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PODCAST

Seattle Nice

David Hyde, Erica Barnett, and Sandeep Kaushik

It’s getting harder and harder to talk about politics, especially if you disagree. Well, screw that. Seattle Nice aims to be the most opinionated and smartest analysis of what’s really happening in Seattle politics available in any medium. Each episode dives into contentious and sometimes ridiculous topics, exploring perspectives from across Seattle"s political spectrum, from city council brawls to the ways the national political conversation filters through our unique political process. Even if

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All Episodes

44:20

Encampment Ban Proposal, Progressive Biz Taxes, and...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/08/03

This episode delves into three political developments in Seattle and King County. Part I examines a proposed initiative to ban unauthorized public camping in unincorporated King County, discussing its scope, the signature-gathering process, and the larger goals of its main proponent, Saul Spady. Part II focuses on the B&O tax increase proposal which passed out of committee unanimously last week, exploring its financial implications, its goals, recent amendments, and its potential impact o...

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58:51

Lisa Daugaard on Trump’s Homelessness Exec Order:...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/07/27

In this extra special, heavy duty emergency weekend edition of Seattle Nice, we dissect what Trump’s new executive order on homelessness means for Seattle. Initial hot takes have interpreted the order as a full frontal assault on the "housing first" and “harm reduction” approaches that prevail in blue jurisdictions, and its release has precipitated a major freak out from providers and progressive elected officials in Seattle and nationally. But we need to stop and take a deep breath, sa...

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49:46

Primary Preview: Is the Progressive Left Back?

Seattle Nice ·

2025/07/18

This week we take a closer look at what’s at stake in the upcoming August primary, and explore the potential resurgence of the progressive left in Seattle. We consider whether "public safety" retains the same electoral weight it held in 2021 and 2023, years that saw the broad ousting of Seattle progressives. Drawing parallels to the victory of Socialist Zohran Mamdani over establishment Democrats in the recent New York City primary, we also ask if Seattle's incumbent establishmen...

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39:35

The Writing on the Wall: Seattle Grapples with...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/07/14

On this episode we debated the City Council’s plans to get tough on graffiti by introducing civil penalties up to $1,500 per violation. The change would make it easier to fine taggers. Erica questioned the council’s priorities and aesthetics, and pointed out that graffiti is already a crime or felony (if it costs more than $750 to repair). Sandeep mostly spoke in favor of the new measure, citing studies that find tolerance for graffiti can lead to more crime. But he also questioned the value ...

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42:21

Council President Sara Nelson Gets Touchy-Feely on...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/07/07

PROGRAM NOTE: We hope all you Seattle Nice fans will join us for a live taping of the podcast at 7 pm on July 15 at the next meeting of the 43rd District Democrats, held at the Erickson Theater on Capitol Hill, 1524 Harvard Avenue. We’ll be previewing the upcoming primary, and there’ll be a chance for audience questions. Council President Sara Nelson, flanked by homeless services and treatment providers and neighborhood representatives, held a press conference last week to announce that...

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44:29

The Taxman (and Woman) Cometh!

Seattle Nice ·

2025/06/30

This week, we're talking taxes—specifically, the new business and occupation (B&O) tax proposal that City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Mayor Bruce Harrell dropped, seemingly out of the blue, last week. The tax includes a big exemption that the business community has been seeking for a long time; however, above that threshold—$2 million in gross receipts—the tax will go up substantially. Because B&O taxes are based on gross receipts, they hit high-grossing, low-margin ...

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32:26

Is It Time to Admit the King County Regional...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/06/23

The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) launched in 2020 with great fanfare. But now, with up to to a fifth of its staff facing layoffs due to budget shortfalls, it may be facing a slow death by a thousand cuts. In this week’s episode, with David still gallivanting in parts unknown, Erica and Sandeep take a hard look at the current state of KCRHA, and ask a pointed question: What purpose, exactly, does this diminished and largely neutered agency serve? As Erica rep...

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47:30

Assessing the Assessor, Urbanism v. Incivility, and...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/06/16

With David away for a second consecutive week, Erica and Sandeep seek out the inimitable Josh Feit, news editor of the Stranger back in the olden (golden) days, to buffer their conversation with convoluted references to 50-year-old Joni Mitchell records. We start with the increasingly off-putting saga of King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson, who remains defiant in the face of a unanimous vote by the King County Council (minus the absent Reagan Dunn) urging him to resign over allegati...

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33:35

Special Emergency Seattle Nice: The Seattle City...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/06/03

After less than 18 months in office, Councilmember Cathy Moore, representing District 5 (North Seattle), announced she will be resigning her position effective July 7. Swinging into immediate action, Erica and Sandeep (David is away, gamboling and gallivanting in distant parts) weigh in on this emergency episode of the podcast with their red hot takes on this surprise bombshell announcement. While Moore ascribes her decision to step down to personal and medical reasons, speculation is r...

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32:15

Assessor Allegedly Stalks, Ethics Walks, and the...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/05/31

This week Erica has the scoop on allegations of stalking and harassment against King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson. We also debate Cathy Moore's decision to withdraw a bill that critics say weakens the council’s ethics standards. Plus, we discuss the anti-trans demonstrations and counter-protests at Cal Anderson Park and City Hall that resulted in over 30 arrests. Mayoral Candidate Katie Wilson blamed Bruce Harrell for permitting a "fundamentalist, anti-trans “family values” prote...

