Northwest Reports

The Burden of Rent in the Rest of Washington

Places like Walla Walla, Yakima and Spokane are not the affordable alternatives they once were, but solutions could be coming.
It's no secret that the cost of living in the Seattle area is very high. Lesser known is the impact that rising housing costs have had on people throughout the state of Washington. 
While the overall numbers are highest in Seattle, rent increases have created an even greater burden for people living in the state’s smaller towns and cities. 
The state has taken notice, with both the governor and some lawmakers pressing for legislative solutions that would either increase the housing stock or put limits on landlords' abilities to raise rents. 
For this episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, host Sara Bernard speaks with Crosscut reporter Mai Hoang about what life is like for those who are rent-burdened in these smaller cities, and what solutions are in the works. 
Read our full report on the rise in rents in eastern Washington here. 
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Mai Hoang
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Fixing Prison Culture the Scandinavian Way

Reporter Joseph O’Sullivan visited one of Washington state's penitentiaries that is trying to change the relationship between guards and prisoners.
A new effort being piloted in Washington state prisons seeks to improve culture behind bars. The program, called AMEND, is modeled on the prison system in Norway, where a stated goal of incarceration is to create better neighbors.
The Washington State Department of Corrections hopes AMEND can help improve interactions among corrections officers and inmates and create better outcomes when the incarcerated are released. 
For this episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, host Sara Bernard speaks with Crosscut staff reporter Joseph O'Sullivan about his recent visit to one of the state’s three pilot sites, the Stafford Creek Corrections Center, to learn more about the program. 
O’Sullivan shares his experience inside the prison, where he spoke with guards and an incarcerated individual about the program, which could grow if the state legislature approves a request from Gov. Inslee to expand the program.
Read our full report on the Washington state's AMEND program here. 
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Joseph O'Sullivan
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Revolution in the Dance Department

Western and European forms have long dominated dance education in the United States. Journalist Marcie Sillman tells us how the University of Washington is changing that, and what questions that shift poses to higher education. 
The University of Washington dance department has placed itself in the vanguard of a movement to open, or maybe knock down, academia's ivory towers.
Starting this past fall, the small department has remade itself in an attempt to decenter European perspectives in its course offerings, like many other departments on campus. At the same time, it has made another change that in some ways seeks to reevaluate what an undergraduate degree in dance even means. 
For this episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, host Sara Bernard speaks with longtime Seattle culture reporter Marcie Sillman about the changes and challenges that still face those who aim to further diversify a department that has long been built around Western and European forms such as ballet and modern dance. 
At the core of this conversation are questions facing administrators at UW and beyond: What is mastery? Who are its gatekeepers? And with the rise of all forms of virtual learning, what is the goal of a higher education in the arts?
Read our full story about changes in the University of Washington's dance department here.
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Marcie Sillman 
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Fighting Back the Floodwaters on the WA Coast

Reporter Hannah Weinberger tells us how a monumental levee project could ease economic turbulence in two Grays Harbor County towns.
For coastal communities like those in Washington’s Grays Harbor County, flooding has long been a part of life. But as floods have become more frequent and severe, this aspect of life at (or below) sea level has become an existential threaten to the livelihoods of those who live in these economically distressed areas. 
People living and working in the towns of Hoquiam and Aberdeen, for instance, are beset by the prohibitive costs of flood insurance and building requirements, making economic recovery an even greater challenge.
That could soon change with a recent infusion of federal money that may allow these towns to build a multimillion-dollar levee. Advocates say the levee will help these towns stay above water, literally but also economically.
For this episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, host Sara Bernard talks with reporter Hannah Weinberger about her recent trip to Grays Harbor, where she talked to the community members most affected by flooding and to the people who hope to change the fortunes of these coastal communities. 
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Hannah Weinberger 
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

The State of Abortion in Washington State

Without federal protection for abortion, the state has become a refuge for those seeking care and a target for political opposition.
The past year has been a seismic one for reproductive rights in the United States. And the aftershocks appear far from over. 
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the stage was set for abortion bans or restrictions in many states, as well as for a political groundswell from Americans who believe in a right to abortion and for uncertainty for those seeking abortions, those providing them and states, like Washington, that allow them.  
The ground, though, was shifting well before the fall of Roe. Freelance reporter Megan Burbank began covering the issue for Crosscut before the momentous decision, and says that most of the trends she observed early in her reporting have only deepened. For instance, when Roe was still the law of the land, she says, many were already traveling to less restrictive states like Washington to get abortions. 
For this week's episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, host Sara Bernard talks with Burbank about how that demand has grown, what else has changed and where reproductive rights in the state are headed.
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Megan Burbank 
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

The Battle Over Graffiti in Seattle

What reporter Margo Vansynghel learned from talking to the mayor, the artists and the people who cover up spray paint over and over and over again.
Graffiti is a part of everyday life in Seattle, from the smallest tag on a street sign to the giant letters greeting commuters along the interstate. But it is a part of city life that Mayor Bruce Harrell believes should be brought under control. 
That is why he recently launched a new effort to address what he has called a dramatic increase in illegal graffiti across Seattle in the past few years by increasing efforts to remove it and prosecute those who create it. 
Earlier this month, Crosscut arts and culture reporter Margo Vansynghel dug into the new initiative and asked some of the complicated questions it raises. Through interviews with many of the players in this ongoing drama, she unpacks the debate between what is defacement and what is art. 
For this episode of Crosscut Reports, she joins host Sara Bernard to discuss her reporting and what it reveals about the ethical and artistic ramifications of a plan that relies on the government to decide what is art. 
Read Margo's story here. 
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Margo Vansynghel
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

