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Axios Seattle
This week in history: When Bundy was (briefly) caught
Forty-eight years ago this week, serial killer Ted Bundy was convicted of kidnapping a teenager in Utah, bringing a brief hiatus to his coast-to-coast killing spree that is believed to have started in Seattle.The big picture: Bundy, who grew up in Tacoma, ultimately confessed to slaying 30 people in the 1970s, mostly college students — including at least seven women and teens from Washington state.Bundy's first known murder victim was University of Washington student Lynda Ann Healy, 21, who disappeared from her University District home on Feb. 1, 1974, per coverage by the Seattle Times.Other known Washington victims from that...
Dry January has become Dry February and beyond
Data: NIQ; Chart: Axios VisualsThe "damp" or "dry" lifestyle has gone beyond January, with Google searches for "Dry February" ratcheting up this month in Seattle and across the U.S.Why it matters: Huge interest in the annual monthlong booze-free challenge highlights a change in the way Americans think about alcohol.By the numbers: In Seattle, sales of non-alcoholic beer in the first four weeks of January skyrocketed to $1.25 million in 2024 from $304,000 in 2020.Over the same period nationally, sales of non-alcoholic beer hit $42.7 million this year, up from $13.5 million four years ago.The big picture: Regular beer sales have...
Bill to cap rent increases appears dead in Washington Legislature
A plan to limit annual rent increases to 7% at many properties appears dead in the Washington State Legislature.Why it matters: Supporters of the "rent stabilization" measure said it was needed to prevent excessive rent hikes that can force people out of their homes.The latest: The bill didn't receive a vote in the state Senate Ways & Means Committee before a key deadline for bills to advance on Monday.What they're saying: "There was no Republican support and not enough Democratic support to get the bill out of committee," the committee chair, state Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), said in a written...
Washington's prison population is down 30% since 2017
Data: Bureau of Justice Statistics; Chart: Axios VisualsWashington's prison population ticked upward slightly from 2021 to 2022, but remained far below the peak levels seen five years earlier, per federal data.Why it matters: State officials have worked in recent years to reverse the rise in incarceration that followed the Nixon-era "war on drugs" and tough-on-crime policies from the 1980s and 1990s.By the numbers: The number of prisoners in Washington state grew 0.7% between 2021 and 2022, according to the latest Justice Department data.Meanwhile, it fell nearly 30% between the peak year of 2017 and 2022.13,772 people were in state or federal...
Mariners' new uniforms draw ire and laughs
The new Major League Baseball uniforms, unveiled at spring training last week, appear to be striking out with Mariners fans, some players and baseball purists everywhere.Why it matters: The nearly see-through pants, smaller lettering and thinner jerseys provoked outrage from people who claim the new outfits are cutting corners … and unleashed a slew of jokes about players' underwear.What they're saying: "The Mariners' new uniforms, and those of the MLB in general, are an embarrassment," Christopher O'Day, the managing editor of SoDo Mojo, told Axios. With "the not only cheap but thin material, they look like low-quality knockoffs.""... no comment...
Why King County's youth jail won't close by 2025, as once pledged
King County won't close its youth jail by next year, as County Executive Dow Constantine previously pledged during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.Why it matters: The county executive's goal of ending youth incarceration won't be fulfilled until 2028 at the earliest, King County officials announced Jan. 31.State of play: Constantine and other county officials say they need more time and money to launch the programs that could replace the youth jail, which is part of a voter-approved youth justice center that opened in 2020.Officials say they may also need to seek changes to state law to try new approaches,...
New custom ale from Fremont Brewing and Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines introduced its first custom-made craft beer, a pale ale from Seattle's Fremont Brewing, this week.State of play: Passengers can try Cloud Cruiser IPA onboard planes and in select lounges, the airline said in a news release.The beer, which has tropical notes of citrus and melon, will be offered free to first-class and premium customers, according to the airline, and can be purchased in the main cabin.The can features an airplane soaring over mountains, trees and water.Alaska Airlines managing director of guest products Todd Traynor-Corey said the airline chose an IPA because it had been getting requests to bring back Fremont's Lush IPA since it was removed from the onboard lineup, per the Seattle Times.Sign up for Axios Seattle for free.
