Shows
Seattle NiceD2 Council Race Unpacked, Crosswalks Hacked, and will the Virginia Inn get Axed?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 restaurant you love, does your urbanist card get revoked? And just when you thought Seattl...2025-04-2232 minSeattle NiceDoes Trump's economy spell doom for Seattle?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 homelessness programs. And if that wasn't enough, brace yourselves after last week’s City budget forecast...2025-04-1328 min
Hacks & WonksWeek in Review: April 4, 2025 - with Erica BarnettOn this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Erica Barnett discuss: 🙅♂️ Ferguson against wealth tax ⚖️ WA joins lawsuit on public health funding cuts 👩💼 Braddock appointed acting KC Exec 💸 Moore skips public bidding process for $1M 🤷♂️ Saka denounces “defund” As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today’s co-host, Erica Barnett, on Bluesky at @ericacbarnett and on PubliCola.com.2025-04-0437 min
Seattle NiceAre You Mad At Me? Episode 2: We Talk to Adam Penenberg, Who Uncovered the Deception at the Heart of "Shattered Glass"Check out a preview of the latest episode of Are You Mad at Me?, the podcast about the movie Shattered Glass hosted by PubliCola co-founders Erica Barnett and Josh Feit. Shattered Glass, starting Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard, Chloe Sevigny, and Steve Zahn (among many other names you'll recognize), is about a journalism scandal in the late 1990s in which a reporter, Stephen Glass, was found to have fabricated dozens of stories for The New Republic, Harpers, and many other traditional media outlets. Our guest for this month's show, Adam Penenberg (portrayed by Zahn in the film), was w...2025-03-1716 minSeattle NiceSeattle Elections Heat Up and Trump Gets PunitiveThe latest explosive headline about Bruce Harrell's 1996 arrest isn't great news for a mayor who is up for re-election later this year. We discuss the fallout and the fact that a mystery challenger is expected to join that race next week.Speaking of politics, we also discuss Erica's interview with Dionne Foster, who is challenging City Council President Sara Nelson. Foster is challenging Nelson from the left, but some of her positions don’t sound that progressive. Is that smart politics? Also, Republican City Attorney Ann Davison is standing up to the Trump Administration. We deb...2025-03-0833 minSeattle NiceNew Podcast Preview: Are You Mad At Me? A Shattered Glass PodcastTwo 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 becau...2025-02-1153 minSeattle NiceSODA, SOAP, and SODOSODA 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 a...2025-02-0747 minSeattle NiceAnti-"strip club" petitioners and Seattle's debate about crowd controlSeattle's City Council is considering legislation to remove restrictions on the use of “less lethal” weapons for crowd control. Should SPD be allowed to use "blast balls" on protestors? Erica's been covering it. We take a closer look. In Part Deux we discuss the brewing controversy over a Ballard bar applying for an "adult cabaret" license. A nearby property owner is circulating a petition in protest, calling it a "strip club." Is moralism making a comeback in Seattle? Hear our hot takes and look for Erica's story on Publicola later this week. Plus, Sandeep...2024-12-1339 minSeattle NiceThe good, the bad, and the ugly takes on Tammy Morales quitting Seattle's City CouncilTammy Morales has announced she's quitting the city council in January. She accused some colleagues of treating her very poorly and also told Erica she sees no point in continuing because she can't make any progress whatsoever passing progressive legislation with the current, more centrist council. Is the current council toxic? Is Morales right to quit? Is she abandoning her progressive allies? We take a closer look at these questions, and speculate on the fallout from the move in 2025. As our regular listeners might expect, Erica sides with Morales, Sandeep is less sympathetic, and David qu...2024-12-0531 minHacks & WonksWeek in Review: November 22, 2024 - with Erica BarnettOn this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Erica Barnett discuss: 🧮 Seattle budget and amendments 🙅 County rejects Rivera’s proposal for sobering center 👨⚖️ Sal Mungia wins open Supreme Court seat 🗳️ Reichert concedes ⚔️ How WA electeds will take on Trump admin As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today’s co-host, Erica Barnett, on Bluesky at @ericacbarnett and on PubliCola.com.2024-11-2231 minSeattle NiceDow Constantine's moving on and Seattle's surprise proposal to tax the richKing County Executive Dow Constantine has announced his plan to step down at the end of next year. We take a closer look at the move and the emerging tension between the centrist Seattle City Council and King County government, which has moved further left. Erica highlights the struggle in this recent story about a city council proposal to turn a sobering center into "a secure facility for people arrested for public drug use and possession." King County's not interested. We also debate and discuss what prompted Constantine to make the move after serving in t...2024-11-1634 minSeattle NiceIs Rinck's win scaring Seattle city council centrists?It was a dreary election night for the left, but Seattle progressives celebrated city council candidate Alexis Mercedes Rinck's decisive victory over incumbent Tanya Woo. By Thursday afternoon Rinck's lead had grown to around 16 percentage points. Are voters sending a message to the centrist city council majority, led by Sara Nelson? Erica and Sandeep debate and discuss. Quinn Waller is our editor. