotels in Washington.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for April 12, 2023.
Seattle has more than 400 public art pieces in its civic art collection. These are statues, sculptures, murals, and more. Recently, it was pointed out that among it all, there is only one monument of a female. That statue is of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but died from leukemia (caused by radiation from the bomb) at the age of 12. She folded more than 1,000 origami cranes before her death. Her story has become a symbol for world peace, which is why her statue is featured at Seattle Peace Park in the University District.
As Soundside recently discussed, that's the only statue of a real life woman in the city. There are other public art displays, which are abstract, but not of a genuine historical figure. As UW Professor Sasha Welland points out, art displays like these shape "our collective memory of the place and the people because there are these markers in the landscape in the places that we walk by every day that reminds us of something of someone or some movement, or some moment in historical time."
Soundside reached out to the city for a comment. You can read the full story here. But it begs a question: Who would you make a monument to in Seattle?
Off the top of my head, Sue Bird stands out. I'm no sports fan, but even I can sense the impact Bird has had on Seattle, a celebrated, record-making athlete who spent their entire WNBA career in the city.
Brandi Carlile? She paid her dues busking around Seattle and playing local clubs before rising to become one of the most influential, award-winning musicians working today. She did thank Seattle while receiving three Grammys, afterall. While we're talking about influential local musicians, we should probably also consider Ann and Nancy Wilson from the band Heart.
Bertha Knight Landes was the first female mayor of any major American city — Seattle — in 1924. There's also Dixy Lee Ray, who had a few titles — scientist, Pacific Science Center leader, public TV show host, Washington's first female governor, and really cool name. Or Kikisoblu aka Princess Angeline, Chief Seattle's daughter. After the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855 forced the Duwamish onto nearby reservations, and despite Seattle also banning Native Americans from the city, Kikisoblu stayed at her cabin, near where modern day Pike Place Market is now, and became a fixture of the city. That would be an informative statue for people to see.
Who else? Feel free to send me any ideas at dyer@kuow.org.
A handful of environmental and health-related moves just passed out of the Washington Legislature this week. What you'll most likely notice in your life is the eventual absence of tiny travel bottles of shampoos, soaps, and other toiletries. Plastic items like these will be phased out over the next four years.
The core argument around the ban is the persistence of microplastics in the environment.
“The Seattle Aquarium’s research team has been studying microplastics in Puget Sound for several years now, taking samples every two weeks,” Seattle Aquarium's Nora Nickum told KUOW, adding that microplastics are found in every sample. “It’s just clear that this is a local problem. The plastics are coming from here, in our region, and we need to take action here locally to prevent that.”
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2 words to understand amid abortion drug headlines: Today So Far
- Recent court decisions have highlighted the drug mifepristone, but it's not the only abortion drug on the market.
- A middle housing bill has gone through a few changes as lawmakers work on it in Olympia.
- Have you noticed a poem showing up on KUOW.org every day this month?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for April 11, 2023.
The main thing to understand about recent abortion care news is that the legal drama has targeted one particular abortion drug. But it's not the only abortion drug available to health care facilities.
That doesn't mean that states like Washington won't be impacted by yet another anti-abortion move at the national level.
"One of the things we've seen since the reversal of Roe v. Wade is that access to abortion has been upheld and maintained in states like Washington because we have robust state-level legal protections," freelance reporter Megan Burbank told Seattle Now this morning.
"We also tend to have fewer abortion restrictions. What we are seeing now is that Washington has become more of a destination for abortion care. It always has been ... this has not been an overnight shift that happened with Roe v. Wade. Washington has always been a destination for people seeking abortion care from states that have severe restrictions, like Idaho.
"One of the things around this particular story that has been confusing is that a lot of headlines have framed it as 'restrictions' or 'a ban on medication abortion that will take effect nationwide.' Well, it's not really that. It's about one particular drug that is used in medication abortion. It certainly will have an impact though."
Here's the situation. A federal judge in Texas ruled last week that the FDA never had authority to approve the drug mifepristone. It is used in medication abortions. At the same time, a judge in Washington state ruled that the FDA cannot pull the drug. These two rulings contradict each other, which means this issue is likely headed to the Supreme Court.
Even if mifepristone ultimately goes away, that doesn't mean medication abortions will be unavailable. Burbank notes that doctors have other options. To understand those options, take a minute to get familiar with these two words: "mifepristone" and "misoprostol." Those are the two drugs to know. Both are used in medication abortions. Both start with "m." But "misoprostol" is easier to say, which is good because that is the drug that isn't being run through the courts.
"Mifepristone is one of two drugs used in most medication abortions; misoprostol is not at the center of this case, which is important because it means that even if mifepristone is taken off the market there will still be a protocol for medication abortion that is accessible and works," Burbank said.
As NPR reports, that protocol is using just misoprostol. The downside is that this regimen takes a bit longer than the two-drug combo. Listen to Seattle Now's full conversation with Burbank here.
