Seattle Now

If you’ve taken a trip through Sea-Tac Airport lately, you’ll notice that things are under construction. From widening roadways to revamping the C Concourse, there are a lot of changes being made ahead of this summer’s World Cup… and not a lot of time to do it. Patricia Murphy interviews Seattle Times Business Reporter Lauren Rosenblatt, and we’ll hear them break dow...

Gov. Ferguson gives State of the State address, lawmakers want to regulate AI companions , and the Varsity Theater is closing. 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 ideas to...

The 2026 legislative session kicked off this week in Olympia. State lawmakers have a lot to figure out – especially the budget that’s still underwater. One idea that's getting floated is an income tax on millionaires. Paul Queary is here to explain what lawmakers are getting up to. He’s editor and publisher of the Washington Observer . We can only make Seattle Now because listene...

The Seattle-area saw several protests this weekend, a new legislative session brings several new bills, and avalanches are making ski season dangerous. 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 loca...

The Asian market Uwajimaya is having a long overdue homecoming, sort of. Plans are in motion to open a new store in Tacoma next year. That's actually where the family-owned business first opened nearly 100 years ago. We’ll talk to Uwajimaya’s CEO, and the Puget Sound Business Journal reporter who broke the news. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to mak...

Today, we’re bringing you the best from the KUOW Newsroom… We’ll start with a story about a local family who self-deported to Guatemala earlier this week. The family of 3 and their cat left on Wednesday after losing their asylum case. Casey Martin has the story. Our other story comes from Bellingham. The city of Bellingham is conducting an internal investigation after evidence w...

Oregon officials condemn Border Patrol shooting in Portland, lawmakers consider new restrictions on automated license plate readers in WA, and star QB Demond Williams Jr. will remain at UW after all.  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 k...

This week, Seattle is late in getting rid of gas-powered leaf-blowers.  A Seattle tour guide lost big on Jeopardy!  And two Reddit users are trying to answer a burning question: which Seattle Happy Hours are actually worth it? Seattle Times Food Writer Tan Vinh and Entrepreneur and Drag Queen Chase Burns are here to break down the week. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners supp...

Federal agents shoot two people in Portland, Mayor Katie Wilson supports a capital gains tax, and Microsoft denies reports of mass layoffs. Note to listeners: this episode was published before Demond Williams Jr. announced he would be staying at the University of Washington. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now b...

Washington State Ferries is having a tough time selling two decommissioned boats that have been on the market for more than four years. Washington’s current fleet is aging. As more ferries are retired, finding the right owner presents a major challenge. Journalist Tom Banse  wrote about this conundrum for the Washington State Standard. We can only make Seattle Now because...

State Dems want to make it easier to redraw Congressional maps, WA officials issue correction over pollution prevention, and UW remembers goalkeeper Mia Hamant. 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 a...

It’s been a busy week for Mayor Katie Wilson.  And her constituents have a lot of expectations… The new Mayor promised to tackle some of the city’s biggest issues.  We’ll hear from KUOW Politics Reporter Scott Greenstone on what to look for in Wilson’s first few months leading the city. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to...

WA continues to recommend childhood vaccines despite federal guidance, flu activity is high in WA, and Sen. Patty Murray reflects on the January 6th riot. 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. Got questions about...

The Seahawks are in prime position to make a Super Bowl run. After beating the 49ers on Saturday, the Hawks earned the number one seed in the NFC and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Essentially, the Super Bowl runs through Seattle. Jerry Brewer is here to help us understand how the Seahawks got here and what comes next. He’s a senior columnist for The Athletic. We can only make...

Local leaders and community members are reacting to the American military action in Venezuela, Seattle city leaders are being sworn in, and the state legislative session starts one week from today. 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 y...

It’s the first week of the new year. And if you haven’t made a resolution yet, it’s never too late. We’ll get into the psychology of successful resolutions and goal setting with UW Psychiatry Professor Dr. Koriann Cox. 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...

Today, we’re bringing you stories from public radio newsrooms across Washington… Washington state is trying to encourage every student to apply for the college aid they qualify for. The recent flooding across Washington State is a good reminder of how important it is to have an emergency kit on hand. And Wenatchee veterans don’t have a local Veterans Affairs center. Now, one gro...

This week… Gen Z is trying hard to step into the home ownership game.  Amazon users got outraged over an abridged version of "It's a Wonderful Life."  And it's the first Casual Friday of 2026, so it's time to set some goals. Author and blogger Geraldine DeRuiter and Factal Editor Joe Veyera are here to break down the week. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us....

This New Year's Day, we're bringing you a bonus episode from our friends at KUOW's arts and culture podcast Meet Me Here. Men are reading less. Reading less than women, not reading as much as before. But Author Daniel James Brown's book The Boys in the Boat broke through and to male readers. This week we’re getting lit with Author Daniel James Brown and tackling the ~discourse~ to find out h...

Conservative campaign has two ballot initiatives planned for 2026, Metro bus and light rail trips are free on NYE, and WA gets millions for rural healthcare. 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. Got questions abo...

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy are getting closer… Including the fan-favorite sport of curling. Two members of Team USA Curling have Seattle roots, and they’re ready to compete for the gold. Ben Richardson and Luc Violette are here to talk about their time on the ice in Seattle, and now for Team USA. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift...

New laws take effect on January 1st, Seattle-area Somalis say childcare providers are being doxxed , and Alaska Airlines has another IT outage. 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. Got questions about local news...

If you’re going to get by in this world, understanding how money works can help a lot.  Yet, financial education is not a high school graduation requirement in Washington.  That could change under a new proposal from state lawmakers. KUOW’s Zaki Hamid talks with UW’s Helen Andrews about why the effort has been so challenging. We can only make Seattle Now because listene...

A stretch of Highway 2 reopens , lawmakers want to fix a loophole in WA's plastic bag ban, and downtown Seattle's getting a retail shakeup. 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. Got questions about local news or s...

It’s the last week of 2025 and so much happened! Our summer was defined by a rogue rat mosaic in Cal Anderson Park. Starbucks closed its fanciest store in Seattle: the Capitol Hill Roastery. Seattle’s nude beach Denny Blaine now has a fence between the clothed and unclothed. And Seattle elected its youngest mayor ever while pushing out its more moderate incumbents. There’s a lot...