Northwest Reports

The governor’s office has been keeping communications tight. Three state politics reporters discuss the unusual lack of access and its public impact. Another surprising aspect of the first few months of the Ferguson administration was a lack of communication with the public, particularly through the press.   Gov. Bob Ferguson was slow to hold weekly press conferences during the first few months of the legislative session and slow to provide reporters with information about his whereabouts. He also sent a memo to state agencies requiring all public communication to go through the governor’s office before it is released.   In this episode, host Sara Bernard sits down with Cascade PBS reporter Laurel Demkovich, Washington State Standard reporter Jerry Cornfield and Axios reporter Melissa Santos to discuss the unusually limited access to the governor’s office so far, and why that matters.  Despite multiple requests, Governor Ferguson’s office did not grant us an interview for this series. Read more about Governor Ferguson from reporter Laurel Demkovich here.  --- Credits Reporter: Laurel Demkovich Host/Producer:  Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies Production Manager: Adam Brown --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

What’s with all the criticism? Pollster Stuart Elway and state Sen. Jamie Pedersen think it could be the governor's centrism, which irks both sides. Voters aren’t too happy with Gov. Bob Ferguson’s first few months as governor. A new Cascade PBS/Elway poll found that the governor has the lowest first-six-month job rating of any Washington governor in more than 30 years.   But it’s not just the governor who got a bad score from voters. The Legislature also got low marks, and the general mood of voters in our state is gloomy.   In this episode, host Sara Bernard and Cascade PBS state politics reporter Laurel Demkovich talk with pollster Stuart Elway about the results of his most recent poll and why voters may be unhappy with Ferguson right now.   Then, Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, talks about his relationship with Ferguson, whom he’s known for decades, and explains why he’s not surprised by Ferguson’s more moderate approach.   Despite multiple requests, Governor Ferguson’s office did not grant us an interview for this series. Read more about Governor Ferguson from reporter Laurel Demkovich here.  --- Credits Reporter: Laurel Demkovich Host/Producer:  Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies Production Manager: Adam Brown --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

At first, Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson appeared to cross the aisle. Lawmakers on the right were thrilled – until they weren’t. Gov. Bob Ferguson’s inaugural address wasn’t what anyone expected from the new governor, and it set the tone for a challenging legislative session in which the new executive struggled to win over Democratic and Republican lawmakers, activists and voters.   The speech was a pleasant surprise to Republicans, who heard many of their own ideas reflected in the governor’s words. But by the end of the session, that enthusiasm faded as Ferguson approved hundreds of Democrat-backed laws, including the largest tax hike in state history.   In this episode, host Sara Bernard and Cascade PBS state politics reporter Laurel Demkovich sit down with Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, to talk about his optimism for the new governor — and how his hopes were dashed.   Despite multiple requests, Governor Ferguson’s office did not grant us an interview for this series.  Read more about Governor Ferguson from reporter Laurel Demkovich here.  --- Credits Reporter: Laurel Demkovich Host/Producer:  Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies Production Manager: Adam Brown --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

The founder and editor of 'The Needling' on why Seattle is so easy to make fun of and how comedy can help us process the news.  Seattle’s high cost of living, policing and tech industry fuel a lot of local headlines, including those published by The Needling, “Seattle’s Only Real Fake News.”  On May 31, the Northwest Reports team invited four local changemakers to the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival and asked them to speak candidly about their opinions on Seattle. The guests took the stage to both celebrate and throw a little shade at a flawed city that they still love.  The fourth and final episode of Northwest Reports Live features Lex Vaughn, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Needling, often referred to as Seattle’s version of The Onion.   In this episode, Vaughn talks about why Seattle is so easy to poke fun at; shares the Needling headlines that have gotten the biggest reactions over the years; and explores the ways humor can help us process what’s happening in the news.  --- Credits Producers:  Maleeha Syed, Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies Production Manager: Adam Brown Production Engineer: Resti Bagcal --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

The founder of Hey, Black Seattle! talks about the good — and complicated — realities of building community in the PNW as a person of color.  It can be tough to find a sense of community in Seattle, where it’s rainy most of the year and there’s a notorious social freeze to break through. It can be even harder navigating those barriers if you’re not white.   In the third episode of Northwest Reports Live, which showcases conversations with Seattle changemakers at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival, Kiesha B. Free talked about the good — and complicated — realities of living here.   Free is a speaker, facilitator, emcee, stand-up comedian and former business leader at Time and Microsoft. She also founded Hey, Black Seattle!, an online resource and movement that she created to connect and nurture Seattle’s Black community.  Free shares why she started Hey, Black Seattle!; addresses the myth that there are no Black people here; and weighs in on whether the city’s progressive reputation is well-earned.    --- Credits Producers:  Maleeha Syed, Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies Production Manager: Adam Brown Production Engineer: Resti Bagcal --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

