The Northwest Politicast

Jeff Pohjola
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola will explore the issues and politics of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most.

  1. 1d ago

    World Cup Kicks Off as Seattle Confronts Bigger Issues

    The World Cup is underway, and Seattle is about to take its turn on the global stage. Jeff looks at the politics, economics and security concerns surrounding the tournament with reporting from Denise Whitaker, including her conversation with UW Bothell professor Ron Krabill, director of the UW Global Sport Lab. Krabill explains how soccer can be used as a tool for diplomacy and economic development, why the benefits of hosting are more complicated than a single visitor or revenue number, and how questions about security, protest rights, ICE and human rights are likely to follow the tournament from city to city. PLUS: Seattle leaders are promising a new crackdown on violence, prostitution and sex trafficking along Aurora Avenue in North Seattle. KOMO’s Jeremy Harris breaks down the city’s plan, including targeted street closures, more visible police patrols, more gun-case prosecution and possible extreme risk protection orders aimed at people found with guns in the corridor. Scott Carty also highlights the “Poison the Fantasy” campaign, a local effort aimed at reducing demand for sex trafficking by forcing buyers to confront the damage their actions can cause. AND: World Cup security will be intense, especially with Iran scheduled to play in Seattle during a period of heightened global tension. ABC’s Alex Stone explains what fans can expect around stadiums, hotels and fan zones, including no-fly restrictions, drone detection, federal air marshals and a zero-tolerance approach to unauthorized drones near World Cup events. The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola explores the politics and issues of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most. Subscribe at nwnewsradio.com or on your favorite podcast app.

    18 min

  2. Jun 5

    Republicans Balk, Then Back ICE Funding Bill

    Senate Republicans spent weeks sounding alarms about President Donald Trump’s proposed anti-weaponization fund, but when the votes were counted, most of them still backed a $70 billion immigration enforcement package that does nothing to restrict it. Jeff breaks down the overnight Senate vote with ABC’s Allie Pecorin, including why some Republicans wanted guardrails to stop money from going to people who assaulted police officers on Jan. 6, why those efforts failed, and why Todd Blanche’s claim that the fund is dead may not be the final word. PLUS: Blanche’s path from acting attorney general to permanent attorney general is getting more complicated. ABC’s Peter Charalambous explains why a guilty plea from former national security adviser John Bolton may help Blanche with Trump, while the anti-weaponization fund, the Epstein files and his past work as Trump’s personal attorney could create trouble on Capitol Hill. AND: Climate change is creating new pressure for Washington businesses, farms and communities as the state faces another drought emergency. Brian Calvert reports on shrinking snowpack, early water restrictions and the statewide push to rethink how Washington manages water in a future with more rain in winter, less snow in the mountains and hotter, drier summers. The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola explores the politics and issues of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most. Subscribe at nwnewsradio.com or on your favorite podcast app.

    18 min

  3. May 29

    Could the Speaker’s Gavel Change Hands?

    A possible leadership fight is brewing in Olympia, where some House Democrats are reportedly weighing whether it is time for a change at the top. Washington Observer editor Paul Queary joins Jeff to break down the talk around Rep. April Berg, chair of the House Finance Committee, and whether she could challenge House Speaker Laurie Jinkins after this year’s elections. The conversation digs into Jinkins’ leadership style, frustration after a chaotic session, generational change inside the Democratic caucus and why the final answer may depend on who survives Election Day. PLUS: The Justice Department is now investigating E. Jean Carroll, the writer who won tens of millions of dollars in civil judgments against President Donald Trump. ABC News legal analyst Royal Oakes explains why the perjury inquiry is so unusual, what prosecutors would have to prove and why critics see it as another example of the president using federal law enforcement against a perceived enemy. He also walks through Trump’s push to put his face, name and signature on a proposed $250 bill for America’s 250th birthday. AND: Some of the most famous names in American politics are back on the ballot. ABC’s Jared Kofsky explains why Kennedys, Bushes and Pelosis are running again this year, how much family name recognition still matters and why some candidates are leaning into their political lineage while others are trying to reinvent it for a new era. The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola explores the politics and issues of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most. Subscribe at nwnewsradio.com or on your favorite podcast app.

    18 min

  4. May 23

    Gregoire: Olympia Has a Spending Problem

    Former Gov. Christine Gregoire is adding her voice to a growing chorus of criticism over Washington’s budget. She says the state does not have an income problem as much as a spending problem, arguing that years of rapid budget growth, added taxes, new regulations, and a lack of long-term economic planning have left Washington in a more precarious position. Jeff breaks down her comments, the response from critics, and why even Gov. Bob Ferguson has acknowledged the state cannot simply tax its way out of its budget trouble. PLUS: U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner praises Gregoire for speaking out and uses the moment to shut down speculation about his own political future, saying he is focused on representing Eastern Washington and has no interest in looking at another office. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans leave town without acting on two major Trump-backed priorities, including a roughly $70 billion immigration funding bill that stalled amid GOP concerns over an “anti-weaponization” fund. AND: The Seattle LGBTQ Commission is urging Mayor Katie Wilson to declare a civil emergency over the growing number of transgender and gender-nonconforming people seeking refuge and services in Seattle. Then, Denise Whitaker joins Jeff to preview her Memorial Day special, Service and Sacrifice, which shares the stories of Gold Star families, active-duty service members, veterans, and the people working to preserve the memory of those who died serving the country. The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola explores the politics and issues of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most. Subscribe at nwnewsradio.com or on your favorite podcast app.

