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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Vote 'uncommitted' in presidential primary, say coalition members for Gaza ceasefire
Politics
A coalition of elected officials and activists called on Washingtonians to vote "uncommitted" in the Democratic presidential primary on March 4, 2024. Washington state's presidential primary election will be held on March 12.KUOW Photo/Katie CampbellRebekah Harris Liebermann is the granddaughter of Holocaust refugees and one of potentially thousands of Washingtonians who plan to vote “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic presidential primary next week.
“My grandfather died just about a year ago, and it would break his heart to see what is being done in his name and in our names,” Liebermann told KUOW. “It is imperative that we do absolutely everything that we can to not only stop the genocide that's happening.”
Liebermann was part of a coalition calling for Democratic voters in Washington to cast “uncommitted” ballots rather than voting for President Joe Biden in the presidential primary election on March 12. The group stood in the cold Monday in front of the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle to call on Democrats to use the ballot box to send the Biden administration a message: If Biden does not support a permanent ceasefire, they cannot support him.
Broadly speaking, those who said they would vote “uncommitted” viewed a vote for Biden as a vote for the status quo, under which the U.S. aids Israel and does not call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
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Washington State Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig stepping down at end of 2024
Politics
Washington State Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig announced he will not run for reelection in 2024, opening up the role to new Democrat leadership in 2025.Washington Senate Democrats will lose one of their leaders in 2025. Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig will not run for reelection, opening the influential role to new leadership.
"Part of being a good leader is knowing when it is time to step aside and let others lead," Billig said in a statement Monday. "I have been incredibly lucky to have served Spokane in the Legislature and fortunate to have the strong support of my family and so many friends and neighbors throughout our community."
RELATED: Republicans, Democrats, carbon, and you. Debating Washington's cap and trade
Billig was elected in 2010 to represent the state's 3rd legislative district, which covers the city of Spokane. He has served as majority leader over the past six years, and sits on the Ways and Means, and Rules committees.
Washington Senate Democrats note that Billig championed education funding, helped pass new climate policies, pushed for sustainable aviation fuels, and had more than 90% of his bills passed with bipartisan support.
Billig said that he will continue to work his regular job with Brett Sports, where he is CEO and co-owner. Brett Sports owns the Spokane Indians baseball team.
Washington Senate Democrats will choose a new Senate leader in November.
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Former Seahawk QB Russell Wilson to be released from Denver Broncos
Sports
Russell Wilson in downtown Seattle after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2014.Juan Pablo Chiquiza / KUOWRussell Wilson will not play for the Denver Broncos in 2024. The former Seahawk, and current Bronco, will be released from his contract before the NFL's league season begins this month.
"We spoke with Russell Wilson today to inform him of his release after the start of the league year. On behalf of the Broncos, we thank Russell for his contributions while wishing him the best as he continues his career," Broncos General Manager George Paton and Head Coach Sean Payton said in a joint statement released Monday afternoon.
RELATED: Pete Carroll's unique legacy and what's next for the Seahawks
Six minutes after the joint statement was published on X (formerly Twitter), Wilson released his own statement thanking Broncos country, his teammates, and even folks who work in the team's cafeteria.
"Tough times don't last, but tough people do. God's got me. I am excited for what's next," Wilson said in his statement.
According to The Seattle Times, Wilson's release comes at an opportune time for the Broncos. If Wilson remained on the team past March 17, he would be guaranteed $37 million as part of his five-year contract.
Wilson played 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, starting in 2012. The Seahawks went to the Super Bowl the next year, beating the Denver Broncos. Two of the three Super Bowls played by the Seahawks happened while Wilson was the team's quarterback.
In 2022, Wilson left the Seahawks and signed a five-year, $245 million contract with the Broncos. His first season with Denver has been viewed as a disappointment. Wilson was reportedly sacked more times than any other quarterback in the NFL that year. In the 2023 season, Wilson was benched for the last two games.