Weekend activities in and around Seattle
It's time for the annual appearance of "faux spring," it seems, and that makes it a great weekend to get out and about. Here are a few ideas to get you started:🚛 Compete in a quirky costume contest, try local beers or take a late polar bear plunge at the Alki Beach Winter Food Truck & Beer Festival on Saturday from 11am to 4:30pm.The $20 to $35 tickets support Special Olympics Washington.🩰 Get your dance on with dynamic Dutch electronic music duo Sub Zero Project at Substation on Saturday at 10pm. Tickets are $30 but going fast.🎻 Check out the...
Washington's presidential primary election: What to know
Voting begins this week in Washington's March 12 presidential primary, which will help decide each party's nominee for president.Why it matters: This is a chance for Washington voters to influence the national race — although with so few candidates still running, the impact may be somewhat blunted.What's happening: By Friday, registered voters in Washington will be automatically mailed a combined Republican and Democratic primary ballot, with each party's candidates printed on opposite sides of the ballot.Voters can select only one candidate and fill out only one party's side, or else their vote won't count, per the Washington secretary of state's...
$15 tolls start March 1 on I-405 and SR-167
Using the tolled carpool lanes on Interstate 405 and State Route 167 near Seattle is about to get more expensive.Why it matters: For solo drivers, the maximum toll rate to enter the carpool lanes on each highway will rise to $15 starting March 1. That's an increase of $5 to $6 from current rates.Plus: Minimum tolls are going up to $1, and tolling hours will last an hour later on weekdays, through 8pm.The big picture: Highway construction projects on SR-167 and I-405 face major funding shortfalls, which the increased toll rates will help address, the Washington State Department of Transportation...
How to prepare for the April 2024 solar eclipse
Don't wait to track down the proper eyewear for viewing the partial eclipse of the Sun that will be visible here on April 8.Why it matters: Viewing even a partial eclipse without eclipse glasses or viewers that meet international standard ISO 12312-2 could damage your vision.But proper eyewear could be hard to find by mid-March, Richard Tresch Fienberg, a senior adviser at the American Astronomical Society, told Axios.A list of reputable manufacturers and authorized vendors can be found here.What they're saying: "Sunglasses, smoked glass, unfiltered telescopes or magnifiers and polarizing filters can transmit far more sunlight than is safe for...
This week in Seattle history
Here are some notable events that occurred this week in Seattle and Washington, per the National Archives and HistoryLink.Feb. 19, 1942: President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the secretary of war and military commanders to evacuate people of Japanese descent and others deemed a threat from the West Coast to internment camps or "relocation centers."One month later, the Japanese and Japanese American residents of Bainbridge Island became the first people to be forcibly moved to internment camps and incarcerated during World War II.Feb. 17, 1970: Approximately 2,000 protesters clashed with police during a Vietnam War-era demonstration at the...
Seattle adds 73 no-right-on-red intersections
Seattle has added 73 intersections where right turns are banned at red lights, increasing its number of no-right-on-red signals by almost 75% since last year.Why it matters: Drivers turning right on red are more likely to fail to yield to pedestrians and crash than drivers who turn when lights are green, some studies have found.Yes, but: Many Seattle drivers seem unclear about the recent changes, judging by the level of honking at some of these intersections.By the numbers: At the start of 2023, Seattle had about 100 intersections with "No Turn on Red" signs, according to the city Department of...
