Japanese Americans oppose wind farm which could “desecrate” historic site

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Guy Oron is the staff reporter for Real Change. Find them on Twitter, @GuyOron.

Articles by Guy Oron

An older white woman wearing jacket, gloves, and glasses holds a sign reading, "Safe Homes for All."

Seattle conducted more than 900 sweeps of homeless people in 2022

By Guy Oron | March 29, 2023

New records obtained by Real Change indicate that the city of Seattle oversaw a massive rise in sweeps of unhoused people living in tents and vehicles in 2022. According to the log, the city conducted 943 sweeps, averaging more than two-and-a-half per day. ...

Photograph of crowd holding signs criticizing Starbucks union-busting practices in outdoor setting on sunny day

Starbucks workers protest union-busting tactics as Schultz steps down

By Guy Oron | March 29, 2023

On March 22, hundreds of Starbucks workers and their community and union allies protested outside the Seattle-based corporation’s SODO headquarters. More than 100 unionized stores across the country that day went on strike in a national day of action. ...

Photograph of people arrayed in front of and behind a large banner condemning Chase's relationship with the climate

Advocates criticize Washington pension fund for lack of ambition in tackling climate crisis

By Guy Oron | March 29, 2023

A new report suggests that the Washington State Investment Board (WSIB) — the public body that manages more than $181 billion in pension funds and other public assets — frequently voted against climate change resolutions introduced by activist shareholders in 2022. ...

Medea Benjamin, middle-aged white woman with shoulder-length light hair and wearing purple quilted jacket, stands at top of steps holding a microphone, next to a sign calling for peace in Ukraine.

Activists denounce ‘censorship’ after canceled Medea Benjamin events

By Guy Oron | March 22, 2023

Seattle peace activists expressed dismay over two venues’ late cancellations of book talks by CODEPINK co-founder and activist Medea Benjamin after receiving complaints from parties critical of Benjamin’s call for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.

Benjamin, who is the co-author of “War In Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict” alongside researcher Nicolas J. S. Davies, did a Q&A with Real Change in November 2022 in which she laid the case for a peaceful settlement to the Ukraine war as opposed to further escalation. ...

Crowd of young people stand in front of tables in large meeting room, talking in pairs and small groups.

UW hosts misinformation conference for local high school students

By Guy Oron | March 22, 2023

On March 14, the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public (CIP) held a conference for hundreds of local high schoolers to educate students about the importance of media literacy and identifying misinformation at the university’s Husky Union Building. Dubbed “Misinfo Day,” the event was hosted in partnership with the Washington State University’s journalism school, following smaller misinformation conferences at WSU’s Pullman and Vancouver campuses earlier that month. ...

Image of union station, the current international district light rail station and the Seattle skyline in the background

Placement of future CID light rail station sparks heated debate, strains relations

By Guy Oron | March 22, 2023

Speculation over the location of a new light rail station in the Chinatown-International District (CID) neighborhood ignited a fierce debate over accessible transportation, displacement and equity in regional government planning and decision making. Some community advocates say that divisive online discourse about the various proposals may have caused lasting harm to progressive movements, with traditionally allied groups backing different sides of the increasingly polarized issue. ...

Ann Davison is the city attorney of Seattle.

Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison responds to Real Change

By Guy Oron | March 15, 2023

For its March 15 cover story, Real Change did a deep dive into Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison’s first year in office and how her leadership has impacted the city’s criminal legal system. As part of this story, Davison agreed to respond to written questions sent by email. Unfortunately, she was unable to provide the answers by press time, so the newspaper has agreed to run the Q&A as an online exclusive. ...

Is it the era of Ann?

By Guy Oron | March 15, 2023

Despite the shift in rhetoric, the City Attorney’s Office may not have changed as much under Ann Davison as you’d think

When Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison took office, she pledged to bring “quiet, behind-the-scenes” leadership and integrity to the law department. Her election was hotly contested, narrowly beating out abolitionist public defender Nicole Thomas-Kennedy in what many perceived to be a conservative “backlash” election. ...

Photograph of Amtrak train stopped at small station

‘It’s just negligence:’ Advocates decry state leaders’ failure to use federal funds for passenger rail

By Guy Oron | March 15, 2023

Washington state could be squandering a unique opportunity to invest in expanded passenger rail service with federal funds that were authorized in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure act, transportation advocates say. ...