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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'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' will have fans raging for more
As with the other films in its franchise, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" is not a cookie cutter horror movie. Aside from a bevy of Biblical allusions, "The Bone Temple" continues to offer something original and will have audiences talking about it long after they leave the theater.
RELATED: Superhero flicks in '26. Comic-book movies to be excited about
The previous movies in this series (written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle) leaned into a more artistic, thought-provoking direction than other zombie movies. "The Bone Temple" leans in even further with wonderful character depth, great visuals, and a story that will have audiences ever curious about what is around the next corner.
"The Bone Temple" is the second half of "28 Years Later." It begins right after the last one left us with a cliffhanger. Both movies were filmed back-to-back. As such, the bar for entry to this film is a bit high. It would be difficult going in without seeing the previous movies. I highly recommend watching "28 Days Later" and "28 Years Later" before seeing this chapter. But once you're up to date, "The Bone Temple" is a real cinematic treat.
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Is it Sea-Tac Airport or SEA?
If the Port of Seattle is successful, referencing the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as "Sea-Tac" will go the way of Qwest Field, Washington State Convention Center, and KeyArena.
Locals colloquially, and perhaps lovingly, call it "Sea-Tac Airport," but in case you haven't noticed, the Port of Seattle really wants you to say "SEA" when referring to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. As in spelling it out "S-E-A," like JFK or LAX.
"One of the reasons we've done this is we've really grown from an airport, not only locally, but internationally as well," Port spokesperson Perry Cooper said. "The number of flights that we've got coming in here, and what we've found with our international folks, our marketers ... they don't recognize what Sea-Tac is. They recognize SEA and that's a big part of our global recognition."
RELATED: How Sea-Tac Airport is combating chaos with construction
Ever since 2020, the Port has pushed out reminders to heighten the profile of "SEA." Yet, there has been some pushback, with locals insisting they will never give up saying "Sea-Tac."
The fervor over "Sea-Tac" seems to defy echo chambers — whether on X or BlueSky. Locals were united in their response to the Port of Seattle's recent reminder that the airport is officially called "SEA," and not "Sea-Tac."
Responses have been less, "You down with S-E-A ... Yeah you know me!" and more, "You can't touch this." At least, I'm sure that's how Millennials would put it. It's prompted a conversation over what to call the region's major airport.
What's in a name?
Would an airport by any other name feel as crowded or harshly yell at you to keep your car moving?
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Superhero flicks in '26. Comic-book movies to be excited about
A primer on comic-book movies, and superhero shows, coming from Marvel and DC in 2026, and which ones are worth your attention.
This article is based on a episode of "Meet Me Here," KUOW's arts and culture podcast.
If there are two movies you should mark your 2026 calendars for, according to Seattle film critic Tim Hall and myself, it's "Supergirl" in June, and "Avengers: Doomsday" in December. "Supergirl" is likely going to be a crowd pleaser with mass appeal, which is what DC desperately needs. "Avengers: Doomsday" is Marvel's opportunity to kick off another phase of comic-book movies after being forced to come up with a new cinematic plan in a short period of time.
RELATED: What's in an asterisk? Marvel's 'Thunderbolts*' is action with unexpected allegory
"This is a window. This is an opening [for DC]," Hall said. "This is the moment DC can establish itself as someone to be taken seriously in this genre."
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Sidelining Trump appointee, federal judges in Seattle will name new US attorney
The chief federal judge in the Western District of Washington announced today that the court intends to exercise its power to appoint a new U.S. Attorney in Seattle. The Justice Department's appointee — interim U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd — cannot continue to serve beyond Feb. 3 without support from either the U.S Senate or federal judges in Western Washington.
It's one of several jurisdictions where top federal prosecutors appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi have failed to retain their positions, which requires either presidential nomination and Senate confirmation, or reappointment by the federal courts. The district court's appointee is allowed to serve until the position is filled by the president and goes through the confirmation process.
The federal court in Delaware took a similar approach last fall when Trump’s pick failed to win Senate confirmation and stepped down. After some pushback from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the court took applications and chose an existing prosecutor for the top job.