The creator of “View from the Floor” describes how people’s experiences in the Emerald City differ depending on their physical abilities.  Seattle’s got a lot to offer, whether you’re drawn to the city for its picturesque views or its rich cultural history. But people’s experiences of the Emerald City can vary a lot.  The guest in this episode of Northwest Reports Live, recorded at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival on May 31, is Mindie Lind. She’s a local writer, musician, filmmaker and overall creative person who’s working on an animated feature film about “sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll without legs.”   Lind has also written about some unpleasant experiences she’s had in Seattle, specifically the inaccessible spaces she’s had to navigate as a person born without legs.   She addresses all of that and more in this episode which, fair warning, does include some explicit language. --- Credits Producers:  Maleeha Syed, Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies Production Manager: Adam Brown Production Engineer: Resti Bagcal --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

The founder of Vanishing Seattle, a digital archive documenting disappearing spaces, addresses loss and joy in a changing city.  It seems that everyone has an opinion about Seattle as the city grows, residents get priced out and businesses disappear.   In the latest Northwest Reports series, recorded live at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival on May 31, Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed asked influential community members to share their thoughts on the city. The four guests featured in this series have launched projects and used their platforms to cultivate community here. In these conversations for Northwest Reports Live, they talked about their lived experiences and pushed back on widely held beliefs about this place.   The guest for the first episode is Cynthia Brothers, who founded Vanishing Seattle, a media movement that documents the displacement and disappearance of institutions, businesses and cultures in the city.   Brothers addresses the narrative that Seattle’s best days are behind us; why a business shutting down means more than just the loss of that physical space; and how she still finds joy even as she watches a city that she loves change.  --- Credits Producers:  Maleeha Syed, Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies Production Manager: Adam Brown Production Engineer: Resti Bagcal --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

Despite ambitious goals toward combating climate change, Oregon and Washington lag far behind other states when it comes to adding renewable energy.  Our series It’s Not Easy Going Green focused on the struggles around the creation of new green energy projects. But it turns out that even if Oregon and Washington built all the wind and solar farms anyone could want, there’s just not enough grid capacity in the Northwest to deliver that energy to people’s homes.  That’s according to a new investigation from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica. OPB reporters Tony Schick and Monica Samayoa scrutinized the Northwest’s transmission grid and its operator, the Bonneville Power Administration, which in the past decade has hooked up only one wind or solar plant, and that was an add-on to an existing plant.  So, for a bonus episode of the series, Cascade PBS investigative reporter Brandon Block sat down with Schick and Samayoa to compare notes on why the Pacific Northwest’s dream of clean energy remains so far from reality.  Read Schick and Samayoa’s reporting, “How the Pacific Northwest’s Dream of Green Energy Fell Apart” and “Higher Prices, Rolling Blackouts,” at OPB.org or ProPublica.org.  --- Credits Producers:  Maleeha Syed, Sara Bernard Reporter:  Brandon Block Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

One group with a loud voice in the debate over renewable energy development in Washington is farmers. Since so many of these conflicts are rooted in land-use decisions, a major question remains: Should the state prioritize land for agriculture or energy development? Brandon Block explains how some farmers believe these new energy facilities could threaten their way of life, while others are surviving by leasing land to a solar developer. Finally, Block speaks with a researcher who helps design conflict-reduction maps. The hope is that better advance planning can help address all of these dueling priorities – including the looming climate crisis.   Read Block's investigation here.  --- Credits Host/Producer:  Maleeha Syed Producer: Sara Bernard Reporter:  Brandon Block Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

What is the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC, anyway? While so many of Washington’s proposed renewable energy projects are mired in controversy, one thing all sides can agree on is their criticism of EFSEC. The state body, which is empowered to override local laws and recommend permits for new energy projects, is routinely critiqued by everyone from clean energy developers to Indigenous nations to even the state legislature. Brandon Block explains why this facility-permitting council was created in the first place, how it works and what reforms might be in order.   Read Block's investigation here.  --- Credits Host/Producer:  Maleeha Syed Producer: Sara Bernard Reporter:  Brandon Block Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

As originally proposed, the Horse Heaven Hills wind farm would have built more than 200 wind turbines on a prominent ridgeline just south of Washington’s Tri-Cities. After years of community backlash, litigation and former Governor Inslee’s veto of a controversial state council’s permitting decision, the project is still in limbo. Cascade PBS investigative reporter Brandon Block explains how a slew of resistance – including from homeowners, wildlife conservationists and the Yakama Nation – raises important questions about which concerns take precedence in the drive to kick fossil fuels.  Read Block's investigation here.  --- Credits Host/Producer:  Maleeha Syed Producer: Sara Bernard Reporter:  Brandon Block Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

In the final episode of the series, three Washington Republicans react to Donald Trump’s reelection and ponder the future of the state’s GOP. Donald Trump’s reelection to the country’s highest office elicited a range of reactions ... even among Republicans in Washington state.   Some on the right have distanced themselves from Trump, which listeners heard in the first episode of “The Elephant in the Room” — a three-part series from Northwest Reports that dives deeper into the state and future of Washington’s GOP. Other Washington Republicans stand by the President-elect, including those whom the Northwest Reports team spoke to at a GOP watch party on election night.   In the series’ third and final episode, hosts Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed caught up with a few Republicans in Washington after Nov. 5 to hear their perspectives on how this year’s election played out.   The three candidly shared their thoughts on Trump’s reelection, the reasons Republicans keep losing in Washington and where they see the state GOP going from here.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Reporters:  Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to cascadepbs.org/membership. In addition to supporting our events and daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

