Shows
SoundsideMonisha Harrell alleges a toxic work environment under uncle, Seattle Mayor Bruce HarrellFor a year and a half, Monisha Harrell served as Senior Deputy Mayor of Seattle – the number two position in the executive office. The last name she shares with the Mayor, Bruce Harrell, is no coincidence. Monisha Harrell is the mayor’s niece. She was the first Black lesbian senior deputy mayor in the City of Seattle’s history, and she also says that her tenure with the city was marred by bullying and sexism. Guest: Ashley Hiruko - KUOW investigative reporter Links: KUOW: Monisha Harrell breaks silence on her unc...2025-03-1911 minSoundsideSeattle Mayor Harrell says he was racially profiled in 1996 firearm arrestKUOW has uncovered a controversial period in the life of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell -- one that he's rarely discussed in public. In 1996, while at a casino in Iowa, Harrell brandished a gun in a late-night confrontation over a parking spot. Harrell was arrested over the incident before the charges were dismissed five months later. He says he was racially profiled in the events leading up to the arrest. KUOW’s reporting is the first local coverage of Mayor Harrell’s run-in with the law. It comes at an important moment because this year...2025-02-2112 min
Sound PoliticsFirings and bad vibes hit PNW's federal workersFrom closed trailheads to power outages, the firing of federal workers could have a big effect on us here in the PNW. KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko joins Sound Politics Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann to discuss the potential impact of the firings, and what it’s like inside federal government buildings right now -- from Seattle’s VA hospital to the National Labor Relations Board. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes. Sound Politics is a...2025-02-2120 min
KUOW NewsroomSeattle police lieutenant condemns Chief Diaz, says he enables department ‘serial harasser’KUOW's Kim Malcolm talks to investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko about the allegations.2024-04-1104 min
Hacks & WonksWeek in Review: September 8, 2023 - with Robert CruickshankOn this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Chair of Sierra Club Seattle, long time communications and political strategist, Robert Cruickshank! They discuss a poll showing that Seattle voters want a more progressive City Council, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction overseeing more and more school districts in budget crisis, gubernatorial candidate Mark Mullet getting financially backed by charter school advocates, and Bruce Harrell’s ethnic media roundtable not going very well. The conversation continues with the possibility of a $19 minimum wage for unincorporated King County, internal drama within top brass of the Seattle Police Department, and re...2023-09-0843 min
Hacks & WonksWeek In Review: June 3, 2022On today’s week-in-review, Crystal is joined by staff writer covering Law and Justice at The Stranger, Will Casey. After another difficult news week across the nation and locally, Crystal and Will wade through the latest controversies facing Washington’s police departments. They break down the revelation that SPD has not been investigating adult sexual assault cases, and why this is more of an issue of priorities rather than staffing. They also question Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s accountability for the actions of the department, which he leads. Next they look into Pierce County Council candidate Josh Harris’s shooting...2022-06-0444 min
Hacks & WonksWeek in Review: May 14, 2021This week Erica C. Barnett joins Crystal to review further revelations in the mishandling of public records requests by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office and the psychology of offering vaccination incentives. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today’s guest, Erica Barnett, at @ericacbarnett. More info is available at officialhacksandwonks.com. Resources: “Public records requests mishandled after Seattle mayor’s texts went missing, commission finds” by Daniel Beekman: https://www.seattle...2021-05-1531 min
NW NERD: Fandom-powered geek magazineEpisode 421: Talking with artists Jeff Carpenter and Alex the Pumpkin GeekNW NERD talks with two one-of-a-kind artists -- Jeff Carpenter and Alex the Pumpkin Geek. Headlines: Ashley Hiruko, reporter with KUOW, discusses her article about businesses that technically are considered "essential" under Washington's stay-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic ... but are they really? One business she addresses is the Northwest's favorite purveyor of pop culture -- Funko. The largest comic book distributor says it can't pay its vendors while the pandemic continues to shut down businesses (such as comic book shops).Dyer gets some answers back from an Emerald City Comic Con rep about ho...2020-04-0550 min