Seattle Now

Seattle’s new drug law is now in effect. It makes the possession and public use of narcotics a gross misdemeanor. But it also encourages law enforcement to coordinate diversion efforts: admit people into treatment programs before jail. Today we’re talking with Seattle Times staff reporter Sarah Grace Taylor about what kinds of options are out there for police if they see someone using drugs.

This week… A drive-by shooting in the Central District has left a daycare center considering extra safety measures. Increased pricing is on the table for both drivers and transit riders across Seattle. And Portland chain Voodoo Doughnuts is reportedly opening a store on Capitol Hill. KUOW Education Reporter Sami West and Seattle Times Food Writer Tan Vinh are here to break down the week.

Bartell Drug customers may be in for more heartache. The local pharmacy and institution is closing more locations after parent company Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the pharmacy business, but one thing’s clear: change is coming.

The need for more affordable housing in Seattle is massive, but here’s a small but meaningful solution: homeowners who leave what they’ve got to a community trust.

One recent gift of prime real estate will ensure that two families have an affordable place to live.

We’ll hear more about it from Kathleen Hosfeld of the Homestead Community Land Trust.

The practice of sweeping encampments of unhoused people is controversial. A federal circuit ruling made it illegal in certain circumstances and went as far as to describe the practice as cruel and unusual. But now, progressive cities on the west coast are hoping the conservative Supreme Court will intervene. Seattle Times reporter Greg Kim is here to tell us why officials in Seattle and other cities want the ruling overturned, and what they’d plan to do without restrictions.

It's mid-October — the air is crisp, the morning fog is thick, and Halloween is just around the corner. Which means, it's time to tell some ghost stories. Today, we're revisiting a conversation we had with local author Bess Lovejoy who wrote a book on where to find spots in the Pacific Northwest where ghost stories have been told, and retold.

This week… It’s almost time to fill out your ballots, and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce is talking about what voters are thinking. Cable company XFinity is making it harder for hockey fans to release the Kraken. And a Seattle to Bainbridge ferry got a big, red makeover from Coca-Cola. Too Beautiful To Live Co-Host Andrew Walsh and KUOW reporter Casey Martin are here to break down the week.

If you need cheap high-quality bulk goods, Costco is hard to beat.

But the Issaquah-based company has also inspired a devoted fandom.

Susan and David Schwartz are two of the company’s biggest fans and wrote a book about what they learned traveling the world visiting warehouses.

We have an election coming up in just a few weeks and Seattle’s housing levy is up for renewal.

The measure promises to get 3100 new affordable homes built.

Housing finance lawyer Faith Pettis is here to talk about what the levy will pay for and how the program has performed over the years.

Amazon is facing a historic antitrust lawsuit from the FTC, but it’s not the first local tech giant to find itself in that situation.

Microsoft fought its own antitrust battle in the 90s. UW historian Margaret O’Mara says that history might show us what’s in store for Amazon.