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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Have you ever seen the rain, coming down on a Seattle summer day?: Today So Far
- The driest Seattle/Tacoma summer on record.
- The housing market in the Seattle area is cooling down. What does that mean?
- Monkeypox is infecting about 20 people each week in Washington state.
- King County's budget plans for law enforcement.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for September 22, 2022.
I recently watched Cosmo warily watching the sky outside our home. He was oddly avoiding going outside and had a general vibe of being weirded out. Watching this, my wife Nina paused for a moment before saying, "Has Cosmo ever seen rain?"
Cosmo is our puppy. He came to us from Texas this summer and is less than a year old. I thought, "Of course he's seen rain. This is the Northwest." Turns out, I'm probably wrong. Summer 2022 is the driest summer on record for the Seattle-Tacoma area. Most of the rain we got over the season came on Sept. 16, probably the day Cosmo was being weird(er than usual).
Cue that Blind Melon song.
The National Weather Service reports that we got about half an inch of rain over the summer. That places 2022 at the top of the list of driest summers. Second place goes to 2017 with .52 inches of rain. In 1998 and 1987, we got 1.28 inches and 1.33 inches, respectively. And rounding out the top five, summer 2000 got 1.36 inches.
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Bezos' ranking falls among list of world's richest people
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is slipping when it comes to being one of the richest people in the world. He's now listed as No. 3 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and No. 4 on the Forbes list, right ahead of Bill Gates.
Bezos lost the top spot to Tesla CEO Elon Musk last year and has now fallen behind Indian infrastructure tycoon Gautum Adani on both lists.
Bloomberg reported that Adani vaulted into the top three on Monday, the first time a person from Asia has made it that high into the rankings.
The Puget Sound Business Journal notes that Bezo's fortune fell by more than $44 billion this year, largely because the company stock (where most of his fortune is tied up) has taken a hit. Bezos now has a net worth of more than $145 billion.
Side note: Elon Musk (richest person in the world), Gautam Adanai (second richest), Bill Gates (fifth richest person), and Mark Zuckerberg (22nd richest) are all college dropouts.
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Sea-Tac Airport prepares following weekend of abnormally long lines
Sea-Tac Airport officials along with the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, say more staff will be on hand at the airport this weekend, following last weekend's long checkpoint lines that stretched far into the adjoining parking garage.
Travelers reported waiting for hours to get through the lines that snaked out of the main terminal and into the parking area. Some reported missing flights. Sea-Tac officials said the average wait time was about 90 minutes.
The TSA said it screened more passengers on Sunday, Sept. 18, than during any other morning since the pandemic started. Sea-Tac Airport officials have called the wait times experienced Sept. 17-18 "unacceptable." After conducting a deep dive into the weekend delays, the Port of Seattle says there were three causes:
- Maintenance and construction removed two lanes at one checkpoint.
- Summer travel volumes did not subside as they usually do during this time of year. Sea-Tac says this "reflects changing trends."
- TSA brought in extra staff from around the USA to handle summer travel volumes. Because airport volumes usually drop about 15% after Labor Day, the extra staff was sent home. But that didn't happen this year and high levels of travelers have continued to use the airport this month.
Looking ahead, there will be more staff on hand this weekend.
Managers are also encouraging travelers to use the SEA Spot Saver app and the Clear and Pre-check options to make sure they can zip through the airport. Checking luggage is another suggestion — fewer items going through checkpoints can speed up the process.
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Seattle area organizations helping Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic in wake of Hurricane Fiona
Seattle-based World Vision is preparing to send relief supplies to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, which have been ravaged by Hurricane Fiona.
But it's in a holding pattern right now because power is still out across much of the island and the port is closed. Check here for ways to donate.
The Dominican Association of Washington also plans to send relief to victims in the Dominican Republic and is currently accepting donations. It is asking for various supplies such as toothpaste, diapers, disinfectant products and soap, clothing, and non-perishable food.
Donations to the Dominican Association of Washington can be made via its website. Donations can also be dropped off at its office on Capitol Hill Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, between 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. More details here.
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Monkeypox continues to infect about 20 people each week in Washington state
Despite declining case numbers in Washington state, the monkeypox virus, aka MPV, continues to infect at least 20 people a week, according to a new dashboard launched by the state's Health Department.
It's mostly men (97% of cases), people between the ages of 25 and 44, and King County residents who have gotten monkeypox in Washington state. Those same demographic groups have been lining up for MPV vaccines in the largest numbers.
About 3,000 people are fully vaccinated against the virus in Washington, but thousands more started the series of shots and have yet to finish.
The painful rash and illness has hospitalized 15 people in the state, but no one has died from MPV in Washington. King, Pierce and Snohomish counties have seen the most cases so far.
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Carless in Seattle: Today So Far
- Can you go carless in Seattle? Or can you go carless to commute into Seattle?
