The African American Community Advisory Council works with the Seattle Police Department on issues of public safety, cultural competency, and aims to foster goodwill and trust between the SPD and the African American Community. Victoria Beach joins Bill Radke to discuss her thoughts on the Derek Chauvin verdict and what improvements still need to be made in Seattle policing.

When protestors took to the streets last May, Omari Salisbury was there to document everything happening on the street, talking with protestors and police as Seattle grappled with police violence locally. Omari joined Bill Radke to discuss the impact George Floyd of on Seattle, and what remains to be done when it comes to police reform going forward.

George Floyd's murder brought renewed scrutiny to policing in local departments and legislatures. Here in Washington State, a series of police accountability bills have already made their way through the State Legislature. Bill Radke is joined by Paul Kiefer, a police accountability reporter with PubliCola, and Mark Obbie, a freelance criminal justice reporter, to discuss the wide-ranging impacts of this year's police reform movement.

How effective are changes in policing law if toxic cultures continue to exist in police departments? Bill Radke speaks with Monica Alexander about the importance of training in curbing police violence, and what needs to happen for concrete change to happen in the culture of policing.

Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for more than nine minutes, causing his death, was found guilty on three counts of murder by a Minnesota jury yesterday. Floyd's murder spurred a national movement against police violence and brutality, including here in Seattle, where protestors marched for 11 straight days. For the full hour of today's show we speak with those who have covered the movement galvanized by Floyd's death and those overseeing police accountability and reform here in Washington State.

Monday was the deadline for school districts in Seattle and throughout the state to begin allowing middle and high school students to return for in-person classroom instruction. But many students are choosing to continue to stay at home and receive their instruction online.

A recent University of Washington study found that safety and health policies enacted in hospitals during the pandemic hurt perinatal patients and clinical staff.

Rising cases of coronavirus and hospitalizations, particularly among young residents, are being closely monitored by King County officials despite the pace of vaccinations increasing and vaccine eligibility expanding to everyone 16 and older.

The health and safety rules that hospitals imposed during the pandemic had negative effects for maternity patients and clinical staff treating them, according to a recent University of Washington study. King County officials are closely monitoring the rise in new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations while rolling out at-home vaccinatins for people with medical conditions that prevent them from leaving the house to get vaccinated. Also, we hear from our education reporter about the return of middle and high school students to Seattle schools and the recent decision to scrap standardized testing in state schools until the fall.

The Pacific Northwest might seem like an unlikely place for mermaids and mermaid culture to catch on given the cold water here. Yet, putting on an eye-catching tail and pretending to be a mythical sea being is a thing across the Northwest. There's even a brand new mermaid museum near Aberdeen, Washington.