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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Washington's high-capacity magazine ban heads to state Supreme Court after 'unconstitutional' ruling
Government
In this April 10, 2013, file photo, a stag arms AR-15 rifle with 30 round, left, and 10 round magazines is displayed in New Britain, Conn.AP Photo/Charles KrupaAfter a Cowlitz County judge ruled Washington's ban on high-capacity magazines is unconstitutional at the state and federal levels, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson quickly said the decision was "incorrect," and moved the case up the legal ladder. The issue is now before the state Supreme Court.
"This law is constitutional," Ferguson said in a statement. "It is also essential to addressing mass shootings in our communities. This law saves lives, and I will continue to defend it.”
RELATED: Federal Way store owner to pay $3 million for violating WA gun law
Ferguson spearheaded an effort to ban the sale of high-capacity magazines (which hold more than 10 rounds) in Washington state. The Legislature passed the ban and it went into effect in July 2022.
Since then, the Attorney General's Office has sent undercover investigators into more than 100 gun shops around the state to ensure the new law was being followed. A handful of firearm stores were found to be openly or covertly violating the ban, leading to tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
One such shop was Gator's Custom Guns in Kelso, Wash., which, the Attorney General's Office alleges, continued to sell a stockpile of high-capacity magazines in the open. The state sued the store in September 2023. That case went to Cowlitz County Superior Court, the county Kelso is in.
But the state's lawsuit may have backfired. Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor ruled Monday that the state's ban is unconstitutional. Ferguson quickly responded and filed a motion with the state's Supreme Court.
Washington's Supreme Court has granted a stay of Bashor's ruling, which means the state's ban on high-capacity magazines will remain in effect as this case moves forward.
“Today’s decision is incorrect ... Every court in Washington and across the country [that has considered] challenges to a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines under the U.S. or Washington Constitution has either rejected that challenge or been overruled," Ferguson said.
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On the count of 3...Go! Rapper Common surprises fans with dance solo at Seattle breaking competition
Arts & Life
The crowd reacts as hip-hop artist and actor Common puts on his own, unexpected breakdance show while performing at the Red Bull Lords of the Floor competition on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at WAMU Theater in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerHundreds of spectators gathered at WAMU Theater Saturday for the Red Bull Lords of the Floor breakdance competition, back in Seattle for the first time since 2002. Sixteen international duos — one from as far away as Kazakhstan — went toe-to-toe in a series of high-energy dance battles until a winning crew was crowned.
Hip-hop legend Common performed some of his most popular songs, including "Go!" and "The Light" ahead of the final showdown. Amid his performance of "Universal Mind Control," which samples the 1982 electro hit "Planet Rock" — widely considered an old-school breakdance anthem — Common surprised fans when he erupted into an impromptu breakdance number of his own.
RELATED: Seattle's breakdance scene is center stage again — but don't call it a comeback
The crowd roared as the rapper broke out into top-rock, the upright footwork that typically marks the start of a breakdance solo.
"Go, Common! Go, Common!" the crowd chanted as the rapper shifted his moves to the floor, in what's called down-rock, before going into a series of windmills— one of the most recognizable breakdance moves, executed by rolling around on a circular axis with one's legs in a v-shape.
While Common's dance break lasted all of 15 seconds, the moment is sure to live on in fans' hearts for years to come.
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Sneak peek of proposed Seattle police contract shows big raises, but little increase in accountability
A badge on the arm of a Seattle police officer.Seattle Police Department / FacebookA long-awaited agreement between the city of Seattle and its largest police union would significantly boost officer salaries. But according to a copy of the agreement posted briefly on the website of the Seattle Police Officers Guild Friday, it lacks some of the city’s professed goals around accountability.
The contract details were first reported by the news website Publicola, which linked to a copy of the agreement posted on the website of the Seattle Police Officers Guild. Within hours, however, the contract was removed and replaced with a smiling headshot of guild president Mike Solan.
RELATED: Did Seattle defund the police? Five graphs explain this enduring myth
Members of the Seattle Police Officers Guild have been working without a contract since 2020 and the department has suffered an acute staffing shortage.
If ratified by union members, this tentative agreement would extend through 2023 and grant officers a retroactive 23% raise. This means by the time the contract passes, it will already have expired.
