Seattle, WA
Seattle Urban League Spent Millions To Battle COVID-19
Editor’s Note: The following article is the second of a four-part series, “The COVID Money Map”. The series seeks to explore and document how billions of dollars in government money – earmarked for COVID relief – was actually spent in Seattle.
By Hazel Trice Edney and Barrington Salmon, The Seattle Medium
Beginning in March 2020, emergency rooms and morgues overflowed in the United States and other countries around the world. Ultimately, by the end of 2023, the deadly coronavirus known as COVID-19 had killed more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. alone.
There could have been even more deaths, but leaders in the White House, state houses, local governments, and community organizations resolved that the only way to save as many lives as possible was to reach as many people as possible from every walk of life. According to the National Institutes of Health, the pandemic was “the worst public health crisis in the U.S. since the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918,” which killed 650,000 people in the U.S. and 50 million around the world.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, trillions of dollars in US government funds were poured out to save lives and livelihoods, helping cities engage in what appeared to be a David and Goliath fight. The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) was among the Davids around the nation, positioning itself as a resolute warrior leading the charge, receiving and disbursing a war chest of funds to protect people against the once-in-a-generation, unpredictable virus.
In February 2021, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee announced that his state approved and implemented a $2.2 Billion COVID-19 Relief Bill using federal funding awarded to the state. The money went toward statewide programs, including childcare, food security, small businesses, housing/homeless assistance, rental assistance, income programs, early learning and public education, and public health, particularly vaccine distribution and testing.
In a ‘By the Numbers’ segment of their website, the depth and scope of ULMS’s work are made clear, indicating the kinds of help sought by people and families during the pandemic:
Overall, ULMS spent $10.8 million in total support service.
• 3,500 families were fed.
• $6.5 million was spent on rental assistance and eviction prevention.
• $4.2 million was spent on general support services (not including rent).
• $350,000 was spent on support of small businesses with grants and contracts.
• $25,000 was spent on personal protective equipment such as masks and sanitizers.
• $18,000 was spent on direct cash assistance.
• $13,900 was spent on the disbursement of rideshare credits.
• $3,000 was spent to feed protestors at local marches and rallies.
ULMS also created a COVID-19 resource guide on its website, enabling visitors to order free at-home COVID-19 tests, producing 50 FAQ videos about the COVID-19 vaccines by African-American health professionals, initiating a vaccine conversation, and focusing on COVID education and outreach.
“The way that we all came together to support the community is something I will never forget, both within the unlikely partnerships we were able to make and within the [Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle] ULMS staff. I’m wildly impressed, inspired, and encouraged by the ULMS team,” said ULMS President/CEO Michelle Merriweather in an interview with Isabel Lay of Public Health – Seattle & King County, reflecting on King County’s Pandemic Response in the Public Health Insider. “While contracting the virus remained a constant risk, our team made every effort to respond to the growing emergent needs of those we serve and still does to this day. Everyone wanted to be a part of the solution. Their passion for this work is what keeps me going.”
During the Christmas and New Year’s holidays 2023, eight months after President Joseph Biden declared an end to the pandemic on April 10, leaders of the ULMS – like millions of other Americans – took a break to unwind, vacation, regroup, and spend time with their families. But after the indescribable trauma and round-the-clock battle for lives that they had endured, it appears that their rest could be preparation for yet another round of battle given a new COVID strand.
Dr. Eric Chow, chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunizations at Public Health Seattle King County, says a new JN.1 strand of the virus that has become the dominant COVID infection is now circulating in the U.S. It should cause people to remain on guard against the disease and to continue to remain updated on vaccines as JN.1 takes its course.
But officials say vaccinations have diminished greatly even as the danger of death and severe symptoms remains present.
“To date, 23 percent of residents in King County are up to date with their vaccinations but actually only 11 percent of Black residents are up to date in comparison to 26 percent of white residents. That’s a huge disparity and one of the things we’re working really hard to close the gap of,” Chow said. “What this highlights is that COVID continues to circulate in our communities and continues to cause severe disease, particularly in communities most vulnerable… We know that communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID throughout the pandemic continue to experience disparities up until this point, altogether highlighting why it’s so important to stay up to date with the recommended vaccinations and take the layered approach such as masking and improving indoor ventilations to help protect loved ones and family members.”
Seattle Public Health Spokeswoman Kate Cole says a Black Community Equity Team of which the Urban League is a part holds monthly resource fairs at the Skyway Resource Center to help educate the public on all aspects of COVID, including vaccines.