Wilson's release comes two months after the Seahawks let former Head Coach Pete Carroll go, another figure from an era when the Seahawks were among the best teams in the NFL.
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Measure would clear the way for Washington high schoolers to get an even earlier jump on college
Education
Maria is a high school student in Running Start who works two jobs and takes care of her younger sister.KUOW PHOTO/Kamil SaadA bill to allow incoming 11th graders to take summer college courses is headed to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk.
The “Walking to Running Start” measure, led by Republican Sen. Brad Hawkins of East Wenatchee, passed the house 92-1 last week. The bill had already cleared the Senate.
It’s an expansion of the state’s Running Start program, which has allowed juniors and seniors to earn college credit while in high school for over two decades.
Diana Haglund, communications director for the Wenatchee School District, said about 250 students there currently participate in the program — and they’re excited to offer it to more.
One perk of the expansion, Haglund said, is that students can ease into the college experience more gradually during the summer term.
“It’s kind of an intro to that, to give kids a flavor and sort of kick the tires on what Running Start would be like, and what the rigor level of college classes would be,” she said.
Haglund is also hopeful that the bill will allow more students to pursue higher education — especially those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it.
In Wenatchee, 65% of students are considered low income.
While Running Start students have to purchase textbooks, provide their own transportation to classes, and pay some other fees, college tuition is covered by their home school district.
“We have a lot of first-generation students who are coming through our system and could really benefit from those two years of Running Start experience, to help them get a leg up,” she said. “It makes a big difference in that accessibility and equity of access for many of our students and families.”
Assuming Inslee signs off on the bill, the measure will go into effect 90 days after the session ends. Students will be able to earn as many as 10 credits during the summer before their junior year.
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Rules on firearms storage, open-carry, buybacks, and gun dealers advance in Washington Legislature
Law & Courts
Firearms that were turned into the Everett Police Department on Dec. 17, 2022 in exchange for gift cards. EPD paid out $25,000 in gift cards in exchange for the guns.Everett Police DepartmentAs the Washington Legislature heads into its final week, four bills that address firearms storage, open-carry, buybacks and gun dealers have passed both chambers and appear headed to the governor’s desk.
HB 1903 establishes a civil infraction and fine of up to $1,000 for gun owners who fail to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours. The owner could be fined if a “prohibited person” subsequently gains access to the firearm.
RELATED: Federal Way gun store owner to pay $3 million for violating Washington gun law
Dylan O’Connor is government affairs director with the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, which worked to pass all four bills. He said the potential infraction is one more incentive for people to safely store their guns.
“I would lock it up, I wouldn’t leave it in the glove compartment of my vehicle or anything like that, just to make sure I’m keeping myself safe as well as the community,” O’Connor said.
The second bill, HB 2118, is intended to prevent thefts and straw purchases from dealerships. It requires firearm dealers to adopt specified security features including bars on doors and windows, “alarm and surveillance systems, and safe storage and record keeping practices,” according to the bill report.
Troy Nicholas with the National Shooting Sports Foundation told lawmakers that dealers were willing to accept background check and age-verification requirements for employees, but opposed video-retention requirements as cost prohibitive.
Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider also testified in opposition to that bill last month.
“Its demands are unrealistic and draconian mandates that have zero law enforcement value and appear to have no other purpose than to put Washington [Federal Firearms License] holders out of business,” Crider said.
Supporters say the new requirements will help keep guns out of the illegal market. They noted that in the final version the video-retention requirement was shortened from multi-year proposals to 90 days. The effective date of the bill is delayed until July 2025.
A third bill, SB 5444, prohibits the open carry of firearms in certain locations including transit stations, public libraries and zoos or aquariums.
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How will Seattle grow through 2044? City leaders are about to find out
In 2024, city leaders will consider a draft update to to Seattle's comprehensive plan — an official guide to how the city will manage growth and development over the next 20 years. With recent changes to laws at the state level, the updated plan could potentially put Seattle on a new path.Where should Seattle allow more housing to be built? The city’s official answer to that question will change when the city updates its comprehensive plan. That work starts now.
