“Without federal regulations, the marketplace is the wild, wild west,” Weisbaum said on “Seattle’s Morning News” on 成人X站 Newsradio Thursday. “The way I see it, the government is supposed to protect the vulnerable from predatory business practices, whether that’s using deceptive advertising and making dangerous products, or selling financial products that cause financial harm. And the way they do that is by having rules that tell businesses what they can and cannot do, and then if they break the rules, they have to do enforcement actions.”

Weisbaum: Marketplaces left unchecked are ‘very dangerous’

Weisbaum said agencies are being decimated because of a reduction in staff, rules are being taken off the books, and the government is saying they are not going to enforce the rules. Adding that businesses left unchecked can be “very dangerous” for the consumer.

“I see a much more open marketplace and businesses being able to take advantage of consumers,” he shared. “And I find that very sad, because my job is to protect people.”

When asked what his advice would be to the consumer, Weisbaum responded: “I really don’t think there’s anything we can do, even me. I mean, you have to be more careful with what you do. But the problem is, we don’t have the ability to know what’s going on in the marketplace like a federal regulator does. We can’t spot this stuff.”

“I just hope people who feel strongly about this and want the government to do something to protect them鈥攚ill let their lawmakers know, will let the administration know, and just realize that all rules aren’t bad,” he added. “You get rid of bad rules. You keep good rules because they’re there to protect us all. At least that’s my two cents.”

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Democrats in the Washington State Senate pushed through a massive $12 billion tax package over the weekend, despite an explicit call from Ferguson to scale back the level of taxes.

“There’s a lot of word-smithing going on right now. The governor and his supporters have said that they’re not keen on the so-called wealth tax, which is an increase in the expansion of the state’s capital gains tax,” Rep. Jim Walsh, the Chair of the state鈥檚 Republican Party, said on “Seattle’s Morning News” on 成人X站 Newsradio. “They’ve also said they’re backing off of the property tax increase proposals they made. And that’s true. It’s narrowly true that they’re backing off of those, but they are refiling them with slightly different mechanics.”

Instead, according to Walsh, property taxes could be raised by increasing the local portion of the property tax bill, instead of the state part. Other taxes that would be increased under the $12 billion budget plan are the business and occupation tax and the state’s sales tax, all while gas and diesel are going to go up to approximately six more cents a gallon. Walsh is calling it “a basket of tax increases.”

“I really believe (budget cuts) are not necessary if we just hold our budgets at their current levels,” Walsh added. “We don’t need these new taxes. We don’t have to cut anything.”

Gov. Bob Ferguson’s signature not required to pass laws

“How do you feel the governor is interacting with leaders of both parties?” Manda Factor, co-host of “Seattle’s Morning News,” asked Walsh.

“Better than what the previous guy did, I’ll grant Ferguson that,” Walsh responded. “He is talking to all sides, and that’s a good thing. He’s sort of a clever guy who plays some clever word games. He has said he won’t sign the tax proposals that are currently on the table. Well, in our state, the governor doesn’t have to sign a bill for it to become law.”

In the state of Washington, if the governor doesn’t sign a bill, it can still become law in 30 days without his signature.

“So what we really need Ferguson to do is commit to vetoing some of these tax hike proposals, and he hasn’t done that yet,” Walsh said. “All he’s saying is, I won’t sign this one or that one or the other one, and that’s not good enough because the legislature can pass them and they become law without his signature.”

Listen to the full conversation here:

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In an April 11 letter, the Trump administration called for sweeping reforms at Harvard, including changes to leadership, admissions policies, and diversity audits, according to .

Harvard fights Trump’s grant freeze

Former Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna joined “Seattle’s Morning News” on 成人X站 Newsradio with Charlie Harger and Manda Factor to share his thoughts on the trajectory of the lawsuit.

“Essentially, they’re trying to exert control over the academic policies of the university; for example, they want to make sure that all viewpoints are represented in education. Doesn’t seem that controversial?” McKenna said. “On the other hand, we’ve always relied on universities to make those decisions, and they cloak all this under a campaign against anti-Semitism.”

