Seattle Now

The University of Washington is facing the prospect that hundreds of millions of dollars in expected federal grants will not come this year. Longstanding research dollars have become tenuous and American scientists are feeling undervalued. For some, a future abroad seems more stable and certain. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.  Tap here to make a gift and keep Seatt...

Seattle begins one year countdown to the World Cup, WA public defenders will get lighter caseloads, and Roosevelt HS sanctioned for illicit recruiting of football players. 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...

Seattle's best-known indie theater chain is in financial trouble. SIFF laid off 21% of its administrative staff last week. Freelance Arts Reporter and Film Critic Chase Hutchinson says our viewing habits have changed, and SIFF is just the latest in a series of recent struggles for indie theaters. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle No...

Seattle protesters block ICE vans , SPD Chief Barnes says he expects to be jailed for resisting Trump's orders, and Seattle's new pro women's hockey team is taking shape. 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 q...

If President Trump gets his way, Congress will pass a major spending bill that would make big changes to Medicaid . Governor Bob Ferguson estimates that nearly 200,000 people in WA would lose Medicaid coverage. We talk with Dr. Julian Perez about the potential impact of these cuts. He's a family physician with Sea Mar Community Health Centers. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners su...

Seattle politicians react to National Guard deployment in Los Angles, two recalls are issued in Washington, and a robber targeting local professional athletes gets caught. 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...

Activist Elijah Lewis was killed in 2023. He was a beloved member of the Central District community. His killer was sentenced last month to 35 years in prison. For those who knew him, the trial is over, but the pain endures. We talk to two of his close friends Eula Scott Bynoe and Jacqueline Smith Armstrong about Elijah's legacy in Seattle and why they felt compelled to attend the trial.  See...

Today, we’re bringing you the best from the KUOW newsroom… In 2021, Washington became the first state to pay for attorneys for low-income tenants facing eviction. But as the eviction rate skyrockets in King County, there are not enough attorneys to go around.  Captive breeding of Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies has some Puget Sound grasslands a-flutter with the rare insect...

The Enchantments closed to the public as manhunt continues, local grocery workers may go on strike, and police arrest a man suspected of stealing instruments from the Seattle band Heart. 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 No...

This week… Former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant is back in the game, and this time she’s running for Congress. Public media, including stations like KUOW, are facing a funding threat from the Trump administration. And acclaimed restaurant Canlis has a new executive chef… Big news, he’s a local. Freelance Science Journalist Jane C. Hu and South Seattle Emerald F...

U.S. Supreme Court deals setback to SPD officers, hunt continues for WA father accused of killing daughters, and Sen. Cantwell speaks up in support of public broadcasting.  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...

Washington has almost 11 thousand police officers across a hundred and seventy agencies… and no standardized tracking of police use of force. That is, until this week. In a minute we’ll learn what The Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety could mean for people, police, and policy. Correction: The origianl version of this episode mistakenly referred to Nancy Wilson as Nancy...

Local man linked to fertility clinic bombing, Seattle's Canlis gets a new head chef, and SIFF lays off staff. 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 share? We want to...

There’s been another shake up on the city council. First-time council member Cathy Moore says she’s resigning. It's the third vacancy in two years on the council. Publicola Editor and Publisher Erica Barnett is here to give us some insight into what the heck is going on at City Hall. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now...

New records shed light on former SPD Chief's firing, NW tribes say Trump's budget proposal violates treaty rights, and Seattle cracks down on tire dumping. 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...

Catholic leaders in Seattle, Spokane, and Yakima have filed a federal lawsuit against state officials. They say a newly passed law violates their first amendment rights. It requires clergy members to report any suspected child abuse, even if that information is revealed during confession.  We talk with Seattle Times politics reporter Shauna Sowersby about the legal challenge, and the growing...

Seattle City Council member Cathy Moore steps down, Microsoft lays off more Washington workers, and 2024 vehicle fatalities in Washington are 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 questions about local ne...

In Washington state, the involuntary commitment system doesn’t work. That’s something critics who want to make the process easier and critics who want to see it used less can agree on. So far, reforms from Olympia have been underutilized — if they’ve done anything at all. We’ll learn more about our involuntary commitment system, flaws and all, with Seattle Times repor...

Today, we’re bringing you the best from the KUOW newsroom… As summer approaches, Seattle is imposing beach curfews, putting in physical barriers like new gates, and increasing police and park ranger patrols. And people in the small coastal town of Astoria, Oregon are preparing for a Pacific Northwest pop culture milestone: “The Goonies” is celebrating its 40th anniversary...

Effort launched to recall Gov. Ferguson, UW lab tech released from immigration detention, and Catholic bishops sue WA over new law. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Ruby de Luna. 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...

This week… A Saturday rally and Tuesday protest from religious group MayDay USA sparked counter-protests and arrests. Seattle’s beaches are getting increased police and park ranger presence this summer, and some are even closing early. And good news if you love bees, pickleball, or Smokey Bear… A new state law gives you seven new options for license plate designs. Factal Editor...

Former SPD Chief Adrian Diaz sues Seattle , King County assessor faces resignation calls over restraining order, and we remember Northwest bluesman Bill Engelhart. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Ruby de Luna. 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...

Do you have your eyes on some new tech, a new grill, or some summer clothes, but don’t have the money today? People in the Seattle region are increasingly buying now, but paying later. Unlike the very popular layaway systems of the past, where you’d take the item home once you made all the payments, under pay later you do just that. People, especially younger people, are doing it in dr...

Cooling shelters open during mini heat wave , college grads are entering a workforce with fewer internships , and Spokane astronaut Anne McClain talks to students from space. 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. G...

More than a quarter of people living unhoused in the city are sleeping in a vehicle, and Seattle’s 72-hour parking law means that anyone stuck in one place is in a precarious position. An RV lot set up for people experiencing homelessness since 2023 is being reclaimed for a pickleball court complex…  But as Seattle Times Homelessness Reporter Greg Kim explains, the development is...