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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Washington state clean-energy funds re-frozen by Trump White House
More than $500 million in federal funding for clean energy in Washington state is being held up by the Trump administration.
Washington state leaders say Trump officials have ignored court orders to release that congressionally mandated funding.
Most of the money was intended to help the state’s low-income and moderate-income residents adopt climate-friendly technologies like solar panels and heat pumps.
“Thousands of low-income families will be impacted,” Washington State Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyen said. “You will see sky-high heating bills and drafty homes with no relief in sight because some of these funds are frozen.”
Washington Commerce officials said they were not notified the state’s $156 million “Solar for All” grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had been frozen a second time. They only noticed when they were unable to withdraw cash from their federal account.
“Solar for All was suspended, technically was open, and then, as of this morning, was suspended again,” Nguyen said Thursday.
Nguyen said a $3 million grant to help local communities devise strategies for decarbonization was also newly frozen as of Thursday morning.
RELATED: Trump funding freeze could leave communities on their own as climate threats grow
At least $92 million in funding for electric-vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling stations along major highway corridors in the state has been frozen, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
“Washington’s and WSDOT’s commitment to decarbonization and electric vehicles remains strong,” spokesperson Barbara LaBoe said by email. “WSDOT will continue to make investments necessary to create a robust, reliable charging infrastructure available to all citizens throughout the state.”
Since 2023, Washington state has been charging major polluters to keep emitting climate-harming gases. The state-run auctions of pollution permits have brought in $3 billion — money to be spent mostly on fighting and preparing for climate change and helping communities overburdened by pollution.
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Valentine's forecast calls for frigid temps in Western Washington, chance of snow, ice to the south
Cold temperatures continue to grip Western Washington, with wind chills as low as 10 to 20 degrees north of Seattle and all the way down to 15 degrees below zero in the mountain passes.
The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a series of cold weather advisories until noon Thursday for the entire stretch of Western Washington along Puget Sound from the Canadian border south to Tacoma.
Those cold weather alerts are coupled with a winter weather advisory for a rain-snow mix moving into the area from the south Thursday afternoon into the evening.
The NWS advisories calls for up to two inches of wet snow through Friday evening in the Southwest Interior, Hood Canal area, and Lower Chehalis Valley, including the cities of Shelton, Montesano Elma, McLeary, Tumwater, Lacey, and Olympia.
Wet snow and wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour are expected until Friday morning in the East Puget Sound Lowlands including the cities of Monroe, Enumclaw, Maple Valley, Bonney Lake, Woodinville, and Prairie Ridge. Accumulation in those areas is expected to be up to an inch.
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'The purge has begun.' Environmental justice workers locked out of EPA Seattle office
Nine Environmental Protection Agency employees in Seattle have been put on leave by the Trump Administration because they work on environmental justice.
Their jobs involve helping communities that breathe, eat, and drink more than their fair share of pollution.
Communities near major pollution sources like airports, factories, and oil refineries often have higher proportions of people of color, lower incomes, and shorter-than-average lifespans.
On Monday, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency had put 160 employees who work on environmental justice and 11 who work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility on leave.
“The previous Administration used DEI and Environmental Justice to advance ideological priorities, distributing billions of dollars to organizations in the name of climate equity,” Zeldin said in a press release. “This ends now.”
Zeldin’s statement said EPA “will be good stewards of tax dollars and do everything in our power to deliver clean air, land, and water to every American, regardless of race, religion, background, and creed.”
EPA officials did not respond to interview requests for this story.
RELATED: EPA employees who work on environmental justice are put on leave
“The purge has begun at EPA,” said former agency employee Helen Bottcher.
Bottcher retired from the Seattle office in 2023 and has been volunteering with the employees’ union, the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1110.
Bottcher said the nine employees were locked out of their Seattle offices and electronic access to EPA systems on Thursday.
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Stop international work, Trump administration tells ocean agency
The Trump administration has told the federal government’s ocean and atmosphere scientists to stop their international work.
