Updates and takeaways for the August 4, 2026 primary election night from the KUOW newsroom.
Primary election takeaways from the KUOW newsroom
Updates and takeaways for the August 4, 2026 primary election night from the KUOW newsroom.
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That's how one resident put it after weekend fires swept through Spokane County.
‘People are just in shock right now.’ Weekend fires bring destruction to Spokane
KUOW’s Kim Malcolm spoke to Spokane Public Radio News Director Doug Nadvornick about the weekend fires that swept through Spokane County.
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Smoldering piles and collapsed walls lie today where people's homes stood Saturday morning in Spokane. The Spokane Area Fires, comprising three large wildfires, have burned more than 8,000 acres as of Monday morning and are still uncontained.
Over a dozen unaccounted for and hundreds of structures burned in what could be ‘the worst natural disaster’ in Spokane
Smoldering piles and collapsed walls lie where people's homes stood before the weekend in Spokane. The Spokane Area Fires, comprising three large wildfires, have burned more than 8,000 acres as of Monday morning and are still uncontained.
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A wildfire smoke alert was issued Monday for most of the Puget Sound region, with air quality likely to deteriorate through the week before finally clearing Friday.
Smoke, heat headed for Western Washington, as wildfires grow to the east and north
A wildfire smoke alert was issued Monday for most of the Puget Sound region, with air quality likely to deteriorate through the week before finally clearing Friday.
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Large numbers of residents in the city of Spokane have been told to urgently evacuate their homes due to rapidly moving wildfires in eastern Washington state.
Thousands of people under evacuation order from wildfires in Spokane, Wash.
There are at least three fires in and around the city. Large parts of Spokane are under Level 3 evacuation orders, which read: "Leave NOW! This may be your only notice."
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Fire season in the Pacific Northwest is off to a roaring start, with fire officials predicting “explosive” growth of eastern Washington wildfires in the days ahead.
‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’: Washington’s fire season off to roaring start
Friday’s Particularly Dangerous Situation alert, reserved for the most extreme conditions, was Washington’s first.
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The Seattle City Council voted 5-4 this week to shield many citywide zoning changes from appeals to the city's hearing examiner — a move supporters say will speed housing construction, but critics argue weakens an important check on government.
Seattle City Council limits zoning appeals in bid to speed housing construction, despite concerns
The Seattle City Council voted 5-4 this week to shield many citywide zoning changes from appeals to the city's hearing examiner — a move supporters say will speed housing construction, but critics argue weakens an important check on government.
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In his first press conference since being named interim chief of the Seattle Police Department, Andre Sayles told reporters investigators were close to identifying another suspect in Sunday's mass shooting but declined to provide further details.
Seattle Police closing in on another suspect in Seattle Center mass shooting
In his first press conference since being named interim chief of the Seattle Police Department, Andre Sayles told reporters investigators were close to identifying another suspect in Sunday's mass shooting but declined to provide further details.
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Stacey Fitzpatrick says adrenaline is the only thing getting her through the week, as she faces an ordeal she had prepared for, but hoped would never happen: ICE arresting her husband.
'I have to fight for him.' Wife battles to bring husband home after ICE arrest in West Seattle
Stacey Fitzpatrick's husband, Eduardo Aguirre Esparza, was arrested by ICE agents in West Seattle on July 23. The arrest, near California Ave. SW and Juneau St., was recorded by several bystanders outside of the home he was working on.
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The ACLU of Washington, along with 17 other state affiliates, filed a series of claims against federal immigration officials for damages to immigrants — and U.S. citizens — who have faced physical and emotional damage due to recent enforcement efforts.
WA ACLU sues feds after asylum-seeking family was held in windowless cell for 4 weeks
The ACLU of Washington, along with 17 other state affiliates, filed a series of claims against federal immigration officials for damages to immigrants — and U.S. citizens — who have faced physical and emotional damage due to recent enforcement efforts.
kuow.org
Scientists have begun to re-deploy ocean monitoring equipment yanked from Pacific Northwest waters by the Trump administration in September.
Northwest’s yanked ocean observatories start to return to sea
Scientists have begun to re-deploy ocean monitoring equipment yanked from Pacific Northwest waters by the Trump administration in September.
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After hours of radio silence Thursday, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced that Police Chief Shon Barnes would step down.
Seattle Police Chief Barnes has resigned; mayor makes it official after hours of silence
The announcement came hours after rumors started swirling Wednesday night that Mayor Katie Wilson had made the call to remove Shon Barnes as chief.
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Deputy Chief Andre Sayles will serve as interim chief. The announcement came around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, after rumors started swirling Wednesday night that Wilson had made the call to remove Barnes as chief.
A contentious plan to build a behind-the-meter gas power plant to meet growing demand from data centers in Central Washington has been canceled.
Controversial Central WA gas power plant for data centers canceled amid activist backlash
A contentious plan to build a behind-the-meter gas power plant to meet growing demand from data centers in Central Washington has been canceled.
