Now's your time to yell (questions) at us

Sound Politics

#Politics #News #KUOW #KUOW News

28:24

In our second installment of the Small Business Starter Kit series - we’re tackling a topic that’s sometimes tricky, sometimes confusing, but ever-present: taxes. Hosts Austin and Jannese have an insightful conversation with entrepreneur Isabella Rosal who started 7th Sky Ventures , an exporter and distributor of craft spirits, beer, and wine. Having lived and worked in two different countries and started a company in a heavily-regulated field, Isabella is no stranger to navigating the paperwork-laden and jargon-infused maze of properly understanding taxes for a newly formed small business. Join us as she shares her story and provides valuable insight into how to tackle your business’ taxes - so they don’t tackle you. Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business: QuickBooks.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

4 days ago 0:39

MP3•Episode home

Hey Sound Politics listeners. We're here in your feed because we want to know: what questions do you all have in this kind of bonkers political moment?

Curious about what happens when lawmakers ignore court rulings? Why are the governor and the legislature getting a raise right now? Other burning politics questions you've been dying to have answered?

Let us know: email soundpolitics@kuow.org, or leave us a voicemail at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

38 episodes

Now's your time to yell (questions) at us

Sound Politics

published 4 days ago

MP3•Episode home

Hey Sound Politics listeners. We're here in your feed because we want to know: what questions do you all have in this kind of bonkers political moment?

Let us know: email soundpolitics@kuow.org, or leave us a voicemail at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

38 episodes

#Politics #News #KUOW #KUOW News

All episodes

Sound Politics

1
Sound Politics gets overwhelmed 27:47

1 day ago27:47

27:47

Scott got overwhelmed this week trying to keep track of everything happening in our political sphere. And where does he turn to when he feels overwhelmed? Email newsletters. The world condensed into less than 2,000 words. So this week, he's joined by two newsletter writer-reporters, Axios Seattle reporter Melissa Santos and Washington Observer publisher Paul Queary to discuss their favorite stories you might've missed. Plus, we tackle one big story with a Washington connection you may not know about: it wasn’t just an Atlantic editor that got Pete Hegseth’s text messages – it was also a former Washington state Republican candidate. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing soundpolitics@kuow.org or give us a call at 206-221-0511 . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
Now's your time to yell (questions) at us 0:39

4 days ago0:39

0:39

Hey Sound Politics listeners. We're here in your feed because we want to know: what questions do you all have in this kind of bonkers political moment? Curious about what happens when lawmakers ignore court rulings? Why are the governor and the legislature getting a raise right now? Other burning politics questions you've been dying to have answered? Let us know: email soundpolitics@kuow.org , or leave us a voicemail at 206-221-0511 . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
Is this the year rent limits pass? 24:55

8 days ago24:55

24:55

For years, progressives have tried to fight the rising cost of living by instituting a kind of "rent control" – what proponents call "rent stabilization." Basically, a limit on how much the landlord can raise your rent. It's a divisive issue, even in the Democratic party -- in fact for years, it was Democrats that kept killing attempts at rent limits. But this could be the year that rent stabilization actually comes to pass. The same sponsor of a failed stabilization bill last year – then - Representative, now - Senator Emily Alvarado – is taking another shot at this. Engrossed House Bill 1217 passed out of the House this week. That’s as far as earlier versions of this bill got last year -- and there’s buzz this year that the Senate could let this version of the bill safely parachute onto the Governor’s desk. To hear more about the divide around this bill, Sound Politics hosts Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone were joined by State Senator Emily Alvarado, the prime sponsor of HB 1217, and Emily Thompson, a partner with GMD Development, which specializes in affordable housing. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
Republicans' unlikely ally: Gov. Ferguson 24:42

