Hacks & Wonks
Washington state's 2025 elections saw progressives win across multiple cities and legislative districts, with people-powered campaigns and bold ideas beating out establishment moderates. Listen in to the Hacks & Wonks 2025 Post-Election Roundtable from Tuesday, November 11, 2025, as the strategists who saw it coming explain what pundits missed! Panelists: Stephen Paolini, Principal at Bottled Lightning Collective Lexi Koren, Communications Consultant with PowerHouse Strategic Crystal Fincher, Executive Director of KVRU and Hacks & Wonks Host As always, a full text...
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On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Robert Cruickshank discuss: 🤩 Katie Wilson elected mayor! 🌊 Progressive wave across region and state 👀 What to watch out for next 🏫 Role of Stranger school board endorsements ⚔️ Looking forward to legislative session As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at .
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On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Robert Cruickshank discuss: ⚾ Mariners! 💸 Seattle wastes homelessness money ⛔ SPOG undermining popular CARE team 🚫 Seattle School Board rejects cop at Garfield 🗳️ Use dropboxes to vote! As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at .
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On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Melissa Santos discuss: WA/CA/OR vaccine alliance Cell phones in schools Firefighter immigration raid = inside job Harrell pushes light rail extensions despite shortfall Autonomous vehicles pilot starts As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Melissa Santos at .
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Amy Sundberg, public safety reporter for The Urbanist and publisher of Notes from the Emerald City, joins Hacks & Wonks to discuss how Seattle's City Council is poised to expand the city's surveillance pilot program before collecting any evaluation data on its effectiveness, raising concerns among privacy advocates about potential federal access to the data amid heightened immigration enforcement. The expansion, scheduled for a final council vote on September 9 at 2:30 p.m., would install new cameras in three areas and tap into Seattle Department of Transportation's existing network of...
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On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Robert Cruickshank discuss: 🧊 Spokane blocks warrantless ICE action 🥡 $15m Uber Eats settlement 🛒 UFCW 3000 backs Wilson 🚲 Biker hit where safety upgrades were cancelled 🏫 School board updates 🪧 Protests against Microsoft use by IDF As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at .
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Hacks & Wonks hosted a 2025 Post-Primary Roundtable on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 to dig into the 2025 primary results - what they mean, how they happened, and what's next - with the people who actually do the work of winning (and sometimes losing) campaigns in Seattle and King County. Listen to the roundtable as a podcast or watch the ! By bringing together a panel of seasoned local political consultants who've been in the field, in the strategy rooms, and on the phones - not just pundits looking at numbers from a distance - they cut through the noise and spin to give insights not found in...
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On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Erica Barnett discuss: ⛪ Christian nationalist rally moves to new park 🤑 Police execs take bonus meant for officers 🛡️ Trump admin targets sanctuary cities – 📮 -- and vote-by-mail 🕵️ Tacoma ICE facility must open for inspections As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Erica Barnett, on Bluesky at and on .
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On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and David Kroman discuss: 💰 Seattle B&O tax overhaul proposal 📉 Seattle budget forecast 👁️ Seattle surveillance expansion ⚖️ Tacoma minimum wage initiative sues city ⚔️ MGP challenger in CD3 🗳️ Election results update As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, David Kroman at .
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On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Josh Cohen discuss: ❤️🩹 A Hacks & Wonks update 🗳️ Primary election results! 👀 Seattle: Mayor, City Attorney, City Council seats 💵 Seattle Democracy Vouchers 🥊 King County: Executive, D5 Council seat 🤓 Takeaways As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Josh Cohen at .
info_outlineToday on the show Marco Lowe, Professor at Seattle University’s Institute for Public Service, joins Crystal to get in to kids returning to school this fall without having had a Covid vaccine, the impact of the Pfizer vaccine being approved by the FDA, the Supreme Court striking down the federal eviction moratorium, the incredibly slow pace of rental aid being distributed in King County, the arrival of Afghan refugees in Washington State (and how you can help welcome them!), and the tragic rise in gun violence in our area - including a shooting between a 14 and 17 year old.
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 co-host, Marco Lowe, at @MarcoLowe. More info is available at officialhacksandwonks.com.
Resources
“Because of COVID surge, packed TRi-Cities hospitals turning ambulances away” by Annette Cary of the Tri-City Herald, as printed in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/because-of-covid-surge-packed-tri-cities-hospitals-turning-ambulances-away/
“Pediatricians besieged by parents seeking COVID vaccines for kids under 12” by Ariana Eunjung Cha and Frances Stead Sellers from The Washington Post, as printed in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/pediatricians-besieged-by-parents-seeking-covid-vaccines-for-kids-under-12/?utm_source=pocket_mylist
“COVID-19 vaccinations increase in Washington following mandates spike in cases” by Drew Mikkelsen from King 5: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/covid-19-vaccinations-increase-in-washington/281-1af4cc43-2d7f-4e77-a2fd-0fad28d0c4f3
“As The Coronavirus Surges in Florida, Some Vaccine Skeptics Change Their Minds” from the Associated Press and NPR: https://www.npr.org/2021/08/17/1028538495/florida-covid-vaccinations-skeptics-shots-changing-minds
“The Supreme Court Will Allow Evictions to Resume. It Could Affect Millions Of Tenants” by Krishnadev Calamur and Chris Arnold from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2021/08/26/1024668578/court-blocks-biden-cdc-evictions-moratorium
“King County rent relief still slow to reach tenants” by David Kroman from Crosscut: https://crosscut.com/news/2021/08/king-county-rent-relief-still-slow-reach-tenants
“Federal rental assistance dollars can prevent evictions - if you can navigate the process” by Paige Browning and Joshua McNichols from KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/stories/federal-rental-assistance-dollars-can-prevent-evictions-if-you-can-navigate-the-process-aef7
“Agencies Scramble To Resettle Afghan Refugees In The Seattle Area” by Martin Kaste from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2021/08/24/1030561811/agencies-scramble-to-resettle-afghan-refugees-in-the-seattle-area
“Washington is poised to accept a wave of Afghan refugees. How will they be received?” by Naomi Ishisaka from The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/washington-is-poised-to-accept-a-wave-of-afghan-refugees-how-will-they-be-received/
“Washington Organizations Are Resettling Afghan Refugees, Here’s How You Can Help” by Mark Van Streefkerk from The South Seattle Emerald: https://southseattleemerald.com/2021/08/24/washington-organizations-are-resettling-afghan-refugees-heres-how-you-can-help/
Living Well Kent: https://livingwellkent.org/index.html
“17-year-old critically wounded, 14-year-old in custody after gunfire outside Seattle middle school” by Mike Carter from The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/14-year-old-in-critical-condition-teen-in-custody-after-gunfire-erupts-outside-seattle-middle-school/
“Seattle police investigate 3 shootings, including killing of man in Belltown” by Christine Clarridge from The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/man-50-fatally-shot-in-seattles-belltown-neighborhood-early-thursday/
Transcript:
Transcript will be uploaded as soon as possible.