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Oct 1, 2020

Hello, it's Monday, September 21. The West Coast finally got some smoke-clearing weather — and relief from toxic air. But do those tiny particles of soot have long-lasting implications for our health? Reporter Mara Kardas-Nelson with Investigate West has a thorough look at that question, below.

Also in today's newsletter: Fresh food through community fridges, and what's stopping King County from opening more shelters. Plus, a closer look at the economic dilemma bar and restaurant workers face each day — the latest in our Facing the Fallout series.

The Big Stories.

Heavy wildfire smoke blurs the view of the Space Needle from Kerry park

Wildfire smoke obscures the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline in a view from Kerry Park, Sept. 11, 2020. (Dan DeLong/InvestigateWest)

Wildfire smoke’s health impacts have only just begun

by Mara Kardas-Nelson

A growing body of evidence shows smoke is a lot more dangerous than we knew before. Is the government doing enough to protect residents? » Read more

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Have a question about how wildfire smoke might affect your health?

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New Seattle pantries fight food insecurity one fridge at a time

by Margo Vansynghel

What’s stopping King County from opening more homeless shelters?

by David Kroman

At least one building meant for emergency use sits empty, even as people still live outside. Read more

Crosscut Focus: Facing the Fallout.

A special Crosscut report on the economic impact of the pandemic.

A restaurant worker wearing a mask stands in his home.

Ulises Mariscal, an employee at Hi Spot Cafe and member of the Seattle band Tres Leches, at the end of his shift in Seattle's Madrona neighborhood. “I'm happy that I get to be working right now, because without that job, I would be screwed,” Mariscal added later. “At the same time I feel sad we have to be working in a pandemic.” (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut)

As WA restaurants struggle, workers weigh physical and economic survival

by Margo Vansynghel

Beyond coronavirus exposure and making rent, service workers are likely coping with long-lasting mental health effects. » Read more

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Want more from our Facing the Fallout series? You can dive in further by signing up for our weeklong pop-up newsletter, below. Each day focuses on one part of the project, with commentary from the journalists about what they learned and how they got the story.

Mark your calendars!

Crosscut Live: Inside the Newsroom event series

INSIDE THE NEWSROOM
Facing the Fallout
SEPTEMBER 23 @ 4 PM

Join Crosscut for Inside the Newsroom, our debut live virtual interview series with Crosscut reporters. Hear from the journalists who created the Facing the Fallout special reporting series — and ask them your own questions about our newsroom, our reporting or whatever else you're curious about. » RSVP for this free event

Send us your questions about the reporting

More local stories on our minds:

• Seattle closes Pier 57, home to Great Wheel, after partial collapse of Pier 58 (Seattle Times)

• Seattle extends rent relief for city's tenants through end of year (KOMO)

• Watchdog: Seattle officer’s pepper-spraying kid unintended (Associated Press)

• Metro scales back North Link plans (Seattle Transit Blog)

• COVID pandemic pushes changes for Yakima Valley hop growers (Tri-City Herald)

Which PNW stories have caught your attention today? Send us links!

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Crosscut & KCTS 9: Vote 2020 - National Election coverage from PBS

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