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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Fear and intimidation on both sides. UW releases report on Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
Education
Palestinian and Israeli flags during a protest at UW Red Square. Seattle, Oct. 12, 2023Juan Pablo ChiquizaThe University of Washington has released a report on the tense "campus climate" over the past academic year, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The report is the result of two task forces charged with looking into the perceptions and feelings of Jewish, Israeli, Arab, and Palestinian students.
RELATED: These Seattle restaurateurs are raising money for Lebanon amid conflict with Israel
"The differences in perceptions of comfort and safety are rather stark depending on one’s own identities," the report states in its findings. "Members of all affected communities perceived less openness to diversity of opinions compared to members of the broader campus community and expressed greater perceptions of discomfort and unsafety for those who share their identities compared to those who do not."
The report states that students reported both Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on campus, including anti-Israel bias and a "perceived alienation and lack of support for Palestinian and Muslim communities." Insults, intimidation, and a desire to hide their identities were reported all around.
"The intent of this joint submission is not to equate antisemitism and Islamophobia, but to acknowledge that this particular moment puts into sharp relief the need to examine both in a shared context, as the present conflicts shine light on issues that impact members of our campus community who have experienced pain, isolation, fear, and discrimination," the report states.
According to UW's report, during the 2023-24 academic year:
- About two-thirds of Palestinian students said they had experienced insults and intimidation over the previous year. About half to one-third of Muslim and Arab/Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) students reported the same.
- One-third of Jewish students and 70% of Israeli students said they experienced insults and intimidation.
- 72% of Arab or MENA, 80% of Muslim students, and 78% of Palestinian students in the focus groups said they were unwelcome because of their identities.
- 60% of Jewish students and 92% of Israeli students in the focus groups said they were unwelcome because of their identities.
- 69% of Arab/MENA students, 74% of Muslim students, and 77% of Palestinian students reported a desire to hide their identity at least once (38% of Arab/MENA students, 40% of Muslim students, and 50% of Palestinian students said this happened frequently).
- 65% of Jewish students and 95% is Israeli students said they needed to hide their identities at least once (42% of Jewish students, 81% of Israeli students said this happened frequently).
Read the full 143-page report here.
RELATED: How Seattle’s Palestinian community is marking one year since the Israel-Hamas war began
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How new flu, RSV vaccines could help protect more kids this year
Health
Kindergartener Dariana Xilot Serrano looks at Erika Sandoval, a nurse with the Seattle Visiting Nurse Association, before receiving a flu shot on Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at Concord International Elementary School in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerCold and flu season — otherwise known as mid-October — is upon us. But this year, several advancements in vaccines could help families keep viruses at bay.
One of the new developments is a nasal spray flu vaccine, aptly called FluMist, that people can self-administer. The spray was approved by the FDA just last month.
“You can get a prescription from your doctor to pick up FluMist from the pharmacy, and give it to yourself or to your children at home,” said Dr. Helen Chu, an infectious disease physician at UW Medicine. “And it really will help, I think, especially when families are very busy.”
Chu said she’s hopeful this change will lead to more kids getting the flu vaccine.
So far this fall, there have only been a few dozen cases of the flu recorded in King County. Experts expect the worst of the wave to hit in December and January.
But it’s not just the flu families have to protect against.
In the past, the respiratory virus RSV has been the leading cause of hospitalization for babies. Last year, new RSV shots hit the market, an advancement that Chu said could keep a lot of infants out of the hospital. “If you give doses to infants when they are born, you can prevent 70 to 80% of hospitalizations due to RSV,” she said. That means hospitals will be less likely to reach capacity and won’t have to send babies to other hospitals, a challenge children’s hospitals have faced during past RSV seasons.
Last year, the U.S. didn’t have enough of the new RSV shots for babies to go around, but that’s not a problem this year.