The comprehensive plan is like a guidebook for development. It lays out where the city will direct new growth, and where development will be restricted.
City leaders update Seattle's comprehensive plan every 10 years, and a draft of the next update is expected the week of March 4 (it's been "under construction" for at least two years). Each update considers growth over the upcoming 20 years.
RELATED: Former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice and the origins of Seattle's growth strategy
Past versions of this plan funneled 83% of the city’s new housing into dense neighborhoods called “urban villages.” Those strategies failed to build enough housing, and as a result, a large number of people were priced out of Seattle.
The new plan is expected to make a lot more room for new housing. Whether its approach is aggressive enough will be the subject of intense debate for the rest of 2024, at the end of when the final draft is due to the state.
Some of the heavy lifting in this document has already been done by state legislators, who last year allowed “middle housing” in single-family neighborhoods across much of Washington. Seattle’s document will have to conform to these new state rules.
If Seattle wants to meet the demand for housing though, it’ll have to go much further.
RELATED: Where should Seattle build homes for newcomers?
A lot has happened, since the last time Seattle made a growth plan like this back in 2016. Rents and home prices have risen dramatically. More people are linking homelessness to the housing shortage. And more people understand the destructive effect of redlining, particularly on Black families.
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Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con was an overwhelming joy for this budding fan
Arts & Life
KUOW's Katie Campbell is talked into joining several new fandoms at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle on Feb. 29, 2024.KUOW Photo/Juan Pablo ChiquizaT
hursday, Feb. 29, 10:15 a.m.: I have arrived at my first Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle.
I have acquired my press badge. I make my way through security. I have already made my first mistake.
10:20 a.m.: “You walked right by me,” my KUOW colleague Dyer Oxley texts me.
I may be a certifiable nerd — hello, public radio journalist — but I am out of my element here. Dyer is my guide on this day, the first of four days to enjoy ECCC 2024. Without Dyer, I will be lost, physically, mentally, emotionally.
We find each other, and I learn that ECCC is so ginormous (technical term) that it spans two buildings in the Seattle Convention Center. Here I thought the single, half-filled room on the other side of will-call was where all the action was. Nope.
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DC Comics’ Poison Ivy is an ecoterrorist — and the anti-hero the Pacific Northwest needs
Arts & Life
DC Comics' Poison Ivy takes a trip to Seattle in the first ongoing series dedicated to her story. Seattle writer G. Willow Wilson was tapped to write the series, which is illustrated by Marcio Takara.Courtesy of DC ComicsDC Comics’ Poison Ivy made comic book debut in June 1966: “Trouble between the dynamic duo,” the cover read, featuring Batman and Robin glaring at each other over an early Ivy adaption – “Is she the cause?”
Decades later, Poison Ivy is still the cause of a good deal of trouble. But rather than playing a somewhat shallow seductress, she’s starring as a complicated anti-hero in her own storyline.
Seattle writer G. Willow Wilson was tapped to reimagine the DC villain, first in a six-issue limited Poison Ivy miniseries, then another six. The story took root among comic book fans, and now it’s grown into the character’s first ongoing series, a series that gives Wilson time and space to develop a character that fits well into today’s discourse.
RELATED: Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con was an overwhelming joy for this budding fan
“Poison Ivy is just such a fascinating character who gets, sadly, more and more germane every day given what's happening with climate change,” Wilson told KUOW this week, ahead of the Emerald City Comic Con. “It's a book whose time has come, and I'm just glad that it's found its audience.”
Arianna Turturro, who edits DC’s Poison Ivy comic book series, told KUOW it’s the first time anyone has told Poison Ivy’s origin in so much detail.
Wilson’s storytelling is accentuated by Marcio Takara’s bold illustrations. They jump off the page with violent splashes of red and every shade of green. Poison Ivy’s powers are accentuated with intricate illustrations of warped fungi, monstrous plants, and more delicate details, like flowers among gore.
