Introducing KUOW's Today So Far Blog!

There's something I've been pushing for, and working on, at KUOW for a long time. Now, I can show it to you. Check this out.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 21, 2022.

Hello TSF community! I'm back at the desk, which means KUOW's newsletter is coming at you. And to kick things off, I have something special to tell you. It's sort of a big deal for me.

Say hello to the Today So Far Blog!

Yes, a blog. This is something I've pushed for at KUOW for a while now, for many reasons that I won't bore you with here. In short, ever since I first came to KUOW, I've noticed that this station reports a lot of information. But not all of it makes it online for one reason or another. There are also a lot of insights that reporters have. I know, because I chitchat about it all with them behind the scenes. There has never been an opportunity for you to get all this online. I have long endeavored to change that.

After some meetings, backend programing, begging, crying, a few bribes, and more meetings, we're finally ready to expand the vibe of Today So Far with this new blog. Just like this newsletter, you will find steady, quick updates there every day, including copies of this newsletter (so you can easily share it with your friends), along with my random "Did You Know" factoids. Also, plenty of news briefs from our talented newsroom, and perhaps some behind-the-scenes insights that provide a little more nuance around the news. All that, and more. And since I'm at the helm, sure, there will probably be a few pop culture references thrown in.

Check out the new Today So Far Blog here (or you can just Google "KUOW blog," it will come right up). I'm ecstatic to share it with you.

OK, what else is going on at KUOW today...

First, I want to note that you can watch the House committee public hearings on the January 6 insurrection here.

Did you catch the extreme low tides across Puget Sound recently? Apparently, they weren't as "extreme" as expected, but they were still very, very low. Forecasters thought that the tides would be the lowest since 2009, considering measurements of the Earth, moon, and sun, among other factors. If you missed the tidal show this weekend, you'll have another chance in 2025 when a 19-year cycle in the moon's wobble will peak.

Finally, have you seen the latest ads for putting solar panels on your home? Heads up: They might be a bit misleading. A slew of online solar panel ads are making claims that are either partly untrue, or are just plain scammy. Reporter Tom Banse sheds some light on this industry as solar panel installers attempt to get the truth out. Read the full story here.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Chris Morgan and Dr. Paul James snorkel in Gold Creek at Snoqualmie Pass to count fish. The latest episode of The Wild brings Morgan up the mountain to see restoration projects at work, as well as a whole ecosystem under just a couple of feet of water. (Matt Martin / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

José Carlos Diaz is the Seattle Art Museum's new deputy director for art, which is a pretty significant job since, ya know, it is an art museum after all.

A lot of us think of SAM as the downtown building with Hammering Man in front of it (thanks to just about every Western Washington K-12 teacher having the same idea of bringing young students to the art museum every year). But SAM is actually three locations — the Olympic Sculpture Park, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and the downtown building where young students in the 1990s would sit in their field trip buses and yell at people coming and going from the Lusty Lady across the street.

SAM began when the Washington Arts Association joined forces with the Seattle Fine Arts Society in 1917. It was first called the "Fine Arts Society." In 1931, it changed its name to the "Art Institute of Seattle." Not long after that, the Fuller family (members of the organization) provided funding to build a museum at Volunteer Park. Richard E. Fuller served as the museum's first director through the 1970s (and never took a salary for the gig). It grew from there to the SAM we know and love today.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

You've likely been affected by climate change. Your long-term finances might be, too

More than three-quarters of adults in the United States say they have experienced extreme weather in the last five years, including hurricanes, wildfires, floods and heat waves, the survey found. And most people who suffer major weather damage or financial problems do not receive money from the federal government.

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