Seattle Now
Seattle Now is a smart, daily news podcast for a curious city, from KUOW and the NPR Network. New episodes every weekday morning and evening.
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Episodes
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Seattle wants the legal right to sweep
The practice of sweeping encampments of unhoused people is controversial. A federal circuit ruling made it illegal in certain circumstances and went as far as to describe the practice as cruel and unusual. But now, progressive cities on the west coast are hoping the conservative Supreme Court will intervene. Seattle Times reporter Greg Kim is here to tell us why officials in Seattle and other cities want the ruling overturned, and what they’d plan to do without restrictions.
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A guide to ghosts in the PNW
It's mid-October — the air is crisp, the morning fog is thick, and Halloween is just around the corner. Which means, it's time to tell some ghost stories. Today, we're revisiting a conversation we had with local author Bess Lovejoy who wrote a book on where to find spots in the Pacific Northwest where ghost stories have been told, and retold.
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Casual Friday with Andrew Walsh and Casey Martin
This week… It’s almost time to fill out your ballots, and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce is talking about what voters are thinking. Cable company XFinity is making it harder for hockey fans to release the Kraken. And a Seattle to Bainbridge ferry got a big, red makeover from Coca-Cola. Too Beautiful To Live Co-Host Andrew Walsh and KUOW reporter Casey Martin are here to break down the week.
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This couple toured the world's Costcos
If you need cheap high-quality bulk goods, Costco is hard to beat. But the Issaquah-based company has also inspired a devoted fandom. Susan and David Schwartz are two of the company’s biggest fans and wrote a book about what they learned traveling the world visiting warehouses.
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Seattle's housing levy is back on the ballot
We have an election coming up in just a few weeks and Seattle’s housing levy is up for renewal. The measure promises to get 3100 new affordable homes built. Housing finance lawyer Faith Pettis is here to talk about what the levy will pay for and how the program has performed over the years.
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Microsoft’s anti-trust lessons for Amazon
Amazon is facing a historic antitrust lawsuit from the FTC, but it’s not the first local tech giant to find itself in that situation. Microsoft fought its own antitrust battle in the 90s. UW historian Margaret O’Mara says that history might show us what’s in store for Amazon.
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Seattle is toilet poor
Nothing ruins a fun day out in the city, like secretly or not so secretly needing to find a bathroom. We all need them, but not everybody has ready access to a toilet. That could mean different things depending on your situation. Seattle Times reporters, Dan Beekman, and Anna Patrick did a deep dive on Seattle's public toilets and share what they found.
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Seattle Now LIVE with Eva Walker and Kevin Sur
This week… Seattle’s always been a music town. But things are changing. How are concerts and festivals different than they were before the pandemic? Is living in Seattle sustainable for artists? What IS the new sound of Seattle? We’ve got the highlights from August’s Seattle Now Live: Music Edition with KEXP’s Eva Walker and Timber Outdoor Music Festival founder Kevin Sur, hosted by Paige Browning.
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Megan Rapinoe’s legacy
Tomorrow marks the last day Megan Rapinoe will play at Lumens Field. The activist and soccer star is retiring from her career as a player. But you haven't heard the last of her yet. Seattle Times soccer reporter Jayda Evans tells us about Rapinoe's legacy as an activist on and off the pitch, .
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Vaccines are out, but be patient
It’s time to roll up your sleeve again. The updated covid shot was approved a few weeks ago. But finding a place to get the vaccine is tough right now. We’ll talk to Libby Page from Seattle and King County Public Health to learn about how the rollout is going.
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King County needs 300k new homes
King County needs to build more housing. A lot more housing. The latest estimate from the state is 1.3 million new places to live by 2044. Seattle Times Real Estate reporter Heidi Groover says that number is going to require some serious problem solving, especially when it comes to affordable housing.
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A pilgrimage to a Japanese American prison camp
During World War II, the US government forced more than 125,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes, and into prison camps. Many Japanese Americans from the Pacific Northwest got relocated to a camp in Minidoka, Idaho. For years, Minidoka camp survivors visited the site with their families. This summer, they returned for the first time since the pandemic started. KUOW’s Natalie Newcomb joined the pilgrimage. We’ll hear some of her experience.