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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Could ChatGPT write for KUOW?: Today So Far
- How well can ChatGPT write, and how concerning should it be for teachers?
- How much recess time do you think school kids are getting these days?
- After a few generations of high schoolers being pushed into college, highly paid, skilled trades are experiencing a shortage.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for Valentine's Day, February 15, 2023.
ChatGPT, an AI writing program, has garnered a lot of headlines and concern lately. Elon Musk argues it's further proof that AI is a threat to civilization. Some teachers see it as the next wave of technology and are teaching around it. Fox News has reported that ChatGPT has a liberal bias, because, I guess there weren't any socialists under the bed that day.
ChatGPT, basically, is a computer program that writes for you. You input a question that needs answering (like from your homework), and it cranks out a written, coherent answer. It's easy to see how educators would be concerned about students typing in homework questions, getting answers written for them, and turning that in. Beyond schools, it has some worried it could replace other work out there, like, could it write a newsletter for KUOW? More on that below.
RELATED: Google's new AI chatbot made a $100 billion mistake in a demo ad
The emerging concerns over ChatGPT prompted Seattle Public Schools to block access to the program on district computers. Students can still access ChatGPT on their own devices, however. So teachers like Kira Hopkins, who teaches high school English, starting experimenting with the program. She even tried to see if it could help create a lesson plan for her classes.
"It was quite predictable, but it did give a nice set of objectives and a nice structure," Hopkins told Seattle Now. "I immediately walked away thinking, 'Well, there's a couple interesting things in terms of what I could use. But I'm still going to use my own resources and colleagues."
On one level, ChatGPT is a better version of Google. Students are just as likely to type a topic into Google and hunt down an answer. ChatGPT's AI is like a shortcut. It could also be viewed as the calculator or the laptop initially were — concerning to some, but eventually adopted as routine tools. But something about this level of AI reminds me of an old article that explored whether GPS devices can influence our brains and perhaps cause a person's navigation abilities to atrophy. What could be the consequences if we hand over the exercise of original, critical thinking?
Hopkins explained that teachers are certainly wary of the writing program. She has even encountered some student work where she wasn't sure if it was original or ChatGPT.
She notes that there are some AI detectors out there that teachers can use, but they aren't perfect. Ultimately, Hopkins says that programs like ChatGPT may be useful in some regards, but teachers need to be watchful. She also points out that modern students have grown up with technology. It's part of how they operate with everyday life.
"I think (students) are aware of what the tool can do for them. I think they are aware of what the ethical ramifications of how it can be used to get out of their work ... but I really do think that students want to learn. I really do think they have a genuine desire to improve their writing and improve their learning."
RELATED: This 22-year-old is trying to save us from ChatGPT before it changes writing forever
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Do you really love that?: Today So Far
- We say that we "love" things a lot, but does that diminish the power of the word?
- Seattle has embraced streateries, but not every neighborhood is so fond of them.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for Valentine's Day, February 14, 2023.
What do you love in life? And do you really mean that? I love typewriters, sushi, and Star Trek. Tom Petty knew a girl who loved Jesus, America, Elvis, horses, and her boyfriend, too. That’s a lot of affection going around. Do we really “love” people, places, and things as much as we say we do?
As Bill Radke endeavors to uncover words we overuse in our everyday life, an objection recently arose over the word “love.” Week in Review listener Claire Carter notes that people use the word to describe affection for just about everything — almonds, the rain, their city. But there are folks out there who would argue that love, twoo wuv, is something more; a complex concept, so exalted that we know it's there, but can’t always grasp it. Saying we "love" this and that could feel as if we're lessening the word's impact.
I am fond of typewriters, and I hold Star Trek in high esteem, but I would say that I love Nina, my wife. Sushi has never left me with a feeling that made a Carpenters' song suddenly make sense. Yet, after meeting Nina, I would say that birds suddenly appear, every time she is near.
