The future of Seattle's highways affects all of us.

I'm Ian Koss, host of the award-winning podcast, The Big Dig,

and you can join me live as we explore what's next for Seattle's roads.

It's October 27th at 7 p.m. at the Central Library in downtown Seattle.

RSVP at kUOW.org slash events.

KUOW live events are sponsored by Finney Ridge Painting.

What kind of books are worth crossing state lines for?

I'm Katie Campbell, and on the latest episode of Meet Me Here, KUOWW's Arts and Culture Podcast,

we'll tell you why tourists are coming to Seattle to fill their suitcases with books that are banned in their hometowns,

and how one bookstore is balancing the legal stakes and the First Amendment.

Listen to Meet Me Here on the KUOW app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Good afternoon from the KUOW Newsroom. This is Seattle Now. I'm Paige Browning with a roundup of today's top stories. It's Tuesday, August 26th.

Alarm bells are ringing through King County's government over a scathing new audit. The report by county auditors found unapproved payments to contractors and potential fraud by the Department of Community and Human Services.

Put plainly, auditor Kimber Waltmanson said she's alarmed by the lack of financial oversight at DCHS.

That agency contracts with groups that work with youth that haven't worked closely with governments before.

Innovation in government to better serve the community as positive.

The concern is that DCHS made these policy choices without installing a safety net to monitor whether the funds were being used appropriately.

That allowed improper payments like $38,000 for a contractor's travel scheduled after the contract ended and questionable invoices from contractors, including one that was altered to add $6,000 to the county's bill.

Since 2020, the agency's biennial grant awards jumped from $22 million to $1.5 billion.

Department head Kelly Ryder says DCHS will carry out auditor's recommendations to improve staffing, training, and policies. Organizers behind Capitol Hill

Pride are calling on Seattle Mayor Bruce Herald to revoke the permit for a rally slated to be held

at Gasworks Park on Saturday.

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