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.
Stories
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U.S. House approves TikTok ban with help from Washington state delegation
Politics
Solen Feyissa / UnsplashThe future of the popular social media platform TikTok in the U.S. is in peril, thanks in part to support from Washington state's congressional delegation.
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that would require Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok, or the platform would be banned from U.S. app stores. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
About 170 million Americans use the platform, according to TikTok.
TikTok has characterized the legislation, introduced as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, as "bullying" that could affect hundreds of thousands of American jobs, including small businesses and independent creators.
RELATED: Why the House voted to ban TikTok and what could come next
Still, the proposal won widespread support in the U.S. House, including from Washington state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The bill was approved 352 to 65.
It passed unanimously out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee before it went to a full vote. U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Spokane) chairs that committee, and she was integral in getting it through the House.
"Foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party pose the greatest national threat of our time. TikTok's access to 177 million American users makes it a valuable propaganda tool for the CCP to exploit," McMorris Rodgers said on the House floor Wednesday. "Companies controlled by foreign adversaries like the CCP will never embrace American values, like the freedom of speech, human rights, the rule of law, and a free press. If given a choice, they will always choose the path for more control, more surveillance, and more manipulation."
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Longtime Washington powerhouse politician Frank Chopp is stepping down
Government
Frank Chopp (D) came into office in 1995, representing Washington's 43rd Legislative District (Belltown, Capitol Hill, U District, Wallingford, Fremont). He became the longest-running House speaker in Washington history. In March 2024, he announced that he would not run for re-election, opening up the seat to new leadership.Frank Chopp will not run for re-election in 2024, ending a nearly 30-year legislative career in Washington, which includes time as the longest-running House speaker in state history.
Chopp has represented the state's 43rd Legislative District since 1995, which covers Seattle's Belltown through Capitol Hill and Eastlake, up through the U District, Wallingford, and Fremont. In 1999, Chopp became co-House speaker. In 2002, he took on the speaker role alone and held that position until 2019.
RELATED: Washington House Speaker Frank Chopp's tearful story of sister with mental illness
Before becoming an elected official, he worked as a community organizer, working at various nonprofits around Seattle, focused on low-income housing, social services, and food banks. Those issues were priorities while in the House.
“I’ve always been driven by the belief that everyone deserves a foundation of home, health, and hope,” Chopp said in a statement announcing his retirement from the state Legislature. “These are the basic needs for economic success, for better education outcomes, for restoring lives and reaching potential. I am proud to have played a role in helping people throughout Washington gain access to services and support that help them gain independence and realize their dreams."
While speaking with KUOW in 2014, Chopp said that his early life in Bremerton, and his family, highly influenced his desire to support affordable housing and mental health in Washington state. He openly spoke about his sister, a Seattle school teacher, who suffered from mental illness and was helped by various public programs.
“The proudest moment of my service in the Legislature was sitting in the audience when my sister testified to the Senate Health Care Committee in favor of mental health parity," Chopp told KUOW. "I was so proud of her, and we passed the bill. The reason I'm so emotional about this — it is not just my sister, it's thousands of people across the state who need somebody to stand up for them.”
Chop said in his statement about his retirement that he "will continue to advocate and organize efforts in the public interest as a public citizen."
Washington state lawmakers leaving office after 2024
Chopp is now among a handful of state legislators stepping down from office, opening up the House and Senate to new leadership.
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Seattle School Board narrows candidate field for open seats
Education
The Seattle School Board dais.KUOW Photo/Sami WestThe Seattle School Board is getting closer to replacing two board members, who stepped down last month amid questions about their residency.
In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the board narrowed the field of candidates for the District 2 seat from 11 to four: Sarah Clark, Danielle Gahl, Shawn Sullivan, and Carol Thompson.
The spot was previously held by Lisa Rivera, and includes the Ballard, Green Lake, and Magnolia neighborhoods.