Perhaps this is why the ancient Greeks broke love down into different genres. There was “philia,” for love between pals, and there was “storge” for the sort of love a parent has for a child. Then there was “eros,” which is sexy love. And “agape” for brotherly love, love of God, and general goodwill. Today, however, we don’t break this down and are likely to just say, “I love carpet. I love desk. I love lamp!”
Despite this cacophony of “love” thrown around conversations, it hasn’t stopped that deep down feeling from bringing folks together. Bronwen Stevenson sees it every day at Shotgun Weddings.
"I was knocked up, went to Vegas 30 years ago, and have been happily married ever since," she said on Week in Review, aka "Word in Review."
At Shotgun Weddings, couples can get married inside a shipping container next to the trailer park mall in Seattle’s Georgetown. For an additional fee, "Elvis" will conduct the ceremony.
"I think people come and really get to celebrate themselves, instead of having to cater to a bunch of people for this moment,” Stevenson said. “It's an intimate moment when you're marrying somebody and you actually get to focus on that person."
I have to say, I could not agree with Stevenson more. Her description of a wedding feels more genuine than the high-cost productions we commonly encounter these days. Of course, I am very biased in this regard. Nina and I eloped. Despite the small, isolated ceremony, it was just for us and felt more intimate and pure. It was beyond adoration on the level of The Carpenters. It was like a Celine Dion song.
As someone who is in the business of love, Stevenson would disagree with the notion the word is overused.
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Greater Idaho effort gets thumbs up from committee
The uphill fight to merge parts of eastern Oregon with Idaho is headed to the Idaho House floor. A committee has approved a resolution that would authorize talks between lawmakers in Boise and Salem about a proposal to move the state border.
The effort called “Greater Idaho” proposes to move the border between Oregon and Idaho, effectively handing Eastern Oregon over to Idaho.
Mark Simmons, a former Republican Speaker of the House in Oregon, said Idahoans should consider him, and others from Eastern Oregon, as “refugees.”
“We would like to be good neighbors to the folks on the west side while they continue with their social engineering experiments,” Simmons said. “Go ahead, just leave us out.”
RELATED: Idaho Legislature lends sympathetic ear to Oregon group that wants to redraw state lines
Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R–Idaho Falls) has been one of the main drivers of the movement on the Idaho side. She said combining the two regions would help promote conservative values, like opposing the legalization of marijuana.
“A lot of Idahoans are going there and getting drugs,” Ehardt said. “That will be pushed hundreds of miles away.”
But the idea does have serious logistical challenges. Both state legislatures would need to negotiate how roads, schools, prisons, and other institutions would operate under such a move. Any deal to move the state border also would require congressional approval.
Rep. Judy Boyle (R–Midvale), another Greater Idaho backer, said she wouldn’t support any kind of lump sum payment to Oregon in order to move the border.
“That is definitely not my intent,” Boyle said. “I don’t think any Idahoan wants to pay Oregon for anything.”
A total of 11 Eastern Oregon counties have voted to study the issue or to approve of the concept. Two counties in Southwest Oregon rejected similar ballot measures in May 2022.
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For this Everett baker, Turkey-Syria quake strikes a personal chord
Local relief efforts continue to help Turkish victims after one of the deadliest earthquakes in that country’s history. But for one Everett baker, the tragic event struck a personal chord.
Alida’s is a Kurdish American bakery specializing in Middle Eastern breads. But for the past two weeks it’s been selling manakish, similar to pizza that’s usually eaten for breakfast. Proceeds will go toward earthquake victims. Customer Linda Forst came to try some and stock up on flatbreads.
“I want to help in any way I can," she said.
When news of the earthquake first broke, owner Nechirvan Zebari couldn’t shake off the images of people stuck in the rubble. He understands loss. He came to the U.S. in 1997 as a refugee.
He initially thought of flying to Turkey to provide aid, using his training as a nurse—until his wife made him think twice.
“She’s like, this is a bad idea,” recalled Zebari. “Let’s sit down and figure out what we can do from here.”