When Harger asked McKenna if the lawsuit sets a precedent for the Trump administration’s relationship with other schools, he said it is likely something that other universities will be watching.

“I think many other universities will be watching Harvard closely,” McKenna said. “Other universities are stepping up to at least voice their support for Harvard; Yale, for example. So this is a huge test case. High stakes for sure.”

Listen to the full conversation below:

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However, this led 成人X站 Newsradio contributor Angela Poe Russell to question what the best approach is regarding homelessness, mentioning that fewer tents do not necessarily mean fewer people on the streets.

“A lot of the homeless advocates are saying that this has not reduced the number of homeless people, that it’s just pushed them back into the woods,” she said on “Seattle’s Morning News” Monday. “And I don’t know鈥攐n one hand, I think research has shown us that when people are OK, there are some people who fall in hard times, and I think we need to support everybody鈥攖hen there are those people who there is a drug issue, and until they are made to feel uncomfortable, change doesn’t happen.”

Poe Russell highlighted the complex situation.

“I struggle with, I think we need to help. I think pushing people back deeper into the woods is not the answer. But I also think letting them continue on the sidewalks, in our streets, and our parks is not OK,” she said.

Would making homeless uncomfortable help get them off Seattle streets?

Charlie Harger, co-host of “Seattle’s Morning News,” said the dilemma is something he’s been researching.

“This is a housing first approach,” he explained. “This is a harm reduction approach, and you key into making people feel uncomfortable. That’s one thing that they are attempting not to do when going specifically to help people who are drug addicted and homeless. We’re not talking about somebody who’s in tough times, but people who are in active addiction and strong addiction. Right now, the approach is, “Hey, let’s get you a house, a roof over your head, and we’ll deal with the addiction later.'”

However, Harger mentioned that making people feel uncomfortable could be beneficial.

“I’m hearing from a lot of advocates who say, ‘Listen, we actually need to make people feel a little uncomfortable,’ and maybe that’s when they start getting help, and it’s a long, long-range fix, instead of just having people move into the woods and continue using.”

Listen to the full conversation below:

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, is spearheading the efforts in identifying the root causes of the childhood chronic disease epidemic, which includes the increase in autism among kids.

Leland Vittert, anchor of NewsNation’s prime-time “On Balance,” weighed in on the recent study on “Seattle’s Morning News.”

“We should all want to know why, but we don’t want to stigmatize autism,” Vittert said. “We should celebrate people who are living with it. We should help people who are living with it. I’ve heard people say, ‘Well, it’s your superpower’ or whatever. OK, two things can be true at once. One, we should do everything to help people who are living with autism, whether it be severe autism or other forms on the spectrum, and give them the help they need.”

News anchor diagnosed with autism at young age

Vittert was diagnosed with autism at a very young age. His book, “: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism” (set to be released Sept. 30) documents his father’s role in raising him while he dealt with autism.

“On the other hand, we should acknowledge that it would be great if this weren’t an issue anymore, “Vittert added. “People say we shouldn’t stigmatize it. Well, I would love for my child not to have to worry about having autism. There is a genetic component. It’s obviously something I’ve thought about. If we can understand environmental factors that make it more likely to occur or a more severe occurrence of it, and prevent that, why wouldn’t we do that?”

Listen to the full conversation here:

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“Let’s talk about your first three months on the job. How is it going?” Charlie Harger, host of Seattle’s Morning News on 成人X站 Newsradio, asked Brown. “What’s it been like for you?”

“Well, just kind of slow and boring for the first three months,” Brown joked. “No, it’s been great. I always tell my team, it’s so fun to be in a job where you walk in and everything you’re doing has importance. It impacts people’s lives. It feels weighty and significant, and I’m loving the job. Really proud to be part of that team.”

With Nick Brown replacing Bob Ferguson after he became the next governor of Washington, Brown now operates and controls the largest public law firm in the state, and the second-largest public law firm on the West Coast.

Whether it’s the dismantling of the libraries agency, interference over funding, or overhauling elections, Brown’s first few months as attorney general has been defined by his fight against the Trump administration.

