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5 things you need to know Thursday

CHOP comes down; Inside Seattle's East Precinct; Trapping Asian giant hornets; Rise in homeless population; The Apple Guy helps communities of color.
Credit: KING
An aerial view of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) Zone in Seattle after police cleared the streets to prepare to return to the East Precinct.

Seattle police dismantle 'CHOP' 

After more than three weeks, Seattle police dismantled the "Capitol Hill Organized Protest" zone known as CHOP. 

Officers moved in early Wednesday morning and cleared out the streets and park that have been occupied by demonstrators since June 8. 

Police made at least 69 arrests between Wednesday and Thursday morning and confiscated several weapons. Read more

Inside Seattle's East Precinct 

In addition to dismantling the CHOP zone, Seattle officers returned to the East Precinct for the first time since June 11. 

SWAT teams searched the building before officers celebrated their return to the station. 

The police department allowed a KING 5 camera into the precinct. The building is now covered with graffiti outside but had not been infiltrated by protesters. Watch more

Washington begins trapping Asian giant hornets 

About 600 traps to catch invasive Asian giant hornets are being placed in Whatcom County by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, more than doubling the number already set out by citizens. 

The traps are being put on the edge of forested areas. 

Asian giant hornets are an invasive species that attack honey beehives for protein, potentially taking out 30,000 honey bees in an otherwise healthy hive. Read more

Rise in homeless population 

The homeless population has increased in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, according to the most recent one-night counts released this week.

Homelessness continues to disproportionately affect communities of color in King County, researchers found. 

The counts were conducted in January, so the data did not include the impact of the global pandemic and the economic crisis that followed. Read more

The Apple Guy helps communities of color 

A man from Chelan, who calls himself "The Apple Guy," is going city to city, selling fruit.

It's part of a larger effort to provide healthy and affordable food options to communities of color.

Hugo Sanchez Garcia offers sliding scale prices, allowing anyone in need to pay what they can afford. He has sold more than 30,000 pounds of apples since his project started in April. Learn more

Also see: Seattle local forecast 

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