All eyes are on Texas as Republicans work to draw new congressional districts ahead of

26. But the battle for control of Congress runs through Southwest Washington, home to one of the

most competitive districts in the country. And that's where incumbent Marie Glucent-Camp

Perez has a new challenger. He's the Republican leader in the state Senate. Meet John Braun,

a moderate who could deliver the third district in the state Senate. Meet John Braun, a moderate who

could deliver the third district to the GOP this week on sound politics wherever you get your

podcasts.

Good afternoon. From the KUOW Newsroom, this is Seattle now. I'm Paid Browning. Coming up, outdoor gear sellers are going in on unionizing. We'll hear the latest on the REI labor movement. But first, we have a lot of news to report on a busy start to the week. It's Monday, February 24th. Keep your phone, computer, or car charged,

and maybe avoid forested areas tonight if you can. We've got a major windstorm blowing through

tonight. The National Weather Service says expect widespread power outages because damaging winds

will blow down trees and power lines,

a high wind warnings in effect until 10 a.m. tomorrow for much of Western Washington,

with gusts up to 50 and 60 miles per hour for Seattle and the Puget Sound region.

Another top story today, some federal employees are explaining what they did at work last week to Elon Musk.

A government-wide email went out Saturday telling employees to provide five bullet points summarizing the week's accomplishments.

John Ryan reports,

You got to be effing kidding me. That's what one federal scientist tells KUOW he thought when he saw the order in his inbox on Saturday. He spoke anonymously to avoid retribution. The email came from the Office of Personnel Management, but was first announced by Elon Musk on his social media platform. Musk said a failure to reply would equal resigning. Different federal agencies have told

staff that replying is required, optional, or not recommended. Though the email's ostensible purpose

is government efficiency, it could result in increased costs, and not just from union lawsuits.

The scientist tells KUOW his agency has approved overtime for staff who are not working today to respond to Musk's demand by the deadline.

John Ryan, KUOW News.

Not a great day for Starbucks corporate workers in your life.

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