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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Chris Vance is once again a Republican ... for Harris
Politics
Chris Vance has thrown his support behind Republicans For Harris, a group of Republicans supporting Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Vance was once chair of the Washington State Republican Party, and a Republican state lawmaker. More recently, he described himself as an independent as Donald Trump took over the GOP.Associated PressAmong the many political factions supporting Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is a group from the other side of the aisle. Republicans for Harris is a national movement that has a handful of local Washingtonians on board.
“As long as Donald Trump defines the Republican Party, I and others are going to stand up and say, ‘Hell no,’ and fight back against it,” Chris Vance told Seattle Now. “We’re a big problem for him.”
RELATED: 'Republicans for Harris' want conservatives to vote Democrat in 2024 to topple Trump
Vance is a former chair of the Washington State Republican Party and former Republican state lawmaker. He spoke with Seattle Now to explain why members of the GOP are crossing the aisle for the 2024 election, but still aren't shedding their Republican ideals.
The national effort is supported by Republicans who oppose Trump and feel their party no longer represents them. They’re primarily targeting battleground states, which Washington is not. Vance explained that these GOP faithful are amplifying similar voices on social media, and at a local level, they're ringing doorbells and making phone calls in support of Harris.
“Republicans for Harris is an actual part of the Harris for President campaign. There is a Republican staffer hired by the Harris campaign to coordinate this, which is historic,” Vance said. “I don’t believe that you’ve had a Democratic political campaign hire Republican operatives to organize Republicans, but that’s how deep and wide the passion is among so many Republicans and former Republicans that Donald Trump can never ever step foot in the Oval Office again, not even as a guest.”
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Firefighters battle wildfire threatening small Western Washington town
Environment
The 2620 Road Fire near Brinnon burning, as viewed from above, in the early evening hours on August 18, 2024.Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management TeamA wildfire that ignited last Wednesday west of Brinnon in Jefferson County, has now burned 398 acres and is less than 10% contained. The blaze has prompted a significant firefighting response from across Washington state and beyond.
Norma Brock, public information officer for the Western Washington Incident Management Team, provided an update on the fire's status.
RELATED: Weekend rain a welcome relief as wildfire burns near Stehekin
"When we initially [started], we were having trouble getting up in the air due to all the heavy smoke and visibility. Once we got air resources we were able to fly around and do better mapping,” Brock said.
The Incident Management Team is collaborating with a team from Georgia on containment efforts. Firefighters are constructing lines around the fire and using a variety of strategies to control its spread. Brock noted that while recent weather has brought rain, it has not been significant enough to impact the fire's behavior. Winds continue to drive the fire's progression, complicating suppression efforts.
Firefighters are working around the clock, focusing on line construction to manage the fire's growth. Containment refers to digging or using natural boundaries that are strong enough to prevent the fire from spreading independently without constant supervision.
Brock said the steep terrain where the fire is burning is complicating the process, making it harder for crews to access the area safely.
RELATED: Calls for vigilance as Washington state battles historic wildfire surge
In her 33 years in Brinnon, resident Melissa Sherry has never experienced a wildfire like this, but she said the small town of less than 1,000 people trusts the firefighters to get the job done.
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Rising Sun Produce, a Ravenna fixture, set to reopen soon
Arts & Life
Virgil "Bud" Goodwin, has owned and operated Rising Sun Produce since 1979.KUOW Photo/Ruby de LunaThe lights will soon come back on at Rising Sun Produce, a beloved produce stand since 1979 in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood.
A fire in February forced the store to shutter. Owner Virgil "Bud" Goodwin said the past six months have been a challenge. But he’s been amazed at how customers, the neighborhood, even the landlord rallied to make sure the store returns.
RELATED: Beloved produce market in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood closes after fire. ‘We will be back’
"You just want to start crying," he said. "What else can you do, you know?"
On Thursday, Rising Sun will reopen at the same location on 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 65th Street.
Goodwin opened the door to reveal a bright space, free of soot and smoke. He had lived in Central Washington and hoped to own a farm there, but it wasn’t financially feasible. But he knew a lot of farmers — and their produce.
