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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Get ready, Eastside. Light rail is finally coming to Bellevue in April
Light rail will finally get rolling on the Eastside, providing a new way to travel across Bellevue, starting in spring 2024.
Service on Sound Transit's 2 Line is slated to begin Saturday, April 27.
Trains are expected to run roughly every 10 minutes, over 16 hours a day, seven days per week. Sound Transit has estimated that ridership will be about 6,000 average weekday riders.
RELATED: Where does Amazon want Sound Transit to build a new Seattle light rail station?
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Lindy West’s Valentine’s Day sex granola recipe
Arts & Life
This is not Lindy West's granola. It is a creative commons photo of granola that we found on Wikipedia.I am the designated granola maker in my house. This is my most important job, and I say that as a MOTHER. Every few weeks I take all the orphaned dry goods in the pantry—the last handful of roasted peanuts, the dregs of a bag of coconut, half a cup of chia seeds in an old shoe—and toss them into a big metal bowl with a few cups of oats (three? four??????). Then I make a slurry of whatever orphaned WET goods are in the pantry—one inch of crystallized honey at the bottom of the squirty bear, the last tablespoon of 20-year-old vanilla extract, coconut oil a week from going rancid—and mix it and pour it over the dry stuff. You toss it all together and then you spread it on a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan and you put it in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes and then you stir it and put it back for another 10 minutes and then sprinkle whatever dried fruit you have all over it and let it cool in the pan and then WOW! That’s granola, baby!
Yesterday I saw a bag of granola at the store that cost EIGHTEEN DOLLARS. Do you know how much 50 pounds of plain oats cost? The grocery store pays YOU to take the oats away!!!!!!
My granola is ALWAYS good and ALWAYS even better than the last time I made it. Granola is a practice and I am a lifelong learner. But yesterday? Yesterday I made a granola so good that when you taste it you will have no choice but to get a divorce so you can marry it instead! This is my Valentine to you. A divorce. (It costs $10,000 but it’s still cheaper than store-bought granola!)
VALENTINE’S DAY SEX GRANOLA
By Lindy West
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a big bowl, combine:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
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How will Washington state Democrats handle GOP-backed voter initiatives?
Politics
Members of the House convene on the first day of the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Olympia.(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)Washington state Democrats say they're closer to knowing which voter initiatives will receive hearings in the Legislature.
It's the first indication how Democrats will handle a suite of Republican-backed voter initiatives this year. The Legislature, where Democrats have a majority, has an option to take action on the initiatives, or send them to the voters to decide. The measures mainly aim to undo key policies passed by the Democrats in recent years.
RELATED: The 6 voter initiatives likely heading to Washington ballots this fall, explained
"We don't have the final decision on which ones or when, but there will be some hearings," said Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane).
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) said four of the initiatives are still being analyzed. They would do things like roll back limits on police car chases, and make the state's new long-term health tax optional.
"Those will be in the mix for us to consider more strongly whether or not we hear them," Jinkins said. "I don't know if we hear all four of them or some subset, but we're getting very close."
But Billig and Jinkins say two initiatives will not get public hearings — one aiming to repeal the state's capital gains tax, and another that dismantles the cap-and-trade program that is at the core of the Climate Commitment Act.
Republicans in the Legislature have pressed Democrats to immediately hold hearings on all six of the initiatives. But the majority has so far rejected those efforts. Democrats have pointed to inconsistent precedent on how lawmakers have handled initiatives in the past, and say they need to better understand the full impact of each of this year's proposals.
RELATED: Republicans, Democrats, carbon, and you. Debating Washington's cap and trade
Democrats say they'll only hear measures that could be enacted or include a proposed alternative. If the Legislature approves an alternative, it will appear on ballots next to the original initiative.
Lawmakers have until March 7 to take action before the issues go to voters this fall.
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Washington bottle deposit proposal fizzles out in Legislature
Environment
Another proposal to create a bottle deposit program in Washington state fizzled out in the state House during the 2024 session.The latest attempt to create a bottle deposit program in Washington state was shattered on the House floor this week.
State Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver) sponsored HB 2144, the bill that proposed the creation of a bottle deposit program in Washington state. She said that the bill went over well in committees, but she was unable to garner enough support in the House. She also says she is not ready to pour this idea down the drain just yet.
RELATED: Seattle gets $4M to create 'circular wood economy'
"While the bill was successfully passed out of the Environment Policy Committee and the Finance Fiscal Committee, it failed to garner the support needed to pass off the House floor," Rep. Stonier said. "I have already begun work on a new version of the bill for next year and remain committed to find ways to get the votes needed to pass this bill that will improve our recycling system in the state for beverage containers."
