KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
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Stories
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What's the deal with the word 'insurrection'?
Some of us at KUOW have received feedback over our use of the term "insurrection" while referring to the events on Jan. 6, 2021. The general pushback is that the term is "hyperbolic." I also use "mob," "attack," and "riot" — all aptly describe what happened that day at the Capitol. So does "insurrection."
Whether it's this definition, or that definition, an insurrection basically comes down to a violent attack on a government or authority. Merriam-Webster notes that an "insurrection" implies "an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds." People were armed with weapons. And people died as a result of this attack on our government and our democracy. Add that up, and that's why I call it an "insurrection."
Now, just because they weren't good at it, doesn't mean it wasn't an insurrection. Just because the Mariners don't win a game, doesn't mean they aren't playing baseball. The Son'a never were successful in overtaking the Ba'ku, but the film is still called "Star Trek: Insurrection."
I've also asked my KUOW colleagues for their thoughts on this. KUOW's News Director Gigi Douban points to NPR's policy on the matter, which states: "By definition, 'insurrection,' and its derivative, 'insurgency,' are accurate. 'Riot' and 'mob' are equally correct. While these words are not interchangeable, they are all suitable when describing Jan. 6."
I hope that helps explain the considerations that take place behind the reporting.
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Louie Louie's NW connection: Did You Know?
In the 1980s, there was a small movement to make “Louie Louie” Washington's official state song (I previously wrote about Washington’s actual state song). The effort didn’t get far, but it showed how connected the region feels to this song.
The fervent support for “Louie Louie” around here is part of a bigger story about Richard Berry. Berry was a songwriter out of Los Angeles. As far as I can tell, he didn’t have any connections with the Northwest. But his work took root around here. His 1957 song “Louie Louie” (which itself was based on “El Loco Cha Cha”) was covered by Tacoma's Rockin Robin Roberts in 1961. That popular version inspired recordings by Portland's Paul Revere and the Raiders and The Kingsmen in 1963. Both bands actually recorded their separate versions in the same studio, a day apart. You most likely know The Kingsmens’ version with the keyboard intro. Despite this song being one of the most recorded in history, Berry received little credit and compensation for writing it until a court settlement in the 1980s.
That’s not the only Berry song that flourished in the Northwest. He also wrote and recorded “Have Love, Will Travel” in 1959. You may know it by the version that The Sonics (of Tacoma) recorded in 1965.
This post originally appeared KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 23, 2022.
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Jimi Hendrix's first gig in Seattle: Did You Know?
Jimi Hendrix’s first gig as a musician was at a Jewish temple in Seattle that is still there today ... sort of.
Hendrix was known to frequent a club outside of Seattle called the Spanish Castle (which he wrote a song about). He picked up a thing or two there, musically, and was inspired to perform. That inspiration led to his first gig with an unnamed group in the Jaffe Room at Temple De Hirsch located at Union Street and 15th Avenue sometime in the late 1950s. Apparently, he was fired between sets because he was showing off too much. Obviously, he didn’t give up there.
The physical temple building where Jimi performed was torn down in 1993, but the congregation is still located on the block with an updated building. The Temple De Hirsch congregation goes back to 1899. The modern Temple De Hirsch Sinai is the largest Reform congregation in the Northwest.
This Did You Know segment originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 24, 2022.
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The highway to the danger zone passes through the NW
The summer movie blockbuster season kicks off this weekend with the release of a sequel to the 1980s hit "Top Gun." And Northwest moviegoers may see some familiar Puget Sound scenery in the background.
"Top Gun: Maverick" brings actor Tom Cruise back to his role as the ace Navy fighter pilot.
Cruise reportedly insisted on filming the aerial action in real fighter jets and rejected using computer-generated imagery. So Paramount Pictures struck an agreement with the Navy. A copy, first obtained by the website The War Zone, shows Cruise and company set up shop at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in spring 2019. It was hush-hush at the time, but now the results are on-screen.