"So, I figured, let’s take a load of produce over to Seattle and see what happens," he recalled.
He discovered he enjoyed selling produce and making people happy with good deals.
"Maybe tomatoes that are a little ripe that grocery stores don’t want or avocados that are a little ripe," he said, for example. "You try to find those deals… that make people happy."
Goodwin said the store will carry mostly local produce for now. It will take another week to add dairy, wine, and other grocery items. Still, he said, he’s grateful to be back.
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KUOW covers Washington Democrats in Chicago for 2024 DNC
Read KUOW's latest 2024 DNC coverage here.
Washington state hasn’t been a major player in a U.S. presidential election for decades, but in recent years, many of its leaders have risen to prominence in the Democratic Party.
That will be on display at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week.
Medina Rep. Suzan DelBene, the new head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, will speak to the convention Wednesday. Seattle Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has already spoken at several smaller events, fresh off a Michigan trip campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris.
RELATED: Republicans to rally support for Harris at the DNC
They and other Democrats will join around a hundred delegates from the state, who mostly voted to enshrine Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee last month. Some delegates held back on that vote, however, demanding Harris does more to curb Israel’s deadly campaign in Gaza.
Washington’s leftist critics of the Democrats will also descend on Chicago. Socialist Kshama Sawant plans to "Disrupt the DNC" at a rally with perennial third-party candidate Jill Stein on Tuesday.
This page will be updated throughout the DNC.
Randall at LGBTQ+ event on 'what it means to be out and in power'
Emily Randall rolled up to Victory at the DNC, an LGBTQ+ gathering in a hotel near Chicago's Millennium Park, on a Lime scooter Tuesday afternoon. She couldn’t get a Lyft, but she’s used to scootering – during her last campaign for state senator in Bremerton, she rented an Unagi scooter for nine months.
“When I go to Seattle for meetings, if it's sunny, I like to pick up a Lime from the ferry dock, and that way I don't have to wait for a cab or a Lyft, and I get the wind in my hair,” Randall laughed. “Microtransit’s where it's at.”
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A dead baby found in Ballard and the homeless mother who wonders if he was ever alive
Crime
A Google Street View image of the area where the body of a baby was found in the bushes.Google MapsShe didn’t know she was pregnant, she later told police, even though a relative suspected she might be.
On the day she gave birth, in February 2023, she was riding her bike near the train tracks at Shilshole Bay in Ballard. She felt labor pangs, got off her bike, and walked into bushes in a parking lot.
As traffic whooshed nearby, she dropped to her knees and gave birth.
It was a boy. She had been roughly 32 to 36 weeks pregnant.
The baby made noises after he was born, she said later, like an animal, maybe a cat or a dog. She’d never heard that sound before, she said. She stayed with her son for five hours, maybe six, and then she left him there, naked, on a bed of baby wipes. The temperature outside was chilly, around 46 degrees Fahrenheit.
Was he alive? Was he real? She didn’t know, she said later.
Det. Don Waters from Seattle’s homicide took the case, employing shoe-leather police work and DNA technology to find the mother, which he did last month after a year and a half working the case. King County Superior Court set bail for $150,000, finding probable cause for manslaughter in the second degree, reckless endangerment, and unlawful disposal of human remains.
Ultimately, the woman was released on July 26, no charges filed.
Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, said in a statement that “the only evidence that the baby was born alive comes from the woman’s statements that the baby made noise for a couple of minutes after he was born.
"Due to her mental state at the time her statement was made — including hearing voices, according to police investigators — it is difficult to determine how reliable her statements are.”
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'Confronting Hate Together' will finally be displayed, but not at the Wing Luke Museum
Arts & Life
A portion of the "Confronting Hate Together" exhibit, a historical photograph from 1963, is shown on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle."Confronting Hate Together" will return, but won't be held the Wing Luke Museum where a controversy surrounding the exhibit emerged earlier this year. Instead, the Washington State Jewish Historical Society will present the exhibit at an event in September for "the Jewish community alongside our friends and allies."
