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Axios Seattle
Seattle divorcees may need to cooperate to keep their 3% mortgages
Divorcing Seattleites may need to get creative to avoid the financial blow of having to get new mortgages near 7%.Why it matters: Sometimes it's not only the ex causing heartbreak but the loss of a low mortgage rate that homeowners in Seattle and around the country are loath to part with.State of play: Some couples who split up are continuing to live together until mortgage rates fall, even if it means one of them has to move into the basement, MarketWatch reports.How it works: It's possible for both partners to stay on the mortgage for a set number of years...
Where Washington's Irish live
Data: U.S. Census; Chart: Axios VisualsThe share of King County residents who report having Irish ancestry is slightly lower than the national rate, according to census data.Zoom in: 8.7% of people in King County reported having Irish heritage in 2022, compared to 9.5% nationwide.Zoom out: Other Washington counties have greater ties to the Emerald Isle, including Jefferson County, where 15.8% of people report some degree of Irishness, and Spokane County, where 13.1% of residents do.Yes, but: You don't have to be Irish to raise a pint for St. Patrick's Day this Sunday.Sign up for Axios Seattle for free.
Seattle tourism hits records, but full recovery lags
Downtown Seattle is thriving by some measures — such as out-of-town visitors and a growing residential population — but other numbers show the city struggling to recover from the pandemic and grappling with a drug crisis, according to a new report.Why it matters: Average weekday worker foot traffic downtown increased 33% to 80,000 last year over 2022, but that's still only 51% of pre-pandemic levels, per an analysis by the Downtown Seattle Association, a business advocacy group.Based on location-based mobility data derived from cell phones, Seattle's post pandemic recovery remains among the slowest out of 66 major cities in the...
IVF births in Washington outpace U.S. rate
Note: Assisted reproductive technology refers to all treatments or procedures that include the handling of human eggs or embryos to help a woman become pregnant; Reproduced from the CDC; Chart: Axios VisualsIn vitro fertilization accounted for 2.6% of all births in Washington in 2021, according to the most recent CDC data.That's slightly above the national figure of 2.3%.Why it matters: The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created through IVF are children under state law.IVF typically takes more than one embryo to safely achieve pregnancy — and unused embryos are often discarded.By the numbers: IVF and other assistive reproductive procedures performed in 2021 resulted in 2,338 live births in Washington, per the CDC.4,629 embryo transfers were performed statewide to get that number of infants.State of play: Alabama passed legislation late last month to protect patients and doctors involved in IVF.Some states are considering so-called fetal personhood bills, but not Washington.Go deeper: Why successful IVF often requires multiple embryosSign up for Axios Seattle for free.
This week in Seattle history
Here is a look at some of the March events that shaped Seattle and Washington from HistoryLink, an online encyclopedia of state history.March 8, 1921: Washington Governor Louis F. Hart signed the Alien Land Bill barring non-white immigrants from buying, owning, or leasing land in the state.The bill mandated the confiscation of any land purchased before or after the act's passage, without compensating the immigrant owners. It wasn't repealed until 1967. March 8, 1970: Native American protesters and their supporters clashed with military police in an attempt to reclaim Fort Lawton for local tribes.The protests were led by Bob Satiacum and by...
See Washington state's latest presidential primary results
Data: Associated Press; Chart: Axios VisualsPresident Biden and former President Donald Trump are the winners of Washington's presidential primaries, the Associated Press projected Tuesday.Why it matters: The results in Washington state provided Trump with the final delegates he needed to become the presumptive Republican nominee for president, per the AP.Catch up quick: While a Biden-Trump rematch had been looking increasingly inevitable, both candidates headed into Tuesday's primaries still needing to win more delegates to clinch their party's nominations.The AP named Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee soon after polls closed in Georgia on Tuesday, before the first results from Washington...
3 things we're watching in Washington's presidential primary on Tuesday
Voting ends Tuesday in Washington state's presidential primary, as President Biden and former President Trump appear headed toward a rematch in November.Why it matters: Washington's primary may give Trump the final delegates he needs to clinch the Republican nomination, AP reports.Biden could also lock down the Democratic nomination on Tuesday. He needs only about 40% of the delegates that are at stake in Tuesday's elections, which include primaries in Georgia and Mississippi, per AP.Context: In Washington's vote-by-mail elections, it's typical for only about half of ballots to be counted on election night.That means it might take days before it's clear...
Biden leads Trump among big donors in Washington state
Data: Federal Election Commission; Note: Individual contributions of less than $200 are not required to be reported to the FEC; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosPresident Biden has received about $2.9 million from large donors in Washington state so far in his 2024 campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data.The big picture: Biden has raised far more money in left-leaning Washington than he has in several key swing states, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania.That tracks with Washington's history of being a safe blue state, where candidates often raise money they plan to deploy in political battlegrounds elsewhere.By the numbers: Among Washington's big donors,...
Here comes the sun, Seattle
After weeks of rain and cooler than average temperatures, sunny and dry weather is expected to herald spring into Western Washington this week.Why it matters: Daytime highs will reach into the mid-60s and possibly brush up against 70 on Saturday in some regions of Puget Sound, particularly in the Cascade foothills, National Weather Service Seattle meteorologist Anna Lindeman told Axios.It will start drying out Wednesday afternoon and remain dry through at least Tuesday next week, she said.The high on Saturday, likely to be the warmest day of the coming stretch, is expected to be 66 degrees, Lindeman said, but there's...
