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
-
Violent crime rose in WA in 2021 – yet crime fell overall
Washington state’s latest crime statistics show a 12.3% increase in violent crime in 2021 over the previous year, and a record number of murders at 325. Hate crimes and other offenses also increased.
But law enforcement agencies reported a surprising decrease in offenses overall.
Steven Strachan, who heads the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, said at a press conference this week that the decrease was driven by some singular events in the past two years.
“Interestingly, total crime statistically went down slightly,” he said. “And that was due in part to an almost 79% decrease in identity theft and fraud. And that was related specifically to the tremendous spike in 2020 that we saw in unemployment fraud cases related to the pandemic.”
The state also had a 60% reduction in drug offenses last year. That was the result of the Washington Supreme Court’s “Blake” ruling in February 2021, which for a time put an end to arrests for simple drug possession.
While property crime decreased very slightly overall (1.8%), car thefts were up 27% in 2020 and theft of automobile parts increased 100%. Strachan said those incidents were concentrated in certain parts of the state.
“The trends we’re seeing — and we’re seeing this both in data and I’m also hearing this from chiefs and sheriffs — is that certain regions, Yakima, Tri-Cities, Pierce County, Seattle, parts of Snohomish, Clark… are really seeing a more intense rise in motor vehicle theft.”
But Strachan said those harder-hit communities could see more resources to address the trend. He said state lawmakers approved funding for those regions to do more aggressive investigation, and launch more prevention efforts.
The crime report also highlights the departure of 495 sworn law enforcement officers statewide, for a decline of 4.4% in a state that Strachan said was already the lowest-staffed in the nation.
Strachan said the informal feedback he’s getting indicates some departures stem from normal retirements. Other officers cite frustration with new state laws, a lack of facilities to accept people in behavioral health crisis, and a feeling that they can’t satisfy the expectations of crime victims.
“They don’t have the ability to provide justice for victims when they charge somebody with a crime and prosecutors too frequently don’t charge that crime, or they charge it with something lesser and they plea it out. That’s a real frustration across our state for many of our jurisdictions,” Strachan said.
He said staffing shortages seem to be a bit less acute in Eastern Washington compared to Western Washington, but noted that it’s a “gross generalization.”
Continue reading » -
The PNW's reemerging geekonomy: Today So Far
We're living in a different pandemic era than before. Events and social activities are reemerging. How are you navigating public and social interactions?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 21, 2022.
We're gonna have some decisions to make. And it's going to come down to you and me. The pandemic isn't quite the same as before. But it's still a pandemic, and while some folks can return to "normal," others cannot. Which is basically what Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said at a White House briefing.
"We should not let it disrupt our lives. But we cannot deny that it is a reality that we need to deal with ... the good news is that we have the tools to do this," he said.
That remark sticks in my mind as I think about the re-emerging geekonomy.
The "geekonomy" is my word for our region's somewhat under-the-radar scene of fans, pop culture aficionados, and other nerds who gather at conventions, trade, sell, cosplay, and more. And it's a big deal. It's a community. Though, considerations for such events are akin to all other activities folks are looking forward to, from summer BBQs to concerts, and state fairs.
“We’re excited to dip our toes back in and get the geekonomy back up and going," Mike Seibert said of CybFest NW that is happening this Saturday at the Kent Commons Community Center.
“It is a Transformers convention by the fans, for the fans, with a Northwest twist," he said, listing the indie artists who draw robots in disguise, and vendors selling hard-to-find toys. There are also panels and guests. Mike not only volunteers for CybFest NW, he also produces the Mike Seibert Radio Show Podcast, which talks a lot about Transformers. As such, he also has a panel at the event.
This local Transformers community has been active since the 1990s, so when the pandemic first struck in 2020, it was a bit of a blow. Mike says that CybFest NW was one of the first conventions to "roll with the punches." It went virtual in 2020 and organized online toy sales. CybFest NW is back this year and is following King County guidelines, which do not require proof-of-vaccination or masking. Still, Mike notes that it won't be at full capacity. The tables will be more spread out. One guest this year will participate virtually. Masks will be available. Loading-dock doors will be open for airflow.