Word came down verbally in all-staff meetings throughout the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday: All “international engagements” were on hold.
Staff were told to stop having discussions or meetings, real or virtual, on international topics.
The edict included directions not to email or work with “foreign national colleagues,” according to WIRED, which first reported it.
NOAA employees told KUOW that career officials with the agency struggled to interpret the edict and tell employees which specific activities were prohibited.
“[The agency] is seeking guidance currently on whether or not email exchanges regarding science are included in this,” an internal document obtained by KUOW said.
All the following “engagements” are on pause indefinitely until political appointees atop the agency can review them, according to an internal NOAA document:
• International travel or meetings
• Virtual meetings on international topics
• Bilateral meetings
• International working group or expert group meetings
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Seattle City Attorney’s Office says it's ending its year-long feud with municipal judge
The Seattle City Attorney’s office said it will once again allow a municipal court judge to hear criminal cases, after sidelining her for several months.
Last March the Seattle City Attorney’s office said in a statement they had “serious concerns” about Seattle Municipal Court Judge Pooja Vaddadi’s “conduct and rulings.”
City prosecutors said they would file so-called “affidavits of prejudice” to remove Judge Vaddadi from every criminal case going forward. (Attorneys routinely seek to remove judges from particular cases, but for the city attorney to deprive a judge of all criminal cases was unusual.)
The city attorney and municipal court adjudicate Seattle's criminal misdemeanors.
To balance out the municipal court’s workload, the court reassigned Vaddadi to review traffic and parking infractions. Vaddadi is a former public defender who began serving a four-year term at Seattle Municipal Court in January 2023.
But the city attorney’s office said at a court hearing Friday they had softened their position. When a judge asked a city prosecutor whether they are still seeking to remove Judge Vaddadi from all criminal cases the attorney, Ghazal Sharifi, said no.
“It’s my understanding that the municipal court is assigning criminal cases to Judge Vaddadi right now,” Sharifi said.
Tim Robinson, a spokesperson for Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, said the office’s new head of the criminal division wanted to “find a way forward” after the dispute. He said they will no longer bar Judge Vaddadi as a matter of course but will look at each case individually.
Lisa Foster, a spokesperson for Seattle Municipal Court, confirmed that the city attorney has now allowed some cases to be assigned to Judge Vaddadi, but said they aren’t yet enough to restore Vaddadi to her previous role.
“The court has seen cases filed without the affidavit. Cases are being assigned into Judge Vaddadi's courtroom. It is still a small number of cases, so she has not yet resumed seeing a full calendar in her courtroom and her current assignment remains in infractions,” Foster said.
On Friday, King County Superior Court Judge Brian McDonald dismissed a lawsuit filed by the ACLU against the Seattle City Attorney, which claimed that city prosecutors were misusing their discretion by effectively unseating an elected judge. McDonald said the ability to remove a judge from specific cases is available as a matter of right to each party.
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Action, comedy, and Beastmode. 'Love Hurts' is classic movie theater fun
"Love Hurts" is a short and sweet punch-em-up movie with plenty of extravagant, over-the-top displays that add up to a simple good time. Don't overthink it. Just have fun.
And yes, Marshawn Lynch is quite good in it and will make Seahawks fans proud (he's even credited as Marshawn "Beastmode" Lynch).
RELATED: 'Y2K' does for Millennials what 'Dazed and Confused' did for '70s kids
In "Love Hurts," Marvin Gable is a quirky, fun real estate agent with a passion for selling homes to families. But he receives a card on Valentine's Day that sets in motion a series of events, forcing him to confront his past — a past filled with blood, mayhem, death, and all the other vicious attributes of a highly skilled gangster hitman. It all brings him back to old love and various bad guys, including Lynch. Each scene is not only punctuated by kicks, bullets, and blood, but also a bit of laughter.