Follow the team as they head to Bellevue for a Republican election night watch party. As results roll in, attendees share their thoughts. Washington state, as expected, went blue in this year’s election – showing up for Kamala Harris and electing Democrats in statewide races. Still, Republicans here had a lot of enthusiasm on election night ... and it turned out to be warranted.  The GOP clinched major victories on the national stage, reelecting Donald Trump to the executive office and securing control of both chambers of Congress.   In the second episode of “The Elephant in the Room” – a three-part series exploring the state of Washington’s Republican party – Northwest Reports spent election night at a GOP watch party in Bellevue.  As results rolled in, attendees shared their thoughts on what draws them to the Republican Party; their perspectives on the chaos that unfolded at the 2024 Washington GOP convention in Spokane; and, of course, their feelings about Donald Trump.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Reporters:  Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to cascadepbs.org/membership. In addition to supporting our events and daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

A Northwest Reports limited series examines the present and future of Washington’s GOP. In this episode, moderate Republicans talk internal divisions. Republicans won big in this year’s election. Republicans in Washington state, however ... That's a different story.   In November, the country voted to reelect Donald Trump to the nation’s highest office; Republicans gained control of Congress; and most states experienced significant swings to the right. Washington also saw a slight rightward shift, but it wasn’t by much, and Democrats won all the statewide races.      “The Elephant in the Room” is a three-part series that examines the state of Washington’s GOP through conversations with Republicans – who range from moderate to conservative – before, during and after the election. The series explores what it’s like to be red in a blue state; the divisions that exist between the more moderate and more conservative flanks of the party; what lies ahead for the Washington’s GOP; and how Trump fits into all of this.   In the first episode, hosts Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed speak with two people before the election who identify as Republicans but distance themselves from Trump: Chris Vance, who formerly chaired Washington’s Republican Party and this year worked as a Republican for Kamala Harris, and Deanna Martinez, who chairs the Mainstream Republicans of Washington. These two explore the discord between more moderate and more conservative Republicans in Washington ... and what another four years under Trump could mean for the state’s GOP.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Reporters:  Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to cascadepbs.org/membership. In addition to supporting our events and daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

In the finale of our three-part series, we hear from professionals who help those affected by gun violence find recovery beyond the hospital bed. Getting stitched up is just one part of a gunshot wound patient’s recovery. People face a long line of stressors after getting out of surgery.   That’s where Harborview Medical Center’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Program comes in, to ease the burden on patients as they figure out things like transportation to follow-up appointments, help with paying medical bills and access to trauma therapy.  In our third and final episode of First Response, we hear from Paul Carter III and Tarrell Harrison Jr., two violence intervention and prevention specialists who work closely with Harborview patients after they’ve been shot, about what their work looks like on the ground. We’ll also hear from Mark Rivers of Community Passageways, one of the organizations that Harborview connects patients with as they get close to leaving the hospital.   Together these three highlight the community-wide effort to help patients and families navigate the hardship and trauma of gun violence. The hope is that these efforts can prevent people from returning to the circumstances that brought them to Harborview in the first place.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Reporters: :  Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to cascadepbs.org/membership. In addition to supporting our events and daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

In the second episode of our three-part series, we look at Harborview Medical Center's initiative to treat the long-term impacts of gunshot wounds. There’s been a shift in how medical professionals think about gun violence: Many of them aren’t focused only on making sure a patient lives after being shot ... they’re also thinking about how to help these individuals recover and rebuild beyond the operating table.  This trend of looking at gun violence as a public health issue has taken shape across the United States, including at Harborview Medical Center. In 2021, the hospital launched its Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, which takes a holistic approach to helping patients affected by interpersonal gun violence.   People in the program connect with intervention specialists, who get a sense of patients’ needs, build rapport and offer support. This could mean anything from finding transportation to their appointments to help with paying their medical bills. The goal is for these patients to leave the hospital with more support than they had coming in — so they never have to return with a gunshot wound.  In the second episode of First Response, we speak to the people involved with creating and sustaining this program at Harborview about how the idea first came about; how it got started and how it’s evolved; why the program focuses on people affected by interpersonal gun violence; and some of the challenges that it faces.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Reporters: :  Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to cascadepbs.org/membership. In addition to supporting our events and daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

In the first episode of our three-part podcast series, two surgeons, a nurse and a paramedic describe the impact of seeing gun violence up close. Medical professionals in Washington have gotten used to treating people affected by gun violence -- especially in recent years.   A few months ago, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis at a time when tens of thousands of Americans are dying from firearm-related injuries. This trend is hard to ignore at a place like Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Washington.     In the first episode of First Response, we speak to medical professionals at the hospital, as well as a King County paramedic, about what this rise in gun violence looks like on the ground – and the impact it has on them.   Many of these medical professionals aren’t desensitized to gun violence. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: Instead of just responding to the immediate aftermath of a gunshot, health care workers at Harborview want to treat the long-term impact of firearm violence – and, they hope, prevent it from happening in the first place.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporters: : Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to cascadepbs.org/membership. In addition to supporting our events and daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

