Seattle considers holding fewer City Council races at once

1 big thing: Seattle considers holding fewer City Council races at once

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2. Using AI to make Alexa more human 

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A new career is waiting for you

3. Morning Buzz: Mariners' losing streak

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4. Where we were last week

It's Tuesday. 🎶 Let's get this party started!

🌧️ Today's weather: Wind with gusts up to 21 mph in Seattle and up to 40 along the coast. Rain. Possible thunderstorms. High near 63.

Today's newsletter is 715 words, a 2.5-minute read.

💤 Clarridge will never tire of falling asleep to the sound of rain.

🕷️ Melissa is trying to get her kid to take off his Spider-Man hoodie, which is not rainproof, without triggering a major crisis.

This newsletter was edited by Rachel La Corte and copy edited by Egan Millard.

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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Seattle.

Axios Seattle

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1 big thing: Clinical hypnosis helps chronic pain, study shows

Illustration of a collage of a person in profile talking, with neurons seen inside the head, and concentric circles emanating from the mouth.

2. Seattle residents asked to cut water use

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3. Where Pac-12 breakup stands ahead of WSU and OSU faceoff

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4. Tacoma, one of the 15 happiest places to live

5. Your weekend plans

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Happy Friday! And cheers 🍻 to a great first weekend of fall for all of us.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny. High near 75.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our Axios Seattle member Paris Granville!

Situational awareness: If you're planning to hike into the mountains to see fall colors, you may want to go today or tomorrow morning. Wind and up to four inches of rain are expected at higher elevations starting Saturday afternoon, per Michael Fagin of Washington Online Weather.

Today's newsletter is 942 words — a 3.5-minute read.

😬 Melissa is sure glad she has car insurance after seeing her repair bill after an unfortunate brush with a concrete pillar.

🦌 Clarridge is spraying a new coat of waterproofing on her motorcycle pants because she hasn't replaced the car destroyed last year in a deer encounter. Don't worry! The deer walked away.

1 big thing: Memorial Stadium rebuild advances with council vote

A rendering of what a renovated Memorial Stadium may look like, with covered stadium seating and a long green field.

2. City targets vacant buildings

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3. Morning Buzz: FTC sues Amazon

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Last of 6 Pacific Northwest trolls rises in Ballard

4. Get your troll on 

A troll made of wooden and recycled materials stands outside the National Nordic Museum in Ballard.

It's Wednesday! A good day for sipping your warm beverage of choice.

🌧️ Today's weather: Showers. High near 60.

Today's newsletter is 943 words, a 3.5-minute read.

🍝 Melissa is trying lots of new weeknight dinner recipes, and the family favorites so far all seem to involve pasta.

😭 Clarridge is grieving the death of a close friend who died in a bizarre housekeeping accident. RIP Kathy.

1 big thing: ADHD prescriptions spike in Washington

You can now order free COVID tests by mail again

2. You can order free COVID tests by mail again

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3. Morning Buzz: Toki's remains come home

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4. Seahawks pics to go

Good Monday morning! It's Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

🌧️ Today's weather: Super rainy. Possible thunderstorms. High near 65.

Situational awareness: Seattle could get up to a half-inch of rain by the end of today and this week could see the "most prolonged rainfall we've had in quite some time," NWS Seattle meteorologist Dev McMillian told Axios. 

That's good news for our shrinking reservoirs and mountain wildfires. 

Today's newsletter is 708 words, a 2.5-minute read.

🤒 Melissa is trying to figure out what she'll do if her kid's day care closes because of COVID cases this week. 

👖 Clarridge is finding that her winter clothes shrank while in storage. No, really, they did.

1 big thing: No link between state drug law and overdose deaths, study finds

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On the job hunt? 

2. Even with clouds, Seattle may feel the supermoon

3. Morning Buzz: The bigger one

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Seattleites challenge Fox News' spin on the city's crime

4. Seattleites mock Fox News

A Fox interviewer in a blue button up shirt holds a mic to a shorter person in a bright green jacket as she speaks into the mic.

🌧️ Today's weather: Showers. High around 60.

Situational awareness: Student loan payments resume in October and we want to know how that's affecting you.

Take the survey to tell us. We'd love to share your insights in an upcoming story!

Today's newsletter is 913 words, a 3.5-minute read.

Editor's note: Yesterday's story on Memorial Stadium has been corrected to reflect that Marshall Foster is the director of Seattle Center (not its interim director) and that the contracts (not third-party contracts) will be signed early next year.

🧊 Clarridge didn't even make it to October before she broke down and turned the heat on.

🫤 Melissa's 3-year-old told her yesterday, "You're so big, you're going to broke our house." She's only 14 weeks pregnant!

