Best Crosscut Podcasts (2026)

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Ferguson vs. Everyone: No comment 32:23

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3M ago32:23

32:23

The governor’s office has been keeping communications tight. Three state politics reporters discuss the unusual lack of access and its public impact. Another surprising aspect of the first few months of the Ferguson administration was a lack of communication with the public, particularly through the press. Gov. Bob Ferguson was slow to hold weekly …

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Ferguson vs. Everyone: No one likes the middle man 31:19

3M ago31:19

31:19

What’s with all the criticism? Pollster Stuart Elway and state Sen. Jamie Pedersen think it could be the governor's centrism, which irks both sides. Voters aren’t too happy with Gov. Bob Ferguson’s first few months as governor. A new Cascade PBS/Elway poll found that the governor has the lowest first-six-month job rating of any Washington governor …

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Ferguson vs. Everyone: How WA's new governor surprised Republicans 24:55

3M ago24:55

24:55

At first, Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson appeared to cross the aisle. Lawmakers on the right were thrilled – until they weren’t. Gov. Bob Ferguson’s inaugural address wasn’t what anyone expected from the new governor, and it set the tone for a challenging legislative session in which the new executive struggled to win over Democratic and Republican l…

1
What's on Seattle's mind? Trump, housing & the high cost of living 12:00

5M ago12:00

12:00

At the 2025 Cascade PBS Ideas Festival, we asked attendees to share their thoughts about what's going on in our city and the nation. The Cascade PBS newsroom used this year’s Ideas Festival as a chance to engage directly with our audience. A few of our journalists hosted a “Share Your Story” table, encouraging attendees to sit and discuss whatever …

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U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal shares her joy for food and cooking 47:39

5M ago47:39

47:39

In a live taping of 'Your Last Meal,' Jayapal shares how her experience as an immigrant and an organizer influenced her affinity for world cuisines. U.S. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has represented Washington’s 7th district since 2016. A prominent member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, she focuses on immigration, income inequality and ac…

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Travel guru Rick Steves on why seeing the world makes it a better place 47:56

5M ago47:56

47:56

In a live taping of The Journal podcast, host Ryan Knutson talks with Steves about the value of travel and Americans’ reception abroad in 2025. Rick Steves has created one of the most successful travel businesses in the U.S., including guidebooks, European tours and a longstanding TV and radio show. What is it like to run a travel business for Amer…

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Amanda Knox talks wrongful conviction and telling her own story 46:53

5M ago46:53

46:53

In a live taping of the Criminal podcast, host Phoebe Judge speaks with Knox about her new memoir and how a murder accusation redefined her life. Amanda Knox became a household name when she was convicted, in 2009, of the murder of her roommate while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy. She spent four years in an Italian prison before being exonerate…

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Harvard historian discusses brainwashing in the digital age 45:24

6M ago45:24

45:24

In a live taping of Radiolab, co-host Latif Nasser and guest Rebecca Lemov discuss prominent examples of indoctrination and their modern implications. As part of the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival in late May, Latif Nasser, co-host of WNYC’s Radiolab, sat down with Harvard historian Rebecca Lemov to dig into her new book, The Instability of Truth: Brai…

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Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson defend claims on Biden’s decline 48:02

6M ago48:02

48:02

In a live taping of ‘The Gist’ podcast, the authors of “Original Sin” — a book questioning the former president’s health — share their findings. One book has been stirring up a lot of political controversy this spring: Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s deep dive into President Biden’s health during his last year in office. As part of the Cascade PBS …

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Six months in, how has Trump’s second term impacted free speech? 1:01:19

6M ago1:01:19

1:01:19

In a live taping of the ‘Open to Debate’ podcast, commentator Brandi Kruse and legal scholar Nadine Strossen examine the state of the First Amendment. From funding cuts at universities to restrictions on the press, critics of Trump 2.0 point to a long list of potential threats to the freedom of speech. But in these polarized times, perception is ev…

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Northwest Reports Live: Lex Vaughn 22:23

6M ago22:23

22:23

The founder and editor of 'The Needling' on why Seattle is so easy to make fun of and how comedy can help us process the news. Seattle’s high cost of living, policing and tech industry fuel a lot of local headlines, including those published by The Needling, “Seattle’s Only Real Fake News.” On May 31, the Northwest Reports team invited four local c…

