Had fun reporting on this guy who DIYed his car so he hardly ever has to buy gas anymore. www.kuow.org/stories/this...

More on the data center moratorium drama in Seattle www.kuow.org/stories/seat...

It's true for people with big budgets and small. @kuow.org www.kuow.org/stories/they...

The National Science Foundation funds basic science research. This week, Reuters reported the Trump administration has fired its entire 20-member board. KUOW's economy podcast, Booming, reported this week on the local impact of cuts like that. www.kuow.org/stories/what...

Here's my wrap up of opening day of the Crosslake Connection! I met a lot of transit fans... who said "I had no idea there were so many transit fans." When the trains crossed the bridge, many riders chanted "Light! Rail! Light! Rail!" www.kuow.org/stories/soun...

I’m walking around talking to people at Judkins Park station in Seattle as they wait to take the new 2 Line Crosslake connection to the Eastside. Lots of furries taking the train today!

A bridge with transit brought two Scandinavian cities out of the economic doldrums and helped make them international beacons of urban livability. Economists say Seattle and Bellevue’s Crosslake transit connection could do the same. www.kuow.org/stories/coul...

Earlier this week, my colleague Monica joked about being dead by the time light rail came to Ballard. I said "Well, I hope you're alive in 13 years." (Ballard's line was set to open in 2039). With today's news, I still don't think we'll be dead when it's finally built, but we might be a lot older.

In neighborhoods with lots of pedestrians, many cities require apartment buildings to include storefronts on the ground floor. Should that requirement be axed to lower housing costs? There are pros and cons... and a lot of history that dates all the way to Jane Jacobs. www.kuow.org/stories/coul...

It's difficult to fact-check my story using US census data while the government website is barely functional due to the shutdown.

One thing we're doing on Booming, our economics podcast, is looking at the impact of generative AI on different Seattle-area industries. This week: video games. www.kuow.org/stories/game...

I spent a lovely, relaxing weekend in Portland, Oregon with my spouse. As always, I love looking at the wide variety of middle housing types, from small apartment buildings to duplexes to stacked flats. Fun detail: many curbs still have iron rings for hitching horses.

The Nisqually quake happened almost 25 years ago (February 2001). It was deep underground, where the old seafloor deforms before breaking apart in the hot, sometime molten mantle. A modest quake on the shallow Seattle Fault would do far more damage locally - more than the "Big One" people fear.

Congress voted to claw back money already awarded to public media. News orgs like KUOW must now immediately raise money to stabilize. Supporting transparent/balanced journalism is a choice. We're asking KUOW listeners to consider the value it provides. www.kuow.org/stories/cong...

We went in with a question: Is the lumber industry one place where tariffs could work as intended? The answer is more complicated. It's all on the latest episode of our podcast, Booming. Here's a version you can read: www.kuow.org/stories/will...

Federal money go down. Tax on Amazon go up. www.kuow.org/stories/how-...

KUOW actually ran two stories on trees and housing today. Here's mine: www.kuow.org/stories/seat...

Who is going to be the first developer to submit a permit application under Seattle's new interim zoning rules, which allow more middle housing? Assuming they pass today.

I'm grateful that we have such a strong network of listeners who provide financial support. They help protect the mission of public media. Still, the potential loss of this funding would be a big blow.

New episode of KUOW’s economics podcast, Booming www.kuow.org/stories/prog...

A new law signed by Governor Bob Ferguson on Tuesday could make it easier for Black, Native-American and Korean-American families to purchase their first home, along with Asian Indian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.

I’m in Ventura, California for my daughter’s roller derby tournament. Blocks and blocks of their Main Street are pedestrian-only.

The Mosquito Fleet Act just passed the WA House of Representatives, 87-8. I'd call that extremely bipartisan.

Maybe not a surprise www.kuow.org/stories/wash...

Why is skiing so expensive? Climate change and corporate consolidation. What can be done? Well, one community bought back its mountain. We've put out a new episode of KUOW's economics podcast, Booming where you can learn more. www.kuow.org/podcasts/boo...

As a journalist, I often do brief fact-checks on things people say, such as a source's claim that a Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir) is a spruce. Seeking a phylogenic diagram showing how this tree relates to other conifers, ChatGPT produced these hilariously inaccurate images. My job is secure.

Right now, only King and Kitsap Transit have publicly-owned fleets of small, passenger-only ferries. This bill could allow any transit agency in the Washington State to create them. www.kuow.org/stories/mosq...

