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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Live updates: Biden ends reelection bid, endorses Kamala Harris
Elections
In this Feb. 27, 2021, photo, President Joe Biden speaks on the economy in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Biden took office promising to move quickly to restore and repair America’s relations with the rest of the world. Yet one major nation has yet to see any U.S. effort to improve ties, and that's China.AP Photo/Pablo Martinez MonsivaisKUOW and NPR coverage of President Joe Biden's decision to end his reelection bid.
Biden announced he would "stand down" in the 2024 presidential race Sunday. Here's what we know.
Monday, July 22, 2024
State GOP says Dems 'staged a coup' for Harris
As Democrats continued to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris Monday morning, the Washington State Republican Party's X account accused them of staging a "coup" for an "unqualified candidate" — Harris.
And the Republicans didn't stop there.
State Republican Chair Jim Walsh shared a meme on his X account that shows Eric André shooting fellow comedian Hannibal Buress (the popular meme is from a skit about climate change). In the version Walsh shared, André, the shooter, is labeled "Democrats." Buress, who is being shot, is labeled "Democracy." The meme concludes with André addressing the viewer: "Now that democracy is out of the way, we can get back to saving it."
Walsh shared the meme Monday morning, just about a week after the attempted assassination of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Republican gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird took a more measured tone.
"President Biden made the right decision to end his campaign and not seek re-election," he said on X. "I look forward to President Trump's continued efforts to unite our nation toward victory."
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Microsoft outage inconveniences Seattle area, but emergency services remain functional
Technology
A portion of the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington, is shown on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerA global data outage has left parts of Seattle’s government and health care infrastructure without access to digitally stored files. It’s the result of a faulty security update of Microsoft operating systems.
The outage has been an inconvenience to many, but hasn’t critically impacted local emergency services or public safety systems, according to Washington State Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezelle.
“In many cases, entities within the medical community or [government] agencies are having to operate manually or using backup… while they're working on restoring some of their primary systems,” he said.
Working on backups means going back to older ways of keeping records, said Mike Leong, a spokesperson for Sea-Mar Community Health Centers. Sea-Mar is one of many health care institutions in the region that were impacted by the faulty CrowdStrike update on Thursday night.
“There are instances of downtime where we have reverted to using paper to record and document our patient visits, and then when systems come back up, we enter the information into the electronic charts,” Leong said.
Larger health care entities in the area, including Providence Swedish and MultiCare, are taking similar measures. Many cite difficulty accessing health records and expect to have to reschedule appointments.
The University of Washington’s medical facilities, including Harborview, are still operating as usual and officials don’t expect to have to reschedule appointments, said spokesperson Susan Gregg.
Tim Pfarr, a spokesperson for the Washington State Hospital Association, said people should still seek emergency health care if necessary.
At Sea-Tac Airport, the outage has mostly impacted Delta Airlines and its customers, according to Port of Seattle spokesperson Perry Cooper.
Because Sea-Tac doesn’t see a high volume of layovers, “we don't see the big jam congestion of passengers and travelers,” Cooper added.
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More green space, fewer silos: King County reveals new extreme heat plan
Environment
Stephani Ung heads the Khmer Community Seattle King County, which helped provide feedback on how to reach and address the needs of specific populations to avoid heat risks. She said, "Being able to address heat as a community is really important."KUOW Photo/Amy RadilKing County officials on Thursday presented a new plan for keeping residents safe during the hotter summers ahead. They say the plan will help local jurisdictions respond to extreme heat with a more unified approach.
The county's extreme heat mitigation strategy report, which outlines priorities for saving lives during heat waves, cites the Pacific Northwest Heat Dome in June 2021 as being “the single most deadly climate disaster event in Washington State." More than 125 heat-related deaths were reported statewide, 34 of those deaths being in King County.
County officials say they’ll employ emergency measures like cooling centers, but also seek to expand green spaces to save lives during heat waves fueled by climate change. King County has commissioned maps of its heat islands, where temperatures can be 20 degrees higher than areas with more trees and green space.
Tom McLeod is mayor of the city of Tukwila, where heat islands were documented. He said his city is working to address the higher temperatures created by all its paved infrastructure.
“Tukwila’s equity policy includes equitable physical development of the city, including urban forestry and extreme heat prevention. The city’s tree regulations support these goals by both retaining valuable existing trees, and the planting of new trees.”
Heidi Watters, Tukwila’s urban environmentalist, said there's an argument that trees provide benefits and should be viewed like other city assets or utilities.