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Northwest Reports Live: Kiesha B. Free 21:54

6M ago21:54

21:54

The founder of Hey, Black Seattle! talks about the good — and complicated — realities of building community in the PNW as a person of color. It can be tough to find a sense of community in Seattle, where it’s rainy most of the year and there’s a notorious social freeze to break through. It can be even harder navigating those barriers if you’re not …

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Northwest Reports Live: Mindie Lind 22:48

6M ago22:48

22:48

The creator of “View from the Floor” describes how people’s experiences in the Emerald City differ depending on their physical abilities. Seattle’s got a lot to offer, whether you’re drawn to the city for its picturesque views or its rich cultural history. But people’s experiences of the Emerald City can vary a lot. The guest in this episode of Nor…

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Northwest Reports Live: Cynthia Brothers 22:16

6M ago22:16

22:16

The founder of Vanishing Seattle, a digital archive documenting disappearing spaces, addresses loss and joy in a changing city. It seems that everyone has an opinion about Seattle as the city grows, residents get priced out and businesses disappear. In the latest Northwest Reports series, recorded live at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival on May 31, S…

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Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake on the Past & Future of GOP Politics 47:32

6M ago47:32

47:32

In a live taping of CCN's One Thing, Flake speaks with host David Rind about a post-Trump era and his hopes for a party of governance, not grievance. Former U.S. Senator Jeff Flake (R – Arizona) is perhaps best known for his early and vocal criticism of President Donald Trump. In 2017, Flake announced he would not run for reelection, largely becaus…

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Why Tech Platforms Have Gotten Worse – and What to Do About It 47:18

6M ago47:18

47:18

In a live taping of WNYC’s On the Media, author and activist Cory Doctorow argues that tech giants have chased profits at the expense of users. There’s no question that the products that giant companies such as Amazon, Google and Meta have developed now dominate many people’s lives. The road to that domination, argues author and activist Cory Docto…

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It’s (Still) Not Easy Going Green: Bonus Episode 21:17

7M ago21:17

21:17

Despite ambitious goals toward combating climate change, Oregon and Washington lag far behind other states when it comes to adding renewable energy. Our series It’s Not Easy Going Green focused on the struggles around the creation of new green energy projects. But it turns out that even if Oregon and Washington built all the wind and solar farms an…

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Al Franken on Trump 2.0, Comedy and What’s Next for Democrats 36:06

7M ago36:06

36:06

Author, comedian and former U.S. Senator Al Franken has a unique resume. One of the original writers on Saturday Night Live, he won five Emmys, wrote several comedic books on politics and represented Minnesota as a U.S. Senator from 2009 to 2018. As part of the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival in late May, Franken sat down with Jane Coaston, host of Croo…

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Missed the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival? Listen here 8:33

7M ago8:33

8:33

Well, that’s a wrap! The 2025 Cascade PBS Ideas Festival took place in downtown Seattle on May 31. But the event’s thoughtful conversations, lively debates and incisive commentary are all coming soon to your podcast feeds. To kick off this season of the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival podcast, host Paris Jackson catches up once more with events director…

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A Journey to the Headwaters of the Columbia 33:27

9M ago33:27

33:27

The massive Columbia River travels more than 1,200 miles from start to finish. It crosses four mountain ranges, powers 14 hydroelectric dams and irrigates hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, among other feats. But its origins start humbly: in a gentle lake in the mountains of British Columbia. Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger j…

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The 1800s Influencer Who Made Tacoma Famous 32:29

9M ago32:29

32:29

In the second half of the 19th century, a businessman named George Francis Train rose to prominence through his success with global shipping and trade. As his wealth grew, so did his obsession with himself, and his tireless self-promotion made him a social media phenomenon of his age. Train is perhaps best known for the alleged relationship between…

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It's Not Easy Going Green: A Path Forward 18:23

9M ago18:23

18:23

One group with a loud voice in the debate over renewable energy development in Washington is farmers. Since so many of these conflicts are rooted in land-use decisions, a major question remains: Should the state prioritize land for agriculture or energy development? Brandon Block explains how some farmers believe these new energy facilities could t…