@andyhurst.bsky.social thanks for talking out loud in the office about this place the other day

What's next for social housing in Seattle: While it takes years to design, permit and build custom-designed affordable housing projects, the publicly-owned developer has other tools that could lead to social housing apartments coming online this year. www.kuow.org/stories/what...

The fog of (a trade) war descends on small Seattle businesses. New “Booming” podcast episode today. www.kuow.org/stories/as-c...

Mercer Island requires 2 parking stalls per apartment. Mayor Salim Nice says gig workers need them. On the other hand, Governor Ferguson's office says 50% of renters own 1 car or no car, so why saddle them with the cost of an extra parking stall they don't need? www.kuow.org/stories/shou...

In Seattle, ballots went out this week concerning the future of the Seattle's Social Housing Developer. One measure would give it wings, the other would reign it in, potentially squashing it. Beneath lies a question about who is hurting and who should receive help. www.kuow.org/stories/why-...

@annaecook.bsky.social Hi Anna, I’m a reporter for Seattle NPR station KUOW who wants to keep on top of the loss of DEI knowledge at tech companies in the greater Seattle area. Are you in this area too? I see you work at Microsoft

I was so busy looking into Interstate 5 lids this morning I missed the news about the Equal Rights Amendment

His films and shows will forever influence how I perceive the American West, especially the Pacific Northwest. When Zebras ran loose last year in North Bend, Washington, where he filmed parts of Twin Peaks, many in this region understood them through a Lynchian lens. www.kuow.org/stories/davi...

In light of the debate in Seattle right now about whether supply and demand influences housing costs, I’m dusting off this old chestnut

Both my parents have dementia. My siblings, partner and I are making a useful little podcast about that. It’s fun, too. If you have aging parents, or a parent with dementia, you may enjoy it. #dementia #Alzheimers #aging #caregiving #eldercare podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

Bots have arrived on BlueSky. I’m starting to get followers with zero posts and 1,000 followers. What’s the best practice for sidelining bots here?

I learned some fascinating stuff about in-store customer surveillance while reporting this. It allows stores to build a virtual version of you that can be combined with other data (like your online activity) and sold to advertisers at auction who then send you targeted ads while you stream.

Do you have trouble seeing the road at night in Seattle when it's dark and wet? Seattle Now is working on an episode about road visibility. Tell us about your experiences and what the culprits are! Give us a call at 206 616 6746 and leave us a voicemail. @kuow.org

On February 13, Seattle voters face ballot measures charting two very different futures for Seattle's Social Housing Developer. Who's your favorite social housing expert? Looking for an academic w/deep knowledge, clear analogies, and no direct personal/financial involvement. My older 9/20/24 story👇

Foiled again

Why are sports tickets so expensive in Seattle? New episode of KUOW's "Booming" in your favorite podcast apps. Or if you'd rather read: www.kuow.org/stories/why-...

Surreal to be editing my 16-year-old daughter’s literary essay on Lindy West

Didn’t expect our documentary series about serious mental illness to make Apple Podcasts’ year-end list of favorite shows Grateful for this recognition for Lost Patients by @kuow.bsky.social, @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social, and @npr.org

Okay, I’ve just followed hundreds of reporters, elected, city planning nerds, scientists, comedians, plant enthusiasts, science fiction writers. I have no idea how to manage it all. It’s like when you put some of everything in your burrito and then you can’t close it.

This year, Seattle’s solution is moving taxes from bucket to bucket and giving the mayor a lot of leeway. But next year, the council seems more likely to pass a new revenue source: a 2% capital gains tax modeled on Washington State’s road-tested version. www.kuow.org/stories/seat...

I went to a convention of people trying to fix their downtowns. We know more housing and pop-up businesses in vacant storefronts helps. But each city also has its secret strategies other cities can steal. kuow.org/stories/five...

@petersagal.bsky.social Did you do a podcast ad for Grammarly, or was your voice deepfaked? Heard what was obviously your voice during an ad break on an NPR podcast today (at 11:10 during Planet Money’s recent video game episode). But it never mentioned who was speaking.

I'm new to Bluesky. My name is Joshua McNichols and I report for KUOW (NPR) in Seattle. I write about the shape of cities and how they can become better. Example: What the ferry shortage in Washington State can teach us about pedestrian-friendly communities. www.kuow.org/stories/coul...