Politics and Government

Come curious. Leave inspired. Wherever you are, the University of Washington offers opportunities to learn and connect with the ideas, people, and research shaping our world. This summer, visit campus for the latest exhibitions at the Henry Art Gallery and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, or join us from anywhere through recorded lectures, podcasts, virtual experiences, and more. As a public university, we’re proud to share the knowledge, creativity, and discoveries of the UW with communities near and...

One of the most endangered sea creatures of the Pacific Ocean is getting a leg up in the kelp forests of Washingtons San Juan Islands: a 24-armed sea star called the sunflower star. Researchers are working with the Samish Indian Nation to bring this pizza-sized predator back from the brink of extinction after a vast underwater pandemic. Jason Hodin, a research scientist at the UW Friday Harbor Laboratories, is quoted. Tess Chapman, Chloe Schwab and Julia Knopf, all research assistants at the UW Friday Harbor Laboratories, are mentioned.

International migration continues to drive population growth in King County, and experts say employment-based visas for specialized workers are an important part of that trend. Sara Curran, director of the UW's Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology and professor of international studies, of sociology and of public policy and governance, is quoted.

A global public besieged by fears of AI got new fuel Monday from Pope Leo XIV, who released a roughly 40,000-word encyclical warning about the technologys potential to worsen inequality, erode workers dignity and automate war. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Fatal police violence against Indigenous people in the United States is significantly concentrated in and around reservations, a new study found.Theresa Rocha Beardall, associate professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

For more than 50 years, UW Communication has offered students an unparalleled opportunity to step out of the classroom and directly into the fast-paced world of state politics. The State Government Communication Program, affectionately known as the “Olympia Program,” places undergraduates in full-time reporting roles during the state’s winter legislative session.

"The 2026 legislative session is scheduled to end next week in Olympia, but as teaching professors of journalism at the University of Washington, we are thinking about the beginning," write Andrea Otez and Caley Cook, both teaching professors of communication at the UW.

Families and autism experts say that the federal government could do a lot more to support autistic children by increasing access to early diagnosis and intervention. Annette Estes, director of the UW Autism Center and a research professor of speech and hearing sciences at the UW, is interviewed.

Under the Trump administrations aggressive deportation agenda, federal immigration agents have been granted an arsenal of surveillance tools to deploy against migrants and citizens. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, as well as director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is quoted.

Kyle Haddad-Fonda, a part-time lecturer of history at the University of Washington, is teaching "Modern Olympic Games" this quarter. The course covers subjects ranging from ideology and national identity to race and the position of women in society.

Various companies from Google to Blue Origin to smaller startups are looking to Earth's orbit as the next data center frontier. And companies in Seattle are leading the charge. Today, how close are we to actually putting data centers in space? Saadia Pekkanen, professor of international studies at the UW, is interviewed.

Despite vows to restrict immigration authorities access to Washington state Department of Licensing information, the data sharing continued in a new form, researchers revealed Thursday. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, as well as director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is quoted.

More than a half dozen years after Washington began limiting access to drivers license data for immigration enforcement, federal officials were still using the information for immigration arrests as recently as late last year, a report released the University of Washington Center for Human Rights shows. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, as well as director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is mentioned.

With the recent arrival of generative AI programs that can write conversationally, produce vivid imagery, and perform myriad tasks for us, some technologists believe the superintelligent machines of science fiction are right around the corner. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted. This story was originally published in National Geographic.

"Survivor accounts of the lasting effects of their prostitution at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and his wealthy friends repeat the story of every trafficked girl and woman on Aurora Avenue in Seattle," writes Debra Boyer, affiliate faculty in the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies at the UW.