“My job and my oath is to defend Washington law. I made an oath to defend our Constitution and the U.S. Constitution,” Brown said. “Every time that we’re looking at a potential legal action against any federal administration, we first say, ‘Does this break the law? Are Washingtonians harmed? Are we the right venue to bring those challenges?’ And if those three things match up, then we will bring those cases.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen time and time again where the President of the United States and his administration is breaking the law, is harming Washingtonians, and we are the right venue to bring a lot of those cases,” Brown continued. “I understand that does not make everybody happy.”

Navigating the state budget crisis

Governor Bob Ferguson鈥檚 plan for $7 billion in budget cuts over the next four years received plenty of criticism as it intends to reduce state payrolls and institute furlough days after the wealth tax proposal died.

Dozens of protesters representing the group “Workers Strike Back” made their way into the Washington State Capitol building Wednesday to protest the proposed cuts.

“The state is facing a really significant budget hole, and that is a big challenge for the legislature and for the governor to try to find ways to make cuts and raise revenue to fill that hole,” Brown said. “But some of the proposals that were on the board earlier this session would have a devastating impact on our agency. We’re talking about furloughs for state workers. We have cuts to our general fund budget, which would cut back on the criminal justice work that we do. Cutting that fund would mean we would just do less of that work, and so I’m really hopeful that the legislature finds a way to get the necessary funding to make sure that they’re not cutting the services that Washingtonians have come to expect.”

Listen to the full conversation here:

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According to former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, the Alien Enemies Act is aimed at people who are from a country the U.S. is at war with, raising questions about whether the U.S. is in an undeclared state of war with Venezuela.

“There are due process rights for individuals who are being detained,” McKenna said on “Seattle’s Morning News” on 成人X站 Newsradio. “This is the central issue in the case involving Judge Boasberg and the Venezuelan gang members who were sent down to El Salvador: Do they require due process if they were a threat to national security? Maybe not, or maybe not as much due process. But what he was asking is, what process did the government follow to determine who among those people who are on those airplanes that went to El Salvador had been determined to be members of gangs.”

Judge Boasberg challenges legality of Trump’s deportations

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is looking into whether the deportations of approximately 200 migrant gang members occurred legally, and what the punishment should be if the Trump Administration violated the law.

“The larger point here is, at the border or if you cross the border illegally, you have less protection than someone who is a citizen does,” McKenna said. “Even citizens of America have somewhat fewer protections when they’re crossing the border than you would normally expect to have under the Fourth Amendment, which protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures.”

Listen to the full conversation below.

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New York immigration lawyer Pouyan Darian recently said in a viral video that lawful permanent residents have the “absolute right” to return to the U.S. following international travel, but following certain comments from the Trump administration, Darian is now encouraging clients to hold-off travel, according to

On “Seattle’s Morning News,” on 成人X站 Newsradio, host Charlie Harger spoke to Gee Scott, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” about anxieties around overseas travelers.

“My co-host, Ursula Reutin… became a citizen in this country in 1995,” said Gee. “I asked Ursula before coming in, ‘Hey, if you were a green card holder today, would you be nervous and have some concerns about travel?’ and she said, ‘absolutely.'”

Social media posts impacting green card status

According to the Washington Post, there have been multiple reports and public social media posts claiming that legal permanent residents have been “interrogated” at border checkpoints in American airports, as well as pressured to “sign forms” that would renounce resident status.

“What is deemed to happen to you if you say something wrong, say something that is considered anti-government?” asked Gee. “Your green card today, it can be revoked, not if you committed a crime, but if you said this about that.”

Gee also referenced that cellphone data may now be looked at when considering a person’s residency.

According to the the Department of Homeland Security has proposed a policy that would require people to share their social media accounts when applying for immigration benefits.

“We’re already seeing a decrease in visitors from Canadians coming down South,” said Gee. “I’m curious as to what kind of impact this is going to have in 2026 with the World Cup.”

There are an estimated 12.8 million lawful permanent residents in the United States, according to the Washington Post.

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Gee Scott, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on 成人X站 Newsradio, told “Seattle’s Morning News” Monday that a lack of pharmacies means fewer people will take their medications.

