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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Western Washington is going to get drenched this weekend
Environment
A cyclist rides along Harbor Avenue Southwest in the rain on Thursday, November 3, 2022, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerGrab your rain gear before you head outside in Western Washington this weekend.
An atmospheric river is expected to settle over the region Friday evening and last through early next week, according to the National Weather Service.
The lowlands can expect up to three inches of rain during this time. Plus, snow levels will also rise above 7,000 feet, increasing the potential for river flooding in some areas. In particular, the National Weather Service is keeping an eye on flooding along the Skokomish River for the next few days.
RELATED: 'Hot droughts' are becoming more common in the arid West, new study finds
NWS also warned that there may be an increased risk of landslides this weekend into next week.
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Can Boeing correct course and fly right? Despite recent debacles, industry expert says skies will clear
Business
The Boeing Renton Factory is shown on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Renton.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerIt’s bad times for Boeing. How did one of the most recognized aerospace giants fly into such rough turbulence?
“Now you've got quality issues, which reflect, frankly, a culture that seems to have gone a bit astray,” said Richard Aboulafia, a consultant with Aerodynamics Advisory.
While speaking with KUOW’s Morning Edition, Aboulafia argued that Boeing’s culture has changed over the past few years, largely because of a “disconnect between senior management and the people actually designing and building jets … the company has been slowly spiraling down since.”
Boeing’s most recent woes began after a door plug blew out mid-flight over Portland. It was quite a scare, but the 737 Max 9 landed safely. The planes were grounded after that, but all 737 Max 9 jets could be back in the air as soon as Friday, now that the FAA has created a checklist for airlines to follow.
The incident renewed concerns over Boeing’s quality, five years after the company faced severe scrutiny over a software problem that caused two fatal crashes.
On Wednesday, workers at Boeing’s Renton plant conducted a “stand down” — a factory-wide staff meeting with a focus on quality control of their aircrafts. It adds another step in an uphill battle Boeing has been fighting for the past few years. After the fallout from the two fatal 737 crashes, the pandemic halted production across the aviation industry, delivering a blow to supply chains.
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Seattle doles out $10 million to settle 2020 protest injury claims
Law & Courts
A protester reacts to tear gas near the intersection of 5th and Pine Streets on Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Seattle. Thousands gathered in a protest following the violent police killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white police officer who held his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, as he repeatedly said, 'I can't breathe,' in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerThe Seattle City Attorney and lawyers for more than 50 people who say they were injured while protesting police violence in 2020 have reached a $10 million settlement.
The plaintiffs participated in local Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Their lawyers said the plaintiffs suffered from broken bones and other injuries while engaging in First Amendment-protected activity.
The plaintiffs include Aubreanna Inda, a woman who went into cardiac arrest after being hit in the chest by a Seattle police blast ball, and the estate of Summer Taylor, a protester hit and killed by a driver on I-5 who later was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for vehicular homicide and reckless driving.
Photographer Bruce Tom is also among the plaintiffs and says he was injured by police during the protests. Speaking at a press conference organized by plaintiff attorneys Wednesday he said, “It’s the first time I ever felt my life was actually threatened, and like, why? I was just there to witness — that’s kind of my right, right?"
Abie Ekenezar, another plaintiff and a U.S. Navy veteran, also spoke at Wednesday's press conference.
“Coming back home and figuring out I still have to fight for the rights of myself and my son, and being attacked for it…you have to realize that we’ve been fighting for three years and no one should ever have to fight for their rights here," Ekenezar said. "It doesn’t make sense.”
According to the settlement agreement, the city has no role in determining the amounts disbursed to each plaintiff. Karen Koehler, the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs, said her clients have agreed to distribute settlement funds in proportion to each person’s injuries.
The city admitted no wrongdoing as a result of the settlement. In a statement, City Attorney Ann Davison said the agreement resolves the majority of remaining claims stemming from those 2020 demonstrations.
“This decision was the best financial decision for the City considering risk, cost, and insurance,” Davison said in a statement. “The case has been a significant drain on the time and resources of the City and would have continued to be so through an estimated three-month trial that was scheduled to begin in May.”
The city also hired the firm K&L Gates to assist in its defense.
Plaintiff attorney Koehler called the fallout from the protests “not a proud moment in Seattle history,” noting that a federal judge sanctioned the city over evidence that officials intentionally deleted text messages containing communication about the protests.
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Some Washington Republicans hope Nikki Haley keeps battling Trump
Politics
Former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during an event sponsored by Turning Point USA at Clemson University on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, in Clemson, S.C.AP Photo/Meg KinnardThe chorus of Republican voices calling for Nikki Haley to get out of the presidential race is getting louder, following her double-digit loss to former President Trump in the New Hampshire primary.