Stay tuned for a new, scripted series from Northwest Reports, launching September 25. Harborview Medical Center in Seattle is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Washington. As a result, it has become ground zero for the major crises of our time, including a rise in gun violence. In this three-part series, we hear what it’s like to be a surgeon, nurse or paramedic in our region amid a historic rise in gun-related injuries – and what some medical professionals are doing to help. This help goes well beyond the operating table. A new program at Harborview aims to support gunshot survivors and, ultimately, interrupt what is often an ongoing cycle of violence.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporters: : Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to cascadepbs.org/membership. In addition to supporting our events and daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS.   

Lizz Giordano and Lauren Gallup discuss their reporting on Puget Sound Veterans Affairs clinic complaints. Plus, what’s changing with Northwest Reports. Patients and staff have navigated a myriad of concerning conditions in a building on the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System campus in South Seattle.     Earlier this month, Northwest Public Broadcasting reporter Lauren Gallup and Cascade PBS reporter Lizz Giordano published their joint investigation into the conditions in Building 18, from leaky ceilings to inadequate ventilation during the pandemic.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed speaks with Gallup and Giordano about their investigation, including how they learned about the story; why they chose to showcase their investigation in different mediums; and their plans for future reporting on this topic.   Also, we have an update about Northwest Reports: This will be the final episode that we publish on a weekly schedule, because we’re going to start releasing limited series several times a year – with our first one coming out this fall. So keep following us wherever you get your podcasts and be on the lookout for that upcoming series!  Learn more about the findings from this investigation here and here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporters: Lizz Giordano and Lauren Gallup Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

After being forced to move from Seattle and, this year, Snohomish, Sandra Mears and her partner are still searching for a place to call home as renters. Sandra Mears rented in Seattle for years – until she and her partner had to leave their home because it was getting torn down.  They moved to a spot in Snohomish, where they could go to the farmers market, walk to restaurants and feel a sense of community.   They lived there for years, but in January they learned that their house was being sold and they had to leave within 90 days. Suddenly they found themselves scrambling to find a new place – again.  In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed speaks with Mears about what it was like to get pushed out of her home once more; the ongoing struggle to find affordable housing in the region; and the toll this most recent move took on her and her partner.   Read more about Sandra's story here. --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Guest: Sandra Mears Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

Ahead of World UFO Day, we spoke with Carole Williams about the community she’s found with others who share her interest in extraterrestrials. We’re talking aliens – and community – ahead of World UFO Day.   People generally celebrate World UFO Day on July 2 – though historically the celebration has also been held on June 24, thanks to a 1947 event involving a pilot’s report of nine flying objects near Mount Rainier.    This incident spawned a flurry of sightings and popularized the phrase “flying saucers.”    In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed speaks with Carole Williams, an organizer with the Seattle UFO Network, about her interest in UFOs – and the community she’s found with others who share this interest.   Learn more about Washington's ties to UFOs here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Guest: Carole Williams Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander month. KEXP host Kevin Sur shares why broad terms don’t always speak to communities like his own. AANHPI Heritage Month is coming to a close.  May is widely recognized as a time to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, or AANHPI, communities. There have been different versions of this acronym over the years – from Asian Pacific American (APA) to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI).   For some community members, these acronyms are a little too broad.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed speaks with Kevin Sur, a Native Hawaiian who co-hosts Sounds of Survivance, a KEXP show that spotlights global Indigenous music. Sur talks about why he thinks terms like AAPI fall short in capturing the nuances of the communities they cover.    --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Guest: Kevin Sur Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

Wolfe and his team will focus the five-part docuseries on reefnet fishing and its significance to PNW Indigenous communities. Cascade PBS has just revealed what’s to come in the third season of Origins.  The company recently announced Samuel Wolfe as the director chosen to take on the newest season of Origins, a project that awards regional filmmakers $40,000 to create a docuseries on communities they belong to. Previous seasons have focused on refugees in the state and the experiences of growing up Black in Seattle.   For the third season, Wolfe is going to explore the relationship between Pacific Northwest Indigenous communities and reefnet fishing.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed talks to Wolfe about how he plans to bring his five-part docuseries to life. Wolfe explains what reefnet fishing is; how his identity impacts his perspective; and what he hopes will come out of the project.   Read more about the upcoming season of Origins here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Guest: Samuel Wolfe Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

After taking steps to affirm his gender, Torrey Stephenson decided to take a plunge – and became a triathlete in the process. Torrey Stephenson was born biologically female.   Over the years he realized that he identifies as a man, and took measures to align with his gender — for example, getting top surgery in 2020.   As he grew more comfortable in his body, he wanted to try something new: swimming.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed speaks with Stephenson about how he took the plunge into the sport; why, even though he’s more comfortable with his body, he still has nerves about being trans in Idaho; and how, in just a few months, he went from learning the ropes to competing in a triathlon.    Read more about Torrey's swimming journey here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Guest: Torrey Stephenson Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