The federal court in Seattle has also used this option to appoint longtime federal prosecutors when vacancies occurred. Under the federal law governing these vacancies, after 120 days an interim U.S. Attorney must be nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate or reappointed by the district court. Floyd was sworn in on Oct. 6, 2025.
The court’s order signals an unwillingness to retain Floyd as the region’s top federal prosecutor. Instead, Chief District Judge David Estudillo outlines a process for all interested candidates to apply for the position over the next two months.
In districts where federal judges have not exercised their authority after the 120 days, other Trump administration appointees have been forced to resign, like Alina Habba in New Jersey, or remained in their position thanks to a workaround, as in the case of Pete Serrano in the Eastern District of Washington.
(Meanwhile the Justice Department and federal courts are actively contesting whether Lindsey Halligan remains the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, according to Politico.)
Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, opposed Pete Serrano’s U.S. Senate confirmation, saying his “extreme right-wing views are far out of step with the people of Washington state,” according to the Washington State Standard. A longstanding Senate tradition allows senators to block the advancement of nominees for U.S. attorney positions and federal judgeships in their states by denying them so-called “blue slip” endorsements.
Federal judges in the Eastern District of Washington also declined to intervene or to reappoint Serrano. At that point U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi gave Serrano two job titles that allow him to continue leading the office. He is a “special attorney” to Bondi and the First Assistant U.S. Attorney in the district.
In contrast, the federal court in Delaware did intervene when the Trump administration’s appointed U.S. attorney failed to receive Senate confirmation. The state’s chief federal judge, Colm Connolly, who was himself appointed by President Trump, publicly sought applications and ultimately appointed an internal candidate, Benjamin Wallace, to the top post. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche rebuked the judge’s decision on social media but ultimately Connolly’s order prevailed.
The judges in the Western District of Washington have also used their authority to appoint a U.S. attorney recently. In May 2024 they issued an order to retain Tessa Gorman as U.S. Attorney after Biden’s Senate-confirmed candidate Nick Brown left the office to run successfully for state attorney general.
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Big snow hits Washington Cascades, 2 to 4 feet expected by Thursday
If you’ve been praying for fresh powder in the mountains, apparently, someone is listening.
Over the next three days, between two and four feet of snow are predicted in the North Cascades, including at Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass, and in the Mount Rainier area.
Farther north, the Mt. Baker Ski Area expects two and a half feet in the next 24 hours.
The storm blowing through Western Washington also will bring high winds, with gusts Tuesday expected to top 35 miles per hour.
A winter storm warning will remain in effect for the mountains through Thursday afternoon. The storm will be limited to rain in the lowlands. So far, no major flooding is forecast, but scattered power outages are possible.
The National Weather Service said travel could be difficult to impossible in spots going over the mountain passes. The roadways most impacted will be Interstate 90 and US 2, 12, and 97.
Snow is expected to be heaviest Tuesday when snowfall rates will reach one inch or more per hour.
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Naked gardeners, backyard fighters, and butterflies: KUOW's good news in 2025
The news might get a bad rap for focusing on negative headlines and sensational topics. But with bad news, often comes people responding with good actions. There might be a weather event over here, but a superpod of orca there. And no matter what happens, people always seem to find their community. Throughout 2025, KUOW has reported on it all.
Let's start with those quirky communities we have all around us.
Quirky communities
Naked gardening: “Just 15 minutes of some naked gardening, it will adjust your mind," Mark Storey told KUOW in May, ahead of World Naked Gardening Day.
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Seattle-area Somalis seek officials’ help with daycare doxxing, immigration crackdown
Members of the Seattle-area Somali community say they are reeling from the impact of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric — he recently referred to Somali Americans as “garbage” — and from an immigration crackdown that has sent people to detention or left them unable to work.
In a meeting with Gov. Bob Ferguson and Seattle-area elected officials Monday, Somali Americans said outrage over fraud cases against unrelated Somali nonprofits in Minnesota is now fueling the doxxing and harassment of Somali child care providers in Washington state.