Under the proposal, a 10 cent deposit would be added on to the sale of beverage containers sold in Washington state (bottles and cans). To get that 10 cents back, a customer would have to return the container to a store. The ultimate goal of the bottle deposit bill was to increase recycling rates in Washington state.
The system relied on beverage distributors — which largely supported the idea — to create the system. The Washington Food Industry Association, however, opposed the proposal.
The 2024 bottle bill was also supported by the Evergreen Recycling Refund Coalition, a group of beverage manufacturers, distributors, recyclers, and recycling advocates.
“The need for a more effective recycling policy is clear: Washington has the lowest beverage container recycling rate from British Columbia to California. The Recycling Refund bill gained a lot of momentum this session, and it is well-positioned for future consideration with the beverage industry ready to serve as an operational steward," the coalition said in a statement.
This is not the first time Washington lawmakers have tried to create a bottle deposit program. In 2023, the House considered a similar proposal, which was part of the WRAP Act during that session. That too did not get enough support from lawmakers.
RELATED: Where does it all go? The journey of San Juan recycling
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Is Washington really 'The Evergreen State'? The question remains
Government
A state road sign at the border welcoming drivers to Washington, "The Evergreen State."Washington's state Senate has passed a bill that lawmakers feel everyone can agree on, no matter what their politics are — that Washington is "The Evergreen State."
“This nickname is important to us,” said Republican state Sen. Jeff Wilson on the floor of the Senate this week. “It gets long in line with our rich history and tradition. It’s something that all Washingtonians can come together on, because we already have.”
The state Senate approved Wilson's SB 5595 this week, a bill that establishes "The Evergreen State" as the official nickname of Washington. The House has yet to consider it.
Wait... isn't that already Washington's nickname?
Sort of. "The Evergreen State" can be found on many signs, Washington's automobile license plates, and it's state fair. It's even the name of a state university. But technically, it's not official.
RELATED: Republicans, Democrats, carbon, and you. Debating Washington's cap and trade
Washington has a long list of official things that represent the state — a state insect, amphibian, even a state tartan pattern. Unofficially, the state Capitol is a symbol of Washington. The state also has an unofficial motto (Alki). "The Evergreen State" is also listed as unofficial.
The nickname goes back to when Washington became a state in 1889. Shortly after that, 27-year-old Seattle realtor C.T. Conover created a marketing campaign to attract newcomers (aka customers) to the region. He printed up a pamphlet featuring Elliott Bay, Snoqualmie Falls, and the words, "Washington The Evergreen State and Seattle its Metropolis" on the cover.
"The Evergreen State" caught on and was soon used by others over the years to hype Washington. According to Historian Feliks Banel, records are fuzzy on whether state lawmakers ever have officially adopted the nickname. There are some indications that the state House approved it in 1893, but nothing confirmed. Senate Republicans say that newspapers reported that the House passed a bill to make it official at that time, but there are no state records to back that up.
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Tacoma approaches affordable housing from a new angle: anti-displacement
Government
The Hilltop Neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington.Jennifer Uppendahl / UnsplashAs cities throughout the Seattle area grapple with the dire need for more and affordable housing, Tacoma is attempting to come at the issue from another angle — anti-displacement.
“As a kid who grew up in Tacoma, I tell people that I got to live in every neighborhood, because there was something affordable in every neighborhood. We want to make sure that we’re building that same Tacoma," Mayor Victoria Woodards told Soundside.
“Density is coming, but we as a city have to be responsible for where we allow that density to happen. It has to happen in places that make sense."
The Tacoma City Council approved an anti-displacement plan in early February. It's an extension of the city's affordable housing strategy that was passed in 2018. While these strategies address overlapping issues, and utilize similar tactics, they are viewed as different approaches. Affordable housing deals with the creation of more units as the city evolves. Anti-displacement is designed to preserve what Tacoma already has — its residents and their homes. If successful, it would counter factors that force residents to ditch Tacoma. Woodard also notes that the anti-displacement plan is expected to change and adapt moving forward.
RELATED: Converting office buildings to housing in Tacoma
The anti-displacement approach is also viewed as a means of mitigating other issues, such as the lingering effects of Tacoma's past redlining policies. The plan references the Washington State Department of Commerce's Displacement Risk Map (currently in draft form), which highlights areas where residents face higher risk of being displaced. Notably, areas with a higher percentage of residents of color, and low-income households, are more likely at risk. One such area is Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood, which the plan specifically points out, along with downtown, South Tacoma, and East Tacoma.