But in Washington state, some Republicans hope the former South Carolina governor will stay the course.
“It's not an easy path. It's a narrow path. I'm a realist, but to say that there's no path, I don't think is true,” said Paul Hess, vice chair for Haley's campaign in Washington state.
"This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go,” Haley said, after the New Hampshire primary race was called for Trump Tuesday night.
RELATED: Are Washington state Republicans fully behind former President Trump?
In Washington, Paul Hess told KUOW he's looking ahead to the February 24 primary in South Carolina, which is Haley’s home state.
“Nobody thought she'd win the governorship when she first ran. She kind of beat those old southern white boys at their own game," Hess said. "Let's see what she can do."
There are other considerations for Washington Republicans beyond the presidential race, Hess added.
Hess said Republicans would be in “much better shape” to compete in statewide and federal races this year with Haley at the top of the ticket as opposed to Trump.
He argues Haley would have an edge over Trump with some key blocks of voters, such as suburban women. In New Hampshire, while Trump won with men, the female vote split between the two candidates.
Trump is particularly unpopular in Washington state, losing to Biden by 20 percentage points in 2020.
“This is a very blue state. Anybody who doesn't admit that, including Republicans, is sugarcoating it,” Hess said.
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Taxes and Tanya Woo: Seattle's newest councilmember enters the job
Government
Courtesy of the Tanya Woo campaignSeattle's newest councilmember may have the seat temporarily — for now — but Tanya Woo will have to weigh in on some long-term issues facing the city.
Seattle is looking at a revenue shortfall of more than $200 million next year.
Woo was appointed Tuesday to the citywide seat left vacant by Teresa Mosqueda, who won a spot on the King County Council in the last general election. Woo's appointment is temporary until the next council election in November, though she has already said she will run to keep the seat.
That means, if Woo is elected to keep Position 8 on the council, the city's budget shortfall will be her problem, too. The Council has so far not addressed the impending gap.
RELATED: Seattle Council picks CID activist Tanya Woo to fill open seat
During the interview process for the appointment, Woo was the only candidate, of the eight finalists considered by the Council, who said she was not open to new progressive taxes to fill the gap.
She pulled back on that stance Wednesday, though, during an interview on Soundside.
Woo told KUOW's Libby Denkmann she is open to progressive revenue options, but that imposing additional taxes "should be a last resort."
She said the city should first look for redundancies across departments and "come up with measurements for success, so that we are results-based, before we actually go into progressive revenue."
That process of reconsidering how money is spent may include the city's payroll expense tax, known as the JumpStart tax.
Asked specifically about the future of JumpStart, Woo said the city needs it, but she would like to "see the funds go where they are actually intended."
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These Washington restaurants are semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Award
Arts & Life
Sup Shop, a pho restaurant in Seattle, bustles with guests. Pho is so popular in Seattle that it may be the city's unofficial soup. Owners Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham were nominated for Best Restaurateur in 2024.KUOW/ Juan Pablo ChiquizaIf the James Beard Awards are the Oscars for chefs and restaurants, then Washington state is slated for some red carpet treatment in 2024 — a mix of 14 Washington chefs and restaurants have been nominated.
RELATED: There are as many pho restaurants as Starbucks coffee shops in Seattle. Here's why
Seattle stands out among the nominees from Washington. A total of 10 Seattle chefs and restaurants are featured. Four of the seven nominated chefs are from Seattle.
Established in 1990, the awards honors the nation's culinary talents. Finalists will be announced in April. The awards ceremony will be held in Chicago, June 10.
Outstanding Restaurateur:
Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham, Phở Bac Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat, Seattle, WA
Outstanding Chef:
Aaron Verzosa, Archipelago, Seattle, WA
Outstanding Restaurant:
The Walrus and the Carpenter, Seattle, WA
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We're No. 2 (and 3)! Why King County Library tops the digital charts
Arts & Life
A digital reader for an eBook.The King County Library has emerged to become second most popular library across the United States — digitally.
King County Library System cardholders checked out more than 8.8 million online titles in 2023. That adds up to the third-largest digital circulation in the world, and the second largest in the USA.
"It's something that we're really proud of and we hope to hit No. 1 at some point," KCLS interim Executive Director Angie Miraflor told Seattle Now. "It's been increasing steadily, as a trend, in public libraries as people get more used to using devices to read their materials on, but it's been pretty significant at King County Library System."
RELATED: I was a 'library kid.' But my old school is among many in WA that no longer have librarians
The statistics come from OverDrive, a digital-reading platform. King County's third-place global ranking includes the online circulation of eBooks, digital magazines, and audiobooks.
Check out King County's top digital titles below.
