Sweet insights into Seattle's soda tax: Today So Far

• After roughly five years with Seattle's tax on sugary drinks, more and more insights into its effects are emerging.
• Would you eat gene-edited meat? In the future, perhaps you might not have a choice.
• Are your summer plans starting to take shape? Any concerts coming up?

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 5, 2023.

After roughly five years with Seattle's tax on sugary drinks, more and more insights into its effects are emerging. For starters, people are drinking less of these drinks.

But don't credit the soda tax too quickly. Researchers say that consumption of sugary drinks is not only down in Seattle, but also in neighboring communities (Auburn, Federal Way, and Kent), which don't have the tax. I try not to make this newsletter about my opinions, or put any hot takes out there, but I'll break with that tradition this time and say — good. I have a whole tirade about RC Cola being a guilty pleasure, and there is no such thing as moderation, etc. But we'll skip all that. I think it's safe to say that those drinks aren't good for anybody. Back to the real news, the main headline here is that folks around Western Washington seem to be drinking less sodas — tax or no tax.

Another takeaway from recent audits of Seattle's soda tax is that businesses aren't taking on any new costs. As expected, it's customers who are paying the tax, which adds up to 1.75 cents per ounce. Shops just hike the price to cover the tax. Anyone who has seen price tags at the store is well aware of this.

It should be noted that the city's recent audit is only a window into two years of the soda tax. And the audit is just one report among a handful of studies on the tax that were recently published. Other studies, for example, monitored Seattle residents' BMI (body mass index). The short version of that: The region's average BMI has increased in recent years, but less so in Seattle. Read more here.

Would you eat gene-edited meat? In the future, perhaps you might not have a choice.

Researchers over at Washington State University recently held a barbecue featuring locally produced pork sausages, very local. They came from WSU's lab. Researchers have been using CRISPR to edit the genes of pigs. If you're not familiar with CRISPR, the short story is that it's tech that can modify DNA. It's used for a lot of things. If Jurassic Park ever becomes a reality in our world, CRISPR will likely be a part of that.

At WSU, however, they are focused on these pigs, and potentially other livestock. The concern is that the livestock our food supply relies on may not hold up so well to our changing climate. There's also world hunger to consider. Over the course of human history, we've taken animals and bred them to get certain traits we like. That takes generations. But a change to some DNA here, and a little tweak there, and researchers can speed up the process to produce livestock ready for climate change — reduced water, altered pasture and grazing land, hotter and colder weather, etc.

So how did those sausages taste at WSU. Well, they tasted like pork. They're still pigs after all. CRISPR can't edit cotton candy sausages into existence, or anything like that. Read the full story here.

Are your summer plans starting to take shape? Any concerts coming up?

That's a question Soundside just pondered along with sound engineer Bunnie on the Board, KISW's Kevin Diers, and The Inlander's music editor Seth Sommerfeld. There are a lot of big names coming to the region — Drake, Boygenius, Taylor Swift, The Cure, Madonna, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé, George Strait, and more. You got the Gorge Amphitheater, Chateau Ste Michelle, Lumen Field, Climate Pledge Arena, Bumbershoot, and others spots to see this all. Of course, without naming names, after I get excited about an upcoming concert, I then see the ticket prices, and that's the end of that.

That price factor was one issue Soundside explored. Advice for budgeting through all this was generally — "sigh."

My own advice somewhat echoes something Soundside touched upon: Consider our region's many, many small venues. Check out Jazzbones in Tacoma, the Tractor Tavern in Seattle, or The Showbox, even the White River Amphitheater. There are many other venues around here. Feel free to let me know your favorites at dyer@kuow.org.

These smaller venues offer something that the larger sites can't — a better show. Sure, a lot more people can see the concert at a massive venue, but most folks are watching from a mile away. And while you might get to see that big name artist at an arena, you're gambling when it comes to sound quality. Let's be honest, a lot of arena shows are akin to listening to Charlie Brown's teacher for two hours. I once saw Snoop Dogg at the Rose Garden Arena (now the Moda Center) in Portland. Everybody in front probably heard "Ain't nothing but a G thang, baby," but all I heard was, "Whaa whaa whomp whaa baby."

We are very lucky to have a lot of unique venues in our region, where you're likely to make some memories. And don't forget our festivals. Northwest Terror Fest is coming to Capitol Hill this month for metalheads. Surf x Surfwest (one of my personal local favorites) is back in July. In short, don't get hung up on the big bright lights. There is so much more going on locally. Check out Soundside's full segment here.

The Friday Five: News you may have missed this week, and other cool stuff on KUOW.org

• Seattle Schools plan would drain rainy day fund to help cover $131M shortfall
• Sponsor of WA bill on trans youth targeted by right-wing groups
• El Niño is coming. Here's what that means for weather in the U.S.
• If you think a writers' strike will be bad for viewers, status quo may be even worse
• These Seattle 4th graders planted trees to bring green to their barren playground

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Angela Ortez-Zarate, director of quick service development for Mamnoon Street and Street Eats in South Lake Union, is hopeful the return of Amazon workers to the office will help downtown Seattle's recovery. Thousands of Amazon workers are slated to return the office, after three years of working remotely. It’s the news that downtown Seattle businesses have been waiting for, particularly shops that cater to lunch crowds. (Ruby de Luna / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

You can get a lot — a lot — of free comic books this weekend. Saturday is the annual Free Comic Book Day. Unlike a lot of national "days" I've featured here (like Forgive Mom and Dad Day, or National Thesaurus Day, or Answer Your Cat's Question Day), Free Comic Book Day is an industry holiday that has grown quite popular ever since the first event in 2002. I know people who mark this day on their calendars and attempt to hit every comic shop they possibly can in Western Washington (good luck to Joel who is aiming to visit nine shops this year).

Held on the first Saturday in May, comic book stores offer a range of free comic books from indie and major publishers. Beyond that, they also host cosplayers, authors, artists, and other special events. Different shops sometimes host different free comics, too. So you can fill up your Saturday bouncing from shop to shop, picking up free comics along the way, while also meeting some pretty great local talent. Becoming familiar with your local small ma and pa shops is like a cherry on top. It can be a nice, family friendly road trip.

Check out this map to find shops in your area. After a quick look, there are 17 shops spanning Seattle, Bellevue, Lacey, Tacoma, Bothell, Woodinville, and more.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Shares of smaller lenders sink once again, reviving fears about the banking sector

Shares of a slew of regional banks have fallen sharply in recent days, as Wall Street worries other lenders could be vulnerable to bank runs. The sell-offs come even though there are no signs of widespread problems in the small banking sector, and despite repeated reassurances by top regulators, including the Federal Reserve and the lenders themselves.

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