Excited for 5 p.m. sunsets in Seattle? Some folks aren't: Today So Far

• Today is the first day since November that the sun will set after 5 p.m. in Western Washington
• A proposal in Seattle would add caste discrimination to the city's civil rights classifications.
• Seattle is suing Kia and Hyundai.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for January 26, 2023.

Today is the first day since November that the sun will set after 5 p.m. in Western Washington. Ever since the winter solstice in December, we've gained a couple minutes of daylight each day. Today, the sun will set around 5:01 p.m. To a lot of people, this is warming news. There are others around Seattle, however, who embrace the dark days of winter. It's a phenomenon that Justin Shaw with the Seattle Weather Blog has noticed.

"I think to all of us, it's this important, psychological milestone that, this evening, we will burst through," Shaw told Seattle Now.

"We are coming out of that period between New Year and late January, where it's dark and gloomy, the holidays are over, the bills are due ... there isn't that much to look forward to ... I think once you hit that 5 p.m. time, it's a psychological barrier that says, 'I made it through the toughest month in Seattle' ... It's basically our first sign that winter's grip, long nights and short days, is starting to fade."

Then there are those who Shaw calls the "vampires." He does a daily countdown on Twitter, marking the days until 5 p.m. sunsets. It attracts a few commenters saying "Boo, hiss, boo! Let the darkness reign! True Seattleites wouldn't be looking forward to the sun. Are you from California?"

It may sound odd, but I must admit, I'm sort of one of them. I don't feel right unless I have a moderate vitamin D deficiency. And I have long complained that parasols should be more socially acceptable in our modern day. But I understand that the migraine-inducing sun is a big thing for some people. Enjoy.

Check out Shaw's full conversation with Seattle Now here.

A proposal in Seattle would add caste discrimination to the city's civil rights classifications. If approved, Seattle would be the first U.S. city to ban caste-based discrimination.

There are a lot of ways you could liken aspects of American society to a caste system. Richard and Emily Gilmore are not likely hanging out with the Winslows or the Gallaghers (Shameless). ​​​​​​​Hank Hill probably isn't rubbing elbows with the Bluths, who in turn, have never even been to the part of LA where Fred Sanford lives. Still, this is not quite the same as India's caste system. India's social hierarchy has been around for thousands of years as a way to organize groups of people. This social order is too complex to dive into here. Today, caste discrimination is illegal in India, and the country has implemented a sort of affirmative action based on castes. It still influences society there, however. Indians working in Seattle don't want it to follow them.

“When we Indians come to the U.S., we bring our biases with us,” said Samir Khobragade, a tech worker in Seattle. “And we get away with the discriminatory behavior because people in the U.S. do not know how to spot this discriminatory behavior."

Read the full story here.

Seattle is suing Kia and Hyundai. You may recall that there is a little security flaw in these cars. Within a couple minutes, they can be easily broken into and started using a simple USB cable. Information on exactly how to do this has spread far and wide on social media. This has all led to a massive increase in car thefts nationally. According to the Seattle City Attorney's Office, the city saw a 363% increase in Kia thefts, and a 503% increase in Hyundai thefts between 2021 and 2022. That doesn't even take into account the 80 cars stolen daily in November across King and Pierce counties.

"As a result, our police force has had to tackle a huge rise in vehicle theft and related problems with already stretched resources. Now Seattle taxpayers must shoulder the burden of the increase in theft. Kia and Hyundai need to take responsibility for the public safety hazard that they created," Seattle Attorney Ann Davison said in a statement, after filing the lawsuit this week. City officials argue that these stolen cars are often being used in other crimes.

Check out the full story here.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Driving along Hwy 7 through southern Pierce County, you can see "No Airport Here!" signs on gates, front yards, and street corners. A local movement has begun to deter any proposals of putting the region's next major airport in the area. (Alex Cowen / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

"Caste" is a common word for the social system in India and elsewhere, but it's actually a word that Europeans gave to the system when they showed up and started making observations and colonies. "Caste" is believed to have come from the Spanish and Portuguese word "casta," which means race, lineage, or tribe. While India has had a social hierarchy for thousands of years, some historians believe it didn't operate quite like the modern version does, and that the British emphasized it, making it more severe when they colonized India.

The historical caste system in India has culturally changed over millennia, but it basically comes down to two factors: Varna and Jati. Varna is more like an occupation, and some are considered more honored than others. Jati is more of what a person is born into, like their family, ethnicity, where they are from, their religion, etc.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

The U.S. economy ended 2022 on a high note. This year is looking different

Consumer spending — a major driver of the economy — continued to increase in the final months of 2022, though at a slower pace than during the late summer and fall. Many people have tapped into savings built up early in the pandemic or turned to credit cards to maintain their spending habits in the face of inflation. But as savings are whittled away, consumers are growing more cautious.

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