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Patricia Murphy

Host

About

Patricia Murphy is the host of Seattle Now, a daily news podcast.

Her interviews focus on experts and newsmakers. Previously, you could find Patricia on the beat reporting on military and veteran affairs, justice, and health.

In 2018 Patricia received a regional Edward R. Murrow award for a series about the motivations of young people who carry guns. In 2005 she received a national Edward R. Murrow award for her reporting on injection drug use.

Though her first job in news was throwing hard copies of the Sunday paper from her bike, Patricia also graduated from Emerson College with a B.S. in Communications.

Location: Seattle

Languages: English

Pronouns: she/her

Professional Affiliations: Dart Center, Ochberg Society for Trauma Journalism

Podcasts

Stories

  • The greatest hits of the 2026 WA legislative session

    The Washington state legislative session is over… After just 60 days, 267 bills passed through the legislature and are headed for the Governor’s desk. Most importantly, the so-called “millionaire’s tax” that caused a stir every step of the way. KUOW State Government Reporter Sarah Mizes-Tan is here to talk about the tax, and what other bills made the cut.

  • A defaced mural becomes permanent at Bellevue College

    In 2020, a Bellevue College VP instructed someone to deface the artist description of a campus mural, that showed two Japanese American children in a U.S. Government incarceration camp during World War II. Now, Bellevue College is permanently installing the mural, by Seattle artist Erin Shigaki.

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

    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.

  • Casual Friday with Jas Keimig and Naomi Tomky

    This week… State legislators had a 24-hour marathon meeting to pass the "Millionaire's Tax.” Seattle might install some temporary public bathrooms ahead of the World Cup. And a local vegan restaurant sparked outrage by adding chicken and eggs to the menu. Arts reporter Jas Keimig and Seattle Met Food and Drink Editor Naomi Tomky are here to break down the week.

  • Meet the Seattle Children's nurse who’s also a Paralympic Skier

    Seattle has a Paralympic Nordic skier competing in Milan. When she’s not training for competitions, she’s working at Seattle Children’s Hospital as a nurse.  We’ll chat with Seattle's own Paralympian Erin Martin about what it takes to be great at para-Nordic skiing.

  • Polyamorous people want to be Seattle's newest protected class

    If you’ve been on Seattle dating apps, you may have come across the letters ENM… ENM stands for ethical non-monogamy, which is becoming increasingly popular in the US, and specifically in the Pacific Northwest. A popular form of ENM is polyamory - the practice of having multiple romantic partners at once. Now, advocates for polyamory are trying to gain legal protections in Seattle. New York Times Pacific Northwest Bureau Chief Anna Griffin will tell us more.

  • A change to how Seattle handles 911 calls has some major gaps

    In 2022, the city of Seattle began sending less-urgent 911 callers to speak with nurse navigators who decide the next steps.  The city says it’s going well and reduces strain on emergency rooms and ambulances. Now, a wrongful death lawsuit is raising concerns about response times.  Seattle Times reporter Daniel Beekman’s been investigating. He'll talk about what he found.

  • Weekend Listen: Haitian immigrants in Spokane share their stories, Coast Salish peoples on the art of weaving, and Tacoma is doubling its public trash can supply

    Today, we’re bringing you the best from the KUOW Newsroom… First, two Haitian immigrants in Spokane tell their stories, and how they’re trying to move forward despite the controversy around their temporarily protected status. Next, a new exhibition at the Burke Museum showcases the Coast Salish peoples and the art of weaving. And finally, the City of Tacoma is doubling the number of public trash cans in the city this year.

  • Casual Friday with Chase Burns and Vivian McCall

    This week… Uber and Lyft drivers say there's too much competition on the road. Washington and British Columbia are now in different time zones. And the King County Library is throwing it back to the 90s by letting adults read for free pizza. Drag Queen and Entrepreneur Chase Burns and Stranger News Editor Vivian McCall are here to break down the week.