“They are infrastructure, and they take up space and they take up money," she said.
Meanwhile, the group Tree Action Seattle is protesting the possible removal of an 80-foot Douglas Fir nearby in Seattle's South Park neighborhood. They say it’s the last tree on the block, in a neighborhood that already disproportionately lacks tree canopy.
Beck Lin is a manager at the development firm seeking to build townhomes on the lot including the tree at 1033 South Cloverdale Street in South Park. Lin said in an email, "We are working closely with the architect to examine all possible alternatives. We hope to find the best solution that will work for everyone in the community."
King County officials said planning for future heat waves will also include more multi-lingual communications about the risks of heat waves, and providing more portable air conditioning for people most vulnerable to heat injury. Officials said they'd partner with existing organizations like Meals on Wheels to help those residents.
Tony Machacha, the community capacity manager with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, said it’s helpful that the strategy incorporates the needs of people his agency serves alongside everyone else.
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UW researchers find online rumors, but no major disinformation, after Trump assassination attempt
Politics
University of Washington researchers say social media rumors and misinformation following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump came from the left, right, and center.
RELATED: Washington students primed on media literacy, but wonder why adults don't get the same education
“We have to be savvier about how we approach those spaces as consumers and participants, because it's not just this natural sense-making process that's happening. It's also been being manipulated and shaped by attention dynamics in ways that lead to it being very poor-quality information, especially in the early moments after a crisis event," said Kate Starbird, who heads the Center for an Informed Public.
Starbird said researchers identified no major disinformation campaign by outside actors. Instead, it's rumors that circulated spontaneously by people trying to get attention for themselves or their causes.
Researchers said rumors focused on elements like the shooter’s identity, Secret Service preparedness, and whether the attack was staged. According to a blog post by researchers:
"Diverging along ideological lines, pro-Trump rhetoric attempted to assign blame for the shooting, anchoring on an assumption that the perpetrator was a Democrat motivated by political rhetoric acutely critical of Trump. Meanwhile, among anti-Trump commentators, a sense of skepticism spread, with many theorizing that the event may have been 'staged' by the Trump campaign for political gain."
RELATED: How doing your own research can confirm fake news
It was also noted that the speed in which people offer merchandising after an event has greatly increased, primarily with the help of AI. Merchandise, such as T-shirts, based on the assassination attempt went online within hours of the news.
The UW center is conducting rapid research on election-year rumors after disinformation efforts — domestic and from overseas, including Russia — roiled presidential elections in 2020 and 2016.
Read more here about misinformation that spread shortly after the assassination attempt.
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Seattle's accessory dwelling unit boom continues, outnumbering single-family permits 2 to 1
An accessory dwelling unit (backyard cottage) at a home in Seattle.Seattle has entered a new era of housing, with skyrocketing permits for backyard cottages and in-home apartments, primarily in the city's single-family zoned neighborhoods.
In 2023, the city continued to track a rising number of permits for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), building on a trend that began when Seattle leaders eased regulations around this form of housing four years earlier.
RELATED: Seattle's surprising place for housing bargains — downtown
"Last year, 87% of ADUs were permitted in neighborhood residential zones," Phillip Carnell with Seattle's Office of Planning and Community Development said at a council committee meeting Wednesday. "That is cementing that ADUs are outnumbering single-family residential permits 2-1 in the city."
Carnell added that when new single-family residences are permitted in Seattle, 70% are permitted with one or more ADUs on the property.
An ADU can be a backyard cottage, or an apartment built into a house (commonly referred to as a "mother-in-law" apartment). As such, they are often distinguished as "detached" ADUs or "attached" ADUs. This form of housing is not new to Seattle, but city regulations have long hampered its use. Some neighborhoods have pushed back against them in the past, with concerns of overcrowding, limited parking, and potential effects on home values.
RELATED: Why some Seattle-area seniors are choosing dorm-sized apartments
Over the past 10 years, Seattle began promoting ADUs as an affordable housing option. In 2019, the city established out-of-the box, fast-tracked ADU plans that bypassed much of the permitting process.
Now, according to an ADU progress report out this week, permits are being issued four-times more than before 2020. Data for 2023 shows that there were 482 ADU permits issued in 2020, shortly after the reforms were passed. In 2023, that number went up to 987. Rawan Hasan, with the city's Office of Planning and Community Development, said Wednesday that the ADUs are being used for a range of purposes.
