Thursday, February 23, 2012 @ 6:52pm

WSP trooper was living the American dream

Tony Radulescu grew up in a communist country, and then grew to love the Puget Sound area as he became the first Romanian emigrant commissioned as a Washington State Patrol Trooper.

We're learning more about the trooper who was killed by a man, with a felony record, during a traffic stop early Thursday along Highway 16 in Gorst.

Part of the picture of who he was comes from an article written by Sergeant Mark Couey for The Washington Trooper magazine.

In 1977, Radulescu's father called a family meeting because he wanted his kids to have a better life than he had known under communist rule.

"My dad was very smart, thank God, so we were able to figure a way to get out," Radulescu said in the article.

After years of rejected paperwork, harassment and bureaucracy, Radulescu and his father fled the Socialist Republic of Romania. They got on an airplane with only two suitcases and "high hopes."

Arriving in the U.S. as a teenager he recalled being awestruck by so many choices, so many cars, so much food, and such great freedoms.

After finishing high school back East, he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Lewis. He remained in the reserves for many years. He graduated with the 79th cadet class on July 30, 1996.

On the Officer Down memorial page for Radulescu, troopers and fellow military members from all around the country are honoring his service. The site also lists all 27 Washington State Patrol troopers who died in the line of duty, dating back to 1923.

Thursday, February 23, 2012 @ 6:22pm

Six laws proposed for child custody cases

If any good can come out of the deaths of his grandchildren, Chuck Cox said he hopes it's changes in the way Child Protective Services and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services do business.

In response to the murders of Charlie and Braden Powell, a state senator proposes six new laws to fix perceived flaws in the system that deals with child custody cases.

The boys were on a court-ordered, supervised visitation with their father, Josh Powell, when he killed them and himself by spreading an fire accelerant in his home and torching it.

State Senator Pam Roach filed the bills after meeting with Chuck and Judy Cox.

"We believe there's a lack of strong guidelines, and we believe there are policies and procedures that need to change," Chuck Cox says.

Roach, and attorneys for the Cox family, believe Washington's Department of Social and Health Services knew police in Utah were conducting a murder investigation into Susan Cox-Powell's disappearance in 2009. Visitation rights at Josh Powell's home should not have been allowed, considering he was a suspect in his wife's disappearance which the police were investigating as a murder case.

Here are the bills Roach introduced:

Senate Bill 6602 – creating child welfare transparency committees within each of the six DSHS regions. The four legislative caucuses, the attorney general and governor would appoint the six members.

Senate Bill 6603 – preventing a child custody award to someone considered a suspect in an active murder investigation.

Senate Bill 6604 – establishing what is to be contained in background information for guardians. The list includes a statement of financial affairs, number of years of experience, level of formal education and founded allegations of child abuse.

Senate Bill 6605 – requiring Child Protective Services workers to be licensed social workers and bonded.

Senate Bill 6606 – breaking the Department of Social and Health Services into the Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Public Welfare, and Department of Medical and Rehabilitative Services.

Roach also reintroduced a bill she sponsored a couple of years ago which would give grandparents some standing in child dependency proceedings.

The Cox family believes these laws are reasonable and might prevent tragedies like theirs. However, a few lawmakers expressed concerns about rushing to create legislation to deal with one incident.

The DSHS has not formally responded to the bills, which were introduced Thursday.

The state's Department of Social and Health Services also formed a team that will review the deaths of Charlie and Braden Powell. That panel, which is set to meet at the end of April, includes a psychologist that specializes in sex offender treatment law enforcement.

By Linda Thomas

AP Photo, Elaine Thompson

Thursday, February 23, 2012 @ 1:37pm

WSP officer 'I see people without their halos'

A 16-year-veteran of the Washington State Patrol, killed in the line of duty today, was the kind of person everyone wanted to be around. As a trooper, he saw the best and worst in drivers.

Trooper Tony Radulescu was doing his job early this morning when a man he'd stopped shot him and left him to die by the side of Highway 16 near Gorst.