“Let’s be real, without this easy access to a pharmacy, there’s some people that are more likely to skip out on prescriptions,” Gee said. “There’s more people that don’t get the information; the education that they need is centered around this medication.”

Gee added that he relates to the situation because his grandmother had to make a far trek to get her groceries.

“I remember in Chicago, my grandmother used to have to take public transportation far away to get to the closest, not just pharmacy, but just grocery store in general, because you have food deserts,” he shared. “And so I remember what that was like when I think about my grandmother years ago, I think about somebody else’s grandmother here today, grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, someone, maybe their children, their family, lives out of state. They’re on a fixed income. Live here. All of a sudden, that local Rite Aid or Bartell Drugs is now closed down. They can’t easily go get their prescription.”

Gee Scott: More crime will lead to more pharmacy deserts

Gee said that when stealing and crime continue to persist, pharmacies close and the community suffers.

“You know how frustrating that can be when you see things getting locked up,” he said. “This is the unattended consequences of, hey, for a while, we’re just like, ‘Oh, it’s OK. I know they stole some things and all that kind of stuff. Oh, they cleared out all the deodorant.’ When you continue to allow that, that’s why I never like for that to continue to happen, because the consequence could be finally Bartells or whatever store is like, ‘You know what? We’re not even going to be open in that area.'”

Listen to the full conversation below.

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“For many, that’s a budget buster, so they skip doses or delay filling prescriptions,” Charlie Harger said on “Seattle’s Morning News” on 成人X站 Newsradio. “Money-saving strategies that can have some serious, life-threatening consequences.”

Herb Weisbaum, a contributing editor at known as “The ConsumerMan,” shared a few ways people can spend less on prescription medications.

“One way is by (getting) a larger amount,” Weibaum said. “If you know you’ll be on a drug for more than three months, ask your doctor, ‘Can I get a prescription for 90 days supply?’ Chances are you’ll pay significantly less per dose than with a 30-day supply, and you only get that if you have insurance. You only have that one co-pay.”

He also recommends checking at least one online coupon site, such as GoodRx or SingleCare.

“There are a whole bunch of them to see if the price you pay is cheaper,” Weisbaum said. “If you don’t use Medicare or insurance and pay yourself, these discounts can be up to 80% off the cash price. Personal story: My wife and I were taking a prescription drug. It was generic and it was $12 and we were buying it for years and years. All of a sudden, we pull up to the pharmacy and, this time, it’s $122. Like, what? So I said, ‘Take it back.’ We went home, got on the computer, logged onto GoodRx, and found a coupon for 12 bucks at another pharmacy in our neighborhood just a mile away.”

Listen to the full conversation here:

More from Seattle’s Morning News: Spike O鈥橬eill remembers Seattle radio icon Bob Rivers

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“I love him,” Gee Scott, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on 成人X站 Newsradio, told Charlie Harger on “Seattle’s Morning News.” “My man pulled up in a flannel yesterday; he looked good. He read the room. He knew the assignment: I’m going to the Pacific Northwest. He probably had a Starbucks cup off to the side. My man looks like he can say ‘Puyallup’ the right way. He looks like he can say ‘Enumclaw’ the right way. I am so excited about Sam Darnold.”

Darnold’s journey to Seattle has been nothing short of turbulent. Once the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, he netted a 13-25 record as a starter for the New York Jets before stints in Carolina and San Francisco — starting just 18 games in that three-year span.

It all flipped in 2024, however, when he used his one year playing for the Minnesota Vikings to churn out 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns (both fifth in the league), and a 102.5 passer rating (sixth in the league). He made his first career Pro Bowl that season.

“Matt Hasselbeck got his start at 26 years old. Sam Darnold got his start at 27 years old here in Seattle. I do feel a similar vibe,” Gee said. “Matt Hasselbeck, when he was in Green Bay, he was the third-string quarterback there. Then he comes to Seattle, and he gets that chance. I believe that they are very similar. I believe that these are two quarterbacks who have been through adversity early on in their careers, and they have the opportunity to be better for the rest of their careers. The best years are ahead for Sam Darnold.”

Listen to the full conversation here:

Related from Seattle’s Morning News: ‘Are you OK with the direction of the Seahawks?’

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