Data: https://studentaid.gov/data-center/student/portfolio; Chart: Deena Zaidi/Axios Visuals

In a few days, many Seattleites will be required to make student loan payments for the first time since 2020.

Driving the news: Federal student loan payments become due again in October, affecting about 800,000 Washington residents with student debt.

Why it matters: The three-year pause on student loan payments gave borrowers a reprieve during the pandemic. But they now must factor those payments into their monthly budget — and some may struggle to do so.

State of play: About 804,000 people in Washington owed federal student loan debt as of June 30, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The average owed was about $36,000.

In July, President Biden announced that some borrowers who have been paying for decades — including about 16,000 in Washington — would have their debt forgiven.

But that still leaves an estimated 788,000 Washington residents who will have to make payments again starting next week.

Of note: Biden's earlier student loan forgiveness plan, which would have relieved up to $20,000 in federal debt per borrower, was struck down by the Supreme Court in June.

Zoom in: People in their mid-20s to mid-30s make up the largest share of Washington residents with federal student loan debt, comprising more than one-third of borrowers, according to Education Department data.

As of June 30, about 280,000 Washington residents ages 25 to 34 had outstanding loans, owing a total of $9 billion.

Yes, but: Slightly older Washingtonians owed more money.

About 270,000 Washington borrowers between 35 and 49 had a total of $12 billion in federal student loan debt.

Be smart: Late payments won't be reported to credit bureaus or negatively affect your credit score through Sept. 30, 2024.

But Washington's Office of the Student Loan Advocate still recommends people make payments if they can, as interest will be accruing.

Use this Axios explainer to figure out your student loan status before payments resume.

Borrowers can also calculate their repayment with Federal Student Aid's loan simulator.

Plus: Borrowers can sign up for a new income-driven repayment plan, the SAVE plan, which the White House estimates will save the typical borrower about $1,000 per year.

Student loan payments resume for about 800K Washingtonians

The three-year payment pause has come to an end, with bills due again in October.

Student debt

Table showing outstanding student loans in Washington state, separated into five age groups. With $12 billion owed and 270k borrowers, age group 35-49 has the largest amount of loans outstanding. The 103k borrowers who are 24 or younger have the least amount of outstanding loans with $1.4 billion.

In a few days, many Seattleites will be required to make <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="student loan payments" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/10/student-loan-payments" data-vars-content-id="07bd04cc-c2ed-46e8-8403-b71fb800f479" data-vars-headline="Student loan payments resume for about 800K Washingtonians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/10/student-loan-payments" target="_self">student loan payments</a> for the first time since 2020.Driving the news: Federal student loan payments <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="become due again" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/18/student-loan-payments-pause-restart-retail-sales-spending" data-vars-content-id="07bd04cc-c2ed-46e8-8403-b71fb800f479" data-vars-headline="Student loan payments resume for about 800K Washingtonians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/18/student-loan-payments-pause-restart-retail-sales-spending" target="_self">become due again</a> in October, affecting about 800,000 Washington residents with student debt.

News

Education

Fox News hosts expressed disbelief this week after a few Seattle residents were recorded on camera saying life in the city wasn't all that bad.

Driving the news: In a segment on "The Five" that began with co-host Jeanine Pirro calling Seattle "a progressive hellscape," a Fox journalist interviewed three people in Seattle who disputed that the Emerald City is a hotbed for crime.

What they're saying: One Seattleite openly mocked the Fox interviewer, Johnny Belisario, when he said he'd seen "a lot of people shooting up" in the city that day.

"Oh, did you? And they were bothering you?" asked the person in a bright green jacket, who appeared to have been stopped and interviewed while walking through Seattle Center.

When Belisario replied he "was in a car," the mockery escalated: "Oh, no, you were in a car, they were hurting you so bad!"

Plus: Another person interviewed by Fox said they'd never seen any crime in Seattle, but they'd "seen fun and laughter."

Another remarked, "Crime is a social issue that could be solved by giving people their basic needs."

The bottom line: Only three people were featured in the now-viral Fox segment, which doesn't necessarily show the range of views in the city about recent upticks in crime.

Still, Fox pundits were quick to jump on the clips to claim that Seattleites are treating crime as "a big joke" and that residents are "in denial."

One person made fun of the interviewer when he said he saw drug users nearby. "Oh, no, you were in a car, they were hurting you so bad!"

A screengrab from the segment about Seattle that appeared on "The Five" on Fox News this week.

