Hacks & Wonks

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Shauna Sowersby discuss: 🌊 Historic flooding across WA 🛡️ Protecting workers from immigration raids ⚔️ Legislature's public records fight continues 📉 County plans for Trump homelessness changes 💸 New SPOG contract = bad deal for Seattle 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, Shauna Sowersby at @ssowersby .

Seattle's creative economy drives 18% of city GDP but artists can't afford to live here. Randy Engstrom, co-leading Mayor-Elect Wilson's arts transition team, argues culture must be central to solving housing, education, and economic challenges - not treated as expendable when budgets get tight. 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 Randy Engstrom on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/randyengstrom/ .

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and David Kroman discuss: ✂️ Ferguson budget relies on cuts 🧑‍⚖️ Trump sues WA 🏢 Affordable housing bailout 🔮 Significance of Wilson hires ✋ Eddie Lin sworn into Council 🚈 Light rail arrives in South King Co! 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, David Kroman at @kromandavid .

Senator Rebecca Saldaña is preparing for her 10th year representing South Seattle's 37th Legislative District with plans to address healthcare access, immigration protections, and Washington's budget shortfall. In a recent interview on the Hacks & Wonks podcast, Saldaña outlined her priorities for the January legislative session. She said her work remains grounded in the experiences of immigrant and refugee families, working people, LGBTQ residents, and those fighting displacement in her district. 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 Senator Rebecca Saldaña at @rebeccasaldana1 .

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Erica Barnett discuss: ▶️ Mayor-elect Katie Wilson's transition ▶️ KC Exec Zahilay's staff review ▶️ Council hands a budget of Harrell's priorities to Wilson ▶️ Pipeline spill raises safety concerns ▶️ Is ICE using local surveillance in WA? 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 .

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 transcript of the show is available at officialhacksandwonks.com . You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today's special guests, Stephen Paolini at ‪@stephenpaolini , and Lexi Koren at @lexikoren .

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 officialhacksandwonks.com . Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at @robertcruickshank.com .

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 officialhacksandwonks.com . Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at @robertcruickshank.com .

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 officialhacksandwonks.com . Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Melissa Santos at @melissajsantos .

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 traffic management cameras, adding more than 365 cameras total to the Seattle Police Department's Real-Time Crime Center. 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 Amy Sundberg at @amysundberg .

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 officialhacksandwonks.com . Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at @robertcruickshank.com .

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 recorded livestream on YouTube ! 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 typical news coverage. Panelists: Riall Johnson, Principal Partner at Prism West Stephen Paolini, Principal at Bottled Lightning Collective Lexi Koren, Communications Consultant with PowerHouse Strategic Crystal Fincher, Political Consultant with Fincher Consulting and Hacks & Wonks Host As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com . You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today's special guests, Riall Johnson at @rialljohnson , Stephen Paolini at ‪@stephenpaolini , and Lexi Koren at @lexikoren .

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 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 .

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 officialhacksandwonks.com . Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, David Kroman at @kromandavid .

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 officialhacksandwonks.com . Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Josh Cohen at @jcohenwrites .

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Robert Cruickshank discuss: 🙅 End of Denny Blaine nudity 🗳️ Urbanist endorsements 🧑‍🏫 Sea Public Schools news 🐀 Hot Rat Summer 📸 Seattle police cameras ❌ Harrell cancels safety upgrades 💸 Business pours $ in WA Senate races 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, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at @robertcruickshank.com .

Seattle voters will decide in August whether to renew funding for the city's groundbreaking Democracy Voucher Program, the first and only system of its kind in the United States that gives residents public money to support local candidates of their choice. Proposition 1 on the August 5 primary ballot asks voters to approve a 10-year property tax levy to continue the program, which provides every eligible Seattle resident with four $25 vouchers annually to contribute to qualified candidates for mayor, city attorney, and city council. Estevan Muñoz-Howard was one of the original leaders of the 2015 campaign that created the Democracy Voucher program and continues his work as a democracy activist with People Powered Elections Seattle. Professor Jennifer Heerwig from Stony Brook University is the leading scholar studying the program's impacts. She's tracked its effects through multiple election cycles and recently published a book on her findings called Democracy Vouchers and the Promise of Fairer Elections in Seattle. 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 Estevan Muñoz-Howard on LinkedIn and Professor Jennifer Heerwig at https://www.jenheerwig.com/ .

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Erica Barnett discuss: ⚖️ No Wilson charges 💬 Pro-Harrell message testing poll 🔄 Moore replacement 👑 Bills expand Davison/Police power 🔎 Ask to end consent decree 🤖 PC Sheriff gets bad advice from ChatGPT 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 .

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Josh Cohen discuss: 🎯 WA top target in Medicaid cuts 😬 KC Assessor Wilson arrested 🚔 Barnes confirmed as police chief 💰 Possible sales tax increase for public safety 🏗️ Rinck revives Morales' community dev program 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, Josh Cohen at @jcohenwrites .

King County Executive candidate Claudia Balducci outlines her approach to the region's biggest challenges, emphasizing housing affordability, prevention-focused public safety & regional coordination. 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 Claudia Balducci at @claudiaforkcexec .

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and David Kroman discuss: 👀 NYC mayoral race hints at Seattle's? 💰 Seattle biz tax revamp? 🚔 Pursuit GPS trackers & digital billboards 📷 License plate readers proliferate in WA 🏘️ Affordable housing industry crisis 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, David Kroman at @kromandavid .

King County Executive candidate Girmay Zahilay details plans for the region's biggest challenges, including homelessness, public safety & housing affordability. 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 Girmay Zahilay at @girmayzahilay .

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Robert Cruickshank discuss: 👑 'No Kings' protests ⚕️ WA immigrants' health data shared w/ feds 🏘️ Housing First works well 🚍 Saka erases advocates, makes deal w/ Curby 🤑 RealPage ban delayed 🎒 School waitlists lifted 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, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at @robertcruickshank.com .

On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Erica Barnett discuss: 👋 Cathy Moore resigning 🗳️ Kshama Sawant running for Congress 😬 KC Assessor John Wilson won't resign despite calls 🚔 Diaz/Tompkins updates 🏳️‍🌈 WA State Patrol interrupts Pride flag ceremony 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 .

Jeanie Chunn, candidate for Seattle City Council District 2, shares her stance on housing affordability, public safety, transportation, and more while advocating for significant changes to the city's approach to public safety, housing, and budget priorities. 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 more about Jeanie Chunn at votejeanie.com .