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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MAGA Republican Joe Kent spreads election conspiracy theories during ballot count
In Southwest Washington's 3rd Congressional District, MAGA Republican Joe Kent is locked in a tight race against Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Earlier, Kent said he would accept the results, even though he falsely claims without evidence that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.
But now he's spreading election conspiracy theories about his own race.
Kent went on the "War Room" podcast Thursday with former Trump advisor and conspiracy theorist Steve Bannon, who asked why the ballot count is taking so long in the race.
Kent claimed without evidence that it's because election officials are up to no good.
“Best case, they're just trying to demoralize us. Worst case, there's some sleight of hand going on behind the scenes,” Kent said.
But, as Washington voters have known for years, it's perfectly normal for ballot counting here to take a while. Our state's mail-in system allows ballots to be postmarked on Election Day, and they can take days to trickle in.
This story also has some irony to it. Kent himself may have helped gum up the works. He told his supporters to only vote in person on the last day to avoid supposed election fraud, which again, he had no evidence for.
Carolyn Fundingsland, an auditor in the 3rd District’s heavily Republican Cowlitz County, said her office was swamped this year by in-person voting, even though overall voter turnout is down compared to the last midterm in 2018.
“We had to pull all of those staff to the front line to help all of those people who were waiting in line for a replacement ballot, when they were issued a mail ballot,” she said.
According to Fundingsland, her office couldn't process any ballots while skilled staff were helping voters.
“That's why we're seeing a backlog of ballots right now,” she said.
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What would you rather spend election dollars on?: Today So Far
A lot of money was just spent on campaigns in Washington. What would you spend money on instead of those campaign ads we all just had to suffer through?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 10, 2022.
Smiley's campaign, roughly, falls in the middle of the pack of Murray contenders. Smiley's 43% of the vote (as of this morning) is in the territory of George Nethercutt's results in 2004 and Linda Smith's results in 1998. With 48% of the vote in 2010, Dino Rossi carved away the most votes of any candidate going up against Murray. Despite all that, Smiley certainly gave Murray a run for her money this time around.
The Murray/Smiley election is going down in history as the most expensive race in Washington state history. Murray spent about $20 million on her campaign, and Smiley spent more than $14 million. Together, that money could have purchased nearly enough Dick's Deluxe burgers to feed all of Washington state (yep, I did the math). And I'm not talking about the basic cheeseburgers or even the specials — these are the top-of-the-menu Deluxe burgers. If you minus all the vegans and, say, Sammamish, I think there'd be enough to go around the state. It certainly would be better for our region than all those campaign ads we just suffered through.
That money could also pay for 68 million games of Safe Cracker at Shorty's. It's more than enough to buy out the Tacoma Dome to see Snoop Dogg in December, or all three days of Monster Jam in January. I didn't calculate this, but I'm assuming that $34 million could also cover rent for a few months at an apartment in Seattle ... for like a studio ... if you have a roommate.
Election news is going to continue to trickle in, so keep up with KUOW's election coverage here.
Other elections remain up in the air around Washington.
Over in the 3rd Congressional District, Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has 52% of the vote, leading Republican Joe Kent with 47%. OPB reports that there are about 80,000 more ballots left to be counted, and the two candidates are only about 11,000 votes apart at this point.
Roughly 11,000 votes are also separating Democrat Kim Schrier and Republican Matt Larkin in Washington's 8th Congressional District. Schrier has 52% and Larkin has 47%.
Things remain tight in the race for the 42nd Legislative District which borders Canada. Republican Simon Sefzik was appointed to take over for state Sen. Doug Erickson after Erickson lost his battle with Covid. Sefzik is running to keep the job, but is trailing Democrat Sharon Shewmake by less than 1,000 votes.
Remember that candidate who misrepresented his military record (and we all found out because his father pointed this information out to his opposition)? It seems that family drama and that military mix up hasn't hurt Democrat Clyde Shavers too much in the race for Legislative District 10. Shavers has 53% of the vote. His rival, Republican Greg Gilday, has 47%. They are separated by about 2,500 votes.
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King County officials will get shorter terms next election cycle
Voters have determined that those elected to 12 King County positions will serve shorter terms in the next election cycle.
It's a trade-off required by Charter Amendment 1, which moves all King County races from odd years to even years.
Proponents of Amendment 1 say it's a move that's better for democracy and argue that voter turnout is always much higher in even years. Presidential elections are also on even years. With more people voting, the aim is to have more people deciding who the county executive and council members are.
"We want the most people to vote and the voters just made one really big step to take us further in that direction by agreeing that these positions should be voted on by a much larger electorate," said King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, a supporter of Amendment 1.
As of Nov. 9, Charter Amendment 1 was passing with 70% of the vote.
