Crosscut

Say Something (I'm Giving Up On You)by Face Clef by CrosscutNews

Hallelujah by Face Clef by CrosscutNews

Stuck In The Middle With You by Microsoft's The Baudboys by CrosscutNews

Gonna Make You Happy Tonight by Microsoft's The Baudboys by CrosscutNews

In less than a decade, Amazon has rewoven Seattle's urban fabric. The e-commerce giant is adding jobs at a breakneck pace, redeveloping an entire section of the city center, and drawing new people to the city by the thousands. While Amazon has helped bring a new wave of prosperity to Seattle, it has become emblematic of the city's growth and its challenges. As the company seeks a second city to accommodate its dramatic expansion, we'll examine Amazon's impacts, for better and for worse, here in its hometown.

Panelists:

Monica Nickelsburg (Moderator)

Nikkita Oliver

Heather Redman

Aaron Terrazas

Recorded live during the Crosscut Festival. Read more at http://crosscut.com/tag/crosscut-festival/

Now in its sixth year under federal consent decree, the Seattle Police Department has made considerable progress on reducing unnecessary use-of-force. But the fatal police shooting of Charleena Lyles last summer put the spotlight back on the department and raised questions about mental health and de-escalation training. To weigh in on this life-or-death issue, we have a psychologist, two police reformists and the local police union president.

Panelists:

Steven Hsieh (Moderator)

Jennifer Henderson

Riall Johnson

Kevin Stuckey

Rev. Harriet Walden

Recorded live during the Crosscut Festival. Read more at http://crosscut.com/tag/crosscut-festival/

When it comes to political divides in Washington state, the fault lines are real, most notably in what we think of as the Cascade Divide: West is Blue, East is Red and never the twain shall meet. But it’s more complicated than that. Hear from longtime Washington pollster Stuart Elway, and voices from both side of the Cascades, about what divides us, as well as the surprising things that we have in common.

Panelists:

Ted McGregor (Moderator)

Stuart Elway

David Estudillo

Kelli Scott

JT Wilcox

Recorded live during the Crosscut Festival. Read more at http://crosscut.com/tag/crosscut-festival/

It’s never been easy to talk about an issue you care deeply about with someone who disagrees with you. Now, it might be especially hard. But good society thrives on challenging conversation. If you’ve been wanting to find fresh ways to approach what could be tense exchanges about things that matter, this is the session for you.

The Evergrey team has talked with some impactful facilitators and moderators in our work bringing different people around the region together. (We once took locals to Sherman County, Oregon, so people who voted for Clinton and people who voted for Trump could chat.) In this workshop, we’ll explore how you can approach charged discussions so they lead to better understanding, and invite you to share your own best practices and experiences.

Panelists:

Mónica Guzmán (Moderator)

Ana Sofia Knauf (Moderator)

Warren Etheredge

Mozart Guerrier

Bo Zhang

Recorded live during the Crosscut Festival. Read more at http://crosscut.com/tag/crosscut-festival/

In the competition for Amazon’s next headquarters, cities and states have offered the company billions in tax breaks. Is this a smart investment to secure local jobs — as many politicians have argued — or a giveaway of public money to private shareholders? It's a worthwhile question here in Washington, responsible for the largest corporate tax break ever granted by a state, to the Boeing Co. in 2013. This panel of Washington leaders will debate the value of corporate tax breaks, as well as what might happen if Amazon starts asking Seattle what the city has done for it lately.

Panelists:

Drew Atkins (Moderator)

Larry Brown

Reuven Carlyle

Ron Sims

Kriss Sjoblom

Recorded live during the Crosscut Festival. Read more at http://crosscut.com/tag/crosscut-festival/

Seattle is well-known for business leaders who are not afraid to take a stand on environmental protection, race and immigration issues, and LBGTQ rights. John Levesque of Seattle Business Magazine leads a conversation with four local trailblazers about why they have stepped into advocacy roles, the potential pitfalls of activism, and what more business leaders could do to create a more equitable and sustainable society.

Panelists:

Marc Berejka

Rodney Hines

John Levesque

Anne Levinson

Recorded live during the Crosscut Festival. Read more at http://crosscut.com/tag/crosscut-festival/