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Host, Seattle's Morning News

Charlie Harger

About

I’m a journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering the stories that shape life in western Washington. I host Seattle’s Morning News on KIRO Newsradio, where I help listeners start their day informed, prepared, and sometimes even entertained.

My reporting has earned multiple national and regional awards, including several Edward R. Murrow Awards. I’ve also been named APTRA’s Radio Reporter of the Year and recognized for investigative reporting on major stories like the Boeing 737 MAX crisis and interviews with serial killer Gary Ridgway.

I specialize in making complex issues understandable, focusing on how news affects real people. I’m a fourth-generation western Washington resident and have called Auburn home for over a decade.

Before hosting, I served as News Director at KIRO, worked at KOMO for nearly two decades, and taught journalism at Green River College. I take news seriously — but believe the best reporting connects on a human level.

Expertise

  • Broadcast Journalism and Storytelling
  • Investigative and Accountability Reporting
  • Community Impact and Public Service Journalism

Experience

  • Host, Seattle’s Morning News – KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • News Director – KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • Reporter and Anchor – KOMO Newsradio
  • Broadcast Instructor – Green River College
  • Communications and Digital Media – Microsoft and tech startups

Education

B.A., Communications – Thomas Edison State University
M.S., Strategic Communication – Arkansas State University

Achievements & Awards

  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Hard News (2020)
  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Continuing Coverage (2019)
  • APTRA Award – Best Investigative Reporting (2019, 2014)
  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Best Newswriting (2015)
  • APTRA Award – Radio Reporter of the Year (2015)
  • APTRA Award – Best Spot News Coverage (2015)
  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Best Documentary (2014)
  • APTRA Award – Enterprise Coverage (2014)
  • Emmy Nomination – Investigative Journalism (2014)

Social Media Profiles

‘A lot of votes may not count’: Supreme Court appears ready to upend WA mail-in ballot rules for federal races by November 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could require all ballots containing federal races to be physically received by Election Day.
4 months ago

Seattle gas prices near all-time record in 2026 as Iran war drives diesel to historic highs; analyst warns of 1970s-style oil crisis

Washington just set an all-time record for diesel prices this week. Now the all-time record for unleaded gasoline in Seattle is in the crosshairs too.
4 months ago

Harger: Hundreds responded to my Seattle homelessness commentary. Here’s what you said, and what I missed

Last week, I wrote about Seattle "homeless" and what it's hiding. I was not prepared for what came back: hundreds of responses from listeners and readers.
4 months ago

Harger: King County kept paying contractors despite warnings of fraud. A whistleblower got fired for asking questions

Billions of your dollars, distributed by King County with little oversight and even less accountability. And when someone inside the system tried to raise the alarm, he got fired.
4 months ago

Washington sets all-time diesel price record in 2026 as Iran war and Climate Commitment Act push prices higher

Washington just set an all-time record for diesel prices. The statewide average for diesel hit $6.53 a gallon, surpassing every record in Washington history.
4 months ago

Harger: Sound Transit 3 needs another $34.5 billion. That’s $10,000 per person in the taxing district. And Ballard still isn’t getting light rail

Sound Transit held an all-day retreat last week to figure out how to close a $34.5 billion gap. Here's where this is almost certainly heading...
4 months ago

Harger: A Thurston County man with 97 prior arrests built a custom bong into his dashboard. WA is surprised by none of this

The driver is a four-time convicted felon with 27 misdemeanor convictions. And as of this week, 97 prior arrests. Now this guy has 98.
5 months ago

Harger: You made it through the dark half of the year, I don’t want you to miss that

Discover the significance of today's balance as we transition into brighter days. Don't miss this pivotal moment in the year.
5 months ago

Harger: SPD arrested a violent Aurora Ave. pimp, fentanyl dealer 3x in 9 months. WA law tied its hands. Feds didn’t have that problem.

Leon Henderson, a violent pimp, was arrested thrice on Aurora Ave with fentanyl, highlighting ongoing issues in Seattle.
5 months ago

Harger: Seattle’s RapidRide J Line is spending $156M on Eastlake Avenue. Buses won’t get priority lanes. Bike lanes will.

Explore the $156M investment in Eastlake Avenue for Seattle's RapidRide J Line and its impact on the community.
5 months ago

WA gas prices surge past $5 a gallon, 2nd highest in nation; Iran war and Climate Commitment Act blamed

Washington drivers are getting hit from two directions at the gas pump, with no relief in sight. Experts say the Climate Commitment Act is a big reason why.
5 months ago

Harger: A Spokane jury said 46 years. Washington’s clemency board just decided 30 was close enough. Now it’s on Ferguson’s desk.

Spokane jury gave 46 years; board ruled 30 is enough. Now it awaits Ferguson's decision.
5 months ago

Harger: Seattle’s homeless crisis isn’t one problem. It’s three. And we’ve been spending billions pretending otherwise.

Explore the multifaceted aspects of Seattle's homeless crisis through listener insights and community discussions.
5 months ago

Harger: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson keeps making big announcements and leaving before the questions start

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has been busy. Big speeches. Big announcements. Big initiatives. She's two months into leading Seattle and moving fast.
5 months ago

Harger: The courts knew him, the police knew him, Western State Hospital knew him, now a woman is dead

Mark Alexander Adams appeared in a King County courtroom this week, charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors say he deliberately drove his car into an 88-year-old woman in a Bellevue parking lot, killing her.
5 months ago

Sistek: Charge batteries, prepare for gnarly afternoon commute in Seattle. Don’t even think about going across the passes

If you're thinking about heading over the mountains today, don't. That's the bottom line from meteorologist Scott Sistek of The Emerald City Weather Blog.
5 months ago

Harger: WA just voted to put permanent supportive housing in every neighborhood in the state. Your city has no say

House Bill 2266 requires cities across Washington to allow permanent supportive housing in any residential zone. Your neighborhood.
5 months ago

Black ice causes 15-car pileup on Mukilteo Speedway in Snohomish County

Black ice on 164th Street S.W. over the Mukilteo Speedway triggered a 15-car pileup in Snohomish County Tuesday morning, closing the road for hours.
5 months ago

Harger: Olympia is passing an income tax you can’t vote on. Now a Democratic leader wants to dissolve businesses that fight back

The Washington State legislature is expected to pass a millionaire income tax this week. The bill is written so it cannot go to a public vote through a referendum.
5 months ago

Harger: Top WA Senate Democrat’s last-minute bill would strip corporations of legal existence for opposing income tax, unions exempt

WA Democrats are racing to pass an income tax before the legislative session ends. A new bill suggested some of them want to make sure no one could stop it.
5 months ago

Harger: Before Washington passes its first income tax, it’s worth asking what the last hundred billion actually bought

In 1994, I paid $540 a month for a one-bedroom apartment off Greenwood Avenue in Seattle. It had a view of the Sound. Parking was included. People said rent was getting too expensive back then.
5 months ago

WA bill that could remove elected sheriffs clears House on party-line vote

A bill that would give a state board the power to remove an elected sheriff from office cleared the Washington House early Friday morning.
5 months ago

Harger: A 9-year-old lived in a tent while his mother smoked fentanyl next to him. WA lawmakers just voted to keep the law exactly as it is

I stood outside a tent a few blocks off Aurora Avenue in North Seattle. Inside was a 9-year-old boy. His mother was a fentanyl addict working as a prostitute on Aurora.
5 months ago

If you own Meta Ray-Ban glasses, a stranger in Kenya may have watched you undress

You put on your Meta Ray-Ban glasses, and say "Hey Meta." What you don't know is that somewhere in Kenya, a human being may be watching that same footage.
5 months ago