New story: To Train a Mustang


Loriann Warner, of Eatonville, Wash., rests her hand on the back of her mustang, Glory, during a morning walk before the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches.

I’ve added a new story to my portfolio: To Train a Mustang.

The story, photographed on assignment over the summer of 2024, was commissioned by Bear Guerra at High Country News and written by Elizabeth Whitman. It focuses on a group of people who adopt wild horses from the US Bureau of Land Management and train and show them in an annual competition in eastern Washington state.

Behind the scenes of Cascade PBS’ Black Arts Legacies final season


Andrew Lee Creech, playwright and performer, rehearses a monologue from one of his plays during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot with Meron Menghistab at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Mon., March 24, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Mixed media artist Jite Agbro works in her Ballard studio during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Thu., March 20, 2025.

While serving as Associate Photo Editor at Cascade PBS, I helped produce still photo shoots for the fourth and final season of Black Arts Legacies, a series focusing on living and dead Black artists in Seattle. I worked with the team to schedule the shoots for photographer Meron Menghistab, who has served as lead photographer for the series since the start, around the artists’ schedules and multiple video shoots. I also photographed some alternate, behind the scenes, and detail images to help flesh out the final presentation on the website and broadcast.  

The artists here are print artist Jite Agbro, drummer and music producer Kassa Overall, and playwright and actor Andrew Lee Creech.

Congratulations to the whole team for making this project over the years!

Drummer and producer Kassa Overall performs in his backyard studio for a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photoshoot with Meron Menghistab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., March 10, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Paint and tools lay on a table used for mixing paints as mixed media artist Jite Agbro works in her Ballard studio during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Thu., March 20, 2025.
Andrew Lee Creech, playwright and performer, rehearses a monologue from one of his plays during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot with Meron Menghistab at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Mon., March 24, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Drummer and producer Kassa Overall's drumsticks rest on a snare drum after he performed in his backyard studio for a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photoshoot with Meron Menghistab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., March 10, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Meron Menghistab photographs mixed media artist Jite Agbro works in her Ballard studio during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Thu., March 20, 2025.
Meron Menghistab photographs drummer and producer Kassa Overall in Overall's backyard studio for a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photoshoot in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., March 10, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Meron Menghistab photographs playwright and performer Andrew Lee Creech during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot with Meron Menghistab at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Mon., March 24, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Mixed media artist Jite Agbro in her Ballard studio during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Thu., March 20, 2025.
Drummer and producer Kassa Overall performs in his backyard studio for a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photoshoot with Meron Menghistab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., March 10, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Andrew Lee Creech, playwright and performer, rehearses a monologue from one of his plays during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot with Meron Menghistab at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Mon., March 24, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)

Recent work for Inside Amazon


Project Vulcan, a warehouse picker robot

Josh Newberg, Engineering Lead with TEKsystems, stands with the Project Vulcan robot in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
The Project Vulcan robot waits to grab products to stow in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
The Project Vulcan robot stows products in fabric pods in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
The Project Vulcan robot grabs products to stow in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
Trent Holmes, an Inductor with TEKsystems, places items on a conveyor belt to be sorted and stowed by the Project Vulcan robot at Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
Josh Newberg, Engineering Lead with TEKsystems, checks on the Project Vulcan robot in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
Ryan Sand, Robotics Engineer with TEKsystems, watches as the Project Vulcan robot grabs and stows products in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
The Project Vulcan robot grabs products to stow in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
Josh Newberg, Engineering Lead with TEKsystems, looks at a computer monitoring the Project Vulcan robot in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
Josh Newberg, Engineering Lead with TEKsystems, looks at a screen showing positions of fabric pods near the Project Vulcan robot in Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.
Trent Holmes, an Inductor with TEKsystems, places items on a conveyor belt to be sorted and stowed by the Project Vulcan robot at Amazon's GEG1 warehouse in Spokane, Washington, USA, on Wed., April 16, 2025. Project Vulcan uses a robot that uses touch to pick-up, manipulate, and stow products in fabric pods as they come into the warehouse.