What the new La Niña watch means for Washington
Data: NOAA; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsThe strong El Niño pattern that was predicted to usher in some of the Pacific Northwest's hottest temperatures ever this summer is fading, with climatologists watching for signs of the cooler La Niña phase.Why it matters: The onset of La Niña could suppress global temperatures, potentially preventing the record-breaking heat forecast for 2024.Driving the news: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a La Niña watch earlier this month, indicating that the current strong El Niño may be ending this summer, with a 77% chance of a La Niña developing by fall.What's happening: While the...
One Seattleite's highlights from India
I loved India and wanted to share a few memories from my trip, which was the best of my life (despite getting COVID on the plane home).Here are a few favorite moments, in no particular order.The Taj MahalYou know how some places are diminished when you see them in person? Not so with this Mughal mausoleum in Agra. It was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.The GangaWatching cremations at the Manikarnika Ghat along the bank of the Ganges River in Varanasi while Hindu chants were sung is something I will never forget.The river smelled clean and sweet from...
Washington state is pushing back on book bans
Democrats in Washington state want to pass a law this year that would slow conservative efforts to ban books in local classrooms and school libraries.Why it matters: The push in Washington's Legislature follows a nationwide wave of attempts from the political right to limit what kids can read — often targeting works written by or about LGBTQ people and people of color.By the numbers: Across the country, attempts to ban books reached a record high in 2022, with at least 17 occurring in Washington, according to an American Library Association database.Washington saw at least another seven challenges to books or...
Homes owned by Black people are valued nearly 17% less in Seattle
Data: Zillow; Map: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsHomes owned by white people continue to be worth substantially more than those owned by Black people in the Seattle area, according to new data from Zillow.Why it matters: Homeownership remains the biggest driver of the wealth gap, per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.By the numbers: In the Seattle metro area, the typical value of homes with Black owners in December was $583,700.That's 16.7% less than the typical value of local homes with white owners, which was $700,900.The big picture: Nationwide, there was an 18% gap between the typical value of homes...
Air quality from wildfire smoke expected to worsen in Seattle
Data: First Street Foundation; Note: Maximum count of days with unhealthy air quality from anywhere within each county; Map: Axios VisualsKing County residents are likely to get three full weeks of poor air quality days this year — a trend that's expected to get even worse in the coming decades, according to a new report. Why it matters: An increase in severe heat waves and large wildfires is dragging down air quality in Washington state and across the western U.S.Unhealthy air limits people's ability to safely go outside or even open their windows, especially if they're children or have a...
Washington's Ruby Beach named one of world's 100 best beaches
Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park has been named one of the world's "most incredible" seaside spots. Details: A new Lonely Planet book, "Best Beaches: 100 of the World's Most Incredible Beaches" lists Ruby Beach as one of its picks.The spot on the Washington coast was one of a dozen U.S. beaches to make the list, along with Oregon's Cannon Beach; two beaches in Hawai'i; two in Florida; three in California; one in Nevada; one in Georgia; and one east of Washington, D.C.What they're saying: Lonely Planet describes Ruby Beach as looking like a "giant emptied his pockets on the shores.""Tree trunks are strewn like matchsticks. Sea stacks cluster like crumbled chocolates. And a colorful assortment of agates, garnets and sea glass add a touch of glitter to the captivating mess."Plus: The beach is a "wonderland for children, with tide pools hiding anemones, sea urchins, purple starfish and skittering crabs."Sign up for Axios Seattle for free.
Seattle weekend events: Film noir fest, garden show, concerts and more
We've gathered a few ideas for how you can spend this long weekend in Seattle.📽️ Embrace cinematic glam and grit with Noir City, which will screen film noir titles from the U.S. and abroad. Opens Friday and runs through Feb. 22 at the SIFF Cinema Egyptian.Individual tickets are $11–16; a full festival pass is $125–$150.🌷 Get excited for spring at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, which features more than 20 display gardens and dozens of sessions to inspire you. Runs through Sunday at the Seattle Convention Center (705 Pike St.).One-day admission is $27, with discounts for students. Half-day tickets...
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