“Fans are excited. I think we are excited for ... somewhat of a return to normalcy. It’s still not at 100% full capacity,” he said. “But the vibe is good. The feeling is good. The response on social media has been really good … there are folks who will be attending this for the first time.”
Mike tells me that, for him, CybFest NW is the right size for nerding out. The upcoming Emerald City Comic Con in August, however, is still too big of an event for his comfort level. ECCC's most recent health guidelines do not require proof-of-vaccination or a negative Covid test. Masks are optional. The other big convention in our region, Portland's Rose City Comic Con in September, won't be requiring proof-of-vaccination, but it will be requiring CDC-approved masks.
Dr. Pavitra Roychoudhury with the UW Virology Lab tells KUOW's Seattle Now that she is participating in some activities, like traveling, but still maintains precautions such as wearing a mask in crowded, poorly ventilated areas. She's avoiding indoor dining right now as Covid case levels are high. She understands that a lot of people have pandemic fatigue after two years and are eager to get out and about.
Continue reading » -
Thanks 'Junuary': No more drought for Washington state
Washington's Department of Ecology has canceled a drought declaration for Central and Eastern Washington.
Officials say that this year had the second-wettest stretch of May-through-June weather since 1895. That has left water supplies and conditions in much better shape than expected. That's good news considering that spring 2021 was the second driest on record.
“Conditions have improved," said Jeff Marti, Ecology’s statewide drought coordinator. "All areas of the state, including the five watersheds specified in the drought declaration, have received significantly above-normal precipitation. The outlook is much better than forecast back in May.”
“Conditions have been anything but drought-like,” he said. “We’ve experienced one of the wettest, coldest springs in recent memory. While the ‘Juneuary’ put a damper on gardening and outdoor activities, it provided a dramatic recovery for water supplies.”
The U.S. Drought Monitor said as of July 12, some sections of Douglas, Grant, Okanogan, Kittitas, and Yakima counties were the only ones dealing with a "moderate drought." The rest of the state was either listed as "abnormally dry" or not dealing with any form of drought.
DOE notes that a drought is declared when water supply levels are below 75% of normal in an area. That's what is written in state law. The Colville River, for example, is 86% of normal right now.
Continue reading » -
Bellevue lawmaker says housing will be big focus of next session
Rising home prices and inflation are making it difficult for people to find – or keep – a home in Washington state. That's why one state legislator believes housing will be a big focus of the next legislative session.
Democratic Senator Patty Kuderer from Bellevue chairs the Senate Housing Committee. She says while the Legislature works with local governments to push incentives, it’s also up to the state to create policies that incentivize affordable housing.
“In other words, let's see densification, large multi-unit developments near mass transit centers," Kuderer said. "For example, let's eliminate exclusionary zoning to allow for the development of accessory dwelling units and detached accessory dwelling units. I think that that is something that we're definitely taking a look at.”
Kuderer says the state Legislature is looking into streamlining the building permit process, and giving a homestead exemption to keep seniors and disabled people housed.
Homestead protection laws are intended to prevent homeowners from becoming homeless in the event of extreme financial hardship.
Continue reading » -
Wildfire smoke injures Eddie Vedder's throat; Pearl Jam cancels Vienna show
Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder came away from a performance in Europe with a damaged throat, due to wildfire smoke and dust that was lingering in the air.
The band had performed at an outdoor venue near Paris. According to a statement from the band, the heat, dust, and smoke prompted Vedder to see a doctor after the show.
"He has seen doctors and had treatment but as of yet, his vocal cords have not recovered," the band said in a statement.
"This is brutal news and horrible timing…for everyone involved."
Pearl Jam is cancelling a show in Vienna this week. Fans will get ticket refunds.
"As a band, we are deeply sorry and have tried to find options to still play. And Ed wants to play. There’s just no throat available at this time," the statement reads. "So very, very deeply sorry."
France, and other parts of Europe, have been experiencing massive wildfires and heat waves. More heat waves are expected.
Continue reading » -
Don't bring fried chicken into a newsroom: Today So Far
- The Everett Herald staff has formed a union.
- Nobody wants to come into work on Fridays. Why?
- Some Covid news, and some good vaccine news.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 20, 2022.
