Seattle Now

In 1953, Life Magazine published a widely read story titled “Mystic Painters of the Northwest.”  It put Seattle in the spotlight as a creative hub of modernist art. A new exhibition at Seattle Art Museum explores modernist art in the Northwest, beyond the major artists. Theresa Papanikolas curated  “Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest.” We met recently at the m...

State officials are demanding that health inspectors be allowed inside an immigration detention facility in Tacoma, Seattle police have increased drug-possession arrests despite a recent law meant to bring arrests down, and WSU researchers are fighting bacteria that's threatening our apple orchards. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We ca...

Some city and county leaders are calling for an end to a regional effort to solve homelessness after an audit found overspending and weak financial controls.  KUOW’s Amy Radil is here to help us understand what is going on with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.  Read more of Amy Radil’s reporting here and here and here . We can only make Seattle Now because lis...

WA sues Albertsons over sales promotions, homelessness agency vows to tighten purse strings after scathing audit, and a longtime Seattle karaoke venue is closing down. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here  to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got ques...

Washington has six national forests, making up approximately nine million acres of land in our state… Those lands are managed by the US Forest Service, which also does research to help lessen the severity of our wildfire seasons. Now, a new directive from the Trump Administration could change how our forests are managed. We’ll hear more from KUOW Reporter John Ryan. Read John's story...

Today, we’re bringing you the best from newsrooms across Washington… First, President Joe Biden announced an executive order that created the first-ever national assessment of nature, but President Donald Trump rescinded the effort on his first day in office. The team that had started the work – led by a professor at the University of Washington – refused to give it up. Re...

Free pop-up health clinic sees high demand , credit rating agency puts Washington on notice , and your sewer bill could be going up. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here  to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ide...

This week… Mayor Katie Wilson has a plan to fix Seattle's least reliable bus. Watch your tail… The city is ramping up its off-leash dog enforcement. And people got way too close to some sea lions hanging out in Ballard.  Stranger Editor Vivian McCall and Seattle Now Producer Vaughan Jones are here to break down the week. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us....

Local officials call for homelessness agency to be dissolved, WA unveils climate action plan, and some campgrounds will close due to budget cuts. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here  to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news...

Rental houses are becoming scarcer in the city. Renters and landlords say a lot has changed and the math isn’t working. The Seattle Times’ Alexis Weisend will tell us why. King County Metro customer satisfaction survey We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to sh...

Seattle unveils plan to speed up the Route 8 bus, advocates say salmon runs will keep declining without more funding, and Alaska Airlines says higher fares are here to stay. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here  to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Go...

An iconic local carpentry program is facing the axe. The Wood Technology Center, a program of Seattle Central College, is the starting point for many of our region’s carpenters, contractors, and boat builders.  But budget issues plague community colleges across the state. And now, Wood Tech’s future is up in the air. We’ll hear from three graduates, including one who&rs...

King County Council calls for Assessor John Arthur Wilson to resign, DOJ to investigate how UW handles antisemitism, and Microsoft steps back from carbon removal. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here  to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions...

The annual Seattle/King County Health Clinic is expecting an increase in patients this year. This Thursday through Sunday at Seattle Center, people can get free medical, dental, and vision care -- no questions asked. Julia Colson is the clinic’s founder, and she talks with us about why demand is up this year. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here  to make a...

King County is looking into a box of abandoned ballots found in Renton, Washington's grey wolf population went up in 2025, and we're in peak migration season for birds. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here  to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got que...

Recent moves from Starbucks executives suggest the company is trying to uproot from its Seattle origins. Does it make more sense for them to stay or for them to go? Seattle Times business reporter Paul Roberts will spill the beans. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to s...

Today, we’re bringing you the best from another KUOW podcast, Booming… The middle class economy is quintessentially American. It’s a whole range of businesses that cropped up to serve the growing middle class after World War II.  Think coffee and apple pie at your neighborhood diner. Or back-to- school shopping at Sears.   But companies that cater to the middle cl...

Pedestrian deaths increasing in Seattle, legal scholars call for stronger efforts to protect judges, and Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are separating . It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Patricia Murphy. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here  to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. See omnystudio.com/listene...

This week… King County Metro's fare enforcement program is showing unimpressive financial returns. Bike-only weekends on Lake Washington Boulevard are getting a tune-up. And in patented Mariners fashion, the reveal of Ichiro's new statue went wrong. Comedian Phil Burton and Simply Seattle’s Danny Ball are here to break down the week. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners supp...

WA's unemployment rate increased for the fourth straight month, Connie Ballmer makes a record donation to NPR, and Tacoma-Seattle fast ferry 'unlikely' to launch ahead of World Cup. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here  to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your...

Excitement for the World Cup is building around the SODO neighborhood. Sure, there are good vibes, but also the monumental challenge of hosting an estimated 750,000 visitors. We’ll learn more about how SODO businesses are getting ready for the summer’s World Cup crowds. Fill out the Seattle Now focus group survey, here . We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap he...

Mayor Wilson's homelessness proposals move forward, student uses 'AI attorneys' to sue UW over alleged racial discrimination, and WA prevails in lawsuit against Live Nation. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. Fill out the Seattle Now focus group survey,  here . We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here...

When you think of data centers in Washington state, you probably think of those in rural areas - outside small towns like Quincy and Prosser. But as demand grows for data centers, companies are looking to the city… some have started to request space in Seattle. We’ll hear more from Seattle Times Climate Reporter Greg Kim. Fill out the Seattle Now focus group survey, here . We can only...

Seattle library levy will head to voters this summer, residents of Pacific sue King County over flood preparation, and the Seattle Storm get high marks for their new draft picks. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. Fill out the Seattle Now focus group survey, here . We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here &...

Tax season is when many of us take stock of our finances. Our debt, our spending habits, and how much we’re bringing in. And those things look different, by gender. Here in Washington, the gender wage gap is the second largest in the country. We some practical financial advice from Tori Dunlap. She's a Seattle-based author and founder of Her First $100K . Her podcast on personal fi...