A day in the life of an Amazon Flex driver

Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy delivers packages from his personal vehicle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy picks up packages for a 3-hour delivery route at SWA2 in Renton, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy sorts packages for a 3-hour delivery route at SWA2 in Renton, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy delivers packages from his personal vehicle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy delivers packages from his personal vehicle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy delivers packages from his personal vehicle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Ken Roy is an Amazon Flex driver who uses his personal vehicle to deliver packages in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy delivers packages from his personal vehicle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy uses his phone for route info while delivering packages in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy has an Amazon logo dashboard light in his car as he delivers packages from his personal vehicle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.
Amazon Flex driver Ken Roy returns a package cart before embarking on a 3-hour delivery route at SWA2 in Renton, Washington, USA, on Tue., June 25, 2024. Roy says he has been working with Amazon Flex for six years and likes the freedom of choosing when and where to work.

Profile of AWS VP and Distinguished Engineer Tom Scholl (and his cat shirts!)

Tom Scholl, a VP and Distinguished Engineer at Amazon Web Services, poses for a portrait with network graphs he drew on a whiteboard in Amazon's MayDay building in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Wed., March 13, 2024.
Tom Scholl, a VP and Distinguished Engineer at Amazon Web Services, draws a network graph on a whiteboard in Amazon's MayDay building in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Wed., March 13, 2024.
Tom Scholl, a VP and Distinguished Engineer at Amazon Web Services, works in his office in Amazon's MayDay building in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Wed., March 13, 2024.
Tom Scholl, a VP and Distinguished Engineer at Amazon Web Services, works in his office in Amazon's MayDay building in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Wed., March 13, 2024.
Tom Scholl, a VP and Distinguished Engineer at Amazon Web Services, draws a network graph on a whiteboard in Amazon's MayDay building in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Wed., March 13, 2024.
Tom Scholl, a VP and Distinguished Engineer at Amazon Web Services, is seen with his cats Piggu (black cat) and Izzy (white and black) on the "catio" (cat patio) attached to his house Sequim, Washington, USA, on Thu., March 14, 2024. Scholl has five cats at home.

Behind the scenes in Amazon's Just Walk Out lab

Cameras mounted above the lab have a bird's-eye perspective as AWS Senior Manager of Applied Science Chris Broaddus (right) and AWS Principal Scientist Tian Lan take products from a shelf in Amazon's Just Walk Out lab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Thu., Sept. 19, 2024. Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to track customers and merchandise and allows people to make purchases without checking out with a cashier.
AWS Senior Manager of Applied Science Chris Broaddus adjusts a camera mounted above Amazon's Just Walk Out lab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Thu., Sept. 19, 2024. Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to track customers and merchandise and allows people to make purchases without checking out with a cashier.
The payment terminal at an entry point in Amazon's Just Walk Out lab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Thu., Sept. 19, 2024. Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to track customers and merchandise and allows people to make purchases without checking out with a cashier.
AWS Principal Scientist Tian Lan grabs products from a shelf in Amazon's Just Walk Out lab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Thu., Sept. 19, 2024. Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to track customers and merchandise and allows people to make purchases without checking out with a cashier.
AWS Senior Manager of Applied Science Chris Broaddus (on ladder) adjusts a camera mounted above Amazon's Just Walk Out lab as AWS Principal Scientist Tian Lan looks on in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Thu., Sept. 19, 2024. Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to track customers and merchandise and allows people to make purchases without checking out with a cashier.
A LiDAR scanning device stands in Amazon's Just Walk Out lab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Thu., Sept. 19, 2024. Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to track customers and merchandise and allows people to make purchases without checking out with a cashier.
AWS Senior Manager of Applied Science Chris Broaddus (left) and AWS Principal Scientist Tian Lan work on a whiteboard in Amazon's Just Walk Out lab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Thu., Sept. 19, 2024. Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to track customers and merchandise and allows people to make purchases without checking out with a cashier.
AWS Senior Manager of Applied Science Chris Broaddus grabs products from a shelf in Amazon's Just Walk Out lab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Thu., Sept. 19, 2024. Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to track customers and merchandise and allows people to make purchases without checking out with a cashier.

