Sound Politics

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.

It's a grab-bag episo...

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.

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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.

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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 differen...

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, and Labor Archives of Washing...

One year into President Trump's second term, we check in with Washington state’s biggest Trump supporter (or at least, the biggest one in our Congressional delegation) Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane. We also talk with the biggest Trump adversary in the state, Attorney General Nick Brown, who sued the administration 50 times in the last year.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you wa...

Democrats think that this is the year when voters and the courts will side with them on an income tax. Axios' Melissa Santos and the Washington Observer's Paul Queary join us to talk about why. They'll also break down what they're watching during this year's state legislative session.

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/...

Seattle's new mayor, Katie Wilson, joins us to talk about being in the media spotlight, her priorities for the coming year, and what new taxes she might get behind.

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 pro...

Outgoing Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson reflects on her tenure as she leaves office.

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 producers are Sarah Leibovitz and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby De...

State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen is talking about passing a new income tax during next year's short legislative session. Plus, how the state will pay for flood damage with a tight budget.

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 ...

For weeks, pundits wondered whether incoming Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson would fire the city's police chief. We now know she won’t, but we still have questions about how a democratic socialist who used to support "defund" the police will run the police department.

Listen to the full Soundside interview with Chief Shon Barnes here. 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help ...

It’s the most of the wonderful time of the year in Olympia, the time when the Democrats figure out how to fill a giant budget hole.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts a...

We're bringing you an interview with incoming Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans. Voters resoundingly supported Evans in last month's elections. How much will the incoming city attorney roll back her predecessor's policies?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the N...

How her campaign team took a political newcomer and got her elected mayor of Seattle.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Hans Anderson and Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Gr...

Today's episode is all about certainty. Seattle voters got some certainty on who will be the city’s next mayor. Federal employees can be more certain about getting paid now that the longest government shutdown in history is over. But much about the future of local and federal government remains uncertain: Will government employees stay for the next shutdown or look for work somewhere else? And what will a new mayor bring for ...

You heard it here first, folks. Election night in Washington state isn’t exciting. So many ballots left to count. So many potential changes in the coming days.

But, a boring election night never stopped us from doing an analysis episode the next day, and we actually do have some likely winners. Let's dig into to what we know on day one after the 2025 general election.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this sh...

We got a listener question, and we had to answer it.

Rich wrote in to say: “I have a question regarding School Board elections. I was surprised when filling out my ballot to be voting for school board directors from across the district rather than just for the director that represents my area of the district. I think neighboring Highline School District (that’s in South King County) does...

There's a local election in less than a week.

Maybe you've been procrastinating with your ballot. You're not alone. Half the people who voted last year will sit this election out.

Well, we're here to help. We’ve got a procrastinator’s guide to why you should care about this year’s election.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpo...

Does Seattle want the stability of an experienced politician?

Or do voters want new ideas, and new blood, in the Mayor's office?

Mayor Bruce Harrell and challenger Katie Wilson debated the direction of the city here at KUOW.

Now, we’re breaking down their differences on homelessness, public safety and taxes – to help you understand how their promises could shape the future of the Emerald City.

Thank you to the...

Expect to see protestors out this weekend during Saturday's No Kings rally. There are numerous events planned in Washington and nearly as many reasons why people are turning out. We're taking a look at the complex patchwork of political ideologies on the left when it comes to protests, non-violence, and Antifa.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soun...