Whidbey Island Navy Growler jets fly fast and low through the Cascade Mountains, swooping over reservoirs, snow-capped ridges and dodging peaks.
In the movie, this climactic footage is presented as a secret mission against an unnamed rogue state. But now you know, it's really the scenic but noisy, low-level flight training routes long used by the military in the Northwest.
Read more here.
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Where has Seattle's tree canopy gone?: Today So Far
- People throughout Western Washington are giving up their pets, and local shelters are running out of room.
- As costs of living get tighter, expanded SNAP benefits come to an end.
- Think of an area the size of Seattle's Green Lake Park. That's roughly the space of tree canopy that Seattle lost.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for March 1, 2023.
Happy February 29! Just kidding. That joke is probably on par with saying, "See you next year" on Dec. 31, but sometimes I can't resist, and you have to suffer.
People throughout Western Washington are giving up their pets, and local shelters are running out of room. Seattle Humane Society expected to receive nearly 4,500 animals so far in 2023, but instead, it has taken in about 7,000.
"On average we'll have 100 requests in our inbox and we're receiving about 50 voicemails a day,” Jess Charlton, intake manager at Seattle Humane, told KUOW about the trend of pet surrenders.
The trend is an indication of economic strains elsewhere in society. The price of pet food is up, for example. Other situations have emerged over recent months, such as cutting costs to accommodate rises in rent, or moving in with relatives where their pet can't come along.
"No one's here because they want to,” Charlton said. “Honestly, often we hear it's like the saddest day of their life and so we hold a lot of space for grief and trauma that's occurring for that person and the pet."
If you've ever thought about fostering a pet, or adopting one yourself, now would be a good time to act. Read the full story here.
As such costs of living get tighter, expanded SNAP benefits have come to an end as of today.
SNAP is a federal program that helps provide food to families in need. Amid the pandemic, families received an extra $95 each month to buy food. Recent surveys from UW and WSU indicate that food insecurity is persisting in Washington state. SNAP and food banks are most often used to mitigate that issue.
“It’s not a time to cut back investments,” said Sen. Patty Murray on a recent trip to Food Lifeline’s warehouse in Seattle’s South Park. “It’s actually a time to make sure we are doing what we need for the future and investing more.”
The end of expanded SNAP benefits is the latest impact as pandemic-era measures fade away. In October, many of Washington state's pandemic safety nets were phased out. Food banks began bracing for increased demand back then. Read more here.
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Emerald City keeps losing its greenery
Seattle has lost an area of trees about the size of Green Lake, or 1.7% of its tree canopy, since 2016.
A new report from the city’s Office of Sustainability and Environment says poorer, disadvantaged neighborhoods lost the most tree cover.
Most of the 255 acres of trees lost from 2016 to 2021 seemed to stem from aging and dying trees, not real-estate development, according to the report.
The shade of urban trees can lower local temperatures and help the neighborhoods they’re in withstand extreme heat waves. Lower-income neighborhoods tend to have fewer trees than their wealthier counterparts.
RELATED: Heat wave could hit Seattle area neighborhoods differently
According to the latest aerial imagery and LiDAR surveys by the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Lab, 28% of the Emerald City is covered in trees.
Seattle has a goal of 30% tree coverage, equitably distributed citywide.
City officials especially want to establish more shade trees in disadvantaged neighborhoods as the world’s climate keeps heating up.
More extensive shade could both protect vulnerable populations and reduce strain on the region’s electrical grid from the use of energy-intensive air conditioners.
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Half of downtown Seattle office workers have returned
About half of Seattle's downtown office workers have now returned to the office, when compared to pre-pandemic levels.
According to the latest assessment from the Downtown Seattle Association, or DSA, 51% of downtown employees have returned to the office Tuesday through Thursday, the most common in-office days.
The data reflects numbers as of May, when Amazon began requiring its employees to come into the office three days per week (the region's traffic has notably suffered at the same time). The downtown association says that this is the highest level of downtown office workers since 2019, before the pandemic.