Cascade PBS anchor Paris Jackson hears from the mayor about key issues facing his administration, such as public safety and Downtown revitalization. The mayor of Seattle talked all things Emerald City in his recent conversation with Cascade PBS.   Bruce Harrell was first elected to lead the city in 2021, though he had served as interim mayor in 2017. He also spent years on Seattle’s City Council, including as its president.   Since taking office, Harrell has faced big-picture questions on public safety and Downtown revitalization.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, Cascade PBS anchor Paris Jackson sits down with the mayor to talk about some of the topics that are top of mind for Seattle – from policing to the NBA.   Read more about the conversation with Mayor Harrell here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed Reporter: Paris Jackson Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

Phillips, one of the advocates behind the Cascade PBS project that highlights Black artists in Seattle, discusses its origins — and the new season. Black Arts Legacies has returned for its third season.   The project dedicated to documenting the impact and stories of Black artists in Seattle has showcased dozens of people — from dancers and musicians to architects and curators — through written and video profiles, podcast episodes and photography.   Artists featured this season are being unveiled one at a time each week, with two profiles, on Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence and Tee Dennard, already published.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed sits down with Vivian Phillips, one of the arts advocates who brought the idea for Black Arts Legacies to Cascade PBS, about the project’s beginnings; what Black Arts Legacies means to her; and this latest season.   Check out the written and video profiles, photography and podcast episodes for Black Arts Legacies here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Guest: Vivian Phillips  Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

Producer Sara Bernard offers a peek into how the moss is made and teases what lies in wait for listeners in the podcast’s fifth season. Mossback’s back!   The beloved video series has returned, and host Knute Berger continues to explore Pacific Northwest history. The fifth season of the companion podcast that Knute co-hosts with Stephen Hegg is back, too.   A couple of episodes are already out – about deadly avalanches and the effort to cover up a Boeing plant during WWII. There’s a Northwest Reports connection, too: Host Sara Bernard has been producing this latest season of the podcast.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed catches up with Sara to get a behind-the-scenes peek at how this season is shaping up. The two talk about the insight Sara got into PNW history; her work to bring the show to life through audio; and what it was like to try clam nectar for the podcast.   Listen to the fifth season of the Mossback podcast here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Reporter: Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

After Evans' appearance at a Northwest Power and Conservation Council meeting, Venice Buhain and Knute Berger discuss his impact on Washington. Dan Evans has been a force in Washington for decades.   The public figure, now 98, has plenty of titles under his belt: Engineer. Washington governor. U.S. Senator.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed speaks with Cascade PBS associate news editor Venice Buhain about the former three-term governor’s impact on Washington. She recently went to an event attended by Evans, put on by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (which Evans once chaired) at Evergreen State College (where Evans once served as president).     Syed also speaks with Cascade PBS editor-at-large Knute Berger, who grew up in Washington, about what it was like watching Evans’ legacy develop over the years.  Read more about the former governor's energy and conservation work here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Reporter: Venice Buhain and Knute Berger  Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

Cascade PBS reporter Mai Hoang talks with the former state legislator about her newest gig, including key issues affecting the city's community members. This week, Lisa Brown officially passed the 100-day mark in her new role as Spokane’s mayor.  Brown started her term at the beginning of the year after defeating incumbent Nadine Woodward. She has worked in several different capacities over the years, including as a lawmaker in the State Legislature.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, Cascade PBS reporter Mai Hoang checks in with Mayor Brown to see how these first months have gone.   The two touched on major issues impacting Spokane — homelessness, the opioid crisis and recent police shootings.    Read more about how Brown is approaching her new role as mayor here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Reporter: Mai Hoang Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS. 

We spoke with Cynthia Brothers, founder of the project that highlights disappearing institutions and cultures in the city, about losing public spaces. Coffee shops. Churches. Gyms.    These are just a few examples of what you might consider your “third place” – a spot you go outside of work and your home to hang out and connect.   The concept of third places isn’t new, but it has seen renewed interest in recent years as we navigate the social fallout of COVID-19 and increased screen time.   In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed chats with Cynthia Brothers of Vanishing Seattle, a media project that highlights disappearing institutions and cultures around the city, about why we’re seeing some of our third places disappear and what it means to lose them.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Reporter: Maleeha Syed Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS.

Lizz Giordano takes us behind the scenes on how dozens of foreign Filipino fishermen wound up stranded on a boat in Grays Harbor. A fishing company allegedly left two dozen Filipino men stranded at the Westport Marina for months last year, according to the latest reporting from the investigative team at Cascade PBS.   The men were contracted with McAdam’s Fish, which decided to dock their boats in September amid a slow season. None of the fishermen had a visa, meaning they could be fined if they stepped off the boats at all.   Consequently, the workers relied on the California-based company for basic needs and to return home. They also didn’t get a majority of their pay in the three months they were living on the vessels.    In this episode of Northwest Reports, host Maleeha Syed goes behind the scenes with reporter Lizz Giordano to talk about how this story ended up on her radar; what it was like to collaborate on it with reporters Farah Eltohamy and Jaelynn Grisso; and the trip they all took to Westport to see where the fishermen were living.   Find out more about the investigation into what happened at the Westport Marina here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Reporter: Lizz Giordano, Jaelynn Grisso and Farah Eltohamy Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS.