"Immense harm has been caused to the Jewish community by not being able to show the exhibit," the group said in a statement. "The anti-Jewish ideas and attitudes that fueled the (Wing Luke Museum) employee walkout (whether conscious or not) have yet to be adequately acknowledged. And, at the same time, the greater Seattle community will be deprived of an important cross-cultural educational opportunity."
"Confronting Hate Together" is an exhibit jointly produced by the Jewish Historical Society, the Black Heritage Society of Washington State, and the Wing Luke Museum.
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2 men face RICO charges for violent home robberies in Western Washington that targeted Asian Americans
Race & Identity
U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman and other law enforcement officials announced federal racketeering charges against two men accused of organizing home robberies targeting Asian Americans.Federal prosecutors in Seattle have indicted two men on rarely used racketeering charges, related to a series of violent home robberies throughout Western Washington targeting Asian Americans in 2022. They said the charges follow a lengthy investigation across multiple jurisdictions that remains ongoing.
The men, Kevin Thissel and Christopher Johnson, are accused of organizing and committing at least seven robberies. They each face one federal count of racketeering and one count of conspiracy. Each count has a maximum penalty of life in prison.
They are also accused of committing kidnappings and murder in the course of robberies that ranged from south King to Snohomish and Skagit counties. The indictment also alleges that they were part of a criminal organization that operated in “Washington, Arizona, and elsewhere.”
U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman said it’s the first time in 17 years that her Western Washington district has used the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to address what they allege is a violent criminal organization. The previous instance was against a Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang.
“Part of [RICO’s] power and impact is that it really addresses violent crime done through groups,” Gorman said.
Richard Collodi, the FBI special agent in charge in Seattle, said the crews performing these robberies followed similar procedures each time, wearing masks, carrying firearms, and bursting into homes in the middle of the night.
“Many actions of the defendants in this case were specifically designed to cause fear," he said. "They kidnapped multiple people, they pretended to be the police, they disabled cameras, and even restrained children.”
Officials said the robberies specifically targeted Asian Americans because, according to the indictment, they “perceived Asian victims to be ‘weaker.’”
The charges so far don't allege that the men conspired to commit civil rights violations or hate crimes, but Gorman said, "we take civil rights violations extremely seriously and if there is one that could meet the elements, we would definitely bring it."
RELATED: Asian American community on edge after targeted home invasions in South Seattle
Law enforcement officials said the actions of these crews resulted in the death of 36-year-old Irah Marcelo Sok, who was shot in her bedroom during a robbery in Everett on July 19, 2022 with her 7-year-old child next to her on the bed.
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Tolls just went up for 520 bridge commuters between Bellevue and Seattle
The Montlake interchange in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood on Aug. 12, 2024, leading to the floating 520 bridge into Bellevue.WSDOTTolls are rising on the floating 520 bridge between Seattle and Bellevue during peak commute times.
Starting Aug. 15, tolls are going up an average of 10%. The hike was approved by the Washington State Transportation Commission in July.
RELATED: Meet the guerilla gardener of Seattle's 520 bike path
Another change the commission made is that instead of eight levels of tolls, there are now six. Tolls go up or down depending on traffic levels and the time of day.
Commuters can expect the highest tolls during peak drive times: $4.90 between 7-10 a.m. and again between 3-7 p.m. on weekdays. The cheapest times to cross the bridge will be between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., when it will cost $1.35.
After years of construction, an upgraded floating 520 bridge opened between Seattle and Bellevue in 2016. The project cost $1.2 billion. Tolls are aimed at covering the construction price tag (it will take until 2051 to fully cover the costs), while also paying to maintain the bridge.
According to the commission, the recent toll hike is a response to a 2023 report that predicted the bridge's toll revenue would not keep up with operating costs by July 2025. A similar reason prompted a 15% toll increase in 2023.
Toll revenue on the 520 bridge was $60 million in 2022, and went up to $64 million in 2023, according to the state's annual tolling report.
