RIP Tokitae: Today So Far

• Tokitae the orca passed away before she could return to Northwest waters.
• Washingtonians can adopt a Maui cat.
• Mayor Bruce Harrell showed up at the bargaining table.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for Aug. 21, 2023.

Quick hits

• Bus driver union gives green light to contract with King County Metro
• The U.S. imports most of its solar panels. A new ruling may make that more expensive
• Is Seattle's arts infrastructure crumbling?

Got cats? Or even just one cat? Right now, you can adopt a cat, locally, from Maui. After the devastating wildfires that swept through island communities, the island's animal shelters are aiming to take in island cats that have lost their homes, or have been separated from their families. The problem is that they already have cats in those shelters. So they need to make room. That's why those cats are coming here. Yep. You can adopt a Maui cat. If you do, be advised: Maui cats need a period of adjustment and can be frightened by the sudden appearance of things they are not familiar with, like pants; patchouli deodorant; puffy vests; or noting the differences between mist, sprinkle, or drizzle rain. It's also not recommended that Seattleites tell their newcomer cats that they should hang out sometime, but not really make plans and instead just give them a number to text, sometime, maybe. So far, some cats have already arrived at the Seattle Humane Society, as well as the NOAH Center in Stanwood. PAWS is also expecting to receive some Maui cats soon.

An unusual thing happened recently, as the city of Seattle and its employee union were sitting down at the negotiating table — Mayor Bruce Harrell showed up. It's perhaps not so common for the head of an organization to show up at such negotiations, but the mayor's appearance carried a message that the city is committed to raising wages, despite a looming budget gap officials are tackling right now. Still, there is a gap between the two sides that will require more negotiations.

We received some sad news recently — the Northwest orca known as Tokitae has died in capitivity at the Miami Seaquarium. You may know Tokitae as "Toki" or as "Lolita," the name she performed under at the Seaquarium since about 1970. That's when she was captured at Penn Cove off Whidbey Island and transported to Florida. An effort to return Toki to Northwest waters was making progress and a return trip was expected later this year. The last news of the orca was that she was in good condition. It seems that things took a bad turn rather quickly, and it is believed that Toki passed away from a renal condition.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Maple, the 7-year-old yellow lab, takes a swift lick on a couple of milkers near Sunnyside, Washington. While Western Washington experienced temperatures in the 90s last week, places like Sunnyside were seeing temps as high as 110 degrees. For dairy farmers like Sheehan, that means uncomfortable cows. (Northwest News Network)

DID YOU KNOW?

Have you watched the show "Suits" lately? If you have, you probably streamed it on Netflix or Peacock. This TV show ended its nine-season run in 2019. When Netflix and Peacock got the rights to stream it in July, the show had a month-long renaissance. "Suits" produced 18 billion minutes of viewing time between the two services, and set a streaming record for an acquired title (content that is not original to the streaming service). Nielson reports that, in July, a notable trend was with acquired content. NPR reports that the kids show "Bluey" was another hit. At the same time, traditional TV viewership hit a record low for the month. A few factors are being pointed to as reasons for "Suits" success, aside from the fact Meghan Markle is in it. The ongoing writers' strike has delivered a hit to TV content, especially newer shows. The availability of existing shows that folks may not have tried yet could prompt a surge in streaming as viewers look for something to watch.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Rains slow as Hilary moves north and leaves Southern California underwater

Tropical Storm Hilary poured rain across Southern California throughout Sunday night, leaving millions of people at flood risk, thousands of homes without power and the country's second-largest school district closed. The first tropical storm to hit the region in nine decades dropped as much as 7 inches of rainwater in some mountain regions and up to 4 inches in lower lying areas.

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