After less than 18 months in office, Councilmember Cathy Moore, representing District 5 (North Seattle), announced she will be resigning her position effective July 7. Swinging into immediate action, Erica and Sandeep (David is away, gamboling and gallivanting in distant parts) weigh in on this emergency episode of the podcast with their red hot takes on this surprise bombshell announcement.

While Moore ascribes her decision to step down to personal and medical reasons, speculation is rampant that Moore's dissatisfaction with the job and unhappiness with the harsh criticism the Council sometimes faces also played a central role in her decision. Rest assured, we fully indulge this speculation, while offering our takes on Moore's legacy and assessing where she sat on the Council's ideological spectrum. Given the timing of Moore's decision, her seat will not be up for election until 2026, so we close with what early names we're hearing bruited about for who the Council might appoint to replace Moore until then.

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

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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HEARTH Protection: Do not let fear make your world smaller.

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.

This week Erica has the scoop on allegations of stalking and harassment against King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson. We also debate Cathy Moore's decision to withdraw a bill that critics say weakens the council’s ethics standards.

Plus, we discuss the anti-trans demonstrations and counter-protests at Cal Anderson Park and City Hall that resulted in over 30 arrests. Mayoral Candidate Katie Wilson blamed Bruce Harrell for permitting a "fundamentalist, anti-trans “family values” protest in the heart of Seattle’s historic LGBTQ neighborhood." Is she right? And, were the counter-protests effective politics?

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

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

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com

HEARTH Protection: Do not let fear make your world smaller.

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.

We're so excited to release our interview with Shattered Glass director Billy Ray, who was kind enough to indulge all our questions about our favorite movie, like:

What happened between the scene where Chloe Sevigny confronts Peter Sarsgaard for firing Stephen and the next day, when she leads the team in applauding him for his brave decision?

Where does Shattered Glass rank in the pantheon of movies Ray's written over the course of his career, which include blockbusters like The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips?

And why does Ray think Stephen Glass kept digging himself deeper and deeper, inventing new lies right up until he was fired for fabricating dozens of stories?

Billy Ray was a great sport, although he did give us shit for interviewing Adam Penenberg, the reporter who first busted Glass in a story for Forbes Digital Tool, before him. "I cannot understand why I wasn't your first fucking guest," he told us—"Who the hell did you interview before me? The three grips?"

We hope you'll enjoy listening to our conversation with director Billy Ray as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Hosts: Josh Feit and Erica C. Barnett

Edited by: Erica C. Barnett

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com

HEARTH Protection: Do not let fear make your world smaller.

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.