The bridge is expected to produce an estimated $72.1 million in 2024 and $79.5 million in 2025. The annual report also notes that traffic on the bridge is expected to decline through 2024, and that, "The reduction in toll transactions from (fiscal year) 2023 to (fiscal year) 2024 relative to the increase in revenues is primarily due to the 15% toll rate increase that took effect on July 1, 2023."
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2 months after Garfield High student's shooting death on campus, still no arrest
Crime
‘Rest in love Amarr’ reads a sign during a unity walk in honor of 17-year-old Garfield high school student Amarr Murphy-Paine, who was shot and killed at school, on Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerMore than two months after 17-year-old Amarr Murphy-Paine was gunned down in the parking lot of Garfield High School, the Seattle Police Department has not made an arrest.
RELATED: 17-year-old student dies after being shot multiple times at Seattle’s Garfield High School
Murphy-Paine was shot and killed on June 6 after reportedly trying to break up a fight. An image of the alleged shooter standing over Murphy-Paine was circulated to police in an attempt to identify the suspect, who police have not publicly identified. Police have said only that the suspect was a high school-aged male who was wearing a red hoodie.
Asked about the delay Wednesday, an SPD spokesperson acknowledged "that updated information is important for Seattle community members" but declined to share details in an email: "The SPD Homicide Unit said the investigation continues to move forward and there’s been significant progress. They cannot release any specifics at this time as to keep the integrity of the investigation."
A spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell told KUOW his office is "satisfied with the work of the detectives and the level of resources being dedicated towards it."
KUOW also reached out to Seattle Public Schools and Garfield High School Principal Tarance Hart for comment. This story will be updated if and when they respond.
On the day Murphy-Paine was shot, parents and students caught outside of the school on their lunch break spoke to KUOW, expressing frustration and fear after one of their fellow students had again been the victim of gun violence.
In March, a 17-year-old girl was shot in the leg near the school. She was not the intended target, according to police.
In October 2023, a series of incidents involving two students put the school on lockdown.
Then in June 2023, three nearby shootings, which did not involve students, also led to a lockdown.
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What's an 'entheogen'? Magic mushrooms are now a low priority in Olympia
Law & Courts
Psilocybin is the psychoactive chemical in "magic mushrooms."The Olympia City Council knocked psilocybin, and similar drugs, down to a "low enforcement priority" for Olympia police Tuesday, essentially decriminalizing the drugs in the city.
A resolution passed Aug. 13 states that such drugs "should be a City of Olympia low enforcement priority and no City funds or resources should be used for investigation, prosecution, or arrest of individuals possessing or using entheogenic plants or fungi."
RELATED: More Americans are microdosing or tripping on magic mushrooms than ever
Such drugs are known by many names: magic mushrooms, psychedelics, psilocybin, ayahuasca. Olympia calls them "entheogens," a term that refers to cultural or religious uses of plant-derived drugs such as psilocybin or ayahuasca. Olympia's resolution also includes "personal growth practices" in this definition.
Current law in Olympia states that possession of these drugs is a gross misdemeanor that could result in jail time between 180-264 days, and/or a $1,000 fine. Now, the Council has instructed the city's police not to use city resources for "the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of anyone engaging in entheogen-related activities..."
There are exceptions, however. While possession of the drugs is a low priority, driving under the influence is still illegal. Distribution at schools is also not allowed. Manufacturing and sales are also prohibited. The Council also leaves open any "conduct that puts public safety at risk or causes a public nuisance that violates the law."
According to Council materials, Olympia police have not made any arrests strictly for entheogens over the past five years, however, there were five arrests where the drug was also present. These arrests involved narcotics possession (fentanyl, methamphetamine), a DUI, and a warrant where narcotics were found.
RELATED: A scientist took a psychedelic drug — and watched his own brain 'fall apart'
Washington state lawmakers have considered multiple proposals in recent years that would either ease restrictions or decriminalize psilocybin across the state. Olympia's resolution echoes the state Legislature's arguments around these issues — that these drugs are used for cultural or religious purposes, and could have mental health benefits.
