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Phone-Free Concerts and Public Schools, World Cup Expectations, and the Crocodile’s Comedy Pivot

Today on the podcast, producer Liam Billingham takes over the host seat to ask the important questions like what Phoebe Bridgers and Seattle Public Schools have in common (hint: it has to do with cell phones) and what format is the film The Odyssey best viewed in? Liam is joined by executive producer Ashley Smith to give a rundown of the changes coming to Seattle in preparation for the first World Cup matches, including the pedestrian-only zones downtown and new digital kiosks. Then contributor Chase Hutchinson breaks down what the new ownership of The Crocodile means for the iconic venue, as well as why Tacoma might be getting its own sitcom, and if Seattle should do the same.   Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Seattle Restored Argosy Cruises pFriem Family Brewers Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Julia Gosling Signs Two-Year Deal With the Torrent

Julia Gosling rejected a foundational player offer (FPO) to become a key component for the Seattle Torrent next year. She signed a two-year deal and became the first of Seattle’s Phase 3 protections and fourth protected player overall. She will be joined by Alex Carpenter, Hanna Murpy, and Anna Wilgren, all protected in Phase 1. Seattle has two more protection slots to use before the Phase 3 deadline of June 12. Gosling became famous for her 5-point performance for Canada’s Silver Medal win during the Winter Olympics and tied Alex Carpenter for first place in points for the Torrent. Torrent fans must brace themselves for a team that will look very different than the one they knew last season. Detroit will now be home to Hanna Bilka and Cayla Barnes. Corinne Shroeder will now find herself between the pipes in San Jose. Hilary Knight is heading to Las Vegas, though this is a move to join Bilka and Barnes in Detroit in exchange for a first-round draft pick.

Are You Saying ‘Bagel’ Wrong? Plus, WA Tightens the Belt and We Say Goodbye to Hilary Knight

Today on the podcast, Host Jane C. Hu brings on linguistics professor Kara Becker to explain that, actually, audience development manager Ben Keenan’s PNW accent is normal and part of an evolving way people speak all around the country. Then, Jane is joined by Ava Wood, AKA 365 Hockey Girl, and contributor Brett Hamil to discuss the distressing news that Torrent fan favorite Hilary Knight is headed to Detroit via Las Vegas, as well as what the league will look like next year. Finally, the trio runs through some headlines: Costco’s gas records, 10K people signing up for the Seattle Social Housing lottery, and the news that Governor Ferguson wants to find ways to save some money across the state. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 10th episode: Seattle Restored Argosy Cruises pFriem Family Brewers Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Council Votes on Data Center Ban Today, Wilson Activates Stadium Cameras, and Condos for Cars?!

Today on the podcast, host Jane C. Hu is joined by contributor Hannah Krieg and guest Adam Willems, co-founder of CHUM news, to talk about surveillance, data centers, and test their general Seattle news knowledge in a new quiz. First, Adam shares what he learned about the forthcoming data center moratorium being voted on this afternoon in his reporting for The Guardian. He explains the last-minute amendment passed last week, which allows existing datacenters in Seattle to apply for expansions to their power usage, up to 20 megawatts of additional power, during the moratorium. Then Jane and Hannah break down the “general but credible threat” that Mayor Katie Wilson says led her administration to turn on surveillance cameras in the Stadium district ahead of the World Cup, and what it means for the city’s approach to surveillance. Finally, how well do you know our city’s recent headlines? Jane created a news quiz to test your Seattle knowledge against two local journalists. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Seattle Restored Argosy Cruises pFriem Family Brewers Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Is Sound Transit Getting Fare Gates? Plus, The World Cup’s Turf Makers

Today on the podcast, host Jane C. Hu is joined by Kade Krichko of Ori Magazine to talk about the real World Cup heroes: sod farmers. Kade tells Jane all about the elaborate and logistically challenging process of making grass for the World. Then, Jane is joined by executive producer Ashley Smith and queen of the side hustle Eula Scott Bynoe to talk about ways Seattleites can profit off the World Cup, and ways Sound Transit could close its budget deficit. Mystery soda machine revamp, anyone? Learn more about the sponsors of this June 8th episode: Seattle Restored Argosy Cruises Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

GPS Leads Driver Into Mount Baker Light Rail Station. Plus, How To Keep Beloved Local Businesses Open

Today on City Cast Seattle, a Utah woman drove her Mazda up the light rail tracks and into Mount Baker Station. Host Jane C. Hu explores this bizarre transit incident with guest Meron Menghistab, co-founder of CHUM News, and contributor Lex Vaughn, founder of The Needling. They ask, how did she get that far, and what can we do to prevent this from happening again? Meron also brings CHUM’s new report on lessons learned from the shuttering of three beloved local businesses: Columbia City Ale House, Waterwheel Lounge, and Shanty Tavern. The three discuss what the city can do to better support local businesses in the long run and what role individuals play in a healthy local economy. Then, it’s time for weekend recommendations, which include DJ sets on the Seattle/Bainbridge ferry to celebrate Washington State Ferries’ 75th anniversary, as well as Gays Eating Garlic Bread in the Park.  Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Travel Dundee Seattle Art Museum Argosy Cruises Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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Seattle Torrent Protect Wilgren, Murphy, Carpenter in Expansion Draft