In the end, they decided to rally the community and collectively send help instead. That’s what gave them the idea to sell manakish.
Zebari and his staff are from North Iraq, not too far from the Turkish and Syrian border. While they still have family near the area, no one has been directly affected by the earthquake. Even so, the tragic event is personal.
The bakery kitchen was not equipped for making manakish. There were some messed-up orders initially, but now they have a system in place.
Zebari said everyone has been working hard and putting in the hours, but it feels good knowing their efforts will be worth it. The earthquake, he adds, made him reflect on his own journey, and appreciate that even small efforts can lead to something tremendous.
“Coming as a refugee took a lot of work by other people," Zebari said. "We never saw that. We never realized until later on.”
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Seattle special election: voters approving social housing initiative
Seattle voters are deciding on one issue this February special election: an affordable housing initiative.
The measure, I-135, has approval from 53.9% of voters as of Wednesday afternoon, the second day of results.
That's up from initial results of 52.8% voting "yes" in the initial results from Tuesday night. That approval rating is enough for the measure to pass should it hold. Turnout was 21% on election night, but election officials continue to count ballots as they come in by mail.
I-135, if ultimately approve, would create a public corporation, (otherwise known as a public development authority), to build mixed-income housing.
King County has more than 15 of these public development authorities now. They mimic a government agency, but have their own board of directors and can collect their own revenue.
One public development authority exists, for example, to preserve Pike Place Market, while another operates Bellevue's Meydenbauer Convention Center.
The public development authority proposed in I-135 would develop and operate affordably priced housing. Specifically, it would build social housing which allows mixed-income tenants and is permanently affordable.
Opponents say it would bring further competition for already scarce housing dollars, when dozens of agencies are already focused on low-income housing.
The public development authority would get city of Seattle funding to get off the ground, in addition to office space and oversight from the city. The city council would have discretion to give it more funding. And, if the city were looking to get rid of land, it would need to consider the authority's needs first.
The public development authority would otherwise operate independently.
Election results will be updated each day until February 24th when the results will be certified. Results are posted here.
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A public safety state of mind: Today So Far
- Is Seattle safe? Is public safety a state of mind?
- Idaho lawmakers want to open up dialogue with their counterparts in Oregon to discuss the issue of redrawing state borders.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for February 13, 2023.
Is Seattle safe?
I have friends and family from outside the city who won't step foot in Seattle, despite my anecdotal accounts to counter their negative anecdotal accounts. The Seattle Police Department's annual crime report for 2022 is not going to help this perspective. It basically states that, aside from a dip in rates during the fourth quarter of the year, crime is up overall in Seattle. It's worth noting that crime is up across the region, not just in Seattle.
In today's episode of Seattle Now, Seattle University professor Dr. Jackie Helfgott says there is a factor that goes beyond the stats that not everybody considers — perception.
"If people are afraid of crime in their neighborhood, they are going to be less likely to go outside, they are going to be less likely to engage with their neighbors, and a big part of reducing crime involves knowing your neighbors, getting outside," Helfgott said. "People have discussed, 'We need more people downtown.' Crime has increased for downtown businesses because during Covid there weren't as many people downtown. So if people are afraid to go outside, there's not going to be as many people walking around, and that is going to increase certain types of crime."
"If you have people out walking their dogs, out and about, riding their bikes and feeling safe, yes, you are going to reduce the likelihood of crime occurring in those areas."
It's sort of like a crime and safety version of the chicken or the egg dilemma. Or as Rob Gordon would say: "Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"
Dr. Helfgott adds that relative to other major cities like LA, New York, or Chicago, Seattle is relatively safe. She argues that feeling safe and perceptions of crime are more important than crime rates. As a coldhearted Taurus who leans more into facts and logic than feelings, I don't think I'm going to see eye-to-eye with the professor on this one, however, she does have a certain, valid point here.