I am not a superstitious person, but I do have one journalism superstition: You should never bring fried chicken into a newsroom. Bad things will happen. Rotisserie is OK. Tandoori is great. But never fried.
This stems from a fried chicken incident at a newspaper I worked at years ago. The company had staved off employee concerns about economic downturns, and industry woes, until a big staff meeting. Management provided big buckets of fried chicken and cups of juice, spread across big tables. And it was during this fried feast that they informed everybody that there would be layoffs. Midbite into a leg with grease running down their hands was when people learned that staff was being trimmed.
Now, I was not personally there for this incident — I worked with those who were — but I was for the trimmed down aftermath. I was there when an HR manager came through our office to tell us that while our insurance coverage would be going down, we'd be paying more out of our paychecks for it. However, they brought in a private, supplemental insurance representative, in case we wanted to pay even more to make up the difference. For that meeting, they only brought in bagels and juice. I figured that while the news was bad, it wasn't fried-chicken-losing-your-job bad. So among a handful of us in the newsroom, we figured fried chicken was an omen of sorts. It was like bringing a banana on a boat — don't do it.
I was also there for the many nights I worked so late, racing toward a morning deadline, that I slept under the conference room table (eventually, somebody got me a cot). I was there when I reported on a local food bank, only to go back inside for myself once the interview was done. I could go on. But the main point: it was a lot of work, on top of more work, at well below a living wage.
This all came to mind yesterday when I read that the staff at the Everett Herald has decided to form a union, demanding "fair working conditions, comprehensive benefits and a livable wage." Employees are asking the company to voluntarily recognize their union.
The Herald is owned by the same company I once worked for (so I'm not entirely without bias here). It owns most local newspapers throughout Washington, and there are a lot of us former employees, in this region, who have traded similar stories. I haven't spoken too publicly about my experience back then, because it's a little bittersweet. I am grateful for that job, despite the gripes. It offered me an entrance into a career that I am passionate about and I am proud of the work I did there. I love the communities I reported in. And I love the people I worked with, and I don't want to burn those who are working there now.
I don't know the up-close situation at the Herald. But I do know that there is an immense (often overlooked) value of local, community journalism. Which is why it is important to support it, and the people working so hard to keep it going. You shouldn't have to sleep under the conference table to get the job done, and earn so little. Read more on the Today So Far Blog.
Nobody wants to be in the office on Fridays. That's the conclusion of Abha Bhattarai, economics correspondent for The Washington Post, who recently took a deep dive into the hybrid worklife that has become more and more popular these days. Folks are still working. They just don't want to be in the office to do it. This is especially true for employees who only need an internet connection to do the job.
"Once people settle in to their hybrid work schedules it turns out that there is a universal truth out there, which is that everybody wants to work from home on Fridays," Bhattarai told KUOW's Soundside. "We're seeing that play out in office buildings around the country and it's really changing they way employers think about Fridays, and it's also changing larger patterns in the community. Lunch spots are finding they are empty on Fridays. Parking garages are emptier."
She also looked at one corporation as a case study and found that about 30% of employees were swiping their badges on Friday, compared to about 50% midweek. Mondays are also commonly used as at-home days, but Friday is the big one. Hear Bhattarai's full conversation with Soundside here.
If you look at the map of Washington state on the Department of Health's Covid dashboard, it's just a big blob of red, meaning that cases are "high" right now in just about every county. In King County, cases are still high but have been on the decline over the past week, by 4%. On average, King County is reporting 893 new cases each day.
Continue reading » -
King County declares fentanyl a public health crisis
King County’s record-breaking number of fentanyl overdoses has prompted the county council to declare a public health crisis. This year 268 people have died so far — a 46 percent increase compared to this time last year, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office Overdose Dashboard.
Council members say the goal is to sound the alarm and find solutions.
“It is an issue, that sadly, the trajectory is still very much going up,” said Council member Reagan Dunn, who sponsored the legislation.
Most of the recent fentanyl overdoses and deaths have been linked to illegally manufactured opioids. It’s a synthetic drug that’s fast-acting, addictive, and highly potent.
"I've been working on this a long, long time. And this is unprecedented,” said Caleb Banta-Green, principal research scientist with the University of Washington’s Addictions, Drug, and Alcohol Institute. He said the county has several promising programs that work and can be scaled up.
