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Top spots for Instagram pics in Seattle and Washington state
The Space Needle is Washington's most Instagrammable location, according to an analysis that counted hashtags, likes and followers on the picture-driven social media platform.Driving the news: As of this week, the Space Needle had 1,122,347 hashtags and an average of 1,806 "likes" for its top nine photos, Brittany Mendez, a spokesperson for online travel site FloridaPanhandle, told Axios.Mount Rainier came in second with 457,944 hashtags and more than 2,000 average likes.Pike Place Market, Snoqualmie Falls, Skagit Valley and Olympic National Park round out our state's top six attractions, Mendez said.Plus: The most popular Instagram location in the U.S. is Central...
New state hotline has connected kids to lawyers more than 3,000 times
A new legal hotline has helped minors in Washington state consult with lawyers more than 3,000 times before being questioned or searched by police.Why it matters: Public defenders say people under 18 often don't understand their rights to remain silent or access an attorney, even after being given a standard Miranda warning.The new hotline, a product of a law passed in 2021, aims to ensure young people are informed before they waive those rights.The big picture: One goal is to reduce the chance of kids being pressured into making false confessions, Jesse Johnson, a former state representative who sponsored the...
Passport delays and scams plague travelers in Seattle and beyond
While the number of passport requests is down to about 430,000 a week from a record high of 560,000, it's still taking 10 to 13 weeks or so for documents to arrive in travelers' hands, according to the State Department.Why it matters: Applying for a passport now, especially if you don't need it, is a good idea to save headaches later, Better Business Bureau of Washington spokesperson Logan Hickle told Axios.Swindlers take advantage of high-demand situations and use people's desperation to lure them into scams, he said.What's happening: Passport application and renewal requests caused by a huge surge in post-COVID...
Why new apartment construction has slowed down in the Seattle metro area
Data: CoStar; Chart: Axios VisualsEven with longstanding housing cost and affordability issues, years of robust construction in the Seattle area may be shielding parts of the region from the immediate impacts of apartment project slowdowns on the West Coast.Driving the news: Seattle is now seeing some of the nation's steepest rent decreases even though there have been far fewer multiplex housing construction starts this year, said Elliott Krivenko, Seattle's analyst for the CoStar Group, a real estate information company.Rent is down for market-priced apartments in about half of the region's sub markets from last year, he told Axios.In some neighborhoods...
Crime is down in Seattle in the first half of 2023, officials say
Seattle officials say crime levels citywide have dipped in the first half of the year, in what a spokesperson for the mayor called a sign of "tangible improvements."Driving the news: Between Jan. 1 and July 31, Seattle saw a 17% drop in all major reported crimes compared to the same period last year, according to the mayor's office.That equated to 25,094 incidents in the first seven months of 2023, compared to 30,142 in 2022.The city also saw a 13% decrease in reports of violent crime, for 441 fewer incidents over the seven month period.That was coupled with a 7% reduction...
Seattle has more BIPOC therapists per capita than many other US cities
Seattle is among the nation's top five cities for the number of therapists who are Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC) relative to the city's BIPOC population, a new analysis found.Why it matters: While finding a good fit with a therapist depends on numerous factors, some people find an easier connection with a professional who has a similar background or shared cultural experiences, mental health experts say. It's not that BIPOC people can't have good experiences with white therapists, Bellevue-based psychotherapist Sam Louie told Axios, "but it's good to have choices."The big picture: Nationally, there is a significant shortage...
Americans rate Seattle one of safest U.S. cities in Gallup poll
Data: Gallup; Note: Each city rated by half of the sample; Chart: Axios VisualsAmericans think Seattle is one of the country's safer big cities, according to a new Gallup poll.What's happening: In the poll, which surveyed about 500 people about their perceptions of the city, 63% said they considered Seattle to be a safe place to live and visit.Of the 16 cities included in the survey, only Dallas and Boston scored higher, with 74% and 72% percent of respondents rating them as safe, respectively.The poll respondents included people who may have never visited the cities they were asked about.Why it...
Vote on whether the Huskies have the best college football traditions
Bracket: Axios VisualsIn honor of college football season getting underway, we're holding a contest to see which school has the best game day traditions.Details: Our bracket includes colleges and universities in cities that are home to an Axios Local newsroom, or that have one of our newsrooms nearby.This week, the University of Washington is up against the University of Colorado Boulder — and there's no way that the Huskies should lose this.A few thoughts on why UW deserves to advance in this contest:They have tailgating, we have sailgating.We set off an air raid siren every time the Huskies score, annoying the hell out of opposing teams.Our marching band never forgets to play "Tequila," which has become the Huskies' signature song.Vote here before noon Tuesday to keep the Huskies in the running!
New business applications in Seattle lag pre-pandemic levels
Caption: Data: Seattle Office of City Finance; Chart: Axios VisualsNew business applications in Seattle last year remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels, in one sign the local economy has not yet rebounded.Why it matters: New business applications are one measure of an area's perceived economic health, Axios' Kavya Beheraj and Alex Fitzpatrick report.If lots of people are trying to start new companies in a given city, it's a sign that they're bullish on the area's prospects.Yes, but: Local officials say other economic metrics are also important, including the area's current low unemployment rate and high number of job openings.Plus: A filed...
