A pair of Seattle residents have filed to recall Mayor Katie Wilson. But the recall effort probably doesn't have a chance of clearing Washington's high legal bar. So why do it? And what does it reveal about the zeitgeist in Seattle right now?

Then we dig into Councilmember Dan Strauss's plan to deal with RV encampments. Is it a compassionate attempt to get people the help they need while cleaning up the streets? Or a crackdown without enough shelter or services to actually work? Plus, Seattle's new interim police chief Andre Sayles promises he won't be "Barnes 2.0." Erica explains what that means.

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

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Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

This week on Seattle Nice, the only podcast that tells you what's really happening in Seattle politics, we break down the primary results and what they mean for the city.

Did Mayor Katie Wilson try the Mamdani play? Did it backfire? We debate whether her endorsements in the 43rd and 46th legislative districts actually mattered, why Seattle isn't New York, and how The Stranger remains the city's most influential political endorsement despite, in the eyes of some, barely covering City Hall.

Then we turn to the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. The city and county are taking back hundreds of contracts and hiring dozens of new employees to manage them. KCRHA, meanwhile, hasn't laid anyone off. We unpack what that says about the agency's future.

Thanks to everyone who's helped Seattle Nice make the jump to video. If you value independent, deep-dive coverage of Seattle politics, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon: https://patreon.com/seattlenice.

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

In one of the most disorderly weeks at Seattle City Hall in recent memory, Police Chief Shon Barnes has officially resigned. In this follow-up to our Emergency Friday Episode when the outcome was not 100 percent clear, David Hyde, Erica C. Barnett, and Sandeep Kaushik break down the chain of events from the mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival to the closed-door negotiations that led to Barnes's departure.

In this Patreon supporter perk episode we get into:

· The $700,000 Settlement: Why the city agreed to a massive payout for a chief who served less than two years.

· Mayor Wilson's Communication Crisis: The political fallout and growing friction between the mayor's office and City Council.

· The "Cultural Fit" Question: Was Barnes ever the right match for Seattle's political landscape?

· Enter Interim Chief Sayles: What we know about the new appointment and whether his residency status will repeat past controversies.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app and to help us make the jump to video and support independent local journalism, join us at Patreon.com/SeattleNice.

Sources:

· Police Chief Shon Barnes is Out, His Deputy Andre Sayles Will Serve as Interim Chief - PubliCola

· Mayor Wilson Announces Resignation of Chief Barnes and Appointment of Andre Sayles as Interim Chief

· Seattle Mayor Wilson defends asking police chief to resign - KNKX

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.