A group of Washington parents, school board members, and educators filed a lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court, stating that House Bill 1296 (HB 1296) strips families of key rights. The law limits what schools can tell parents about their kids.

Democrats said the bill clarifies what rights parents and students have in public schools, protecting student privacy while still giving parents access to most records and information.

However, Paige McElwrath with the Citizen Action Defense Fund, which filed suit against the bill, argues it is unconstitutional.

“It’s less about, you know, transgender issues or ideology,” she said. “It’s more so about parental rights, given that parents are the primary stakeholders and the outcome of their children.”

McElwrath stated the bill violates not only parents’ rights, but also religious freedoms, the single-subject rule in the Washington Constitution, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and federal law.

Supporters argue HB 1296 will ensure all students are protected from discrimination and harassment.

The Washington State Attorney General’s Office told KIRO Newsradio it will work with state agencies to respond in court, but it has not yet seen the filing.

Meanwhile, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction told KIRO Newsradio it is reviewing the complaint.

“OSPI is charged with implementing, upholding, and enforcing the law and will continue to do so unless or until the law changes,” a spokesperson for OSPI stated.

Breaking down Washington’s parental rights bill

Controversies about HB 1296 are not new. In February, Democrats and Republicans in Washington traded verbal fireworks over the bill.

Democratic lawmakers accused their Republican counterparts of misleading and confusing the public regarding one of the most contentious aspects of the bill: parental notifications.

HB 1296 modified parts of Initiative 2081 (I-2081), the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which was passed by the legislature last year. The initiative was originally intended for a statewide vote, but the Democratic-controlled House and Senate adopted it as law without sending it to the ballot.

Democrats later vowed to “fix” certain aspects of the initiative. HB 1296 contains some of those revisions, particularly regarding the rule that requires parents to be notified immediately if their child is involved in an incident at school or a health care decision that the student wishes to keep private.

HB 1296 sought to revert back to a 48-hour notification rule, which had been in place for 20 years. Democrats argued this time frame allows school officials and law enforcement to properly assess situations before informing parents.

House Bill 1296 passed

In April, despite not receiving any Republican votes, Senate Democrats were able to pass HB 1296.

Democrats argued HB 1296 creates and installs important safeguards for students while providing greater clarity to the already-existing Parents’ Bill of Rights law. But Republicans argued it guts and rewrites the voter-backed initiative that was passed into law last year, taking control away from parents and local school districts.

Contributing: Frank Lenzi and Matt Markovich, KIRO Newsradio; Frank Sumrall and Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

Council members heard public testimony Wednesday from critics and supporters.

“These ordinances criminalize homelessness when people have nowhere else to sleep or rest, their choice to be outside is not voluntary,” Everett resident Caitlyn McKienney said. “These laws disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, making the simple fact of being unhoused a punishable offense.”

Rich Ryan told the council this is a personal issue for him, having experienced homelessness himself for more than five years.

” l could tell you from experience that dehumanizing people does not help whatsoever,” Ryan said. ” Do you guys really think this is a good time to make poverty a crime when everybody’s kind of hanging on by their fingernails?”

A speaker identified only as “Jose” spoke to the council about the buffer zone near Compass Health in Everett.

“The buffer zone has opened up more collaboration between the city, police, Compass Health, and the neighborhood, ” Jose said. “This includes the monthly meetings and communication lines that did not exist before. Removing the zone prematurely could signal that the situation is solved when, in reality, we’re still in a fragile stage of progress.”

He said there are still people in the area loitering and taking drugs. He even said there had been a stabbing recently.

Everett Deputy Police Jeff Hendrickson said police have issued 156 warnings and 11 citations.

Council member Mary Fosse requested more information on the individuals who have been warned and cited. She made a motion to table the vote until that information comes in.

The council voted in favor of delaying the vote 4-3.

Everett City Council passes ‘no sit, no lie’ law in 2021

The Everett City Council first passed the ordinance in 2021, banning homeless camping on a 10-block radius along Smith Avenue near the I-5 overpass. The measure was originally paired with a larger proposal of using a $1 million state-funded grant to set up a pallet shelter space capable of housing 20 to 30 people.

Although the ordinance gave police the ability to sweep encampments, the plan was to first educate people who were camping and to clear access to sidewalks and businesses for pedestrians.