Only four Seattleites applied for the District 4 seat last held by Vivian Song, so they're all finalists. They are: Gabriela Gonzalez, Joe Mizrahi, Rachelle C. Olden, and Laura Marie Rivera. District 4 spans neighborhoods including Fremont, Queen Anne, Westlake, and Belltown.
The school board shakeup comes at a turbulent time: The district faces a $105 million budget deficit next year, among other challenges like a youth mental health crisis and rising concerns about school safety.
Board President Liza Rankin thanked all the applicants for their interest in the board — especially at such a pivotal moment.
"We didn't expect to be appointing two vacancies amidst an already very busy time for our district," she said. "And it was really encouraging and heartening, and we're just grateful to have had the opportunity to consider appointments from such a large, qualified group of candidates."
The search for two new board members continues with a candidate forum slated for the evening of March 27 at Lincoln High School. The district says it'll provide more details soon.
To learn more about the candidates and review their applications, visit the district website.
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Price of carbon plummets at latest Washington state auction
Environment
The sun sets behind the Marathon Petroleum refinery in Anacortes in April 2022.Courtesy of Kathleen LumiereThe price of pollution has plummeted in Washington state’s latest carbon auction.
The right to emit large amounts of climate-damaging carbon dioxide sold on March 6 for $25.76 per ton, half the $51.89 price that big polluters paid at the previous auction on Dec. 5. Though the price remained above the $24.02 price floor set in advance, it is the lowest price polluters have paid since the quarterly auctions started in March 2023.
“This was another successful auction showing strong demand from companies who have to pay for and reduce the millions of pounds of pollution they put into our air,” Mike Faulk, a spokesperson for Gov. Jay Inslee, said in an email. “Lower auction prices mean less cost that is passed on to consumers.”
Uncertainty around the future of the state’s climate policy has been pushing prices down, according to energy-market analysts.
RELATED: Washington holds first carbon auction of 2024, with program's future in doubt
Initiative 2117 on the November 2024 ballot aims to repeal the state’s cap on carbon pollution and prohibit the state from enacting anything like it ever again.
Washington’s “cap-and-invest” program has capped emissions from major sources and charged a subset of them $2.2 billion to date. Some big polluters, including oil refineries, pulp mills, and steel mills, will get to keep emitting carbon dioxide for free, at close to their current levels, through the year 2035.
RELATED: Washington carbon exchange lets many big polluters off the hook
Auction proceeds have been funding state programs for reducing climate-harming emissions and improving communities’ abilities to withstand the impacts of a hotter climate.
The March 6 auction raised an estimated $192 million.
“Initiative 2117 is suppressing prices here even further as it has introduced uncertainty,” Leah Missik with the nonprofit Climate Solutions said in an email. “It is important that this initiative fails so we can continue investing in clean energy and climate solutions across the state.”
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Climate-friendly building code kicks in on Friday
Environment
A bike lane heading towards the Manette neighborhood in front of a new apartment building in BremertonKUOW Photo/Joshua McNicholsA Thurston County judge’s decision means that a climate-friendly building code takes effect in Washington state on Friday.
The state’s new code pushes builders to use electric heat pumps and discourages the burning of fossil fuels.
RELATED: New homes in Washington state will have to include energy efficient heating and cooling
It sets energy-efficiency standards so high that only heat pumps can satisfy them — discouraging gas-burning appliances without explicitly banning them.
Building-industry groups argued the new code would drive up the cost of housing and jeopardize construction jobs.
Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy said putting the new regulation on hold could cause harm and that the builders failed to present enough evidence that they would suffer irreparably if it were not put on hold. She rejected the builders’ to suspend the new building code.
She did not rule on the merits of the building industry’s case. A full hearing on the case against the climate-friendly building code is expected later this year.
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Washington's presidential primary results weren't surprising. So, what's motivating voters?
