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
-
Washington state is nixing fish farms in public waters
Washington state will no longer lease state-owned aquatic land for fish farms. The Department of Natural Resources informed Cooke Aquaculture that it will not renew its leases for two Puget Sound fish farms.
The department is reviewing its policies for similar farms across the state.
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said that the move is a "critical step to support our waters, fishermen, tribes, and native salmon."
Cooke Aquaculture’s request for lease renewal for two fish farms off Bainbridge Island and Skagit Bay was recently denied. The company has until Dec. 14 to finish its fish farm operations and remove its aquaculture facilities.
In 2017, a net pen at its Cypress Island farm collapsed. State investigators estimated as many as 263,000 fish escaped, which is twice the number that Cooke originally had reported. Cooke was fined more than $330,000.
“Since the catastrophic Cypress Island net pen collapse in 2017, I have stood tall to defend the waters of Puget Sound,” Franz said. “This effort began by terminating finfish net pen operations due to lease violations. Despite years of litigation – and a company that has fought us every step of the way – we are now able to deny lease renewals for the remaining net pen sites. Today, we are returning our waters to wild fish and natural habitat. Today, we are freeing Puget Sound of enclosed cages.”
Since the 2017 incident, the Legislature phased out Atlantic salmon farming. The company has since shifted to steelhead trout for its remaining leases.
Continue reading » -
Powwows return to Washington's prisons
Powwows for Native American prison inmates in Washington state have been an annual tradition, but they were halted amid pandemic shutdowns. Now, the celebrations in the state’s 12 correctional facilities have returned.
Wearing borrowed blue and white regalia, Richard Dennison is ready for his first powwow at the Airway Heights Corrections Center. Dennison grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, about 50 miles west of here. He went to powwows when he was young but drifted away as he grew up.
Several family members, including Dennison’s children, have driven to Airway Heights to celebrate this day with him, and he’s nervous.
“My kids and my mom and dad, nobody’s ever really seen me dance like this before," Dennison said.
“I didn’t really get into dancing and stuff until I came to prison because I was running around, doing other things I shouldn’t have been doing.”
Dennison’s prison sentence began in 2019 and it’s set to end in 2026. Now, he’s rediscovering his heritage, as are many of the Native American men here. When they learned there would be an in-person powwow, inmates hurriedly began preparing for their visitors.
This powwow, and 20 others in Washington prisons this fall, were sponsored by a nonprofit Seattle Indigenous rights group called Huy, led by attorney Gabe Galanda. He’s a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes of California. Galanda says correctional officials also thought it was time to bring the powwows back, so they negotiated how and when to do it.
“They typically start in the spring, in May, and run until September. But we had to delay the start and the sequence of the powwows because Covid was still hitting, including Airway Heights and Walla Walla, as recent as September," Galanda said.
The powwows are scheduled to return to Washington’s prisons in the spring of 2023, if health conditions allow it. State corrections officials say 45% of Native inmates in Washington eventually return to prison. They hope bringing back the powwows will help to reduce the recidivism rate.
Read the full story on the return of powwows to Washington's prisons at Spokane Public Radio.
Continue reading » -
Before and after the IHS shooting: Today So Far
The tragedy at Seattle's Ingraham High School has now moved into the court system. Meanwhile, students and school officials are responding in the wake of the shooting.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 15, 2022.
It started as conflict between a handful of high school students. It ended with the death of a teenager in the halls of Seattle's Ingraham High School. The result is now a murder charge, school officials rushing to respond, and an eruption of student voices demanding safety.
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with first degree murder, first degree assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm after a shooting left one student dead in the halls of IHS. The King County Prosecutor's Office has requested that the murder case be moved out of juvenile court and up to adult court. A judge will ultimately make that determination. If the case does go to adult court, the big difference will be the potential sentences the teen could be subject to.
A 15-year-old boy has also been charged in relation to his case. Court documents state that the two teens appeared upset in class less than an hour prior to the shooting. Following that morning class, two groups of students, including the two suspects, got into a physical fight in a bathroom. Prosecutors say that one group found out that a student brought a firearm to school and were demanding that they give it to them.
Following the reported bathroom fight, the students exited into the hallway, but the suspected shooter reportedly believed his phone was taken during the altercation. About 10 minutes later, the two groups met again in the hallway. A witness told a Seattle detective that one group taunted the suspected shooter, saying he would not fire the gun, and began walking away. The suspect reportedly then took the handgun out of a backpack and fired at one student in the back. He then allegedly fired another shot at a student fleeing the scene.
The 14-year-old and 15-year-old were arrested at a nearby bus stop within hours of the shooting. A handgun found in their possession has since been matched up with shell casings from the scene.
