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The Um, Sir Podcast

The Um, Sir Podcast

Written by: EmilyInEverett and her Neighbor Samie
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 The “Um, Sir” Podcast, where Emily in Everett and her neighbor Samie attempt to defend democracy here in Washington while popping egos and deflating arrogance in a dude’s domain. They talk about pop culture, politics, and how the two collide and affect you. Join them for candid conversation, nervous laughter, and bad words as they offer solutions for crushing your imposter syndrome and putting your money where your mouth is. They don’t know all the answers, but they'll give you the feedback you didn’t know you needed.EmilyInEverett and her Neighbor, Samie Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Labor, Logistics, and Losing Our Minds

    Labor, Logistics, and Losing Our Minds
    Feb 4 2026
    Um, Sir… why is everything terrible, radioactive, and somehow still about bathrooms?Emily and Samie are joined by Ryan Johnson, a veteran truck driver and Teamster, to unpack how trucking, labor rights, and basic human dignity collide. Ryan breaks down how trucking is structured to reward long hours, unpaid waiting time, and “pay by the mile” systems that leave workers absorbing all the risk — including the fight to secure something as basic as bathroom access.The conversation escalates (quickly) into fracking, radioactive wastewater, and how hazardous materials are moved and dumped with little enforcement, putting workers and communities at risk. It’s bleak, sharp, and painfully funny — a reminder that everything is connected, and none of it works without labor.CHECK OUTSnohomish Podcast NetworkInternational Brotherhood of TeamstersGeneral Teamsters Local Union No. 38HB 1706, Concerning truck drivers ability to access restroom facilities (2022) WA State LegislatureTrucker Resource, Port of EverettLISTENFrom Pitch To Puget Sound - upcoming new show!Good Time Girls in Bellingham - Bellingham HistoryWATCHIce Road Truckers, The History ChannelPoisoned Waters (full documentary), PBS FrontlineGeochemistry of produced waters sourced from the Marcellus Shale, Justin Makey, PhD, YouTubeREADAmerica’s Radioactive Secret, By Justin Nobel (2020), Rolling StoneI’m A Twenty Year Truck Driver, I Will Tell You Why America’s “Shipping Crisis” Will Not End, By Ryan Johnson, MediumI Am A Twenty Year Truck Driver, Part 2: How Truckers Are Paid, By Ryan Johnson, MediumRadioactive Shadow Workers: The treatment of oil and gas field waste is a dirty industry’s dirtiest secret, By Justin Nobel, Sierra Club MagazineTruckers Petition Feds to Enforce HAZMAT Rules on Oil and Gas Waste, By Dustin Renaud, Earth JusticeOrphan Well Explosion in Wayne National Forest Injures 6, Including 5 Critically, The IntelligencerSUPPORTWorker-led labor organizations and strike funds supporting drivers, warehouse workers, and port labor.Environmental justice groups fighting toxic dumping and injection wells, especially in Appalachia.Local and national efforts pushing for enforcement of existing hazmat and labor laws (not just new bills).BUY. IF YOU MUSTUnion-made goodsWaste: One Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret by Catherine Coleman Flowers (2020)Run to Failure: BP and the Making of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster by Abrahm Lustgarten (2012)Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan, Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation by Candy J. Cooper and Marcina Wheeler (2020)Not radioactive road salt. Ever. Just… don’t.LEARN MOREFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Basics of hazardous materials law, bills of lading, National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA)How to read rail and truck placards
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • Um, Civics: Please Open Your Ballot