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King County drivers better be on their best behavior — these signs are watching you
A pilot program for "SmartSigns" is underway in King County. The signs use infrared technology to detect if a driver is distracted, speeding, not using a seatbelt, or other driving issues. The sign will then show a personalized message for that driver, telling them to slow down or put their phone down.Courtesy of Washington Traffic Safety CommissionEvery text you take. And every call you make. Every speed sign you break, if you're being unsafe, they'll be watching you.
Some very smart signs aim to send a message to King County drivers who may not behave their best on the road.
A pilot program recently began placing "SmartSigns" throughout King County. The signs use sensors (microwave and infrared tech) that can reportedly determine if a driver is distracted, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, or committing another driving faux pas — what organizers call "unique signatures of unsafe driving."
RELATED: Both hands on the wheel, Washington drivers. Your insurance rates are about to jump 24%
When that happens, the driver will be presented with an appropriate message, like "Put your phone down" or "Slow down." On the other hand, if the signs detect a good driver, they'll be greeted with a smiley face.
“Each time a driver passes a SmartSign, it reminds them to drive safely, and that can make a real difference in their behavior,” said SaferStreet Solutions CEO Tim Hogan in a statement. “For instance, SmartSigns reduce distracted driving by up to 40% when left in one area over a four week period. By rotating these signs throughout King County, we can help create a safer driving environment throughout the surrounding community.”
RELATED: In 'vexing' trend, traffic fatalities in Washington state continue to rise
Four of these signs will rotate across 12 locations in King County, including in: Seattle, Fairwood, Pacific, Algona, Maple Valley, White Center, Skyway, Kenmore, Issaquah, Newcastle, and unincorporated King County. Traffic data was used to determine the locations, and times, to deploy them. They'll be placed at each location eight weeks at a time.
The pilot has been organized by Target Zero King County and the Washington Traffic Safety Coalition. The organizations note that more than 900 people were seriously injured or killed on the road last year in King County.
This is the first time such tech has been used in King County, but organizers hope that they can eventually bring the SmartSigns to other parts of Washington state.
RELATED: Can AI reduce traffic deaths? These Seattle engineers are putting it to the test
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What Ciscoe Morris says you should know about spring gardening around Seattle in 2024
Arts & Life
The sun shines on a camellia blossom on Monday, March 18, 2024, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerSpring gardening season has arrived in the Seattle area. Since every year has its seasonal quirks, expert Ciscoe Morris spoke with "Soundside" to deliver some spring 2024 gardening tips.
A few quick tips:
- Right now (April 2024) is a good time to start planting salad greens, like lettuce and mustard.
- It's also a good time to plant shrubs.
- Ryegrass is a good option for lawns that take a beating and need repair.
- If the plants are at the nursery, then it's OK to plant them at home. Don't leave them in the nursery pots. They can suffer in pots and get root bound if you wait too long.
Get pruning right now
Check in on those plants in the yard, especially since they went through the recent cold snaps that struck the Northwest. Severe cold may have knocked a few down, even if they don't show it.
If you have outdoor plants that are woody, get out some clippers and give them a little scrape.
"I scrape it near the base, if it's green under there, don't cut it down, it's probably going to branch out. If it's brown under there, you might as well cut off that dead branch and then you just got to hang on and hope it comes back," Morris said.
Morris notes that some plants may not come back until June. So be patient.
What the 9A?!
Gardeners may have noticed a certain code changing at their local plant nursery. Whereas Western Washington plants used to state they were good for USDA zone 8B, they now say their apt for hardiness zone 9A.
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Migrants descended on a Seattle tennis court. Then an anonymous donor paid for their hotel
“Your support is important” reads a sign, translated to English, as asylum seekers once housed at the Sleep Inn in SeaTac march to Seattle City Hall along with activists, mutual aid organizations and allies to ask for assistance with housing from Seattle city councilmembers on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerThe tents appeared on Tuesday evening. Migrants and asylum-seekers from Venezuela, Congo, and Angola set up camp on tennis courts down the street from Seattle’s Garfield High School and slept there overnight.
On Wednesday, more tents popped up on the green concrete. At least 150 people milled about inside the court’s chain link fence.