Then, in May 2023, Everett expanded its “no sit, no lie” law to prohibit camping and loitering outside certain shelters and facilities, including the Everett Gospel Mission. The offense was punishable with a fine of up to $500 and a jail sentence of up to 90 days.

The new ordinance also prohibited people from sitting or lying down within a two-block radius of facilities that provided substance abuse, behavioral health, and temporary housing services, KIRO 7 reported. The measure further gave Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin the authority to designate other areas as “no sit, no lie” zones.

However, the decision came with pushback, with some council members arguing people should first have a place to go before they’re told they can’t be in certain public areas of the city.

Contributing: Frank Lenzi, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas and Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Company executives said automation would allow the company to sell twice as many products within 10 years, without adding to its U.S. workforce.

The tech giant is envisioning warehouses that are 75% operated by robots, according to interviews and documents obtained by The New York Times. 

Amazon has even started preparing to soften the blow in impacted communities by working to create a better image of the company, according to The New York Times.

Documents also revealed Amazon is looking to use different terminology, such as “advanced technology” or “cobot” instead of “AI” or “robot.”

The company said the documents referenced by The New York Times are incomplete and don’t represent the company’s overall hiring strategy.

Amazon prepares to lay off 15% of its HR department

Meanwhile, Amazon is preparing to lay off approximately 15% of its HR department — equivalent to around 1,500 of the 10,000 HR employees, according to Fortune. It is currently unknown when the layoffs will take place, and how many jobs in the Puget Sound region are at risk.

The layoffs come alongside Amazon’s massive AI investments, including $100 billion in capital expenditures this year focused on expanding cloud and AI data centers.

In August, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy cited the use of AI as a driver of growth for increased Q2 profits.

He noted millions of customers used Amazon’s shopping agent, the expansion of Alexa+, and the launch of AI programs like DeepFleet.

Contributing: Heather Bosch, KIRO Newsradio; Frank Sumrall and Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

The decision follows months of debate over public nudity, neighborhood complaints, and city enforcement.

The city had considered closing the beach after reports of lewd behavior, but the judge said there wasn’t enough evidence to justify immediate action.

Seattle faces lawsuit over nude beach at Denny Blaine Park

In April, neighbors who lived near the park sued the city over what they claimed was a rash of sex perverts who would allegedly drive to the park to publicly masturbate, Seattle Red reported.

The neighborhood group, Denny Blaine Park for All, filed a complaint against the City of Seattle and Seattle Parks and Recreation.

However, parkgoers like longtime visitor “David the mailbox man” defended the culture at the park, saying the crowd polices itself during the day and that those causing trouble typically arrive after dark.

“It’s nude, not lewd,” David told “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio in May.

In July, King County Superior Court Judge Samuel Chung sided with Denny Blaine Park for All to temporarily close the park unless the City of Seattle acted within two weeks.

“Today’s decision granted the injunction and confirms the city has failed to stop ongoing illegal activity at Denny Blaine Park — including public sex and masturbation, indecent exposure, and lewd conduct,” Denny Blaine Park for All wrote in a statement. “The injunction is a necessary step to make the park safe for everyone, giving the city two weeks to do what it has ignored for years: respond to very real complaints and restore public safety.”

The court ordered the City of Seattle to submit a plan of abatement within 14 days.

In August, the city installed fencing to divide the park into clothing-optional and clothing-required zones, according to Seattle Red.

“The city has consistently said that we will not tolerate lewd and illegal activities at the park, including masturbation, leering, or public sex,” the City of Seattle stated after unveiling the plan in July. “We believe the proposed plan balances the historical nude use of the park, including by the LGBTQIA+ community, while also addressing unwanted and illegal behaviors that impact both park users and the surrounding community.”

Denny Blaine Park for All warned that the fencing could worsen matters while failing to address existing safety problems.

Contributing: Aaron Granillo and Katrina Guischard, KIRO Newsradio; Jason Rantz, Seattle Red; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

The staggering future deficit mainly stems from setbacks in student learning. The study revealed a significant global learning shortfall from the pandemic that needs to be addressed.

Researchers explained a combination of masks, testing, social distancing and targeted shutdowns could have cut the pandemic’s cost from $4.6 trillion to $1.9 trillion.

“U.S. COVID-19 school closure was not cost-effective, but other measures were,” the study stated.

Effectiveness of lockdowns during COVID-19 pandemic

They found lockdowns were most effective when they were implemented early and were strict.