The newspaper’s future was in question after founder Sandy Williams died. Reporter Mai Hoang talks about the push to get it up and running again. For years Black readers in Eastern Washington could rely on The Black Lens, a Spokane-based newspaper, for community news.   That changed in 2022, when founder Sandy Williams died in a floatplane crash.  Suddenly the fate of the publication — which had already been on hiatus — was left hanging in the balance.  In this episode of Northwest Reports, Mai Hoang talks about the push to revive The Black Lens, the publication’s value to community members and the legacy of Sandy Williams.    Read more about the relaunch of The Black Lens here.  --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Reporter: Mai Hoang Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS.

The two, who met years ago through a peace organization, spoke about their lives before and after Oct. 7 at a Town Hall Seattle event on Friday. All eyes have been on Gaza since October 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people. Since then, Israel has killed upward of 30,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.   The war between Israel and Hamas has sparked global outrage, triggered widespread calls for a cease-fire and led some Americans to vote “uncommitted” in the presidential primary – an attempt to get President Joe Biden to take a harsher stance on Israel.   Still, there have long been efforts to build connections between communities tied to the war. One example is Tomorrow’s Women, an organization dedicated to facilitating dialogue and empowering young Israeli and Palestinian women to work toward peace.   This episode of Northwest Reports is an edited version of a live event at Town Hall Seattle where Lana Ikelan, a Palestinian journalist, and Noga Bar Oz, a Jewish Israeli musician, shared stories about growing up in a divided world, their work as peacemakers and the ways the war has impacted them. Afterward, the women, who met in 2016 through Tomorrow’s Women, spoke with Northwest Reports co-host Sara Bernard about their relationship, their experiences before and after the war began, and what they continue to hope for.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Sara Bernard and Scot Michael  Reporter: Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS.

The environmental crisis has brought on anxiety, grief and a reluctance to have kids, says UW Bothell professor Jennifer Atkinson.    It’s hard to miss the signs of climate change.    The ocean’s heating, ice sheets are melting and – in places like Washington – wildfire seasons are getting longer.   But climate change isn’t just impacting our landscape: It’s also affecting our mental health.   In this episode of Crosscut Reports, host Maleeha Syed talks with Jennifer Atkinson, an associate teaching professor at the University of Washington Bothell, about the difficult emotions many of us experience with these changes – and what we can do to navigate them.   To learn more about the impact that climate change is having on our mental health, check out this episode of Human Elements.   --- Credits  Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Reporter: Maleeha Syed Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

News editor Donna Blankinship interviewed Steve Hobbs about boosting voter confidence ahead of this year's elections. Washington’s Secretary of State has a big year ahead.   The 2024 election is already underway as Washington voters begin to cast their ballots in the presidential primary. Voters have until March 12 to choose among a handful of candidates, including Joe Biden and Donald Trump — the likely nominees for president.   In mid-February, Crosscut’s news editor, Donna Blankinship, interviewed Washington Secretary Steve Hobbs to hear his thoughts on different election-related matters.   In this episode of Crosscut Reports, Blankinship speaks with Hobbs about protecting election workers, combating misinformation, ranked-choice voting and more.   Read more about what Hobbs had to say here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Donna Blankinship Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Reporter Jadenne Radoc Cabahug shares the stories of Black Seattleites who are continuing to work for equity and police accountability. In May 2020, amid a global pandemic, protests erupted around the United States following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.   People marched to demand greater accountability from law enforcement across the country, including in Seattle, where protesters occupied several blocks of Capitol Hill for weeks.   Crosscut’s emerging journalist fellow, Jadenne Radoc Cabahug, recently reported on four activists who experienced what Seattle was like in the summer of 2020.   In this episode of Crosscut Reports, host Maleeha Syed speaks with Cabahug about how the people she interviewed remember this moment in Seattle’s history – and how they continue to channel their activism four years later.   Read more about these four Seattle activists here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Jadenne Radoc Cabahug Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

A Bellingham tenant and a housing advocate explain how steep rent increases are hurting state residents, and how HB 2114 could help. For many tenants across Washington, rent is too high – and it keeps climbing. Right now, landlords face no limit on when or how much they can raise rents.   HB 2114 would cap rent and fee increases to 7 percent in a 12-month period and prevent landlords from raising rent at all in the first year of a resident’s tenancy. In certain cases, it would also require landlords to give six months’ notice of rent increases.   In this episode of Crosscut Reports, host Maleeha Syed speaks with Kerri Burnside, a Bellingham resident and supporter of HB 2114, about how sudden and severe rent increases have affected her life and community.   Then, Michele Thomas from the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance shares details about the bill, the hurdles it faces, and why she believes it’s needed right now.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Reporter Brandon Block shares an example of how the state intercepts parental assistance to people who also receive TANF, or welfare. In 2017, Amy Roark applied for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program after one of her exes stopped paying his child support.     She began to receive money through the program, but as these funds started coming in, she stopped getting payments from her exes altogether.    This was thanks to a Washington policy which intercepts child support to families on TANF. Lawmakers are pushing a bill that would redirect a portion of future payments back to these individuals.    In this episode, we speak with Crosscut’s Brandon Block about his reporting on Washington’s interception of child support, including why it happens and how it affects families like Amy’s.    Read more about Washington's practice of intercepting child support payments for TANF recipients – a common practice in most states – here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Brandon Block Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

