Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty

Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy.

Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entreprenuership to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago.

As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.

Choe is a New England native and Boston University journalism school graduate.

Archives

Seattle Homelessness Czar Quits Weeks Before FIFA World Cup

No Explanation City of Seattle homelessness czar Jon Grant has abruptly quit, leaving Mayor Katie Wilson holding the bag on the massive drug fueled street crisis. No particular reason was given, but the city issued the following statement saying Grant “chose to resign effective June 1st after playing a key role in advancing the mayor’s highest priority: accelerating the development of new shelters with wraparound services to bring people inside.” My only interaction with Grant happened this past March when he refused to answer questions on the record about the mayor’s new tiny house villages. NEW: Seattle is moving rapidly to expand shelter for homeless drug addicts before the FIFA World Cup comes to the city. Faster than the public has been given time to

Seattle Mayor Makes Way for World Cup, Pushes Homeless to Chinatown

No Outreach In Sight We are just weeks away from the FIFA World Cup Games in Seattle. Mayor Katie Wilson is furiously trying to sweep homeless drug addicts out of the downtown core. But the mess is ending up in nearby Chinatown-ID and Beacon Hill. I spent several hours overnight in these hoods and it is worse than ever. Dozens of people are in the streets and public parks smoking fetty and starting fires to stay warm. No cops or outreach workers in sight. It is a lawless playground. Why is Wilson allowing these communities to devolve into a human dumping ground?

Seattle’s Lewis Park Still Open Despite Rampant Drug Activity

Disaster Area Why is Seattle’s Lewis Park still open? It is a full blown drug den and playground for addicts, fentanyl dealers, and sex traffickers. It’s also home to many missing people. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez and I went looking for Benjamin George Petry this week. Sadly, we did not find him. But we saw so many problems on full display like the inflow crisis. Most of the people slinging meth and fetty aren’t even from this area. We also met a baby faced 19-year-old addicted to all kinds of drugs. Meanwhile, elected officials are paralyzed by this issue and the city has turned into a lawless playground. NEW: Seattle Councilmember Eddie Lin says he might call for the temporary closure of Lewis Park in the Beacon Hill

Lime Bikes Stolen, Used in Homeless Encampments

Cost of Doing Business Homeless drug addicts are now using Lime bikes to prop up their encampments in Seattle. Company workers gathering these rentals must navigate through dangerous encampments to reclaim their property. Cost of doing business in this city under socialist mayor Katie Wilson.

Seattle Clears More than 30 Tents Out of Chinatown, Addicts Refusing Services

Game of Whack-A-Mole Continues After months of paralysis by the city, more than 30 drug tents are being swept out of Chinatown-ID today. Problem is, the vast majority of people here are fentanyl addicts so they are refusing to take shelter and services being offered by the city. They’re just moving down the block and the game of Whack-A-Mole continues. This is exactly why Mayor Katie Wilson’s idea to build more tiny houses to address the street crisis is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Only Homeless INC and the builders will benefit as elected officials race to clear drug encampments before the FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, We Heart Seattle is getting people into treatment and recovery, one person at a time. NEW: Holy crap! The latest drug encampment at

HUGE WIN: Seattle Public Library Cancels Harm Reduction Workshops After Public Exposure

Canceled The Seattle Public Library says there will be no more People’s Harm Reduction Alliance workshops at local branches this year. This news comes after staff with the controversial harm reduction provider got triggered by my video recording, and abruptly canceled the drug paraphernalia workshop. SPL is also responding to some of my questions about FREE Narcan needle kits being given out at the counter with easy access to kids. #EXCLUSIVE: The Seattle Public Library is now allowing the controversial People's Harm Reduction Alliance to hold classes on how to properly use drug paraphernalia. The Capitol Hill library branch is also giving away free Narcan at the front desk in the form of needle kits with… https://t.co/kv70W16mxT

People’s Harm Reduction Alliance Brags About Their “Crack Kits”

