Revisiting KTTH’s top blogs of 2022

It has been an interesting year so far at MyNorthwest, and to round out the rest of the year, we are bringing you a recap of some of KTTH’s top blogs of 2022.

1. Rantz: Seattle activist invites homeless to her home, immediately regrets it (August 1, 2022)

A Seattle activist was upset that the city swept a dangerous encampment. In response, she offered up her own home for the homeless to sleep in. Hours later, she reportedly regretted that decision.

City workers cleared an encampment in SoDo that created dangerous, untenable conditions for both residents and nearby businesses. Activists, socialist city councilwoman Tammy Morales, and staff at The Seattle Times complained this move was taken “during a heatwave.” Apparently, you’re supposed to keep vulnerable people outside to suffer in the scorching heat, rather than bring them into air conditioning, offering them access to electricity and clean, running water.

2. Rantz: WA schools adopt race-based discipline, white students to get harsher punishment (March 21, 2022)

A Washington school board butted heads over a new student discipline policy that considers a student’s race before deciding on a punishment.

The Clover Park School District debated its new “culturally responsive” student discipline policy. It means student discipline would not be consistent based on conduct. Instead, a school considers a student’s race and background. It would likely offer harsher punishments to white students, even if the conduct is identical to that of a Black or Hispanic student.

3. ‘I’m not moving, and I’ve got guns’: Drug dealer stakes claim to Seattle business (September 15, 2022)

Robert, the owner of Yellow Butterfly Coffee in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood, feared for his life last Monday and again Thursday when a suspected drug dealer refused to move from his preferred spot on 3rd Ave.

The man sold drugs outside the coffee shop for about five years. Robert finally had enough and asked him to move someplace else.

4. Rantz: Space Needle turned into syringe with new paint job (May 8, 2022)

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Space Needle, the icon’s roof returned to its signature orange hue. The color has taken on new meaning.

Uhm, the Space Needle now looks like the many syringes littering city streets and sidewalks around the Seattle Center.

5. Rantz: Despite ‘concerning’ transgender study, UW kept quiet because of positive coverage (August 23, 2022)

A University of Washington study, in partnership with Seattle Children’s Hospital, claimed gender-affirming care via puberty blockers leads to positive mental health outcomes for transgender teen patients. That characterization, however, was false, forcing substantial edits to the materials used to promote the study and prompting UW to cease promoting the research.

Despite all that, the UW communications staff chose not to proactively respond to “some pretty concerning claims” about the study because it had already received glowing media coverage, according to emails exclusively obtained by the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

Thank you so much for reading, from everyone at the MyNorthwest team, and we will see you in the New Year.