Digital libraries
Last year also served as somewhat of a comeback for the King County Library System. In 2019-20, it ranked third in the world, but dropped to fourth place globally over 2021-22. Now, it has taken third place back.
Los Angeles Public Library and Toronto Public Library took first and second place, respectively last year. King County came ahead of the National Library in Singapore, which took fourth place. Multnomah Public Library (covering Portland) ranked seventh, and the Seattle Public Library came in at eighth place.
King County's digital consumption is part of a global rise in online readership. OverDrive notes that global digital readership shot up 19% in 2023, over 2022, with 662 million online checkouts.
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5 victims of Puyallup crash identified, including 4 children
Health
A Google Maps image of state Route 512 where it passes beneath 31st Avenue Southwest in Puyallup, Washington. Five people died when a driver hit one of the overpass's concrete pillars.Google MapsThe Pierce County Medical Examiner has identified all five victims of a deadly crash early in the morning of Jan. 14 on state Route 512 in Puyallup.
In addition to 29-year-old driver Kiarra Monaghan of Sumner, four children were killed. They include Monaghan’s children, Noah Monaghan, age 12, and Amiyah Eutimio, age 3, as well as Amiira Little and TaeShon Manuel, both 11 years old.
Where the divided highway curves nearly 90 degrees to the left near Puyallup’s South Hill Mall, Monaghan’s eastbound Ford Flex sport utility vehicle went off the road and hit an overpass support. It burst into flame at about 4:20 on a Sunday morning, according to the Washington State Patrol. No other vehicles were involved, and the roadway was clear and dry at the time.
All five passengers died at the scene. The highway was closed for 8 hours as the crash scene was cleared and investigated.
The state patrol continues to investigate possible causes of the crash.
An eyewitness told KIRO News the driver was going 100 miles per hour before hitting the concrete pillar.
The Washington Traffic Safety Commission says speeding and traffic deaths have skyrocketed since the start of the Covid pandemic.
About 1 in 3 drivers in fatal crashes were speeding at the time.
RELATED: Taming speed on the Speedway (and other Washington roads)
Federal safety officials call speeding and intoxicated driving a “dual epidemic” on American roads.
In November, following its investigation of a crash in which an intoxicated driver ran a red light in Nevada at 103 miles per hour, killing 4 children and 5 adults, the National Transportation Safety Board called for requiring all new cars to have anti-speeding technology. At minimum, such “intelligent speed assistance” technology warns drivers when they are speeding. Some versions can also slow vehicles down when they exceed a local speed limit.
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No decision yet on investigation into Seattle Chief Adrian Diaz for allegedly hiring romantic partner
Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell announced Adrian Diaz as the new permanent Seattle Chief of Police during a press conference on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at Seattle City Hall.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerSeattle’s police watchdog agencies haven’t yet decided if they will launch a formal investigation into whether Police Chief Adrian Diaz hired a woman he was allegedly romantically involved with into a top-level advisor role.
Diaz denied the allegations last year through his attorney Ted Buck.
It's been more than 180 days since four complaints were made to the Office of Police Accountability — the typical timeline for a police investigation to be completed. But unlike other complaints, those filed against the chief of police aren’t bound by timelines.
To the public, the investigation appears to be stagnant, stuck at the "preliminary" level.
But behind the scenes, a city council member asked for answers, while members of the mayor’s office have called the rumor salacious and a ploy to upend a progressive chief. City sources told KUOW that if the police watchdog agencies decide to investigate, it could harm the chief’s reputation among the rank and file.
Gino Betts, director of the Office of Police Accountability, wrote by email that "OPA’s commitment to public trust and transparency drives it to evaluate (complaints) as efficiently as practical.”
Betts said another watchdog agency, the Office of the Inspector General, “oversees this process to ensure complaints are reviewed without unnecessary delay.”
Meanwhile, the Office of Police Accountability has requested the advisor’s hiring records, but the department’s head of human resources has so far refused arguing that the department hasn't turned over background information for non-cop employees before.
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Washington bill creates civil fines, could reduce illegal dumping
Politics
Cyclists found a pile of trash near the roadside south of Kennewick. Cyclist Mike Robinson says he's seen more trash dumped by the edge of the road since the pandemic started.Courtesy of Mike RobinsonFrom couches to cars to hazardous waste, there’s been an uptick in dumping trash on Washington roadsides, and in private and public forests, according to state lawmakers.
Illegally dumping trash can cause big problems for the environment and for the landowners where trash is left. It’s a problem Washington lawmakers hope to solve.
