John O'Brien
Senior Producer, All Things Considered
About
John O’Brien is KUOW's All Things Considered Senior Producer. He spends his days setting up interviews with newsmakers on subjects from politics and public health to arts and culture. John learned to make radio starting in 2006 as an intern on KUOW’s The Conversation with Ross Reynolds.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English
Pronouns: he/him
Podcasts
Stories
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Always hopeful, often bitter: Seattle SuperSonics fans watch Thunder roar
The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated their first NBA title with a parade through their downtown Tuesday morning, and that stings two time zones away here in Seattle.
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Seattle celebrates Juneteenth with Black culture ‘unapologetically on display'
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The tradition began in 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Texas received word, belatedly, of their emancipation. The celebrations have spread around the country, and in the wake of nationwide protests after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in 2020, the day became a federal holiday. Marcus Harrison Green is the founder of the South Seattle Emerald, a columnist with The Stranger, and co-host of the new podcast In the Meanwhile. He talked to KUOW’s Kim Malcolm about holiday celebrations here in Seattle.
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After deaths of the Decker sisters, advocates call for review of Amber Alert system
Child safety advocates and Washington state lawmakers met on the steps of Seattle City Hall Friday to call for a review of Washington’s Amber Alert system. Their calls are in response to the deaths of the three Decker sisters.
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Seattle’s new PWHL team could be ‘scary’ good
Seattle's brand-new women's pro hockey team is coming together.
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Go Oilers? Canadians vie for the Stanley Cup, and debate a new pipeline
KUOW’s Kim Malcolm caught up with Vancouver-based journalist Michelle Eliot for an update on politics, environmental and wildfire concerns, Stanley Cup Fever, and the end of the line for the Hudson’s Bay Company, founded in 1670.
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City of Bellingham sends love letter (of sorts) to Canadian neighbors boycotting the US
It's been four months since the start of cross border tensions between the US and Canada and the boycott of Canadian visitors is deepening. The latest traffic data shows half the number of vehicles with Canadian plates coming into Washington state in April compared to last year. It's a blow to Whatcom County, which usually sees Canadians pump around $140 million a year into the local economy. Last week, the Bellingham City Council and the mayor took another step in trying to mend fences. They wrote a love letter of sorts to Canadians and sent it to the leaders of nine BC cities in the lower mainland, including Vancouver. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm talked to Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund about the letter.
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Looks like they made it, or not. Highlights from Washington's 2025 legislative session
The work of governing a state comes to a pinnacle every year when the governor signs or vetoes legislation. Nearly 500 bills were completed this session in Olympia. That’s a lot to keep track of. To focus on some highlights, KUOW’s Kim Malcolm spoke to Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay.
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To recuse or not to recuse? The Seattle City Council debates an ethics conundrum
The Seattle City Council is scheduled to debate a change to the city's ethics policy Thursday. Current rules require council members to recuse themselves if they have a financial conflict of interest, which can mean some districts aren't fully represented in a vote. A proposed bill would make it easier for members to vote on legislation they have an interest in, but still require them to disclose any potential conflicts.
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UW professor looks for ways to make the ethical best of AI-enhanced learning
When generative artificial intelligence, or AI, dropped into our lives two and a half years ago, educators around the world went into a panic. Suddenly there was a chatbot easily accessible to students that could help them cheat on tests and assignments and likely get away with it. Fast forward, and now students are complaining that teachers are using AI in their jobs, and they don't like it. Should they? Katy Pearce is an associate professor in the University of Washington's Department of Communication. She researches social and political uses of technologies and digital content. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm talked to her about how students and teachers are navigating their use of AI technology.
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Senior NOAA researchers are being forced out. Is Trump 'killing science'?
As part of its concerted effort to shrink government agencies, the Trump administration has choked off funding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The cuts have forced scientists who've done groundbreaking work here in the Northwest to leave their positions.