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KUOW Blog

News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.

Have any leads or feedback for the KUOW Blog? Contact Dyer Oxley at dyer@kuow.org.

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  • Cash is King County: Today So Far
    • Certain King County businesses are now required to accept cash, and cannot go cashless.
    • Seattle is bringing back its graffiti-cleanup program.
    • Mass transit across Western Washington is getting a surge of funding to pay for electric and hybrid buses.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 28, 2023.

    Quick hits

    There are only so many puns I can spin out of cash being king in King County, so getting straight to the point: The King County Council has voted in favor of requiring businesses to accept cash. But before you start searching your couch cushions for coins and dollar bills, there is some nuance around this new law, and some exceptions to the rule.

    First of all, this only affects businesses in unincorporated King County. So we're talking about places like White Center, Bryn Mawr-Skyway, or most rural areas in the county. This does not influence Seattle, Bellevue, Auburn, or all the other cities in the county that have their own local governments. Also, businesses can apply to be exempt from the cash law if they feel they have security or "hardship" concerns. It only applies to in-person transactions (not online or automated kiosks, etc.). And businesses are only required to accept cash payments up to $200.

    King County's cash law comes as cashless transactions are growing in popularity. It is also promoted as a protection for "unbanked" people, those without access to a bank account or bank cards. For more on that, KUOW's David Hyde has the full story here.

    Seattle is bringing back its graffiti-cleanup program.

    The mayor's office says that graffiti in Seattle has increased by 50% since 2019. You might recall that Seattle hyped a graffiti abatement program in 2022. That pilot was focused on Belltown. Now, the mayor's office says that 100% of reported graffiti has been taken down within 10 business days over the past year, and 98% has been cleaned up within two days. This next phase of the program will shift focus to downtown and the Chinatown-International District.

    An interesting angle of this effort is the city's partnership with Uplift Northwest. The organization provides job training and other services to folks experiencing homelessness and poverty. Seattle's need to clean up graffiti is being turned into an opportunity for job training through Uplift Northwest. The organization will provide three work crews for the program. Read more here.

    This next bit of news is shocking. It will really charge you up about the surge of funding for electric and hybrid buses coming to Western Washington.

    Buses are the conduit to the world for many in our region who do not rely on cars. There is a circuit of local transit agencies getting wired federal grant money to pay for EV and hybrid upgrades, one of which is King County Metro. The feds are giving Metro $33.5 million to purchase 30 electric buses. These buses are slated for routes in low-income areas.

    Continue reading »

  • Seattle relaunches graffiti cleanup effort

    Mayor Bruce Harrell is relaunching a graffiti cleanup program, this time targeted at downtown Seattle and the Chinatown-International District.

    “We know that graffiti and tagging not only detract from the vibrancy of our neighborhoods, but also have tangible impacts on our small businesses whose storefronts are defaced and on marginalized communities who are targeted by hate speech,” Mayor Harrell said in a statement.

    “We must combat a surge in graffiti with a One Seattle approach, building partnerships with the community to find thoughtful, sustainable solutions that improve the quality of life for everyone in our city.

    The relaunched Graffiti Abatement Program will enhance our efforts to beautify our city while also developing our workforce, giving more people critical job training so they can access new employment opportunities and build better lives.”

    RELATED: Artists call Seattle's plan to tackle unwanted graffiti 'ethically tricky'

    The city is contracting with Uplift Northwest for this next chapter of its Graffiti Abatement Program. The organization offers job training and other services to people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Uplift Northwest will provide three work crews to handle graffiti removal.

    The city's first version of the Graffiti Abatement Program was actually a class project by students at City University of Seattle. It became a pilot program in 2022, and was focused on Seattle's Belltown neighborhood. Uplift Northwest also assisted with that effort, using it as an opportunity to train around graffiti removal and safety.

    The city reports that graffiti in Seattle has increased by 50% since 2019, and that over the past 12 months, 100% of reported graffiti in Seattle has been cleaned up in 10 business days; over 98% was taken down within two days.

    In October 2022, the city announced a broad anti-graffiti plan that included cleanup programs like this one. It also included graffiti cleanup kits for city residents to use. The mayor proposed to back the effort with $940,000.