Feelings of safety and perceptions of crime can play an important role in getting people involved. Seattle University does its own annual assessment of crime perceptions in the city, and hosts a lot of community discussions on the issue. Helfgott notes that Seattleites often state reasons why they don't call 911: They don't want to waste resources; They doubt police will come; They associate police with systemic racism. Plus, folks often want a response other than police for their 911 call. But Helfgott counters that they still need to call 911, for a variety of reasons. Even if they feel police will not respond, the call will still create a data point that officials will use deploying resources in the future. Also, 911 calls don't just go to police, they go to emergency services. Big picture, the professor says that Seattle residents need to take their feelings about public safety and use them as motivation to get involved.
"Informal social control — become involved in helping and working with the Seattle police, working with community agencies, working in the city to help increase capacity for public safety," Helfgott said. "We've all heard a lot of talk about, 'We don't want the police doing it, we can't have the police doing it alone.' So every single person who lives and works in Seattle can play a role in increasing public safety."
Check out Seattle Now's episode here.
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More than 1K Seattle buildings aren't ready for an earthquake
Seattle officials could finally require seismic retrofits for masonry buildings, but not this year.
In the list of 1,141 masonry buildings in Seattle that are at risk, 647 are the most vulnerable because they've had no visible retrofitting at all. That number only improved by one last year. There were 648 masonry buildings lacking any retrofitting in 2021.
The city's new URM inventory came out in January, and is also accompanied by a searchable database.
Retrofits can help keep old masonry buildings standing during a major earthquake, but they're not required in Seattle. At least not yet.
The city's Department of Construction and Inspections is working on a rule now. In 2022, the department hired a brand new position to oversee the process. That's the Unreinforced Masonry Building program coordinator Amanda Hertzfeld.
“We are hoping by 2024 to have an ordinance in place that would require [owners of] the city's 1,100 unreinforced masonry buildings to retrofit them, so that means securing the walls to the floor and to the ceiling," Hertzfeld said.
Actually putting a requirement on the books has become a multi-year process in Seattle, and there are reasons retrofits aren't happening quickly.
For one, it's voluntary for building owners to retrofit their vulnerable masonry buildings. They know a city mandate will come eventually, Hertzfeld said, so almost no one put up seismic improvements last year. For those that want to, it can be an expensive project or a disruptive period for tenants.
The 1,141 masonry buildings on the city's URM list are vulnerable to damage or total collapse in a major earthquake, similar to the one that struck Turkey and Syria early last week.
A total of 478 of the buildings have 101, or more occupants, according to the city's report.
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Idaho lawmakers propose talking with Oregon about 'Greater Idaho'
An Idaho House committee will take testimony Monday on a bill aimed at eventually allowing Idaho to annex a big chunk of eastern Oregon.
The effort to create a so-called "Greater Idaho" has been in the works for a long time, but has largely resulted in a lot of talk. Talking is exactly what the current proposal is all about. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Idaho Republican state Representatives Judy Boyle and Barbara Ehardt, would authorize state officials to reach out to their counterparts in Salem to discuss moving the state border.
Boyle is from Midvale, about 40 miles east of the border. She said, since Oregon legalized marijuana, her town of about 200 has been inundated with drugs.
“The cities there and the sheriff, they’re having a terrible time, to say the least, trying to get a handle on all this," Boyle said. "So by moving that border way back over on the other side, at least the drugs will be that far away.”
Other benefits, Boyle said, would include an extra Congressional seat for Idaho and the tax money that would come from annexing nearly 400,000 Oregonians.
A few legislators in Oregon have filed a similar resolution. Any moving of borders would require approval from both legislatures and then Congress. Democrats have a slight majority in Oregon's Legislature.
The Greater Idaho movement has been brewing for a few years and includes supporters from neighboring states. In 2021, a group of Oregon residents traveled to Idaho to speak with lawmakers in Boise. They promoted the idea of expanding Idaho's borders into eastern Oregon. Northwest News Network's Tom Banse previously reported that a similar effort has emerged in eastern Washington.