RELATED: Washington state is trashy, and there's a study to prove it
“It’s always been a problem of people just dumping their garbage and waste out in the open,” said Rep. Bill Ramos, a Democrat from Issaquah, of public and private landowners’ concerns. “Household garbage is bad enough, but we often get cars and boats and hazardous material.”
Ramos proposed H.B. 2207 that would change illegal dumping penalties from criminal charges to civil infractions, similar to a parking ticket fine. The money would be split between an account for local government and nonprofit educational programs to reduce illegal dumping and law enforcement, which will issue the fines.
The bill also would help reduce illegal dumping by lowering the cost at waste transfer stations on certain days or providing vouchers, Ramos said during a House Environmental and Energy Committee hearing.
“It’s expensive to dump things at the dump nowadays, and rightly so, because it’s hard to get rid of things,” Ramos said. “Let’s help folks do the right thing, as well.”
That’s something landowners said they know a lot about. On some properties, it can cost between $50,000 to $100,000 per year, especially to dispose of hazardous waste, said Tom Davis, governmental relations director for the Washington Forest Protection Association.
“Toxic waste that is expensive to remove and poses both an environmental and a human health risk. The burden of cleanup costs rests with the landowners,” Davis said.
RELATED: Farewell, torture ads. 'Don't litter' signs become gentler in Washington state
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Seattle Council picks CID activist Tanya Woo to fill open seat
Politics
On Jan. 23, 2024, the Seattle City Council voted in favor of placing Chinatown-International District activist Tanya Woo in the empty seat on the dais, representing Position 8 until the next general election.Graphic by Teo Popescu. Photos courtesy of City of Seattle and Juan Pablo ChiquizaTanya Woo will step in to fill the vacant seat on the Seattle City Council in 2024.
The Council voted 5-3 Tuesday to approve placing Woo in the role. She will take over for Teresa Mosqueda, who left the council in early January to move over to the King County Council.
"I pledge to serve everyone in the city..." Woo said shortly after being selected. "I want to build more collaboration, especially on the council, a sense of unity, collaboration, and communication."
Woo will occupy Position 8 on the dais. It is a temporary position until the next council election in November. Woo said she'll be on that ballot in order to stay in the job.
RELATED: Tanya Woo sees support – and controversy – in bid for open Seattle Council seat
The Council’s pick of Woo caps a political sea change in Seattle that started in last November’s election. A supermajority of centrist candidates won on promises to improve public safety and tackle the city’s fentanyl crisis.
Woo, a small business owner and activist in the Chinatown-International District (CID), made a name for herself running a community watch group focused on public safety. She also led a successful effort in 2022 to kill the expansion of a homeless shelter in the CID and surrounding neighborhoods.
Those experiences prompted Woo to run for Council last year, with a focus on public safety. She tried unsuccessfully to unseat progressive South Seattle incumbent Tammy Morales. Woo lost that race by roughly 400 votes, or 1.5%.
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France fines Amazon $35 million for ‘excessively intrusive’ monitoring of warehouse staff
Business
France’s privacy watchdog said Tuesday that it slapped Amazon ‘s French warehouse business with a 32 million euro fine ($35 million) for using an “excessively intrusive system” to monitor worker performance and activity.
The French Data Protection Authority, also known by its acronym CNIL, said the system allowed managers at Amazon France Logistique to track employees so closely that it resulted in multiple breaches of the European Union’s stringent privacy rules, called the General Data Protection Regulation.
RELATED: A tale of two Amazon warehouses — How a workplace safety lawsuit could accelerate automation
“We strongly disagree with the CNIL’s conclusions, which are factually incorrect, and we reserve the right to file an appeal,” Amazon said. “Warehouse management systems are industry standard and are necessary for ensuring the safety, quality and efficiency of operations and to track the storage of inventory and processing of packages on time and in line with customer expectations.”
The watchdog’s investigation focused on Amazon employees’ use of handheld barcode scanners to track packages at various points as they move through the warehouse, such as putting them in crates or packing them for delivery.
Amazon uses the system to manage its business and meet performance targets, but the regulator said it’s different from traditional methods for monitoring worker activity and puts them under “close surveillance” and “continuous pressure.”
The watchdog said the scanner, known as a “stow machine gun,” allows the company to monitor employees to the “nearest second” because they signal an error if items are scanned too quickly — in less than 1.25 seconds.
RELATED: Amazon promises convenience for customers, but it's crushing some rural mail carriers
The system is used to measure employee productivity as well as “periods of inactivity,” but under EU privacy rules, “it was illegal to set up a system measuring work interruptions with such accuracy, potentially requiring employees to justify every break or interruption,” the watchdog said.
The CNIL also chastised Amazon for keeping employee data for too long, saying it didn’t need “every detail of the data” generated by the scanners from the past month because real-time data and weekly statistics were enough.
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