15 days ago24:42

24:42

Republicans might have more influence this legislative session than they have in almost a decade. A big reason why is Governor Bob Ferguson. The newly elected Democrat has been warmer toward the GOP point of view than the previous administration was, pushing to close the state’s budget deficit through cuts rather than raising more revenue from taxes. That’s a welcome change for Rep. Travis Couture, the Republicans’ lead budget wrangler in the state House. He says Ferguson has been more aligned with, and welcoming of, Republican ideas than his predecessor was – but just how much actual power the Republican caucus will have over the final product remains to be seen. Rep. Couture joined Sound Politics hosts Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann to talk taxes, Medicaid, mandates, and what it’s like to be in a “mixed marriage” (his wife is a Democrat). Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
The graveyard shift: lessons from WA's dead bills (so far) 21:43

22 days ago21:43

21:43

It’s an old saw in Olympia: A lawmaker’s job is not so much to pass good bills, but to kill bad ones (because there are just a lot of bad ones). Good or bad, this time of year is “Bill Killing Season” at the state capitol, having just passed two deadlines for the hundreds of policy and fiscal bills introduced this session. Bills that haven’t passed out of committee by then are generally considered deceased. Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay joins host Scott Greenstone to say an elegy for a new state flag , a bill to measure methane from cows and a resolution to the age-old geoduck vs razor clam debate. A push for universal free school lunches failed to thrive. A measure to offer unemployment insurance for undocumented immigrants didn’t make it. And an effort to revoke preferential treatment for Tesla withered on the vine (liberal Tesla drivers, as Scott found, are not OK right now ). We run down the legislative casualties – and note a few survivors! – on this week’s episode of Sound Politics. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics . Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
The governor's honeymoon is over with Democrats 31:24

29 days ago31:24

31:24

In Olympia, the Democrats' honeymoon with Gov. Bob Ferguson was short -- and it's now over, says Rep. Kristine Reeves, the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus. Ferguson has laid out his plans for closing a multi-billion dollar shortfall while still boosting spending on hiring police and largely avoiding new taxes. But plenty of his fellow Dems are not yet onboard with a plan that leads with cuts instead of new revenue. The party is also fractured on how and whether to make those investments in law enforcement. The Legislative Black Caucus, for one, wants two new dollars spent on community services for every dollar that pays for more police. Kristine Reeves represents south King County in the state House and is chair of the Legislative Black Caucus. She joins Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone to break down the budget talks, and spill a little tea on how the various Democratic factions are getting along in Olympia. 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 Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
Firings and bad vibes hit PNW's federal workers 20:38

5 weeks ago20:38

20:38

From closed trailheads to power outages, the firing of federal workers could have a big effect on us here in the PNW. KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko joins Sound Politics Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann to discuss the potential impact of the firings, and what it’s like inside federal government buildings right now -- from Seattle’s VA hospital to the National Labor Relations Board. 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 Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
For your ears only: The politics of privacy 23:40

6 weeks ago23:40

23:40

What do you have a right to? Your data? Your gender presentation? Your child’s health information? Between DOGE sifting through our personal data, tech companies tracking our location, and executive orders weighing in on kids’ medical care, local and national politics are challenging Americans’ ideas about privacy and personal autonomy. We talk through what the implications are, and what lawmakers are proposing to do about it, on this week’s episode of Sound Politics. Joining host Scott Greenstone this week are Austin Jenkins, a staff writer at Pluribus News covering state legislatures, and Vivian McCall, staff writer at The Stranger covering queer culture and politics. 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 Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
USAID in Seattle, Musk-opoly, and a chick off the old block 30:55

7 weeks ago30:55

30:55

Politics right now it feels like everything is shifting all the time. Federal agencies dismantled? Educational funds frozen? Tech broligarchs breaking into data stores of private citizens? A lot of it is hitting home in Washington. On today's Sound Politics, hosts Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann talk about how the changes at the United States Agency for International Development are trickling down to Seattle, a global health hub. Then — a discussion about how some legislation here in Washington -- regarding Tesla -- could mess with an Elon-opoly… a Musk-opoly? Plus, a local far-right figure just got nominated to run the National Counterterrorism Center. But not everything is shifting sand and deep chasms of division. The pod takes a detour to one bipartisan Washington state tradition that has, improbably, withstood the test of time. It involves an ugly duckling and the inventor of pickleball. Lastly, the pod answers a question from a listener about a different shift -- LGBTQ+ representation among lawmakers. KUOW Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay joins the show for this grab bag episode. Read Scott's story on "The Chick" here: https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-s-congressmembers-have-been-sharing-one-ugly-painting-for-50-years 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 Gabe Spitzer. Our producer this week is Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
Does Seattle love social housing enough to fund it? 30:13