"We very much appreciate your coming," Ehardt told the group of eastern Oregonians in 2021. "It's an intriguing conversation. For me, the resources and what Oregon offers is intriguing to me."
KUOW's Dyer Oxley contributed to this report.
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Powerball winning store will donate $50K to Auburn Food Bank
Still no word on who recently bought a winning $754 million Powerball ticket from a Fred Meyer in Auburn, but store managers have announced they know what they are doing with the money coming their way.
Stores that sell winning lottery tickets get a payout, too, though it's much smaller. Fred Meyer will donate the $50,000 it received to the Auburn Food Bank.
The money will pay for about 66,000 meals, officials say.
“Hunger and food insecurity are critical issues across the state and partnerships like this one with Fred Meyer and QFC aim to shrink the numbers of people facing food insecurity,” said Debbie Christian, executive director of the Auburn Food Bank.
Fred Meyer is also giving $10,000 to its Auburn employees to celebrate.
“It’s always good to give back and today everyone wins,” said Fred Meyer President Todd Kammeyer in a statement.
Again, no word on who won the Sunday Powerball drawing. That person is still likely getting some legal advice and a new phone number.
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Closing time...for 3 Bellevue schools, maybe Seattle eventually: Today So Far
- The Bellevue School District is considering closing three elementary schools. Seattle Public Schools may be facing a similar decision.
- Should Washington state nix its jaywalking laws?
- Debate around police pursuit rules re-emerged at the Capitol in Olympia.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for February 10, 2023.
It could be said that I am not exactly sensitive to the realities and challenges that children and parents face. OK, I admit, that has most definitely been said before. Yes, I have related my experience with dogs amid conversations with parents discussing their children — nobody can tell me that those little playpens are any different than crating a puppy. Friends and family have noted a certain dead stare I display, indicating that I do not think their kids are nearly as interesting as they do, and that their dogs are far more engaging (hey, I don't go around telling everybody that Cosmo learned to high five and rollover, which he did, and he's awesome at it). To be clear: I do not hate children. They're fine. Still, you can't bring kids to most worthwhile places. Even when they do talk about something remotely interesting, it's usually Star Wars, which is like entry-level nerd.
So yeah, offenses have been made (I'm sure a few emails are now coming my way). I bring all this up to say that even someone like me can understand why parents would get very concerned about their kids' school closing down, and how that could greatly impact their lives. It's a big deal and it's happening in Bellevue right now. It could also be on the horizon for Seattle.
Short version: The Bellevue School District has suffered a staggering loss of younger students, so much that it says it has to consolidate three schools. Nothing is decided yet, but the district has recommended three sites to close, including Ardmore, Eastgate, and Wilburton elementary schools.
Bellevue's enrollment has gone down 9% over the past three years. That will result in an estimated $20 million revenue hit next year, officials say. The district is also anticipating enrollment to further decline by 8% over the next 10 years. Consolidating schools is a way to save money, but it is not sitting well with some parents at the recommended schools.
Bellevue's predicament is not an isolated incident. Neighboring Northshore, Shoreline, and Lake Washington school districts have experienced student declines between 2–5% over the past few years.
You can expect similar concerns emerging among Seattle parents soon. Enrollment at Seattle Public Schools has declined by about 7% over the past couple years. The district now faces a $131 million budget deficit in 2023-24, and a shortfall of $92 million in 2025. Closing and consolidating schools is also on the table for Seattle school officials.
Fred Podesta, interim deputy superintendent at Seattle Public Schools, told Soundside that consolidating schools saves money on operating costs — fewer lunch rooms, buses, etc. He further notes that the decline in enrollment is just one part of the budget problem. The district is also facing rising costs.
"It's consolidating schools into bigger schools ... schools with higher enrollment because resources are allocated based on enrollment in a school," Podesta said, adding that there is a lot of work to be done to figure out how such a change could even work out. Everything is speculation at this point.
