Activity at the Port of Seattle as tariffs threaten global trade
September 17, 2025

Trucks carrying shipping containers wait to be unloaded and stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.

As the on-again, off-again tariff war continues, I’ve photographed shipping activity at the Port of Seattle for a few outlets. It’s such a fun thing to photograph, I can’t imagine what it’d be like to actually be on the ground among the shipping containers….hoping an assignment like that comes through some time. 

Trucks carrying shipping containers wait to be unloaded and stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.
Semi-trucks stand parked outside the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Mount Rainier is visible in the distance beyond the West Seattle Bridge and shipping containers stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Trucks carrying shipping containers drive near the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Seen behind a chainlink fence, a semi-trucks carries a shipping container in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.

New story: To Train a Mustang
August 13, 2025

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.
Loriann Warner, of Eatonville, Wash., and her mustang, Glory, display first place ribbons won in the Mounted Division events during the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. Loriann and Glory won 1st prize in the Mounted Division, which comes with an approximate $2500 prize, the largest prize in all divisions in the competition. 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.

Emily Fouts, 17, of Lake Stevens, Wash., leads her mustang Feathertail through an arch obstacle with streams as practice for the Freestyle portion of the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. In the Freestyle portion of the competition, trainers lead their horses around the arena demonstrating how they respond to commands or negotiate obstacles like this arch. Fouts says this was her first mustang. "She's been so easy," she said, "I was touching her day two." 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.
Marjie Hicks, of Roy, Wash., displays a tattoo of the BLM brand of her first mustang, Samba, next to Roulette, one of two wild mustangs Marjie Hicks, of Roy, Wash., took on this year as part of her participation in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition, at her home in Roy, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 9, 2024. The tattoo starts with "...the horse you need," a continuation of a quote that Marjie says describes her relationship with her first mustang, a Chestnut mare. "In the horse world, the worst horse you can get is a Chestnut mare," she said, "You may not get the horse you want, but you get the horse you need." The markings beneath the quotation are a type of coding that starts with a shape indicating that the horse is part of a US government program, a vertical set of marks indicating year of the horse's birth (15 for 2015, in this case), and then the horse's registration number (024388 here). 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, Marjie and other 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. Though Marjie is planning only to show her horses "in hand," rather than riding them, some trainers get the horses accustomed to having a saddle and rider on their back.
Marjie Hicks, of Roy, Wash., stands with one of her mustangs, Roulette, during a morning walk before the start of the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Fri., Aug. 2, 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, Marjie and other 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. Though Marjie is planning only to show her horses "in hand," rather than riding them, some trainers get the horses accustomed to having a saddle and rider on their back.
Marjie Hicks, of Roy, Wash., looks over her notes for her routine before the Freestyle portion of the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. In the Freestyle portion of the competition, trainers lead their horses around the arena demonstrating how they respond to commands, ignore stimuli, or negotiate obstacles. 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.
Loriann Warner, 32, preps her mustang Glory for a training session and saddle ride at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 16, 2024. Frontier Park is close to where Warner keeps her horses in nearby Eatonville, and features both a horse arena and trails. Warner is a participant in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth program, a wild mustang training program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in which trainers pay $125 per horse to receive a wild mustang in the early spring and then train the horse for competition in mid- to late-summer of the same year, after which the horses are either kept by the trainers or auctioned to people who want to own a mustang. Glory is Warner's fifth wild mustang.
Loriann Warner, of Eatonville, Wash., brings coffee to niece Kiyra Marjamaa-Warner, who was sleeping in Warner's horse trailer with her son Warren Threadgill (foreground) and daughter Julianne Threadgill, 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.
Loriann Warner, 32, rides her mustang Glory up a steep hill during a trail ride training session at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 16, 2024. During a trail ride, Warner leads the horse through different controlled paces and works to get the horse used to navigating unfamiliar territory. Warner says she's "asking questions" of a horse when she trains it, rather than commanding it. "Most people will say 'I'm training a horse' but I'm asking if she'll do something for me...it's a more compassionate, graceful approach," she says. "Maybe sometimes the answer [from the horse] is 'no.' I asked her and she gave me her answer. It's never 'you have to do this for me,' it's 'can you?'" Frontier Park is close to where Warner keeps her horses in nearby Eatonville, and features both a horse arena and trails. Warner is a participant in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth program, a wild mustang training program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in which trainers pay $125 per horse to receive a wild mustang in the early spring and then train the horse for competition in mid- to late-summer of the same year, after which the horses are either kept by the trainers or auctioned to people who want to own a mustang. Glory is Warner's fifth wild mustang.
Hannah Brown, of Burlington, Wash., leads her mustang, Cooper, during the Mounted Division at the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. Brown has only had the horse for a month, taking care of Cooper after the horse's first adopter suffered a non-horse-related injury making her unable to participate in the competition. Though the 6-year-old horse competed in the mounted division, Hannah said, "He's not quite ready to ride," and led the horse around by hand. Hannah received an award for being so willing to help out another horse trainer. 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.
Loriann Warner, 32, uses a rope to guide her mustang Glory during an arena training session at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 16, 2024. During the arena training session, Warner leads the horse through different controlled paces and sees how the horse responds to different pressures and directions on the rope. Warner says she's "asking questions" of a horse when she trains it, rather than commanding it. "Most people will say 'I'm training a horse' but I'm asking if she'll do something for me...it's a more compassionate, graceful approach," she says. "Maybe sometimes the answer [from the horse] is 'no.' I asked her and she gave me her answer. It's never 'you have to do this for me,' it's 'can you?'" Frontier Park is close to where Warner keeps her horses in nearby Eatonville, and features both a horse arena and trails. Warner is a participant in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth program, a wild mustang training program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in which trainers pay $125 per horse to receive a wild mustang in the early spring and then train the horse for competition in mid- to late-summer of the same year, after which the horses are either kept by the trainers or auctioned to people who want to own a mustang. Glory is Warner's fifth wild mustang.
Loriann Warner, 32, removes the saddle from her mustang Glory after a trail ride training session at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 16, 2024. During a trail ride, Warner leads the horse through different controlled paces and works to get the horse used to navigating unfamiliar territory. Warner says she's "asking questions" of a horse when she trains it, rather than commanding it. "Most people will say 'I'm training a horse' but I'm asking if she'll do something for me...it's a more compassionate, graceful approach," she says. "Maybe sometimes the answer [from the horse] is 'no.' I asked her and she gave me her answer. It's never 'you have to do this for me,' it's 'can you?'" Frontier Park is close to where Warner keeps her horses in nearby Eatonville, and features both a horse arena and trails. Warner is a participant in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth program, a wild mustang training program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in which trainers pay $125 per horse to receive a wild mustang in the early spring and then train the horse for competition in mid- to late-summer of the same year, after which the horses are either kept by the trainers or auctioned to people who want to own a mustang. Glory is Warner's fifth wild mustang.
Loriann Warner, of Eatonville, Wash., looks toward the crowd during awards ceremony of 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.
Cooper, a mustang trained by Lillian Nagy, calmly grazes in a corral at her home in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 9, 2024. Lillian got Cooper in a previous year's Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition program, in which she won 1st place in the Senior division. "I got a good horse who was willing to work with me and learn stuff," she said. 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. Some trainers also get the horses accustomed to having a saddle and rider on their back.

Behind the scenes of Cascade PBS’ Black Arts Legacies final season
July 29, 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)
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
July 15, 2025

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, contractor conmen, Rainier school closure, and other recent stories for Cascade PBS
June 20, 2025

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
June 19, 2025

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.

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