The CDC recommends people get the RSV shot during pregnancy, or babies should get it at birth. High-risk babies are supposed to get a second shot a year later. That includes:
- Children who were born prematurely and have chronic lung disease
- Children who are severely immunocompromised
- Children with severe cystic fibrosis
- American Indian and Alaska Native children
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As leaves fall, some street parking rates rise in Seattle
Cars are shown parked from the Smith Tower observatory on Friday, December 1, 2017, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerOctober in Seattle means cooler autumn temperatures as the leaves turn magnificent colors, the air gets dewy with a subtle scent of a wood fire crackling in an old stove, and the days end under the orange-ember glow of feathery clouds stretching across the horizon — also, the city jacks up parking rates throughout town.
RELATED: More housing is on the way, but parking? Maybe not
Yes, it's that time of year when the Seattle Department of Transportation announces how much street parking prices will change, and where. It varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. For 2024, SDOT says "most rates will not increase," but starting Oct. 15, about 26% of city streets will see a 50-cent rise in parking rates.
Among the areas getting hit with 50-cent hikes are:
- Ballard (core): $6 per hour in the afternoon and $6 in the evening
- Chinatown/ID: $5.50 in the evening
- Columbia City: $5.50 in the afternoon and $6 in the evening
- Commercial Core – Waterfront: $6 in the afternoon and $5 in the evening
- Denny Triangle (north): $6 in the afternoon
- First Hill: $5.50 in the afternoon
- Fremont: $6.50 in the evening
- Pike/Pine corridor: $6.50 in the evening
- See more rates below
To be fair, rates do drop in some areas (Seattle maintained or lowered rates in two-thirds of the city in 2022, and rates went up for two-thirds of the city in 2023). This year, SDOT says that street parking rates won't change along 60% of city roads, while 14% will decrease by 50 cents, such as the edge of Ballard where rates will go down to $4.50 in the evening, or Green Lake where rates will go down to $5 in the afternoon.
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Listeria deli food recall hits Washington state, impacting Albertsons, Kroger, and other stores
Food
FILE: This illustration, of an artistic recreation that was based upon scanning electron microscopic (SEM) imagery, depicts a three-dimensional (3D), computer-generated image of a grouping of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.Jennifer Oosthuizen/CDC via APReady-to-eat salads and other products with chicken widely available in the Pacific Northwest are being recalled amid a listeria outbreak.
Nationwide, the recall affects nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The recalled products are under multiple brands, including Trader Joe's, Albertsons, Walmart, Amazon Fresh, and Kroger's store brand. Products include a wide variety of salads and other deli-style meals, like Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde and various wraps and sandwiches under the ReadyMeals name.
The full list is more than 300 pages long and can be found here.
Shoppers can return products with a best-by date of October 13 for a full refund.
According to the USDA, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions to these products.
Consumption of contaminated food could cause listeriosis. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Listeriosis is treatable with antibiotics but can become serious and potentially fatal in some cases.
Higher-risk individuals, like older adults and pregnant people, should seek medical care if they experience flu-like symptoms within two months of eating contaminated food, according to the USDA. If you may have eaten contaminated products, you're advised to tell your health care provider.
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Too much cyanide in Puget Sound? EPA to review state regulations
Environment
A southern resident killer whale surfaces with a salmon in Haro Strait, off Washington's San Juan Island, in September 2016. Image taken under NOAA permit.Candice Emmons/NOAA Fisheries (taken under NOAA permit)Federal officials have agreed to take another look at how Washington state regulates a deadly poison — cyanide.
The lethal substance is often used to make metals, plastics, dyes, and pesticides and to extract gold and silver from mineral ores.
The concern is that legal levels of cyanide winding up in Washington waters may be harming wildlife, including orcas and other endangered species.
In 2010, National Marine Fisheries Service biologists concluded that concentrations of cyanide allowed under existing regulations were enough to kill salmon and sturgeon in large numbers and would reduce the prey base for endangered killer whales.
“These fish species are likely to become extirpated from waters where they are exposed to approved cyanide discharges that are compliant with approved water quality standards,” the scientists wrote in a draft "biological opinion" document that was never finalized.
RELATED: Jurassic shark: Scientists find ancient species in Puget Sound
The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity sued the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies in 2022 to get them to make sure Washington state’s water quality standards were strict enough to protect threatened and endangered species.
In October 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency agreed to consult with federal wildlife agencies to do just that.
