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June 17, 2026

No James Beard Wins, a New Spider Just Dropped, and Is JumpStart Bad for Downtown?

City Cast Seattle

No James Beard Wins, a New Spider Just Dropped, and Is JumpStart Bad for Downtown?

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Today on the podcast, host Jane C. Hu chats with contributor Brett Hamil and producer Sam J Leeds to dig deeper into Seattle's six-year James Beard Award drought. Jane asks what it says about the city’s restaurant scene and whether the city's best food might just be flying under the radar. The three also dig into the World Cup energy transforming downtown Seattle, what the Downtown Seattle Association's new economic report is arguing about the JumpStart tax, and the Seattle Social Housing Developer plans to open another 1670 units over the next 5 years. Plus, a Yakama Nation naming ceremony for a newly discovered spider in the Columbia River Gorge.


Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Washington State Fair

Seattle Art Museum

Argosy Cruises


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