The above information was derived from witness statements and security footage from the school. It is the foundation for the murder and assault charges that KCPO has filed. The final charge of unlawful possession of a firearm is because the teen is not allowed to posses a gun, given his age.
That is also why the 15-year-old boy has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. He has also been charged with felony rendering criminal assistance.
It's important to note that the information above is strictly from court documents, meaning it comes via police reports and the prosecutor. The two teens involved in the case have not spoken about the incident with any authorities, including detectives. It is likely that more information will come out as this court case proceeds, such as where the firearm came from. What is currently known is that the gun was reported "lost" in Snohomish County in late October.
The two teens have their next court date Tuesday afternoon.
Prosecuting documents also state that the two teens made a stop after the shooting, and before they were arrested at a nearby bus stop. A resident at a home near the school reported to police that she saw two teens walking through her backyard. She confronted them and they told her that there was a shooting at their school and they appeared frightened. She invited them inside her home, and gave them some water as they made calls attempting to find a ride home. After about 30 minutes, they continued walking to the bus stop. The neighbor took a photo of the teens in her home, without them knowing, and showed that to police.
Continue reading » -
Two teenagers charged in deadly Ingraham High School shooting
The King County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges Monday against two teenagers for their alleged involvement in the shooting at Ingraham High School last week that left one student dead.
A 14-year-old, who is currently detained at the county’s youth jail, is now facing three charges: assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and murder in the first degree.
In a statement online, the prosecutor’s office said it had requested the 14-year-old be tried in adult court because of the murder charge. It’s now up to a judge to decide if the teenage suspect will be transferred out of juvenile court.
Charges were also brought against a 15-year-old who prosecutors say was arrested with the alleged shooter shortly after the incident with a gun in their backpack.
That person is being charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and rendering criminal assistance in the first degree, which is a felony. Their case will remain in juvenile court, prosecutors said.
Monday’s charges come after a first court arraignment last week. At that hearing the alleged shooter waived his right to an appearance but the other suspect did appear in court with his parents.
On Monday afternoon, thousands of Seattle students walked out of class protesting gun violence in response to the Ingraham shooting.
The next hearing for the two teenagers is set for Tuesday, prosecutors said.
Continue reading » -
Human services in, costly renovations out in new Seattle City Council budget
The city of Seattle could slim down its programs in 2023 and 2024, now that it's facing an additional $80 million revenue shortfall, on top of the $140 million deficit it had already forecasted.
Today, Seattle City Council Budget Chair Teresa Mosqueda proposed a re-balanced version of next year's budget.
The council proposes doubling the amount of school-zone red light cameras and raising vehicle license fees by $10. Both are intended to bring in more revenue, while the city projects it will have revenue losses from the Real Estate Excise Tax, sugary drink tax, and other sources in 2023-2024.
"In some ways, this is not a feel-good budget and it cannot be in the midst of an economic downturn", Mosqueda said. "But overall, I feel good about the decisions made to balance this budget and balance those priorities."
Mosqueda said to slim down the budget Mayor Bruce Harrell proposed, she and council members want to reduce spending on new programs or those that don't directly serve residents. Those reductions include, but are not limited to:
- Cutting the proposed Unified Care Team (which responds to and clears homeless encampments) from 10 to five employees
- Reducing play area renovations by $322,000
- Reducing Bumbershoot workforce development by $200,000
- Reducing a proposal for renovating City Hall Park by $2.5 million
- Reducing sidewalk safety repair by $4 million
- Taking out a proposal for three new graffiti abatement staff
Instead, Mosqueda said the focus is on funding for housing, health and safety, and making Seattle a connected city.
The council also wants to keep traffic enforcement under the Department of Transportation, denying Harrell's plan to move enforcement officers to the Seattle Police Department.
The city council plans to vote on the budget by the end of the month. They learned of the city's projected $80 million revenue shortfall from city finance staff earlier this month, mid-budget proposal.
As for whether to create a new tax to fill the budget hole, Mosqueda has said the city needs new progressive taxes. But she said the budget is not the place to have policy discussions.
Update notice: This story was updated on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 3:23 p.m. to clarify that the city is projecting an additional $80 million shortfall, in addition to an anticipated $140 million budget deficit.
Continue reading » -
-
Tech industry is shedding employees in the NW: Today So Far
Northwest tech companies are laying off workers, or putting a freeze on hiring. It's an industry trend that has some folks concerned, especially as the word "recession" creeps further into speculation over the next year.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 14, 2022.
If you can think of a tech company in the Northwest, chances are they are looking at laying off employees or implementing a hiring freeze. It's an industry trend that has some folks concerned in the region, especially as the word "recession" creeps further into speculation over the next year.
State labor economist Paul Turek tells Northwest News Network's Tom Banse that the market still favors job seekers, especially in the tech sector, though he does admit that the job market is "exceptionally tight."