“For decades the EPA has approved the release of dangerous levels of cyanide into Washington’s waters, severely harming our salmon and orcas, so this is a big step,” Center for Biological Diversity attorney Ryan Shannon said in a press release.
RELATED: Puget Sound tanker traffic thickens as Canadian pipeline boosts oil flow
In August, the Washington Department of Ecology announced new water-quality limits for 42 chemicals, including cyanide. The state’s proposal, to be reviewed by the EPA, tightens the limits on cyanide pollution in fresh water but leaves saltwater limits on cyanide the same.
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Washington state first responders travel east to aid hurricane survivors
Government
PixabayIn the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a team of about 80 Washington state first responders has traveled east to help with recovery efforts. The group is also preparing to provide aid related to incoming Hurricane Milton, a category 4 hurricane expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday night.
Jody Ferguson, director of Pierce County Emergency Management and chief of Washington Task Force 1, said the team is currently stationed in Atlanta and includes fire department employees, hospital workers, search and rescue experts, and law enforcement officials, among other professionals.
“The immediate focus is saving lives. So the search and rescue mission will be first and foremost… finding survivors and getting them the medical attention and any support that they need,” Ferguson said.
RELATED: Washington sends Task Force 1 to Hawaii in wake of wildfires
The task force also has structural engineers and canine teams to help search for survivors. The team’s composition is such that it can offer both broad and highly specialized rescue support, Ferguson added.
“For example, if FEMA just wanted us to focus on water rescue, we could send out [a specialized team] that would be 35 people with more precise experience that they need for whatever mission,” she said.
According to its website, Washington Task Force 1 was established in 1991 and includes over 200 members from more than 30 agencies across Seattle, King County, and Pierce County. The team was last deployed to Maui in 2023 in response to the Lahaina wildfires.
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Seattle to add surveillance cameras to crime-fighting efforts in 3 neighborhoods
Crime
On Oct. 8, 2024, the Seattle City Council approved a pilot program to test new surveillance technology in areas of the city where crime is concentrated.The Seattle City Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of adding surveillance cameras to the city's crime-fighting toolbelt.
"This is an important piece of technology that can help our [police] department be a bit of a force multiplier, if you will, and help us more quickly and efficiently investigate and solve crimes with the staffing challenges," Councilmember Rob Saka said before voting.
"It is an important tool to help address the fundamentals of public safety in our community."
RELATED: No more selling stolen goods in the CID, Seattle police say
The Council voted 7-1 to approve two ordinances establishing a surveillance camera pilot — one for using closed-circuit TV cameras, and another for using Real-Time Crime Center software to record, store, and analyze video. Councilmember Tammy Morales was the lone no vote. The pilot will test the cameras in three locations where Seattle Police Department data indicates that crime is concentrated: Aurora Avenue North, Chinatown-International District, and Third Avenue through downtown.
Proponents of the camera program argue that the system will help mitigate Seattle's shortage of police officers and help combat human trafficking, gun crime, and "other persistent felony crimes."
Seattle's CCTV crime pilot program
The surveillance technology includes a closed circuit TV camera system in areas "where gun violence, human trafficking, and persistent felony crime is concentrated," according to Seattle's 2024 Surveillance Impact Report.
Signs alerting the public to the cameras will be posted. The cameras will be aimed at streets, sidewalks, and high-crime areas.
In addition to city owned cameras, the city wants to include privately owned security systems in the mix, which would be voluntarily shared. Such cameras could show video of areas around storefronts. The Impact Report also states that the cameras will help counter crime after years of low SPD staffing.
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Lummi chair commends federal drug bust connected to tribal deaths
Crime
From left, Kurt Russo and Tony Hillaire listen as Lawrence Solomon, right, sings the Lummi National Anthem before a ceremonial feeding where one live chinook salmon was released into the water, aboard King County Research Vessel SoundGuardian on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, near Henry Island.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerOfficials at the Lummi Nation say this week’s arrests in a drug ring linked to recent overdose deaths of tribal members could offer a measure of justice. The tribal nation near Bellingham put a national spotlight on the fentanyl epidemic last September, when four members died of drug overdoses in as many days and the tribe declared a state of emergency.