Elections
Mutya Wetmore drops off her ballot ahead of the presidential primary on Monday, March 11, 2024, outside of the Beacon Hill Library in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerThe results of Tuesday's presidential primary elections in Washington, and elsewhere, were to be expected.
Former President Donald Trump is the Republican Party's presumptive nominee thanks to the delegates he won in Washington. He will almost certainly face President Joe Biden, who won enough delegates for the Democratic nod afternoon after Georgia's polls closed.
The only real question was how much of the Democratic primary vote would go to "uncommitted delegates" instead of Biden. "Uncommitted" voters in Washington and other states have said they want to pressure Biden to call for a ceasefire in Gaza by withholding their support. And it's also been part of an effort to simply get voters to participate in the primaries.
RELATED: How did Washington's 'uncommitted' voters do on presidential primary night?
When the "uncommitted" campaign launched in Washington, members said they'd heard from Democrats who were throwing their ballots away rather than returning them. They felt their votes didn't matter, because a Biden-Trump rematch seemed a foregone conclusion, or they just weren't excited about their choices.
Political and public affairs consultant Sandeep Kaushik with Soundview Strategies told KUOW's Soundside he wasn't sure how meaningful the "uncommitted" vote ultimately was, especially since Washington state will almost certainly go for Biden in the general election.
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King County's top health officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin, is stepping down after 30 years
Health
Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, announced he would retire on July 1, 2024.Courtesy photoDr. Jeff Duchin, the health officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, will step down from the high-profile role later this year. Duchin announced Wednesday that he will retire on July 1, 2024.
RELATED: When psychosis spills onto Seattle streets
"Public Health – Seattle & King County is a world-class health department and it has been my great privilege to have had the opportunity to serve here with so many outstanding colleagues both in the department and from the King County healthcare system, the University of Washington, and with community partners who value collaboration, improving population health, and achieving health equity,” Duchin said in a statement.
King County's health department plans to conduct a national search to find Dr. Duchin's replacement. In the meantime, Dr. Mia Shim has been appointed as interim health officer. Shim is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the University of Washington School of Public Health. She is currently the chief medical officer for the health department's Community Health Services Division.
Duchin spent 30 years at Public Health – Seattle & King County, influencing the region's approach to public health and hot-button issues. Arriving in 1994, he was a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention medical epidemiologist who was assigned to the local health department to handle TB and HIV programs. In 1998, he became the department's chief of communicable disease and immunization. He stepped into the role of health officer in 2015. During this time, he also served as a professor at the University of Washington Schools of Medicine and Public Health.
RELATED: King County leaders say they have new plans to fight the opioid crisis. But when?
As health officer, Duchin's name quickly became associated with King County's effort to combat the opioid crisis, including the proposal for safe injection sites in Seattle. But the pandemic considerably raised his profile as the region tackled Covid-19.
“His expertise and leadership during the first Covid outbreak in the nation in King County drew praise from around the country," King County Executive Dow Constantine said in a statement. "Under his guidance, King County’s sustained response to the pandemic has led the nation, holding illness and death rates to among the lowest in major counties, while focusing on equity as a guiding principle in our work. I’m grateful for his wise counsel and for his long record of accomplishment on our behalf.”
In a statement, public health Director Dr. Faisal Khan added that Duchin handled "countless" outbreaks during his time at the department.
"And served as a national expert on immunizations and infectious diseases, shaping national policy and practice," Khan said. "His leadership on climate and health has driven our resolve to fight for a livable planet for this and future generations. And he’s been a mentor for scores of colleagues inside and out of the department. Jeff leaves a long-lasting imprint on public health practice and everyone it touches.”
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Washington state doctors who use their own semen to impregnate patients could now face prison time
Crime
While some Seattle patients are relieved that their pregnancy attempts failed under their former doctor's care, others are confronting the risks and reality of confirming their children's parentage in light of his alleged fertility fraud.It will soon be a felony for Washington state doctors to use their own semen to impregnate fertility patients without their consent — a policy advocates say is long overdue.
