Seattle News, Views, and Brews

A blue wave, nationally and in the state of Washington, has led to a challenging question: what should Democrats do with their newfound majorities? Plus, how can the City of Seattle resolve a clash between the Mayor (involving a rare veto) and the City Council over RV encampment policies?

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel talks with political strategist, activist, and former Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata about these issues and more. If you listen to this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

Seattle City Councilmembers are rolling out budget amendments by the dozens this week, but what will make the cut in a tough economic year with a $175M deficit? Plus, the Council passed--with a split vote--a controversial ban on RV parking. Why are some Councilmembers and homeless advocates pushing back on this proposal?

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Host Brian Callanan of the Seattle Channel welcomes Justin Carder of the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog onto the program to discuss these topics and more. If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

With three statewide initiatives on the ballot, 5 out of 9 Supreme Court Justices, a potential supermajority in the state legislature, and a U.S. Congressional race with major national implications, there's no shortage of headlines in this fall's election. Veteran reporter Jerry Cornfield of the Washington State Standard helps break down the big races and their impact on voters like you!

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break with host Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel. If you listen to this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

The Seattle City Attorney's Office has just launched a new "connection court" to help divert people who commit low-level crimes into services to get help, but if they don't complete those services, they'll face criminal prosecution. Plus, there's a new "High Priority Repeat Offense System" focused on repeat misdemeanor offenders that allows for increased jail sentences. Why is the City Attorney using these options, and why is the King County Department of Public Defense criticizing them?

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel connects with City Attorney Erika Evans and her Criminal Division Chief, Jenna Robert, to discuss these issues and a new plan to disrupt sex trafficking and gun violence on Aurora Avenue North, too.  If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

As Seattle city leaders work through a tight budget season to hire more police officers, there are still concerns brewing over the SPD's and the Mayor's communication policies following the deadly Bite of Seattle shooting. Plus, who wants the job of Seattle police chief, after ten permanent and interim leaders in just the past decade?

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel breaks down these Seattle Police Department issues and more with KUOW reporter Amy Radil. If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has presented a budget proposal with no new tax increases, but is that enough to retain current employers and attract new ones? Seattle Channel host Brian Callanan connects with Jon Scholes, President and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, to discuss the economic realities of business taxation, job losses, public safety concerns and more on the latest episode of Seattle News, Views & Brews.

SNVB helps you understand the latest in public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break. If you'd like to be a member of this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

Mayor Wilson has delivered her first budget to the Seattle City Council: a $9.1B package that features some job cuts (mainly to unfilled positions), fund swaps (moving money from revenue sources like the Jumpstart payroll tax into other priorities), and no new taxes. How has she been able to solve a structural budget problem for the City that's had a deficit forecast every year since 2019?

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and independent journalist Kevin Schofield take a look at the early numbers coming from the Mayor's budget--and what priorities could be the most controversial when the City Council starts wrestling with the numbers this fall. If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

Just days after local big business leaders called upon City of Seattle leadership for a new public safety plan, Mayor Katie Wilson has come out with a new gun violence reduction proposal--but will it be enough to satisfy her critics in the business community and on the City Council? And how will her revised homelessness plan fit into a city budget with a $175M deficit?

It's your chance to learn about local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel talks with politics reporter Scott Greenstone of KUOW about these issues and more on Seattle News, Views & Brews. If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

If you'd like to attend the first-ever live "Sound Politics" podcast recording Scott is hosting with help from CityClub on Wednesday night, follow this link.

After the deadly shootings at the Bite of Seattle in late July and over Labor Day weekend in Belltown, gun violence prevention is once again a top-of-mind concern for Seattle area leaders. So what does this work look like, how is Seattle investing in this effort, and how effective is it?

Learn about the top issues in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel takes a closer look at gun violence prevention with Dominique Davis, founder of Community Passageways and co-founder of We Deliver Care. How are these organizations impacting public safety in Seattle, and what struggles are they going through? Get the story on SNVB. If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

In a press conference earlier this week, the group Community Not Cameras called Seattle's use of surveillance technology an insecure system that's a "dangerous" threat to civil liberties. But Councilmember Bob Kettle, chair of the Seattle City Council's Public Safety Committee, says the safeguards the city has constructed around this system rank among the best in the U.S.

On this episode, Seattle Channel's Brian Callanan talks with Camille Baldwin-Bonney of Community Not Cameras and Councilmember Kettle to get their input on this contentious issue--from privacy concerns to the efficacy of the system in preventing and solving crimes. 

If you like what you're hearing, please support the podcast here on Patreon.