Fox News

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Fox News" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2020/06/14/fox-news-removes-seattle-protest-altered-images" data-vars-content-id="561f9468-e75c-4137-be8b-5737d57c9cb8" data-vars-headline="Seattleites challenge Fox News&#x27; spin on the city&#x27;s crime" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2020/06/14/fox-news-removes-seattle-protest-altered-images" target="_self">Fox News</a> hosts expressed disbelief this week after a few Seattle residents were recorded on camera saying life in the city wasn&#x27;t all that bad.Driving the news: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="In a segment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rVtYPAiwHI" data-vars-content-id="561f9468-e75c-4137-be8b-5737d57c9cb8" data-vars-headline="Seattleites challenge Fox News&#x27; spin on the city&#x27;s crime" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rVtYPAiwHI" target="_blank">In a segment</a> on &quot;The Five&quot; that began with co-host Jeanine Pirro calling Seattle &quot;a progressive hellscape,&quot; a Fox journalist interviewed three people in Seattle who disputed that the Emerald City is a hotbed for crime.

Culture

National

When Washington and Oregon lowered criminal penalties for drug crimes two years ago, it didn't lead to a sudden rise in overdose deaths in either state, a new study finds.

Why it matters: Critics have tied the states' more lenient approaches to drug crimes to recent rises in overdose deaths. But the researchers found no apparent connection.

Driving the news: The study, published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry, looked at drug overdose rates after Oregon decriminalized drug possession in February 2021 and after Washington stopped treating low-level drug crimes as felonies that same year.

What they did: Researchers with New York University's medical school and the CDC looked at drug overdose rates in each state in the year after the new policies took effect.

They then compared those rates to what drug overdoses likely would have been had the new policies not been in place, basing those models largely on overdose rates in other states.

What they found: The team found no association between the decriminalization or diversion of drug crimes from the criminal justice system and a rise in overdose deaths.

At the same time, the researchers found that Oregon and Washington's new policies weren't associated with a decline in fatal overdoses, despite an increased focus on treatment and recovery.

What they're saying: "Basically what we found is overdoses are going up everywhere, and it's mostly due to this infiltration of fentanyl into the West Coast," Corey Davis, the study's principal investigator, told Axios.

Overdoses are up in Oregon and Washington, he said, "but they are also up in Idaho and Nevada and Nebraska."

He said the law changes in Oregon and Washington "didn't seem to have a measurable impact" on the trend.

Yes, but: Research published earlier this month in the Journal of Health Economics came to a different conclusion, finding that in the months after Oregon decriminalized possession, unintentional drug overdoses were 23% higher than they would have been without the legislation.

Kevin Sabet, head of the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, told Axios Portland's Emily Harris the new study is "limited" because it went through only March 2022, while overdose numbers he tracks showed an increase later that year.

What we're watching: The NYU researchers agreed it's important to look at more data, writing that "some aspects of these laws may take time to be associated with fatal drug overdoses."

At the same time, it's possible overdose rates could go down as Washington and Oregon stand up some of their overdose prevention and recovery programs, Davis said.

His team analyzed the period before Oregon began directing cannabis revenue toward those programs. Washington recently approved more money for treatment and prevention, too.

"It's possible that as that money starts rolling out, it will result in a reduction in overdose deaths," Davis said. "We don't know."

Go deeper: White House sending nearly half-billion dollars to tackle overdose crisis

White House sending nearly half-billion dollars to tackle overdose crisis

Portland

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Study: No link between PNW overdose deaths and drug laws

Both states lowered criminal penalties for drug possession in 2021, with Oregon decriminalizing it entirely.

Drugs

When Washington and Oregon lowered criminal penalties for drug crimes two years ago, it didn&#x27;t lead to a sudden rise in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="overdose deaths" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/05/30/fentanyl-overdoses-rise-portland-oregon" data-vars-content-id="a1f83e01-8e2f-4cd1-8c92-b7c6cbc3e0e2" data-vars-headline="Study: No link between PNW overdose deaths and drug laws" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/05/30/fentanyl-overdoses-rise-portland-oregon" target="_self">overdose deaths</a> in either state, a new study finds.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Critics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/opinion/oregon-drug-failure.html" data-vars-content-id="a1f83e01-8e2f-4cd1-8c92-b7c6cbc3e0e2" data-vars-headline="Study: No link between PNW overdose deaths and drug laws" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/opinion/oregon-drug-failure.html" target="_blank">Critics</a> have <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tied" data-vars-click-url="https://jimmccune.src.wastateleg.org/washington-state-becomes-national-leader-overdose-deaths/" data-vars-content-id="a1f83e01-8e2f-4cd1-8c92-b7c6cbc3e0e2" data-vars-headline="Study: No link between PNW overdose deaths and drug laws" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://jimmccune.src.wastateleg.org/washington-state-becomes-national-leader-overdose-deaths/" target="_blank">tied</a> the states&#x27; more lenient approaches to drug crimes to recent rises in overdose deaths. But the researchers found no apparent connection.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Fremont's no longer the only Seattle neighborhood with its own giant troll.

