John O'Brien

Seattle

Producer, Speakers Forum at KUOW-FM (Seattle, WA)

Host, Producer at Speakers Forum

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Articles

Seattle celebrates Juneteenth with Black culture ‘unapologetically on display'

1 week ago | m.kuow.org | Kim Malcolm |John O'Brien

Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The tradition began in 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Texas received word, belatedly, of their emancipation. The celebrations have spread around the country, and in the wake of nationwide protests after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in 2020, the day became a federal holiday.
After deaths of the Decker sisters, advocates call for review of Amber Alert

2 weeks ago | m.kuow.org | Paige Browning |John O'Brien

Child safety advocates and Washington state representatives met on the steps of Seattle City Hall today to call for a review of Washington’s Amber Alert system. Their calls are in response to the deaths of the three Decker sisters. Wenatchee Police had asked the state patrol to issue an Amber Alert for the missing girls, but instead got an Endangered Missing Persons Advisory, which does not send out cellphone alerts.
KUOW All Things Considered

2 weeks ago | kuow.org | Kim Malcolm |John O'Brien

Get the latest breaking news and updates on developing stories from around our region and nation with local host Kim Malcolm.
City of Bellingham sends love letter (of sorts) to Canadian neighbors boycotting the US

4 weeks ago | m.kuow.org | Kim Malcolm |John O'Brien

Aerial View of Bellingham, Washington including the waterfront redevelopment, downtown, and Mount Baker in the distance. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0/ Nick Kelly It's been four months since the start of cross border tensions between the US and Canada and the boycott of Canadian visitors is deepening. The latest traffic data shows half the number of vehicles with Canadian plates coming into Washington state in April compared to last year.
To recuse or not to recuse? The Seattle City Council debates an ethics conundrum

1 month ago | m.kuow.org | Paige Browning |John O'Brien

City Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall, Seattle, Washington. The Seattle City Council is scheduled to debate a change to the city's ethics policy Thursday. Current rules require council members to recuse themselves if they have a financial conflict of interest, which can mean some districts aren't fully represented in a vote. A proposed bill would make it easier for members to vote on legislation they have an interest in, but still require them to disclose any potential conflicts.
UW professor looks for ways to make the ethical best of AI-enhanced learning

1 month ago | m.kuow.org | Kim Malcolm |John O'Brien

When generative artificial intelligence, or AI, dropped into our lives two and a half years ago, educators around the world went into a panic. Suddenly there was a chatbot easily accessible to students that could help them cheat on tests and assignments and likely get away with it. Fast forward, and now students are complaining that teachers are using AI in their jobs, and they don't like it. Katy Pearce is an associate professor in the University of Washington's Department of Communication.
Sole survivor of deadly North Cascades climbing accident shares details

1 month ago | m.kuow.org | Kim Malcolm |John O'Brien

Early Winters Spires in the North Cascades Wikimedia Commons/Ron Clausen, CC BY-SA 4.0 We’re learning more about the climbing accident that left three men dead in the North Cascades last weekend. The men were identified yesterday as 48-year-old Vishnu Irigireddy of Renton, 36-year-old Oleksander Martynenko of Bellevue, and 63-year-old Tim Nguyen of Renton. One man survived what the Okanagan County Sheriff's Office says was a 400-foot fall.
Seattle’s 135-year-old ‘irrational’ love affair with Bartell Drugs draws to a sad close

1 month ago | m.kuow.org | Kim Malcolm |John O'Brien

Bartell Drugs on Greenwood Avenue in Seattle, just north of 85th Street, circa 1950s. Wikimedia Commons We learned recently that all of the remaining Bartell Drugs stores will close this year. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm reached out to local historian Feliks Banel to mark the sad final chapter of a remarkable business story. They talked about what led to the moment in 1890 when 22-year-old pharmacist George H. Bartell Sr. bought a drug store in Seattle, and what happened next.
Seattle scores a Professional Women’s Hockey League expansion team

1 month ago | m.kuow.org | Paige Browning |John O'Brien

The Professional Women's Hockey League announced this week it will expand to Seattle next season. Seattle will soon be home to all three of America's professional women's sports leagues, hockey, soccer and basketball. The yet to be named Seattle team will play at Climate Pledge Arena and share the Kraken’s training facility. Seattle Times sports reporter Kate Shefte talked to KUOW’s Paige Browning about what to expect from the new team. This interview has been edited for clarity.
A record-size run of pink salmon may be headed toward Washington state

1 month ago | m.kuow.org | Kim Malcolm |John O'Brien

Biologists expect a record number of pink salmon to return to Puget Sound and Washington rivers and streams this year. And while that may seem like a good signal about salmon habitat, it's also raising some concerns. Matt Bogaard is a specialist in chum, pink and sockeye salmon species with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He spoke to KUOW’s Kim Malcolm about what a big run of pinks means for our region. This interview has been edited for clarity.