By Wednesday evening, they were gone. An anonymous donor put up $50,000 to move the migrants to a Quality Inn in Kent, a 30-minute drive south.
King County Councilmember Sara Perry, who helped coordinate the donation and hotel arrangements, told KUOW that the donor was working through a nonprofit but did not want to be identified.
“They are going to house as many people as possible,” Perry said, adding that the donation was enough to move up to 250 people into 61 rooms at a rate of $70 a night – that is, until the money runs out.
Migrants who camped at the tennis courts had previously stayed at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila and later found temporary housing at the Kent Quality Inn. After several months in the hotel, their funding dried up.
On Tuesday, they appealed unsuccessfully to the King County Council for more assistance and had to move out of the hotel rooms.
An employee at the Kent Quality Inn confirmed Wednesday night that a large group of migrants had moved back into the hotel, but couldn’t confirm the precise number of people occupying the rooms.
This group represents just a sliver of the migrant crisis unfolding in western Washington, and across the U.S.
Last December, agents with the U.S. Border Patrol logged close to 250,000 encounters with migrants crossing from Mexico – a record high in a single month.
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A food union officer and district alumna: Meet Seattle schools' newest board members
Education
Students, educators and supporters gathered to protest and demand full-funding of Black history and ethnic studies for students during an SPS school board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, at the John Stanford Center along Third Avenue South in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerThe Seattle School Board has chosen two new members to join their ranks.
In unanimous votes Wednesday, the board selected Sarah Clark to represent District 2, which includes neighborhoods like Ballard, Green Lake, and Magnolia, and Joe Mizrahi for District 4, spanning Fremont, Queen Anne, and Belltown.
Clark and Mizrahi fill the vacancies created by Vivian Song and Lisa Rivera, who unexpectedly resigned in February amid concerns they were violating state residency requirements.
Clark is the director of policy at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. She's lived in Crown Hill for the majority of her life, and is a graduate of Madrona Elementary, Washington Middle School, and Garfield High School.
Board Vice President Michelle Sarju said Clark brings an important perspective to the board as a woman of color who attended Seattle Public Schools — something she said she knows is difficult from her own children's experiences.
"She understands deeply what it means to try to be seen for the bright, intelligent student that she was, regardless of the color of her skin," Sarju said. "And yet, she still persisted and she still went on to do great things.”
Mizrahi is the secretary-treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers 3000, Washington's largest labor union. He is a first generation American who grew up in suburban San Diego, but says he has lived in North Seattle for 16 years and has three kids in the district.
Board member Gina Topp said Mizrahi's lived and professional experiences — particularly serving on a board and managing a more than $32 million budget — would be valuable.
"Joe exemplifies some of the things that we're looking for and is able to sort of hit the ground running," she said.
Mizrahi and Clark will serve through the next regularly-scheduled school board election in November 2025.
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7 Washington culinary hotshots are still in the running for a 2024 James Beard Award
Food
A cook at Pho Bac Súp Shop serving the broth. Owners Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham were nominated for "Outstanding Restaurateur" in the 2024 James Beard Awards.KUOW/Juan Pablo ChiquizaThe race for top prizes in the 2024 James Beard Awards has gotten tighter, leaving just seven culinary heroes from Washington state still in the running.
Semifinalists for the coveted foodie awards were announced in January and included plenty of Seattle-area representation — 14 chefs and restaurateurs were nominated. That list has been whittled down. Now, seven contestants from Washington state remain in four categories (including a mix of chefs, restaurants, and restaurateurs).
RELATED: There are as many pho restaurants as Starbucks coffee shops in Seattle. Here's why
Outstanding Restaurateur
Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham who operate Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat in Seattle.
They are up against four other restaurateurs from Colorado, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Washington, D.C.
Emerging Chef
Janet Becerra from Pancita in Seattle. They're up against four other chefs from New York, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C.
Best New Restaurant
Bar Bacetto in Waitsburg, Washington. This is located roughly 22 miles northeast of Walla Walla. Bar Bacetto is competing against 10 other restaurants, including Hayward in McMinnville, Oregon.
