SYDNEY BROWNSTONE
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These are some of my favorite stories. Click on the publication/datelines to read them, and for more of my recent work, check out my author pages at The Seattle Times, KUOW, The Stranger, Longreads, Fast Company, and Mother Jones. 

Investigations

When toxic chemicals were found at a Seattle homeless camp site, the city informed its workers — but not the campers
The Seattle Times, 10/8/19

Booked and buried: Northwest jails' mounting death toll
KUOW, OPB and the Northwest News Network, 4/2/2019

‘You raped me.’ Former Seattle official accuses Washington state Sen. Joe Fain of rape
KUOW, 9/28/2018

Five women accuse Seattle's David Meinert of sexual misconduct, including rape
KUOW, 7/19/2018

When Seattle stores belongings taken during homeless cleanups, few get them back
The Seattle Times, 1/16/20
 

70 percent of people who die in Washington and Oregon jails are still innocent by law
KUOW, 4/3/2019

Six more women  accuse David Meinert of sexual misconduct — and assault
KUOW, 8/9/2018

Detective who pulled gun on a motorcyclist had a history of road rage complaints
The Stranger, 9/6/2017

King County took money from an anti-prostitution organization. Then "unprecedented" felony prosecutions of sex buyers began
The Stranger, 3/24/2018

The Audition
The Stranger, 6/8/2016

Matt Hickey sees his first day in court
The Stranger, 12/7/2016

Three women say tech journalist Matt Hickey raped them outside of "The Audition" scam
The Stranger, 7/20/2016 

​Washington state attorney general sues Matt Hickey over alleged porn "audition" scam
The Stranger, 12/21/2016

Porn scammer and sex offender Matt Hickey sentenced to nearly three years
The Stranger, 1/18/2018

Seattle porn scammer Matt Hickey, accused of rape, pleads guilty to three felonies
The Stranger, 11/21/2017


Homelessness

Coronavirus brings ‘a whole other layer of trauma’ for workers who serve homeless people
The Seattle Times, 5/21/20

Coronavirus pushed Seattle to treat homelessness differently. Will those changes last?
The Seattle Times, 5/3/20

Major encampment removal in Little Saigon draws protesters during coronavirus pandemic
The Seattle Times, 5/21/20

‘We’ve seen people start to relapse’: How addiction recovery gets harder in coronavirus isolation
The Seattle Times, 3/31/20

People living outside in Seattle have far fewer options for protecting from coronavirus
The Seattle Times, 3/12/20
 

Seattle police increasingly involved in moving homeless people from sidewalks 
The Seattle Times, 10/18/19

A gay teen fled The Gambia and found shelter in Seattle, only to drown at a sailing lesson
The Seattle Times, 7/8/19
 

Sick and living in an RV, Seattle man finds coronavirus outbreak just makes it harder
The Seattle Times, 4/7/20

In times of housing crises, Washington’s old squatters’ rights law is put to the test
The Seattle Times, 3/22/20 

A Seattle homeless shelter charged a man $21 a week in ‘rent.’ He says he still hasn’t gotten it all back.
The Seattle Times, 10/26/19

In Seattle, fast-paced redevelopment displaces the safe spaces for homeless young adults
The Seattle Times, 6/8/19


Criminal Justice

She was jailed for shoplifting. A month later she was dead
KUOW, 2/7/2019

A murder. A suicide. A Buddhist ceremony with both families to free spirits
KUOW, 9/19/2018

One Seattle murder, two devastated families and a question: What's justice?
The Stranger, 12/12/2016

"I'm not lying." One of Mayor Murray's accusers tells his story
The Stranger, 4/14/2017

Imagine you were raped. Got pregnant. Then your rapist sought custody
Mother Jones, 8/24/2012

At least 10 people say they've been drugged at Seattle bars this summer
The Stranger, 8/10/2016

Attorney for Mayor Murray's 2008 accuser believed client, but dropped case because of statute of of limitations
The Stranger, 4/13/2017

Tech, Health, Science & Environment


This South Seattle treatment center has been helping Native people beat substance use disorders for more than 30 years. So why is it closing?
The Seattle Times, 1/21/20
 

King County patient is first in U.S. to die of COVID-19 as officials scramble to stem spread of novel coronavirus
The Seattle Times, 2/29/20

Gab, online haven for Pittsburgh shooting suspect, finds new home with Seattle-area company
KUOW, 11/3/2018

Love in the time of Zika
The Stranger, 5/11/2016

The Standing Rock Sioux's new protectors
The Stranger, 9/27/2016

The "break-off" effect
Fast Company, 11/5/2014

Texas plant may not have been inspected in years, despite risks
Mother Jones, 4/19/2013

How one tribe could slow the rate of "bomb trains" through Seattle
The Stranger, 4/15/2015

Homeless Hurricane Sandy victims to be kicked out of hotels, nowhere to go
Village Voice, 4/26/2013

Politics

From sharecropper’s son to Black Panther to politician, County Councilmember Larry Gossett reflects on his legacy
The Seattle Times, 11/6/19

Trump's America is 10 miles south of downtown Seattle
The Stranger, 9/6/2017

Parks director complaint claims King County executive pressured county into lucrative contract with David Meinert
The Seattle Times, 7/18/19

Meet the sex workers lawmakers don't believe exist
The Stranger, 2/11/2015


Essay

Coming out of the woods
The Stranger, 6/22/2016

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