RELATED SERIES: Downtown Seattle reimagined as it emerges from the pandemic
In April, the association reported that downtown was averaging 73,000 visits each day. The May numbers show an up tick to 87,919 visits.
Ridership on Metro buses into downtown have gone up 22% since May 2022, an increase of about 1,500 riders per day.
The DSA, and local business owners, have long pushed for downtown companies to bring workers back to offices, and in turn, bring their dollars. Currently, there are roughly 2,000 shops and other organizations open for business downtown.
“Workers returning to downtown benefits not only the restaurants and businesses who cater to them, but also residents, tourists and area families, even visitors who only stop by on occasion,” Chef Ethan Stowell said in a statement. “Downtown has historically been a vibrant social and commercial hub, and the presence of our guests, friends and neighbors is the best way to ensure the continued health of our community. People have always been what makes our city great!”
RELATED: South Lake Union businesses welcome Amazon workers' return to office
Visitors have also prompted a rise in downtown foot traffic. The DSA's May count states that 2.5 million people visited Seattle's core, which is about 92% of May 2019 numbers.
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Seattle Children’s relaxing mask rules
Seattle Children's Hospital has relaxed their masking rules for patients and families.
It's the latest in a string of local hospitals to move away from universal masking requirements after a recent downward trend in Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
Unlike some other institutions, Children's will still require staff to mask up when providing patient care, with a few exceptions.
But, as of Thursday, face coverings have largely become optional for patients, families, and visitors.
A hospital spokesperson said in a statement that masks will continue to be recommended for everyone, despite the fact that they’re no longer mandated.
“Our top priority is the health and safety of our patients, their families and our workforce. Following a review of COVID-19 transmission indicators and conversations with healthcare partners across the region, Seattle Children’s is making changes to its masking policy,” the statement said.
“Going forward, our workforce will continue to wear masks when providing patient care, with a few exceptions. Masks will be recommended for everyone to help prevent the spread of infection. Anyone who is symptomatic will be required to wear a mask.”
Not everyone will feel the same way about the newly relaxed rules. For some, it may be a welcome change.
But for Thekla Richter, an immune-compromised parent of a Children’s patient, it's disappointing.
"I'm a little scared for my own health,” Richter said.
“I'm going to continue to take my child to the appointments that I have scheduled for them. But I don't love that that means I'm taking additional risks for my own health."
Richter said a minor infection for some, may be dangerous for someone like her.
She also worries for the patients at Children's who are at higher risk of infection or severe outcomes from viral respiratory illnesses like Covid-19.
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Prosecutors will seek death penalty for University of Idaho murder case
Prosecutors in Idaho have announced that they will seek the death penalty for Bryan Kohberger, the man suspected of killing four University of Idaho students last fall.
New documents filed by the Latah County Prosecutor’s office in Moscow state that the circumstances of the stabbings meet multiple state codes for pursuing the death penalty.
Kohberger will be in court this week as his defense team argues for more time to review the evidence amassed by the prosecution. More than 10,000 photographs and 51 terabytes of digital materials have been submitted in the case. Kohberger’s trial is scheduled for October 2.
Northwest Public Broadcasting's Lauren Patterson has the full story here.
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Why isn't wildfire smoke lingering over Washington state?
Wildfires are raging in British Columbia, Oregon, and Idaho, but Washingtonians are still breathing easy, with fresh, clean air.
Why?
That’s because of wind: Fresh ocean air from the Pacific is blowing over Washington state.
“We're getting a lot of onshore flow, westerly flow,” said Beth Friedman, an atmospheric scientist and the lead air quality modeler and forecaster with the state’s ecology department. “It’s pushing any smoke that's present to the east.”
“We're not seeing it above us,” she added. “It's not hanging out aloft in the atmosphere and contributing to nice sunsets or anything like that. It's just moving away.”
That pattern should last through the week.
But we’re not out of the woods yet. The hot, dry conditions statewide could set the groundwork for bad wildfires in August and September.