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington)
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Queer eye for the home buy: Bonney Lake model homes boast Bobby Berk designs
Arts & Life
Interior designer Bobby Berk for "Queer Eye" fame stands in a model home for Tri Pointe Homes. Berk partnered with the developer on home designs. The first model homes bearing Berk's designs in Pierce County opened at a Bonney Lake development in April 2024.Courtesy of Tri Point HomesBobby Berk may be widely known for his role on Netflix's hit series "Queer Eye," but around Western Washington, he can also be known as the celebrity designer behind a handful of new homes in Bonney Lake.
“Your surroundings affect every aspect of your life, including your physical and mental well-being," Berk said in a statement. "My passion is creating spaces that are designed and organized in a way that nourishes one’s spirit. The ongoing projects with Tri Pointe Homes have given me an opportunity to tie local inspiration with timeless design trends.”
RELATED: You need to earn how much for a 'starter home' in Seattle?!
On "Queer Eye," Berk is the show's interior design and home organization expert. That celebrity status has added up to a book, an appearance in a Taylor Swift music video, and partnerships, such as the one Tri Pointe Homes is now showcasing in Bonney Lake.
"Queer Eye" has little to do with the interior design packages Berk has brought to model homes at "Glacier Pointe at Teheleh." Don't expect TV cameras. A home featuring interior designs by Berk means that he picked and organized details such as flooring materials, light fixtures, and cabinets. Such elements are what Tri Pointe is now boasting at its three model homes in Pierce County (15317 204th Avenue East, Bonney Lake).
Berk said the collaboration is based on "our shared desire to create innovative designs that speak to how people live in their homes."
These are not the first homes in Washington state to boast the celebrity connection. In 2022, Tri Pointe brought Berk in for designs at a Kirkland housing development. Following that venture, Berk and Tri Pointe established a more official partnership.
At between 2,612 and 3,306 square feet, the Bonney Lake homes are massive, with three to five bedrooms, up to four bathrooms, and three-car garages. Prices for these new homes start at around $750,000, with some going as high as $956,000. Tri Pointe is marketing them as "flexible work-from-home spaces" with access to local parks and trails.
RELATED: Seattle area now has more 'million-dollar cities' than ever
According to a statement from Tri Pointe Homes, the Pierce County models "provide a fresh take on classic farmhouse styling and draw inspiration from traditional, modern and organic elements. Plus, the third model is a custom design that combines Scandinavian style with a light and airy ambiance layered with primary colors that create a vibrant yet serene space that Bobby has named 'Retro Scandinavian.'"
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Seattle Deaf Film Festival returns to the big screen with a 'hearing-friendly environment'
Arts & Life
An audience watches a film at the Seattle Deaf Film Festival in 2016. The festival is held every two years and features authentic representations of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.Courtesy of Deaf Spot LightDeafness is a spectrum. That's one message that the Seattle Deaf Film Festival stresses this year as it presents filmmakers' work from China, Chile, Kyrgyzstan, the United States, and more.
The films being screened center Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing filmmakers and communities, festival director Patty Liang said.
RELATED: New name, same chocolate popcorn — Seattle's Cinerama reopens as SIFF Cinema Downtown in December
"[It's] not often we can go to any film festivals at any time because they do not provide all films with subtitles or advertise that they have subtitled films," she said. "We can just show up at the Seattle Deaf Film Festival and enjoy the films without having to do additional steps to ensure access needs are in place before. This is a Deaf [and] sign language-centric space."
What: The Seattle Deaf Film Festival, featuring 44 films from 11 different countries, as well as panels, interviews, and Q&As with filmmakers.
Where: Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Avenue, Seattle. The festival is also selling virtual tickets for those who cannot attend in-person, as well as hybrid tickets for both in-person and virtual screenings.
When: April 5-7, 2024 (virtually from April 8-22)
According to Director of Programming Andrea Passafiume, it's important for Seattle's hearing community to know about the Deaf Film Festival, "because it is for them, too. "Passafiume noted that the festival is a "hearing-friendly environment."
"Some people think that sign language is universal. It's not," she said. "There is ASL — American Sign Language — and there are different sign languages used all over the world. It's an opportunity in these international films ... to see different types of signing. We have a couple films from the UK and they use British Sign Language, so it's all different."