How to help fire victims in Hawai'i from here in Seattle
If you're looking to support victims of the deadly wildfire in Hawai'i, but don't know where to start, here are a few ideas.What's happening: Some local restaurants have been running fundraisers.Seattle Met has a list of several that are still ongoing and that you can still participate in. Or you can check this list on Instagram of dozens of restaurants participating in an initiative called "Seattle for Maui," where the restaurants donate a portion of their sales to relief efforts.If you want to donate directly, The Hawai'i Community Foundation has a Maui Strong Fund that takes donations to help provide victims with food, shelter and financial support, along with other services.Plus: Maui United Way is providing grants to grassroots organizations to help assist victims on the ground.The American Red Cross of Hawaii is accepting donations to help provide displaced residents with food, shelter and emotional support.The Maui Food Bank is taking donations that will help feed displaced residents.Not sure if a charity is legitimate? Check whether it's a registered charity on the Hawaii Attorney General's website.You can also check whether it has a positive rating on charitynavigator.org.
Lolita, orca that officials were working to return to Pacific Northwest, dies in captivity
Lolita, a Pacific Northwest-born orca who had been living in captivity for more than 50 years, died Friday, the Miami Seaquarium announced.Why it matters: The death of the killer whale puts an end to a coalition's efforts to move her back to her native Puget Sound, where she was captured off the coast of Washington State in 1970.Lolita, also known as Tokitae or Toki, was an endangered Southern Resident killer whale and the last of her kind in captivity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Driving the news: Lolita, who was believed to be at least 57 years old,...
COVID hospitalizations are rising in Washington
Caption: Data: CDC; Chart: Axios VisualsCOVID-19 hospitalization rates across Washington state have ticked upward since June, amid signs of a late summer wave sweeping the country.Why it matters: With the rise in at-home testing making official COVID-19 case numbers less reliable, hospitalization rates are an important metric for gauging viral spread.By the numbers: The average COVID-19 hospitalization rate nationwide rose about 17% between June and July, per the latest available CDC data.In Washington state, the increase between June and July was less — about 4%.That made for an average hospitalization rate of about 1.8 per 100,000 people in July, according...
Amtrak's first electric bus takes off
Amtrak and the Washington Department of Transportation launched their first electric bus this week. Driving the news: The bus will replace one of the diesel-powered buses that makes daily round trips between Seattle and Bellingham, Amtrak spokesperson Kelly Just told Axios. The MTRWestern bus is the first electronic vehicle in...
Check out these events in Seattle this weekend
Looking for something to do this weekend? Here are a few ideas.🎙️ Celebrate hip hop's 50th anniversary with a two-day event put on by KEXP, starting Saturday. Features panels on the legacy and future of the genre, a break dancing workshop, and a show in the KEXP courtyard.🌵 Shop for cacti and succulents during a plant sale at the Volunteer Park Conservatory, sponsored by the Cascade Cactus and Succulent Society. Saturday and Sunday from 10am-3pm.🇧🇷 Hone your capoeira skills, try some Brazilian food and take in live music at BrasilFest. Noon to 7pm Sunday at Seattle Center.❤️ Check out tattoo displays — and maybe enter your own in contests for worst or funniest tattoo — at the Seattle Tattoo Expo. Runs Friday through Sunday at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall.🎨 Browse the Frye Art Museum, listen to music and take part in hands-on activities like ikebana, the traditional art of Japanese flower arrangement, at the museum's annual Community Day on Saturday. Outside, you can enjoy bubbles, draw with chalk or sample a food truck.
Seattle woman details pregnancy discrimination fight with Google in new book
Despite new federal and state laws protecting pregnant workers, stigma, financial burden and lack of resources allow pregnancy discrimination to persist, according to Chelsey Glasson, a Seattle woman whose public fight against Google became the basis for a new book out next month.Why it matters: The majority of pregnant women in the U.S. each year are pregnant on the job, according to an analysis of census data from the National Partnership for Women and Families.Driving the news: In the self-published "Black Box: A Pregnancy Discrimination Memoir," Glasson says victims of pregnancy discrimination need access to funding and support given how...
People cause most wildfires in Washington
Data: Short, 2022, Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States; Note: Only includes fires with known origins. White areas had no reported fires; Map: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsPeople caused the vast majority of wildfires in Washington state over the past three decades, and the trend shows no sign of letting up, according to national data and state officials.Why it matters: With climate change increasing wildfire risk throughout the West, human-caused fires can easily rage out of control, destroying buildings and threatening lives.The latest: The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) this week banned campfires on all of its state-protected lands,...
The Pac-12's disintegration, explained
Long billed as the Conference of Champions for winning the most National Collegiate Athletic Association team crowns, the 108-year-old Pac-12 appears to be unraveling after the University of Washington and the University of Oregon announced earlier this month they are leaving for the Big Ten. Why it matters: It's a...
Lawmakers seek $200M for high-speed rail connecting Seattle, Portland and Vancouver
Democrats who represent Washington in Congress are asking the federal government to invest about $200 million to help plan a high-speed rail line between Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, B.C. Why it matters: A bullet train that travels up to 250 miles per hour would "allow people to live in less...
Tips for staying cool on hot nights
Even with soaring daytime temperatures this week, it's lingering nighttime heat that can exacerbate the health risks and hazards of hot weather, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Why it matters: When the temperature remains high overnight, heat accumulates, there is less time to recover and physical stress multiplies,...
Washington expands access to fentanyl test strips
Washington is expanding access to testing strips that can warn people if the drugs or pills they're about to consume contain potentially deadly fentanyl, joining several other states that have recently made the test strips legal. Why it matters: Public officials say the strips can save lives by alerting people...
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