What about the Apple Cup? Today So Far

• Temperatures slated to rise around Western Washington.
• What about the Apple Cup?
• There's a new U.S. attorney in town.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for Aug. 8, 2023.

Quick hits

• Understaffing leads to safety problems at King County juvenile detention, draft report finds
• Biden is creating a new national monument near the Grand Canyon
• How Seattle rap crashed the mainstream by swimming against the current

Heads up. Be prepared for a heatwave coming our way.

Am I the only one who experienced joy when it started raining over the weekend, and wanted to go for a walk? Well, for folks complaining about summer rain (you know who you are), be careful what you wish for. Signs are pointing to a spike in temps over a few days, starting as early as this weekend. Though forecasts differ, depending on who you ask. Some say we'll be in the high 80s, some say near 90s next week. This may seem like not much, compared to what other parts of the country have experienced this season.

The National Weather Service Meteorologist Dev McMillian told KUOW that temperatures could get around 90 degrees in Western Washington by Sunday, and that heat could stick around through about Tuesday. You'll notice I'm using words like "around" and "about," because again, this is weather and forecasts can differ. What is certain is that you should be prepared for higher temps. Read more here.

What about the Apple Cup? That's the big question following UW's announcement that it is leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten.

For those of you out there who are like me (you can name all the "Star Trek" captains, but don't how many homeruns it takes to score a touchdown), this is a big deal in the world of college sports. Universities join "conferences" so their sports teams can compete against each other. For decades, Washington State University and the University of Washington were in the same conference, the Pac-12, which meant they went up against each other. It our state's big college rivalry — east versus west, city versus rural, football versus ... the other football. Fans and alumni traditionally tune in for these universities to clash each year at the Apple Cup. But now WSU and UW are in different conferences. They don't play against each other. Can there still be a beloved Apple Cup?

Some folks may try to give you an answer on this, but the truth is, nobody really knows what will happen. The announcement of UW's move is still fresh, so there is a lot to work out. The only firm comment on the issue from UW is that it is "committed to preserving the rich tradition of the Apple Cup rivalry with Washington State University in all sports, including football." UW President Ana Mari Cauce doubled down on the commitment, saying, "Even with this move, we remain committed to the Apple Cup and to competing with WSU across all of our sports." While they're certainly committed, both statements don't clearly state, "Don't worry, there will still be an Apple Cup." It still expresses a desire to keep it going, but as Christian Caple with Substack's "On Montlake" told KUOW, "It takes two to tango." The Cougars might not see any benefit in playing UW if they're not in the same conference. Plus, WSU might feel a bit burned.

"I think that their future is so uncertain now, being left behind in the Pac-12, or what is left for the Pac-12, and there is so much for them to sort out in the conference front," Caple said. "I don't know that it's top of mind for them right now. I would guess that a lot of fans ultimately would like to see them continue to play that game, because it is so integral, it's such a great tradition in the state. But there's also a lot of WSU fans, rightfully so, who don't want to see [UW] again, and fault [UW] for the death of the Pac-12, a century-plus old conference, and it's hard to hold that against them, frankly."

Sportswriter Danny O'Neil may also have some doubts about the two colleges going head-to-head again.

"This is a bummer," O'Neil told KUOW. "There's not a natural fit for the Washington State Cougars in the Big Ten. Probably not in the Big 12. So, they're looking at going outside the rung of the top five conferences. Washington State has tremendous fans, but I don't see a fit for them at this top tier of college athletics, and that's too bad."

Read more commentary on UW's big move here and here.

Another big move in the Seattle area has been Nick Brown's exit from the U.S. Attorney for Western Washington's office (to run for state attorney general). Tessa Gorman has stepped in as acting U.S. attorney, and she has a few priorities set, including gun violence and mental health in the legal system.

As KUOW's Amy Radil reports, Gorman is looking at a "holistic approach" to gun violence, focusing on folks importing illegal firearms, and devices that convert guns into illegal firearms. Her office is now participating in the Community Violence Task Force that Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz launched in June.

Gorman is also talking with other federal judges about the potential of mental health courts, and how they can treat this issue in the criminal justice system. Such a system could avoid prison, but keep the court involved. Read more here.

A previous version of this newsletter stated that the U.S. Attorney's Office was not participating in the Seattle Police Department's Community Violence Taskforce. The Attorney's Office is participating in this task force.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

The Museum of Museums (MoM) announced Thursday that its doors will shut for good on Sept. 1. The reason cited for the sudden closure is a $120,000 plumbing bill. (Courtesy of the Museum of Museums)

DID YOU KNOW?

"WTF is TVW?" That's what Jon, a TSF reader, wrote into KUOW after I mentioned this channel last week. So FWIW, here are a few deets about TVW, aka Washington's C-SPAN. TL;DR: It's a TV channel that airs our state government's legislative proceedings.

C-SPAN stands for "Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network." While "TVW" doesn't officially stand for "television Washington," it's sort of implied. From the governor's office, to the legislative branch, to the judicial branch, this channel airs raw government proceedings. In TVW's own words, it "provides unfiltered, unbiased, gavel-to-gavel coverage of Washington state government, along with complementary programming, to promote a healthy and robust public discourse, increase civic access and engagement, and foster an informed citizenry."

TVW was created in 1993, and went on air in 1995. It was the product of Stan Marshburn and Denny Heck (yep, that Denny Heck). It was inspired by C-SPAN, which had been on the air for more than a decade at that point. It was also inspired by lacking coverage from news media of such government workings. The idea was to air everything as it happened so folks could watch for themselves what lawmakers were up to. Today, TVW also acts as an archive of such proceedings.

I hope that wasn't TMI, but it's AFAIK about TVW.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Powerful storms killed 2 people and left more than 1 million customers without power

A severe summer storm that swept across the eastern U.S. left millions without power and caused flights in nine major airports to grind to a halt. Photos and video from nearly a third of the country show toppled trees, felled power lines and damaged buildings as a torrential mix of strong winds, heavy rain — and, in some places, hail, lighting and flooding — barreled from Alabama to New York.

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