“There is a new updated COVID vaccine that everyone six months or older should get, even if they got the original vaccination, even if they’ve gotten multiple boosters, even if they’ve already had COVID and feel like they’re good to go now, this new vaccine is better updated to fight off a newer variant, so we’re trying to encourage everybody to get it,” Cole said.
The immediate future of COVID-19 remains a mystery in Seattle and beyond as the JN.1 variant continues to circulate. As much money that’s already been spent, much more may be needed before it’s all over.
“We got quite a bit of money from COVID response from the federal government to be able to uncover those areas where there are disparities that we didn’t previously understand,” Chow said. “It’s really important here that we get the funding that we need, and this is where the federal partners can really help us close that gap locally.”
He concludes, “It’s so easy for people to want to move beyond COVID-19. A lot of people think that COVID is in the past… CDC still reports about a thousand deaths from COVID-19 a week.”
SEATTLE — With less than two weeks before Seattle hosts matches during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle is escalating his criticism of Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision not to activate newly installed CCTV cameras in the Stadium District and suggesting she is violating established law.
In a sharply worded letter sent Monday, Kettle argues that the mayor’s decision to pause activation of the city’s Technology-Assisted Public Safety Pilot Program is inconsistent with city law and the ordinances approved by the Seattle City Council.
RELATED | Mayor Wilson hosts discussion on surveillance and security, takes questions from public
“I believe that she is not operating according to the ordinances, the law with respect to the stadium ordinances, and her duties under the charter,” Kettle said in an interview on Tuesday.
The dispute centers on 22 CCTV cameras that have already been installed in and around Seattle’s Stadium District but remain inactive as city leaders debate privacy concerns and the circumstances under which the system should be used.
Kettle said the approaching World Cup is what prompted him to send the letter.
“Basically, we’re less than two weeks out from the World Cup, and we’re not ready,” Kettle said. “We have capacity with these stadium cameras, they’re up, they’re installed, but they’re not turned on.”
In his letter, Kettle argues that the council already approved the surveillance technology through council-approved ordinances, specifically outlining the limited circumstances under which the program can be paused.
According to Kettle, those conditions include situations where the city is compelled to release camera data for civil immigration enforcement, gender-affirming care investigations, or reproductive healthcare matters, or when city leaders determine the technology is being used for those purposes.
RELATED | City leaders say Seattle ready for World Cup, despite concerns with surveillance, drones
“Neither condition has occurred that would merit a temporary program pause,” Kettle wrote.
The councilmember contends that the Seattle Municipal Code and the approved surveillance impact report provide no authority for the mayor to indefinitely delay the program’s implementation beyond those specified exceptions.
The mayor’s office has defended its position, saying activation decisions will be guided by public safety experts and intelligence assessments ahead of the World Cup.
“Mayor Wilson continues to consult public safety officials regarding circumstances that might warrant use of the expanded set of cameras during the FIFA World Cup,” the mayor’s office said in a previous statement. “We appreciate councilmembers’ perspectives, and those will be part of ongoing discussions.”
The previous statement continued:
“With regard to credible threats: Identifying a credible threat involves multiple experts from federal, state, and local agencies monitoring and assessing various streams of information. In collaboration with one another, they weigh incoming intelligence and jointly recommend whether to elevate security operations. Mayor Wilson’s decision whether to activate the Stadium District cameras will be informed by this group’s recommendation.”
The mayor’s office has been asked if there is a change in perspective given Kettle’s letter. In a new statement obtained by KOMO News on Tuesday, the mayor’s office said Wilson’s position remains “unchanged.”
“Per our legal review, we believe council has the authority to pause the use of adopted surveillance technology but cannot require its use,” the mayor’s office said in Tuesday’s statement. “The Mayor is ensuring that our use of surveillance technology is protective of civil rights, liberties, and privacy and provides sufficient data privacy safeguards. The Mayor has a duty to make sure our use of these technologies is responsible.”
Kettle argues that waiting for a specific threat before activating the cameras misunderstands modern security planning.
SEE ALSO | Seattle mayor’s verbal missteps prompt national and viral attention, leadership questions
“There are credible concerns,” Kettle said, citing worries about drones and other security issues surrounding a major international event.
He pointed to examples, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, arguing that public officials often do not receive advance warning before attacks occur.
“This idea that you’re going to get a credible threat warning is not right. It’s not the professional standard,” Kettle said. “The 22 cameras are installed, they’re ready to go, they just need to be turned on.”
