'Seattle News Weekly': USMNT returns to Seattle on Monday
Seattle News Weekly S1E46: USMNT Returns to Seattle, KCRHA Changes, New WA Laws
On this week's episode of Seattle News Weekly, FOX 13's Hana Kim and David "D Rose" Rose break down a massive week for Western Washington as the U.S. Men's National Team sets up a historic World Cup showdown in Seattle, local leaders dismantle KCRHA's budget after a $13 million audit failure, and new traffic and estate tax codes take effect across the state.
SEATTLE - The excitement surrounding FIFA World Cup 2026 continues to grow, as we embark on the Round of 16, which brings the USMNT back to Seattle for what's going to arguably be the biggest sporting event our city has seen.
On this week's episode of the Seattle News Weekly podcast, Hana Kim and David Rose discuss the top headlines of the week. This week, the World Cup has been the talk of the nation, alongside local discussion surrounding the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) reform after a disastrous audit and a breakdown of the new laws that took effect on July 1.
David's TikTok launch & World Cup fever
The hosts open the podcast by announcing David's additional career endeavor—beginning his own TikTok account to bring his crime investigations to a new audience. Hana emphasizes his unfiltered style and his signature video tag-out: "Come on TikTok. Let's find this guy."
Both hosts admit they weren't historically big soccer fans but have caught "World Cup fever" following recent U.S. victories. David shares a humorous anecdote about screaming so loudly during a match that he terrified his 15-year-old rescue dog.
With the tournament coming to Seattle on Monday, FOX 13 Seattle is planning 24 hours of wall-to-wall coverage. The hosts predict ticket prices could skyrocket to $3,000 for those buying last-minute.
Restructuring the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA)
A recent independent forensic audit revealed that $13 million in funding was completely unaccounted for within the agency. This financial mismanagement, combined with high leadership turnover and rising homelessness numbers, prompted local leaders to act.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and King County Executive Dow Constantine are shifting away from a purely regional approach. The hosts talk about how Wilson and her team plan to take back local city and county tax dollars to fund their separate, localized departments.
The agency will not be completely dissolved. Instead, it will be downsized to primarily manage approximately $67 million in federal Continuum of Care funding from HUD, alongside handling weather emergencies.
New WA state laws (Effective July 1)
The hosts switch gears, to discuss the new laws that are in effect, as of July 1. To protect roadside workers, a new law penalizes speeding in designated work areas. First infractions carry a fine of up to $225, while a second offense rises to $248. The state utilizes automated cameras across dozens of job sites to catch violators.
Employers with 15 or more employees are now prohibited from asking about a job applicant's criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made. The goal is to give reformed individuals a fair chance to pitch themselves based on merit. Employers retain the right to rescind the offer if a background check reveals a serious, incompatible crime.
Following a significant backlash when wealthy residents were leaving the state, Democratic lawmakers rolled back the estate tax. The tax was reduced from a top rate of 35% down to 20% on estates valued at $9 million or more. Even with the reduction, Washington remains tied with Hawaii for the highest estate tax burden in the nation.
Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible or YouTube.
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 reporting based on episode 46 of the ‘Seattle News Weekly’ podcast.