Tony Hillaire, chairman of the Lummi Indian Business Council, said this criminal case is forcing everyone to revisit the pain of the losses last fall and beyond.
“Now we’re remembering that time of the just overwhelming amount of overdose deaths that were happening at Lummi Nation, and to see articles and media saying that Lummi Nation was a target in these drug activities is hurtful to a lot of us,” Hillaire said.
But he said, “Nevertheless, in the midst of these adversities we’re thanking and finding strength in being there for each other, being there for the families."
Hillaire said he’s grateful for what he called a notable amount of collaboration between Lummi tribal police and federal officials and investigators to pursue this case and other remedies.
“It was just a lot of sorrow, a lot of grief, a lot of confusion and a lot of questions that our people wanted answers to. And I think we’re getting closer,” he said, “and this is what can be done when we partner together.”
The U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI and the DEA have indicted 14 people with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and launder money. Officials say the drug ring based in Renton extended to multiple states, and targeted tribal communities.
Hillaire said it was gratifying to see the tribal council spring into action, getting answers on criminal jurisdiction to block drug trafficking on tribal land, and expanding medication-assisted treatment and other support for people with substance use disorder, among other initiatives.
Federal investigators allege that the phone of one of the overdose victims had contact information linking them with the drug trafficking organization which they say was led by Marquis Jackson. Jackson’s parents Mandel and Matelita or “Marty” Jackson, have also been charged.
Marty Jackson has been the executive director of the SE Network SafetyNet initiative through Boys & Girls Clubs of King County that receives city and county contracts for violence prevention efforts in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of South Seattle, and sends teams into Seattle Public Schools. She’s accused of helping the trafficking organization launder their money.
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Machinists head back to bargaining table with Boeing amid strike
Business
Boeing 737 Max aircrafts are seen behind fences as Boeing employees work the picket line while striking Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, next to the company's facilities in Renton, Wash.(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)While machinists continue to strike, their union will head back at the bargaining table with Boeing on Monday, Oct. 7.
"This meeting is another critical opportunity to push for the priorities of our Membership. We will continue to fight relentlessly for the issues that matter most to you," International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751 announced via X Friday.
RELATED: Striking Boeing workers in Washington state say they’re in it for the long haul
The machinists union went on strike Sept. 13. They've continued to picket ever since. Amid the strike, Boeing made what it called its "best and final" contract offer, which union leaders rejected. They argued that Boeing's offer bypassed the negotiating process and was therefore insulting.
The union also said the offer did not give it enough time to organize a vote. Boeing responded by giving more time, but the union still pressed for the company to come back to the negotiating table. It seems that is what is happening now.
Shortly before IAM 751's announcement, Congressmember Pramila Jayapal of Seattle joined workers on the picket line.
“We have seen in dramatic fashion this year how Boeing has increased pay outs for shareholders and CEOs while workers express concerns over safety," Jayapal said in a statement on Oct. 3. "Boeing’s latest offer to workers doesn’t meet the requested raises by the machinists who build their planes, even as their CEO was compensated more than $32 million in 2023. I hope to see Boeing and the machinists come back to the table to work in good faith to address the issues of fair wages and pensions.”
Jayapal is the latest politician to show support for the striking workers. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell has also stood on the picket line in Washington. Congressmembers Rick Larsen and Suzan DelBene recently did the same in Everett.
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In 'Joker: Folie à Deux,' the joke's on you
Movies
"Joker: Folie à Deux" opened in theaters Oct. 4, 2024, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the title character, and Lady Gaga as the infamous Harley Quinn.Warner Bros. Pictures / Joker: Folie à DeuxDid I just watch a courtroom drama about Arthur Fleck, aka Batman's arch nemesis Joker, or the trial of Ted Bundy?
With "Joker: Folie à Deux," general audiences will still get a story that does not at all feel like a comic book movie, while fans of the first film may be scratching their heads over what they are seeing. Maintaining the dark character study of "Joker," and an R rating, this sequel evolves into more of a courtroom drama that borders on a musical.