In Minnesota, federal prosecutors have obtained dozens of convictions in cases of stolen federal food aid during the Covid pandemic. Those investigations began under the Biden administration.
Then, in recent days, an unverified report by right-wing influencer Nick Shirley claimed that some Minnesota daycares operated by Somali residents were fraudulently obtaining state subsidies.
This weekend, FBI director Kash Patel called Covid fraud “the tip of a very large iceberg” and said he is sending more investigative resources to Minnesota.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, state officials said they take fraud allegations seriously, but found no evidence of it in their unannounced inspections.
In the meantime, some journalists with conservative media outlets and policy groups in the Seattle area announced they are knocking on doors and urged people to visit and verify the status of Somali-run child care businesses in Washington state. The state is home to tens of thousands of Somali immigrants. It's one of the largest Somali populations on the West Coast, much of it concentrated in south King County.
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Did you see that? Movies you shouldn't miss before exiting 2025
There is only so much attention to spread around the year, and that means a few notable movies and shows can fall through the cracks. That's why you're hearing friends, family, and co-workers exclaiming, "You just have to watch this!" So, let's cover a few titles you may have missed in 2025.
Not the obvious ones. You've likely heard plenty about "White Lotus" and "Severance." It was impossible to miss the buzz around the new "Superman" film, and unfortunately, the "Minecraft" movie... exists. And don't worry, I'm not going to be the umpteenth person to tell you about "Weapons."
Here are a few other movies and shows that you may have heard whispers about, or may have even gotten by you in 2025.
Movies
A movie filmed in Washington is getting a lot of award buzz. This is the kind of film your friend who really likes to mention their MFA might bring up. But even if you're not into artsy flicks, "Train Dreams" is worth a watch.
Based on an award-winning novella of the same name, it tells the story of an average logger in the early 1900s, simply living a life as the world advances around him. This is a gorgeous movie to watch and not in an "Avatar" kind of way. It's beautiful because Washington state is beautiful — its forests, its expansive plains, and all the natural settings around here that still feel like another time. "Train Dreams" is a movie you can really tune into, and tune out everything else.
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Washington state on track for warmest December on record — again
This month is set to be the warmest Washington December on record, breaking a record that was just set in 2023.
Steven Reedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the average temperature this month is on track to reach 45.9 degrees. The record set in 2023 was an average of 45.5 degrees.
RELATED: Seattle records its warmest December. What does that mean for mountain snowpack?
That’s despite the cold, wet La Niña winter forecast for the Pacific Northwest.
Forecasters were right: December was wet, to say the least.
The Seattle area got above average rainfall this month, thanks in large part to three atmospheric rivers that caused extreme flooding in the region.
The state was under severe drought conditions this fall, putting Washington on track for the fifth driest year on record.
Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco said the Yakima Basin was especially affected by the drought. The basin has been dealing with drought conditions for three years. This fall, it had some of the lowest water levels since 1971, when officials started tracking water levels.
RELATED: Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report
But the atmospheric rivers that led to catastrophic flooding earlier this month put the state is back on track for annual rainfall. The state is now 0.18 inches shy of the average annual rainfall.
Bumbaco said getting that amount of rainfall over a long period of time would have been preferable for the Yakima Basin, in part to avoid flooding. Still, she said, “the water has helped the basin increase its storage and decreased the long-term precipitation deficit.”
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Thousands of pounds of ground beef recalled in WA, 5 other states
Washingtonians who have recently purchased Forward Farms ground beef may need to toss it if the use- or freeze-by date is Jan. 13, 2026.
Mountain West Food Group, LLC, is recalling nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef products produced on Dec. 16 under its Forward Farms label. Testing revealed the products may be contaminated with E. coli.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Saturday the recall is specifically for 16-ounce, or one-pound, vacuum-sealed packages of "Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef" that has a use- or freeze-by date of Jan. 13 and the establishment number "EST 2083" printed on the side of the packaging.