In the meantime, Washington state has stockpiled about 30,000 doses of mifepristone while it remains in legal limbo. California has made a similar move by stocking up on misoprostol.
KUOW has reported a lot on the efforts to get more "middle housing" in Washington state. A bill to accomplish that has been working its way through the state House and Senate, but it is going through quite a few tweaks in the process. Here's an update.
Under companion bills HB 1110 and SB 5190, different types of "plexes" would be allowed in neighborhoods, depending on the size of the city, and the proximity to mass transit. For example, fourplexes (a building with four housing units) would be allowed in cities with more than 75,000 people. That means a fourplex would be OK in Kirkland, Renton, Pasco, etc.
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What's in a name ... like 'state-affiliated media?': Today So Far
- NPR is not state-affiliated media (unless I'm wrong, in which case, I'm in big trouble...)
- The Port of Seattle was a bit lax on anti-fraud protocols, which allowed scammers to nab more than $570,000 of port funds.
- Everett is slated to pay a bikini barista stand $500,000 to settle a lawsuit that was partially over the city's dress code.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for April 10, 2023.
Let's get something straight: NPR is not state-affiliated media. Neither are the many public radio outlets that are part of NPR's network. Twitter labeled NPR as "state-affiliated media" last week (which is not true). This tag is also used for news outlets in Russia or China that are controlled by the government and are associated with propaganda.
After some back-and-forth with NPR, Twitter CEO Elon Musk slightly walked back on the issue. NPR is now labeled as "government-funded media," which is not exactly accurate — it's less than 1% accurate. That's how much money NPR gets from the government. NPR gets a bunch of its money from stations like KUOW, which pay to be a part of its network. If NPR is getting a nice chunk of change from the feds, then we've been wasting a whole lot of time begging you to donate to KUOW to help keep our lights on.
In the wake of the Twitter move, news organizations under NPR's wing have come out in opposition to the label. KUOW is among them. The following is from KUOW President and General Manager Caryn Mathes.
"NPR, KUOW and our fellow members of the NPR Network are editorially independent news organizations supported by listeners who believe that an informed public makes our democracy stronger. Twitter labeling NPR as "state-affiliated media," a term the platform uses to identify propaganda outlets and government-controlled media, is false and dangerous. We stand with NPR and are greatly disturbed by this blatant attack on independent journalism."
If you want an example of state-affiliated or government-funded media, the military's Stars and Stripes newspaper or Voice of America are news outlets that certainly fit these labels (though I'm not sure I'd label them with anything that implies propaganda). VOA currently has the "government-funded" tag on its Twitter page (which is fair), but Stars and Stripes does not. Even Stars and Stripes, a newspaper that operates under a division of the Department of Defense, promotes that it remains independent thanks to the First Amendment and freedom of the press.
Just in case Elon Musk needs to hear this, NBC (National Broadcasting Company) is not a nationally funded channel, and ABC (American Broadcasting Company) is not funded by the American government. And just in case I'm wrong, and public radio is under the influence of the government, I should probably stop poking fun at how Gov. Inslee talks ... who I should say, is very handsome and sports a winning smile.
Get more details on this Twitter drama here.
The Port of Seattle was a bit lax on anti-fraud protocols, which allowed for scammers to nab more than $570,000 of port funds.
The port's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department received a phishing email in 2021. Like all phishing emails, it was all fake. Basically, the scammers wrote something like, "Hey, we're Vendor X and, wow, this is embarrassing, but we sent you the wrong bank account to pay us. Whoops! Can you please fix the glitch on your end and send us $184,000 to this other, totally not-suspicious account? Thanks! Byee!"
OK, to be fair, the email probably sounded more professional than that. The DEI department forwarded the email to the accounts payable department, which sent the money along to the scammers. Thing is, two months later, scammers sent another phishing email and got the same result, this time taking in more than $388,000. The state auditor ran an investigation and found that port employees didn't follow some basic fraud-prevention protocols, such as not forwarding emails that end with "byee!" (Again, I don't know if that was actually written in the email, I'm just assuming). Luckily, the port has recovered most of the money since then.
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How is Washington's snowpack looking this spring?
Climatologists look to snowpack recordings made on April 1 as an indicator of possible drought conditions on the West Coast.
This year, snowpack levels in California were dramatic — 237% of average statewide. In fact, California tied a record from 1952.
In Washington state, the snowpack is currently just above normal, at 104%.
Karin Bumbaco is Washington state's assistant climatologist. She said forecasters were hopeful for a good snowpack during this La Niña year, when winter temperatures are generally cooler than normal in the North, but she's seen some surprises.
"If you actually look at precipitation, we've been below normal," Bumbaco said. "So thinking back to last summer, where we were really dry; we were dry starting the year out in the fall, saw some good precipitation in late fall. But then again, since January 1, we've been on the dry side. So we've had below-normal precipitation, but because our temperatures have been so cold, we've been able to build snowpack in the mountains."