Poison Ivy, whose real name is Pamela, has a new look to blend in with the world outside Gotham City, which she left after a series of unfortunate events involving the Bat Family. The form-fitting, leafy bustier and sheer green tights of the 1966 era (also: Uma Thurman’s adaptation in “Batman & Robin” in 1997) have been swapped for an olive-green boiler suit and work boots. Her big red hair is still wild, though occasionally tied back in a ponytail while she tends to plants and various punks.
That’s not to say her rather suggestive nature is gone entirely. When Pam lets loose the lamia spores that give her her amped up powers, Takara’s art takes on the effect of a nightmarish hallucination, featuring Poison Ivy in all her fearsome yet seductive glory.
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Bill to create independent prosecutor for police deadly force cases fails in Washington state
Supporters say an independent prosecutor is needed to pursue cases generated by the state's new Office of Independent Investigations. Here OII Director Roger Rogoff provides an update to legislators on Dec. 5, 2023.Courtesy of TVWA top priority for police accountability groups has died in the Washington State Legislature.
It was the second attempt to launch an independent prosecutor’s office, to pursue cases against police officers accused of misusing deadly force.
Police and county prosecutors opposed the proposal, while families of people who have died during police encounters supported the measure, saying the office would be free from the “inherent” conflicts of interest they say affect local jurisdictions.
The most recent iteration of HB 1579 failed to advance from the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday. It would have established an Office of Independent Prosecutions as a separate division within the state Attorney General’s Office.
The state prosecutor would have shared authority with county prosecuting attorneys to charge police officers with misuse of deadly force. In the event of both offices seeking jurisdiction in the same case, the bill instructed the courts to determine “whose prosecution will best promote the interests of justice.”
The Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys argued the bill was unconstitutional because legislators lack the authority to diminish the role of elected local prosecutors.
RELATED: Does Washington state need an independent prosecutor to charge police with misusing deadly force?
“They were trying to transfer the power ... or role of the [local] prosecutor to have first review of the situation, and divest the prosecutor of that and transfer it to the independent prosecutor,” said Jon Tunheim, Thurston County prosecutor and a member of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
The bill also said county prosecutors would face a presumption that they have an inherent conflict of interest.
“We disagree that there’s an inherent conflict of interest in every case,” Tunheim added.
But he would support launching the independent prosecutor's office if local prosecutors could refer cases to the office voluntarily, he said.
“I think we could come together around this idea, build it, and then see what happens, right? And if it’s not working the way everybody thought it might work, we talk again and we figure it out.”
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Seattle Steelheads: The city's short-lived, but not forgotten, Black baseball team
Arts & Life
Paul Hardy played for the Seattle Steelheads.Courtesy of David Eskenazi CollectionThere was something different about the Mariners when they went up against the Kansas City Royals in 1995. Seattle's uniforms were still blue with green and silver, but just not the same as the traditional game attire.
The Royals weren't wearing their usual jerseys either. This day was the 75th anniversary of the Negro National League, an organization originally founded in 1920, when baseball was segregated. In honor of the Kansas City Monarchs, the Royals donned their historic jerseys. The Mariners represented the Seattle Steelheads.
RELATED: 20 years of Seattle music history is now online
Except, these weren't actually the Steelheads' jerseys. Turns out, nobody knew what they looked like.
Listen to Vaughan Jones' full reporting on the Seattle Steelheads on Seattle Now.
The Seattle Steelheads emerged during baseball's segregated times. The Negro National League was founded in 1920 and included Midwest teams, like Chicago, Detroit, and Kansas City. The Negro American League emerged in the South in the 1930s.
"Black populations in a lot of the West Coast cities were a lot larger and everything was starting up again," said sports historian David Eskenazi. "This was also a period when there were more minor leagues around than anytime in history.”
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The (economic) force is strong with Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle
Emerald City Comic Con 2024 arrives Thursday, much to the glee (and bustle) of downtown Seattle restaurants and shops.