"When they are sold to a new owner, a growing number of ADUs are condominiums," Hasan said. "In 2022, 44% of ADUs were permitted as (condos). Their average selling price was $750,000, compared to $1.18 million for principal dwelling units, and $1.6 million for new detached homes."
Rawan further reported that one-eighth of ADUs are being provided to friends or family for free, and that there are more ADUs being rented out to long-term tenants than short-term occupants (such as people using Airbnb).
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Northwest senators denounce political violence, Republican VP pick
Politics
U.S. Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Ron Wyden in Seattle on Monday, July 15, 2024.KUOW Photo/ Casey MartinAt an energy summit on Seattle’s waterfront on Monday, Democratic U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell from Washington and Ron Wyden of Oregon condemned political violence following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump over the weekend.
The two also voiced their concerns over Trump's pick for vice president, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance from Ohio.
Cantwell and Wyden had strong opinions about the Trump-Vance Republican presidential ticket just hours after the announcement.
RELATED: Trump names Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as vice presidential running mate
"You could not have a more clear example of the stakes than what Donald Trump did today with that nomination," Wyden said at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle on Monday.
Wyden highlighted Vance's policies on abortion and women's access to health care. Vance opposes abortion and praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
"I just so appreciate Sen. Cantwell's leadership on making sure that women's health care is something that women get to decide," Wyden said, "not government and not Sen. J.D. Vance."
RELATED: Live updates: Trump assassination attempt news and analysis
Asked about her relatively new colleague in the Senate — Vance has represented Ohio since January 2023 — possibly becoming the vice president, Cantwell again pointed to their differences on the matter of reproductive rights.
"Sen. Vance and I don't agree on women's right to choice, and it's definitely a very big issue we're going to hear a lot about in the campaign," she said. "It's very important our state codified that law."
Despite sharply disagreeing with Vance’s politics, both senators denounced any form of political violence following the attempted assassination of Trump over the weekend while he was holding a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
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As pre-election tensions get heated, are we 'cooking' up a better democracy, or 'burning' it?
Politics
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is covered by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)There have been many reactions following the assassination attempt of former President Trump. While some have denounced political violence, others have leaned into conspiracy theories and pointing a political finger of blame.
As Mónica Guzmán, senior fellow at Braver Angels (a nonpartisan organization dedicated to political depolarization), told KUOW's Soundside, political differences are part of how our democracy works. But how we handle those differences, how we react, is what impacts our daily lives.
"Heat in a conversation, a disagreement across differences, politically, heat is good," Guzmán said. "The question is whether you are cooking something, or burning something."
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Live updates: Trump assassination attempt news & analysis
KUOW and NPR coverage in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
UW researchers find online rumors, but no major disinformation campaigns, after Trump assassination attempt
University of Washington researchers say rumors and misinformation on social media following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump came from the left, right and center.
“We have to be savvier about how we approach those spaces as consumers and participants, because it's not just this natural sense-making process that's happening. It's also been being manipulated and shaped by attention dynamics in ways that lead to it being very poor-quality information, especially in the early moments after a crisis event," said Kate Starbird who heads the Center for an Informed Public.
Starbird said researchers identified no major disinformation campaign by outside actors. Instead, it's rumors that circulated spontaneously by people trying to get attention for themselves or their causes.
Researchers said rumors focused on elements like the shooter’s identity, Secret Service preparedness, and whether the attack was staged.
The UW center is conducting rapid research on election-year rumors after disinformation efforts — domestic and from overseas, including Russia — roiled presidential elections in 2020 and 2016.
Read more here about misinformation that spread shortly after the assassination attempt.
— Ann Dornfeld, KUOW
Monday, July 15, 2024
Cantwell, Wyden of Oregon denounce political violence during energy summit
At an energy summit on Seattle’s waterfront on Monday, Democratic U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell from Washington and Ron Wyden of Oregon condemned political violence following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump over the weekend.
The two also voiced their concerns over Trump's pick for vice president, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance from Ohio.
— Casey Martin
Bob Ferguson pauses talking about Trump on the campaign trail
While talking with KUOW, Washington state Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Ferguson said that his thoughts are with former President Trump and his family after the assassination attempt. He said that he will hold off on talking about Trump while on the campaign trail for a while.
"I do frequently talk about Dave Reichert’s support for Donald Trump, and Donald Trump’s policies, and that sort of thing … but you know, I told my audience yesterday, I spoke about what happened to former president Trump, my views on that, and that I would not be speaking about Donald Trump in my remarks to them."