- Adrian Diaz picked to be next Seattle police chief. City Council still needs to confirm.
- Washington has a lot more registered voters, but there is an age gap.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for September 21, 2022.
It's official(ish)! Adrian Diaz has been picked to become Seattle's new police chief. If that name sounds familiar, that's probably because Diaz has already been on the job as interim police chief for about two years.
Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that he selected Diaz for the job out of three finalists. The City Council still has to approve the selection, so it's not entirely official just yet.
Amid the prepared speeches and handshakes (see video of that here), there was one moment that has been lingering with me ever since Tuesday's announcement — an unplanned, frank comment from Councilmember Debora Juarez. She was part of the police chief committee that selected finalists for the job and said that it was one of the most "honest, raw, emotional meetings" she has experienced while in office. She noted the committee addressed some issues that have been difficult to discuss over the past two years, such as "defund the police," rising crime, and homelessness.
"But I think the thing I was most impressed with, and made me proud, is that I felt — and I don’t always feel this way — that I was finally in a safe room where people could say what they really feel and believe because they love this city, without being called a name, without getting a death threat, without people coming to their homes. You can say, ‘I don’t want, and I am concerned about, homeless people,’ that doesn’t mean you want to criminalize the homeless. You can say, ‘I’m not happy with the police,’ that doesn’t mean you hate the police.”
Despite Seattle's passive-aggressive profile, a lot of names do get thrown around town, usually in place of a genuine, firm argument. It can be quite off-putting, even when we're talking about a serious issue or good cause. I don't think this is what Juarez was aiming for when she said it, but I'm not sure I've heard anyone really call us out on it.
“We did not want this to turn into performative gestures, politicizing it, virtue signaling, all that bullshit," she continued. "No, we want to talk about, ‘our city is hurting, it needs to be healed.’”
I know not everyone agrees with me on this, but another reason this comment has stuck with me is because it can be refreshing to hear an elected official, in front of an official seal, swear like the rest of us. I'm probably not supposed to admit that, so please keep that between us.
Read the full story on the police chief announcement here.
An interesting factoid came through KUOW's newsroom recently: 80% of Washington adults are registered to vote. That's more than a decade ago, so voter registration is on the rise. But here's the thing, a lot of this increase has been among people age 65 and older. There has been much smaller growth among Millennials and younger voters. Read more here.
This week is a Week Without Driving. At least, it is for a lot of elected officials who are being encouraged by Disability Rights Washington to ditch their car commute to really learn the ups and downs of carless living.
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Seattle housing market is 'cooling' fast
A new report from Redfin says Seattle's housing market is "cooling" down faster than anywhere else in the country.
It says rising mortgage rates, inflation, and a slowing stock market between February and August of this year are fueling the decline.
Tacoma wasn't too far behind Seattle and came in 10th on Redfin's list of markets that are cooling down the most.
The report states: "The 10 markets cooling fastest are almost all either West Coast markets that have long been expensive, or places that became significantly less affordable during the pandemic because they attracted scores of relocating homebuyers. Las Vegas came in second place, followed by San Jose, CA, San Diego, Sacramento, CA, Denver, Phoenix, Oakland, CA, North Port, FL and Tacoma, WA."
The report also said many people have been priced out of the market, but adds the slowdown is lowering competition and giving those those who can afford a home more negotiating power. Redfin notes that Seattle, like others on its list, remain among the most expensive cities in the United States.
“These are all places where homebuyers are feeling the sting of rising home prices, higher mortgage rates and inflation very sharply," Redfin's chief economist, Daryl Fairweather, said in a statement. "They’re slowing down partly because so many people have been priced out and partly because last year’s record-low rates made them unsustainably hot. The good news is that the slowdown is dampening competition and giving those who can still afford to buy more negotiating power.”
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Bolt Creek Fire is 95% contained. Smoke continues to drift into Western Washington
The Bolt Creek Fire in Snohomish County is now 95% contained after charring more than 10,000 acres this month.
The fire is still burning and pumping out lots of smoke. Part of Highway 2 closed to through traffic between Index and Skykomish.
Meanwhile, the smaller Goat Rocks Fire continues to burn southwest of Ellensburg in Central Washington. It flared up again this month after lightning sparked it in August.
Smoke from both fires have been wafting into Western Washington recently, but forecast models show things should start clearing up by sometime Thursday.
In the meantime, be aware that the air quality around Darrington, Issaquah, Kent, and Tacoma is moderate right now, according to the state Department of Ecology
And the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency says air quality will be moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties until Thursday.
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Seattle hikes electricity rates
Seattle City Light customers will have to pay more on their energy bills next year.
The City Council approved a 6% rate hike for residential customers, and a 5.6% hike for businesses.
The average renter or homeowner will see their bill go up by about $5 each month, according to Seattle City Light. Hikes will be closer to $2 a month for lower-income customers (who enroll in the utility discount program).