Earplug ordinance, senior housing rent caps, Rainier school closure, and other recent stories for Cascade PBS


Live music at Fremont's Add-A-Ball for a story about a proposal that live venues should provide free or cheap earplugs

The crowd dances as Fluung performs at their self-titled third album release concert at Add-A-Ball in the Fremont area of Seattle, Washington, USA, on Sat., April 12, 2025. Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss has proposed a law requiring venues with loud music to provide earplugs to concertgoers for under $1. Add-A-Ball sells pairs of earplugs for 50 cents at the bar. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
A sign behind the bar menu indicates that earplugs are available for 50 cents a pair during a concert at Add-A-Ball in the Fremont area of Seattle, Washington, USA, on Sat., April 12, 2025. Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss has proposed a law requiring venues with loud music to provide earplugs to concertgoers for under $1. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Schuyler Jensen (right), guitarist with the band Waltzerr, says he always wears earplugs while performing, seen here during a recent performance at Add-A-Ball in the Fremont area of Seattle, Washington, USA, on Sat., April 12, 2025. Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss has proposed a law requiring venues with loud music to provide earplugs to concertgoers for under $1. Add-A-Ball sells pairs of earplugs for 50 cents at the bar. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Mike Sampson (right) and Dylan Ramsey wear earplugs during Fluung’s album release concert at Add-A-Ball in the Fremont area of Seattle, Washington, USA, on Sat., April 12, 2025. “I never leave home without them,” Sampson says of his six-year-old pair of Decibullz custom molded earplugs. Some concertgoers like Sampson use higher-end, and more expensive, earplugs which are supposed to protect one’s hearing while maintaining music sound quality. Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss has proposed a law requiring venues with loud music to provide earplugs to concertgoers for under $1. Add-A-Ball sells pairs of earplugs for 50 cents at the bar. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Concertgoers hold out the various types of earplugs that they brought to Fluung’s album release concert at Add-A-Ball in the Fremont area of Seattle, Washington, USA, on Sat., April 12, 2025. Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss has proposed a law requiring venues with loud music to provide earplugs to concertgoers for under $1. Add-A-Ball sells pairs of earplugs for 50 cents at the bar. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Kara Kelly, singer and guitarist for Seattle band Letterbomb, leaves the venue after Fluung’s album release concert at Add-A-Ball in the Fremont area of Seattle, Washington, USA, on Sat., April 12, 2025. Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss has proposed a law requiring venues with loud music to provide earplugs to concertgoers for under $1. Add-A-Ball sells pairs of earplugs for 50 cents at the bar. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)

Advocates on boths sides of the possible closure of the Rainier School

Mike Raymond, 78, lived at the Rainier School, for most of the first twenty years of his life. At age 20, his sister asked him if he wanted to stay or leave the school, and he made the decision to live independently with his wife, also a former Rainier resident with intellectual developmental delays. Raymond has been a long-time advocate for closing state-run institutional housing for those with intellectual developmental delays, and he helped found People First of Washington in the 1970s, an organization that advocates that no person should be segregated from their community in institutional housing. Raymond now lives with his niece, Kasey Bowen, his licensed care provider, in her home in Belfair, Washington, USA, on Mon., April 14, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Willis McNabb, of Carbonado, has worked for almost 34 years at Rainier School, a residential habilitation center for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, in Buckley, Washington, seen on Thu., April 10, 2025. McNabb, who has served in various leadership roles in the Washington Federation of State Employees union, has helped organize efforts to keep the Rainier School open. Bills before the state legislature would close some of these institutions in the state and replace care for those in need with other types of community-based housing and support. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Ken (left) and Tamra Jennings, of Bonney Lake, joined a rally with Rainier School employees and community advocates in Buckley, Washington, on Thu., April 10, 2025, to advocate for the Rainier School to stay open. The Jennings' son has lived at the school for 16 years. "There's no place for him in the community," Ken Jennings said, "The [group homes] that are out there, I wouldn't put my dog in them, let alone my family." Bills before the state legislature would close some of these institutions in the state and replace care for those in need with other types of community-based housing and support.
A button reads "Shut them down / We count too" on the hat of Mike Raymond, 78, who lived at the Rainier School, for most of the first twenty years of his life. At age 20, his sister asked him if he wanted to stay or leave the school, and he made the decision to live independently with his wife, also a former Rainier resident with intellectual developmental delays. Raymond has been a long-time advocate for closing state-run institutional housing for those with intellectual developmental delays, and he helped found People First of Washington in the 1970s, an organization that advocates that no person should be segregated from their community in institutional housing. Raymond now lives with his niece, Kasey Bowen, his licensed care provider, in her home in Belfair, Washington, USA, on Mon., April 14, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Mike Raymond, 78, and his niece and licensed care provider Kasey Bowen, walk on the pier at Twanoh Falls Beach Club near their home in Belfair, Washington, USA, on Mon., April 14, 2025. Raymond spends a lot of time with family and community members at the beach, an opportunity he says he wouldn't have if he still lived in a state-run institutional facility for people with intellectual developmental delays. Raymond lived at the Rainier School, for most of the first twenty years of his life. At age 20, his sister asked him if he wanted to stay or leave the school, and he made the decision to live independently with his wife, also a former Rainier resident with intellectual developmental delays. Raymond has been a long-time advocate for closing state-run institutional housing for those with intellectual developmental delays, and he helped found People First of Washington in the 1970s, an organization that advocates that no person should be segregated from their community in institutional housing. Raymond now lives with his niece, Kasey Bowen, his licensed care provider, in her home in Belfair, Washington, USA. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)