Researchers also found that while lockdowns substantially lessened the spread of COVID-19, they had severe social and economic consequences, including disrupting the economy, creating job loss, and degrading student learning.

Health, economic, and social impacts were felt overwhelmingly by marginalized communities.

However, researchers noted that high-quality evidence on the economic impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) was hard to find.

“Regarding cost-effectiveness, testing, contact tracing, quarantine, and social distancing were identified as highly cost-effective, but the available reviews noted a lack of quality research and conclusive evidence,” the study stated.

Contributing: Frank Lenzi and Katrina Guischard, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

The Trump administration wants to send troops in because protesters have gathered outside the Portland U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility for months.

The lower court had previously blocked the Trump administration from deploying National guard troops to Portland to protect federal immigration personnel and property. The lower court judge ruled relatively small protests in Portland did not justify the use of federal troops.

However, there have been occasional clashes between ICE agents and protesters.

Judge blocks Trump admin. from deploying National Guard to Portland

On October 5, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying any National Guard units to Oregon at all, after a legal whirlwind that began hours earlier when the president mobilized California troops for Portland after the same judge blocked him from using Oregon’s National Guard the day before.

During a hastily called evening telephone hearing, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut granted a temporary restraining order sought by California and Oregon.

Immergut, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in his first term, seemed incredulous that the president moved to send National Guard troops to Oregon from neighboring California and then from Texas on Sunday, just hours after she had ruled the first time.

“How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention to the temporary restraining order I issued yesterday?” she questioned the federal government’s attorney, cutting him off.

“Aren’t defendants simply circumventing my order?” she said later. “Why is this appropriate?”

The White House did not immediately comment on the judge’s decision.

Trump focuses on Oregon after Portland protests

Oregon is fighting to prevent federalized National Guard troops from coming to Oregon’s largest city to address ongoing protests at an immigration processing facility there.

Small protests have been going on outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility since Trump’s second term began in January. There have been occasional flare-ups, including in June, but for weeks nightly demonstrations attracted only a few dozen people.

Trump, however, has turned his attention to the city, calling Portland “war ravaged,” and a “war zone” that is “burning down” and like “living in hell.”

Under a new mayor and police chief, the city has reduced crime, and the downtown has seen a decrease in homeless encampments and increased foot traffic.

On Sept. 28, when the Trump administration mobilized the Oregon National Guard over Gov. Tina Kotek’s wishes, the protests increased in size. On Saturday about 400 people gathered outside the ICE facility before federal agents shot tear-gas canisters into the crowd.

Trump also authorized the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago on Saturday.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said the situation in Chicago “does not require the use of the military and, as a result, the Governor opposes the deployment of the National Guard under any status.”

Sending in the National Guard from other states

About 200 federalized members of the California National Guard who had been on duty around Los Angeles were reassigned to Portland, a Pentagon spokesperson said.

Approximately 100 California National Guard troops landed in Portland and around 100 more arrived by early evening, Alan Gronewold, commander of Oregon’s National Guard, said in a court filing before the emergency hearing late Sunday.

The state of Oregon also included in its filing a memo written by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that ordered up to 400 Texas National Guard personnel activated for deployment to Oregon, Illinois and possibly elsewhere.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Hackers backed by the Chinese government are being blamed for the attack on Seattle-based F5 Inc., Bloomberg reported. Meanwhile, China publicly denied it.

“Regarding such groundless accusation made without evidence, we have made clear China’s position more than once,” China Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference, according to Bloomberg. “China always opposes and fights hacking activities in accordance with the law. And China firmly opposes spreading disinformation out of political agenda.”

F5 Inc. reveals breach in regulatory filing

F5 Inc. revealed the breach in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. Representatives for the company told customers that hackers were in the network for at least a year, Bloomberg reported.

The hackers stole files, including source code, from applications that are widely used by Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.

Federal authorities called the threat “significant” and urged agencies to update their F5 devices and software immediately.

F5 said it brought in top cybersecurity firms like CrowdStrike and Mandiant, and believes it has contained the threat, according to The Puget Sound Business Journal.

So far, there are no signs that the company’s software supply chain was tampered with. There is also no evidence that customer data or financial systems were accessed.

Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh answers to both President Donald Trump and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson.