“Those are programs that combine harm reduction, that is providing services and supplies,” explained Banta-Green, “where people are incredibly engaging, where people are treated kindly and well and not judged for their substance use, and given services to keep them alive today.”
Banta-Green added that the harm-reduction programs need to be expanded to meet the growing need. He said those programs also need to be combined and co-located with services that provide addiction treatment, mental health care and medical care, and made more accessible in a "low-barrier" way.
According to Banta-Green, about 80% of people who would benefit from those interventions are not able to access them. But he also pointed out that not everyone who comes in for harm reduction may want treatment right then. He wants to ensure that the services are available when they're ready.
"I think we can all agree that we want to keep people alive," he said. "And that for people currently using drugs we need to do everything we can to engage them and give them a safe place to be and people to connect to."
It’s now up to the County Executive Office and Public Health to develop response strategies.
Continue reading » -
Vaccine boosters provide defense against severe Covid, new study finds
Vaccine boosters can help a person fend off severe Covid illnesses, according to a new study out of UW Medicine.
The most recent pandemic news is that current subvariants of omicron are really good at evading immune response. In other words, the virus is able to get around our body's defenses, even after previous infection or being vaccinated. This is especially true with BA.5, an omicron subvariant that is the dominant version throughout the United States. BA.5 has evolved so much since the original strain that our current immunity is not well aligned to fight it as well as before.
RELATED: Coronavirus variants "evade immunity." Here's what that means
It's important to note that your body will still fight the virus, eventually. But it's like it gets a late start since omicron gets around immunity so well.
The new lab study out of UW Medicine shows that vaccine boosters stopped severe Covid infection. Basically, boosters brought up antibody levels enough that, while a person could still get sick, they weren't aren't as likely to come down with a severe case.
Researchers used blood samples of people who had been infected and who had been vaccinated, and boosted. They put those samples up against the current variant. They used seven vaccines that are available around the world, including the options used in the United States.
Researchers also found that the omicron BA.5 subvariant is about six times stronger in its ability to infect cells, which would explain why it is far more contagious than previous versions. Previous infection did not stand up well against it. Vaccinated, but not boosted, did better. And vaccinated plus boosted samples offered strong protection against severe disease.
According to UW Medicine: “The marked improvement in plasma neutralizing activity for subjects that received a booster dose over those that did not highlights the importance of vaccine boosters for eliciting potent neutralizing antibody responses against omicron sublineages.”
Or, putting it plainly, boosters offer a great defense against these new troublesome variants.
Continue reading » -
Gino Betts named new civilian head of police accountability office
On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced his pick for the new civilian head of the police accountability office.
Gino Betts will step into his new role on August first.
Betts will investigate cases of officer misconduct and recommend discipline to the police chief.
In a public forum in Seattle last month, Betts criticized police union contracts for shielding officers from discipline.
"Police accountability should not be negotiated in a labor negotiation agreement," Betts said at the time.
Seattle’s police union is currently negotiating a new contract with the city. Betts said he was unsure what role, if any, he’d play in these negotiations. But he said police unions across the country have used their labor contracts to undermine accountability measures.
Betts has previously been an attorney with Chicago’s police accountability agency. He currently serves as an assistant state’s attorney for Cook County.
Continue reading » -
'Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel': Today So Far
- A special project leads to a new book for Dungeons & Dragons.
- The August primary is right around the corner and it's heating up.
- New legal action in the wake of Seattle's CHOP.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 19, 2022.
Little fact about me: When I'm not writing newsletters for KUOW, sometimes, I'm a rogue. More specifically, I'm a half-elf, inquisitive rogue with a background in sailing (piracy) who goes by the name "John McClane." Also, I can sprout giant raven wings and fly around when needed. Which comes in handy when you're adventuring through Godswood, a large expanse between the regions of Kjarn and the Red Vale.
John McClane is my Dungeons and Dragons character. The world he lives in is more than a game. It's a story, on par with any fantasy novel you can pull off a shelf, and it unfolds in real time, as you play it. That's the draw of D&D for a lot of people — you're playing a novel. You're experiencing a story beyond words on a page. So it makes sense that D&D has always published its own line of books; stories players can further incorporate into the game.