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Beloved produce market in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood closes after fire. ‘We will be back’
Residents are mourning the closure of another Seattle neighborhood produce market. Rising Sun Produce, on the corner of 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 65th Street, is boarded up. The smell of smoke and soot linger. Burnt boxes and other cardboard debris line the loading area.
At around 3:10 a.m. Friday, Seattle Fire Department received 911 calls reporting fire in the building. According to department spokesperson David Cuerpo, crews extinguished a fire involving stacked cardboard that extended to the loading dock and overhead roof. Cuerpo said investigators ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.
It’s not clear how long the store will stay closed. A sign by the parking lot reads “We will be back.”
RELATED: MacPherson's, longtime Seattle produce market, is closing
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Renton minimum wage initiative leading after initial ballot count
Politics
Update: Renton minimum wage initiative leading after initial ballot count
The city of Renton may be getting a higher minimum wage. As of Wednesday's ballot count, the measure to hike worker pay is leading by a healthy margin — 57.1% in favor, and 42.9% opposed.
Large businesses in Renton will need to offer $20.29 an hour if it ultimately passes. Advocates say it will be a big help to workers who are struggling to pay rent. David Hill who owns Fortune Casino and Fortune Poker in Renton told KUOW he has mixed feelings, however.
“It's the tipped employees that are really getting the boon here. My average tipped employee is making over $50 an hour," Hill said.
Those tipped employees (such as card dealers) are currently at the state minimum wage of $16.28 per hour, so the new rate would be a boost. Hill’s lowest-paid employees, like dishwashers, already make at least $20 an hour, so they won’t get much more.
The owner of Renton's Rose Gift House and Coffee in Renton Katie Newman told KUOW that she favors the wage hike, though as a small business, her shop would be except from the new rate. She recently gave her employees a $1.50 raise to match the state minimum.
"I kind of live with philosophy that if a job exists in society, the person who does it deserves a living wage," Newman said.
Original post published Feb. 12, 2024
If voters say yes this week, Renton's minimum wage could rise to be the highest in the nation, matching its higher-paying neighbor Tukwila.
"We see that businesses are increasing their prices to keep up with inflation, and what we're seeing on the other side of that is wages remain stagnant," said Guillermo Zazueta, who is spearheading the campaign for Initiative 23-02.
RELATED: Seattle now has highest minimum wage of any major city in the United States
Zazueta argues that the wage hike for large employers is needed due skyrocketing costs for housing and other basic needs in the area.
"We have tens of thousands of working families in Renton that are working long hours, maybe two to three jobs, trying to make ends meet. And we are leaving those folks behind," he said.
Renton's current minimum wage is set at the state's rate of $16.28. Under the proposal, the rate for large Renton employers would increase by nearly 25% to $20.29 per hour. Small and medium businesses would pay $18.29, but this rate would be phased up to the higher pay within two years. Businesses with fewer than 15 employees would be exempt. The wage would also be adjusted for inflation each year. If approved, the new rate would hit paychecks in July.
The proposal has its critics, however, such as the Renton Chamber of Commerce, which has backed a counter-campaign to the proposal. It argues that raising the local minimum wage will, in turn, push prices even higher in town, as local businesses pass the increased cost to customers.
CEO Diane Dobson also says that the wage hike would lead to job losses in Renton and reduced hours for employees. She adds that many Renton businesses are still struggling due to the pandemic and with inflation.
The Chamber's No On 23-02 website, further points to Seattle, where the raised minimum wage did not solve the affordability crisis.
"Household incomes have already increased significantly in Renton, while the cost of living has skyrocketed. This proposal will only widen the gap by causing the costs of groceries, restaurant meals, childcare, and other goods and services to increase even more for everyone."
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Open carry guns at zoos and bus stops in Washington state? That could soon be banned
Politics
Two protesters, one wearing an Oath Keepers badge and openly carrying a firearm, walk around outside of the Washington State Capitol ahead of the beginning of the legislative session on Monday, January 11, 2021, in Olympia. The capitol was fenced off with members of the National Guard present following the January 6 insurrection in DC. Some protesters in Olympia came with weapons. Members of the Oath Keepers were also present in DC on Jan. 6.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerThe Washington State Senate approved legislation Friday that creates new limits on the state's open carry laws for guns, aiming to add to the list of public settings where openly carrying firearms is prohibited.