What WA Democrats Want

The party has used its legislative majorities year after year to check off a lot of its wish list. What now?
When the Washington state legislative session started on Monday, January 9, Democrats were in the driver’s seat. The party currently controls both houses and the governorship, making it one of 16 states where Democrats have achieved a so-called state government trifecta.
It’s a familiar position for the party, which has held the trifecta since 2018. In that time, Democrats have crossed a number of items off their legislative wish list, including most recently the passage of a capital-gains tax, gun laws and a carbon cap-and-trade law.
After picking up a couple seats in the November election, Democrats appear poised to do more, but they do face some barriers, including an uncertain economy and ongoing court challenges.
For this episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, host Sara Bernard speaks with state politics reporter Joseph O’Sullivan about the remaining items on that wish list. Drawing on a near-decade of covering Olympia, O’Sullivan tracks the trends that will help shape the session and tells us what he expects from lawmakers, including actions on guns, housing and the state budget.
Read our full preview of the Washington state Legislature's session here.
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Joseph O'Sullivan
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Up for Grabs Pt 2: How Latinos Voted

Pundits and politicians were hyper-focused on this electorate leading up to the midterms. Now that the dust has settled, we explore what actually happened.
By the time the polls closed in Washington state on the evening of Nov. 8, the narrative was set. The “Red Wave” predicted by many pundits and politicians did not materialize. And, as often happens in a democracy, the storylines that came before Election Day immediately felt like ancient history. Among those storylines: the fight for the Latino vote. 
As we noted in the last episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, there was a lot of consternation over the Latino vote. Who the people who made up this growing part of the electorate decided to vote for, we were told, could tip the scales and help determine the who would win races at the local, state and national levels.
Of course, the story of the Latino vote didn’t end when the results started rolling in. And early data tells a story that is more complicated than the no-wave narrative and potentially more troubling for Democrats.
For this episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, we look at the data from Washington state to discern what exactly happened with the Latino vote and where the fight for Latino representation goes from here.
For photos and an accompanying essay, go here. 
Stay tuned for a third and final installment of "Up for Grabs," where we will discuss the court battle that could reshape how Latino voters are represented in Washington state.
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Mai Hoang
Editorial assistance: Brooklyn Jamerson-Flowers
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.

Up for Grabs Pt 1: A Young Latino Voter Decides

Jordan Chavez, an 18-year-old from Yakima, considers the influence of family, culture and party politics as he votes for the first time.
In the months leading up to the midterm elections, one group of voters has received an inordinate amount of attention across the country and in Washington state: Latino Americans. 
This group of voters has seen its influence grow in local and national elections in recent years, as its numbers have increased and its political tendencies fluctuated. Now, two years after more of the traditionally deep-blue Latino vote shifted toward Republican Donald Trump, and with the balance of power in Washington, D.C., determined by a handful of congressional seats, the impact of these voters looms large. 
Young Latinos are seen as particularly influential to political fortunes right now. Because of the relative youth of the population, it is tough to talk about the Latino vote without talking about the youth vote. 
Among those young people at the center of the conversation is Jordan Chavez, an 18-year-old from Yakima who is voting in his first major election this year.
To get a better sense of the forces at play on the millions of Latinos going to the polls this year, the latest episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast tells the story of Chavez, a first-time voter who’s dedicated, principled, and, maybe, persuadable.
For photos of Jordan Chavez's journey and an accompanying essay, go here. 
Stay tuned for our post-election episode of "Up for Grabs," where we will follow up with Chavez and some other Latino voters to find out how they voted and how they are feeling about the results.  
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Mai Hoang
Editorial assistance: Brooklyn Jamerson-Flowers
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.
 

The Steinbrueck Files Pt 3: Saving the Soul of Seattle

New first-hand documents show how architect Victor Steinbrueck helped secure the future of the Pike Place Market while ushering in a new era of civic governance for Seattle.
From the very beginning, the Pike Place Market was a hit. Opened in August 1907, it had been designed to efficiently deliver local products directly from farms to a growing city at reasonable prices. Within a couple years, hundreds of thousands of people were visiting each month. Copycat markets popped up to compete. The Market grew and flourished. It expanded. Vendors and private business cropped up in and around it. It was colorful, a community agora that served everyone, especially low-income waterfront and downtown dwellers.
But after 60 years, it had become frowsy, challenged by supermarkets and a downtown in need of “revitalization.” Urban planners began to eye redevelopment — urban renewal. What had been a charming homegrown institution suddenly became “blight,” a threat to the upscaling central downtown, which itself was being challenged by the growth of suburban sprawl and shopping malls.
The battle against that redevelopment is what architect and activist Victor Steinbrueck is most known for — as “the man who saved the Market.” It took the efforts of many, but Steinbrueck was uniquely able to make the case that the Market, and its urban context, should be protected.
The story is well known, but newly discovered personal records of Steinbrueck’s provide a previously untold part of the story. The files, which are the subject of this week’s episode of Crosscut Reports, contain numerous first-hand documents which reveal strategies, arguments and changes in mood and tactic.
For photos from The Steinbrueck Files and an accompanying essay by editor-at-large Knute Berger, go here.
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Credits
Host/Producer: Sara Bernard
Reporter: Knute Berger
Editorial assistance: Brooklyn Jamerson-Flowers
Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten
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If you would like to support Crosscut, go to crosscut.com/membership. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Seattle’s PBS station, KCTS 9.