AIDNW provides support for recently-released immigrants outside Tacoma's ICE facility

Aidan Perkinson is the Operations Manager of Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW), which operates a Welcome Center for newly released immigrants outside the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, USA, on Fri., March 21, 2025. AIDNW serves as a first point of contact for immigrants released from the ICE detention facility. Volunteers with the organization and partners operate the Welcome Center outside the facility and provide assistance including food, clothing, and help with making travel arrangements.   The Tacoma Northwest Detention Center is one of the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the United States.
Sack lunches provided by local churches stand on a table at the Welcome Center put up by Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW) outside the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, USA, on Fri., March 21, 2025. AIDNW serves as a first point of contact for immigrants released from the ICE detention facility. Volunteers with the organization and partners operate the Welcome Center outside the facility and provide assistance including food, clothing, and help with making travel arrangements.   The Tacoma Northwest Detention Center is one of the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the United States.
An intake form for recording travel arrangements rests on a table in the Welcome Center put up by Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW) outside the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, USA, on Fri., March 21, 2025. AIDNW serves as a first point of contact for immigrants released from the ICE detention facility. Volunteers with the organization and partners operate the Welcome Center outside the facility and provide assistance including food, clothing, and help with making travel arrangements.   The Tacoma Northwest Detention Center is one of the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the United States.
The Tacoma Northwest Detention Center (also known as the Northwest ICE Processing Center or NWIPC) is a privately-run detention facility run by GEO Group in partnership with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Tacoma, Washington, USA, on Mon., Jan. 27, 2025. The Washington State Legislature passed a law in 2021 banning private detention centers which aimed to close the Northwest Detention Center in 2025 when the GEO Group's current contract expires, but subsequent legal rulings seem to indicate the Detention Center will not close. The facility has 1575 beds in the prison, one of the largest such ICE facilities in the country.
Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW) operates a Welcome Center outside the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, USA, on Fri., March 21, 2025. AIDNW serves as a first point of contact for immigrants released from the ICE detention facility. Volunteers with the organization and partners operate the Welcome Center outside the facility and provide assistance including food, clothing, and help with making travel arrangements.   The Tacoma Northwest Detention Center is one of the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the United States.
A transportation bus arrives to the secure area of the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center (also known as the Northwest ICE Processing Center or NWIPC) is a privately-run detention facility run by GEO Group in partnership with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Tacoma, Washington, USA, on Mon., Jan. 27, 2025. The Washington State Legislature passed a law in 2021 banning private detention centers which aimed to close the Northwest Detention Center in 2025 when the GEO Group's current contract expires, but subsequent legal rulings seem to indicate the Detention Center will not close. The facility has 1575 beds in the prison, one of the largest such ICE facilities in the country.
Shoes and other clothing made available to newly released immigrants fill a room in the RV operated by Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW) outside the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, USA, on Fri., March 21, 2025. AIDNW serves as a first point of contact for immigrants released from the ICE detention facility. Volunteers with the organization and partners operate the Welcome Center outside the facility and provide assistance including food, clothing, and help with making travel arrangements.   The Tacoma Northwest Detention Center is one of the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the United States.

