by Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
As of Wednesday, Nov. 15, almost all remaining ballots have been counted in Seattle’s odd-year City Council election. Late ballots, which have historically favored progressives, did their thing in District 2, catapulting incumbent Tammy Morales from a nearly 9-point deficit to a 1.6-point lead.
Continue reading ELECTIONS UPDATE: Late Ballots Give Morales the Win, Leave Other Progressives Lackingby Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
In 2006, Seattle Police Department (SPD) detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin started the Detective Cookie Chess Club, a program aimed to provide Rainier Beach youth with something positive to do in their spare time, exposing them to a game that, as the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA once said, “is good for everyday thinking, especially for brothers in the urban community who never take that second look, never take that second thought.”
In 2022, the City of Seattle honored Bouldin’s decades of effort with the opening of the Detective Cookie Chess Park, a corner park on Rainier Avenue South, 51st Street South, and South Barton Place, anchored by a giant chessboard, itself flanked by a semicircle of chess tables.
On March 10, 2023, Bouldin filed a $10 million claim against the city, alleging ongoing harassment and discrimination along racial and gender lines throughout her more than 40 years at SPD.
On Nov. 3, Bouldin sued the city, after it “failed to respond meaningfully” to her original claim, which it had 60 days to do.
Continue reading Det. Denise ‘Cookie’ Bouldin, Revered SPD Community Liaison, Sues Department and Cityby Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
This article contains early results from election night, Nov. 7, 2023. For updated results, visit our “ELECTIONS UPDATE” page.
With about half of the ballots that King County Elections (KCE) expects to receive for Tuesday’s odd-year City and County elections already counted, District 2, encompassing the Chinatown-International District (CID) and South Seattle, has a clear favorite to win: landlord and community-safety advocate Tanya Woo.
Continue reading Mirroring Citywide Trend, District 2 Voters Opting for Pro-Police Candidateby Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
A lawsuit filed on Oct. 13 by Dr. Ben Danielson, formerly the head of Seattle Children’s Hospital’s (SCH) Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, lays out an array of allegations of racial bias at SCH, related both to Dr. Danielson’s experience of employment there and the organization’s general attitude toward minorities.
Continue reading Dr. Ben Danielson Sues Seattle Children’s Hospital Alleging Unaddressed Serious Racism; Hospital Denies Allegationsby Tobias Coughlin-Bogue and Guy Oron
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
For King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, the last four years have been a whirlwind. Having been elected in November 2019, most of his first term was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many residents of King County District 2, which includes southeast Seattle, Capitol Hill, and Skyway, were hit particularly badly. During this time, the ambitious Zahilay stepped up his presence in his new role, engaging with constituents on social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, while also channeling the social justice principles of his predecessor, civil rights legend Larry Gossett.
Continue reading King County Council District 2 Candidate Girmay Zahilay Talks to Real Changeby Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
Restaurants run on hierarchy, or so I’ve always been told. There’s got to be someone in charge, someone giving orders, in order for the whole thing to run right. Whatever situation you find restaurant work analogous to, be it the military, a sports team, or an orchestra, there’s someone calling the shots.
Continue reading Can a Worker-Owned Restaurant … Work?by Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
On June 28, the newly formed Services Not Sweeps Coalition (SNSC) announced a campaign to ban wintertime sweeps and sweeps during extreme weather events. Similar protections exist in Seattle for renters at risk of eviction, the coalition’s announcement noted, before going on to argue that those protections should be extended to “our community members who are the most vulnerable.”
Continue reading Where Do Seattle City Council Candidates Stand on Extreme Weather Sweeps?by Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
In 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled in the case of Washington v. Blake that Washington’s law making drug possession a felony was unconstitutional. To replace the newly invalidated law, the state Legislature passed a temporary measure to make drug possession a misdemeanor, carrying a penalty of up to 90 days in jail. That bill is set to expire July 1, 2023.
Continue reading Washington at Drug Policy Crossroads After Bill Stallsby Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
A familiar feeling, for anyone who works with people experiencing homelessness, is wanting to help. While blankets, tents, snacks, and hand warmers go a long way, it’s hard not to think about the big need: housing.
Continue reading Block by Block: Backyard Cottage Program for Homeless People Boasts Astonishing Success Rate So Farby Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
On March 28, the City of Seattle and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a joint motion in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington to effectively end the consent decree related to the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) unconstitutional policing. The decree has been in place since 2012.
Continue reading Seattle and DOJ Scale Down Consent Decree, Claiming ‘Excellent Progress’