Trump wants National Guard troops in Portland — and possibly Seattle — over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests. However, Ferguson is against that idea and vows to fight it.

Welsh told The Seattle Times that if Trump orders his troops to deploy, he must comply. But he emphasized that he is not pushing for a federal deployment.

“I am not leaning into any of that stuff,” he told the media outlet. “I have plenty of other work to do right now, plenty of other work to get ready for a million other things. It is what it is, until the phone rings.”

Welsh noted the National Guard’s track record of public service, from helping clean up after blizzards to battling wildfires, even as it faces scrutiny.

“We’ve always been the good guys,” he told The Seattle Times.

Seattle mayor signs executive orders amid National Guard deployment

Last week, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed two executive orders in the wake of Trump ordering National Guard troops to cities including Portland and Chicago.

The first order prepares Seattle for potential unauthorized National Guard deployments, establishing legal readiness and coordination with state and city officials.

The second executive order focuses on immigration enforcement, proposing a ban on masked law enforcement officers. It would also require visible identification for all agencies operating in Seattle.

The order also restricts federal immigration authorities from using city property for operations, a move officials say is intended to prevent ICE from staging in public spaces.

Trump defends his use of federal troops, saying recently, “We will never allow mobs to take over our streets, burn our cities, or destroy America.”

Washington State Department of Transportation crews will shut down lanes every night through Friday morning.

Closures will start at 10 p.m. and wrap up by 5 a.m. the next day.

On Tuesday, the express lanes will close even earlier — at 9 p.m.

Drainage upgrades on Ship Canal Bridge

Crews are prepping the road for drainage upgrades.

That work will lead to five more weekend lane closures. The next one starts Friday night around 10 p.m.

The KIRO Newsradio crew shared their wild rituals.

Charlie Harger, co-host of “Seattle’s Morning News”: “So you’ve probably heard Rick Rizzs talking about Cheetos. He’s eating Cheetos to make sure the Mariners win. Well, on Friday night, the whole Harger family, we were all downing Cheetos that entire 15-inning game, and guess what—we won. So I guess the Cheetos work.”

Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio reporter: “Here’s my superstition. So what I’d usually do is lay out all my Seattle Mariners ball caps and all my jerseys, and then I have to, during the game, pick and choose different combinations, because it’s up to me. If I’m wearing the wrong combination and they’re losing, then it’s obviously my fault, so I have to pick the right combination throughout the game. I probably go through about six or seven hat combinations and jersey combinations throughout a game.”

Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio anchor: “I don’t think I have an impact on the game. I used to as a younger kid, not anymore. I just wear my Mariners gear, my Mariners hat. I got a Griffey jersey, but it’s up to the players. Not me. I got no say in what happens on the field.”

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Newsradio traffic reporter: “It’s kind of weird. I don’t have any Mariners superstitions because I didn’t watch every game of the regular season, so it’s only kind of hit or miss. Now came to football, my son’s games, Seahawks. Oh, yeah. But the Mariners, it’s kind of hit or miss. Friday night, hat on backwards, lot of alcohol, that worked. Sunday, my hat was on backwards. Little bit alcohol wasn’t working, so I had to flip it around. Pop another and there you go. You saw what happened? Works for me. I wouldn’t recommend it for you, got an iron liver. Go Mariners.”

Paul Holden, KIRO Newsradio producer: “Well, if you follow the show, you know I’m not necessarily a born and raised Mariners fan, but I’ve hopped on the bandwagon and hopped on the superstition with the old playoff beard. Haven’t shaved since the playoffs started. Let the beard ride to see if they could beat the Rockies to get into the postseason. And now we’re gonna see if we can ride it all the way to the World Series. It’s getting itchy. It’s getting scratchy, but anything for the team to help the Mariners head to that first World Series ever. But as always, gotta sneak in that go Rockies.”

Manda Factor, co-host of “Seattle’s Morning News”: “Mine is simple. I have hopped on the Rick Rizzs Cheetos bandwagon. They have to be the crunchy kind. That’s it. Go, Mariners.”