The race for King County executive, assessor, elections director and county council will move to even years in 2026. They are four-year terms, but in the next cycle will be shortened to three to allow for the date change.
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Stark federal report: climate chaos is here, with worse to come
A stark new federal report says our changing climate threatens the things Americans value most. In the Northwest, that includes everything from our homes, forests, and snowpack, to our physical and mental health.
The fifth National Climate Assessment, released for public comment on Monday, states that people in the Northwest and nationwide are feeling the effects of climate change in their everyday lives.
These changes are already hurting the region’s most vulnerable people. They’re expected to accelerate and bump into each other as our climate keeps heating up.
A record-smashing 2021 heatwave killed an estimated 1,200 people in British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington, while a less-extreme 2022 heatwave killed at least 20 people in Oregon and Washington, according to preliminary coroner’s reports.
Heatwaves kill more Americans annually than any other type of weather disaster.
“Climate impacts are happening now,” said University of Washington Climate Impacts Group scientist Crystal Raymond, one of the coauthors of the assessment’s Northwest chapter. “More wildfire, combined with more extreme precipitation means there's a greater potential for erosions, landslides, mudslides.”
The report is the latest in a long line of scientific efforts to warn the public of the impending climate disaster. It’s a tough read if you have kids or care about the future.
“More intense extreme events and long-term climate changes make it harder to maintain safe homes and healthy families, reliable public services, a sustainable economy, thriving ecosystems, and strong communities,” it states.
The Northwest can expect increasing drought, heatwaves, and smoke in the summer and more intense rainfall and flooding the rest of the year.
But efforts to end fossil-fuel pollution as soon as possible can limit how much hotter our future gets.
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Tiffany Smiley concedes to Patty Murray in race for Senate
Republican Tiffany Smiley has conceded to Democrat Patty Murray in Washington's race for the U.S. Senate.
Smiley made the announcement via Twitter, Wednesday evening, Nov. 9, a day after initial election results came in.
"This race was never about me – it was about the amazing people of this state and I will never stop fighting and advocating for them," Smiley said.
RELATED: Washington Democrat Patty Murray wins in Senate race after first ballot count
As of the morning of Thursday, Nov. 10, Sen. Murray had 57% of the vote to Smiley's 43%. The race between Murray and Smiley is being noted as the most expensive Senate race in state history, with Murray spending $20 million and Smiley spending $14 million.
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Teenager accused of Ingraham High School shooting could face murder charge
The teenager who allegedly shot and killed a person at Ingraham had their first court hearing on Wednesday. Another suspect, also a teen, is accused of assisting in the crime.
Judge Averil Rothrock of the King County Juvenile Court ruled prosecutors had probable cause to charge the 14-year-old shooting suspect with three offenses: unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree, unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon at a school facility, and murder in the first degree.
Seattle Police say the teenager shot and killed a person at Ingraham High School on Tuesday morning. The suspected shooter and another teenager were arrested together an hour after the attack at a nearby bus stop.
Casey McNerthney from the King County Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday’s shooting was a targeted attack.
"Based on what we have so far from Seattle Police investigators, and this case is still ongoing, we believe that there was probable cause for first-degree murder, which is premeditated,” McNerthney said after the hearing.
The second teenager, a 15-year-old, could face two charges: unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree and rendering criminal assistance in the first degree.
Prosecutors said police found a semi-automatic gun in the 15-year-old’s backpack. Shell casings recovered in the school match the caliber of the gun in the backpack, according to police. An empty ammunition magazine was also found with the gun, police say.
The teenager accused of the shooting waived their right to appear in the first court hearing.
The other suspect, however, did appear in court-issued sweats and slippers. His parents were also present and addressed the judge when given the opportunity.
“He’s never been in trouble, he’s just a kid,” the mother said.
“This is not like him at all,” the father added.
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The midterm election ... so far: Today So Far
"So far" is generally the theme of the day after Election Day.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 9, 2022.
In the warmer months, there is an algae bloom that often shows up around Puget Sound. You'll see it along waterfronts, on ferry rides, and around docks. It appears red, and some years it coats the water far and wide. But after some time, when the sun goes down, the agitated water gives off an electric blue light. That's the impression I'm getting from the midterm election. Many were predicting a red wave to wash over the results, but with time, as waves of votes came in, there were more hints of blue than expected. So far, ultimate results are unknown. More votes are being counted, but it appears that the red wave didn't strike as strong as some hoped and others feared.
The title of this newsletter, "Today So Far," is perhaps most apt for a day like today. "So far" is generally the theme of the day after Election Day. While some races can be called, there remains a lot of uncertainty around many others. We can only report on how things stand, so far. Only time will tell for how the Senate and House will look.