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Amid controversy over the chief's travel schedule, the police department provided details about his calendar. But their explanation raised more questions.
Seattle Police Chief Barnes defends travel schedule as shooting investigation intensifies
Amid controversy over the chief's travel schedule, the police department provided details about his calendar. But their explanation raised more questions.
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Supporters of Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes rallied at City Hall Thursday morning, as word spread that Mayor Katie Wilson gave him a choice: resign or be fired. The move comes amid fallout over the city’s handling of a deadly mass shooting at a festival earlier this week.
Fired or resigned? Seattle Police Chief Barnes supporters rally amid reports he's been ousted
Supporters of Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes rallied at City Hall Thursday morning, as word spread that Mayor Katie Wilson gave him a choice: resign or be fired. The move comes amid fallout over the city’s handling of a deadly mass shooting at a festival earlier this week.
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With a record-breaking El Niño in the forecast, it could be a rough winter for low-lying communities on the West Coast.
Washington cities try to gird for coastal flooding as ‘super El Niño’ nears
With a record-breaking El Niño in the forecast, it could be a rough winter for low-lying communities on the West Coast.
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Preliminary ballistic results “appear to exclude the Polymer80 handgun as the firearm involved” in the deaths of 44-year-old Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba and 56-year-old Ashley Whitehead, according to court records reviewed by KUOW.
Bullets from 15-year-old's gun did not kill 2 Seattle Center victims, according to early findings
Documents filed with King County Superior Court revealed some preliminary results from ballistics testing, including the possibility of a fourth gun involved in the shooting at Seattle Center on Sunday night.
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A 15-year-old who was arrested for his suspected role in a deadly shooting at the Seattle Center on Sunday night was formally charged on Wednesday.
15-year-old Seattle Center shooting suspect charged with first-degree assault; prosecutors seek adult trial
A 15-year-old boy suspected of involvement in a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival Sunday has been charged with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
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Seattle's matchmaking industry and in-person singles events are booming amid an epidemic of dating app fatigue.
Can Seattle’s booming matchmaking industry solve the ‘relationship recession?’
Seattle's matchmaking industry and in-person singles events are booming amid an epidemic of dating app fatigue.
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The U.S. Department of Education says it is investigating whether the Bethel School District in Washington state violated federal law by displaying vials of testosterone in a Pride month exhibit.
Trump administration investigating WA school district over reported testosterone display
The U.S. Department of Education says it is investigating whether the Bethel School District in Washington state violated federal law by displaying vials of testosterone in a Pride month exhibit.
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The man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students is asking a court to let him withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial, saying his attorneys manipulated him into making the deal by promising him better prison conditions and scaring him about the quality of life on death row.
Bryan Kohberger asks to withdraw his guilty plea in the University of Idaho murders case
Bryan Kohberger wants to withdraw his guilty plea in the killings of four University of Idaho students.
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A community-led candlelight vigil is happening now at Seattle Center. Speakers include Arron Murphy-Paine, whose son was fatally shot in 2024. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, SPD Chief Shon Barnes, County Executive Girmay Zahilay, and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal are here, too.
Parents of children with developmental disabilities fear the unexpected and potentially imminent elimination of a Washington state support program they’ve come to depend on.
Parents worry WA developmental disabilities program is about to get axed
Parents of children with developmental disabilities fear the unexpected and potentially imminent elimination of a Washington state support program they’ve come to depend on.
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A record number of Washington high school students applied for college financial aid this past school year, state officials announced Thursday.
Completed student aid applications hit new high mark with WA’s Class of 2026
A record number of Washington high school students applied for college financial aid this past school year, state officials announced Thursday.
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Washington state leaders say they are protecting the driver information of immigrants from ICE, but immigrant advocates say that information is getting out through other channels, undermining the state’s sanctuary law.
WA has blocked over 100,000 federal attempts to access license plate data
Washington state leaders say they are protecting the driver information of immigrants from ICE, but immigrant advocates say that data is getting out through other channels, undermining the state’s sanctuary law.
kuow.org
[JUST IN] Two suspects are in custody following a mass shooting at the Seattle Center on Sunday that left two victims dead and four others injured.
Live updates: 2 dead, at least 4 injured in Seattle Center shooting
Two suspects are in custody following a mass shooting at the Seattle Center on Sunday that left two victims dead and four others injured. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
kuow.org
This year doesn’t feature a presidential race, though there are some federal contests to consider: All of Washington's U.S. House seats are up for election. Voters will also decide a historic number of state Supreme Court races, along with a dizzying number of seats in the Legislature.
What to watch in Washington state's 2026 primary election
Washington state’s primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 4, and most voters have received ballots in the mail already.
kuow.org
Restoring a historic wool rug in the state Reception Room as close as possible to its pre-damage form would be the costliest component. A state panel on Thursday endorsed the most expensive option with a cost of roughly $959,000.
$1M restoration from WA Capitol vandalism recommended
Washington could spend $1 million repairing damage from vandalism at the state Capitol last year.
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