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.comHEARTH Protection: Do not let fear make your world smaller. Get more information at hearthprotection.org...2024-11-0829 minSeattle NiceDan Savage and the Blue City Blues podcast previewErica’s out this week, so we bring you a preview of a new podcast called "Blue City Blues." Twenty years ago, in the wake of a searing presidential defeat, Dan Savage encouraged progressives to move to blue cities and to fortify them into an “Urban Archipelago” of culturally separatist bastions that rejected the reactionary politics of the larger red American landscape. And he got his wish. Over the last two decades, rural places got redder and urban areas much bluer, and America’s bluest cities developed their own distinctive culture and politics. They became the leadin...2024-10-3151 minSeattle NiceWTF is wrong with Seattle Public Schools?With Erica gone this week David and Sandeep take a one-week vacation from city politics to take a closer look at the root causes of the problems facing Seattle Schools, including a controversial push by some district leaders to close up to 21 schools in the face of a nearly $100 million deficit.Said special guest Robert Cruickshank, “This is one of the few issues where Sandeep is not wrong.” Robert is a Seattle parent and progressive activist, who currently leads Washington's Paramount Duty, which advocates for increased school funding.Robert and Sandeep agree that the school dist...2024-10-2550 minSeattle NiceInterim Chief Sue Rahr's candid thoughts about SPD. Plus, Kshama Sawant campaigns against Kamala HarrisWe discuss and debate Erica's in-depth interview with SPD's interim chief Sue Rahr. Plus, Kshama Sawant's campaign against Kamala Harris, and Erica's latest on the city budget. Our editor is Quinn Waller.Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.comHEARTH Protection: Do not let fear make your world smaller. Get more information at hearthprotection.org Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.comSupport the s...2024-10-1143 minSeattle NiceProgressives pan Mayor Harrell's budget. Plus, debate watch party!This week Seattle Nice debates Erica's take on Mayor Bruce Harrell's new budget. TL;DR Harrell avoided big budget cuts but progressives are pissed that he tapped the lucrative payroll tax on big business known as JumpStart to pull that off. Don't miss the city council debate and VP debate watch party at Town Hall this coming Tuesday October 1. We kick it off with a livestream of the big Vice Presidential debate between Tim Walz and J.D. Vance on the big screen. Then, we go local with the Seattle Nice City Council deb...2024-09-2935 minSeattle NiceTwo Social Housing Measures Enter. One Measure Leaves.This week Seattle's city council voted to send two competing measures to the ballot to fund affordable housing. Initiative 137, the measure social housing activists support, proposes a new, "excess compensation tax" on big business. Council member Maritza Rivera is backing a new, "alternative" measure that would rely instead on existing JumpStart taxes on big business. Erica says Rivera's alternative would raid the JumpStart tax and effectively kill the social housing concept voters approved last year. See Erica's reporting on the two measures here. Sandeep defends the alternative, saying he's skeptical social housing backers a...2024-09-2130 minSeattle NiceDoes Seattle Need More Drug Laws?Caleb Banta-Green of UW medicine joins the pod to debate the pros and cons of Seattle's current approach to drugs. The conversation kicks off with Barnett and Banta-Green blasting the city council's latest plan to create six new “stay out” zones for drug crimes. The conversation then broadens to a deeper debate about whether some coercion helps or harms people who are struggling with addiction. Coincidentally, Uncle Ike's pot shop sponsored this week's episode. If you want to advertise plesae contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.comOur editor is Quinn Waller Sen...2024-09-1447 minSeattle NiceIs Design Review dying in Seattle?The city council is making plans to speed up the process for building in downtown Seattle by exempting certain buildings from design review. Erica and Sandeep agree about the merits of the proposal, while David as devil's advocate tries to insert some skepticism into their urbanist love fest. We also talk about the King County Council's about-face on earlier plans to close the youth jail. Our editor is Quinn Waller.For tickets to the Seattle Nice Position 8 city council debate coming up on October 1st at Town Hall click this link! And i...2024-09-0741 minHacks & WonksWeek in Review: August 23, 2024 - with Erica BarnettOn this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Erica Barnett discuss: 🌲 CPL race heads to recount 🪚 Brutal