RELATED: Drought conditions lead to several new, large fires in WA, OR
“I’d just continue to urge people to be careful of anything that could start a fire,” Friedman said. “We want to keep the air quality as good as it can be. And so, yeah, continue to practice vigilance and be really careful out there when you're recreating.”
If fires start in eastern Washington, and the wind shifts, the region's summer of clear skies could come to an end.
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WA Supreme Court preserves transit fare checks but cites privacy concerns
In the decision “State v. Meredith” Thursday, the Washington Supreme Court found that a man was "unlawfully seized" by Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies while riding Community Transit, when they detained him for fare evasion in 2018.
Zachery Meredith filed a motion saying he was “unlawfully seized when he was contacted by the Deputy and ordered off the bus, as the deputy lacked reasonable suspicion that a crime had been committed.” Meredith was taken off the bus when he could not show deputies a ticket or ORCA card. He was subsequently arrested and convicted of a gross misdemeanor for providing a false name to police.
Justices said they rejected the method of fare enforcement used in Meredith’s case, citing constitutional privacy rights and the “known, racially disproportionate impact of such fare enforcement practices.” However, in writing the lead decision Justice Mary Yu said it does not “strike down any statute permitting designated persons to request proof of fare payment on barrier-free transit systems.”
Tobin Klusty, Meredith’s attorney, said the court’s recognition that law enforcement can’t seize people without suspicion of criminal activity is good news for Washington residents.
“This is not a decision that leads to the end of public transportation in any way, shape, or form,” Klusty said. “Really what it’s focusing on is the use of law enforcement to interact with the public in this particular way.”
The court’s ruling was fractured, and lacked a majority opinion.
Nathan Sugg, with the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office, said the various opinions contain “suggestions” about fair transit enforcement, but stop short of prohibiting law enforcement from being involved in transit fare enforcement.
“The transit authorities will set those rules, they’ll decide what fare enforcement looks like in the future,” said Sugg, who defended the state against Meredith's appeal. “This case says that the current practices are within the bounds of the Washington State Constitution.”
The court’s lead opinion highlighted examples of regional agencies use of civilian “ambassadors” rather than law enforcement, saying that process does not present the same privacy concerns when performed by civilians.
Justice Yu wrote, “People must pay for transit or can be ejected. However, in this case, Meredith was asked for proof of payment by law enforcement officers, who then identified and arrested him using resources that no civilian conducting fare enforcement could have accessed.”
Community Transit maintains a contract with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, but in a statement the agency’s CEO Ric Ilgenfritz said it also relies on civilian ambassadors:
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Seattle and King County need a new leader for region's Homelessness Authority
King County and the city of Seattle are joining forces to find the next leader of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.
The previous and original CEO, Marc Dones, stepped down in June after leading the agency for a couple of years. Now, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and King County Executive Dow Constantine have announced plans to create a new CEO search committee this week.
"The Regional Homelessness Authority is in a moment of transition, which affords an opportunity for us to look at where it has been and, more importantly, what it needs to succeed," Executive Constantine said in a statement.
The goal is to conduct interviews in December and select a new CEO by early 2024.
RELATED: With CEO's resignation, what's next for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority?
There are also plans to create a second committee that will make recommendations to improve the agency's oversight and accountability by September.
Some service providers have accused the organization of being slow to fund their efforts. The KCRHA has also postponed its plan to redistribute tens of millions of dollars for homeless services.
The proposal to start both efforts will be voted on by KCRHA's governing committee on July 20.
“Effective solutions to our region’s homelessness crisis require strong leadership and sustainable countywide collaboration — now is the appropriate time to reassess how the governing committee and implementation board can best support the authority in fulfilling its task of developing a coordinated regional homelessness response system,” Mayor Harrell said in a statement. “The recommendations these leaders provide will help strengthen the efforts of the authority and, most importantly, help more people suffering from homelessness come indoors with the services needed to get well.”
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