The Torrent have made some interesting choices in the upcoming expansion process by choosing to protect Anna Wilgren, Hannah Murphy, and Alex Carpenter. Not exactly an expansion draft, the PWHL’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process is a six-phase series of very complicated (I would argue unnecessarily complicated) rules to add four new teams to the previously eight-team league, increasing the size by 50%. Because so many of the players are free agents, they couldn’t do a traditional expansion draft process, so we ended up with this. The Torrent signed Alex Carpenter and protected her, which was one of the three protection slots. The players on the roster eligible for protection are Fowards: Jenna Buglioni, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Hannah Bilka, Alex Carpenter, Lexia Adzija, Danielle Sardachny Defenders: Cayla Barnes, Anna Wilgren Goalies: Corinne Schroeder, Hannah Murphy Everyone else is a free agent, including Hilary Knight. It’s all turmoil these days with expansion. With two more slots to go, the Torrent chose to protect defender Anna Wilgren and goalie Hannah Murphy. “Ha ha, Zaiem,” I can hear you saying now with a tinge of contempt, “you’ve made a mistake. You accidentally typed some other name instead of Hannah Bilka’s! Nice journalism and attention to detail.” If only. Yes that’s right, forward Hannah Bilka was not protected. Now, I don’t know what GM Meghan Turner is thinking here, but one thing that is of concern is that Bilka did not return to the Torrent after sustaining an undisclosed injury en route to winning gold in the Olympics in Milan. Since hockey injuries aren’t required to be disclosed and therefore never ever are, we don’t know what it was (is?). Maybe it’s serious? Maybe they are betting that she won’t get taken by an expansion team because of the injury? Or maybe it’s just an interesting decision. Hannah Murphy is not a surprising pick. She’s 22 years old and she has a lot of upside as a goalie, a position that tends to peak later in age. I also find her impossibly charming, but that was probably not a factor in the decision to keep her (probably). Defender Anna Wilgren was the third protection slot, which was the real surprise. Bilka or Barnes were the ones I was expecting, but Wilgren was a surprise. I have, however, since talked myself into it. Steve O’Rourke, the recently fired Torrent coach, spoke highly of her and I do like her 200 foot game. He talked about how she altered her game to try to make the Olympic team and it messed with her a bit, but as the season went on, she got better and better. Anna Wilgren being protected by the Seattle Torrent is probably the one decision that stands out as a surprise to most.My mind immediately went back to the postgame after her 3-point game vs. Minnesota. O'Rourke is obviously gone, but it shows how the org feels about her. pic.twitter.com/EMlQuiKX2B— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) June 3, 2026 And so we march on with this overwrought expansion process. Where were you when we moved from Phase 1 to Phase 2?

Will Another Transit Tax Measure Pass? Plus, Buying a Building for the Community

Today on City Cast Seattle, we start with an incredibly local story: Joining host Jane C. Hu is Jed Sundwall, founder of the Downtown Loyal Heights project, which aims to purchase an $8.8 million redevelopment site at the corner of NW 80th and 24th Ave NW. Jed tells Jane how he decided to try to purchase land he has always wanted to develop, and how he’s taken on a big project despite having little experience in real estate or development. Jane is then joined by arts writer Jas Keimig and City Cast contributor Chase Hutchinson to talk about the news that Katie Wilson wants to double the transit measure to increase the frequency of buses. The trio gets into what this means for taxes, public transit users, and the Mayor’s priorities. Finally, they talk about Hannah Sabio Howell’s campaign brand identity based on a piece Jas wrote for CHUM, the news that SIFF is championing high-quality exhibition with a 70mm run of The Odyssey at SIFF, and finally, Jas’s Substack and screening project Unstreamable. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Travel Dundee Seattle Art Museum Argosy Cruises Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Seattle Torrent Sign Alex Carpenter, Protect Her From Expansion Thieves