"Job openings have crested, beginning to come down a bit, no longer at the highs, but they're still at a historically high level," Turek said.
Redfin is cutting 13% of its staff. Thanks to some Elon Musk switch ups, Twitter is cutting about 200 jobs locally. Meta, Facebook's parent company, is also cutting 13% of staff companywide, which is about 11,000 employees.
Amazon previously said it would simply hold off on hiring, but the New York Times reported this morning that the company plans to layoff 10,000 employees across its corporate and technology divisions. It's the largest such job cut Amazon has ever made.
Microsoft has also said it is in a holding pattern. As New York Times Technology Reporter Karen Weise tells Seattle Now, the company is in "stasis."
"Microsoft said that they expect to have a flat headcount in this current quarter, Amazon has this hiring freeze ... but they're still really big, substantial parts of the U.S. economy, the global economy, and certainly of our region's economy," Weise said.
Weise adds that, "These companies are much bigger than when they started the pandemic. Amazon basically doubled in size in two years, for example, Microsoft has grown substantially."
Now it seems these large companies are being more careful and are watching where they spend their money. They're even pulling back on recruiters, the people tasked with finding employees to fill jobs. Microsoft, for example, has started cutting back on products that aren't as profitable. It also stopped hiring for certain departments, starting with retail, but Weise says that hiring freeze has expanded.
"What's notable about that is that it includes some of the key growth engines for the company," Weise said. "For example, cloud computing, which is much more lucrative than the retail industry. Advertising is another highly profitable part of their business that would also fall under this broad umbrella."
Continue reading » -
Still a chance to restore grizzly bears in Washington state
There’s still a chance to restore grizzly bears in Washington’s North Cascades.
The National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced the reopening considerations for how to help grizzly bears in the region.
“This is a first step toward bringing balance back to the ecosystem and restoring a piece of the Pacific Northwest’s natural and cultural heritage,” said Superintendent Don Striker of North Cascades National Park in a statement. “With the public’s help we will evaluate a list of options to determine the best path forward.”
This is a second look at bringing more grizzly bears into Washington state. It comes after federal officials abruptly ended a similar review in 2020. That review had been in the works for five years, deeply dividing many ranchers and wildlife advocates.
Biologists say Washington’s grizzly bear population won’t survive without some help. Grizzly bears are endangered in Washington state.
Biologists say there may only be a handful of grizzly bears left in Washington’s North Cascades ecosystem, which is cut off from other grizzly bear habitat. The last sighting of a grizzly in the region was in 1996.
According to the National Parks Service, grizzly bears are an essential part of the North Cascades ecosystem. The bears help keep other wildlife populations in check. Grizzlies also spread nutrients throughout their habitat.
This new review process of potential environmental impacts to bringing grizzlies to the region will include an option that would give local land managers more control over managing the bears.
Continue reading » -
Job market 'exceptionally tight' as NW tech workers face layoffs, hiring freezes
Some of the biggest names in the Northwest's tech industry are either laying off employers, or implementing hiring freezes, for thousands of workers.
"Anything that goes on with the tech industry certainly catches our eye," given its size and economic importance to the state, said labor economist Paul Turek at the Washington Employment Security Department in Olympia. "We're starting to see them tighten up the hatches a little bit."
RELATED: Tech industry is shedding employees in the NW
Turek said he is not too worried for the affected workers right now, however, because the labor market still favors jobseekers.
"Job openings have crested, beginning to come down a bit, no longer at the highs, but they're still at a historically high level," Turek said.
Turek notes that the labor market remains "exceptionally tight." He expects that to change, but only slowly, as businesses show increasing caution about a possible recession next year.
The list of tech companies warning of impending layoffs, or actually issuing pink slips, includes some of the biggest Northwest employers in that sector, such as Facebook, Redfin, Twitter, Intel, and Microsoft. Amazon plans to layoff 10,000 workers soon, according to the New York Times. It's the largest employee cut back in the company's history.
The last two monthly jobs reports issued by the state employment department showed employers in Washington continued to add jobs overall, but at a slowing pace. On a seasonally adjusted basis, employment rose by 1,500 jobs in September, coming on the heels of a robust gain of 21,700 jobs in August.
The agency pegged the statewide unemployment rate at a steady 3.7% for September. The jobless rate for the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett metro area was even lower at 2.7%. The October update on joblessness in Washington will come out on Wednesday Nov. 16.
"It looks really good there relative to some other indicators about where the economy may be heading," Turek said.
Continue reading » -
Dolly Parton gets $100 million from Jeff Bezos to spend on charity
Dolly Parton has famously used her success to help others, especially in areas of literacy and education. She just got a huge boost in those efforts: a $100 million gift from billionaire Jeff Bezos.