While no such proposals have passed Washington's Legislature, state lawmakers have mandated that the University of Washington study psilocybin and how it affects the mind. That study is slated for 2025 and will focus on about 40 first responders and military veterans with PTSD or alcohol-use disorder.
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Seattle City Council considers 'prostitution loitering' law amid intense debate
Crime
Traffic is shown on Aurora Ave., on Monday, January 22, 2018, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerPeople packed the Seattle City Council chambers Tuesday to offer passionate testimony on both sides of the council’s effort to create a Stay Out of Area of Prostitution (SOAP) zone on Aurora Avenue North, above North 85th Street.
The bill would put new gross misdemeanors into Seattle’s criminal code, targeting people charged with prostitution-related offenses, with special emphasis on pimps and buyers of sex. (The council is also reviewing similar legislation for new exclusion zones that could ban people with drug-related charges from areas in downtown Seattle and the Chinatown International District).
Residents near Aurora described chaotic gun fights this summer that police say stem from turf battles related to sex trafficking.
“Right now on Aurora, pimps are running the show with reckless abandon and the city is letting it happen,” Sarah Loebner told the council’s Public Safety Committee.
A teen resident, Fiona Wilson, also spoke to the council.
“I just turned 14 recently and the night before my 14th birthday, I heard a woman screaming as she was shot three blocks from my house. I hear frequent gunshots and I see the girls, and it is so heartbreaking to think about because these are girls who could be in high school with me,” she said.
But other residents, including Carlo Alcantara, said the city has provided one effective type of relief by installing a jersey barrier to keep cars from turning off Aurora onto North 101st street, where shots were being fired.
“Almost one month later we’ve seen no gun violence on 101st and have gone from 5 to 10 911 calls per night to a single call since July 17,” Alcantara said.
Opponents of the SOAP zone legislation said the additional penalties will only further harm and stigmatize sex workers, by making them more vulnerable to profiling and arrest.
The Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence submitted a letter saying the new zones “would limit and compromise critical pathways to safety and stability for the individuals that everyone here has been expressing concern for,” according to board co-chair Ally Jurkovich.
Aurora Commons Executive Director Elizabeth Helendi said her nonprofit can’t keep up with current demands for assistance in the neighborhood.
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Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe poised to help manage key Salish Sea wildlife refuges
Environment
File photo: Jamestown S'klallam elder Marlin Holden stands for a portrait while clamming on Jan. 29 at Littleneck Beach on Sequim Bay.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerThe Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe is close to finalizing an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to co-manage two Clallam County wildlife refuges: the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and the Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge, both key breeding places for Salish Sea animals.
If plans move forward, Dungeness would remain open to the public while Protection Island would stay inaccessible to the public. U.S. Fish and Wildlife said the tribe would be working alongside several conservation groups to manage ecosystem recovery and animal life health, research climate change, and respond to oil spills and other cleanup needs.
Managing the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge would be a historic role for the tribe, being the first of its kind in Washington state, according to Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Chairman Ron Allen.
RELATED: An ancient beach reborn — and renamed for a clam
“Our tribe has a strong historical and cultural relationship with the Dungeness Refuge since our original village was sitting at the mouth of the Dungeness River," he said. "We have grave sites on the spit that we want to protect, and we are the original stewards of the site."
The Point No Point Treaty of 1855 changed a lot of that, compelling the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and others in the area to move onto reservations. After the treaty was signed, land that the tribes previously stewarded and lived on was privatized by non-Native governments, excluding many Native people, said Allie Taylor, the tribe’s Historic Preservation Officer.
“These policies and acts prompted tribal leaders to purchase 210 acres to the east of Dungeness in 1874, at what is now called Jamestown,” she wrote in an email to KUOW.
Allen said that as a sovereign nation, the tribe is uniquely suited to help manage the Dungeness and Protection Island refuges.
“Our tribe can access other public and private resources to improve on the management of the refuge that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service can't access,” Allen said. Those resources include fisheries and tribal aquaculture, a volunteer corps, and environmental education programs.
RELATED: Tribe looks to bring back oyster farming to Dungeness Spit
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