Contractor conmen now in jail after stealing more than $400,000 from one (anonymous) homeowner

A No Soliciting sign says that the last solicitors at this Shoreline house ended up in federal prison, in Shoreline, Washington, USA, on Sat., March 15, 2025. David, 80, (last name withheld and photographed anonymously) paid $435,000 to two conmen posing as contractors starting in 2023. They knocked on his door and said they'd seen some holes in his roof that needed repair. Despite the roof being only about 2 years old, David agreed to let the men work and over the course of a few months kept giving them money. David's daughter Rebecca learned about the situation and eventually they were able to provide enough information to lead to the men's arrest and eventual convictions in 2024 after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The brothers are now serving 18-month prison sentences for this case and crimes involving other homeowners in the Pacific Northwest. David has received over $200,000 back. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
A view of the roof of David, 80, (last names withheld) who paid $435,000 to two conmen posing as contractors for unnecessary or poorly-done work on his home in Shoreline, Washington, USA, on Sat., March 15, 2025. The men claimed David's roof needed work and also started work on an exterior paint job, wall patching, a concrete porch, and unneeded foundation work. David's daughter Rebecca learned about the situation and eventually they were able to provide enough information to lead to the men's arrest and eventual convictions in 2024 after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The brothers are now serving 18-month prison sentences for this case and crimes involving other homeowners in the Pacific Northwest. David has received over $200,000 back. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Partially patched woodpecker holes cover the exterior of the home of David, 80, (last name withheld and photographed anonymously) in Shoreline, Washington, USA, on Sat., March 15, 2025. David paid $435,000 to two conmen posing as contractors starting in 2023. They knocked on his door and said they'd seen some holes in his roof that needed repair. Despite the roof being only about 2 years old, David agreed to let the men work and over the course of a few months kept giving them money for various repairs including these woodpeckers holes and the start of an exterior paint job, unneeded foundation work, and a poorly-poured concrete porch replacement. David's daughter Rebecca learned about the situation and eventually they were able to provide enough information to lead to the men's arrest and eventual convictions in 2024 after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The brothers are now serving 18-month prison sentences for this case and crimes involving other homeowners in the Pacific Northwest. David has received over $200,000 back. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Partially patched woodpecker holes cover the exterior of the home of David, 80, (last name withheld and photographed anonymously) in Shoreline, Washington, USA, on Sat., March 15, 2025. David paid $435,000 to two conmen posing as contractors starting in 2023. They knocked on his door and said they'd seen some holes in his roof that needed repair. Despite the roof being only about 2 years old, David agreed to let the men work and over the course of a few months kept giving them money for various repairs including these woodpeckers holes and the start of an exterior paint job, unneeded foundation work, and a poorly-poured concrete porch replacement. David's daughter Rebecca learned about the situation and eventually they were able to provide enough information to lead to the men's arrest and eventual convictions in 2024 after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The brothers are now serving 18-month prison sentences for this case and crimes involving other homeowners in the Pacific Northwest. David has received over $200,000 back. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)

Funko CEO Cynthia Williams, for the Wall Street Journal


Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here with giant Marvel characters in Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.

I spent a quick afternoon in May at Funko headquarters in Everett, Washington, with CEO Cynthia Williams, who’s been at the company’s helm for about a year after serving as president of Wizards of the Coast, where she oversaw Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons. Funko, of course, is the manufacturer of Funko Pop! figurines, large-headed cartoony toys in the shapes of characters from just about every entertainment franchise and the worlds of music and sports. A big thanks to Jenny for the call!

Holding a Funko Pop! figure bearing her likeness as the Marvel character Wolverine, Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here in her office in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here by a fake movie theater storefront reading "Welcome to Funko HQ!" in Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
Customized Funko Pop! vinyl figures made for Kaiser Permanente employees are seen on a workbench in the Pop Factory section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. The Pop Factory allows people to make one-of-a-kind figurines using Funko's Pop Yourself program. The company's  figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime.
Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here in the anime section of  Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
Tommy Sewell boxes up custom Funko Pop! in the Pop Factory section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. Sewell has worked at the store for about four years. "I've been a collector of Funko products since 2016," he said. The Pop Factory allows people to make one-of-a-kind figurines using Funko's Pop Yourself program. The company's  figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime.
Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here in her office in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
Jose Ochoa, visiting from southern California, looks at Funko Pop! vinyl figures for sale at Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.  The company's  figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime. "I just wanted to check it out," Ochoa said about visiting the store, "I saw Thundercats from my childhood."
Sani Burgess, of Everett, boxes up custom Funko Pop! in the Pop Factory section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. The Pop Factory allows people to make one-of-a-kind figurines using Funko's Pop Yourself program. The company's  figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime.
Yosif El-Tahel looks at Funko Pop! vinyl figure of Muhammed Ali in Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. The company's  figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime.  "These are legends," Yosif El-Tahel said to Jordan while pointing out various sports figures. "We just walked in because we've never been here...It's dangerous to walk in here," he said about how much money he could spend buying Funko Pop! figures.
Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here arranging Funko Pop! boxes in the anime section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.