One such book debuts today: "Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel." It's the result of two years of writing entirely by BIPOC players.
"If you watch a movie and you see a character who's POC, you might identify with that character, and it might feel good to have that representation," Justice Arman told KUOW. "It's very different to play a game and step into someone's shoes and be in their world to be able to interact with it."
The book presents 13 short stories, which can further be used in D&D games at home. Arman said the stories draw inspiration from New York, a place many different people come to, and live together. Read/hear Arman's conversation with KUOW, and more, here.
Washington's August primary is right around the corner and we will be choosing a new secretary of state. As odd as it sounds, this race will be a bit dramatic. Faith in our elections has become an issue this year.
Kim Wyman was a generally well-liked Secretary of State in Washington. But she left the role shortly after her re-election to take a job with the Biden administration. It shook things up in a few ways. Wyman was the only Republican holding a statewide elected position on the West Coast. Gov. Jay Inslee replaced her with a Democrat, Steve Hobbs. But it's a temp position, until voters can choose a candidate to finish the rest of Wyman's term.
Hobbs is highlighting the online ecosystem of misinformation, and disinformation, along with international cyber threats as major issues in his campaign. Those issues echo Wyman's campaign (she literally wrote the book on this stuff). Republican Mark Miloscia says only he can get Republicans and Democrats to work together and restore voter confidence in the system. Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson is running without a party, because she believes party politics don't belong in the secretary of state's office. Those are just three out of eight candidates going for the job, including four Republicans, two Democrats, and a couple others.
Voters will determine who made the best case on August 2, when two candidates will move forward to the November election. Northwest News Network's Austin Jenkins has the full story here.
There have been dueling perspectives over CHOP, the protest zone that took over a corner of Seattle's Capitol Hill in 2020. To some, it was a peaceful social justice demonstration about inequality and policing. To others, it was a failure that resulted in shootings and deaths of Black teenagers. And there are opinions that exist between those perspectives. The city has been sued multiple times in the wake of CHOP.
Continue reading » -
GOP activists ready to spy on Washington ballot drop boxes to 'guard the vote'
Voters turning in their ballots around Washington state for the upcoming August primary may have a few extra eyes on them this year.
The Seattle Times first reported on the drop box watch program. Emailed questions to the group behind the program were not immediately answered.
RELATED: Trump's revenge targets Washington state's 2022 primary elections
RELATED: Spending and ads ramp up ahead of Washington's August primary
Since the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump and many of his supporters have fanned false claims of stolen elections and massive voter fraud. Now comes the 2022 election and evidence of that deep mistrust is on display.
In Washington state, with the August 2 primary approaching, a group calling itself "Guard The Vote" is recruiting volunteers to sign up for its Drop Box Watch Program. Citing the election fraud movie "2000 Mules," the group says it wants to surveil ballot drop boxes to watch for “suspicious activity” including people “dumping an inordinate amount of ballots.”
Mary Hall, the auditor in Thurston County, calls the situation unfortunate and says she’s concerned about voter intimidation. Meanwhile, King County Elections says it’s gotten reports of signs being placed near drop boxes saying surveillance is underway.
In Washington, there’s no prohibition against dropping off another person’s ballot for them. Furthermore, all voters must sign a voter declaration on their ballot envelope under penalty of law. Before the ballot is counted, that signature is matched to the voter signature that’s on file.
King County's election department issued a statement Tuesday evening that said it's removing the signs and asking the sheriff's office to investigate.
This story has been updated.
Continue reading » -
Random Covid testing begins at 4 Canadian airports
Officials at four of Canada's major airports are going to start issuing random, mandatory, Covid tests for international travelers, starting today.
The program for fully vaccinated travelers was suspended last month so the government could move some of the testing offsite and reduce long delays at the airport, according to the CBC.
But the random testing has resumed for international travelers who fly through the airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal.
Selected travelers should receive an email notification within 15 minutes of passing through customs. Those who test positive will have to isolate themselves for 10 days.
And those who test negative, but start experiencing Covid-19 symptoms will still need to isolate for the same length of time.
Continue reading »