Check out initial election results for key local races here. And here's a roundup of all KUOW's post-election reporting, so far.
- Washington Democrat Patty Murray wins in Senate race after first ballot count
- Democrat Kim Schrier leads WA-08 race after first count
- Republican Dan Newhouse survives Trump’s revenge in WA-04
- Southwest Washington congressional race too close to call as vote counting continues
- Late voters find long lines in Seattle and Bellevue
One thing I've noticed so far is that independents are said to have been the ones to swing election results. Independent candidates, however, haven't had as strong of an influence. From Oregon to Washington (and a bit beyond) all the independent candidates that Northwest News Network's Tom Banse profiled in the lead-up to the midterms have fallen short.
For example, initial results show Independent Julie Anderson with 47% of the vote, trailing Democrat Steve Hobbs (50%) for secretary of state. Independent (and former GOP official) Chris Vance has 44% to Republican Phil Fortunato's 55% for state senator. Down in Oregon, Independent Betsy Johnson only has 9% of the vote for governor.
I also found NPR's assessment intriguing, particularly the points about Trump-backed candidates and the abortion issue. Four states put the abortion issue up to voters. In three states, early results favor placing pro-abortion rights into state constitutions. In Kentucky, an effort to write anti-abortion language into the state constitution is failing.
As for the Trump factor, the former president made more endorsements in 2022 than in previous election years. Some are making it through the general election and some are not. Either way, Republicans are not seeing their anticipated red wave, nationally. One analyst told NPR that the lack of Trump appeal with independent voters is a big reason why (there are those independents again).
For a closer look at Washington's results, check out KUOW's Paige Browning on Seattle Now this morning.
AS SEEN ON KUOW
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Students, family react following Ingraham High School shooting
School is canceled through Thursday at Seattle's Ingraham High School following Tuesday's shooting that left one student dead.
Hundreds of parents stood in the cold outside Ingraham High School Tuesday morning, waiting to be reunited with their children. Deanna Meyerhoff was one of the first parents to arrive at the school after she got text messages from her son saying that there was a shooting inside.
“So my son texted me," Meyerhoff said. "He said, 'School shooting.' That's all he said. I was like, 'Is it at Ingraham?' He's like, 'Yeah, there's a guy bleeding out outside my classroom.' And so I just was like, 'Oh my God,' and I jumped in the car.”
RELATED: Student killed in shooting at North Seattle high school
Ingraham senior Drevin Hiquiana said he was with friends when he heard the gunshots at IHS.
"None of this should have happened," he said. "Like all unnecessary things happened. It was just all bad all over. I don't know."
Senior Amerino Fennell told KUOW that he could hear the desperation in the voices of school officials as they announced over the intercom that the entire school was going into lockdown. He said officials need to do more to keep students safe.
"How did the gun get into the school? Right?" Fennell said. "Nothing's being done. I mean ... we can't react to a shooting like this after the fact, like, it has to be done preemptively to prevent it from happening."
About two dozen people attended a vigil Tuesday night at Haller Lake United Methodist Church.
The student who was killed was shot inside a school hallway. Police have arrested one person accused of the shooting, and have recovered one gun that might have been used. Seattle Police say they are looking over security camera footage and interviewing students who were at the scene.
Officials still have not released the name of the victim or the suspected shooter they have in custody.
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Late voters find long lines in Seattle and Bellevue
Voters in some locations across Seattle and Bellevue waited hours in frigid temperatures to register and cast their ballots Tuesday night.
At the Lumen Field Event Center, voters stood in unusually long lines in blustery 38-degree weather. King County election officials confirmed two- to three-hour wait times on Tuesday.
Other locations were busy, too. A voter waiting to drop off his ballot at the Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library was exasperated at the long lines during the midterms, which historically have lower turnout than a general election.
"It's typical for us to see about 50% of our turnout the day of the election and the day before, so pretty common for us,” said King County Elections Director Julie Wise. “But I think our vote centers are a little bit busier than we expected to see."
Many of the issues were at county vote centers, where people can register, update records, or get help completing ballots. There’s also help for people with disabilities.
Wise had words for the procrastinators: vote centers have been open since Friday and voters received ballots about three weeks ago.
"If you do wait until Election Day, especially in a midterm or presidential (election), you are going to experience some wait time."
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Thousands of Snohomish County residents still without power
Public utility crews have been working around the clock to restore electricity following last Friday's windstorm.
While power is back for more 220,000 customers since then, crews are still working on a number of big jobs, according to Snohomish County PUD.
“We’re seeing damage that some of our crews have never seen before,” said spokesperson Aaron Swaney.
He says much of the damage involves multiple big trees tangled into poles and wires.
