Seattle Now

Puget Sound Energy asks customers to dial back their electricity use, Bumbershoot ticket prices decrease, and Bothell changes their zoning to encourage more new housing. 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. ...

Awareness around neurodivergence, which encompasses conditions like autism and ADHD, has increased in recent years. And with that are calls for accommodations. One of those is the physical environment at work. HOK , a global design and architecture firm, has spent years researching how to design spaces tailored for a more neurodiverse workforce. They redesigned their downtown Seattle office to see...

A well-known farm labor organizer in Washington’s Skagit Valley is giving up his deportation fight, Washington state bans two invasive ivy species, and PCC Community Markets returns to downtown Seattle. 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 Seatt...

Young people are using AI. And there’s concern this could result in a decline in critical thinking skills.  UW PhD student Aayushi Dangol talks about a game she designed to help kids think critically about AI. Check out AI Puzzlers! 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 o...

Today, we’re bringing you the best from another KUOW Podcast - Meet Me Here. You probably have different types of friends you do different things with - friends you go hiking with, take to baseball games, or go out to eat with… But do you have any ART friends? People you can take to cultural events like gallery shows and museum exhibits, and engage in thoughtful conversations about ar...

A southern Washington county passed a resolution this week to re-emphasize that is an "non-sanctuary" jurisdiction, summer heat could impact the region's light rail tracks, and Fourth of July fun has a price tag... In unincorporated Pierce County, that's upwards of $200,000. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Gustavo Sagrero. We can only make Seattle Now...

This week… DoorDash imposed a second fee increase in two years in response to legislation from the Seattle City Council. TSA scrapped a 20-year-old law that requires people to take off their shoes at airport security. And did anyone see that salmon fly through the air and land in the seats at T-Mobile Park? Too Beautiful to Live Co-Host Andrew Walsh and KUOW Director of Community Engagement...

King County Assessor John Wilson resigns from the King County Executive race, wildfires and drought hit the state, and we officially have a new police chief. 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...

Southern resident orcas are using kelp tools to groom each other. The fact our local orcas do this grooming together, as a social behavior, is a big deal. Dr. Michael Weiss from the Center for Whale Research explains more about it and what it could mean for future marine research. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your...

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has plans to backfill funding to Planned Parenthood cut by the new federal budget bill, Microsoft is putting billions into funding AI training programs, and the King County Council wants to protect the region from flooding as rescue and recovery efforts continue in Texas. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Patricia Murphy....

In one of his first actions back in office, President Donald Trump required federal agencies to only recognize two biological sexes, based on sex “at conception.” Although a judge blocked that executive order, things are still complicated at the passport office. Seattle Gay News Publisher Renee Raketty experienced this first-hand here in Seattle, and spoke with other people experiencin...

Seattle filed to end the Seattle Police Department's federal consent decree, the Belltown hellcat gets sentenced, and we stop to smell the roses.  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...

Governor Bob Ferguson has fulfilled a campaign promise by seeking bids to build new ferries. And after a long bidding war that began last year, Eastern Shipbuilding Group will be tasked with producing these first-in-America ferries at a cost of $715.4 million dollars.  But Ferguson’s choice of the company has sparked some backlash. You see, there were only two companies who submitted bi...

Washington’s public schools may be affected by a lack of federal funding, TikTok and its parent company ByteDance are laying off Bellevue employees, and is that a crack in the glass floor of the Space Needle? Officials say not to worry.  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 u...

June brought a slate of closed restaurants in Seattle, from a half-century-old dive bar to some of the city’s most high-end dining. But it was also a good month for new spots, with two popular rooftop bars debuting in Central Seattle just as the weather heats up. Tan Vinh breaks down all the trends in openings and closings this month with Seattle Eats producer Clare McGrane.  Read more...

Today, we’re bringing you the best from another KUOW Podcast - Meet Me Here… If you’re looking to get out and dance in Seattle, you’ve probably stumbled on a themed dance night. “Taylor Swift Night,” “2000s Dance Party,” “Dance Yrself Clean…” the options are endless.  You can even let your inner angsty teenager out at emo nig...

This week… It’s Independence Day, and Washington has a complicated relationship with fireworks. Washington retail giant Costco might be going to court for its affordable athleisure wear. And Visit Seattle has a new employee - Emerald, a generative AI program made to give recommendations to tourists. Factal Editor Joe Veyera and UW Professor and podcast host Jeff Shulman are here to br...

King County official arrested , Trump's spending bill means less money for Seattle, and Sea-Tac Airport prepares for huge crowds over the holiday weekend. 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...

Microsoft says it will cut 9,000 employees from its workforce, about 4% of its staff. Layoffs are nothing new at the company – it shed 10,000 jobs just two years ago – but this latest reduction brings the year's total to roughly 15,000 workers. Alex Halverson, reporter for The Seattle Times , has been following these Microsoft layoffs and found some of what's steering decisions about h...

Microsoft cuts more jobs , City Attorney Ann Davison says Seattle could be targeted by Trump, and WA officials worry about fireworks sparking wildfires. 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 lo...

You may have noticed something peculiar lately in Seattle: Three properties on a single lot, two of them connected by a skybridge. It all has to do with ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, and how developers are trying to maximize the amount of living space on a single lot. We talk with freelance journalist Jane C. Hu , who's  written about this trend of 3-pack developments for the New York Ti...

Washington lawmakers and healthcare providers react to President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill move through Congress, Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson has an idea for a new revenue source for the city, and researchers say orcas know that sharing is caring. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Patricia Murphy. We can only make Seattle Now because list...

Summer is here… and for lots of locals, that means digging into their reading list. Whether it’s time on the plane or relaxing on a staycation, the warmer months can be a good time to explore some new books. We take a trip to Elliott Bay Books on Capitol Hill to check out what’s new and exciting on the shelves. Elliott Bay Books Book List : Jess Walter,  So Far Gone Peter B...

Sen. Patty Murray derides Trump's spending bill, WA cherry growers struggle to find workers, and it'll cost more to fish and hunt in WA. 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 stor...

Arts organizations in Seattle rely on international artists to show their work here in the US.  But it’s becoming increasingly difficult for artists to get the required permissions to enter the country.  Freelance arts reporter Marcie Sillman will tell us what that means for arts organizations and artists. Read Marcie’s Cascade PBS story here . We can only make Seattle Now be...