The goal is to help families and children feel safe "without fear of intimidation by folks who may be parading around with their weapons, openly carrying," bill sponsor Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle) said.
RELATED: A new California law restricts carrying guns in public — testing the Second Amendment
Senate Bill 5444 would make it illegal to openly carry a firearm at zoos, aquariums, bus stops, and public libraries. The bill doesn't address carrying concealed weapons in Washington, which requires a license.
The legislation passed along party lines in the state Senate and now heads to the House for consideration.
Critics, including state Sen. Keith Wagoner (R-Sedro Woolley), call SB5444 another infringement on gun rights.
"Whether or not it's a right that we exercise for ourselves, it's our duty in this chamber to uphold those rights," Wagoner said.
Meanwhile, in the House, lawmakers passed another bill amending rules surrounding lost or stolen firearms. HB1903, passed on Friday, mandates that a gun owner who does not report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours of discovering it missing could face a fine of up to $1,000. The offense would be classified as a civil infraction.
In recent years, Washington state has seen a trend of new, approved gun control measures, either through the legislature or voters. I-1639 was approved by voters in 2018 and defined the term "semiautomatic assault rifle." It also prohibited the sale of such firearms to people under the age of 21.
In 2021, lawmakers prohibited the open carrying of guns at the state Capitol in Olympia.
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Photos: Squidding from Tacoma's Les Davis Pier
Environment
Kody, 26, of Denver, squids on Friday, November 17, 2023, from Les Davis Pier in Tacoma.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerEach fall and winter, anglers line up at various locations around the Puget Sound to catch squid. A popular destination is in Tacoma at Les Davis Pier. On a November night in 2023, crowds gathered to cast their lines.
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Seattle celebrates Grammy win for säje
Arts & Life
Sara Gazarek, from left, Erin Bentlage, Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick and Jacob Collier accept the award for best arrangement, instruments and vocals for "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" - Saje featuring Jacob Collier during the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles.AP Photo/Chris PizzelloThe female vocal ensemble säje brought their ethereal, contemporary jazz to the Grammys recently, winning the award for best arrangement.
Their winning song featuring Jacob Collier, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," is off the group's debut self-titled album, "säje."
The group combines the vocal talents of Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick, and Amanda Taylor. All have have deep roots in the Emerald City. Johnaye Kendrick lives in the Seattle area now, and is a professor of music at Cornish College of the Arts. Taylor and Gazarek both grew up in the city.
"Seattle definitely feels like home for me," Gazarek said, while speaking with Seattle Now's Patricia Murphy after the group's big win.
RELATED: Vocal supergroup säje garners a Grammy
While you're likely to find säje categorized as "jazz" or "vocal jazz", Gazarek said the group has been most influenced by "Black American music." The group's rhythmic and harmonic approach "captures the sounds that are inside of us as creators, and the sounds are influenced by what's happening in the world" — including the darkness.
RELATED: Brandi Carlile goes home with 3 Grammys, thanks Seattle for making her 'strive for this'
"There is a small subset of that in the jazz community that really prides itself on this concept of amplification of voices," Gazarek said. "Amplification of social issues. Intentional creation of music that means something beyond just romance and dreams, that is curious about music, that isn't just nostalgic references."
That means their songs carry a strong social message, like the Johnaye Kendrick original composition "Never You Mind" about Black Americans killed by police.
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Kiosks for free Covid and flu tests unveiled this week in Washington state
Health
A prototype for a kiosk that dispenses Covid and flu tests, which will be available in Washington state. Two appear to already be available in Spanaway.Washington state Department of HealthWashington state unveiled kiosks for free Covid and flu tests this week.
The kiosks, launched with tribal nations, will be available 24/7 at malls, food banks, transit stations, churches, schools, and libraries, according to a press release from the Department of Health.
Seventeen kiosks have been ordered so far across Washington state. A website showed that two kiosks are currently open in Spanaway.
According to the health department statement, “Kiosks make it possible to access health care tests and supplies at the push of a button in accessible locations.”
The kiosks will dispense free Covid rapid tests, Covid PCR tests, and tests that detect the flu. Each kiosk holds about 700 tests, according to the state.
Tribal nations may choose to add naloxone, pregnancy tests and other medical products.
"Rapid testing is part of our new normal," said Kristina Allen, Community Testing Supervisor, according to the statement.
Correction 2/15/2024: A previous version of this story included an incorrect photo caption.
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