austerity budget process begins in Seattle 🎭 Aurora Ave in Seattle vs Shoreline 🏠 Moore’s planned renter protection repeal As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter/X at @finchfrii and find today’s co-host, Erica Barnett, at @ericacbarnett.2024-08-2337 minSeattle NiceAre SOAP zones the right way to clean up Seattle?Seattle Nice takes a lively look at a proposed ban on prostitution "loitering," and proposed Stay Out of Stay Out of Area of Prostitution (SOAP) zones. This follows the proposed banishment of some drug users from select areas downtown, called SODAs or “Stay Out of Drug Areas." Check out Erica's extensive coverage on Publicola, and while you're at it please donate to Publicola. Quinn Waller edits the show. To advertise or just get in touch you can reach Seattle Nice at realseattlenice@gmail.com Send us a text! Note that we can o...2024-08-1746 minHacks & WonksWeek in Review: July 12, 2024 - with Erica BarnettOn this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Seattle political reporter, editor of PubliCola, and co-host of the Seattle Nice podcast, Erica Barnett! They discuss: Washington Supreme Court Upholds Lacey RV Parking Ban Hilary Franz Campaign Controversy King County Leaders Launch 100 Days of Action Against Gun Violence Seattle PayUp Minimum Wage Repeal Legislation Stalls Seattle Audit on Reducing Overdoses and Drug-Related Crime Seattle Police Deputy Chief Controversy Seattle Transportation Levy Heads to November Ballot As always, a full text transcript of the...2024-07-1242 minSeattle NiceWhy are NPR and WaPo struggling compared to peer news organizations?We discuss and debate Erica's recent article about troubles at the Washington Post, and David's recent piece about the troubles at NPR and his experience at Seattle affiliate KUOW. Quinn Waller is our editor. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.comSupport the showYour 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. 2024-06-1644 minSeattle NiceWhat should Seattle do about gun violence in schools?Garfield students are back in class today after one of their peers was shot and killed last week. Community members are calling for the city to do more. Erica and Sandeep debate how elected officials should respond. Quinn Waller is our editor. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.comSupport the showYour 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. 2024-06-1227 minSeattle NiceIs Seattle Ungovernable?David is away this week, and Sandeep and Erica are in charge! Our question for this week: Is Seattle in a state of chaos? The evidence: The Seattle school district is considering potentially devastating cuts. Hundreds showed up at a Seattle City Council meeting to protest a last-minute proposal that could doom the city's largest anti-displacement program. Mayor Bruce Harrell demoted the Seattle Police Department chief amid a swirl of lawsuits and allegations. And the King County Regional Homelessness Authority is about to appoint a leader by default, after all the applicants but one dropped out.2024-06-0137 minHacks & WonksWeek in Review: May 31, 2024 - with Erica BarnettOn this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Seattle political reporter, editor of PubliCola, and co-host of the Seattle Nice podcast, Erica Barnett! They discuss: Gubernatorial Candidate Mullet Files Ethics Complaint Against Ferguson Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz Demoted After Discrimination Allegations Sue Rahr Announced as Interim Police Chief Budget Proviso Threatens Community Development Funds As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today’s co-host, Erica Barnett, at @eri...2024-05-3138 minSeattle NiceDo you support Seattle Mayor Harrell's new overdose recovery facility plan?On Thursday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced a new overdose recovery center. Erica and Sandeep both support the idea but still find room for some lively disagreement. Quinn Waller is our editor. If you want to advertise or book Seattle Nice Live! for your next neighborhood or other event, email us at realseattlenice@gmail.com. If you like this podcast please give us a 5 star review everywhere. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.comSupport the show...2024-05-1223 minHacks & WonksWeek in Review: April 5, 2024 - with Erica Barnett On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Seattle political reporter, editor of PubliCola, and co-host of the Seattle Nice podcast, Erica Barnett! They discuss: Seattle Police Contract Raises Budget Concerns, Accountability Questions Thurston Sheriff's Hiring of Officer Involved in Manny Ellis' Killing Illuminates Broader Accountability Issues Burien Countersues King County Over Encampment Sweeps Unhoused Asylum Seekers at Garfield As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, at @finchfrii...2024-04-0633 minSeattle NiceSeattle Police contract includes 23 percent retroactive raiseErica's got the breaking scoop today about the new tentative police contract on Publicola, and Seattle Nice gets into it. Our editor is Quinn Waller. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.comSupport the showYour 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. 2024-04-0307 min