Sound Politics

Latest Episodes:

Sonic Politics Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

The Seattle SuperSonics are closer than ever to coming home. And this comeback could have surprising benefits for elected officials. Plus, we recap the political machinations behind the loss of the Sonics 18 years ago.

Guest

Jordan Ritter Conn, senior staff writer for The Ringer, host of "Sonic Boom: How Seattle Lost Its Team"

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/politics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Joe Kent quit Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Since retiring from the military, combat veteran Joe Kent has been a loyal foot soldierin the MAGA army.
Now, the two-time Washington congressional candidate claims President Donald Trump was manipulated into going to war with Iran, a country Kent says posed no imminent threat to the U.S.
Kent sat down for a lengthy interview with Tucker Carlson about his decision to quit D.C., and we listened in to see what we could learn about him and about the state of the MAGA coalition.
Related links
Joe Kent, a top counterterrorism official, resigns citing Iran war - NPR
The Race for District 3: Joe Kent - Soundside’s 2024 interview
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Gabrielle Healy. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How weird is Washington's millionaire's tax? Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

We've been talking about it for what feels like forever. But it has finally happened. The Washington state legislature has passed the millionaire's tax.
We're talking about the sounds, smells and substance that got this bill to the governor's desk with Sarah Mizes-Tan, KUOW's Olympia reporter.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listener mailbag: Iran redux Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

We’re coming to you with a bonus dose of Sound Politics because we got some feedback about our last episode that we want to talk about and chew over a bit.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle's Iranian diaspora processes war Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

We spoke to a major booster of President Trump and a proponent of military intervention in Iran. He doesn’t speak for the wide spectrum of Iranian-American thinking — but he does represent a mode of thought that is very visible and very loud in the Pacific Northwest. Most of the street demonstrations in the Seattle area have been organized by the pro-intervention faction of Seattle’s Iranian diaspora. Plus, we hear from other Iranian-Americans about how they are processing the war.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could conservative sheriffs get removed from office? Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Democrats in Olympia are considering a bill that gives a state board the power to decertify elected sheriffs. Depending on how you see it, it's either a necessary step to modernize sheriff's offices or opens the door for an unelected state board to undermine voters. KUOW's Amy Radil will explain the bill, we'll hear from two sheriffs against it, and talk to one former sheriff, State Sen. John Lovick, who's for it.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Catharine Smith and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robin Hood: Dems in Tights Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Is Governor Ferguson tax-mogging? We'll let you look up what that means, but the millionaire’s tax is taking shape as it moves through Olympia. State Senate Democrats passed their version of the proposal this week.
But can it pay for everything Democrats want it to fund? Also, Seattle mayor Katie Wilson faces her first test in office: Whether to expand the city’s over 60 CCTV cameras.
It's a grab-bag episode, inspired by Mayor Wilson's reference to public grocery stores in her State of the City speech this week.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Gabrielle Healy. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

Related Links

Giving the income tax back before its enacted - The Washington Observer
Will Katie Wilson turn off Seattle’s surveillance cameras? - The Seattle Times

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jayapal on what she saw in the Epstein files Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

We haven’t talked a lot about the Epstein files on this show but it’s a defining picture of a lot of the politics we talk about here – populist backlash against rich elites and distrust of government and the political establishment more generally. It is a story that has engulfed the other Washington and it has connections to this Washington.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Paige Browning and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taxing the jocks and the nerds Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

We're going deep on taxes this week, even though it's only February. State Democrats have released their so-called millionaire's tax, and we talk about why one particular Dem isn't sold yet.
Related Links
SB 6346 - 2025-26
WA Democrats’ ‘millionaires tax’ is here, but Ferguson doesn’t support it yet
Washington state voters have rejected income taxes 10 times. Is this year different?
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor, and co-host today is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Gabrielle Healy and Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do “general strikes” work? Seattle history has an answer Jan 30, 2026

Show notes

Where did the idea come from to push back against President Trump by holding a general strike? The story takes us back 100 years to shipyard workers in Seattle. We’ll hear why people think general strikes are an effective protest today and whether they work.
On this week's episode, we relied on oral histories and primary sources from the Seattle General Strike Project, Wesleyan University, and Labor Archives of Washington.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Gabrielle Healy and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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