    At the time, City Attorney Ann Davison said that she would be "focused on enforcement strategies to arrest and prosecute the most prolific and destructive graffiti taggers. In order to see a meaningful change on our streets, the city must send a firm message that it will not tolerate continued destruction and defacement of our neighborhoods.”

    RELATED: How Tacoma plans to tackle rising street crime

    Continue reading »

  • 'I'm just a bill, yeah I'm only a bill...': Today So Far
    • We finally have something better than a 1970s song to help understand the legislative process.
    • Cleanup work at Seattle's Gas Works Park is not over.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 27, 2023

    Quick hits

    The last time anybody found the legislative process remotely palatable was when there was a song and cartoon about it (personally, I liked the version by Deluxx Folk Implosion). This presents a challenge for reporters.

    You see, there are all these bits of news that are important to you, but frankly, they're boring. I've long argued that if you really want to know what is going on, if you want to be in on what is actually influencing the world around you, look beyond sensational headlines and find the boring stuff. That means the ordinances coming out of your local city council meetings, and it means all the bills going back and forth in Olympia during the legislative session. That's right. I said "ordinances" and "bills." As a reporter, I've sometimes found that the gap between caring about these stories and not comes down to understanding this legislative process. Heck, it's sometimes so complicated, I even have to ask a few questions.

    But we're in luck. A special project was just published by KUOW's Teo Popescu and Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay: "Navigating the maze that rules Olympia (and your life)." No matter your level of understanding for bills and politics, this has you covered. I highly recommend it for students (because nobody told me about any of this stuff when I was in school around here).

    Did you know that when bills are numbered, it's not by accident? They're usually HB1111, or something like that, meaning "House Bill 1111." But if that number is below 1,000, then it's an initiative or referendum. If it's between 1,000 and 3,999, it's a House bill. And if it's between 4,000 and 7,999, it's a Senate bill. I got that from just one minute scrolling through this choose-your-own-adventure in Olympia politics.

    This isn't just cool because of its simplicity, or the fact that it uses the last 2023 session as an example (you can see all the bills that just happened, like that speed safety camera bill that made Seattle's current street racing effort possible). This is KUOW's first major interactive story. Just like when KUOW unveiled its daily podcast (which you should really be listening to, it's great), this is a step forward for us, and I'm pretty stoked about this.

    And hey, if fancy websites aren't your thing, you can always go back to Schoolhouse Rock from the '70s ... or the '90s. Honestly, I think those songs are due for another update.

    Check it out here.

    Despite its popularity with park goers (and cosplayers on photo shoots), the work at Seattle's Gas Works Park is far from over.

    Continue reading »

  • Boeing gets x-plane status for NASA's fuel-efficient ambitions

    Boeing is getting ready to work on an experimental new plane that could help the United States cut carbon emissions from air travel.

    NASA recently unveiled the X-66A this month, a Boeing model with a highly-coveted x-plan status that will test a new design and new technologies in the air.

    RELATED: All-electric commuter aircraft takes off on maiden flight from Moses Lake

    “We’re incredibly proud of this designation, because it means that the X-66A will be the next in a long line of experimental aircraft used to validate breakthrough designs that have transformed aviation,” Todd Citron, Boeing's chief technology officer, said in a statement. “With the learnings gained from design, construction, and flight-testing, we’ll have an opportunity to shape the future of flight and contribute to the decarbonization of aerospace.”

    Boeing signed a contract with NASA in February, agreeing to build a more fuel-efficient airliner. The company aims to modify an MD-90 airplane, a common single-aisle passenger plane that NASA says contributes to almost half of airline emissions worldwide. The model's fuselage will be shortened, and its wings will get much longer and will be partially supported by trusses underneath. Boeing's design for this is the "Transonic Truss-Braced Wing." It is estimated that it could reduce fuel consumption by 30%.

    The x-plane designation (for experimental aircraft) places the X-66A in a special field, reserved for major advances in aerospace. Some are developed publicly, and others are top secret. The X-1, for example, was the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in 1947.

    RELATED: Hydrogen-powered airliner makes first flight in Washington state

    Boeing's X-66A will be the first x-plane constructed with the goal of lowering airplane emissions.