June Guzman and Audrey Baedke offer housing and emotional support through the nonprofit Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST). The Seattle area is a known hub for sex trafficking. Some estimates suggest that more than two thousand people could be trafficked in the region every night.  June Guzman manages the 24/7 hotline and emergency shelter for Real Escape from the Sex Trade, or REST. Audrey Baedke is director of programs at REST. Both Guzman and Baedke work to support survivors through everything from finding transportation and housing assistance to simply answering the phone when a survivor needs someone to talk to.   In this episode of Crosscut Reports, host Sara Bernard speaks with Guzman and Baedke about their work and what it’s shown them about the urgency of the issue in the region right now.   But mostly they focus on REST’s 24/7 hotline: what people who call are often looking for; what stories still stick with both Guzman and Baedke; and what a hotline like this, at its core, really means.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Sara Bernard Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Reporter Mai Hoang talks about the ongoing fight to redraw majority-Latino legislative districts between Yakima and Pasco. A yearslong debate over redistricting in Central Washington could close just in time for the 2024 election.   Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in January 2022 over the 15th Legislative District, arguing that its boundaries as drawn diluted Latino votes. In August, a U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of those plaintiffs.  Now the court is reviewing proposed maps that shift those boundaries.   In this episode of Crosscut Reports, host Maleeha Syed chats with Mai Hoang about her story on the five new proposed maps for the region, including changes that could go into effect ahead of this year’s election and the pushback to this redrawing effort. Read more about the proposed maps and potential changes in Central Washington here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Mai Hoang Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Reporter Nimra Ahmad describes a day on the job with the city's experimental mental health crisis program staff. Seattle is now dispatching mental health crisis responders on 911 calls – and reporter Nimra Ahmad got to watch them work in real time.  In October, the city soft-launched the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) team, made up of crisis responders who are dispatched with police as needed. This dual dispatch pilot program is one of the many ways cities are reframing the role that police play when it comes to mental health crisis response.   To get a better idea of what this alternative response system looks like in practice, Nimra went on a few ride-alongs with CARE team members at the end of last year.  In this episode of Crosscut Reports, host Maleeha Syed chats with Nimra about her reporting on the program, including her firsthand experiences watching the CARE team respond to people in crisis.  Read more about this new dual dispatch pilot program here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Nimra Ahmad Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

The governor spoke with Crosscut's Paris Jackson about mental health, climate change and the Huskies ... prior to their national championship game. In November, voters will cast their ballots for someone to succeed Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington for more than a decade.  Until then, Inslee has some key issues he wants to address.  The governor sat down with Crosscut’s Paris Jackson in early January to discuss some of his priorities for 2024.  In this episode, you’ll hear the full conversation between Jackson and Inslee, who went in depth on a range of issues including climate change, housing and the University of Washington’s football team. Read the full Q&A with Inslee here and watch a video version of the conversation on Crosscut.com or KCTS9.org on January 11th.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard  Reporter: Paris Jackson Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

The third episode of the investigative series co-produced with Crosscut focuses on one woman's experience with foster care and homelessness in WA.  A few months ago, Crosscut collaborated with the nonprofit organization Youth Today to produce a three-part multimedia series on youth homelessness.   Reporter Elizabeth Whitman and producer Sam Leeds investigated several pilot programs designed to support young people who’ve been involved in state systems such as foster care or juvenile justice.   This week we’re dropping one of those episodes into the Crosscut Reports feed. It features Janell Braxton, a woman who is still reckoning with her experience in Washington’s foster care system.   Listen here, then follow Youth Today News wherever you get your podcasts.  Read more about Janell Braxton's experience in the WA foster care system here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Sam Leeds and Sara Bernard  Reporter: Elizabeth Whitman Story editor: Jacob Jones and Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Earlier this year, Crosscut reported on an Aberdeen park facing rising rents and cut services. Farah Eltohamy shares how the story has evolved. Mobile home parks are often considered one of the most reliable forms of affordable housing. Some tenants in Washington beg to differ.   This summer, Farah Eltohamy and Mai Hoang investigated allegations that one management company, Hurst & Son LLC, raised rents and fees while reducing services at the mobile home properties it had recently purchased across the state.  Tenants from those parks filed complaints with the state attorney general’s office, and in October, those complaints were heard.   In this episode of Crosscut Reports, we replay our interview with Eltohamy from August about the first round of allegations into Hurst & Son LLC. Then we check back in to hear the latest on the state’s investigation – and what tenants in other mobile home parks are experiencing right now.  Read more on Crosscut.com about what's at stake for Hurst & Son LLC tenants as well as other mobile home park residents. --- Credits Host/Producer:  Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Reporter: Farah Eltohamy Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Taylor Swift shows and MLB All-Star Week brought business this summer, but the city center is still hurting. Reporter Josh Cohen offers some updates. Downtown Seattle got plenty of visitors this year thanks to the MLB All-Star Game and concerts from big-name musicians like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.   Events like these make Downtown feel like a far cry from the early days of COVID-19.   Still, there are some post-pandemic challenges that the city center is working through, which Crosscut’s Josh Cohen first reported on in February.  In this episode, we replay an interview with Josh from March about the hurdles facing Downtown – and the ideas people have for its future – before getting into an updated conversation with him about the state of Downtown today.   Read more about how Seattle's Downtown recovery is going here. --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Josh Cohen Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