RELATED: 'Hasaan Hates Portland' humorously depicts the benevolent racism of the Pacific Northwest
There are frequent musical interludes, which are quite amusing — a major feature of this film that otherwise falls flat. Ultimately, it ends up being more minor compared to its predecessor and fails to fit the cadence of the first film. This sequel can drag on at a seemingly adagio pace, leaving viewers yearning for an accelerando. If you're a fan of 2019's "Joker," this sequel might not be your forte. While it might not get high praise from fans, it is possible for "Joker: Folie à Deux" to strike a chord with viewers if they expect something completely different.
In other words, if "Joker" was akin to Weezer's iconic blue album, then "Folie à Deux" may come across to fans like their sophomore release "Pinkerton." But it's worth noting that, over time, "Pinkerton" found its own audience. The album eventually became a bit of a phenomenon, amassed its own cult following, and is now considered to be one of the band's best. Could "Folie à Deux" be awaiting a similar fate?
What to expect with "Joker: Folie à Deux"
Once again, Todd Phillips directs and co-writes. Joaquin Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck / Joker. Lady Gaga steps into the role of Harley Quinn. Just as in the comics and the Batman animated series, romance binds Harley Quinn and Joker together, creating the basis for the film's title "Joker: Folie à Deux" — a French term meaning a shared psychosis, madness, or delusion.
But this film comes with the subtitle, "The world is a stage," and this is what "Joker: Folie à Deux" truly leans into. We find Arthur Fleck imprisoned at Arkham Asylum, about two years after the first film. He is awaiting trial for everything that happened in "Joker."
The Joker persona has garnered a level of celebrity status during this time, as the public debates whether such evil deeds could have been carried out by psychologically damaged Arthur. Did he just snap and is mentally incapable of understanding what has happened, or is the Joker a very real villain? Arthur also struggles with this debate. Amid all this, he meets Lee Quinzel and sparks fly. As their romance blooms, she encourages one side of Arthur, while his lawyer encourages another.
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Endangered Northwest orca population drops as 3 males die
Environment
Newborn orca J60 surfaces next to orca J40 in central Puget Sound on Dec. 26, 2023.Maya Sears, under NMFS Permit 27052Three members of the Northwest’s population of endangered orcas died over the past year.
The Center for Whale Research says the southern resident killer whale population dropped down to 73 individuals as of July 1, the date of the group’s 49th annual orca census.
Two adult males, ages 22 and 32, died, and one male orca born in December lived only a few weeks.
RELATED: Endangered baby orca J60 missing, presumed dead
KUOW reported in December on the joy that beachgoers on Bainbridge Island expressed when they saw that newborn orca, later known as J60.
“They’re really close, huh? You don’t need binoculars for that!” one beachgoer said.
“Oh! The baby!” another said as the tiniest of black fins sliced through the water.
RELATED: Newborn orca spotted near Seattle off Bainbridge Island
Now, researchers say that baby probably died less than a month after his birth.
“It never put on weight, and it disappeared,” said researcher Deborah Giles with the nonprofit Wild Orca.
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Fastbacks, Karp, and Murder City Devils: Seattle serenaded KUOW with its indie roots
Music
Do you remember the last time you sat in the dark and just listened to music for hours? I do.
It was last Friday night, cozy on my boyfriend's couch, listening to the indie jams y'all recommended until like 2 a.m. — a scene worthy of some of the moody bands you suggested.
I'm rebuilding my Spotify library, and dozens of you fine KUOW readers stepped up to help. (Scroll to the bottom of this post for a special playlist if you'd rather skip the preamble — I understand.)
RELATED: Serenade me, Seattle: Help KUOW web editor Katie Campbell rebuild her music library
Turns out, our readers are a bunch of indie scenesters — indie being the overall theme, with rock, punk, country, folks, and other genres represented in your submissions. The variety made for great listening, and went a long way toward restoring and improving my playlists.
Nathan all the way up in Anchorage recommended the Seattle punk band Fastbacks. I'm into the vibes, especially when coupled with the scenes in this music video.
My colleague Dyer Oxley was surprised a "deep NW cut like Karp on the list, courtesy of an unnamed reader who only recommended Karp. You know, it's not for me, but I respect folks like one YouTube commenter who said of Karp, "There's some songs you just cannot play loud enough."
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