    The project is slated to take seven years. Boeing is contributing $725 million toward the effort, and NASA is putting up $425 million.

    The experimental plane is part of NASA's Sustainable Flight Demonstrator program, which seeks to develop new technologies and aircraft to lessen aviation emissions.

    Continue reading »

  • Think before you cut down Seattle trees to improve your view. It could cost you

    The City of Seattle has settled a civil lawsuit against a homeowner in the Mount Baker neighborhood and a landscaping company for $125,000 after they cut trees in a city park to improve the homeowner’s view.

    The unpermitted tree cutting occurred in Mt. Claire Park, in what the Seattle Parks & Recreation Department said was "an environmentally critical area on a steep slope near the defendant's home."

    According to the city, the homeowner, Brad Gandt, and All Four Seasons Landscape and Maintenance LLC, based in Tulalip, Washington, "were responsible for damaging multiple trees of varying sizes and damaging recent restoration efforts" in the park, which is just up from the west shore of Lake Washington.

    Gandt and All Four Seasons have repaid the entire $125,000, which is being used to restore the damage in Mt. Claire Park and other natural areas in the city, according to a statement Tuesday announcing the settlement.

    "Our hope is for this settlement to serve as a reminder that no person or company is authorized to cut trees on public land without permission," said Anthony-Paul Diaz, superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation.

    The Mount Baker neighborhood in southeast Seattle is named for the view residents looking north over Lake Washington have on clear days of Mount Baker in Whatcom County — that is, if there are no trees to block the view.

    Continue reading »

  • Starbucks issues open letter to partners amid Pride Month controversy

    Starbucks is responding to recent news that it prevented Pride Month decor at some of its stores in the United States.

    "Starbucks will always protect your right to be who you are, which is why I am writing to you all today," wrote Sara Trilling, executive vice president and president of Starbucks North America.

    In an open letter to Starbucks partners, the Seattle-based coffee giant said it's going to issue clearer guidelines about its in-store displays.

    "I want to reiterate that there has been no change to any of our policies as it relates to our inclusive store environments, our company culture, and the benefits we offer our partners," Trilling said. "To further underscore this, we intend to issue clearer centralized guidelines, and leveraging resources like the Period Planning Kit (PPK) and Siren's Eye, for in-store visual displays and decorations that will continue to represent inclusivity and our brand. Additionally, we will continue to provide the flexibility needed so that our stores reflect the communities they serve. As we reaffirm our previous commitments and standards, it will be even clearer to all who we are and what we stand for."

    The letter was prompted by a controversy reported by Starbucks Workers United, which claimed that partners in 21 states were told they could not decorate their stores for Pride Month for various reasons. Some reasons, reportedly, were that there wasn't enough time, ladders are dangerous, and that there were safety concerns after other stores received pushback for their LGBTQ displays.

    Another major retailer, Target, faced a similar issue when it rolled out LGBTQ merchandise for Pride Month, and opted to remove some products and move others to less-prominent displays.

    The Starbucks' response comes as a nationwide strike continues to play out against the coffee company. Workers at more than 150 stores — including the Seattle flagship Reserve Roastery — walked off the job Friday. They plan to picket through the week.

    Starbucks has denied the claims about the Pride decorations, has previously touted its Pride participation, and is currently selling Pride drinkware from LGBTQ artists. The company says its policy about decorations hasn't changed and it knows of no company operated stores banning them.

    Reuters is reporting that Starbucks has filed two complaints with the National Labor Relations Board against the union, accusing it of making misleading claims about its in-store decoration guidelines and gender-affirming care benefits — another issue that workers have cited in their demonstrations.

    Continue reading »

  • Public Health — Seattle & King County faces cuts amid budget shortfall


    The director of Public Health — Seattle & King County says his office is going to have to make significant budget cuts by the year 2025, specifically $25 million annually.

    "I greatly wish I had better news to share. But I need to be direct about the difficult situation we face and our next steps in addressing it," wrote director Dr. Faisal Khan in a letter to staff.

    The funds will be taken from the Public Health Fund because of a projected shortfall in the King County General Fund. The county is blaming the projected deficit on state imposed-limits on property tax revenue growth.