Jake Skorheim, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show”: “My superstition is that I have to be eating the same foods. I have to be wearing the same clothes. So on Friday night, when the Mariners went 15 innings, I was wearing this jersey. So I had to wear it again on Sunday. So I did, and then now I’m wearing it today. So they better win today. If they don’t win, I suppose I have to burn all these clothes, which would be a shame, because I do like the jersey. So yeah, it’s just replicating and just doing your part, just to make sure that everything is the exact same, so that the team can be in their best shape to win. I don’t know how much I’m affecting it. I’d say probably no more than 1 or 2% of the outcome is based on the clothes that I’m wearing and the foods that I’m eating, but every little bit helps.”

Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest lead editor: “My superstition is, because I work here super early in the morning, so when I get out of here in the early afternoon, the Mariners have had the best success if I’ve made my scrambled eggs before the game. They have lost every time I haven’t. If it’s five o’clock, first pitch, two o’clock first pitch—I need to make my scrambled eggs and eat it before the game starts. So far, that’s worked. Go, Mariners.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

A judge on Friday revised the sentence for former Seattle SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp, adding one day of confinement — with credit for time served — in connection with a 2023 shooting outside Tacoma Mall.

Kemp had originally avoided jail time, but prosecutors questioned whether that lack of jail time was legal.

Along with the revised sentence, Kemp will still be required to serve 30 days of electronic home monitoring and complete 240 hours of community service.

Prior to Kemp’s original sentencing in August, prosecutors were pushing for a nine-month jail sentence after Kemp pleaded guilty to second-degree assault. Kemp was arrested after he shot at a car outside the Tacoma Mall. Kemp had tracked his stolen phone to the mall and fired three shots at the suspects. No one was injured. Kemp told on-scene officers that he had fired the gun in self-defense.

The judge acknowledged that Kemp put multiple lives at risk when he repeatedly shot a gun outside the Tacoma Mall. However, the judge offered leniency due to Kemp’s claim of acting in self-defense.

Kemp vowed to advocate for gun violence prevention moving forward.

“I recognize the mistake, and that’s a tough process to go through, but I’m definitely glad it’s over,” Kemp said after the sentencing.

Shawn Kemp’s stake in pot business

Until the sentencing, Kemp faced uncertainty about his partial ownership of Kemp’s Cannabis.

Brian Smith, communications director at the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board, said felony convictions make it difficult to renew a cannabis license.

“It’s up to the board to make those decisions,” Smith said. “Our guidelines say no. If you are convicted of a felony within 10 years, our guidelines say not to go forward with that license.”

Licenses to operate a cannabis business are required and must be renewed annually. Kemp has a 10% ownership in Kemp’s Cannabis, according to Smith.

If Kemp were denied a cannabis license renewal, Smith said, there are options available to keep the businesses operating.

“The board even has the option of only letting it go forward without him on the license,” Smith said. “Or the other members [business co-owners] could ask him to leave. That’s a business decision on their end.”

KIRO Newsradio reached out to Kemp’s Cannabis for comment, but has not heard back.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

House minority leader joins Rep. Suzan DelBene in Bellevue

Jeffries joined Rep. Suzan DelBene, Washington gubernatorial candidate Bob Ferguson, and other officials at Overlake Medical Center to warn that the plan could result in higher patient costs and the loss of coverage for more than 250,000 Washington residents.

“We will not support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. Period. Full stop,” Jeffries said.

“Savings like these allow us to use this bill to renew the Trump tax cuts and keep Republicans’ promise to hardworking middle-class families,” Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, who spoke to The Associated Press in May, said.

He is the GOP chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles health care spending.

The proposed cuts are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Contributing: James Lynch and Frank Lenzi, KIRO Newsradio

The attack happened Sunday evening, near 3rd Avenue and Pike Street.

There were several passengers on the bus when the person was stabbed.

The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Deputies search for King County bus stabbing suspect

Meanwhile, the suspect left the area. Deputies are currently investigating.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carly Cappetto confirmed that two deputies recently resigned to take other jobs, presumably with the Tacoma Police Department, although she declined to name the agency.

“We have a lot of rumors going around that more are leaving, and we’ve had a handful say that they will be leaving,” Cappetto said. “But until we actually see a resignation letter, we can’t confirm how many are leaving.”

Cappetto acknowledged that Tacoma PD is offering a “very attractive” $50,000 signing bonus, available only to those who live in Pierce County — a detail that makes the offer feel personal to her department.

“We can’t compete with that,” Cappetto said. “We’ve always done more work with less. And that is not something new to us, and we will continue to serve our community as best we can with what limited resources we have.”