8 weeks ago30:13

30:13

There is a special election coming up in Washington state on February 11. And in Seattle, there’s something big to decide on: a new way of creating and paying for housing. Voters approved the formation of a social housing developer in 2023, and now will decide how to fund it and whether to put guardrails on the nascent developer. We break down the options with the host of KUOW's Booming, Joshua McNichols. Plus, we take a look at the White House directive that froze potentially trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans. That order was first halted by a judge, and then rescinded a day later, but not before causing panic at agencies and non-profits across the Pacific Northwest. 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 Gabe Spitzer. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
Washington 'gets Jesse' and sues Pres. Trump 30:19

9 weeks ago30:19

30:19

President Trump technically has only been in office for 72 hours – but our state is already feeling the shockwaves. So today, we want to talk about how the President’s flurry of executive orders, pardons, et cetera, have hit home here. Democratic leaders here are responding in all kinds of different ways. Some are suing him, some are speaking out – others are laying low or a little quieter than last time around. To get into all of that, we’re joined today by two reporters who covered Trump and Washington the first time and are back for more: Jim Brunner with The Seattle Times and Melissa Santos with Axios 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 this week is Gabe Spitzer. Our producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
A new governor and a salmon-shaped budget hole 22:51

10 weeks ago22:51

22:51

Governor Bob Ferguson was sworn in as Washington’s new governor on Wednesday . Off the bat, his term has been me with shade from outgoing Governor Jay Inslee, who was critical in his farewell address of Ferguson's recent budget proposal -- one containing billions of dollars in new cuts. Sound Politics talked last week about the $12 billion shortfall in the state’s operating budget, which is looming over absolutely everything lawmakers plan to do this session. But there's also a gap in the transportation budget -- “...at least $6.5 billion through 2031, if significant action isn’t taken,” according to reporting by Ryan Packer at The Urbanist. Like all budget issues, there are a lot of factors that are causing the gap, like gas tax and carbon auction are not bringing in as much as expected. But one factor caught Sound Politics host Scott Greenstone's attention. And it has to do with salmon. Mike Reicher, Seattle Times investigative reporter, joins the show to explain the latest in the state's ongoing mandate to replace salmon culverts. 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 this week is Jed Kim. Our producer this week is Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
Cut spending? Limit vaping? Lawmakers decide in Olympia 20:20

11 weeks ago20:20

20:20

On Monday, Washington’s lawmakers will return to the Capitol for a 105-day sprint to discuss, debate, and distill their hopes and dreams into policy. The biggest “to do” item for this session: fixing the budget. Faced with a $12 billion shortfall, lawmakers need to figure out the age-old question: to spend less money, or raise more of it? We've gathered a panel of experts to discuss what Washington lawmakers are considering as they return to Olympia: Paul Queary is editor and publisher of the Washington State Observer, and Shauna Sowersby is state politics reporter for the Seattle Times. Listen to Libby's conversation with Washington State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen here . And you can here Libby's return to office conversation here. 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 Gabe Spitzer. Our producers this week are Sarah Leibovitz and Jason Burrows. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
New year, new (laws that affect) you 15:08

12 weeks ago15:08

15:08

Do you feel that in the air? As of midnight on January 1st, life is a bit different for most of us in Washington state. That’s because there are new laws governing your life. Particularly if you’re a minimum wage worker, an Uber or Lyft driver, a low-income student, a crane operator, a stripper, an orca – or one of many other occupations and/or animals. So basically pretty much everyone. KUOW government reporter Jeanie Lindsay joins us to decipher 2025’s new laws and regulations in our first episode of the year. 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 Gabe Spitzer. Our producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Sound Politics

1
Inslee looks back on his way out 43:49

14 weeks ago43:49