Sound Politics

Across the country, progressive Democrats are ousting establishment candidates who have, in some cases, been in office for decades. Could we see the same dynamic play out in Washington? Or are establishment Democrats here too progressive to be challenged to the left? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/po...

The Supreme Court says states like Idaho can ban trans girls from sports.  But what does that mean for our state and the initiative we will vote on in November? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/politics Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our edito...

Voting by mail is under attack -- from the Supreme Court, from President Trump -- and big changes could be coming this year. Should you be worried about dropping your ballot in the mail? Guest: Jake Goldstein Street, reporter at The Washington State Standard Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/politics So...

College sports is chaos right now. But Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington's Maria Cantwell are trying to do something about that with the Protect College Sports Act . It just passed the Senate Commerce Committee and heads to the Senate floor next . What's in the bill? And what do politicians gain when they take on this type of legislation? Guest Danny O'Neil, Seattle sportswriter and author of The...

Mayor Wilson joins Sound Politics to talk about Seattle's preparedness for the World Cup, CCTV cameras, and her goal to stand up 500 shelter beds before the first match Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network...

Both parties are rushing to gerrymander their Congressional districts as fast as they can. Nobody thinks this is good for Democracy. Is there a better way? The team at More Equitable Democracy thinks there is, and it is being used right across the Columbia in Portland, OR. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our produ...

As state legislatures across the country rush to redraw Congressional maps, will Washington follow their lead? Democrats in Olympia think it’s possible, but they need to win some local elections first. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Sea...

Washington’s state prisons have come under the eye of the federal Department of Justice for housing a little over a dozen trans women in a women’s prison. There’s a lot of anger over this policy on the right. And lawsuits on both sides of the issue claiming peoples’ constitutional rights are being violated.  We’ll dig into the facts with the Seattle Times' Lauren...

The discourse has gotten really heated about progressive politics versus business growth. But is this overblown? We talk to a former tax-the-rich Democrat who now reps Seattle's business community: Joe Nguyen. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in S...

Washington state Democrats feel hopeful, some are talking about winning a two-thirds supermajority, a real longshot this year. But first: they will look to fend off attacks from inside their own party. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle,...

Since Governor Ferguson took office in 2025, he’s done few media availabilities or sitdowns with podcasts like the one you’re listening to. He’s also overhauled how the state government communicates with the public. What does that mean for people trying to understand what’s going on in Olympia? Read Melissa Santos' reporting at Axios Seattle here . Thank you to the supporte...

Very few people pay attention to Supreme Court elections in the Evergreen state. In 2024, two of three judges ran unopposed. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our produce...

As Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson marks her 100th day in office, we look at where she stands on key campaign promises about shelter and CCTV cameras. Here's that link we promised to a piece about Joel Connelly in MyNorthwest. https://mynorthwest.com/local/joel-connelly-seattle-p-i-dies/4228791 Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https:/...

The legislative session in Olympia is over, and do you know where your legislator is now? Because it turns out they are probably herding bison (if you live in Moses Lake), or practicing forestry (If you're living in Centralia), or law or medicine. Washington has a part-time legislature, and most lawmakers have day jobs. But some say that should change, and “state legislator" should be a full...

The so-called millionaires tax has been signed into law, but the fight over it is barely beginning. Now, it moves to the courts -- and potentially onto your ballot. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Ou...

The Seattle SuperSonics are closer than ever to coming home. And this comeback could have surprising benefits for elected officials. Plus, we recap the political machinations behind the loss of the Sonics 18 years ago. Guest Jordan Ritter Conn , senior staff writer for The Ringer, host of " Sonic Boom: How Seattle Lost Its Team " Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possibl...

Since retiring from the military, combat veteran Joe Kent has been a loyal foot soldier in the MAGA army. Now, the two-time Washington congressional candidate claims President Donald Trump was manipulated into going to war with Iran, a country Kent says posed no imminent threat to the U.S. Kent sat down for a lengthy interview with Tucker Carlson about his decision to quit D.C., and we listened in...

We've been talking about it for what feels like forever. But it has finally happened. The Washington state legislature has passed the millionaire's tax . We're talking about the sounds, smells and substance that got this bill to the governor's desk with Sarah Mizes-Tan, KUOW's Olympia reporter. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to ht...

We’re coming to you with a bonus dose of Sound Politics because we got some feedback about our last episode that we want to talk about and chew over a bit. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/ . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our e...

We spoke to a major booster of President Trump and a proponent of military intervention in Iran. He doesn’t speak for the wide spectrum of Iranian-American thinking — but he does represent a mode of thought that is very visible and very loud in the Pacific Northwest. Most of the street demonstrations in the Seattle area have been organized by the pro-intervention faction of Seattle&rsq...

Democrats in Olympia are considering a bill that gives a state board the power to decertify elected sheriffs. Depending on how you see it, it's either a necessary step to modernize sheriff's offices or opens the door for an unelected state board to undermine voters. KUOW's Amy Radil will explain the bill, we'll hear from two sheriffs against it, and talk to one former sheriff, State Sen. John Lovi...

Is Governor Ferguson tax- mogging ? We'll let you look up what that means, but the millionaire’s tax is taking shape as it moves through Olympia. State Senate Democrats passed their version of the proposal this week. But can it pay for everything Democrats want it to fund? Also, Seattle mayor Katie Wilson faces her first test in office: Whether to expand the city’s over 60 CCTV cameras...

We haven’t talked a lot about the Epstein files on this show but it’s a defining picture of a lot of the politics we talk about here – populist backlash against rich elites and distrust of government and the political establishment more generally. It is a story that has engulfed the other Washington and it has connections to this Washington. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, y...

We're going deep on taxes this week, even though it's only February. State Democrats have released their so-called millionaire's tax, and we talk about why one particular Dem isn't sold yet. Related Links SB 6346 - 2025-26 WA Democrats’ ‘millionaires tax’ is here, but Ferguson doesn’t support it yet Washington state voters have rejected income taxes 10 times. Is this year d...

Where did the idea come from to push back against President Trump by holding a general strike? The story takes us back 100 years to shipyard workers in Seattle. We’ll hear why people think general strikes are an effective protest today and whether they work. On this week's episode, we relied on oral histories and primary sources from the Seattle General Strike Project , Wesleyan University ,...