Northwest Reports

Ferguson vs. Everyone: No comment

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 press conferences [https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/in-a-departure-for-wa-governors-ferguson-avoids-news-conferences/] during the first few months of the legislative session and slow to provide reporters with information about his whereabouts [https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/08/01/wheres-gov-bob-ferguson/]. He also sent a memo to state agencies [https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25515186-media-guidance-for-agencies/] requiring all public communication to go through the governor’s office before it is released.   In this episode, host Sara Bernard sits down with Cascade PBS reporter Laurel Demkovich, Washington State Standard reporter Jerry Cornfield and Axios reporter Melissa Santos to discuss the unusually limited access to the governor’s office so far, and why that matters.  Despite multiple requests, Governor Ferguson’s office did not grant us an interview for this series. Read more about Governor Ferguson from reporter Laurel Demkovich here [https://www.cascadepbs.org/ghost/#/editor/post/68d315550424280001ea3de8].  --- Credits Reporter: Laurel Demkovich [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/laurel-demkovich-2/] Host/Producer:  Sara Bernard [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sara-bernard] Story editor: Ryan Famuliner [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/ryan-famuliner] Executive producer: Sarah Menzies [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sarah-menzies] Production Manager: Adam Brown [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/adam/] --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports [http://cascadepbs.org/nwreports]. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

Ferguson vs. Everyone: No one likes the middle man

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 [https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/07/poll-gov-fergusons-first-approval-rate-lowest-in-over-20-years/] that the governor has the lowest first-six-month job rating of any Washington governor in more than 30 years.   But it’s not just the governor who got a bad score from voters. The Legislature also got low marks, and the general mood of voters in our state is gloomy.   In this episode, host Sara Bernard and Cascade PBS state politics reporter Laurel Demkovich talk with pollster Stuart Elway about the results of his most recent poll and why voters may be unhappy with Ferguson right now.   Then, Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, talks about his relationship with Ferguson, whom he’s known for decades, and explains why he’s not surprised by Ferguson’s more moderate approach.   Despite multiple requests, Governor Ferguson’s office did not grant us an interview for this series. Read more about Governor Ferguson from reporter Laurel Demkovich here [https://www.cascadepbs.org/ghost/#/editor/post/68d315550424280001ea3de8].  --- Credits Reporter: Laurel Demkovich [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/laurel-demkovich-2/] Host/Producer:  Sara Bernard [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sara-bernard] Story editor: Ryan Famuliner [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/ryan-famuliner] Executive producer: Sarah Menzies [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sarah-menzies] Production Manager: Adam Brown [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/adam/] --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports [http://cascadepbs.org/nwreports]. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

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

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 lawmakers, activists and voters.   The speech was a pleasant surprise to Republicans, who heard many of their own ideas reflected in the governor’s words. But by the end of the session, that enthusiasm faded as Ferguson approved hundreds of Democrat-backed laws, including the largest tax hike in state history.   In this episode, host Sara Bernard and Cascade PBS state politics reporter Laurel Demkovich sit down with Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, to talk about his optimism for the new governor — and how his hopes were dashed.   Despite multiple requests, Governor Ferguson’s office did not grant us an interview for this series.  Read more about Governor Ferguson from reporter Laurel Demkovich here [https://www.cascadepbs.org/ghost/#/editor/post/68d315550424280001ea3de8].  --- Credits Reporter: Laurel Demkovich [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/laurel-demkovich-2/] Host/Producer:  Sara Bernard [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sara-bernard] Story editor: Ryan Famuliner [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/ryan-famuliner] Executive producer: Sarah Menzies [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sarah-menzies] Production Manager: Adam Brown [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/adam/] --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports [http://cascadepbs.org/nwreports]. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

Northwest Reports Live: Lex Vaughn

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 [https://theneedling.com/], “Seattle’s Only Real Fake News.”  On May 31, the Northwest Reports team invited four local changemakers to the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival and asked them to speak candidly about their opinions on Seattle. The guests took the stage to both celebrate and throw a little shade at a flawed city that they still love.  The fourth and final episode of Northwest Reports Live features Lex Vaughn, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Needling, often referred to as Seattle’s version of The Onion.   In this episode, Vaughn talks about why Seattle is so easy to poke fun at; shares the Needling headlines that have gotten the biggest reactions over the years; and explores the ways humor can help us process what’s happening in the news.  --- Credits Producers:  Maleeha Syed [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/maleeha-syed], Sara Bernard [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sara-bernard] Story editor: Ryan Famuliner [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/ryan-famuliner] Executive producer: Sarah Menzies [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sarah-menzies] Production Manager: Adam Brown [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/adam/] Production Engineer: Resti Bagcal --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports [http://cascadepbs.org/nwreports]. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.

Northwest Reports Live: Kiesha B. Free

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 white.   In the third episode of Northwest Reports Live, which showcases conversations with Seattle changemakers at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival, Kiesha B. Free talked about the good — and complicated — realities of living here.   Free is a speaker, facilitator, emcee, stand-up comedian and former business leader at Time and Microsoft. She also founded Hey, Black Seattle! [https://www.heyblackseattle.com/], an online resource and movement that she created to connect and nurture Seattle’s Black community.  Free shares why she started Hey, Black Seattle!; addresses the myth that there are no Black people here; and weighs in on whether the city’s progressive reputation is well-earned.    --- Credits Producers:  Maleeha Syed [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/maleeha-syed], Sara Bernard [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sara-bernard] Story editor: Ryan Famuliner [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/ryan-famuliner] Executive producer: Sarah Menzies [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/sarah-menzies] Production Manager: Adam Brown [https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/adam/] Production Engineer: Resti Bagcal --- Northwest Reports is made possible by listeners like you.  If you would like to join the members who help us create this series, go to cascadepbs.org/nwreports [http://cascadepbs.org/nwreports]. In addition to supporting our journalism, members receive great member benefits, including Cascade PBS Passport, with extended access to an on-demand library of local and PBS favorites.