Joy Hollingsworth was elected to the Seattle City Council in 2023 to replace Kshama Sawant in District 3. Her victory was part of a centrist wave. But Hollingsworth sometimes finds herself on the more progressive side of council legislation. Does she see herself as a swing vote? She also gets candid with us about Seattle’s racial politics, and how some white progressives seem more interested in speaking for Black people rather than listening to them.

Our editor is Quinn Waller.  

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In this members-only episode we take a closer look at the style, the substance and the politics of Tuesday's State of the City Address by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.

This episode is a free preview. To hear the full episode just sign up at any level that's right for you at patreon.com/seattlenice.  

If you are already a member, here's how to access your member-only episodes automatically: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041347732-How-to-use-your-audio-RSS

Thanks everyone for your support for this podcast.  

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails [email protected]

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Nearly 6 in 10 Seattle voters said yes to Proposition 1A to fund social housing after the first ballot count. It's shaping up like a big win for the more progressive side in Seattle politics. 

Why did voters move left this time? Is Seattle's pendulum swinging in a more progressive direction as we head into a big local election year? Is there really a pendulum?  

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Two longtime political journalists, Erica C. Barnett and Josh Feit, explore all the reasons that the 2003 film Shattered Glass, about the rise and downfall of former New Republic journalist Stephen Glass, is the greatest journalism movie—nay, greatest movie—of all time. 

In the inaugural episode, we dissect some of our favorite scenes from Shattered Glass, and tell you why you should watch this iconic movie.

Quotes: "Is anyone interested in hackers?"

"The building's closed on Sundays."

"He fed us fiction after fiction, and we printed them all as fact. Just because we found him... entertaining."

Hosts: Josh Feit and Erica C. Barnett

Edited by: Erica C. Barnett

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Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at [email protected]

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SODA Seattle's new drug "stay out zones" are barely being unforced. Erica said this was the predictable result of bad, "performative" policy by council. Sandeep defended the policy but said more enforcement is needed, echoing this comment by City Council President Sara Nelson. She called on Mayor Harrell and other leaders to do more. Will "One Seattle" be put to the test this election year?  

SoDo Sandeep and Erica were both on Sara Nelson's side about a controversial proposal to add housing in SODO. David felt obligated to challenge their symbolic capitalist ideology and lack of skepticism about growth. 

SOAP Finally, Erica questioned city policy targeting "Johns" on Aurora Avenue, while Sandeep offered a qualified defense.  

Our editor is Quinn Waller. 

Interested in going to Rome? Visit www.thebittersweetlife.net or email [email protected]

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Our special guest this week is new Seattle City Council appointee Mark Solomon, who has vowed to serve as a "caretaker" for the District 2 position previously held by Tammy Morales, who resigned last year because of what she called bullying and gaslighting by her newly elected council colleagues. 

Solomon lost to Morales in 2019 and sought the citywide council seat that ultimately went to the person Morales defeated in 2023, Tanya Woo, making him the second person voters rejected in favor of Morales to be appointed by the current council.

We talked about that, as well as issues ranging from the use of blast balls for crowd control (he supports it) to whether he'll vote to decrease neighborhood density in the comprehensive plan (he's ambivalent), to the concept of crime prevention through environmental design (he teaches classes on it and thinks it can help address problem areas like 12th and Jackson). 

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails [email protected]

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Our special guest this week is Katie Wilson, the general secretary of the Transit Riders Union and an advocate for affordable housing, who argues that the left has failed to acknowledge some critical realities about homelessness, ceding the issue to "Seattle Is Dying" demagogues. 

Our editor is Quinn Waller. 

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails [email protected]

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at [email protected]

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

Seattle Nice makes some predictions for 2025 that you won't hear anywhere else. We are joined by guest star predictor Josh Feit, one of the co-founders of PubliCola.

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

Special thanks to our Patreon donors who make this podcast possible. 

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails [email protected]

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at [email protected]

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

Seattle Nice brings you a deep dive debate on the two competing "social housing" measures that are on the ballot for the February special election in Seattle.  

Tiffani McCoy, the co-Executive director of The House Our Neighbors Coalition, made the case for Proposition 1A. And Jessie Clawson, a Seattle land use attorney and partner at McCullough Hill, advocated for the City Council's alternative, Proposition 1B. 

Our editor is Quinn Waller. 

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails [email protected]

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at [email protected]

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

20 people have put their hats in the ring to be appointed to replace Tammy Morales on the Seattle City Council following her surprise resignation late last year.  Today's member's-only special podcast takes a closer look at the 20 aspirants and the council politics driving the decision.    

The council plans to pick a replacement on January 27th. 

Our editor is Quinn Waller.  

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails [email protected]

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.