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47:10

FEED DROP: On this Month's "Are You Mad At Me?," We...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/05/30

We're so excited to release our interview with Shattered Glass director Billy Ray, who was kind enough to indulge all our questions about our favorite movie, like: What happened between the scene where Chloe Sevigny confronts Peter Sarsgaard for firing Stephen and the next day, when she leads the team in applauding him for his brave decision? Where does Shattered Glass rank in the pantheon of movies Ray's written over the course of his career, which include blockbusters like The Hunger ...

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38:50

Tent City Gets a Reprieve, Council Rolls Back Ethics...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/05/26

A Seattle City Council committee advanced legislation last week that will eliminate a requirement that council members abstain from voting on legislation that presents a financial conflict of interest. Under the new, lower standard, the council will merely have to disclose any financial conflicts before voting—allowing council members, for the first time since the 1980s, to vote in their own financial interest. Sandeep thinks disclosing a conflict of interest before voting should be enough; E...

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51:26

Adam Smith: How Bad is Trump for Seattle? Really bad!

Seattle Nice ·

2025/05/16

Representative Adam Smith of Washington’s 9th Congressional District, who made headlines recently for his pointed criticisms of progressive urban governance, joins us to talk about what Seattle should expect in the era of Trump. Smith believes local governance failures and missteps in blue cities like Seattle contributed to Trump’s big win in 2024. But he joined Seattle Nice to talk about the aftermath. We get into the impact of Trump’s MAGA agenda on Seattle and King County, including potent...

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45:03

This Program Offers New Hope for Fentanyl Users

Seattle Nice ·

2025/05/05

A new way of administering buprenorphine—a gold-standard medication that combats opioid addiction by reducing the need to use drugs like fentanyl to function—is helping people reduce their fentanyl use without the painful withdrawals that keep many users away from other versions of the medication. The new protocol, which the Downtown Emergency Service Center started using on a pilot basis last year, is less complicated and doesn't require people to "kick" drugs before starting treatment, maki...

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33:22

Prude or Lewd at Denny Blaine, Harrell Flexes His...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/04/26

First up, why are state lawmakers planning to decimate a successful Seattle homeless program? Then, things get a little cheeky as we discuss the lawsuit over alleged “lewd behavior” at Denny Blaine Park. Plus, Mayor Bruce Harrell throws down the gauntlet with an impromptu push-up contest at a middle school. Is he the "world's best mayor," or just really good at flexing? Tune in and find out! Quinn Waller is our editor. About Seattle Nice It’s getting harder and harder to ta...

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32:53

D2 Council Race Unpacked, Crosswalks Hacked, and will...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/04/22

Four city council candidates are vying to represent one of Seattle’s most progressive districts, District 2 in SE Seattle, and Erica’s been talking to them. We debate and discuss the issues and the candidates. But the real drama? The potential closure of the Virginia Inn, which has been operating near Pike Place market for 120 years. David pokes fun at Sandeep and Erica's sentimental reminiscences. Nostalgia is a helluva drug, but if you wax nostalgic about the potential closure of a r...

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28:04

Does Trump's economy spell doom for Seattle?

Seattle Nice ·

2025/04/13

It’s day 81 of the Trump administration as we record this episode (on Friday morning) and things are getting … alarming. Seattleites are increasingly freaking out about the chaos and insanity in the Other Washington, and who can blame them? Middle school students in West Seattle were rushed inside because someone thought they saw an ICE vehicle (spoiler alert: it was just plain ol’ SPD). And Erica's got the grim details about how Trump's "slash and burn" cuts are starting to hit local homeles...

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48:18

Developers, Guns and Money: Another Week of Council...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/04/05

It's the first week of April, and things on the city council are heating up faster than a sunny afternoon at Denny Blaine Park. First up: A debate over developer profits and a controversial proposal to expand the Mandatory Affordable Housing program (MHA) to former single family zones. Why can’t we quit bickering and build more shit? Then, rising gun violence. An audit's in, tensions between council and the executive branch are increasing, and the question we all want answered is, "Why is Sea...

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24:10

Blue City Blues preview: Why Drug Reform Failed In...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/04/01

This is a special preview of an episode of a new podcast, Blue City Blues. Click this link to hear the entire episode wherever you get your podcasts. Keith Humphreys: Why Drug Reform Failed In West Coast Blue Cities The wave of bold new decriminalization-centered approaches to drug policy reform that swept West Coast cities from San Francisco to Vancouver, B.C. starting around 2020 has failed, according to one the nation’s leading drug policy experts, former Obama White House dru...

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45:59

Sara Nelson Talks Stadium District Housing,...

Seattle Nice ·

2025/03/25

Breaking: Council President Sara Nelson tells Seattle Nice she’s open to considering new progressive taxes to fund drug treatment and that she supports involuntary commitment for people who are “severely impaired through years of addiction.” We also dive deep into the epic battle over Sara’s plan for affordable “workforce” housing near the stadiums. Why were some urbanists opposed? Did billionaire Chris Hansen pull the strings? What really went down at the marathon city council meeting ...

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177 results

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