Making Washington a place to prosper.

[un]Divided: State says it will not accept new bookings into juvenile detention

Due to overcrowding and unsafe conditions, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families says no new offenders will be booked into the state’s two juvenile detention centers until further notice. So what happens now? Brandi Kruse has more on the unDivided Podcast. Watch unDivided five days a week and subscribe to support the show at unDividedpod.com.

By Brandi Kruse

[un]Divided: Pierce County can’t repeat King County’s mistakes on homelessness

While Democrats in Pierce County are pushing for a “regional” approach to solve homelessness, County Executive Bruce Dammeier said he wants to avoid the mistakes of Seattle. He joined Brandi Kruse on the unDivided Podcast. Watch unDivided five days a week and sign up to support the show at unDividedPod.com.

By Brandi Kruse

King Inslee

Washingtonians Reclaim Their Voice: June 2024 Marks Turning Point in Citizen Power

The political landscape of Washington state is undergoing a seismic shift, with June 2024 standing out as a pivotal month in the growing citizen-led movement to hold lawmakers accountable. Let’s examine the key developments that made June a landmark month for citizen power in the Evergreen State: Three Citizen Initiatives Become Law Last year, millions...

[un]Divided: SCOTUS ruling could help combat homeless crisis

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that laws prohibiting homeless encampments do not amount to cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th Amendment. The ruling could help West Coast states deal with the crisis, but only if leaders decide to use it. Brandi Kruse is joined by Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling, who says the King...

By Brandi Kruse

[un]Divided: Washington leaders sign Future 42 pledge to tackle homelessness

Elected leaders from across Washington are signing onto Future 42’s “Real Solutions to Homelessness Pledge.” Nate Nehring, head of Future 42’s efforts in Snohomish County, joined unDivided with Brandi Kruse to discuss. Watch unDivided five days a week and support the show at unDividedPod.com.

By Brandi Kruse

Rejected amendments reveal lawmakers’ true priority on natural gas ban

The driving force behind Washington’s effective ban on natural gas was the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), passed in 2021. That bill set benchmarks for reductions in natural gas emissions so urgent and so onerous that it forced the state’s largest utility company, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), to effectively tell lawmakers, “Either let us shut down...

Everett City Council considering minimum wage increase which would top Seattle’s

At a recent Everett City Council meeting, Councilmember Mary Fosse introduced legislation which would increase Everett’s minimum wage to up to $20.24/hour for local businesses. The City of Seattle’s current minimum wage is $19.97/hour and Washington State’s is $16.28/hour. Fosse’s proposal, if approved, would send the question of a minimum wage increase to the voters...

[un]Divided: State audit flags $1.17B in mishandled spending

The Washington State Auditor’s Office found that 11 different state agencies failed to properly account for at least $1.17 billion in federal funds administered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch unDivided with Brandi Kruse five days a week and subscribe to support the show at unDividedPod.com.

By Brandi Kruse

Craig Lee

“By forcing us to change from gas to electric, we will have to sell our house. And if we sell our house, we’re gonna move out of state, pure and simple. We have natural gas installed in our home. It’s clean and cheap. We run our furnaces, hot water tanks, dryer, and kitchen range all...

[un]Divided: Black-owned coffee shop says taxes are crushing them

The owners of a Seattle coffee shop said in a Facebook post that taxes and regulations are leaving them in a “huge hole.” Brandi Kruse breaks down how the business environment in Washington state got so bad. Watch unDivided four days a week and subscribe to support the show at unDividedPod.com.

By Brandi Kruse

Police pursuit finally restored in Washington

Last year, millions of signatures were collected on six, citizen-led initiatives, forcing lawmakers to consider these issues during their legislative session earlier this year. Despite being required to make them a top priority, they wanted nothing more than to pretend they didn’t exist. They went weeks without giving any of them so much as a...

[un]Divided: Thanks to voters, police officers can pursue criminals again

An initiative to restore reasonable police pursuits became law on Thursday, thanks to more than 400,000 Washington voters – from across the political spectrum – who demanded a change. As Brandi Kruse reports on the unDivided Podcast, some of the state’s largest law enforcement agencies say they are expecting the new law to help reduce crime.

By Brandi Kruse

[un]Divided: Asylum seekers strain already dismal homeless response

Cities around Seattle are being hit with an influx of asylum seekers, but no one seems quite sure where they are supposed to go. The ordeal has placed a strain on an already faltering homelessness response in King County and beyond. Brandi Kruse has more on the unDivided Podcast.

By Brandi Kruse