Bumbaco said there are variations in levels around the state. The west slopes of the Cascades in Whatcom County are averaging 75%–85% of normal. But the Blue Mountains in southeast Washington are around 120% of average.
Bumbaco's statements echo an assessment from Washington's Department of Ecology. The La Niña that ended in March was expected to bring colder and wetter conditions. It only brought colder temps, however, and the rain didn't show up as much as expected. This is why, according to Ecology, "Lurking beneath the snowpack are soil-moisture deficits resulting from a dry spring and summer." The fact that the Eastern United States got much of the Pacific Northwest's rain in late 2022 could explain some of this.
Monitoring snowpack levels is important for state officials and residents. The levels indicate how much water is being stored (as ice) in the mountains going into the drier summer months.
Bumbaco notes that the last two springs have really been unusual in the Pacific Northwest. April through June of 2022 was wetter and colder than normal. The same period in 2021 was almost the exact opposite, with record warm and dry conditions resulting in drought later in the season. She says that people in her field tend to focus on April 1 when it comes to rain and snowpack, but they're learning that Northwest springs can also highly influence conditions in the months ahead.
"The last two seasons have been a good reminder that spring can really change the drought outlook. So we are going to continue to monitor conditions going forward."
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No, Twitter. We are not 'state-affiliated media.' (Seriously, Elon Musk?)
Groaaaaaaaaan.
Twitter recently added a tagline to National Public Radio's Twitter page: "US state-affiliated media." Which was surprising, because it's a term typically reserved for Russian propaganda outlets that spew misinformation.
There's a lot silly about NPR getting this label. For one, NPR, our fairy godmother in newsgathering, receives a mere 1% of its annual operating budget from the federal government in the form of grants. For two, NPR is not propaganda, no matter your opinion.
Twitter defines state-affiliated media as "where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures."
Yes, NPR receives some federal money to do journalism. No, the feds are not giving them this money to have sway over Nina Totenberg. I haven't interviewed the federal grant writers, so this is pure speculation, but my hunch is that the government awards NPR some money to uphold the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution — the part about "freedom of the press." It's not like, "here's some coin to downplay how bad a biter Major was."
Honestly, I'd just roll my eyes if it weren't also alarming. KUOW President Caryn Mathes pushed back against Twitter's label on Friday, calling the "state-affiliated" label "false and dangerous."
NPR, KUOW and our fellow members of the NPR Network are editorially independent news organizations supported by listeners who believe that an informed public makes our democracy stronger. Twitter labeling NPR as "state-affiliated media," a term the platform uses to identify propaganda outlets and government-controlled media, is false and dangerous. We stand with NPR and are greatly disturbed by this blatant attack on independent journalism.
- Caryn G. Mathes, KUOW President & General Manager
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Everett to pay $500K to settle bikini barista dress code lawsuit
The city of Everett is poised to sign a settlement agreement with bikini baristas, bringing an end to years of legal back-and-forth over the city's coffee stand dress code.
"I am satisfied that the city entered into doing this whole process as a way to protect vulnerable people and to support and protect our community members who were near these stands, and to civilize this to the degree that we can," Councilmember Ben Zarlingo said at the council's meeting Wednesday.
The Everett City Council voted unanimously in favor this week of allowing the mayor to sign a settlement agreement with a barista stand owner. The settlement pays the owner and baristas $500,000, but the city will still enforce some requirements around the coffee stands.
The city will amend its laws, starting with a rewrite of its barista dress code to align with its existing lewd conduct rules. An amendment would also require stand owners to post signage with information about sex trafficking, with resources for victims.
RELATED: Court says Everett's bikini barista dress code is unconstitutional
At the council's meeting Wednesday, Assistant City Attorney Ramsay Rammerman went through the history of Everett's barista dress code drama, beginning in 2009.
"When we had dozens upon dozens of citizen complaints about the stands," Rammerman told the council. "Our subsequent investigations revealed that the coffee stands were not just selling coffee, but they were selling sex shows, allowing customers to have physical contact with baristas, we had a problem of men masturbating near the stands. It was part of a business model. The stand owner was encouraging this conduct, because he was also selling the baristas oxycontin and he wanted them to earn tips so they could buy the drugs."
That first investigation resulted in the prosecution of four baristas. Rammerman said the coffee stand owner disappeared and was eventually declared dead. Other bikini coffee stands became more careful after this, Rammerman said.
In 2013, a county deputy traded information about investigations into the businesses in exchange for sex, helping them avoid the police. Eventually, an investigation determined that two more stand owners were encouraging baristas to perform sex acts for tips. The investigation also reported that one barista was sexually assaulted, and that in one case, a stand owner was encouraging an underage employee to engage in the conduct. The two coffee stand owners were charged and convicted with promoting prostitution and exploiting a minor.
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