    Um, Civics: Please Open Your Ballot
    Jan 28 2026
    This week on Um, Sir, Emily and Samie are joined by veteran educator Steve Cross for a wide-ranging conversation that connects everyday chaos to the very real stakes of public education. From teaching middle school and surviving ninth graders to Caribbean travel detours and student protests, they manage to discuss it all. Listen as they attempt to break down school levies and bonds, share how property taxes actually fund schools, and discuss why low-turnout elections have lasting consequences for students, teachers, and communities. It’s a reminder that school funding isn’t abstract—it’s counselors, class sizes, safe buildings, and support kids rely on every day. Civics, but make it human.CHECK OUTVote.Wa.GovSnohomish Podcast NetworkEverett Public Schools Bond and Levy InformationSnohomish School District Levy InformationProperty Tax Basics - Municipal Research & Service Center (MRSC)Everett High School students walked out of classes today in protest ICE activity in Snohomish County and around the country - Instagram, IganniphotoHappening now at the Snohomish County Campus Plaza. Everett High School students have gathered to protest ICE, today, Tuesday, Jan. 13. - Facebook, Everett PostLISTENUm, Sir Podcast: RFK Impersonations, Property Tax Bills, and SmutUm, Sir Podcast: The System Is Designed to Kill Your BilMorbid Podcast - SpotifyEvery Outfit PodcastWATCHBonds & Levies: What’s the Difference - NWESD YouTube Hilary Knight on Chasing Olympic Gold, Team USA Pressure, and the Future of Women’s Hockey - FanSided NHL, YouTubeAneta Tejralova —> Sarah Fillier #HFHits - HockeyFights, InstagramProfessor Shocks High School by Speaking Gen Z Slang - FacebookREADEverett High students walk out to protest ICE activity - Everett HeraldLocal high school students rally in support against ICE activities - The ClipperSchools eye fixes to leaky roofs, aging boilers, old tech - Everett Herald (April 17, 2022)The Pathfinder: The Ballot Information Problem - Cascade PBS In Our View: Local media’s decline factors into election - The ColumbianEqual is Not Good Enough: An Analysis of School Funding Across the U.S. and Within Each State - The Education TrustBreaking down WA's school funding formula - Cascade PBSExplainers on property taxes and special taxing districts (fire, school, library, ports)2023 is the new worst: Washington again sets a record for low turnout in a general election - The Cascadia AdvocateSeattle Torrent player suspended for 'forceful, predatory' check to opponent's head - KOMO NewsSUPPORT(PBS) Public Broadcasting SystemsSupport KUOW & NPRBUY. IF YOU MUSTRum from Antigua (coconut, vanilla, cardamom optional) - Total Wine and MoreTorrent Hockey TicketsLEARN MORELevy Data, Rolls, and Election Results Data - Washington Office of Superintendent of Public InstructionGranite Falls School District Levy InformationSnohomish County Sample Ballots and Voters GuideNorthwest Educational Service District (ESD 189)
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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • Um, Civics: The System Is Designed to Kill Your Bill

    Um, Civics: The System Is Designed to Kill Your Bill
    Jan 21 2026

    Emily walks Ashley (and all of us) through how a bill actually becomes law in Washington. Spoiler: it’s messy, slow, and absolutely designed to kill your idea. Using the fictional Rhythm Reduction Act (RIP dancing), they break down committees, sponsors, lobbyists, hearings, caucuses, companion bills, and why a 60-day session turns everyone feral. Along the way: dinosaurs, pickleball, Bic pens, why the minority party controls the clock, and a reminder that democracy is less Schoolhouse Rock and more group project with deadlines and vibes.

    CHECK OUT

    Washington State Legislature Bill Tracker

    The Snohomish Podcast Network

    Committee schedules & public hearing calendars

    Washington State legislative session calendar & cutoff deadlines

    *Research your favorite advocacy organization and find their Advocacy Day!


    LISTEN

    Um, Sir Podcast

    Um, Civics: FIFA 2026 and the Politics Behind the Pitch

    Capitol Ideas Podcast


    WATCH

    I'm Just a Bill, Schoolhouse Rock - YouTube

    TVW - Committee hearings livestreams from Olympia

    READ

    The Washington Standard

    Axios Politics

    Fiscal notes (and why they kill dreams)
    Governor’s Veto Power in Washington: How It Works and Why It Matters - Tri City Regional Chamber of Commerce
    Initiative and Referendum Processes - National Conference of State Legislatures


    BUY. IF YOU MUST

    Pocket Constitution
    Washington State Legislative Gift Center!


    LEARN MORE

    Washington State Civic Education Programs
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    1 hr and 26 mins
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