"Love Hurts" is the latest offering in the "I used to be a badass, now I'm a mild suburbanite, but wait, I'm getting sucked back in and have to be a badass again" genre.
It's a small genre that has become crowded ever since 2014's "John Wick" (dog-loving suburbanite embraces his former life as an uber-violent assassin to get revenge). That film essentially ushered in our modern era of highly choregraphed violence built on top of a mysterious underground universe.
"Love Hurts" is brought to us by the same production company that gave us "John Wick," and also "Nobody" (a timid office worker gets no respect, but perspectives change when he is thrust back into is old ways as a deadly government assassin), and "Violent Night" (Santa Claus used to be a brutal warrior, but now he delivers presents and joy to children, however, you guessed it, he's forced to get brutal again).
There is really one main reason to watch a movie like "Love Hurts": The ballet of stunts, choreography, and violent spectacle across the screen. This ballet is quite enjoyable in this movie. While this brand of action has become common these days, "Love Hurts" stands out. Fights and stunts are not just about blood and guts, but also playful jokes. It brings to mind the antics of a Buster Keaton movie or a Jackie Chan film.
A lot of this could be credited to the fact that Ke Huy Quan leads this movie. After high profile roles as a kid in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Goonies," Quan continued to work in the film industry as a stunt and fight choreographer, skilled in taekwondo (before returning to acting a few years ago). In other words, he can really hit the ground running with a movie like this and raise the bar.
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Olympia protest joins national day of action in state capitols across the USA
After a viral online organizing campaign, hundreds rallied in Olympia Wednesday, protesting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk as part of a national day of action.
"This is happening in 50 states across all of America right now," a man said into a blowhorn in front of the crowd. "We shouldn't have to be out here. We shouldn't have to be facing fascism right now, but here we are."
RELATED: Seattle businesses join nationwide 'day without immigrants' strike
The demonstration was part of a series of protests objecting to President Trump’s actions in office, so far in his second term. Organizers planned the events at state capitols across the country.
Word of the protest spread rapidly across social media in the days leading up to the event. Demonstrators told KUOW they found out about the protest through TikTok and Reddit.
The event was promoted at the national level by Political Revolution and Build the Resistance / 50501.
Kyle Bozich, aka Blue, was one of the local organizers of the Olympia protest.
"The core tenets of 50501 are, number one, to impeach Trump, to remove him from power; to investigate the actions of Elon Musk; and to raise awareness for the American people about the illegal, immoral, and unconstitutional actions of just a few people that seem to be gaining power relatively quickly in this country," Bozich said.
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'Nothing to stress about.' Sea-Tac back to normal after snow and ice cause delays, canceled flights
A day after more than 100 flights were canceled at Sea-Tac International Airport due to winter weather, officials said Tuesday things are running smoothly and are largely back to normal.
"We’re doing fine with keeping the airfield clear," said Kassie McKnight-Xi, aviation communications and marketing manager for the Port of Seattle. "You might see delays and cancellations, but that’s very common given how many flights we have every day. Nothing out of the ordinary right now."
On Monday, 105 flights were canceled at Sea-Tac after a wintery mix of rain, ice, and snow hit Western Washington, combined with below-normal temperatures.
RELATED: Sleetless in Seattle: City gets little rain and no snow this dry January
An additional 386 flights were delayed Monday, but McKnight-Xi pointed out that those delays could be as little as five minutes.
Cold air and a mix of precipitation will continue through the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Snow is predicted at Sea-Tac Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs in the upper-30s and lows hovering in the high-20s overnight into the weekend.
But accumulations are expected to be minimal, with around a half-inch of snow Tuesday night, and maybe another inch or two Wednesday into Thursday.
For now, McKnight-Xi said flights are operating and airport officials continue to monitor weather conditions.
"Things are moving along just fine," she said. "It's nothing to stress about."
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How will Seattle prepare for potential Trump cuts?
The Seattle City Council wants to get ahead of the rapid-fire changes coming out of Washington D.C.
Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, citywide Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck says the city has watched him issue a "flurry" of executive orders.
Rinck is spearheading a new Council committee focused on following executive orders and coordinating a local response to potential funding cuts, particularly to housing, public safety, and transportation services.
RELATED: Trump rescinds freeze on federal funding
"We need to start planning and acting as though the disappearance of these federal grants is a real possibility for our community," Rinck told KUOW.
The Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes will be chaired by Rinck, with District 5 Councilmember Cathy Moore acting as vice-chair.
Rinck proposed the Committee, which was then approved by Council President Sara Nelson, who thanked Rinck in a statement Friday.
RELATED: Lawsuit challenges Trump’s suspension of program that helps detained immigrants
"We’re all seeing the chaos and uncertainty in Washington, D.C. but we’re focused on stability here," Nelson said. "Our constituents deserve to know that we are not only paying attention, but have a viable plan to protect our people, community resources, and basic government services."
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University of Washington names new president, to begin summer 2025
With University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce leaving her position this year, the university has now selected her replacement.
Robert J. Jones will become UW's 34th president, starting Aug. 1. In a statement, Jones said he is "beyond excited" about the new job.
"I'll see you soon, and go Huskies," Jones said in a statement.
RELATED: UW enters federal agreement to improve response to discrimination claims
"Education changes lives," he said. "I know this because it changed mine, and throughout my career I've worked to open doors for more students to have the same life-changing experience. I am so deeply committed to the UW's mission of partnering with communities so that more people can share in the benefits of university research and innovation."
The University of Washington Board of Regents announced its selection Monday, noting Jones will be the first Black president to lead the institution and has a "barrier-breaking personal journey."
Jones is currently chancellor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The UW position will be his third role leading a university.
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Lawsuit challenges Trump’s suspension of program that helps detained immigrants
A lawsuit was filed Friday challenging President Donald Trump’s order to stop legal orientation programs for people held in immigration detention centers. The lawsuit aims to restore immediate access to those programs.
It's a program that Congress has been funding for more than 20 years, in which local organizations hold workshops for groups of people facing deportation.
“These are programs that target people who don't have an attorney to provide basic legal information about what's going to happen at this hearing and to help them figure out if they can apply for any type of immigration benefit,” said Matt Adams, legal director for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), which ran these workshops at Tacoma’s detention center. NWIRP is one of the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit.
RELATED: Immigrant families in Seattle seek sanctuary and safety as ICE threat looms
Adams said the vast majority of people facing deportation represent themselves, and giving them basic information and helping them fill out necessary paperwork saves money by helping the courts run more smoothly.
Because of Trump’s suspension of the program, the organizations that ran these workshops no longer have funding to do so — or access to the names and court dates of immigrants in detention, or a classroom to meet with them there.
RELATED: Churches have a long history of being safe havens — for immigrants and others
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Sleetless in Seattle: City gets little rain and no snow this dry January
Whether you’ve been drinking alcohol or abstaining, it’s been an exceptionally dry January in the Seattle area.
Only one inch of rain has fallen on Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in January, according to the National Weather Service, less than one-fifth the normal amount so far this month.
As of noon Thursday, the airport had gone two full weeks with no measurable precipitation.
RELATED: Western Washington is having a dry (weather) January, and a cold one
So far in 2025, Olympia has 1.6 inches, or one-fifth of its typical rain, while Bellingham has had 1.4 inches, or less than one-third its usual rainfall.
It has been a dry January in the mountains as well.
Snowpack in the west side of the central Cascades was 44% below normal on Jan. 29, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, while snowpack in the mountains of North Puget Sound was 32% below normal. Statewide, snowpack was 19% below normal (defined as the typical amount for the years 1991-2020).
Rain and snow were forecast to hit Western Washington Thursday evening and Friday, though not enough to bring the region anywhere near its normal January wetness.
RELATED: U.S. hydropower drops to 20-year low as Northwest snowpack shrinks
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