Seattle Now
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Seattle Now is KUOW's flagship daily news podcast. Seattle Now brings you quick headlines, smart analysis, and award-winning local news. New episodes every weekday morning and afternoon. Start and end your day with Seattle Now, from KUOW and the NPR Network.
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Episodes
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Linked at last? A new proposal for Burke-Gilman
The missing link of the Burke-Gilman Trail has long been the White Whale for Seattle’s cycling community. One potential solution, putting in a trail on Shilshole Ave NW, has been subject to almost three decades of political and legal gridlock. Now, 6th District Councilmember Dan Strauss thinks he’s finally found a way. KUOW reporter Casey Martin is here to talk us through Strauss’s proposed plan.
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Bank closure shakes Seattle start-ups
Local tech start-ups and even the Washington wine industry had a few tense days following the Silicon Valley Bank failure. Now they’re looking for answers right alongside the Fed who’s stepped in to investigate. Seattle Times reporter Paul Roberts is here to talk about how SVB failed and what it means for local tech customers.
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WA lawmakers move treatment over jail time to the House
Democratic lawmakers in Olympia are working on a strategy to tackle drug possession that balances law enforcement and diversion. Senate Bill 5536 would allow people with substance use disorder an opportunity to choose treatment over jail time. But supporters say it will require a major investment for an airtight plan. And time is of the essence, the current law on the books expires this summer. KUOW reporter Amy Radil joins us today to walk us through where the senate bill is at today.
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Up Early for Daylight Saving Time
Hopefully you remembered that Daylight Saving Time started yesterday and you set your clock an hour forward. The time change elicits feelings in these parts. We’ll hear from UW sleep expert Horacio de la Iglesia and check in with some of the city's early risers about how they feel.
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Casual Friday with Naomi Ishisaka and Katie Campbell
This week… Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell paused a plan to take down the cherry trees outside of pike place market. A plan that would bring more housing density to our state now heads to the senate. And Seattle is the setting for the latest season of love is blind. KUOW’s Katie Campbell and Seattle Times columnist Naomi Ishisaka are here to break down the week.
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An investigation into Washington's Native Boarding Schools
Throughout the early-to-mid 20th century, Washington state was home to 15 Native American boarding schools. The schools have been the source of cultural erasure and generational trauma for Native people for over a century. But the specifics of what went on in those schools has been largely ignored or forgotten by many, including government officials. KUOW Investigative Team members Ashley Hiruko and Isolde Raftery have been collecting information and stories about what went on at these schools, and they’ve spoken with survivors and their families.
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Kelp is having a moment
Around here, when you think forest, you think towering Evergreen trees. But an equally important forest sits within Puget Sound. The state’s kelp forests play a critical role supporting fish and sea life in the Northwest, but they’ve been on the decline for the last 10 years. Northwest News Network correspondent Tom Banse is here to talk about how the state is working to restore kelp and eelgrass along the coastline.
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Amazon (no) Go
In 2018 Amazon launched Amazon Go, "the store of the future." Customers walk in, grab what they want, and go. No cashier, no line. On Friday, the retail giant announced they would close eight of those stores–including in Seattle. It's another cost-cutting measure, part of the company's streamlining plan to get it right in other "just walk out" locations. Lauren Rosenblatt, the Seattle Times Amazon reporter, is here to help us make sense of Amazon's latest moves.
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Can WA mend past housing racism?
Washington state may soon take responsibility for its role in restricting housing rights for Black, Indigenous, Jewish, and people of color before the Fair Housing Act of 1968. If passed, House bill 1474 would provide loans to people and their descendants previously affected by Washington’s restrictive housing laws. KUOW reporter Joshua McNichols is here to tell us about the bill.
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Casual Friday with Jas Keimig and Chase Burns
This week… Expanded SNAP benefits from COVID ended. Sea Tac Airport got a bunch of federal money to make improvements that will speed up security lines. And Seattle summers might get even hotter as the city loses its tree canopy, but at least we’ve got some cool music festivals to celebrate the summer season. We’re breaking down the week with arts writer Jas Keimig and The Ticket’s Chase Burns.
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King County, what happened to all the mental health beds?
In April, King County voters will get to decide if they want to fund five new mental and behavioral health crisis centers. These centers promise some intensive but temporary plans. It’s a pivot from the long term solutions the city has utilized over the years. Seattle Times mental health reporter Hannah Furfaro is here to dig into mental health plans of the past, how far we’ve come… and how much further we have to go.
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Birth support for Black and Native families in King County
Having a baby carries a lot of risk. But it’s even riskier for Black and Native people. Infant mortality for Black and Native people is higher and in our area data shows many of the deaths are concentrated in areas of South King County. Dila Perera is here to explain how her organization tries to help. She’s executive director of Open Arms Perinatal Services which connects people and their newborns to care. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow And we want to hear from you! Follow us on Instagram at SeattleNowPod, or leave us feedback online: https://www.kuow.org/feedback Tree Canopy Report: https://seattle.gov/documents/Departments/OSE/Urban%20Forestry/2021%20Tree%20Canopy%20Assessment%20Report_FINAL_230227.pdf