"The growth in the school-aged children population has flattened in Seattle, for a variety of reasons. In the pandemic, certainly there were families who found other solutions ... particularly for very young children, pre-K, kindergarteners, people turned to perhaps other educational options. And people's work life and demographics seemed to have shifted during the pandemic as well; people have flexibility with remote work to change residential patterns ... largely, there is just fewer families with school-aged children. Seattle is growing, Seattle will continue to grow, but the mix is a little bit different."
The Associated Press reports that student enrollment at public schools across the United States has dramatically dipped. An AP / Stanford University analysis recently found that 230,000 students across 21 states have dropped off school rosters, and that nobody quite knows exactly where they went. The analysis states that there was a 3.4% decline in Washington's public school enrollment between 2019 and 2021. Homeschooling in Washington saw a nearly 54% increase, and private schools saw an increase of about 20%. Yet, when you add up all the enrollment increases and minus the public decreases, and adjust for the change in school-age population, there are about 10,614 K-12 students in Washington that are unaccounted for.
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Northwest lawmakers, courts weigh new rules on gun sales
Washington lawmakers are weighing bills to place new restrictions on the sale and transfer of guns as new gun laws in Oregon make their way through the courts.
In Washington, Senate Bill 5232 would require gun buyers to pass a background check and wait 10 days before they access a newly purchased firearm. It would also require proof that they've gone through a state-certified safety training within the past five years.
A state Senate committee hearing Thursday stirred familiar arguments about constitutional rights and public safety. Southern Washington gun shop owner Mathew Joy raised concerns that the bill could strain resources in rural counties.
"Nowhere in the bill does it create any funding, or training, or extra people, or resources for the local sheriff's department," Joy said.
Supporters of Washington's Senate bill say a 10-day waiting period for all new firearm sales could disrupt someone's plans to impulsively purchase a gun for a mass shooting or suicide, and that requiring more training could help prevent misfires or fatal accidents involving a firearm.
Donnitta Sinclair, whose son was killed in Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or CHOP, in 2020, told the committee they have a vital role in ending gun violence.
"We can't do the work without getting help and support from you. Each and every one of you – our kids' life is in you guys' hands," Sinclair said.
Washington law already includes a 10-day waiting period, a background check, and training requirements for the purchase of semiautomatic rifles. Current law also requires buyers of other guns to wait for 10 days or until they pass a background check to access a new firearm – whichever comes first.
Some people who testified questioned whether it would hold up in court after last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a New York state gun law.
Meanwhile, a new law is making its way through the courts in Oregon. A slim majority of Oregon voters approved new gun restrictions last fall, requiring gun buyers to have a permit and training. But a court order has blocked that law from taking effect after it was immediately challenged in court following its passage.
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Ingraham High murder suspect brought weapons to school the previous month, records show
The 14-year-old suspected of fatal shooting a 17-year-old classmate at Seattle’s Ingraham High School in November had brought weapons to school one month earlier, records show.
PHOTOS: Seattle students send message to city hall in wake of Ingraham shooting
Ingraham staff confiscated a large knife and a BB gun resembling a real pistol from the boy on October 3, according to district files KUOW obtained through a public records request.
"Can't we just expel [the student] and they can appeal?" one staff member texted another.
Instead, the student was suspended for several days, records show.
A district spokesperson declined to comment, citing the legal case surrounding the shooting and the student.
RELATED: Students, family react following Ingraham High School shooting
Seattle Police Department Detective Judinna Gulpan declined to provide KUOW with the report from the October weapons incident, saying it is related to "an active and ongoing investigation involving multiple juveniles."
State law mandates expulsion for any student who brings a firearm to school. As in most states, however, BB guns are not considered firearms in Washington.
RELATED: 2 teenagers charged in deadly Ingraham High School shooting
The 14-year-old is being held in juvenile detention awaiting a June hearing to determine whether he will be tried as an adult for first-degree murder.
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