The city evaluates how much it charges residents every couple of years. Rates were kept the same during 2021 due to the pandemic, but did go up by 2% this year, which was seen as a modest increase by city officials.
The new electricity rates still need to be signed into law by the mayor.
The City Council is also considering hikes to the garbage and compost pick-up fees this fall.
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Seattle is very thirsty right now
The Seattle area is thirsty and could really use a nice, cold rainy day. According to the National Weather Service, summer 2022 was the driest on record.
The Weather Service also notes that of the half an inch of rain that fell over the summer, about a third of it came on Sept. 16. So, it's been pretty dry.
It's important to note that by "Seattle," the National Weather Service generally means the Seattle area. A lot of measurements happen at Sea-Tac Airport south of the city. In this case, the data speaks to "Total precipitation June 21 to September 21 – Seattle Tacoma area, Wa."
The data caught the attention of Dr. Meade Krosby with the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group.
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What were all those fireworks all about?: Today So Far
- Why did someone put on a massive fireworks display in Puget Sound?
- Study finds drinking wells contaminated after decades of nearby military exercises.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for September 20, 2022.
Everyone living on the shores of Seattle, or around the eastern side of Bainbridge Island, probably had the same thought Saturday night: "What the hell was that?!"
A massive fireworks display erupted across the night sky from a barge moored close to the north end of Bainbridge. The show could be seen, and heard, across Puget Sound in Ballard. That's right — these weren't the rockets folks bring home for the Fourth of July. These were massive, barge-level fireworks for sky-high displays.
Fireworks in July — sure, that's to be expected. But the thunderous commotion on September 17 startled a few folks. And it created quite a mystery. Where did it come from? Why? KUOW's Isolde Raftery looked into it and got a few answers ... which opened up more questions.
In short, someone hired a professional fireworks company to put on the show. The Seattle Fire Department approved a permit to load the explosives onto a barge, which departed Shilshole Bay before the show.
But why? Theories have been thrown around, like how it was Gov. Jay Inslee's anniversary (Inslee is overseas right now). Or perhaps it was for the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge? Probably not.
I put on my thinking cap and came up with a few theories of my own as to why the fireworks show happened:
- "M*A*S*H" debuted on Sept. 17, 1972. Could this could have been the work of a sitcom super fan?
- The long awaited season 5 of "Cobra Kai" debuted the week prior, and there is a passing remark about Bainbridge Island in the opening show. It also stars Seattle actor and restaurateur Yuji Okumoto. Perhaps a karate fan got excited?
- It was Baz Lurhmann's birthday. We all know this auteur filmmaker is a fan of flashy lights and spectacle. Maybe a Bainbridge birthday blast was in order. (It was also Dustin Nguyen's birthday, aka Harry from "21 Jump Street" which was filmed just over there in Vancouver, BC).
- Someone on Bainbridge ordered up a fancy light show because, let's be honest, it's Bainbridge Island.
- Ancient aliens.
Any thoughts or theories of your own? Check out the full story here.
The U.S. military is now providing bottles of water to about 100 homes in the Yakima Valley after it was proven that Army exercises resulted in poisoning local wells.
If this sounds familiar, a similar story has unfolded on Whidbey Island (and a lot of other places near military bases) where a particular firefighting foam was used, mostly in training exercises to practice putting out real fires. Without getting too sciencey, the foam has a chemical in it (called "PFAS") that is pretty toxic. It leads to increased risks of cancer, lowered immunity, and other health issues. And after decades of using this foam, its chemicals have made their way into the surrounding environment, including drinking water wells.
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King County executive proposes millions for law enforcement and behavioral health
King County Executive Dow Constantine is laying out his public safety plan.
Constantine will unveil his full two-year budget proposal next week, but he has provided a sneak peek into a few law enforcement investments he has planned. The proposal calls for hiring new deputies. It also aims to spend $21 million to support transit security officers who keep tabs on the transit centers and bus stops.
Some other highlights of the plan include:
- Expanded behavioral health services for those in crisis, and assistance finding them someplace to go other than jail.
- Help 850 young people who commit non-violent crimes receive services through the Restorative Community Pathways program.
- The executive also wants to use millions to help 80 repeat adult offenders by addressing their underlying housing and health needs.
- Body cameras for deputies.
- A new unit focused on gun violence along with $9 million for a community based gun violence program.
“The health of our communities depends on the ability of every person to live a safe and productive life, and starts with knowing that when you call for help, it will be there," Constantine said in a statement. "To deliver genuine community safety and uphold our highest values, we must invest in the programming and workforce that will both stop immediate harm and get to root causes to prevent future offenses. By breaking down silos, working with community-based organizations, and broadening our options beyond just the traditional responses, we can help end harmful cycles and implement new partnerships that bring about systemic change.”
See a roundup of Constantine's budget proposal here.
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