In Washington state, the involuntary commitment system doesn’t work.

That’s something critics who want to make the process easier and critics who want to see it used less can agree on.

So far, reforms from Olympia have been underutilized — if they’ve done anything at all.

We’ll learn more about our involuntary commitment system, flaws and all, with Seattle Times reporter Jayati Ramakrishnan.

We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. 

Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.

In Washington state, the involuntary commitment system doesn&rsquo;t work.
That&rsquo;s something critics who want to make the process easier and critics who want to see it used less can agree on.
So far, reforms from Olympia have been underutilized &mdash; if they&rsquo;ve done anything at all.
We&rsquo;ll learn more about our involuntary commitment system, flaws and all, with Seattle Times reporter Jayati Ramakrishnan.
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow">Tap here</a> to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.&nbsp;
Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at <a href="mailto:seattlenow@kuow.org">seattlenow@kuow.org</a>, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or<a href="https://www.kuow.org/feedback"> leave us feedback online</a>.

Seattle Now is KUOW's flagship daily news podcast. Seattle Now brings you quick headlines, smart analysis, and award-winning local news. New episodes every weekday morning and afternoon. Start and end your day with Seattle Now, from KUOW and the NPR Network.

Seattle Now is KUOW's flagship daily news podcast. Seattle Now brings you quick headlines, smart analysis, and award-winning local news. New episodes every weekday morning and afternoon. Start and end your day with Seattle Now, from KUOW and the NPR Network.

Seattle Now

We learn about WA's involuntary commitment system, were it falls short, and why reforms haven't helped with Seattle Times mental health reporter Jayati Ramakrishnan.

We have laws to improve WA's involuntary commitment. They're barely used

Until very recently, Washington’s Department of Licensing self-service phone line used English in a Spanish accent when you pressed 2 for Spanish.

It was like that for months.

We’ll talk about what might have gone wrong and what it took to fix the issue with Responsible AI Washington's Ryan Burns.

Read Monica Carrillo-Casas' story here.

We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.

Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.

Until very recently, Washington&rsquo;s Department of Licensing self-service phone line used English in a Spanish accent when you pressed 2 for Spanish.
It was like that for months.
We&rsquo;ll talk about what might have gone wrong and what it took to fix the issue with Responsible AI Washington's Ryan Burns.
Read Monica Carrillo-Casas' story <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/feb/25/washingtons-department-of-licensing-spanish-option/">here</a>.
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow">Tap here</a> to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.
Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:seattlenow@kuow.org">seattlenow@kuow.org</a>, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or<a href="https://www.kuow.org/feedback"> leave us feedback online</a>.

Until very recently, Washington’s Department of Licensing self-service phone line used English in a Spanish accent when you pressed 2 for Spanish.  It was like that for months.  We’ll talk about what might have gone wrong and what it took to fix the issue with Responsible AI Washington's Ryan Burns.

How a TikTok fixed a massive language error at the WA DOL

Today, we’re bringing you the best from newsrooms around the PNW…

First, computer science researchers at the University of Washington are testing if a phone app can accurately monitor a fetus' heart rate during pregnancy.

Next, Washington State University’s Nuclear Science Center is ramping up research and training to meet the increasing need for energy.

And finally, Oregon came within one day of announcing it was feral-swine free – and then another wild pig appeared.

We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.

Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.

Today, we&rsquo;re bringing you the best from newsrooms around the PNW&hellip;
First, computer science researchers at the University of Washington are testing if a phone app can accurately monitor a fetus' heart rate during pregnancy.
Next, Washington State University&rsquo;s Nuclear Science Center is ramping up research and training to meet the increasing need for energy.
And finally, Oregon came within one day of announcing it was feral-swine free &ndash; and then another wild pig appeared.
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow">Tap here</a> to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.
Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:seattlenow@kuow.org">seattlenow@kuow.org</a>, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or<a href="https://www.kuow.org/feedback"> leave us feedback online</a>.

Today, we’re bringing you the best from newsrooms around the PNW…  First, computer science researchers at the University of Washington are testing if a phone app can accurately monitor a fetus' heart rate during pregnancy.  Next, Washington State University’s Nuclear Science Center is ramping up research and training to meet the increasing need for energy.  And finally, Oregon came within one day of announcing it was feral-swine free – and then another wild pig appeared.

Weekend Listen: UW researchers are testing a phone app to monitor fetal heart rates, WSU is ramping up research and training on nuclear power, and Oregon came within one day of announcing it was feral-swine free, then another wild pig appeared

Snowfall snarls travel across the Cascades, Seattle’s community college district declares a financial emergency, and mystery orcas are spotted in the Salish Sea.

It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning.

We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.

Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.

<a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/it-s-finally-snowing-in-seattle">Snowfall</a> snarls travel across the Cascades, Seattle&rsquo;s community college district declares a financial emergency, and mystery orcas are spotted in the Salish Sea.
It&rsquo;s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning.
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow">Tap here</a>&nbsp;to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.
Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:seattlenow@kuow.org">seattlenow@kuow.org</a>, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or<a href="https://www.kuow.org/feedback">&nbsp;leave us feedback online</a>.

Snowfall snarls travel across the Cascades, Seattle’s community college district declares a financial emergency, and mystery orcas are spotted in the Salish Sea.

We have laws to improve WA's involuntary commitment. They're barely used

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