Opponents of the camera expansion have raised concerns that footage could potentially be sought by federal immigration authorities or used in ways that conflict with Seattle’s sanctuary city policies.
Kettle dismissed those concerns, arguing that the council built extensive safeguards into the legislation governing the cameras.
“We don’t have facial recognition,” Kettle said, noting the city established restrictions and oversight measures as part of the technology program.
He also argued that federal agencies have their own surveillance capabilities and do not need Seattle’s camera network to conduct enforcement operations.
Kettle said he sought legal guidance before sending the letter and believes the mayor’s decision is inconsistent with the ordinances governing the program.
“I asked the question, if Mayor Harrell had to do all this in terms of ordinances, why is it that Mayor Wilson does not?” Kettle said. He said attorneys reviewing the issue identified concerns centered on the language governing when the program may be “paused.”
While Kettle stopped short of calling for legal action against the mayor, he said he wanted to publicly highlight what he views as a conflict between the administration’s actions and council-approved law.
“Her move related to the pause is not right, and essentially a violation,” Kettle said.
Kettle said Seattle is the only one of the 11 World Cup host cities that does not have its full camera system operational and warned that the city is running out of time.
“We have to take action now to get ourselves ready for the World Cup,” he said. “That is ensuring that we have all the pieces in place, and that we’re using the capacities that we have to their full ability.”
Kettle said he was scheduled to meet with members of the mayor’s team on Tuesday and hopes a resolution can be reached before the first World Cup matches arrive in Seattle.
Seattle, WA
Melinda French Gates is done ‘cheering on Seattle from the sidelines’ — she’s buying into the bet to bring the Sonics back | Fortune
Melinda French Gates, a billionaire philanthropist and businesswoman, will join the Seattle Kraken as a minority investor, pending NHL approval.
French Gates, 61, is the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. She and her $30 billion net worth, according to Forbes, join an ownership group headlined by majority owner and managing partner Samantha Holloway, as well as investors David Wright, Andy Jassy and longtime Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
“As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,” French Gates said in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I’m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community.”
French Gates has never previously had an ownership stake in a major professional sports franchise. She will do so at a time when the Kraken ownership group is positioning itself to own an NBA franchise should the NBA return to the Emerald City for the first time since the SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City nearly 20 years ago.
In March, the Kraken ownership group announced the creation of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, which serves as the umbrella brand of the organization to “oversee a growing portfolio of properties and fuel new opportunities.” At the time, Holloway announced that One Roof would pursue an NBA team in Seattle, should the league move forward with expansion.
Holloway also announced in March that the group had entered an agreement to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group, and would make the organization the majority owner of the building. OVG has retained a minority stake.
French Gates, who grew up in Dallas and received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics, as well as an MBA from Duke, currently heads Pivotal, a group of organizations she founded to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the United States and around the world.
French Gates previously founded and co-chaired the Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropy.
“I am excited to welcome Melinda to our ownership group,” Holloway said in a statement. “Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.”
Seattle, WA
Melinda French Gates, ex-wife of Bill Gates, to join Seattle Kraken as minority investor
SEATTLE (AP) — Melinda French Gates, a billionaire philanthropist and businesswoman, will join the Seattle Kraken as a minority investor, pending NHL approval.
French Gates, 61, is the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. She and her $30 billion net worth, according to Forbes, join an ownership group headlined by majority owner and managing partner Samantha Holloway, as well as investors David Wright, Andy Jassy and longtime Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
“As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,” French Gates said in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I’m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community.”
French Gates has never previously had an ownership stake in a major professional sports franchise. She will do so at a time when the Kraken ownership group is positioning itself to own an NBA franchise should the NBA return to the Emerald City for the first time since the SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City nearly 20 years ago.
In March, the Kraken ownership group announced the creation of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, which serves as the umbrella brand of the organization to “oversee a growing portfolio of properties and fuel new opportunities.” At the time, Holloway announced that One Roof would pursue an NBA team in Seattle, should the league move forward with expansion.
Holloway also announced in March that the group had entered an agreement to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group, and would make the organization the majority owner of the building. OVG has retained a minority stake.
French Gates, who grew up in Dallas and received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics, as well as an MBA from Duke, currently heads Pivotal, a group of organizations she founded to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the United States and around the world.
French Gates previously founded and co-chaired the Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropy.
“I am excited to welcome Melinda to our ownership group,” Holloway said in a statement. “Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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