Harm Reduction Isn’t Cool The People’s Harm Reduction Alliance calls harm reduction supplies “crack kits.” It includes condoms and drug pipes. ZERO push by this taxpayer funded organization for treatment and recovery. PHRA is being allowed to present “how to use” trainings at the Seattle Public Library. #EXCLUSIVE: The Seattle Public Library is now allowing the controversial People's Harm Reduction Alliance to hold classes on how to properly use drug paraphernalia. The Capitol Hill library branch is also giving away free Narcan at the front desk in the form of needle kits with… https://t.co/kv70W16mxT pic.twitter.com/7BZnUlUUH5— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) May 6, 2026

Seattle Public Library Holds Harm Reduction Courses

Exclusive The Seattle Public Library is now allowing the controversial People’s Harm Reduction Alliance to hold classes on how to properly use drug paraphernalia. The Capitol Hill library branch is also giving away free Narcan at the front desk in the form of needle kits with ZERO training and easy access to minors. Tuesday afternoon, the taxpayer funded PHRA staff got triggered and canceled an information session after they saw me recording. What are they trying to hide? UNENDING DRUG CRISIS: The drug addiction crisis is out of control on the streets of #KingCounty and #Seattle. Our teens and young people are now being targeted with drug paraphernalia, all in the name of "harm reduction." Instead of working on anti-drug education programs in our…

Mayor Katie Wilson Answers: How Do We Care for the Service Resistant?

“I Chose to be a Meth Head” Kevin Kalb is an independent filmmaker known for his “Dregs of the City” YouTube documentaries. He’s in Seattle collaborating with Discovery Institute Media to spotlight the region’s homeless drug crisis. He managed to get an interview with Mayor Katie Wilson and questioned her about the “service resistant” addicts who are causing the most problems on the streets. Wilson gave him spin about city “models” that get the “vast majority” of people off the streets. Not true at all. In fact it’s the opposite. Even the drug addicts laid out reasons why they don’t want city shelters like tiny houses. One woman summed it up best: “I don’t want to lay in my bed and

Low-Barrier Bailey-Boushay House Wreaking Havoc on Seattle Neighborhood

Community Cancer Neighbors and business owners are sounding the alarm about a problematic homeless shelter in Seattle’s picturesque Madison Valley neighborhood. It’s Virginia Mason’s Bailey-Boushay House that’s now being blamed for attracting crime, open-air drug use, and mentally unhinged individuals into the community. This facility gets millions of taxpayer dollars but critics say no one is holding them accountable. This is another black eye for the constellation of “low barrier” facilities that are being championed by Mayor Katie Wilson. 1/ Another Low-Barrier Homeless Shelter Endangers Neighborhood:Seattle’s Madison Valley is a picturesque, middle-class neighborhood, situated just east of Capitol Hill — a place filled with

Mental Illness at a Bus Stop: Why the Homeless and Communities Deserve Better

Unhinged Behavior Bailey-Boushay House in Seattle, known for its HIV/AIDS care and low-barrier homeless shelter, faces major challenges surrounding neighborhood safety and public disorder. Look at this client going on a bender in front of the bus stop that’s frequently used by children and the elderly. 1/ Another Low-Barrier Homeless Shelter Endangers Neighborhood:Seattle’s Madison Valley is a picturesque, middle-class neighborhood, situated just east of Capitol Hill — a place filled with colorful homes, winding streets lined with trees, and yards landscaped with flowers.… pic.twitter.com/MrYAaA329S— Marsha Michaelis (@MarshaMichaelis) April 30, 2026

Madison Valley Resident and Advocate Speaks Out About Impacts of Low-Barrier Housing

A Familiar Pattern A Chicago-based non-profit called CommonSpirit now controls Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s Bailey-Boushay House. The controversial taxpayer-funded homeless shelter is being blamed for a spike in crime, drug use, and disorder in Seattle’s Madison Valley. The embattled King County Regional Homelessness Authority is supposed to hold them accountable but has failed to do so. My colleague Marsha Michaelis and I are taking a closer look at the way “low barrier” facilities are destroying communities in WA. 1/ Another Low-Barrier Homeless Shelter Endangers Neighborhood:Seattle’s Madison Valley is a picturesque, middle-class neighborhood, situated just east of Capitol Hill — a place filled with colorful homes, winding streets

Open-Air Drug Use, Black Market of Stolen Goods Alive and Well Under Mayor Wilson

Out of Control Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has lost control of her streets. Parts of Chinatown-ID are packed with drug dealers slinging fentanyl, people are recklessly starting fires on sidewalks, and the black market of stolen goods is thriving. There is no way Wilson has this under control by June when FIFA World Cup games are played in the city. Remind me again what the plan is to address this disaster zone?

