You heard it on KUOW | Wednesday, Feb. 6
A roundup of news from your KUOW reporters.
Just the facts
Missed the State of the Union address? NPR reporters covering the White House, Congress, immigration, national security and more annotated his remarks live, adding context and analysis.
Reactions to Trump's speech last night
“The President talked about having a unifying message - I still think his message was divisive. There are some issues which I think are important priorities, like infrastructure that he has said he would support. We need real action, not just talk, and I think his action has to follow up on this,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene.
"President Trump is seeking to make a deal and that's what I saw in that speech. He's laying out an agenda, saying he wants to keep everyone safe and he wants to work with Democrats to accomplish that. And I think that's something everyone wants to see," said Washington GOP Chair Caleb Heimlich.
Measles watch
The Washington state outbreak stands at 49 confirmed cases and 11 suspect cases as of Tuesday. State officials have been updating the numbers each week day.
Coming storm
Steve Reedy of the National Weather Service tells us:
"Right now we're watching a storm system that looks like it's going to have a very similar track to what we saw with the previous system that brought us all this snow.
"Might have a hint of it Thursday night but it looks like Friday into Saturday will probably bring us our best chances for snow and again increased winds as well."
Annual force report
We're getting a look at the Seattle Police Departments annual force report for 2019 thanks to the Seattle Times.
And while it shows officers use of force remained "extraordinarily low" last year, they're still using it disproportionately against African Americans.
The latest figures show 32 percent of force cases were against Black men, up from 25 percent last year. And those involving black women surged from 5 percent in 2017 to 22 percent.
African Americans make up only about 7 percent of Seattle's population.
Officials acknowledged the racial disparity, but couldn't explain why it exists. The department said it would continue to consult academic experts to learn more, including the possible effects of implicit bias.
Games aren't just for fun, they're for science
This week, the Allen Institute for Artificial intelligence released a bot that can play Pictionary.
It’s a big jump forward because it requires abstract thought.
Identification made in foot that washed ashore
Investigators have linked a human foot that washed ashore on Everett's Jetty Island to a local man who's been missing since December of 2016.
According to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner it belongs to Antonio Neill. No word yet though on his cause of death.
At the time of his disappearance the 22-year-old was described as homeless with a history of depression.
Mental health bill for teens
A bill would change how much authority parents have when their teens are in need of mental health treatment.
Currently, state law gives teens 13 and older the right to access treatment. They can also withhold treatment information from their parents, or to refuse treatment altogether.
Affordable housing coming to Fort Lawton
More than 200 affordable units could be coming to a swath of land near Discovery Park.
Efforts to redevelop Fort Lawton — a former Army Reserve center in the Magnolia neighborhood — have been in the works for about a decade, delayed by legal challenges from other Magnolia residents and the impacts of the recession.
Dream of spring
Winter is too cold for anything to grow, but it’s the perfect time to plan and daydream about what to plant in the spring.
That's why Seattle gardeners recently met at Phinney Center for a seed swap in preparation for their spring plans.
Produced for the web by Kara McDermott.