WSP Chief John Batiste says the fallen trooper was" well-known and loved in the community."

The 44-year-old Radulescu was a military veteran, and the father of a soldier.

"He was a very popular person within the agency, a great personality. I loved being around him, a real sense of humor. A person who was highly thought of in the community. One that was in high demand, particularly in dealing with school children. So he did a lot of talking at local schools in the Kitsap County area," Batiste says. "He was a father and a peer to many of us who was dearly loved."

In 2007, The Kitsap Sun wrote a feature about Radulescu who often was on patrol in a maroon 2003 Chevy Impala that he said helped him peer into the souls of motorists.

"I see people without their halos," Radulescu said in a slight Romanian accent, referring to the "halo effect," or the tendency for people to be on their best behavior when they know a police officer is watching. "I see people with their little horns growing." Read their story here.

The loss is being felt throughout the community .

"My heart is heavy this morning as we mourn the loss of Trooper Tony Radulescu," says Governor Gregoire. "Trooper Radulescu was a humble public servant who spent his entire career risking his life to defend ours. Washington state lost a true hero this morning."

By Linda Thomas

WSP Photo

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 @ 5:57pm

Voters would uphold same-sex marriage law

Washington voters would uphold the state's same-sex marriage law if the issue makes it to the November ballot, according to a new survey from Public Policy Polling.

The polling firm surveyed about 1,200 voters in Washington between February 16th and 19th. If there is a referendum on the new same-sex marriage law, 50 percent of voters said they would uphold the marriage equality law while 40 percent would repeal it.

Only 20 percent of voters say "there should be no legal recognition of same-sex couples at all," and 32 percent said they support civil unions but not gay marriage.

The poll then asked the question a different way, "Do you think same-sex marriage should be legal or illegal? To that, 49 percent said "legal," 44 percent responded "illegal" and 7 percent weren't sure.

Governor Christine Gregoire after she signed into law a measure that legalizes same-sex marriage Monday, Feb. 13, 2012. The law takes effect June 7, unless enough signatures are gathered for a referendum on the November ballot. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

Washington Initiative 502, which would legalize and allow for the sale and regulation of marijuana, looks headed for passage if the election were today. 47 percent of voters support the initiative, while 39 percent oppose it.

Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna are tied - each with 42 percent support. One-third of the voters polled said they didn't know enough about each candidate to be certain of their vote, and about 16 percent are undecided.

The Attorney General’s race is also close. About 34 percent support Republican Reagan Dunn, and 32 percent favor Democrat Bob Ferguson.

About 14 percent who responded to the survey described themselves as "very liberal." 17 percent were on the other extreme of "very conservative." The largest group was in the middle, with 28 percent calling themselves "moderate."

The Washington poll was not paid for by a campaign or political party. The polling company, based in North Carolina, is run by a Democratic pollster but independent analysis shows their surveys tend to skew toward Republicans if anything.

By Linda Thomas

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 @ 5:53pm

The first Starbucks ski-through coffee shop

Starbucks, known for coffee shops on every corner so office workers won't have to cross the street, is now making easier for skiers to grab a cup of Joe on the go.

Squaw Valley has opened the world's first ski-through Starbucks location.

When I lived at Lake Tahoe 25 years ago, I actually had to take my skis off to go into the lodge for a hot chocolate. Oh, how times have changed. At 8,000 feet up the mountain at Squaw Valley, there's a Starbucks with incredible views. Skiers and snowboarders can swoosh through without taking their gear off.

Photos by Hank deVre

By Linda Thomas

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 @ 1:21pm

Attorney General takes on Google privacy

Google's plan to round up all its users' account data on various platforms and make it available for targeted advertising doesn't go over well with Washington's Attorney General.

Today Rob McKenna and 35 other state attorneys general outlined concerns about changes to Google’s privacy policy in a letter to Google CEO Larry Page. The privacy changes, which take effect March 1, could put consumers at a greater risk of identity theft and fraud, they say.