But there still isn't a contract. Crosscut reporter Lizz Giordano updates us on employees’ unionizing efforts. Unions have been flexing their muscles to advocate for workers’ rights across sectors from the auto industry to Hollywood.    Coffee shops are no exception: Employees at more than 300 Starbucks locations have voted to unionize under Starbucks Workers United since December 2021, when a shop in Buffalo became the first to do so.   Earlier this year, Crosscut reporter Lizz Giordano wrote about these unionizing efforts, including the alleged retaliation workers said they faced from the coffee giant and their ongoing struggle to secure a contract.    In this episode of Crosscut Reports, we checked back in with Lizz to ask if there were any updates since we last spoke to her. She talked about Starbucks employees’ growing union power – especially in Eastern Washington – as well as what’s on the horizon when it comes to bargaining with the coffee chain.     --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Lizz Giordano Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Reporter Megan Burbank discusses new and old complications for reproductive healthcare in WA, from appointment delays to politics. When the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to abortion in June 2022, Washington leaders doubled down on ensuring access.   Over the past year and a half, state policy has followed accordingly, from a suite of shield laws to the allocation of government funds for abortion providers and seekers.  Reporter Megan Burbank has covered reproductive health care in the region for years. Back in January, she offered Crosscut Reports an overview of the impact that the fall of Roe v. Wade had on Washington in the first six months.  In this episode, Burbank returns with an update on what has happened in the year since. Host Sara Bernard speaks with Burbank about how ongoing restrictions in Idaho continue to affect Washington; the unfolding politics of abortion access across the country; the pivots in the anti-abortion movement since its SCOTUS victory; and what we might expect in the new year.   Read more about the ongoing regional impact of the fall of Roe v. Wade here.   --- Credits Host/Producer:  Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed  Reporter:  Megan Burbank Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Reporter Lizz Giordano talks about the legal handling of Harold Felton’s death – and why his family thinks more could have been done. In 2016, Harold Felton was working in a trench in West Seattle when it suddenly collapsed, killing him.     Seattle police declared his death an accident and handed the case to Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), which enforces safety standards and investigates workplace fatalities.   King County prosecutors eventually charged Felton’s employer, Phillip Numrich, with felony manslaughter, setting a precedent for holding workplaces accountable.    Crosscut investigative reporter Lizz Giordano spoke with host Maleeha Syed about this precedent and why – in spite of how Felton’s death was handled – his family ultimately believes L&I failed him.   Read more about the aftermath of Harold Felton's death here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Lizz Giordano Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Your Last Meal gets in the Turkey Day spirit with interviews from Greta Gerwig, Martina McBride and more. This Thanksgiving, you’re invited to a celebrity potluck courtesy of Your Last Meal, a podcast that asks celebrities what they would choose to eat for their final meal.  Rachel Belle, the podcast’s host and an editor-at-large at Crosscut, compiled interviews from her show into one episode, taking listeners through several courses to make one Thanksgiving dinner.  You probably recognize some of the names Rachel features in this special edition of Your Last Meal, from Greta Gerwig to Martina McBride.  In this episode of Crosscut Reports, host Maleeha Syed has a Thanksgiving chat with Rachel, who gives a little background on Your Last Meal and shares her favorite dish to eat on the holiday, along with a short preview of her Thanksgiving episode – which is out now.   Listen to Rachel's full Thanksgiving episode for Your Last Meal here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Rachel Belle Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Joseph O’Sullivan breaks down what poll respondents had to say about the upcoming presidential election — and almost no one is excited. More than 60% of Washington voters think Donald Trump is corrupt, while 70% think Joe Biden is too old to be president. Around three in five feel pessimistic about major issues, such as gun violence and immigration.  And overall, Washington voters are generally unsatisfied with America’s political system.   These are just a few findings from the latest Crosscut/Elway poll, which featured responses from around 400 registered voters in Washington.  In this episode of Crosscut Reports, reporter Joseph O’Sullivan, who wrote about the poll, chats with host Maleeha Syed about how respondents feel about the 2024 election and the leading candidates; the factors likely to influence who gets their vote; and what all this says about politics in Washington state.  Read more about how voters are feeling ahead of next year's election here.  --- Credits Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard Reporter: Joseph O'Sullivan Story editor: Ryan Famuliner Executive producer: Sarah Menzies --- If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.