The act, known as fertility fraud, will become a form of third-degree criminal assault and could require any violators to surrender their medical licenses, regardless of any conviction. Offenders could also face up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
“[The new law] cracks down on fertility fraud by empowering patients to take recourse against health care providers who exploit their trust by implanting their own gametes or reproductive material,” said State Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), a sponsor of the defining legislation, House Bill 1300.
Several iterations of the bill had failed to gain enough support to move forward in years prior, in part due to scrutiny over how to enact such a criminal penalty: Some lawmakers thought fertility fraud should be classified as rape, while others thought it should fall under assault.
Revelations of fertility fraud have emerged around the world in recent years, as at-home DNA testing kits have gained popularity — and exposed familial connections between people conceived via artificial insemination and fertility doctors. Last year, doctors in Seattle and Spokane made headlines as fertility fraud allegations against them surfaced.
Orwall said the new law is about “safety and justice.” “It means long overdue justice for people who have been so deeply harmed by their health care provider. It's really shattered many lives, including the lives of people that I serve,” she added.
Washington is the 10th U.S. state to pass legislation making fertility fraud a crime.
“It's very meaningful to become a state that really has acknowledged the harm this does and really is supporting survivors,” Orwall said.
The bipartisan bill will take effect 90 days after Governor Jay Inslee signs it.
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Election results: Biden and Trump lead Washington state's 2024 presidential primary election
Government
Democrat and Republican presidential candidates listed on Washington state's 2024 primary ballot. The primary was held Tuesday, March 12, 2024.Dyer Oxley / KUOWElection results for Washington state's 2024 presidential primary election, March, 12, 2024.
Initial results for Washington's presidential primary Tuesday evening show a Democratic win for President Joe Biden, and a Republican win for former President Donald Trump. Hours before Washington's results were counted, Georgia's primary delivered enough delegates for Biden to become his party's presumptive presidential nominee. It will be made official at the Democratic National Convention in August.
Washington's primary win delivered Trump the delegates he needed to take the GOP nomination, which is a point Washington State GOP Chair Jim Walsh noted shortly after the results were in.
RELATED: How did the "uncommitted" vote do in Washington?
"As of tonight, approximately 550,000 people who chose the Republican column voted —compared to 610,000 people who chose the Democrat column. These are much closer totals than in previous, similar Presidential Primaries. ... Most promising for WAGOP: Young voters in the early returns are voting Republican in record numbers. We look forward to building on that success through this election cycle," Walsh said in a statement.
A couple of Democrat alternatives pulled in a small share of votes, but notable on that side of the ballot are the number of "uncommitted delegates" which initially garnered 7.4%. On the Republican side, all candidates aside from Trump ended their campaigns before Washington held its primary.
Election results updated Wednesday afternoon, March 13, 2024
Democrat
- Joe Biden: 85%
- Dean Phillips: 3%
- Marianne Williamson: 3%
- Uncommitted Delegates: 7.8%
Republican
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King County Sheriff questions constitutionality of Burien's camping ban
Government
Tents are set up outside of the Oasis Home Church on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in Burien, Washington.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerKing County and its Sheriff's Office are raising questions about Burien's ban on public camping and are asking a federal court for answers. Until they get those answers, deputies won't be enforcing the ban.
“The promise I made as a sworn peace officer calls on me to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution," King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall said in a statement. "Doing our job for the communities we serve requires legal clarity on the constitutionality of the laws we’re asked to enforce."
RELATED: People experiencing homelessness in Burien sue city over camping ban
The County and the Sheriff's Office have filed a complaint with the United States District Court over the anti-camping ordinance the Burien City Council passed last week (which doubles down on, and clarifies, a ban the Council passed in September 2023). Under the ordinance, people may not rest, sleep, or lay down on public property between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. A violation could result in a fine or misdemeanor. Tents and campsites also are not allowed within 500 feet of daycares, parks, libraries, and schools.
