The Record

We hear from the superintendent of the Northshore school district about their reopening plan. King County Executive Dow Constantine talks about reopening businesses despite a recent surge in new Covid cases in the county. And Grist unveils its list of 50 people pioneering new ways to fight climate change.

Restaurant owners on why they will -- and won't -- reopen under the state's phase three reopening plan. Plus, how vaccination is going for the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community here in Washington. A local artist on his Oscar-qualifying short film, "Enough." And a new report shows an unnecessary use of escalating force in Washington corrections facilities.

Starting today, all counties in Washington State move on to phase three of Governor Jay Inslee's reopening plan. That means restaurants, cafes, bistros, and all varieties of food service venues can open at 50 percent capacity. Bill Radke is joined by James Lim, the owner of Watson's Counter in Ballard, and Bob Donegan, president of Ivar's, to discuss the pros and cons of reopening at limited capacity.

The Washington State Department of Health reports that Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are four times more likely to die of COVID-19 than white Washingtonians. Hospitalization rates and deaths are also higher. So what is being done to ensure the community is being helped? Bill Radke speaks with Mia McFarland, the outreach coordinator for the Pacific Islander Health Board of Washington.

When Nathan Nzanga was 11 years old, he joined a project where he and his friends were videotaped once a year throughout their childhoods. Each taping, he'd answer a set of the same questions about his state of mind. Today, Nathan is 22, and he's combined the footage from his life with his original music to create a hip-hop short film titled "Enough." Bill Radke talked with Nathan about his work and the moments that went into making the Oscar-qualifying short film.

Last December, Jerell Jackson was on a video call at Stafford Creek Corrections, where he was an inmate. After he failed to immediately comply when an officer asked him to hang up, he was pepper-sprayed, brought to the ground, and his neck kneeled upon. It's just one of many encounters cited in a new report on wrongful escalation from the Office of the Corrections Ombuds. Bill Radke speaks with KUOW Reporter Ashley Hiruko about her reporting on the issue.

On Tuesday, eight people were murdered in the Atlanta area -- six of whom were of Asian descent. We discuss the city's response to a local rise in anti-Asian rhetoric, bigotry, and hate crimes. Then, we talk about accessibility to a life-saving COVID treatment that's proved difficult to track down in Washington. And lastly, our weekly conversation with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan.

Bill Radke is joined by Mayor Durkan for our weekly conversation, centering on the city's response to a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.

You can name the brands of the COVID vaccines -- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson. But there's another COVID treatment under a more difficult name: monoclonal antibody treatments. But a year into this pandemic, the antibody treatment given to the former President is still elusive for those in Washington seeking it out. Bill Radke spoke with Dr. Vin Gupta, a public health physician, and professor at the University of Washington's Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.

On Tuesday, eight people were murdered in the Atlanta area, six of Asian descent. This is days after a church in North Seattle was vandalized with racist anti-Asian rhetoric. Bill Radke speaks with Naomi Ishisaka, Seattle Times columnist and assistant managing editor for diversity, inclusion, and staff development, and Jane C. Hu, a Seattle-based independent journalist, about the city's response to increase outreach and police response.