Accessibility is a major theme for festival organizers. All 44 films in the 2024 lineup are in sign language and subtitled in English. There will also be vocal and Deaf interpreters for panels and audience Q&As. Tickets are sold across four price tiers with the aim of reducing financial barriers.
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Seattle area now has more 'million-dollar cities' than ever
The Bellevue waterfront with Seattle in the background, and the Olympic Mountains in the distance.The number of "million-dollar cities" in the Seattle metro area — where typical homes are worth $1 million or more — continues to rise. There are now more of these properties than the region has ever previously had.
"Affordability is still a big challenge for buyers, but that hasn't stopped prices from growing," Zillow economic research data scientist Anushna Prakash said in a statement, adding that there are more options for homebuyers these days, but that also means more competition.
RELATED: Queer eye for the home buy — Bobby Berk designs 3 homes in Western Washington
"Competition will stay fierce, especially for the most attractive and well-priced homes. If mortgage rates drop later this year, as many expect, we may see a surge in million-dollar cities as even more buyers jump in and drive prices higher."
The Seattle metro area has 17 "million dollar cities" as of February 2024 (it had 15 in February 2023). Statewide, Washington has 18 cities with a million-dollar stamp (it had 16 a year ago). See a full list of these pricy communities below.
Zillow reports that there are now 550 "million dollar cities" in the United States (up from 491 a year ago). That is a record high for the nation.
While California, and its metro areas, have the most million dollar cities, the Seattle metro area is still near the top of the list. Washington comes in seventh on Zillow's list. Focusing on cities, the Seattle metro area comes in sixth.
A "typical" home in Zillow terms is a bit different than the "average" or "median" value that real estate officials often refer to. Zillow considers a typical home value to be the average for the middle third of homes (it focuses in on a portion of prices at the middle of the pack and averages those out, excluding the very high and very low end of the spectrum). Zillow says that the current average home value in Seattle is $847,419).
RELATED: You need to earn how much for a 'starter home' in Seattle?!
Zillow's report echoes a sentiment about affordability from another Seattle-based real estate company, Redfin, which recently reported that a homebuyer should earn about $173,000 annually to afford a "starter home" in Seattle. That's according to February data, which is up 8.4% ($31,000) from just six months ago.
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Former Seattle mayor’s son arrested for child porn possession
Crime
KUOW/Teo PopescuJack Francis McGinn, 29, was arrested Friday morning in Seattle for possession of child pornography. He was charged in King County Superior Court on Tuesday with dealing and possessing child pornography, or, as the Prosecutor’s Office wrote, “peddling in the misery of sexually abused children to satiate deviant interests.”
McGinn is the son of Mike McGinn, Seattle’s mayor from 2010 to 2013. The younger McGinn lived at his parents’ home at the time of the arrest; his parents have since moved to the East Coast, according to court records.
At McGinn’s first appearance on Saturday afternoon, a King County Superior Court judge lowered bail to $70,000, down from $100,000. His mother attended the hearing.
In December, Google reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that McGinn had downloaded 700 files “containing depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
The videos include children as young as 4 years old being sexually abused and raped, although McGinn said he would close videos immediately if it was a very young child. According to charging documents, he said that he viewed videos of young teen girls because he did not talk to many girls in high school and has a fantasy of being back in high school.
Police also found "child-size sex dolls in McGinn's bedroom that appeared to have been used."
The case was sent to the Seattle Police Department in January. A Seattle Police officer interviewed McGinn, who reportedly admitted to downloading the files onto his desktop.
“McGinn stated he knew it was wrong and would feel gross after masturbating to the child sex abuse material,” the officer wrote. “According to McGinn, he has a cocaine addiction and goes on weekend benders which is when he typically views the child sex abuse material on his desktop. McGinn advised he has never been hands on with a child.”
McGinn told the detective that he didn’t know why he hadn’t deleted the files after viewing them. He said he learned about the child porn through targeted ads for Silk Road, which used keywords like "young," and "porn."
As of Monday morning, McGinn was no longer listed on the roster for the King County jail.
Usage of child pornography is widespread, according to a presentation by Laura Harmon, senior deputy prosecuting attorney for King County.
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