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.
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Will Democrats back Republican who voted to impeach Trump in Washington's 4th?
Democrat Doug White, who is running to represent Washington's 4th District in the U.S. House, told KUOW he’s optimistic heading into Tuesday’s primary. “I'm holding number one in the polls,” he said.
But White has an unusual concern: That some Democrats will be voting for one of his Republican opponents in the primary.
“I'm hearing some rumblings that some Democrats are thinking about voting for the least worst Republican,” White said in a video posted online.
He's talking about the incumbent Dan Newhouse, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump the second time. That vote provoked several Trump Republicans to run against him this year, including former police chief, gubernatorial candidate, and election conspiracy theorist Loren Culp, who has Trump’s endorsement.
The chance of a conspiracy theorist like Culp getting through in Washington’s top two primary system has left some Democrats wondering if they should just back Newhouse. That’s because it's not clear a Democrat can win in a general election in the 4th.
Newhouse took around two-thirds of the vote here in 2020 over Democrat Douglas McKinley.
Josh Skipper, a Republican precinct officer in Benton County who is backing Newhouse this year, said most Republicans he knows in the 4th won’t vote for a Democrat even if Culp is their only Republican choice in the general election.
“I just don't think there's enough that will cross party lines especially in 2022 when Democrats nationally are facing a tough road,” Skipper said.
On the other side, Justin Raffa is a Benton County Democratic Party leader who supports Doug White. And he urges fellow Democrats in the district to reject Newhouse as a highly conservative member of Congress.
“I applaud his vote to impeach. But for me at the end of the day, that is not enough to compel me as a voter to want to vote for him over having the opportunity to send a Democrat in his place,” Raffa said.
But Raffa said if White does not make it through tomorrow’s top two primary, and it ends up being two Republicans in the general election, then Newhouse will almost certainly have his vote.
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Task force urges Washington to create cold case unit for missing Indigenous women
Washington state's task force on missing and murdered Indigenous women is recommending a special cold case unit be created within the state's attorney general's office.
The group released its initial recommendations Monday as part of its 2022 interim report.
“Because as a result of the institutional and structural racism within law enforcement, our people were not seeing investigations and our loved ones were dying in silence," said task force member and director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, Abigail Echo-Hawk.
RELATED: Washington's Missing Indigenous People Alert system goes live
The group plans to ask state lawmakers to create a fund for this unit during the next legislative session.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson says the unit could pass along information to local prosecutors to see if they can find any grounds for criminal charges.
RELATED: Washington's first missing Indigenous person alert is issued
Washington's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) Task Force has 25 members and is supported by the state attorney general's office. The cold case unit is one recommendation among a list of 10 from the task force's recent report.
Other recommendations ask that research on the issue open up to all genders, encourage improving law enforcement collaboration, and promote inclusive language.
As stated on the AG Office's website, the full recommendations include:
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Utility customers in Western Washington, Spokane face potential rate hikes
Utility customers in Western Washington and Spokane could pay more this year for electricity. But the public will have its say before any final decisions are made.
Puget Sound Energy and Avista Utilities try to raise their rates every so often, usually because of supply costs. Such rate hikes have to be approved by Washington's Utilities and Transportation Commission.
This time, rate hikes face a challenge from Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The AG's Office argues: "PSE is requesting significant rate increases. Starting in January, over three years, PSE looks to raise electric rates by $405 million, and gas rates by $215 million. That’s an increase of about $16 per month for electric customers and $12 per month for gas to the average bill. The Attorney General’s Public Counsel Unit believes those increases are not fair, just, and reasonable."
Ferguson adds that, "It's our view, however, that these these increases are so large that they can't be justified and need to be scaled back."
Avista Utilities, which serves the Spokane area, has made a similar request to raise rates. Customers would pay an extra $7 per month for electricity, and an extra $1 per month for gas.
But Ferguson's office argues that these rate hikes would spike PSE's profits by 10%, and Avista's by 9.4%.
Discussions on the rate hikes are not over. Customers can give public comment at hearings in September before the rates take effect.
A public meeting for Avista Utilities customers will be Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. More information on that here.
A public meeting for PSE customers will be Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. More information on that here.