The city of Burien doesn't technically have a police department of its own. It contracts with the King County Sheriff's Office to provide police services. Therefore, when Burien passes a law for its jurisdiction, a sheriff's deputy enforces it.
A Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed with KUOW that deputies will not be enforcing the camping ban until the county gets answers from the court. All criminal code violations, however, will still be enforced.
“When Burien hastily passed this new ordinance without consulting with us or legal experts, they put the rights of their residents in jeopardy," the sheriff said. "A ruling from the Court is a crucial step in ensuring that the rights of all people within our jurisdiction are protected and upheld, and our deputies have the guidance they need to do their work.”
RELATED: Burien’s Sunnydale Village was a ‘safe community’ for over 60 homeless people. Now it’s gone
Burien partially based its ban on a similar law in Bellevue. It also took into account case law that has previously made it difficult for cities to outlaw sleeping in public. That led to some nuance around the ban. If there are no shelter beds available to send campers to, then a person is "not guilty of unlawful public camping," the ordinance states. Also, the city manager has the power to set aside places for people to camp overnight.
King County argues that Burien's approach is "unique." It's exclusion zones could make it a crime for a person simply being present in an area.
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Former Seahawk, and Bronco, Russell Wilson is headed to a new team
Sports
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before an NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Denver. On Sunday, March 10, 2024, Wilson announced on social media that he was moving to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.Jack Dempsey / KUOWWell, that didn't take long. Six days after former Seahawk Russell Wilson was let go from the Denver Broncos, the quarterback is already slated to play for a new NFL team.
On Sunday evening, Wilson tweeted a video hyping the Pittsburgh Steelers, indicating he is going to play for the team, stating "Year 13. Grateful. @Steelers." Wilson's Twitter profile now also states "I want to Love like Jesus! Steelers QB #3" followed by black and yellow hearts, the Steelers' team colors.
As of Monday morning, the Steelers have yet to make any official announcement. ESPN reporter Adam Schefter reported Wilson "plans to sign" with the team for a one-year deal.
Wilson was recently released from his five-year deal with the Denver Broncos, just two years into the contract. Schefter reported that "league sources" say the fine print of Wilson's contract will have the Broncos paying his $38 million salary while he plays for Pittsburgh.
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Why Washington's high school financial education bill didn't survive the '24 session
Education
A bill that would have made financial education a requirement to graduate high school in Washington state generally received support in the House and Senate, but ultimately died in the 2024 legislative session.A bill to require financial education in Washington high schools died this session. Lawmakers in both chambers of the state Legislature failed to agree on whether to make it a high school graduation requirement.
Washington state Rep. Skyler Rude (R-Walla Walla) sponsored House Bill 1915, which would have required high schools to provide a half-credit of financial education by the 2027-28 school year. While the bill would not have raised the 24 credits required for students to graduate, it would have required students to take financial education in order to graduate.
RELATED: The argument for financial education in Washington schools
While the idea received broad support, it got caught up in the legislative process before the session's clock ran out. It passed the House, but was amended in the Senate. When a bill is amended outside of its chamber of origin, it must be sent back to the original chamber for another round of approval. The House did not accept the changes, and the bill officially died Thursday as the Legislature wrapped up the 2024 session.
To require or not to require financial education
Despite the bill passing the House in February, some lawmakers raised concerns about its approach. Those concerns came to a head in the state Senate, where lawmakers amended the bill to require high schools to provide financial education, but not to require students to take it in order to graduate. The amended bill was approved in the Senate with just one vote against it.
State Sen. Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Island) sponsored the amendment, essentially arguing it would skip a step.
"This bill came to us as a graduation requirement without any prerequisites other than the fact that for many years we've suggested to our school districts that they incorporate financial instruction into ... other courses," Wellman said on the Senate floor on Feb. 29, ahead of a vote on the bill.
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