Tips of suspected internet crimes against kids skyrocket in Washington
Tips of suspected internet crimes against children in Washington went up 250% between 2019 and 2023, according to new data from the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.Why it matters: One in three minors have an unwelcome sexual experience online before they turn 18, according to a ParentsTogether Action report.By the numbers: In Washington, the number of child enticement cases increased 76% from 2022 to 2023, per the state task force.Cybertips are up from an average of 200 a month in 2020 to 1,156 a month in 2023.There are also "sextortion" cases, cases from undercover detectives who pose as...
We're springing ahead again, after pitch to end time switch fails
We "spring ahead" to daylight saving time Sunday at 2am, even though many sleep experts wish we wouldn't.Why it matters: Numerous medical societies favor standard time over daylight saving time because it's more aligned with our body clocks, Fred Hutch epidemiologist Trang VoPham told Axios.Yes, but: It's the first post-7pm sunset that sun-starved Seattleites will see since Sept. 25.State of play: Legislators in Washington voted five years ago to do away with standard time, but that change requires congressional approval that never came.In another effort to get off the time-changing seesaw, lawmakers introduced a bill this year that would have...
A few big things Washington's Legislature passed in 2024
Washington state lawmakers adjourned a 60-day session Thursday after passing new gun control measures, three citizen initiatives and bills to try to curb the use of fentanyl.Here's a closer look at a few things they did.Gun billsLawmakers approved legislation to ban guns at public libraries, zoos, aquariums and transit stations, plus another bill that will make it a civil infraction to fail to report a stolen or lost firearm within 24 hours.Yes, but: A measure that would have required people to get a permit before buying a gun fizzled out.Initiative action — and inactionThe Democratic-controlled Legislature passed three Republican-backed citizen...
A few big things Washington's Legislature passed in 2024
Washington state lawmakers adjourned a 60-day session Thursday after passing new gun control measures, three citizen initiatives and bills to try to curb the use of fentanyl.Here's a closer look at a few things they did.Gun billsLawmakers approved legislation to ban guns at public libraries, zoos, aquariums and transit stations, plus another bill that will make it a civil infraction to fail to report a stolen or lost firearm within 24 hours.Yes, but: A measure that would have required people to get a permit before buying a gun fizzled out.Initiative action — and inactionThe Democratic-controlled Legislature passed three Republican-backed citizen...
Things to do in Seattle this weekend: Carnival of Cocktails, Babe Night and an art battle
The Seattle sun has ditched its winter curfew and stopped setting in the afternoon — so here are a few ways to get out there and celebrate.🪩 Celebrate International Women's Day by dancing to Euro House music from the '90s and early aughts at Babe Night at Capitol Hill's Cafe Racer.The all-ages dance party will also feature a Babe Market, where you can buy art and other items.6pm Friday. Pre-sale tickets are $15, or pay $20 at the door.🍺 Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub starts its annual St. Patrick's Irish Festival Friday with live music, dancing and draughts from Kells...
How long it takes for singles to save for a home in Seattle
Data: Point2; Note: Down payment calculated as the minimum amount needed to have an affordable mortgage (<30% of monthly income) for the median-priced starter home in each market, or at least 20% down; Chart: Axios VisualsIf you're single and saving for a starter home in Seattle, it is likely to take you almost three decades — but the typical couple needs only a fraction of that time, a new study finds.Why it matters: While Seattle generally ranks as one of the country's least affordable housing markets, it's much worse for people who live alone.By the numbers: It takes individuals in...
How long it takes for singles to save for a home in Seattle
Data: Point2; Note: Down payment calculated as the minimum amount needed to have an affordable mortgage (<30% of monthly income) for the median-priced starter home in each market, or at least 20% down; Chart: Axios VisualsIf you're single and saving for a starter home in Seattle, it is likely to take you almost three decades — but the typical couple needs only a fraction of that time, a new study finds.Why it matters: While Seattle generally ranks as one of the country's least affordable housing markets, it's much worse for people who live alone.By the numbers: It takes individuals in...
What's next for a new I-5 bridge between Washington and Oregon
A new Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River is expected to begin construction in 2026, after the project recently snagged a $600 million federal transportation grant.Why it matters: The current I-5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington carries more than 130,000 vehicles a day. But it isn't built to modern standards and could collapse in an earthquake.Friction point: The bridge also causes major traffic backups when its moveable span rises to let boats pass beneath.Project officials say the river crossing between Portland and Vancouver is the only part of I-5 from Canada to Mexico where vehicles must stop at a...
This week in history: Denny Regrade plan voted down, Mount Rainier National Park created
Denny Hill, near downtown Seattle, was regraded using sluicing methods, and the fill was used for developing the city's harbor. Circa 1910s. Photo: Michael Maslan/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)The first week or so of March was a busy one in Seattle history. Here are a few highlights from HistoryLink, an encyclopedia of state history.March 5, 1912: Seattle residents downvoted Virgil Bogue's comprehensive plan, backed by the Municipal League, to create an ornate city center on the newly flattened Denny Regrade.The eight-year-long regrade, designed to level the city's steep hills so that horse-drawn wagons could travel the streets more expeditiously, ran...
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...
How wildfires impact mental health
University of Washington researchers have found that wildfires can worsen mental health.Why it matters: A number of studies have shown the impacts of wildfire smoke on respiratory and cardiovascular systems, but this is believed to be the first to examine the impact of wildfires on mental health, per UW Medicine.The results, published last month in JAMA Open Network, underscore the need for services that improve mental resilience before, during and after fires, the researchers said.The big picture: Wildfire seasons are getting longer, and larger fires are increasingly common in the West.Extreme heat accompanied by dry conditions and higher average temperatures...
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