Seattle Now

Parade logistics and transit changes for a major Seahawks celebration. Bellevue's rise as a tech and AI hub with big companies leasing office space. Pacific Science Center selling property to the Space Needle owners and plans for joint tickets. A spike in statewide layoffs linked to big employers and AI. Local policy moves on ICE cooperation, a millionaire's tax push, and 9-1-1 audit findings.

Cooper McLeod, an American long-track speed skater from Washington known as Super Cooper, is competing in his first Olympic Games in the 500m and 1000m. He describes his Washington skating roots, the qualifying moment that sent him to Italy, life in the Olympic Village, missing Beijing and how it shaped him, and his pre-race routines and who’s coming to cheer him on.

Cue the confetti cannons. The Seahawks are Super Bowl champions, for the second time in franchise history - and fans are gearing up for a massive parade on Wednesday. Learn why Mike MacDonald wasn't an NFL coach, how many people might be at the Seahawks parade on Wednesday, and which athletes with Washington ties are bringing home Olympic medals. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fireworks and celebrations erupted around the city of Seattle after the Seahawks Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots last night.  Fans are elated, because Seahawks fandom can be intense and personal. We talk withTemple University’s Daniel Funk, who researches why people attach themselves to teams… and what they get out of it.  Watch tomorrow's Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting here. Take the Mayoral Renter's Survey here. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re bringing you the best from the KUOW Newsroom… For two families in Seattle, this past Christmas is one they’ll always remember. They came together after an immigration arrest left one family stranded, and facing deportation.  A look at a new required training from UW, part of a voluntary agreement with the federal government after allegations of unchecked antisemitism on campus. And a proposal in Olympia that would help more military families qualify for the state’s free preschool program. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A roundup of a new lawsuit tied to the 2020 CHOP unrest, plus Boeing moving 787 engineering out of state. Reports on local police being mistaken for ICE and a family reading program helping struggling kids. Coverage of low mountain snowpack and ski impacts, OpenAI’s Bellevue expansion, a Westminster best-in-show win, and Seahawks Super Bowl buildup.

Danny Ball, Simply Seattle marketing lead and local sports merch expert, and Joe Veyera, Factal editor and local news analyst, break down Seattle’s Super Bowl frenzy. They chat packed bars, viewing rituals, merchandise drama and thefts. They also touch on brewery slow season, a Costco chicken lawsuit, and local mood shifts around warm weather and climate concerns.

Noel Gaska, a journalist covering state education and policy, reports on the Washington superintendent backing a proposed 'millionaires' tax' to boost school funding and property tax relief. The conversation also touches on advancing privacy limits for license plate readers and local reactions to shifting climate and public safety issues. Short, timely coverage of big decisions shaping Washington schools and communities.

Scott Greenstone, KUOW politics reporter and co-host of Sound Politics, walks through Washington’s history with income tax and the proposed millionaire’s tax. He explains the 1933 ruling shaping today’s tax system. Short takes cover who would pay, political timing, legal fights, and whether wealthy residents might leave.

A roundup of local political maneuvering around Seattle’s U.S. attorney and questions about intensified immigration enforcement. Bill Gates addresses emails tied to Epstein. A Seattle firm’s plan for orbital data centers raises space-congestion concerns. Scientists seek federal protection for shrinking Olympic marmot populations.