Swaney says the first area of priority is critical infrastructure like hospitals, water pumps, and schools. Once power there is restored, residential customers are next.
Some damage was easier to fix. But many situations are more complicated that require multiple crews.
“First off, we have to bring in tree crews. They have to clear all that damage away and then the line crews can come in, they can reset the pole and then restring the wires,” Swaney said. “These jobs can take 10, 12 hours.”
Mutual aid crews from other Northwest utilities are helping those efforts. Swaney says they hope to have power completely restored by Thursday.
For customers who are still without power, there are cold weather shelters in Snohomish County that are open.
Those who have generators are urged to keep those five feet away from the house, and make sure they’re in a well-ventilated area.
Swaney said there are still a lot of downed wires in the area. He urged caution and instructed people to stay at least 30 feet away from the wires, just to be safe.
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What's behind these election mailers?: Today So Far
A deeper look at mailers and ads targeting the Seattle area.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for November 8, 2022.
All I wanted to do was play Words With Friends, but after every move I was reminded that we live in a world that pits white people and Asians against everybody else.
At least, that's the world we live in if you go by the narrative America First Legal is promoting. AFL has been targeting Western Washington with advertisements delivered via smartphone games (like the one I was playing), and through physical fliers sent to Seattle-area mail boxes. The ads essentially state: left-wing politicians are against white people and Asians; affirmative action is a tool used to keep Asians from succeeding; Asian families will not succeed because of racists policies coming from Democrats and President Biden.
The advertisements have come in the lead up to the midterm election. Oddly, they don't promote a candidate or issue on a ballot. Instead, they simply hype a political, race-based narrative fit for the culture war: target Asians with messaging that sours perceptions of Democrats. Just as with most "news," information, or headline that spreads fast while provoking strong, divisive emotions, a calculated effort is behind it all.
The mailers sent to Western Washington have also caught the attention of University of Washington Researcher Sarah Nguyen, who studies misinformation in the Vietnamese community.
"There are pictures of Biden and also ... news clippings coming from various sources, Fox News, saying how, very vaguely, Biden and the left have made it difficult for Asian-Americans to get job opportunities, to get into school opportunities, and basically get access to rights people have been fighting for ... when in fact, that is not the case," Nguyen told Seattle Now, noting that she saw this messaging echo through Vietnamese channels.
"Within the community, there is a polarized view of many people thinking, 'Well I don't want to support affirmative action if it is going to only support Black and brown people, and Asians are seen outside of that.' Then there are others who see that is not the case, and kind of the fuller story that it's not just about race, but it's about the personal statement, it's a holistic idea that includes affirmative action."
That level of nuance is not readily available through AFL's ads.
America First Legal is an activist organization that considers itself as the other side of the ACLU coin. It uses legal action for Conservative causes. It formed in 2021 and quickly began filing lawsuits and public information requests, targeting the Biden administration and other government agencies, generally pushing hot button issues and divisive narratives. The group was founded by Stephen Miller, advisor to former President Trump. It's worth noting that Miller has been known to use news media to push narratives, and has also been known to favor white nationalist literature. Looking at AFL's website, it presents a professional facade, but as an online content producer, I can tell you that most of it is lifted from open-source photo libraries. I've used many of the same free, generic photos from Unsplash; anybody can. I suspect that similar stock footage was used for the video advertisements that were fed to my smartphone game.
Let's take a closer look at some of the "news" stories that AFL puts in front of its audience.
- "Affirmative action hurts Asian-Americans—but the left just shrugs" is from the New York Post and is not "news." It's an opinion piece. Its author, Vivek Ramaswamy, partially makes a living off his brand of divisive "woke" topics.
- "Lawsuit accuses Amazon of treating minority staff better than Whites, Asians," is not the actual headline of the original report from The Washington Times (a Conservative newspaper known for controversial coverage). The real headline is "Pro-Trump legal group accuses Amazon of racial discrimination." AFL filed a lawsuit and followed up by creating its own publicity. The Washington Times' story appears to be written up largely based on a press release from AFL, including canned statements from Stephen Miller.
- "Texas A&M discriminated against white and Asian faculty job applicants: Lawsuit." Another piece of publicity, published in the Washington Examiner, that America First Legal spurred through its own lawsuit. Miller has previously fed stories to the Washington Examiner to further political narratives while he was an advisor to Trump.
- "My boss said ‘we didn’t need another White guy.’ Say what?" AFL didn't use this headline, rather, it published a quote from the article that states a hiring manager didn't hire someone because, "we didn't need another white guy." This is not a news article. It was an advice column in The Washington Post. The quote is from someone who wrote into the newspaper, so it is unclear how verifiable and genuine the source is. Beyond that, the advice that the columnist provides counters the narrative AFL is promoting.