Drug Addiction on the Streets of Seattle’s Chinatown

Wasting Away Look at the fetty addicts passed out this weekend on the streets of Seattle’s Chinatown-ID. Some dudes are getting robbed of their cash because they are stuck in their drug induced stupor and have no idea their wallets have fallen out of their pockets.

Danger at Seattle’s Lewis Park Palpable After Dark

Missing Person Seattle’s Lewis Park is a crime magnet and drug hell hole. Late Saturday evening, a dad reached out to me and said he was looking for his daughter named “Candace.” For privacy reasons, I am not putting out her photo. At least for now. But I was told she was last seen with drug addicts in this Beacon Hill park. So I decided to go in and look. The moment I walked in, a group of Honduran drug dealers offered me fentanyl. It was one of the riskier missions I’ve been on since it was pitch black. The area is very narrow and the escape routes are minimal in the event I am attacked. I couldn’t stay long since I was immediately outed. The dealers referred to me as “Chino” and the addicts called me “YouTube” due

Homeless Woman Found Living in Trash-Filled Box Truck for Years

No One Should Be Living This Way A homeless woman living in a trash filled box truck was rescued in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Outreach group We Heart Seattle forced the city to intervene, exposing this biohazard in the community. This shocking scene also spotlights King County’s broken affordable housing network. Critics say it prioritizes chronically homeless drug addicts over people who seek clean and sober housing. A woman hadn’t left her box truck in over 3 years. Her garbage and human waste buckets were no longer being slipped through her door for her homeless neighbor to collect and dispose. He asked me for help. After she refused all services, we called for a wellness check today.… pic.twitter.com/jxiDcU4rbr— We Heart Seattle

Full Tour of Trash-Filled Box Truck Reveals How City Fails the Homeless

Behind the Scenes Look at this insane house of horrors! We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez and her team saved a homeless woman living in this biohazard. Why do city leaders allow this? #EXCLUSIVE: A homeless woman living in a trash filled box truck was rescued in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. Outreach group We Heart Seattle forced the city to intervene, exposing this biohazard in the community. This shocking scene also spotlights King County's broken… https://t.co/syLZKymXNF pic.twitter.com/STE0smH3sp— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) April 21, 2026

Seattle Lets Drug and Criminal Activity Thrive in Asian American Community

Out of Control Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood is out of control. The drug den and black market of stolen goods is thriving Thursday afternoon. Dudes are openly selling meth and also talking about buying high quality fentanyl from Honduran drug dealers nearby. Meanwhile, no cops in sight and addicts are driving a hard bargain on stolen laundry detergent. From now until the FIFA World Cup in June, I will be giving weekly updates from this Asian American community that’s now a containment zone and human dumping ground for the city. Mayor Katie Wilson has no solutions and is allowing this minority community to be victimized again. HAPPENING NOW: Sunday evening, the drug den at the corner of 12th Ave & Jackson St in Seattle's Chinatown-ID is

Homeless Illegal Immigrants Receive Taxpayer-Funded Sex Change Surgeries in California

All on the Taxpayers’ Dime What a time to be alive if you are a transgender homeless migrant in California. Check out what taxpayers are funding. Welcome to America. EXCLUSIVE: Homeless transgender illegals in California are crossing the border to receive taxpayer-funded sex changes. It's one of the worst kept secrets on the streets. Meanwhile, the state is facing a multibillion dollar budget shortfall. I wonder why? https://t.co/J29AIPyHW2 pic.twitter.com/AZiOcsphsS— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) April 15, 2026