"Did you say a hundred million?!" Parton said after Bezos announced the gift over the weekend.
Parton can use the money to support any charitable cause she chooses, similar to the deal Bezos made last year when he gave $100 million each to humanitarian chef José Andrés and activist/pundit Van Jones.
"I try to put my money where my heart is," Parton said of receiving the Courage and Civility award. "I will do my best to do good things with this money."
Parton's ongoing charitable projects include the Imagination Library, a popular literacy effort that is now closing in on sending its 200 millionth free book to young children in five countries.
After receiving last year's award, Andrés committed half of the money to seed the Climate Disaster Fund, amplifying its existing efforts to help communities cope with life-threatening conditions. His group also rushed to provide hot meals for Ukrainians after Russia's wide-scale invasion.
Unlike Andrés, Jones was not operating a global-scale charity when he was chosen for the Bezos award. In an update on his plans for the money earlier this year, Jones said that while he knows many nonprofits could sorely use part of the $100 million, he has assembled a team to look for strategies that could have long-lasting benefits for people in struggling Black, brown and poor communities.
"Fortunately, I can take time to be strategic and deliberate about this process," Jones said. "Bezos has given award recipients 10 years to disburse the funds."
Unlike last year's award, Bezos did not announce his largesse just after returning from space — a juxtaposition that immediately raised questions about his commitment to helping others. [Copyright 2022 NPR]
Continue reading » -
‘Yes’ vote for Seattle election reform now leading
The latest King County ballot count shows the "yes" vote prevailing on a measure that would change the way the city of Seattle elects its leaders. Among the options, ranked choice voting has inched into in the lead.
On Saturday, for the first time since election night, the "yes" vote narrowly overtook the "no" vote 50.35 % to 49.65 %. That's about .7% difference among more than a quarter million votes that have been counted so far.
The measure asked Seattle voters if they approve of making changes to the city's primary elections. They were also asked if they preferred Proposition 1A, which would enact a system called "approval voting," or Proposition 1B, which would enact "ranked choice voting."
Proposition 1B (ranked choice voting) is currently winning with 75.42% of the vote to 24.58% for Proposition 1A.
Ranked choice voting is currently used in local elections in more than 20 cities and in two states, Maine and Alaska. It allows voters to rank their top candidates from most to least favorite. After the first count, the lowest performing candidate is eliminated. Voters who chose that candidate would have their second choice counted. Counting would continue through multiple cycles.
RELATED: The promises and pitfalls of ranked choice voting
Proposition 1B’s main financial backer is FairVote Action, a Maryland-based group that contributed $390,000 to the campaign. This year the group also advocated for ranked choice voting reform in Clark and San Juan counties in Washington, but both of those efforts are failing. According to FairVote Action, ranked choice voting measures have succeeded in seven other jurisdictions, including neighboring Portland and Multnomah County, Oregon, and in Nevada, which will become the largest state to use the voting system.
Proposition 1B was put on the ballot by vote of the Seattle City Council. The competing measure, Proposition 1A, would also have allowed voters to choose more than one candidate during primary elections for Seattle mayor, city council, and city attorney. But in the so-called approval voting system, each vote is weighed equally, and the top two vote-getters move on to the general election.
Supporters argued that approval voting is a simpler system than ranked choice voting. It is only used in two municipalities, currently — St. Louis, Missouri, and Fargo, North Dakota.
Proposition 1A was put on the ballot by an initiative petition signed by voters. Its main funder was the Center for Election Science, a national group which donated $313,012 to the campaign.
Supporters of both measures claim they would improve how elections are conducted. They would give voters more choices and would encourage candidates to compete more widely for votes.
Continue reading » -
Kim Schrier wins third term in WA-08
The Associated Press called the race Thursday evening.
Democratic Congresswoman Kim Schrier secured re-election in Washington's 8th District, according to a race call Thursday by the Associated Press.
Schrier currently has nearly 11,000 votes over her opponent, Republican Matt Larkin.
"I'm just delighted," Schrier told KUOW by phone, shortly after learning of her win.
She said one of her top priorities for her third term in D.C. is safeguarding women's health care.
But first, she plans to take a victory tour of her district.
"I just had ice cream with my family...I cannot wait to get back out on the road in the district with all my favorite eating and celebrating spots along the way," Schrier said.
The sprawling 8th District, which includes part of King County, straddles the Cascade Mountains. Back in 2018, Schrier flipped the district from Republican to Democrat for the first time in its history.
Analysts had predicted this election season could see a massive wave of Republican wins across the country, and Schrier's race was forecast as one of the tightest. But that so-called "red wave" did not materialize. And Schrier maintained a lead of at least 4 percentage points over her opponent as ballot counting progressed in Washington state this week.
Continue reading »