The Seattle Torrent re-signed forward Alex Carpenter to a 3-year PWHL Standard Player Agreement on June 2, keeping one of the franchise’s foundational pieces through 2028-29 and committing one of the team’s 3 protection slots under the league’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process (proper noun) ahead of 2026-27. If that sounded like word salad, it’s the entire expansion process is word salad. Carpenter signed as one of Seattle’s foundational players in June 2025 and played all 30 regular-season games of the inaugural season, serving as one of the first alternate captains in team history. The 32-year-old from North Reading, MA, tied Julia Gosling for the team scoring lead with 20 points, led the Torrent with 12 goals, and ranked second with 8 assists. Carpenter came to Seattle after playing 2 seasons with the New York Sirens. She’s the third all-time leading scorer in PWHL history with 63 points (31, 36A) and she has 16 power play assists, the actual most in league history. She’s also an Olympic medalists, having won gold in the 2026 Winter Games, and winning silver in Beijing 2022 and Sochi 2014. (She was left off the She represented the United States at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan and won her first gold after silver in Beijing 2022 and Sochi 2014. (She was a shocking cut from the 2018 gold medal-winning Pyeongchang team, so Milan was her first Olympic gold). She has 18 Olympic points (11G, 7A), which is fifth all-time in U.S. Olympic women’s history. The PWHL is adding four teams this season, and since so much of the league is not under contract, they can’t do a traditional expansion draft, so they have this byzantine six phase process that is…well, the video does a good job explaining it. But Carpenter is locked into one of the 3 protection slots available to teams during Phase 1. Teams have until today at 2pm to finalize their three protection slots before Phase 2: Expansion Team Foundational Signing Period. (No, seriously, that’s how it’s officially communicated by the PWHL. That is a proper noun.) There’s going to be a lot of turmoil with the league expanding by 50% from 8 teams to 12 teams. In addition to all the roster turnover, the Torrent also fired head coach Steve O’Rourke. These first few years of expansion are real Wild West.

Why Isn’t Ballard Getting Light Rail? Plus, is Melinda French Gates Going To Bring Back The Sonics?

Today on the podcast, Jane is joined by contributor and Urbanist contributing editor Ryan Packer to catch us up on the latest from Sound Transit’s controversial decision to defer The Ballard Link Extension, and also the appeals to Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan, and why they maybe shouldn’t have happened. They are also joined by comedian, cartoonist, and contributor Brett Hamil, who brings the cheers and jeers. Finally, they discuss the closure of Wild Waves and plans to turn it into a giant warehouse, the broken window at one of the Throne toilets downtown, and the news that Melinda French Gates has a minority stake in the parent company of the Kraken. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 3rd episode: Travel Dundee Seattle Art Museum Argosy Cruises Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Melinda French Gates Becomes Minority Owner of the Seattle Kraken

Melinda French Gates is becoming a minority owner of the Seattle Kraken, the team’s parent company said Monday, pending approval from the NHL. The size of her stake and the terms were not disclosed. French Gates, 61, the philanthropist and ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is buying into One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Kraken. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan first reported the deal. French Gates is worth about $30 billion, according to Forbes, and the investment is her first ownership stake in a major professional sports team. She joins a group led by majority owner Samantha Holloway that includes minority investors David Wright, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Holloway became majority owner in December 2024 after the death of her father, David Bonderman, the TPG co-founder whose group, Seattle Hockey Partners, won the expansion franchise. “As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,” French Gates said in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I’m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community. Seattle is an engine of innovation in so many ways, and Samantha Holloway’s leadership of the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena reflects that.” Holloway said in the statement, “Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.” “It’s just time,” French Gates told ESPN. “What you’re seeing is a generation of women coming into their full power. I’ve walked into tough rooms, and being one of the few is very hard. Once we can create enough that we’re one of many, it just gets easier.” Though originally from Dallas, French Gates has lived in the Seattle area for nearly 40 years. She joined Microsoft in 1987, where she met Bill Gates, and worked on multimedia products before leaving in 1996. She co-chaired the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation from 2000 until 2024 and now runs Pivotal, a Kirkland-based organization she founded in 2015 to support women and young people in the United States and abroad. One Roof Sports and Entertainment, created in March, owns the Kraken and controls Climate Pledge Arena, along with the Kraken Community Iceplex, the rebuilt Memorial Stadium, and the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. The group is pursuing an NBA expansion team for Seattle. What this means for the Kraken Nothing changes from a hockey operations standpoint. Jason Botterill will continue to be the GM, they are conducting an audit, they will pursue free agents and make draft picks and attempt trades and it will be business as usual there. The addition brings financial security. Though the NHL has a hard salary cap, Scouting, front office salaries, player development, analytics, facilities, and support staff are not subject to an NHL salary cap and can vary from organization to organization, depending on the owners’ willingness and ability to spend money. A group with French Gates’s money can cover all of that through a rebuild without needing the team to turn a profit, and won’t be forced to cut costs or tear the team down in a bad year. There is also a very expensive NBA bid going on. In March, the NBA’s Board of Governors voted to explore expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas, and Holloway’s group, advised by JPMorgan Chase and Moelis, is the only public Seattle bidder. The NBA hired PJT Partners to evaluate the markets, ownership groups, and arenas and the expansion fees is projected to be somewhere in the $6 to $10 billion range. French Gates is now an owner in One Roof, the group pursuing the NBA team, so her money is already behind that effort. Though we don’t know the extent of her stake, her fortune is several times the projected fee, and because the NBA weighs the strength of each ownership group, her name helps the Seattle bid. Her most visible impact will probably be in the community. The One Roof Foundation has focused on getting more kids into sports, and French Gates has spent her career working on opportunities for women and families. Holloway said, “We’re really aligned on that.” For the Kraken, the deal leaves them with a richer, steadier ownership group. For One Roof, it adds another prominent name as it tries to bring the NBA back to Seattle.