Do the right thing and go check out this MoPOP exhibit: Today So Far

• Good news for Washington's green and clean businesses.
• Tacoma gardeners have a solution to the "zucchini problem."
• MoPOP's newest exhibit shines a spotlight on Ruth Carter's iconic costume designs from Hollywood classics.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for August 17, 2022.

You feel that? Excitement is in the air throughout the Northwest (it's not just the aroma of Tacoma).

Clean energy and climate-friendly businesses just got a big financial boost from the federal government, and that is good news for Washington businesses.

“It’s a great turning point,” said Tim Acker of Seattle-based Biosonics. “We have so much here in the Pacific Northwest to support this. So, we see nothing but really positive times in the next 10 years.”

Biosonics is a good example. It produces monitoring equipment for marine life — perhaps not what someone would immediately think of when it comes to businesses that will be benefiting from the federal government's $375 billion investment in renewable energy and reducing climate pollution. But this effort has the potential to reach many corners of the clean industry. Other corners include modern nuclear power and hydrogen production, which are also present in the Northwest. Northwest News Network's Tom Banse has the full story here.

If you're strolling around Tacoma's Jefferson Park on a Sunday afternoon, you just may find a treat — zucchini!

“Gardeners always call it the zucchini problem,” David Thompson said while handing out free produce. “And it’s always a big joke that you’ll leave it in the neighbors' cars and whatever you can to get rid of that zucchini. This solves the zucchini problem.”

It's not just zucchini. There's kale, carrots, onions, Swiss chard, to name a few. And it's all free for folks who want it. The Thompsons have always grown extra food in their own gardens. In 2015, they started giving it away for free to those in need. As the pandemic struck, and food insecurity rose, the Thompsons and other neighbors increased their efforts. Food rescue groups have chipped in to get the food to where it is needed. KUOW's Ruby de Luna has the full story here.

Average movie goers may not immediately know the name Ruth Carter. But they should. Carter is an Academy award winning costume designer whose fingerprints are all over blockbuster, critically acclaimed, and highly loved films. Pay attention and you'll find her name in credits for films like "Amistad," "Serenity," "Malcolm X" or "Black Panther." I'd like to also give a shoutout to 1988's masterpiece "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka."

Actors and directors often get the most attention when it comes to films. We often wait until the very end of an award show to hear who the "best actor" is, and we don't tune in as much to hear about "best sound editing." But there is a range of talent that makes a movie what it is, from cinematographers to editors, and costume designers. It is difficult to experience "Black Panther" without the aesthetic provided by Carter.

One great thing about MoPOP is it often ensures that you don't miss such talents throughout pop culture. It's latest exhibition, "Afrofuturism in Costume Design," showcases Carter's work, from "Do the Right Thing" to "Coming 2 America," "Selma" to "Malcolm X." Behind each film, and each costume, is a work ethic, and, as Carter puts it, a "heart and soul." KUOW's Mike Davis has the full story on this new addition to MoPOP.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

LINK scooters parked at Seattle's Alki Beach in July 2022. This year, the city’s Department of Transportation approved three more companies to drop thousands of shared, electric scooters around Seattle. KUOW's Casey Martin decided to try all five scooter brands in Seattle. (Casey Martin / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

Happy Birthday Pike Place Market! Or for half of the Seattle area ... happy birthday Pike's Place Market.

OK, I may be trolling folks a little bit there. Today is the 115th birthday of Seattle's cherished Pike Place Market. To celebrate, some visitors to the market today will get free mini doughnuts, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea from various shops.

What we know as Pike Place Market began in 1907. Farmers from the surrounding country — and "country" back then could have meant Green Lake or Wedgwood — would bring produce to that part of the city. A market evolved out of that. Today, Pike Place Market is the largest continuously operating public farmers market in the USA. It has 500 small businesses and 450 residents.

My personal favorites have always been the magic shop, Golden Age Collectibles, and Dave Ryan Pop Art.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Who is Harriet Hageman, the woman who beat Liz Cheney in the Wyoming House race?

Incumbent Wyoming Republican House Rep. Liz Cheney was defeated Tuesday after she broke from her party to criticize former president Donald Trump following the Jan. 6 insurrection. She lost the race for Wyoming's at-large congressional district to Harriet Hageman, an attorney who supported Cheney in her race toward the House in 2016.

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