“As a matter of practice, we don’t confirm the prior employment of our officers,” Tacoma Police Officer Shelbie Boyd told KIRO Newsradio in an email. “Like most agencies, our recruitment officers do focus on lateral hires because they bring experience to the job.”

The timing is especially difficult. The sheriff’s office currently has nearly two dozen vacancies, and deputies are in the midst of negotiating a new contract.

In June, deputies rejected — by a vote of 290 to 1 (99.7%) — County Executive Ryan Mello’s contract offer. The vote had a record-breaking 97% turnout.

“Public safety in Pierce County starts with the men and women who wear the badge. They deserve more than lip service,” the Pierce County Deputy Sheriff’s Independent Guild stated. “They deserve a contract that reflects the risks they take and the service they provide. The executive’s offer simply doesn’t deliver.”

Mello’s contract features a pay raise of 10% over the next three years (4%, 3%, then 3%).

“Arbitration for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Guild was authorized a few weeks ago, and that process is now underway,” Pierce County Communications Coordinator Haley Castanera told KIRO Newsradio in an email on Friday. “We strive to provide competitive compensation for all our employees within the resources available.”

I keep getting emails, DM’s, FB messenger messages, and phone calls from my haters threatening to call HR, the Executive, the County Council, and the ACLU to have me either fired or removed from office for my social media posts. They think that scares me. They are dumb.

— Sheriff Keith Swank (@Swank4America) September 5, 2025

Meanwhile, Sheriff Keith Swank is drawing scrutiny for controversial social media posts, including one in which he questioned whether transgender individuals should be banned from owning firearms.

“I keep getting emails, DMs, FB Messenger messages, and phone calls from my haters threatening to call HR, the Executive, the County Council, and the ACLU to have me either fired or removed from office for my social media posts,” Swank said in a post on X Friday. “They think that scares me. They are dumb.”

Like most agencies, our recruitment officers do focus on lateral hires because they bring experience to the job

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called out The Seattle Times and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell for defending a man who was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody last month.

“Today, DHS set the record straight on The Seattle Times’ defense of Pakistani criminal illegal alien, and fraudster Muhammad Chaudhry,” DHS wrote in a news release Thursday. “While Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and the media attempt to paint a sob story of this career criminal, DHS is providing the facts about this criminal illegal alien’s extensive rap sheet.”

Muhammad Chaudhry claimed to be a military veteran and is also the husband of Melissa Chaudhry, who is running for Congress in Washington’s 9th District

“Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry served our country and was taking the lawful steps toward citizenship,” Harrell wrote in a statement on August 28. “Detaining him in that process is unjust and undermines faith in the system. This administration’s immigration enforcement is targeting our neighbors, friends, and even veterans rather than focusing on real public safety threats.”

U.S. Congressional candidate’s husband’s criminal record

DHS stated that Muhammad Chaudhry has a criminal record that started when he entered the U.S. in 1988 on a B-2 visitor visa and lied to the government about his past in Australia—which includes five counts of financial deception, possession of stolen goods, and falsifying passports.

Muhammad Chaudhry lied to obtain a green card in the U.S. and was denied citizenship twice, dating back to 2008, according to DHS. He applied for citizenship eight more times and reportedly continued to lie.

DHS stated Muhammad Chaudhry also falsely claimed he was deployed to Iraq and collected $449,459.82 in taxpayer funds from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans’ Benefits Administration (VBA). He currently owes the U.S. government $81,080 for a mortgage reduction grant from the VBA, but has reportedly not made any payments.

“Why do sanctuary politicians and the media continue to peddle sob stories of criminal illegals and smear our brave ICE law enforcement officers?” a DHS spokesperson said, according to the news release. “Make no mistake, these types of lies are contributing to our ICE law enforcement officers facing a 1,000% increase in assaults against them.”

Muhammad Chaudhry detained by ICE

Muhammad Chaudhry was detained by ICE in late August when he arrived for an interview at an immigration office in Tukwila.

“We saw faithlessness and we saw betrayal, when we came in good faith, with open hands and put ourselves into their power,” Melissa Chaudhry told KIRO Newsradio. “And now my family is torn in pieces, and my soul is shredded, and I have to explain this to our two little children who don’t know what happened to their Baba.”

Melissa Chaudhry said her husband is a disabled U.S. military veteran who has lived in the country for 25 years.