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It's Not Easy Going Green: An Obscure State Agency 19:25

9M ago19:25

19:25

What is the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC, anyway? While so many of Washington’s proposed renewable energy projects are mired in controversy, one thing all sides can agree on is their criticism of EFSEC. The state body, which is empowered to override local laws and recommend permits for new energy projects, is routinely critique…

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It's Not Easy Going Green: A Controversial Wind Farm 32:08

9M ago32:08

32:08

As originally proposed, the Horse Heaven Hills wind farm would have built more than 200 wind turbines on a prominent ridgeline just south of Washington’s Tri-Cities. After years of community backlash, litigation and former Governor Inslee’s veto of a controversial state council’s permitting decision, the project is still in limbo. Cascade PBS inves…

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The Deadly Mouth of the Columbia 32:58

9M ago32:58

32:58

The tumultuous mouth of the Columbia River, near Astoria, Oregon, is beautiful but deadly. Thousands of ships have capsized and wrecked on its shores over the centuries. That’s earned it the menacing nickname “Graveyard of the Pacific,” although that’s not the only gloomy moniker in the region. Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger explored…

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The Strange Things That Happen to Bodies After Death 34:20

10M ago34:20

34:20

The Pacific Northwest has a reputation for the macabre. We’ll never escape the allure of Twin Peaks, for instance, or the terrible crimes of some of the most infamous serial killers in American history. But some of the weirdest things can happen to corpses after death. Did you know that dead bodies can turn into soap? Cascade PBS’s resident histori…

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Racism, History and the Great Outdoors 32:05

10M ago32:05

32:05

A few seasons ago, the Mossback’s Northwest video series profiled Catherine Montgomery, an early 20th-century wilderness advocate who has been dubbed “the Mother of the Pacific Crest Trail.” But after the video aired, a viewer reached out with some more information: Catherine Montgomery, a “progressive” of her time, expressed extremely racist views…

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The People of the Columbia River 34:57

10M ago34:57

34:57

In 1996, some of the oldest human remains ever found in North America were discovered along the banks of the Columbia River, ultimately illuminating Indigenous presence in the region since time immemorial. Long a crucial source of sustenance, culture and trade, the Pacific Northwest’s largest river has continued to be a vital part of human civiliza…

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How Horseless Carriages Took Off 36:29

10M ago36:29

36:29

At the turn of the 20th century, almost no one had a car in Seattle. There weren’t traffic laws or paved roads, and at first, only the wealthiest people could own these “horseless carriages.” Within a couple of decades, though, cars were everywhere, and Pacific Northwesterners were using their cars for all kinds of intrepid adventures, from long-ha…

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The Forces That Carved the Columbia 28:45

11M ago28:45

28:45

The Columbia River has been carved up by more than a dozen dams over the past century. But it’s the colossal floods and lava flows from millions of years ago that truly set it on its winding path. How do we really know what we know about the Columbia? To better understand this history, Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger joined forces wit…

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The Elephant in the Room: Where WA's GOP Goes From Here 29:43

1y ago29:43

29:43

In the final episode of the series, three Washington Republicans react to Donald Trump’s reelection and ponder the future of the state’s GOP. Donald Trump’s reelection to the country’s highest office elicited a range of reactions ... even among Republicans in Washington state. Some on the right have distanced themselves from Trump, which listeners …

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Behind the 10th Season of 'Mossback's Northwest' 50:52

1y ago50:52

50:52

At a live event, Knute Berger, Stephen Hegg and Nick Zentner discussed Mossback’s Northwest and the 10th season's focus on the Columbia River. Mossback’s Northwest is still going strong, with its most recent season covering everything from the Columbia River to a history of racist exclusion in the outdoors. In October, Cascade PBS put on a live eve…

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The Elephant in the Room: National Triumphs, Local Losses 27:14

1y ago27:14

27:14

Follow the team as they head to Bellevue for a Republican election night watch party. As results roll in, attendees share their thoughts. Washington state, as expected, went blue in this year’s election – showing up for Kamala Harris and electing Democrats in statewide races. Still, Republicans here had a lot of enthusiasm on election night ... and…

