Thursday Evening Headlines

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Hey there. From the KUOW Newsroom, this is Seattle Now. I'm Patricia Murphy with a roundup

of today's top stories. It's Thursday, March 19th. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced today,

she's partly pausing the expansion of government surveillance cameras. Wilson will also turn off

hundreds of police license plate readers until an audit determines whether the federal government

will be able to access any of the video. Sometimes as the mayor, you make decisions that no one's

gonna like, this might be one of those. We'll see. Wilson will allow the installment of 26 new cameras

in the stadium district ahead of the World Cup, but says the cameras won't record unless there's

quote a credible threat that warrants turning them on. The new mayor has seen intense political

pressure from her hardcore supporters to turn all police cameras off because of fears that

federal immigration enforcement could access them. On the other hand, businesses in some south

and community members argue the cameras can help solve crimes. More details have emerged about a

department of Homeland Security arrest in Seattle's U District this week. Gustavo Sagrero has more.

Court records identify the woman arrested as entrain that got him in that Nantes. She's facing

federal charges connected to an alleged sex trafficking conspiracy that involved victims in Seattle

and in the Bronx, New York. In charging documents, Homeland Security investigators alleged that Nantes

monitored websites where the sex trafficking victims were advertised, helped making arrangements

with potential clients and collected payments. Investigators alleged she did this work as part of a

larger gang operation between the Seattle area and New York called Esbatlanos. The group allegedly

uses threats and acts of physical violence as a form of coercion for sex workers. The arrest by

armed federal agents raised concerns about immigration enforcement near the UW campus

until officials later confirmed the situation. Ednan, this is next court appearance is early next

week. Gustavo Sagrero, KUOW News. Washington, Governor Bob Ferguson's office says he will not

issue a proclamation this year honoring the late Cesar Chavez. The decision comes after an

investigation from the New York Times uncovered three sexual abuse allegations against the farm

labor leader. It's a reminder to all of us that, you know, there shouldn't be any sacred cows

in this work and any type of movement work because a true leader will always open themselves

up and subject themselves to accountability. That's Vicki Frausto, the mayor of Sunnyside,

an agricultural city in the Yakima Valley. Sunnyside has celebrated March 31st as Cesar Chavez

since 2024. But Frausto says it won't this year. Governor Bob Ferguson's office says that instead

of celebrating Chavez, the governor looks forward to celebrating Dolores Huerta Day on April 10th.

Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers Union with Chavez. She also told the New York Times

Chavez abused her.

More now on the light rail funding story, emails began flying the minute Sound Transit's meeting

ended this week. Elected leaders had just learned where the agency expects to cut projects

to fill a $35 billion whole. Joshua McNichols has more.

Everywhere in Sound Transit's region is facing some kind of potential cut. Dan Strouse represents

Ballard on the Seattle City Council. The agency has proposed stopping light rail far short of

that neighborhood. It's completely unacceptable to cut Ballard from the Sound Transit plan at this

time. Strouse says Seattle is already cutting a station in West Seattle and another in South

Lake Union to save money. King County executive Girmai Zahalai cautioned local leaders not to turn

on each other. I want to hear from everyone. I want to assess all of the trade-offs before

coming down and saying that this exact thing needs to move forward. Next, Sound Transit's board will

consider the options, including ways to avoid some cuts by raising more money. Joshua McNichols,

K-O-W News. Washington has joined a legal challenge to oppose the EPA's attempt to overturn what's

known as the endangerment finding, which gives the federal government the authority to regulate

climate change. State Attorney General Nick Brown says that violates the agency's legal obligation

to protect public health under the Clean Air Act. The Trump administration has touted the move as

a major achievement and says the Clean Air Act does not allow it to regulate vehicle emissions.

Washington joins 23 other states in suing the Trump administration.

Microsoft's plan to lease an off-grid data center is raising questions about the company's

carbon footprint, Monica Nicholsberg explains. Microsoft is moving into a West Virginia data center

that will run entirely on natural gas without connecting to the local electrical grid. The project

could increase Microsoft's data center emissions by 40%. That's based on an analysis by the

renewable energy research firm CleanView. Microsoft didn't confirm or deny the finding. Instead,

a spokesperson said the deal will increase electrical reliability and affordability in the region.

Microsoft said it will continue to pursue its decarbonization goals. These off-grid data centers

are becoming more common. That's because it can be expensive and difficult to get the power data

centers need from the existing grid. CleanView estimates almost 50 of these are planned across the

United States. It's a trend that reflects the tension between the environmental goals of

companies like Microsoft and their race to deploy ever more powerful AI tools. Monica Nicholsberg,

KUOW News. The FBI is now investigating Washington Republican Joe Kent who resigned this week as

director of the National Counterterrorism Center. The New York Times reports he suspected of possibly

leaking sensitive or classified information. Kent announced he was resigning because he says

Iran posed no imminent threat to the U.S. Kent previously lost two U.S. congressional bids to

represent Southwest Washington and has been a staunch supporter of President Trump.

A new law will prevent Washington from taking federal benefits from some foster kids to pay

for some services provided by the state. Governor Bob Ferguson signed the measure into law yesterday.

It ends the years old practice of intercepting federal survivor's benefits,

disability insurance and other payments to kids, and using them to reimburse the state.

The Seattle Times reports the law covers only people in extended foster care between the ages of

18 and 21. A bill that will let Department of Corrections employees bargain over some benefits is

now headed to the governor's desk, Northwest Public Broadcasting's Lauren Gallup has that story.

Melinda Cooper has worked for the Department of Corrections for over three decades. In about four

years, Cooper says she would like to retire, but up until recently, that's felt impossible.

That's because if she retires before she can get Medicare, she'd have to pay out a pocket

for medical insurance. The cost of health insurance to cover my husband and I is going to be cost

prohibitive from 62 to 65. I don't know how we would do that. But now there's a state law that

could change that. The law allows Department of Corrections employees to bargain for supplemental

retirement benefits like medical plans in their labor agreements. That would make Department of

Corrections employees the only state workers that can bargain for these benefits. I'm Lauren Gallup

reporting. Finally, today, a 64-year-old passenger on a King County Metro bus helped guide it out of

danger yesterday after the driver suffered a medical emergency. It happened in Greenwood.

The bus crashed into seven cars and rolled past five blocks before the passenger was able to

bring it to a stop. They were later taken to hospitals for medical treatment and at last check

were in stable condition. Next time on Seattle now, it's casual Friday. Washington state is

making a stuffed marmot the face of a new anti-litering campaign because people in this state

still litter a lot. We need to put more trash cans and cars guys. This is 2026. My grandma's had

one since the 90s for her Kleenex. Hear that and much more tomorrow morning. That's all for today

from the KUOW newsroom in Seattle. Our producer is Andy Hearst. I'm Patricia Murphy. Seattle now and

KUOW are members of the NPR network. See you soon.

I'm just a bill. Yes, I'm only a bill. We all remember this song. It made it all seem so simple

and turns out it's not who writes influences and kills bills. It gets messy. I'm Scott Greenstone.

And I'm Libby Dankman. On Sound Politics, we tell that story. The inside track on how policy

gets made in this Washington and the other one. And how it impacts you.

Listen now on the KUOW app or wherever you get your podcasts.