“We are anticipating a rush," said Stephanie Rodrigues, store manager at Homegrown, a sustainable sandwich shop just up the street from the Seattle Convention Center, on Melrose Avenue. It's one of a few shops in the area that offers takeout options.
RELATED: Where to eat, hang, and party around Emerald City Comic Con 2024
Rodrigues said the anticipated rush for conventions like this runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (so it's probably a good idea to place an online order en route to the shop, just to speed things up).
"What we typically do is we prep more — we make sure we have meats prepped, cheeses prepped. We make sure we have enough staff," Rodrigues said. "We just think of long lines, long rushes. We are a local business so we do anticipate trying to cover that business."
Rodrigues added that the shop also considers how much business might be lost, as Homegrown is a cozy space when contrasted against the 85,000 attendees that Emerald City Comic Con expects to arrive in downtown this week.
The convention boasts an array of guests, such as Chris Evans (Captain America), Christopher Lloyd (Doc from "Back to the Future), Christina Ricci (Addams Family, Yellowjackets), Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings), Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who), and many more.
Comic con fans will likely visit restaurants, shops, and other attractions around the convention center between Thursday and Sunday. That adds up to roughly $26.5 million in estimated local economic impacts, just from Emerald City Comic Con, according to Visit Seattle.
“Emerald City Comic Con has been a staple of our city for years,” Visit Seattle Senior Vice President Kelly Saling said. “It’s a weekend we circle on our calendars as an opportunity to celebrate the region’s spirit of creativity, innovation, and storytelling. This is a weekend filled with color, curiosity, and comradery. At Visit Seattle, our team loves working alongside ReedPop, Emerald City Comic Con’s producers, to make this an enriching event for both attendees and Seattle at-large.”
To put some of these numbers in perspective, the expected 85,000 attendees come as Emerald City Comic Con rebuilds from pandemic slowdowns. Before 2020, attendance reportedly reached 98,000. The average attendance at a Seahawks game at Lumen Field in 2023 was 68,735, and the average attendance of a Mariners game at T-Mobile Park was 33,215.
While Visit Seattle can estimate the convention's economic impact this year will be around $26.5 million, it doesn't have data available on the economic impacts of standard sports games. It does, however, look at other special events in the city, such as the NHL Winter Classic that was held on New Year's Day at T-Mobile Part (Kraken vs Vegas Golden Knights). That special sports event had an estimated local economic impact of $30 million.
Note: Emerald City Comic Con is a four-day annual event. Sports games are single-day events, but happen throughout an entire season.
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6 protesters arrested after descending on Seattle City Hall to demand support for refugees
Protesters banged on windows outside Seattle City Hall on Tuesday afternoon, rattling the council members inside.
The demonstrators were activists and asylum-seekers, many of whom recently found their way to King County. Struggling to secure housing, hundreds of these new arrivals have moved into tents on muddy church grounds in Tukwila; those slightly more fortunate have moved into hotels, but even that is a dicey proposition, with only days or weeks guaranteed at a time.
Every day is a question mark for these asylum-seekers. Recently, Save the Kids, a national nonprofit, put down a credit card for a hotel in Kent, but that maxed out, and the hotel manager said he would have to kick out the refugees.
The City of Seattle paid the bill at the eleventh hour, even though the hotel was outside city limits.
RELATED: Time, money runs low for asylum-seekers sheltering at Seattle area hotels
The demonstrators said they believed the money for ShotSpotter, police technology that helps cops detect gunshots, should be spent on housing instead.
In a twist of irony, City Council was meeting to honor the late George Fleming, the first Black state senator and a champion of low-income housing. The council had asked that the chamber be cleared, with the exception of Fleming’s family.
Ultimately, six protesters were arrested for criminal trespass, according to the Seattle Police Department news blotter. They were booked into the King County Jail.
“Those who were part of the disruption were told to leave the chambers, but they refused and were told they would be arrested if they continued,” the police blotter read.
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