Seattle News, Views, and Brews

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the first public hearing on the city budget, the potential impacts on that budget from a federal government shutdown, new insights into the Seattle mayor's race, a new wave of advertisements from ICE seeking to recruit police officers in Seattle, and a sur...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the state and local response to President Trump's plans to federalize the National Guard in Portland and possibly Seattle, how the President might affect the World Cup, the start of the City Council's budget process and questions about expanding Seatt...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss Mayor Harrell's newly-proposed $8.9B budget, the importance of a 0.1% sales tax hike to this year's budget, a small step forward for Seattle's Comprehensive Plan for urban growth, a new Community Safety Initiative report, some changing mayoral en...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the new fundraising numbers in the Seattle mayor's race--and the new battle lines drawn between the candidates, the fight between trees and density in the Comprehensive Plan rezoning process, a review of Seattle's historic budget highs and lows, and a...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss concerns over the city's recently approved expansion of a surveillance camera system with regard to threats of federal immigration enforcement looming, the end to the 12-year consent decree hanging over the Seattle Police Department, a look at how stay out...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the political implications of a major cost hike for Sound Transit's planned light rail expansion, the behind-the-scenes dynamics of some new labor union endorsements in the Seattle mayor's race, a debate over doing away with design review, continued a...

Your favorite coffee break political podcast turns its attention to Seattle tourism this week, with special guest Tammy Canavan, CEO of the nonprofit tourist advocate group Visit Seattle! Host Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel discusses the impact of a new tourist magnet at the Seattle waterfront--and what will keep it attractive to visitors and locals like. Plus, there's a focus on the current state of Canadian tourism, the s...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss a rare error on a Seattle City Council ordinance, an improving but perhaps unsettled economic forecast, a growing lead for progressive candidates from the August primaries, a change to multi-family tax exemptions for developers, and a question over Seattle&apos...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the impact of having Debora Juarez back on the Seattle City Council, a breakdown of a tighter-than-expected Mayor's race and a high-intensity City Attorney's race, a curious challenge with seating the Seattle Renter's Commission, a new federal ex...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the leading candidates in the race for Seattle mayor, a report on the King County courthouse docket that may surprise you, a brewing debate over a resolution about using a sales tax hike that hasn't been proposed yet, a discussion about City Council "...

A former Councilmember who said it was her job to "lead to leave"... is coming back for an open position in Seattle's District 5! Learn about this and more of the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the Council vacancy, an impending deadline for a new, controversial city business tax proposal, a d...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the challenges of filling the Council's vacant District 5 job, a new graffiti civil enforcement law from City Attorney Ann Davison, a retrospective of the revitalized Seattle waterfront, a lawsuit facing the City over its Mandatory Housing Affordability re...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss a sales tax proposal from Council President Nelson aimed at improving treatment options and public safety, a new equitable housing plan that looks a lot like one the Council considered in 2024, the joining of two unlikely political allies in Mayor Harrell and C...

With Seattle Public Schools seeking a new superintendent, and with four of the seven School Board Director positions up for election this fall, what challenges are ahead for a new set of local leaders on education? Are school closures still a possibility in Seattle? Plus, with state early learning programs getting delayed or cut, and with federal funding for schools in jeopardy, what's next for the 1.1 million K-12 students in...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the fallout from this past weekend's "No Kings" rallies, a financial crisis for affordable housing providers in Seattle, emerging problems for the voter-approved social housing developer, a ban on using algorithms to set rents, and a years of maj...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the City Council's concerns over having National Guardsmen deployed in Seattle, a nuisance property law the Mayor wants to beef up, the future of renter-landlord regulations in Seattle, a troubling trend on streetlight repairs for Seattle City Light, and a...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the surprising resignation of Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore, the ethics code bill she pulled just before her resignation, the campaign of former Councilmember Kshama Sawant for U.S. Congress, a twist in the effort to speed up Sound Transit light rail p...

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss how Seattle has handled a far-right Christian protest movement, a new report on how unprecedented police hiring could impact the city budget, growing concerns over a proposed change to the City Council's ethics laws, the fight over funding a "Welcomin...

It's a patrons-first episode of your favorite coffee break political podcast! Former Councilmember Kshama Sawant is back in City Hall fighting a proposed ethics code revision that she believes could impact many of her legislative efforts with renter's rights. But the Council believes they're pursuing an overdue and necessary rules change. Plus, Governor Bob Ferguson has approved a hard-fought $78B budget that Republi...