Driving the news: The final installation of Danish artist Thomas Dambo's series of Northwest troll sculptures went up in Ballard earlier this month, next to the National Nordic Museum.

Earlier in the summer, another troll was set up in West Seattle as part of the project, while other trolls have gone up in Bainbridge Island, Portland, Vashon Island and Issaquah.

What they're saying: A driving force behind the "Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King" public art project is "the lesson that trash has value," according to a July blog post describing the installations.

The trolls are built entirely from recycled materials, "relaying the critical message that we humans need to protect our environment," per the blog post.

Plus: The exhibit aims to recognize "the shared values of environmental stewardship in Coast Salish tribal communities and the Nordic people," the blog post added.

What's next: The trolls won't be going anywhere anytime soon. They're expected to stay in place for at least three years, KING 5 reported.

The trolls, part of a public art project, are built entirely from recycled materials.

A troll made of wood and recycled materials stands far taller than the entrance of the National Nordic Museum in Ballard.

The troll outside the National Nordic Museum. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios

Fremont&#x27;s no longer the only Seattle neighborhood with its own giant troll.Driving the news: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="final installation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/final-pacific-northwest-troll-sculpture-installed-ballard/281-7a293cca-38af-43e5-8434-bff3be93bdaf" data-vars-content-id="b334186e-1f31-405e-ab62-48c457392505" data-vars-headline="Last of 6 Pacific Northwest trolls rises in Ballard" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/final-pacific-northwest-troll-sculpture-installed-ballard/281-7a293cca-38af-43e5-8434-bff3be93bdaf" target="_blank">final installation</a> of Danish artist Thomas Dambo&#x27;s series of Northwest troll sculptures went up in Ballard earlier this month, next to the National Nordic Museum.

Things to Do

Owners of vacant Seattle buildings will need to better lock up their empty properties and keep them free of graffiti, under a measure approved Tuesday by the City Council.

Why it matters: When vacant buildings have code violations, they become magnets for people to enter illegally and cause more damage, building officials recently told the City Council.

Plus: Mayor Bruce Harrell has made getting rid of graffiti a priority for his administration, saying graffiti and tagging "detract from the vibrancy of our neighborhoods" and hurt local businesses.

By the numbers: Seattle officials said they saw a 41% rise in vacant buildings that were unsecured from 2021 to 2022.

At vacant properties that were locked up, the city saw a 57% increase in maintenance or safety violations year over year, according to the city building department.

Details: The new vacant buildings ordinance, which the council approved without objection, requires that building owners maintain stronger deadbolts and thicker doors on unoccupied properties.

Additionally, it lets the city require that some building owners use polycarbonate sheets to board up empty buildings, instead of plywood that is easier to remove.

The measure also aims to make it easier to collect fees from building owners that help pay for monitoring empty properties around the city.

Right now, many of those required fees are going unpaid, the city says.

What's next: The mayor, who originally proposed the legislation, is expected to sign it into law soon.

The new vacant building rules will take effect 30 days after that.

Seattle takes aim at vacant buildings and graffiti

New rules will require building owners to better lock up empty buildings and keep them graffiti-free.

Owners of vacant Seattle buildings will need to better lock up their empty properties and keep them free of graffiti, under a measure approved Tuesday by the City Council.Why it matters: When vacant buildings have code violations, they become magnets for people to enter illegally and cause more damage, building officials <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="recently told" data-vars-click-url="https://seattle.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&amp;ID=12283943&amp;GUID=78B0924C-6BC7-46CF-B951-C2B424852D07" data-vars-content-id="cc28c4fb-f773-4e2b-b9f5-b66eca975ce4" data-vars-headline="Seattle takes aim at vacant buildings and graffiti" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://seattle.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&amp;ID=12283943&amp;GUID=78B0924C-6BC7-46CF-B951-C2B424852D07" target="_blank">recently told</a> the City Council.

Melissa Santos

Stories

Student loan payments resume for about 800K Washingtonians

Seattleites challenge Fox News' spin on the city's crime

Study: No link between PNW overdose deaths and drug laws

Seattle takes aim at vacant buildings and graffiti

Last of 6 Pacific Northwest trolls rises in Ballard

Newsletter editions

🌕 Sleepless supermoon

⚽ New stadium plans

🫠 Election hangover

💊 ADHD meds spike

🚿 Shorten your showers