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Spencer Rascoff -- LA Venture 30:38

1y ago30:38

30:38

Everybody is going to have an AI assistant that does top of funnel triage on inbound requests. We talk about what this will look like with Spencer Rascoff, partner at 75 & Sunny and founder of Zillow, Hotwire, Pacaso and now HeyLibby. You can listen to the podcast or chat with Spencer's AI assistant at heylibby.ai/spencerrascoff…

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The Elephant in the Room: Moderate Republicans on Trump 33:31

1y ago33:31

33:31

A Northwest Reports limited series examines the present and future of Washington’s GOP. In this episode, moderate Republicans talk internal divisions. Republicans won big in this year’s election. Republicans in Washington state, however ... That's a different story. In November, the country voted to reelect Donald Trump to the nation’s highest offi…

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Brian Garrett -- Crosscut Ventures 29:27

1y ago29:27

29:27

Brian Garrett wants to get the message out that Crosscut VI is not the same firm that invested in ShoeDazzle and Ipsy in 2009, but they will continue to follow the talent of SoCal into FrontierTech and beyond. Brian concedes that LA is never going to be the #1 AI hub, but engineers in LA have been building "hard shit" for a very long time. Crosscut…

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Arteen Arabshahi - Fika Ventures 32:46

1y ago32:46

32:46

With AI enabling copycat products to be brought to market incredibly quickly, the ability to scale and find unique distribution is the new moat. Arteen explains distribution lessons learned and much more from his vantage as Fika's returning partner.By LA Venture, Arteen Arabshahi

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Nanxi Liu -- XFactor Ventures 28:58

1y ago28:58

28:58

Nanxi Liu shares how she deliberately cultivated an extraordinary network. In interviewing, as in networking, Nanxi looks for excellence. This talent for spotting excellence helped lead her to a very successful sale of her first company, Enplug. She's now Co-CEO of Blaze.tech and a Partner at XFactor Ventures.…

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“Text Me Back!” Prepares Us for the Election 1:06:58

1y ago1:06:58

1:06:58

Co-hosts Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays remind us to laugh in this bonus episode recorded live at the Seattle Public Library on October 15. Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays join us again for another lively discussion on The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival podcast. In a special bonus episode, Cascade PBS partnered with The Seattle Public Library Fo…

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Katia Ameri -- a16z 28:34

1y ago28:34

28:34

LA native Katia Ameri turned her passion for community-building into a dream job at A16Z and then created #LATechWeek, a tech phenomenon. Katia tells the story of what made Tech Week successful and how she and Andrew Chen launched the first tech week in 6 weeks with 30 events and then built a platform that now supports thousands of events in 3 citi…

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First Response: Helping Patients Heal After Gun Violence 28:36

1y ago28:36

28:36

In the finale of our three-part series, we hear from professionals who help those affected by gun violence find recovery beyond the hospital bed. Getting stitched up is just one part of a gunshot wound patient’s recovery. People face a long line of stressors after getting out of surgery. That’s where Harborview Medical Center’s Violence Interventio…

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First Response: Taking a Public Health Approach to Gun Violence 31:13

1y ago31:13

31:13

In the second episode of our three-part series, we look at Harborview Medical Center's initiative to treat the long-term impacts of gunshot wounds. There’s been a shift in how medical professionals think about gun violence: Many of them aren’t focused only on making sure a patient lives after being shot ... they’re also thinking about how to help t…

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Mel Tang - Matter Venture Partners 33:29

1+ y ago33:29

33:29

Matter Venture Partners recently launched their $311M Fund I. Mel Tang was previously CFO at Ring and Demand Media. In this episode he shares why he believes the future of tech lies in hardware and how to set up systems to enable good decision making and successful growth.By LA Ventures, Mel Tang

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First Response: How Gun Violence Impacts Medical Professionals 34:43

1+ y ago34:43

34:43

In the first episode of our three-part podcast series, two surgeons, a nurse and a paramedic describe the impact of seeing gun violence up close. Medical professionals in Washington have gotten used to treating people affected by gun violence -- especially in recent years. A few months ago, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public he…