Reduced vehicle traffic pilot at Pike Place Market, for CascadePBS


Pedestrians walk in the street at the corner of Pike Street and Pike Place at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., May 2, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. A temporary barricade and SDOT worker stands at 1st Avenue and Pike Street to help direct traffic. The pilot program will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Isiah Martin Lopez (hat) and Joe Zingarella (orange shirt) unload a produce delivery at Frank's Quality Produce at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 25, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. Temporary street closure signs and an SDOT worker stand at the 1st Avenue entrance to the market to prevent cars from driving through as part of the pilot program, which will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
People walk on the street at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., May 2, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. Temporary street closure signs and an SDOT worker stand at the 1st Avenue entrance to the market to prevent cars from driving through as part of the pilot program, which will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)

In late April, Pike Place Market started a partial car-free pilot program on the streets outside the iconic Seattle landmark, something many locals have been advocating for years. The temporary street closure still allows vendors, those with handicap placards, and curbside pickups, to drive along Pike Place. The vendors I spoke with, including Troy Terry, who makes a daily delivery stop at the market for Ocean Beauty Seafoods, like the change, but have complained that they have to approach Pike Street from the north under the new program rather than turning left from 1st Avenue to enter the market. “So far it’s easier,” he said of the program, “There’s a place to park [a large delivery truck].” Since the start of the program (and after these photos in the first days of the pilot), the market has installed more picnic tables and seating on the street, and pedestrians seem to be taking the cue.

Pedestrians walk past a "No Parking" sign outside Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., May 2, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. Temporary street closure signs and an SDOT worker stand at the 1st Avenue entrance to the market to prevent cars from driving through as part of the pilot program, which will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Temporary signs indicate a partial street closure at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Pike Street as part of a pilot program limiting cars driving through Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 25, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. The pilot program will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
A sign reading "Yield to Pedestrians" stands at the corner of Pike Street and Pike Place at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 25, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. A temporary barricade and SDOT worker stands at 1st Avenue and Pike Street to help direct traffic. The pilot program will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
A new sign on 1st Avenue says "No Turns / Except authorized vehicles" as part of a pilot program to reduce vehicle traffic at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 25, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. Temporary street closure signs and an SDOT worker stand at the 1st Avenue entrance to the market to prevent cars from driving through as part of the pilot program, which will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Troy Terry, with Ocean Beauty Seafoods, says he makes a delivery stop to Pike Place Market almost every day. Here, he has parked his delivery vehicle along Pike Place outside the market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 25, 2025. Terry says the pilot program limiting cars driving through Pike Place Market has been a good thing. "So far it's easier," he said, "There's place to park." Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. The pilot program will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
SDOT worker Cid Rodriguez speaks with a vendor driving to Pike Place Market on Pike Street in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 25, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. Temporary street closure signs and an SDOT worker like Rodriguez stand at the 1st Avenue entrance to the market as part of the pilot program, which will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Pedestrians walk in the street at the corner of Pike Street and Pike Place at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 25, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. A temporary barricade and SDOT worker stands at 1st Avenue and Pike Street to help direct traffic. The pilot program will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
People (and a pigeon) walk on the street at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., May 2, 2025. Pike Place Market has started a pilot program to make the streets more pedestrian friendly by banning some cars from driving on the streets. Vendors, commercial vehicles, cars with disabled placards, and curbside pickup customers are still able to drive through the market area. Temporary street closure signs and an SDOT worker stand at the 1st Avenue entrance to the market to prevent cars from driving through as part of the pilot program, which will run through August 2025.  (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)