    Khan said his office will work with the county executive over the next three months to see how to "do the least harm to the community" in light of the cuts.

    Khan noted that the General Fund supports three primary Public Health services: $50 million annually for Jail Health Services; $7 million annually for the Medical Examiner's Office; and $31 million annually for the Public Health Fund.

    "Jail Health Services has been given a target of $1.5 million to cut," Khan wrote. "Not all departments are being asked to cut the same amount because of legal requirements to preserve some county services that are supported by General Fund. Most Public Health services, while highly valued, are not legally mandated by the state."

    He also said he doesn't yet know which programs will be affected and how many workers will be laid off, but the cuts could start going into effect as soon as the middle of next year.

    More information will likely come in the fall when King County Executive Dow Constantine announces his spending reduction plan, according to Khan.

    Continue reading »

  • Washington's prisons will begin phasing out the practice of solitary confinement

    Washington state is planning to significantly reduce the number of times it sends incarcerated people to solitary confinement —a 90% reduction by 2028.

    The Washington State Department of Corrections said this is part of a move toward a "more humane corrections system."

    “The research is clear on solitary confinement,” said DOC Secretary Cheryl Strange in a statement. “It causes long-lasting harm. While it can be an effective way to deter violence, spending prolonged periods of time in isolation has devastating effects on an individual’s mental and physical health long after they leave our facilities.”

    Strange notes that Washington's prison system has experienced a downward trend in incarcerations, and that about 70% of state prison beds are currently occupied. She expects fewer and fewer people will be sent to prisons over the coming decade. The DOC states this is partially because of the Blake Decision. The ruling has resulted in drug possession being knocked down from a felony to a gross misdemeanor, and only people convicted of felonies are sent to state prisons.

    “We already have one of the lowest rates of incarceration in the nation,” Strange said. “DOC has worked diligently to lower recidivism rates, create better neighbors and ensure that incarcerated individuals don’t return to us once they get out. Of course, our continued success means we can no longer afford to operate all of the prisons we currently have.”

    Meanwhile, state corrections officials announced the closing of the Larch Corrections Center in Clark County (about 25 miles northeast of Vancouver, Washington). In 2021, DOC closed several units in the Monroe Correctional Center. Ten years earlier, it shut down operations at the McNeil Island Corrections Center.

    Continue reading »

  • A lot more electric buses are coming to Western Washington roads

    Western Washington is getting a surge of funds to pay for transitioning to cleaner mass transit systems, which means a lot more electric and hybrid buses will be hitting local roads over the next few years.

    King County Metro announced that it has been selected to receive $33.5 million in federal funding to purchase a total of 30 electric buses. These vehicles will be assigned to routes in low-income areas.

    “These funds play a vital role in our transition to a zero-emission future,” said Metro General Manager Michelle Allison. “The buses and the maintenance training they will help fund are both an environmental and a social justice shift. Our focus is placing these buses and the work to maintain them in communities that have borne the brunt of climate change for too long. Continued federal funding in our work paves the way for King County Metro to drive the transit industry and growth as we make our switch to a battery-electric future.”

    Metro notes that the federal money is in the top 10 most expensive grants in the nation (130 grants were provided to agencies in 46 states), and it will help it transition to an entirely emissions-free bus fleet by 2035.

    RELATED: Fire trucks are going electric, too. Portland and Redmond, WA, getting there first

    The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is putting $1.7 billion toward mass transit upgrades.

    The Federal Transit Administration further notes that the funding will contribute to the purchase of "1,700 American-built buses that will be manufactured with American parts and labor." Almost half of the news buses will be zero-emissions models.

    "Every day, over 60,000 buses in communities of all sizes take millions of Americans to work, school, and everywhere else they need to go," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "Today’s announcement means more clean buses, less pollution, more jobs in manufacturing and maintenance, and better commutes for families across the country."

    Continue reading »

  • New orca calf spotted near British Columbia

    Read the updated news on this sighting, which confirms two orca calves have been spotted with L-pod.

    There appears to be a new calf born to the endangered southern resident orcas in the Salish Sea.

    The Center for Whale Research made the baby announcement Friday, saying it appears the L Pod of killer whales has a new calf. It has yet to confirm any further details.

    The Center came across social media posts showing a calf with members of the L-77 matriline on Monday, June 19. They were spotted off Tofino, British Columbia.

    If confirmed, this would be the first new calf in L pod since L125 was born in 2021, and it would bring the total population of southern resident killer whales to 74.

    "CWR researchers will need to conduct on-the-water encounters with this group to determine who the calf’s mother is, assess its health, and assign it an alphanumeric designation. We hope to see this calf in our study area very soon!" the Center said in a statement.

    "It's hard to say whose calf it is at this point, just being that it was based on a couple of photographs," said Josh McInnes, a scientist with the University of British Columbia's Marine Mammal Research Unit. "And often, it's usually greater than two or three encounters that we start classifying calves as being with a particular female."

    McInnes studies killer whales up and down the West Coast and says that multiple females within a pod will take care of a calf.

    McInnes notes southern resident pods are spending more time out on Pacific fishing banks, away from the Salish Sea, perhaps having to go further to try to find the salmon they need for food.

    Continue reading »

  • Tukwila workers will see a big bump on their next paychecks

    Tukwila will soon join Seattle and SeaTac in raising its minimum wage. Beginning Saturday, July 1, thousands of workers will earn just under $19 dollars an hour.

    Last fall, Tukwila voters approved an initiative to raise the minimum wage by more than $3 in the city.

    “That will certainly help,” said Katie Wilson of the Transit Riders Union, one of groups that helped campaign for the raise. “But it’s also definitely not enough to make it comfortable to live in this county.”

    Still, for thousands of workers, it will be a significant raise. For businesses with more than 500 employees, the new minimum wage will be $18.99.

    Smaller businesses with fewer than 500 workers will have a couple of years to phase in the new wage. Wilson says the new law would also require employers to offer additional hours to existing part time workers before hiring new employees.

    “This is basically designed to try to allow people to get full time work or closer to full time work if they want full time work.”

    The Transit Riders Union is part of a coalition petitioning the City of Burien to raise the minimum wage. Organizers in Renton are collecting signatures to put a similar measure in the November ballot.

    Continue reading »

  • Weigh in on EPA's Duwamish River cleanup plan by Aug. 11

    Tuesday was supposed to be the deadline for people to share input on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed cleanup plan for the heavily polluted Duwamish River entrance. But that deadline has been pushed back to Aug. 11, allowing time for a community festival to educate residents and take public comment on the proposal.

    Large portions of the Duwamish River, like where it meets the Puget Sound, are so toxic that the Environmental Protection Agency has had to step in to rehabilitate the river, designating it a Superfund site for a long-term cleanup response.

    Over the past 100 years, industrial discharges, storm drains, and combined sewer overflows have polluted the surface and bottom of the river.

    The EPA has worked in recent years to clean up portions of the river, one of the most recent efforts being the East Waterway Cleaning Project to clean the section of the river on the East of the man-made Harbor Island.

    Surrounding it are industrial and shipping projects. Further down the river, in the South Park neighborhood — which is in another Superfund site — is the office of Jamie Hearn, who helps with cleaning engagement and advocacy for the Duwamish River Community Coalition.

    “Sediment flows between each site, the water moves between each site, fish travel up and down the rivers. Even if we split them into two Superfund sites, we know that that's not how river ecosystems work,” she said.

    The impact on the ecosystem and the neighborhoods surrounding the river system isn't good. It’s why public comment is important on cleanup programs like this.

    Monday was supposed to be the deadline for people to share input on the EPA’s proposed cleanup plan for the heavily polluted entrance to the Duwamish river.

    But contributing such input often involves a lot of technical reading, which advocates say can be inaccessible for people living in working class communities; they might not have the time to read through technical EPA documents or may not be native English speakers. Regardless, they should have a voice in the cleanup process, Hearn said.

    “These folks have a really strong understanding of what some of the issues are when there is river cleanup. They are going to be the ones that are the most impacted by this cleanup, it's really important that we center their experiences and their thoughts.”

    Hearn added that the new, Aug. 11 deadline gives their group time to reach out to people in a culturally relevant way during the Duwamish River Festival, where they'll be able to present the cleanup projects to the public in a more accessible way while also collecting input.

    Continue reading »