"Consumers should have the choice of opting in, rather than being forced to opt out, before they give out so much personal information," McKenna says. "Those using Google’s search engine, Google Maps, YouTube and about half of all smartphones will be among those most affected. Their whereabouts, calling, buying and Web browsing habits will be tracked for commercial uses—and there’s no easy way to say no, other than ditching your phone and most of Google’s other products."

Under the new privacy policy, Google gives itself the freedom to combine users’ personal information from their Web browsing, along with their interactions with all other popular Google products, such as YouTube, Google Docs, and the Google calendar.

There actually could be a benefit to consumers to like to have all their Google accounts linked and easily accessible. But, if all this data is in one handy place, that could make a "tantalizing target" for hackers and privacy thieves.

Google explains their privacy changes on their blog here. They make it clear, "If you’re signed in, we may combine information you've provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience."

The attorneys general have requested a meeting with Google's CEO, as soon as possible. Mr. Page has been asked to reply to their letter later than Wednesday, February 29.

By Linda Thomas

Photo by Beck Diefenbach / Reuters

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 @ 10:15am

Podcast: One social tool you should use

Forget social media tools that appeal to your ego and tell you how special and influential you are. Focus on one tool that I think has value.

Podcast: 140 Seconds on TweetReach

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 @ 2:16am

Microsoft, Amazon say little about Foxconn

A Chinese woman who carves the Apple logo into metal had never seen what a tablet computer looked like. She gasped when an ABC reporter went into the controversial Foxconn plant and showed her an iPad.

Foxconn has 13 factories in nine Chinese cities. It's largest factory, where hundreds of thousands of people work, has been criticized for forced overtime, underage labor, suicides and exposure to dangerous chemicals.

ABC News was invited inside the plant, where Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.com products are made. Reporter Bill Weir was told he could ask any questions.

The report shows employees toiling in silence under fluorescent lights, with occasional commands from supervisors in Mandarin.

Workers perform repetitive tasks, some using tweezers to insert parts. In the Foxconn dormitory rooms, eight workers share a small space crammed with bunk beds.

It’s been reported that Foxconn workers are as young as 12 years old. While some of the women in ABC's photos look like they could be 16, there are no adolescents visible.

Watch ABC video from inside plant:

Seattle author and actor Mike Daisey watched the Nightline report with skepticism. Daisey, who performs a one-man show called "The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs," talked with workers outside Foxconn and believes they might have been more truthful when talking to him.

"Nightline had unrestricted access and could talk to whomever they chose, but there were always a group of Foxconn people with them at all times. So workers have a news crew, with cameras and lights, and a number of Foxconn executives shadowing them, and in that environment they were expected to tell their stories," Daisey writes on his blog.

Daisey says the ABC interview has a lot of Apple PR shine on it.

"Apple is reacting here to public pressure, and we can not afford the luxury of believing that anything happening now would happen without that pressure," he says. "We must not relent."

The pressure may be on Apple, but they're not alone in using Foxconn as a manufacturer. Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Amazon.com's Kindle and Kindle Fire rely on Foxconn. I asked both companys for information about their use of the plant, and any labor investigations they've done there. Their PR statements:

Microsoft

"We do not disclose which specific products are manufactured by which suppliers as that information is confidential and changes from time to time as we dial up and down production of various products across our suppliers. Microsoft takes working conditions in the factories that manufacture its products very seriously. We monitor working conditions closely on an ongoing basis and address issues as they emerge."

Amazon

"At Amazon, we have a strong commitment to conducting business in a lawful and ethical manner, including engaging suppliers that are committed to the same principles." Amazon's statement on fair pay: "Suppliers should realize that wages are essential to meeting their employees' basic needs. Our suppliers must pay their workers in a timely manner and by providing compensation including overtime pay and benefits that at a minimum satisfy applicable laws."

Would you pay more for electronics from Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, if it meant their products were produced in a factories with better working conditions?

By Linda Thomas

Foxconn photo Kin Cheung/AP