The beef was distributed to retailers in six states: Washington, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Pennsylvania. Federal officials urged anyone who bought this product to throw it out or return it to wherever it was purchased.
As of Saturday, there were no reports of illness due to the consumption of the product. Federal officials said anyone concerned they got sick from eating the product should contact a healthcare provider.
E. coli can cause vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Some cases can last for days and may become severe.
Anyone with questions about the recall can contact Jeremy Anderson, CEO of Mountain West Food Group, LLC, at 208-679-3765 or info@mountainwestfoodgroup.com.
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After rivers flood, King County Water Taxis use infrared goggles to dodge logs
Seattle was spared from the worst of recent flooding, but the raging rivers in Western Washington sent lots of trees and logs into Puget Sound. That can mean trouble for captains sailing through Elliott Bay.
Crews aboard King County's water taxis are used to some debris floating in the water this time of year. But as December 2025 has seen record-setting river flooding, it's been worse.
Heavy rain and wind, like we’ve seen the past couple of weeks, can push a lot of the trees, logs, and debris along river banks into waterways.
RELATED: First came the rain. Then came the toilet rats.
That can be a hazard for boats, like King County Metro’s Water Taxis that crisscross Elliott Bay. Aboard every taxi is a crewmember dedicated as a lookout to keep an eye on the water to make sure there isn't any debris in front of them.
To avoid crashing into a big, floating log, Terry Federer, Marine Director for Metro, says they use tools straight out of a spy movie: infrared goggles.
"The debris in the water has a different heat signature than the water itself,” Federer told KUOW. “So, with the infrared goggles, the lookout can spot different types of debris and then tell the captain that they should move to this direction or to that direction to change course."
The boats have light bars on them, too, that emit infrared light. Federer said they can not only spot logs with the goggles and lights, but also large animals like whales.
Water taxis are nimble enough, he says, to quickly sail around obstacles. Because of their catamaran shape, captains can also sail over a piece of debris with the object slipping in between the two hulls.
RELATED: How much water flooded parts of Western Washington? At least 3 Lake Washingtons' worth
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As Washington state's flood recovery unfolds, what resources can people expect?
We don't have numbers yet on how many Washington homes and businesses have experienced flooding. Emergency officials say it's too early to even guess until flood waters recede. But for people starting to clean up, the safety issues are serious. Flood waters can bring sewage and bacteria, which cause mold and other hazards.
To find out more about what's ahead in the recovery process, Kim Malcolm talked to KUOW’s Monica Nickelsburg, who has been reporting on what assistance will be available to Western Washingtonians as they recover.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Kim Malcolm: We've heard directly from several families impacted by recent flooding, but thousands more around the state are either still out of their homes or in flood recovery mode. Can affected property owners expect to get help from insurance?
Monica Nickelsburg: Unfortunately, most typical homeowners and renters insurance policies don't cover this type of flooding. Usually, to get help with those repairs you would need to have a separate flood insurance policy.
And do we know how many properties in Washington are covered by flood insurance?
It's about 50,000 homes and businesses in Washington that have flood insurance between the program that FEMA administers and the private market. That's about half the number of people who were advised to evacuate at the height of the flooding. It doesn't mean all of those homes were damaged, but we just don't know at this point. In general, experts say that a lot more people should have flood insurance than do.
Is there clarity on what resources are available to property owners who don't have flood insurance?
It's a little bit of a wait and see. It really depends whether President Trump signs off on a federal disaster declaration and at the same time authorizes FEMA to provide individual assistance to households. That would be different than the federal emergency that's already been declared, which is really more about providing lifesaving first responder emergency relief from FEMA.
Right now, the counties that have a lot of flooding are running surveys to assess the damage. Governor Ferguson will use the data collected in those surveys to make his case for a federal disaster declaration. So, if you're a property owner who has damage, you should go to your county website and fill out this survey.
How about any resources available at the local level?
Damaged properties might also be able to get relief from state and local property taxes. County websites have details on that. And even though homeowners insurance doesn't typically cover flood damage, your auto insurance might. If your car was damaged, you should check your policy.
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