“They waited an hour before they told us, according to what I spoke with him when he was in the detention center, and they have given us no explanation as to why,” Melissa Chaudhry said.

Muhammad Chaudhry connected to multiple fraud cases

Muhammad Chaudhry was allegedly involved in two incidents where he made misrepresentations to government officials after he came to America in 2000, The Olympian reported.

Muhammad Chaudhry was a taxi driver in Australia in 1996 when one of his customers didn’t have money for their fare and left their passport as a promise to return with cash. Muhammad Chaudhry allegedly used the passport to try to open a bank account and obtain medical benefits, according to court records obtained by The Olympian.

Muhammad Chaudhry also used a credit card that wasn’t his, Australian police reported.

Muhammad Chaudhry was subsequently criminally convicted, but did not mention it in his 2001 visa application, according to The Olympian. Melissa Chaudhry said the conviction was the equivalent of a parking ticket.

“It’s far beyond the look back period for good moral character, and when it comes to naturalization, especially for veterans,” she said.

She had no comment on the claim that he lied on a U.S. visa application in 2001.

Muhammad Chaudhry also allegedly misrepresented his citizenship in an application to become a reserve officer at the Yakima Police Department. He did serve in the National Guard.

“This should have resulted in him being finally granted the naturalization he earned as a disabled, decorated, honorably discharged American veteran from 20 years ago, but ICE had other plans,” Melissa Chaudhry said.

She doesn’t know what will happen next.

“I don’t know right now when, if ever, I will see my husband again, or on what continents or in what decade, everything is a possibility right now,” Melissa Chaudhry shared.

She said she plans to file what she can so that ICE will tell her why her husband was detained and secure his release.

The couple has a two-year-old daughter and an 8-month-old son. 

This story was originally published on August 21, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Heather Bosch and Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio

The Pentagon issued a “letter of concern” to Microsoft after the company allowed Chinese nationals to do work for the U.S. Department of Defense.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this stems from a decade-old Microsoft program, known as “digital escorts.”

“For nearly a decade, Microsoft has used Chinese coders, remotely supervised by U.S. contractors, to support sensitive DoD cloud systems,” he said.

Pentagon terminates Microsoft program

Hegseth said the program is no longer being used at the Pentagon.

“It blows my mind that I’m even saying these things [and] that we ever allowed it to happen,” Hegseth stated.

He added that the Pentagon is working to course correct.

Microsoft also announced last month that it had stopped using China-based engineers for defense contracts.

Earlier this week, Microsoft fired four employees after protesters breached the company president’s executive office in Redmond.

At least two of the fired employees were arrested at Microsoft headquarters following the protest. In total, the Redmond Police Department arrested seven people.

Just hours after a gunman opened fire outside a Mass at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, St. James Cathedral in Seattle welcomed parishioners for a midday Mass.

Father Michael Ryan, the Pastor Emeritus of St. James, said he felt it was important that their services continued as scheduled.

“We’re not going to stop praying. We’re not going to stop gathering churches like this,” Ryan said. “If anything, we need to do it more.”

Andy, a frequent parishioner, agreed with the need to meet and pray in light of the tragedy. He attended Wednesday’s Mass to pray for the families of Minneapolis.

“The shock that the people have to go through—the parents, oh my God, and those kids. They’ll be changed for life to be in a situation like that,” Andy reflected.

Jake and Spike discuss challenge of covering Minneapolis shooting

KIRO host Jake Skorheim said when there’s not much you can do but shake your head, it’s hard to cover a school shooting.

“It’s just an awful story,” he said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “It’s a horrible story. I hate every time one of these things happens, we have to figure out how are we going to cover it? How can we be sensitive to it? Because we feel it deeply.”

KIRO host Spike O’Neill echoed Jake’s sentiment.

“I’m afraid you’re so accurately describing what’s available to us,” he shared. “We can bring you how we feel about the story. We can tell you the details of how this transpired. Hopefully, we can examine the elements that led to this and learn from those, and maybe make course corrections. But as a society, where do you start to unravel the bag of snakes that led this individual to take this action?”

Ryan said Wednesday’s deadly shooting needs more than prayers.

“I can’t get my head around it, but I also look at our country, and see how unwilling we have been to pass legislation, sensible legislation, to control the use of these firearms,” he said. “This produces a great amount of anger in me, and because we’ve been here before, we know what needs to happen, but we won’t do it.”