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Pelosi / DelBene Indo-Pacific tour makes sudden stop in Taiwan
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a stop in Taiwan Tuesday while on a tour of the Indo-Pacific. As the Today So Far Blog previously reported, Washington Congresswoman Suzan DelBene is part of the group touring with Pelosi.
The stop in Taiwan was not announced.
Tuesday's visit is the first time a house speaker has made an official trip to Taiwan in 25 years (Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Taiwan in 1997).
A statement from Pelosi's office says that the delegation will be speaking with Taiwan leadership and "will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region."
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Culp alleges election tampering ahead of August primary
It’s primary day in Washington state. Votes have yet to be made or counted, however, one Trump-backed candidate is already trying to cast doubt on the election.
In 2020, Republican Loren Culp ran for governor. He claims, without evidence, that he lost because the election was stolen.
RELATED: Far-right activist visits Washington for Culp fundraiser
This week, he took to Twitter to claim an election law violation in the 4th District, where he’s now running for Congress. Culp posted a screenshot of the Yakima Herald's website that appears to show a vote tally.
And according to state law, results aren't supposed to be released until after 8 p.m., Tuesday (election day).
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Prolonged heat wave kills at least three in Seattle area, sends hundreds to ER
A six-day heat wave, the longest in Seattle history, has killed at least three people in King County, according to preliminary reports from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Another three people have drowned in the county since Thursday.
Two men in Seattle are believed to have succumbed to the heat, and a third man died in Issaquah on Saturday after his body dangerously overheated.
All three were between the ages of 64 and 77. The drowning victims, also all men, ranged in age from 22 to 67.
The scorching days and uncomfortably warm nights at the end of July weren't as extreme as the record-smashing heat in June of last year, which killed more than 1,000 people from Oregon to British Columbia.
But it was the longest heat wave in Seattle history, with the last six days of July 2022 all reaching at least 90 degrees. Portland had seven days in a row with temperatures of 95 degrees or higher.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office says it believes at least 14 people in Oregon have died from heat-related causes in the past week, according to the Associated Press.
Final determinations of causes of death could take months.
Pollution-driven global warming is making heat waves more frequent and more intense around the world, according to climate scientists.
According to the Washington Department of Health, heat-related illness sent more than 240 people to emergency rooms statewide from Monday, July 28, through Friday morning.
At UW Medical Center – Northwest in Seattle, a 90-year-old patient who asked not to be named spent hours recovering in an air-conditioned hospital room while two liters of rehydrating saline solution dripped into her veins on Saturday. She had passed out, overheated and dehydrated, earlier in the day.
The very old, the very young, and people who are pregnant or have chronic medical problems are especially vulnerable to extreme heat.
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If Washington won't back middle housing, Spokane will: Today So Far
- After a statewide middle housing proposal failed in Olympia, Spokane is going with its own plan.
- Researchers in Southern Oregon are uncovering a Northwest history that is not often told.
- PNW breaks hot weather records.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for August 1, 2022.
Spokane is a clever city. I once covered a guy who started a Star Wars church in order to get around city zoning codes. It worked. Now its city council has a plan to address a different kind of hurdle, aiming to avoid the housing woes faced by Seattle and other Northwest cities. For a limited time only, the Lilac City is building middle housing.
"We had never had this problem before in Spokane. For a long time, Spokane had inexpensive — I don't want to say 'cheap' — inexpensive housing," Spokane Councilmember Betsy Wilkerson told KUOW's Joshua McNichols.
But that is changing fast. This might sound familiar to folks in Western Washington communities — the cost of living is rising, fast, around Spokane and folks are being priced out of town, experiencing homelessness. There was an effort during the last legislative session in Olympia to address this problem across the state and allow for cities to build middle housing. It was an attempt to fill in a housing gap. But it failed, so Spokane is taking it upon itself to keep that effort alive. Spokane is allowing the building of middle housing (housing that affordable and generally isn't a giant McMansion or very low-income; it's housing for folks in the middle of that range).
Spokane is still using a lot of the middle housing it already built, generations ago, and it's gorgeous — far superior to anything being built in Seattle these days. Read the full story on Spokane's middle housing, and how it relates to Seattle, here.
Researchers in Southern Oregon are uncovering a Northwest history that is not often told. We often hear a lot about the Oregon Trail and folks of European descent making their way out to these parts, but the region's development during that time had just as much to do with immigrants from China, the Philippines, Japan, the Basque region of Spain, and elsewhere. They built railways, herded sheep, operated canneries, and logged the forests.
A lot of that history has been covered over, literally, as towns where these people lived have been overtaken by nature once again. The Baker White Pine Mill in Grant County, Oregon hasn't been occupied since the 1930s. Now, researchers are digging into the ground, unearthing artifacts, to find what stories are stored beneath the soil.
"We are on an industrial site and we're finding doll arms, marbles, and tea sets. That really brings home this idea that families were part of these early industries in these remote areas," said archaeologist Chelsea Rose. "We need to broaden our understanding of what that looks like."
Northwest News Network's Tom Banse has the full story here.
Did you think I was going to ignore the weather? Sorry, it's too obvious. But at least I didn't lead with it.
The Northwest broke a few hot-weather records over last week's heat wave. Today is the first day that much of the region won't have temperatures above 90 degrees. In fact, the Seattle area set a new record for the most consecutive days above 90 — six days. Portland set a seven-day record for temps above 95. We're going to have a few more days of cooler temps. So enjoy! Read more here.
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Monkeypox outbreak in Washington state 'is not under control'
As of Aug. 1, there have been 145 confirmed cases of monkeypox infection in Washington state, according to the latest from the state's Department of Health. Cases have been doubling every 8-9 days ever since the first reported case in May.
"So clearly, this is an outbreak that is not under control," said Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett, chief science officer for the Washington state Department of Health.
RELATED: Critics say 'monkeypox' is a racist name. But it's not going away anytime soon
Officials say that King County is experiencing the majority of cases, though surrounding counties are seeing confirmed infections. Kwan-Gett said the monkeypox name has created a stigma, so the DOH is calling the contagious infection MPV or MPXV instead.
Most of the cases have been reported by men who have sex with men. But Kwan-Gett notes MPV doesn’t discriminate between sexual orientation, gender, or income. This virus is not a sexually transmitted disease.
“Anybody who has physical contact with another person who has an infectious rash could be infected," Dr. Kwan-Gett said. "It's important to keep in mind that we're not safe from MPV until all of us in our communities are safe from MPV."
That is why MPV vaccines are highly sought after. Doses have been difficult to get, so far.
"But we will be getting more," Dr. Kwan-Gett said, adding that Washington got 3,600 doses last week of the newest vaccine. "And 90% of that allocation went to King County."
That vaccine is called "JYNNEOS," which Kwan-Gett said is the best option right now. He notes that the federal government plans to distribute 800,000 doses of JYNNEOS nationally, soon. It is unknown how much of that shipment will be allocated to Washington.
"And we're very eager for that to happen so that we can be sure to... vaccinate those who've been exposed and those who are at highest risk for for infection," Dr. Kwan-Gett said.
Read more: Monkeypox cases are doubling in Washington, but more vaccines are on the way
Dyer Oxley and Libby Denkmann contributed to this blog post.
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Extreme heat can exacerbate long Covid symptoms
Last week’s scorching temperatures created a range of challenges for people in the Seattle area, including for those experiencing long-term symptoms after a Covid-19 infection, known as long Covid.
“There absolutely is an impact of heat on our patients with long Covid,” said Dr. Janna Friedly, executive director of the UW Medicine Post-Covid Rehabilitation and Recovery Clinic.
Friedly said the heat tends to exacerbate symptoms for her patients.
Susie Rantz, a long covid patient at the post-covid clinic, said that was the case for her. She got Covid-19 very early in the pandemic, in March 2020. Rantz wasn’t hospitalized but she experienced severe chest pain, shortness of breath, a cough, and fatigue.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt that tired in my life,” Rantz said.
She recovered. But the fatigue lingered, as did some other symptoms. Rantz now has issues with her autonomic nervous system, which regulates things like heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, when she stands, her body has a hard time moving blood back up to her brain.
“So now I have blood at my feet that’s not getting to my head, and a racing heart rate when I’m not even doing any exercising.”
When the heat wave hit this past week Rantz said everything got worse. The high temperatures meant bad headaches, more fatigue, and more breathing issues for her.
“I really, as much as possible, tried to sit down ... and tried to find really cool areas,” Rantz said.
Prior to Covid, Rantz didn’t have any health conditions. Now, she said, she has to pay much more attention to her body.
“Knowing that we’re going to have 90-degree temperatures in Seattle for years to come and that’s going to be regular, you have to just think a lot differently about what you can and can’t do,” Rantz said.
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Washington's DelBene joins Pelosi on Indo-Pacific trip
Washington Congresswoman Suzan DelBene is among the delegation joining Speaker Nancy Pelosi on her trip through Asia, specifically the Indo-Pacific region.
DelBene's office says the region is vital, not only to the national economy, but to Washington's as well.
“I’m honored to join Speaker Pelosi and represent Washington state on this delegation," DelBene said in a statement. "Asia is a critically important region to America’s economic and national security interests. It is also vital to Washington state’s economy where roughly 40% of jobs are tied to international trade."
DelBene represents Washington’s 1st Congressional District, which covers northeast King County up through Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties. She is vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee, which, she notes, "shapes trade policy in the House of Representatives."
"I look forward to helping strengthen existing relationships with our allies and trading partners, open new markets for American companies, and level the playing field for American workers," DelBene said. "Forging more resilient and reliable supply chains with trusted partners in Asia is a top priority for me so we can lower costs for consumers and manufacturers here at home.”
RELATED: Pelosi begins Asia tour in Singapore
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July 2022 heat wave sets new PNW records
Another year, another heat wave, and another round of broken records. The Seattle area has set a new record for the most consecutive days with temps over 90 degrees — six days.
The previous record was for five days, set in July 2015 and August 1981. And it's the fifth time Seattle has recorded 95 degree weather three days in a row, according to the National Weather Service.
Seattle hit a high of 95 degrees Sunday, overtaking the previous record for July 31 — 94 degrees set in 2015.
The high temperature for Monday, Aug. 1 is expected to be in the 80s, with things cooling down into the 70s over the week.
Portland set a similar record for seven days in a row above 95 degrees. The previous record was set in 1981.
The National Weather Service has removed its excessive heat warning for the Puget Sound region. A warning remains in effect for much of Eastern Washington, where temperatures could rise into the triple digits yet again.
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As a racial justice activist, NBA great Bill Russell was a legend off the court
Bill Russell, who has died at the age of 88, was more than just a basketball superstar and world-class athlete. As a dedicated human rights activist, Russell fought against racial inequality both in and out of professional sports.
In February 2011, Barack Obama presented Russell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the East Room of the White House. He told those in attendance about Russell's record 11 NBA titles, more than any player in history. All of the championships were playing for the Boston Celtics.
RELATED: Bill Russell, basketball legend with record 11 NBA titles, dies at 88
However, the president was more impressed by Russell's life outside of his athletic accomplishments: marching with Martin Luther King Jr.; standing up for Muhammad Ali; and boycotting a game in Kentucky after his Black teammates were refused service in a coffee shop.
"He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates who he loved better players, and made possible the success of so many who would follow," Obama said in 2011. "And I hope that one day, in the streets of Boston, children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man."
The first game boycott over civil rights
In October 1961, the Boston Celtics were in Lexington, Ky., for a pre-season exhibition game. Before the game, Sam Jones and Tom Sanders, two Black members of the Boston team, were refused service when they tried to grab a bite to eat from the hotel's café.
According to Mark C. Bodanza's biography of Sam Jones, Ten Times a Champion, Jones and Sanders walked away humiliated and angry. The two bumped into Russell and K.C. Jones on the way back to their hotel rooms and explained what had happened in the café.
The four men brought the news to Celtics Coach Red Auerbach, who rang the hotel management about the incident. Though the players were eventually given permission to eat at the hotel, they wanted nothing to do with the establishment and chose to fly home.
It was the first boycotting of a game over a civil rights protest, according to the Basketball Network. When the players landed back in Boston, they were welcomed by a predominantly white crowd that supported their decision.
Russell told reporters the following day, per Bodanza: "We've got to show our disapproval of this kind of treatment or else the status quo will prevail. We have the same rights and privileges as anyone else and deserve to be treated accordingly. I hope we never have to go through this abuse again. But if it happens, we won't hesitate to take the same action again."
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