How a WA lawmaker used a fake kidnapping to sway a vote

Sen. Tim Sheldon cited a Mexican kidnapping as an argument for keeping certain info about state and local politicians offline. One problem: it never happened.

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Melissa Santos

/ April 18

Latest

Queer, Indian and an immigrant, now he's creating a path for others in STEM

Washington STEM policy manager Bish Paul shares his journey of perseverance and self-acceptance in the States — and how he’s come to find strength in his many identities.

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Manola Secaira

/ April 18 April 18, 2019

8 things to do in Seattle

A poeting pairing at Hugo House, Octavia Butler-inspired music, Boylesque Fest and other cultural activities.

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/ April 18 April 18, 2019

Police investigating racist Seattle Central College graffiti as hate crime

The department's initial response to the vandalism, which depicted a lynching, did not sit well with Sheila Edwards Lange.

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Liz Brazile

/ April 18 April 18, 2019

Two former Durkan staffers alleged mistreatment in Seattle mayor’s office

One employee reported that the mayor grabbed her by the face. Another is saying that she oversees a toxic work environment. Durkan denies both accounts.

by

David Kroman

/ April 17 April 17, 2019

How we beat wildfires by burning the forest first

Believe it or not, land managers are using prescribed burns to restore forests and reduce the extra wood, sticks and needles that fuel megafires.

by

Courtney Flatt

NWPB

/ April 17 April 17, 2019

Opinion

Want to save small businesses? Fix WA's tax code

April 18

Elena Nebreda is the owner and founder of Local Kisses From, a Seattle-based organic lip balm company.

&
Will von Geldern is Director of Advocacy and Communications at Ventures, a local nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurs with limited resources. Nebreda has been working with Ventures since 2018 to grow her business.

Small business owners could benefit from changes in the state's regressive tax system.

Opinion

Watching Notre Dame burn, I thought of the Northwest's own coming catastrophe

April 17

James Wellman is Chair of the Comparative Religion Program in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.

The wounded landmark in Paris reminds us of the perils WA's natural cathedrals face in the age of climate change.

Opinion

A note on Rainier Beach from a gentrification refugee

April 17

Glenn Nelson is the founder of The Trail Posse (trailposse.com), a media project that documents and encourages diversity and inclusion in the outdoors.

Can the Seattle neighborhood change without losing its spirit?

Seattle’s crowded race for city council, mapped

The upcoming 2019 election will be busy. Use this interactive map to keep track of who’s in or out.

by

Crosscut Editors

/ January 28 /

Latest update: Apr. 12

Culture

The day the gargoyles disappeared

The City of Seattle says “a sad miscommunication” landed the historic Mercer Arena griffins in a dumpster.

by

Brangien Davis

/ April 9

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Big Issues& Bold Ideas

May 3-4, 2019

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Emily Bazelon investigates the power of prosecutors and the idea that winning is everything

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“Because we elect prosecutors, their power is our power. We have a lot of ability to shape who they are and how they do their jobs.”

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Janet Napolitano urges you to pay attention to the threats, not the theater

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"By overfocusing on an issue that is not a real safety or security risk, we are not focusing enough on things that are risks to safety and security."

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Christine Todd Whitman believes in the Republican Party — and climate change

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"I want to get the party back to where it was when we were getting things done in this country."

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Multimedia

Culture

Why Mount Rainier was once called Mount Tacoma

by

Knute Berger

/ April 2

Equity

In Seattle, school segregation is actually getting worse

by

Jen Dev &
Liz Brazile

/ March 28

Equity

Healing Black trans people through a new kind of faith

by

Jen Dev

/ March 22

There is a way to help kids get mental health: telemedicine

April 16

State Sen. Randi Becker, R-Olympia, is the caucus chair for the Senate Republican Caucus.

Doing the same thing and getting the same result are leaving our kids in crisis.

Washington state's prison policies serve no one

April 15

John A. McCoy is the author of Concrete Mama: Prison Profiles from Walla Walla.

Once a leader in prison reform, Washington has reverted to rigid authoritarianism.

Crime is rare in Seattle — unless you ask my neighbors on Nextdoor

April 12

Walter Hatch is associate professor of government at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. When he is not teaching, he is often found in Seattle, where he was born and raised.

There is a bit more equality in where crime strikes these days, and some in the North end find that uncomfortable.

Big Issues. Bold Ideas. Crosscut presents two days of thought-provoking conversations and innovative thinking, tackling the most important issues of our times. Journalists, politicians, authors, and newsmakers from our community and around the nation come together to take a hard look at the people, policy and events that shape our lives.

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Two former Durkan staffers alleged mistreatment in Seattle mayor’s office

One employee reported that the mayor grabbed her by the face. Another is saying that she oversees a toxic work environment. Durkan denies both accounts.

by