"Obviously, as Americans we need to avoid this escalating," he added. "Like what we saw in, say, 1968 where you had MLK Jr. and Bobby Kennedy assassinated within a very short period of time."
"Assassinations and attempted assassinations have long been a part of American political life, which is deeply problematic and deeply concerning so I think where it goes back to, is all leaders, all Americans, need to express their condemnation of what happened."
— Jeanie Lindsay (Northwest News Network), KUOW staff
Mónica Guzmán: "You can feel that everything is shook"
There have been many reactions following the assassination attempt of former President Trump. While some have denounced political violence, others have leaned into conspiracy theories and pointing a political finger of blame.
As Mónica Guzmán, senior fellow at Braver Angels (a nonpartisan organization dedicated to political depolarization), told KUOW's Soundside, political differences are part of how our democracy works. But how we handle those differences, how we react, is what impacts our daily lives.
"Heat in a conversation, a disagreement across differences, politically, heat is good," Guzmán said. "The question is whether you are cooking something, or burning something."
Read the full story here.
— KUOW staff
Reichert calls Secret Service protection of Trump into question
Dave Reichert is no stranger to threats of violence — he described many he received as King County sheriff and congressman in an interview with KUOW.
In 2015, a caller who threatened to kill him was charged with harassment. As head of King County's SWAT division, he worked with the U.S. Secret Service on protection for visiting dignitaries.
"I'm sure that the Secret Service has recognized that they absolutely, obviously, left a gap — allowed someone to get into a position to have a clear shot at President Trump," Reichert said. "That should have never happened."
Reichert said he does not have security, and will not be getting any after this shooting.
Both major Democrats in the race condemned political violence in statements. The other major Republican candidate in the race, Semi Bird, blamed so-called elites trying to "maintain power and control of government."
— Scott Greenstone
Washington Sen. Patty Murray condemns "all forms of political violence" and says "We cannot denounce one and disregard another" ”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray from Washington state issued a statement following the assassination attempt on former President Trump this weekend. Murray argues that leaders should not only condemn the attack on Trump, but also the "political violence that has been incited or condoned by Trump and his allies."
“Violence begets violence, and leaders from all walks of life should forcefully reject violence in all its forms in the strongest possible terms. Political violence, though, is a direct assault on our democracy—no matter what the political beliefs of the perpetrator might be. As we mourn for the father who was killed and hope for the full recovery of those who were injured, we should all be grateful for the safety of former President Donald Trump—for the sake of his family and loved ones and for the country.
We can only be credible and effective in refuting political violence if we are clear and consistent—which is why in this moment, it is not enough for anyone to condemn the attack on former President Trump if they still refuse to condemn the political violence that has been incited or condoned by Trump and his allies. Donald Trump incited a violent mob that attempted to overturn the results of a free and fair election on January 6th, he openly ridiculed the heinous assault on Paul Pelosi, and he brazenly directed far-right extremists to ‘stand back and standby’—anyone who is turning a blind eye to Trump’s ceaseless rhetoric is doing this country a grave disservice. Just today, the former President called January 6th a hoax—I was there on January 6th, and I could hear the banging on the doors of my office. I will not let the history of that day be rewritten. It was an attack on our very democracy—a violent one.
It is easy to say political violence has no place in America, but if we want that sentiment to hold true, we must condemn all forms of political violence—we cannot denounce one and disregard another. Here’s what I know: if we want to protect our democracy for the future, we can only do it using our voices and our votes—and we have to be clear-eyed and unwavering in calling out leaders who willfully and purposefully incite political violence.”
— KUOW staff
Stranger reporter suspended for tweet about Trump assassination attempt
A reporter from The Stranger, Seattle’s alternative news outlet, was suspended this weekend after posting a tweet on X that read, "Make American aim again," suggesting that the bullet that grazed Trump’s ear missed its mark.
Wrote Rich Smith, The Stranger’s editor: "We suspended Ashley [Nerbovig]. The Stranger stands against political violence. Period."
Nerbovig has since deleted her account on X.
— Scott Greenstone
State GOP Chair Jim Walsh was in Milwaukie for the Republican National Convention when he heard about the shooting. When talking with KUOW, he partially blamed the incident on the media for demonizing Trump, and said that the former president will receive a "hero's welcome" at the convention.
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Following Trump shooting, Washington state politicians condemn violence and spread conspiracy theories
Politics
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump reacts following an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024.AP Photo/Gene J. PuskarPolitical leaders in Washington state are responding to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally over the weekend. While many have condemned the violence, others have called its motivation into question.
