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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Sound Transit's pick for its next CEO is ...
Sound Transit's board has announced Julie Timm as its nominee for the next CEO of the transportation agency.
Timm is being celebrated by transit advocacy group Transportation Choices Coalition as a people-first leader who has worked in the industry for 20 years.
“Julie Timm is a seasoned, people-first transit professional with experience leading values-oriented teams toward equitable outcomes,” said Alex Hudson, TCC's executive director. “Transportation Choices Coalition congratulates the Sound Transit CEO Committee for an excellent selection to lead our region. We look forward to working with her to navigate the tough challenges and bright opportunities ahead to build on the promises of regional mass transit and a rider-centric system.”
She currently leads the Greater Richmond Transit Company, in Virginia.
The Sound Transit board will take a final vote on whether to confirm her on June 23. Sound Transit's CEO job pays between $300,000 and $400,000.
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Oregon nonprofits ask for a $100M to address white supremacy
A group of Oregon nonprofits are asking the Biden administration to invest the funds in programs that address white supremacy in the state.
OPB’s April Ehrlich reports that seven Oregon-based nonprofits sent a letter to the Biden administration, asking the president to invest funds into two main areas — federal investigations and prosecutions, and social and health programs through community-based organizations.
Tony DeFalco, Executive Director of the Latino Network, said the letter was prompted by this year’s deadly mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.
"These recent events have communities of color really feeling on edge," DeFalco said. "This level of volatility and vulnerability is urgent and demands action from our federal government."
Oregon ranks sixth in the nation for the number of violent extremist attacks over the last decade, according to a report by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office.
Read the full story here.
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Space gets dirty, thanks to the Yakima Valley
If all goes according to plan, soil from Washington’s Yakima Valley could end up in space next week.
Scientists hope to use soil collected from a field in Prosser, Washington — and the bacteria growing inside the soil — to learn more about growing crops in space.
Scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will send test tubes filled with soil and eight different types of bacteria to the International Space Station on June 10.
Janet Jansson, a scientist with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, says microbes in the soil are key to supporting plant growth on Earth.
“Soil microbes are the hidden players of life support systems on Earth," Jansson said.
For the three months the soil stays in space, scientists back home will conduct the exact same experiment.
Jansson says that way, scientists will be able to compare the differences in how the bacteria grew. She says bacteria in space will experience microgravity, altered carbon dioxide levels, and radiation levels not found on Earth.
The soil will hitch a ride to the Space Station as part of a SpaceX resupply mission, scheduled to take off on June 10.
Read the full story on Northwest News Network.
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Covid vaccine effort emerges for incoming Ukrainian refugees
As Ukrainian refugees settle in the Seattle area, an effort is underway to get them vaccinated against Covid.
Tatiana Diachuk is a nurse and a volunteer with the Nashi Immigrants Health Board. She spent Saturday educating refugees and the Ukrainian community about vaccines at an event hosted by the group.
Diachuk says it's important to build trust with this community because they tend to prefer holistic medicine and are hesitant about vaccines. She says that hesitancy also is due to the fact that the vaccines offered in Ukraine were from China and cheaper than many other shots.
"There is definitely lower trust for vaccines that come in from other countries like China regarding, is it safe enough? Are the ingredients approved?" Diachuk said. "So when we say its an American vaccine, we say, 'Hey, its approved here by the standard exist in the United States. So its kind of a high bar.”
Diachuk says some got their first vaccine ever. And she says she was surprised by the high demand for children's vaccines.
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What is a mass shooting?: Today So Far
- Local demonstrations for gun violence awareness.
- Bellevue-based gun rights group files lawsuit over Washington's firearm regulations.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 6, 2022.
There's a very uncomfortable math that journalists sometimes calculate. It doesn't necessarily use numbers. And I don't think a lot of reporters like to talk about it. But I can guarantee you that after a shooting, there is a conversation in most newsrooms around the question: was this a mass shooting?
I think this particular newsroom discussion is happening a lot lately. NPR reports that there have been 246 mass shootings in the past 156 days. This includes the racist shooting in Buffalo, NY; the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas; and now a series of shootings that happened over the weekend across Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Arizona. It should be noted that these incidents are part of a rising trend in recent years. The Gun Violence Archive recorded 417 mass shootings, nationally, in 2019; 610 in 2020; and 692 in 2021.
Despite the discussions I've experienced, there is no firm answer on what defines a mass shooting. A newsroom I worked in settled on three victims. Groups like Everytown for Gun Safety or the Gun Violence Archive set it at four. The Archive clarifies that it does not count the shooter, and also doesn't differentiate between the circumstances around a shooting. But I've also heard discussions from college classes to professional offices around the intent of an incident. And do intentions even matter when the outcomes are the same?
Locally, Western Washington has had 10 mass shootings since 2009, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. And King County has experienced a significant rise in shootings, fatalities and injuries in recent years, while the Seattle area has amassed more guns.
This has not gone unnoticed. You may have seen people wearing orange over the weekend. This local showing was part of a national effort to raise awareness of gun violence. One event was in Skyway where demonstrators linked their arms while chanting, “I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper.”
“This is a proactive way to make the community aware, but also to get the community to buy in to what we’re doing because we need you, we’ve got to do it together,” said Marty Jackson, with the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County.
On the other side of this local action are groups like the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, which just filed a lawsuit against Washington's upcoming ban on large-capacity magazines.
Meanwhile, I don't think the newsroom conversations will stop any time soon. It's part of reporters' aim to be accurate and informative. Despite the sensitive topic, I'm grateful that they happen. Of course, it would be even better to have no reason for these discussions in the first place.
Here is what else KUOW has been reporting:
- 'Enough' — Biden appeals for new gun laws in the wake of mass shootings
- 'We've got to do it together' Skyway residents unite against gun violence
- 'I am terrified of going to school' - Seattle students rally against gun violence
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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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