    18 min

  5. May 10

    Tariff Relief for UW, Redistricting Pressure in WA

    The University of Washington has won at least temporary relief from President Donald Trump’s 10% global tariffs after a federal trade court ruled the administration misapplied the law. Jeff breaks down the latest decision with ABC’s Steven Portnoy, including why the Court of International Trade said the White House misread an outdated trade statute, why the ruling applies specifically to Washington and a handful of other plaintiffs, and what it could mean for future challenges to Trump’s tariff strategy. PLUS: The battle over congressional maps is heating up after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act. Tennessee has moved quickly to redraw its districts, and now some Washington Democrats are openly debating whether the state should respond in kind. Jeff looks at why that would be far easier said than done, how Washington’s independent redistricting system complicates any retaliation and why Democratic leaders themselves are warning that the votes to change it likely do not exist. AND: After more than two decades in Olympia, state Rep. Larry Springer (D-Kirkland) says he is stepping away, and he is leaving with some blunt criticism of his own party. Jeff talks with Springer about why moderate Democrats are harder to find, why he thinks the Legislature has grown less friendly to business and why he still backed the state’s new millionaire’s tax. The episode also closes by remembering former state Rep. Eric Robertson (R-Sumner), a lawmaker colleagues in both parties say built friendships even across sharp political divides. The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola explores the politics and issues of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most. Subscribe at nwnewsradio.com or on your favorite podcast app.

    18 min

  6. May 1

    Five Seats, Big Stakes

    Washington voters are just months away from deciding five of nine seats on the state Supreme Court, setting up one of the most consequential judicial elections in years. Jeff looks at why some observers see the race as a pivotal moment for the court, why others think its moderate-to-progressive bent is likely to hold and how major legal battles, including the challenge to the state’s new “millionaire’s tax,” could soon land before the justices elected this fall. PLUS: The U.S. Supreme Court has weakened the Voting Rights Act in a ruling that could dramatically change how congressional districts are drawn and challenged across the country. ABC’s Steven Portnoy explains why the decision may open the door to more aggressive partisan mapmaking in both red and blue states ahead of this year’s midterms. AND: Investigators are still sorting through last week’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, including whether the suspect fits a familiar mass-attacker profile and whether the Secret Service response revealed any deeper vulnerabilities. Jeff also closes the episode by remembering former state lawmaker Sam Hunt, whose public-service career in Olympia spanned nearly 25 years. The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola explores the politics and issues of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most. Subscribe at nwnewsradio.com or on your favorite podcast app.

    18 min

  7. Apr 24

    About Those Ballots...

    This special edition of the Northwest Politicast takes a deeper look at the box of ballots reportedly found near a dumpster in Renton and later handed over to the Washington State Republican Party, a case that is now under review by federal investigators. Jeff walks through what election officials say happened, why King County insists there was no opportunity for fraud, and how the discovery has nonetheless become a flashpoint in the debate over ballot security and chain of custody in Washington’s vote-by-mail system. Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh joins the show for an extended and pointed exchange about why the ballots were routed through a political party instead of directly to law enforcement, whether that decision complicated any investigation, and what he believes the episode reveals about broader vulnerabilities in the state’s election process. The conversation also digs into the political and practical fallout, including whether the way this was handled could undercut Republican efforts to change election laws, and what specific reforms Walsh says he wants next, from tighter ballot tracking to voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola explores the politics and issues of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most. Subscribe at nwnewsradio.com or on your favorite podcast app.

    17 min

  8. Apr 17

    Sheriff Certification Fight Heads to Thurston County

    A legal challenge to Washington’s new sheriff certification law is moving forward, but in a different courtroom. Jeff breaks down why a judge in Pend Oreille County transferred the case to Thurston County without ruling on the law’s constitutionality, and what is at stake as elected sheriffs argue they are being subjected to an unconstitutional loyalty oath and possible removal by an unelected board. The state counters that one judge should handle overlapping challenges to avoid conflicting rulings, and for now, that argument has won. PLUS: The Trump Administration is trying to wipe the seditious conspiracy conviction of Auburn Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean off the books, even after President Donald Trump already commuted his sentence. ABC News legal analyst Royal Oakes explains the difference between a pardon and erasing a conviction altogether, why the courts do not have to go along with the Justice Department’s request, and why judges may be reluctant to nullify one of the most serious Jan. 6 convictions. AND: Jeff looks at the fallout from a pro-Iranian cyberattack on Amazon and other U.S. companies, with former FBI official Rich Frankel explaining how a DDoS attack can disrupt major corporate systems without necessarily compromising customer data. He also checks in on the lingering economic effects of the Iran conflict, the latest courtroom developments for embattled King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson, and a political billboard in Spokane Valley that is needling Republicans who may be having second thoughts about MAGA. The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola explores the politics and issues of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most. Subscribe at nwnewsradio.com or on your favorite podcast app.

    18 min
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Ratings & Reviews

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About

The Northwest Politicast with Jeff Pohjola: From this Washington to that one, Jeff Pohjola will explore the issues and politics of the week. Frequent guests and top analysts break down the news to get to the heart of what matters most.

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff Pohjola
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jeff Pohjola
  • Show Website
    The Northwest Politicast