Jim Walsh, chair of the state GOP, said he learned of the shooting at a Milwaukee Brewers game. He was with a number of delegates and staff who’d arrived at the Republican National Convention early.
RELATED: How the Trump rally shooting unfolded in photos
“Needless to say, it was hard to pay attention to the game after that,” Walsh said.
Walsh blamed the attack on commentators and magazines who’ve called Trump a fascist and compared him to Hitler.
“We've been dreading this kind of thing for a while. I mean, the rhetoric of the criticism and political opposition to Trump is so vitriolic,” Walsh said.
He spoke to KUOW hours before the shooter’s name was revealed and his registration as a Republican was reported. But Walsh doubled down on this stance on social media on Sunday.
He said Trump will receive a “hero’s welcome” at the convention this week.
State Democratic Chair Shasti Conrad, Sen. Patty Murray, and a number of other elected leaders on both sides of the aisle decried political violence in statements. Republican Representative Dan Newhouse called the shooting “appalling.” Newhouse voted to impeach Trump after the capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
RELATED: Biden live address after Trump assassination attempt
Some Trump supporters, like the GOP-endorsed candidate for governor, Semi Bird, blamed the attack on “elite extremists.” He called it an effort to “maintain power and control of the government.”
Trump supporters weren’t the only ones spreading conspiracy theories.
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The Gotta-go-Joe to Pro-Joe meter: Washington state edition
Elections
KUOW/Teo PopescuDemocratic politicians and political donors spoke up last week about whether they believe President Joe Biden should stay in the race. Here's where lawmakers and donors from Washington state stand.
You-gotta-go Joe
Rep. Adam Smith, District 9 (Seattle to Tacoma)
Adam Smith was one of the first members of Congress to call for Biden to step down. Smith told NPR, “The concerns about his health are papering over our efforts to focus on Trump. …We need a better messenger, and I think we have an opportunity to get a better one, and I think we ought to take it,” he told NPR.
(Statement issued on July 8)
Sen. Patty Murray
Sen. Patty Murray said Biden should “seriously consider” how to secure his legacy, which The New York Times called “a statement that passed for fighting words.”
(Statement issued on July 8)
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It’s so hot in Seattle, they’re spraying down the drawbridges
A 36-foot Hallberg-Rassy sailboat travels underneath the Ballard Bridge on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerIt’s been blazingly hot in Seattle this week with Tuesday being the hottest day in the city since the deadly 2021 heat dome. With temperatures this high, the city’s drawbridges have to be cooled down to keep operating properly.
How hot is it in Seattle this week? So hot that even our drawbridges need a cool-down spritz. If you see fire hoses at some Seattle bridges during this heat wave, don't worry: it's just preventative maintenance.
“We give our bridges cool baths whenever temperatures get this high,” said Ethan Bergerson, press secretary for the Seattle Department of Transportation.
Three drawbridges in Seattle get hosed down multiple times a day in this weather: the Fremont, Ballard, and University Bridges.
Bergerson said these bridges have metal components and, “when you get really hot weather for several days in a row, you run the risk of that metal expanding and the bridge getting stuck.”
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In Seattle, office-to-residential building conversions win unanimous council approval
Smith TowerKUOW Photo/Joshua McNicholsIt just got easier for developers in Seattle to turn underused office buildings into apartments.
Imagine if the people who own empty office towers in downtown Seattle were to tear them all to the ground. The reason for doing so would be to make space for new buildings better suited to the reality of remote work culture.
There are many buildings that could see this fate, given the record high number of office vacancies in downtown Seattle (and in other cities with downtown tech hubs).
RELATED: Downtown Seattle's 'zombie' office buildings could get second life as apartments under new rules
Collectively, these actions would create a central business district full of rubble-filled, fenced-off lots, like a scene from a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. And once developers started building new apartment towers on those sites — which is what the market seems to want today — the whole of downtown would feel like one big construction site for several more years.
An alternative, which Mayor Bruce Harrell has championed as part of his downtown activation plan, is to turn underused offices into apartments. The idea is that new residents would refill empty streets and help them feel safer.
The city council approved his legislation 9-0 on Tuesday.
RELATED: Downtown Seattle office values are dropping like overripe plums. That's not all bad
But office-to-residential conversions are complicated and expensive. And the big question is whether the legislation makes the option attractive enough that developers will take the bait.
The answer will depend on whether permit applications start rolling in.
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