Arlington High School allows student to come back to school

Jake pointed to a situation at Arlington High School, where it was recently announced that a student who carried a weapon onto the premises 18 months ago may be allowed back on school grounds when classes start Sept. 3.

Parents started a petition to block the student’s re-entry to the campus. It has nearly 1,300 signatures, as of Monday morning. Parents argued that the student should be limited to online classes only.

St. James Cathedral plans to continue its regular Mass schedule in the days ahead.

KIRO Newsradio asked the Seattle Police Department (SPD) if it planned to add additional patrols around Catholic churches.

“The Seattle Police Department allocates resources where needed, and if a credible threat is perceived, officers will be dispatched immediately to the location,” an SPD spokesperson responded.

Two children and 17 people were killed in Minneapolis, according to The Associated Press. The shooter died by suicide.

Contributing: Julia Dallas and Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest; The Associated Press

A man is dead after being hit by two trucks Wednesday morning in Pierce County. Authorities believe the incident was part of a dangerous trend along the Puyallup River.

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) said a 35-year-old man was attempting to cross State Route 167 (SR 167) when he was first hit by a pickup truck and then a garbage truck.

Fishermen tend to cross SR 167 to get to Puyallup River

Investigators believe the man was attempting to go fishing at the Puyallup River, which runs along SR 167. 

“We’ve already had problems on scene of fishermen attempting to cross through this closed portion of the roadway, where we are investigating,” WSP Trooper John Datillo told KIRO Newsradio. “Every single year, it seems like we tend to have either close calls or actual pedestrian collisions, and this unfortunately happened on the first day of fishing season.

He explained the area has limited parking, so fishermen notoriously race across several lanes of traffic to get from their cars to the river. 

“The speed limit here is between 50 and 55 miles an hour. This is just an unsafe place to cross. There’s no crosswalk. Especially in the morning, it’s poorly lit, there’s no streetlights in the area,” he said.

Datillo said even during Wednesday’s investigation, more fishermen attempted to cross SR 167 on foot. He’s urged people to use caution.

One of the drivers is reportedly cooperating with investigators. The road was closed while authorities investigated, but is now back open.

Update: the road is opening now. Thank you for your patience.

— Trooper John Dattilo (@wspd1pio) August 20, 2025

Contributing: Gwen Baumgardner, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to meet face-to-face in Alaska. The US-Russia summit talks are expected to address the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for more than three years.

“I am going in to speak to Vladimir Putin and I will be telling him, ‘You have to end this war. You have to end it,” Trump stated at a press conference Monday.

Trump: Zelenskyy not invited to US-Russia summit

In the same press conference, Trump said that it wasn’t up to him to make a deal. He also confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to the summit.

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-D) questioned that exclusion in an interview with KIRO Newsradio.

“If Putin and Trump want to talk about how we can go about getting us closer to that point, fine, but there’s no way that Trump and Putin are going to be able to negotiate an end to this war, excluding Zelenskyy, Ukraine, and Europe,” Smith said.

The congressman went on to say that he’s not optimistic about the success of the upcoming talks.

“Trump has not put any pressure on Putin. He’s kept saying he’s going to increase sanctions, but never does. So I think Trump’s walking into this conversation from a position of weakness, and Putin is just seeing what more he can get. I don’t see any evidence that Putin is sincere in trying to get to a peace agreement,” Smith said.

A suspect was killed and an officer was injured after a shooting in Yakima.

Yakima police officers were trying to approach a wanted suspect in a neighborhood on the east side of the city, just after 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The suspect was connected to a shooting that left a 33-year-old woman dead and a 13-year-old boy in the hospital with gunshot wounds, according to KIRO 7.

After a short vehicle chase, police were able to immobilize the suspect’s car at the intersection of East Walnut Avenue and 3rd Street, according to the Yakima Police Department.

During the encounter, gunfire erupted after a passenger in the car shot at officers, who then returned fire.

Officer hurt in Yakima shooting

The 36-year-old homicide suspect was killed, while the driver of the suspected car is in custody with non-life-threatening injuries.

A Yakima officer was also shot, but the injuries were not life-threatening. Medics transported the officer to the hospital, but the hospital later released the officer.

The Washington State Patrol’s Yakima Valley Special Investigations Unit is investigating the shooting.

Contributing: KIRO 7; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest