You're listening to NPR. You care about local politics. But it can be hard to keep track and

understand how it affects you. I'm Scott Greenstone. And I'm Libby Dankman. And on sound politics,

we talk about this and the other Washington like normal people. As normal as we can pretend to be.

We get beyond the headlines, ask the tough questions, and tie the big stories back to our own backyard.

Sound politics. Listen now on the KUW app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, good morning. I'm Patricia Murphy. It's Wednesday. This is Seattle now. The first ballots in this year's general election are

counted. Early results show incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell leading in Seattle, but other sitting officials in

the city are trailing. Still, there are lots of ballots left to be counted. We'll break down what we know

from the first batch of votes in a minute,

but first, let's get you caught up. After months of searching, Seattle Public Schools will reveal their choice for a new superintendent today. Currently, the person is known only as

candidate seven from the eight-person pool of finalists. During today's meeting,

the school board will vote to start contract negotiations with the new superintendent. The big reveal

is slated for 430. Attorney General Nick Brown is co-leading a coalition of cities and states

opposed to recent action from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA has proposed eliminating most of their greenhouse gas reporting program.

That program is part of the Clean Air Act and requires major polluters to document their annual

emissions.

The coalition says this type of reporting helps companies reduce their emissions, which then slows greenhouse gas accumulation, and that slows climate change.

And UW researchers have discovered a concerning link between wildfire smoke exposure and premature birds.

When a pregnancy ends before 37 weeks, babies and infants have a much higher risk of illness and death.

Researchers say smoke interferes with placenta development.

They determined that that risk increases with the intensity of wildfire smoke.

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