Let’s talk about it! Here’s Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows

LINKS:

• Emerald City Comic Con
• Tacoma Beer Week
• Winthrop Hot Air Balloon Round Up
• Oops All Goalies!
• Lunar New Year Celebration | Seattle Chinatown-International District
• Penn Cove Musselfest
• Northwest Record Show

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Defense designated Anthropic, the U.S.-based AI company, a supply chain risk. This was shortly after President Trump ordered all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic technology.

The announcement came as DoD and the AI company failed to reach a deal on how Anthropic technology could be used in classified networks.

The sticking points in contract negotiations? Two use cases: Mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.

Anthropic had a $200 million contract with the Pentagon – and its Claude AI model was reportedly used in the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. 

Out of the shambles of the Anthropic negotiation.The Pentagon quickly announced a deal with its rival, Open AI.

The contract dispute points to the increasing role of AI in the military and what safeguards may exist for its use both domestically and in war. 

Guest:

Bill Howe, associate professor at the University of Washington’s Information School. He runs UW’s Responsibility in AI Systems and Experiences center

Relevant Links:

NYT: How Talks Between Anthropic and the Defense Dept. Fell Apart

WSJ: What’s Really at Stake in the Fight Between Anthropic and the Pentagon

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After 38 years at Microsoft, Phil Spencer is stepping away from his role as CEO of Microsoft Gaming. 

His was an incredibly long tenure, and it’s leaving many to wonder what it means for XBox, Microsoft Gaming, and gamers alike.

GUEST: Todd Bishop - Co-Founder of Geekwire

LINKS:

• Xbox chief Phil Spencer retiring after 38 years at Microsoft; Asha Sharma named new gaming CEO
• Who is Asha Sharma? A closer look at Microsoft’s surprise pick to lead the Xbox business
• Analysis: The best thing that the new Xbox CEO can do is ... nothing

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest:

• Paul Queary - Editor and Publisher at The Washington Observer

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the league and players can’t shake hands on a new collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, by next Tuesday, the 2026 season could be delayed.

The Seattle Storm's Nneka Ogwumike is president of the WNBA players' union, and she's led the union as labor negotiations have progressed for over a year. The two sides are months past their original deadline for a deal.  

We talk about the key issues driving bargaining with a reporter covering the league. 

Guest

Sabreena Merchant, staff writer, The Athletic 

Related Links

WNBA’s new CBA offer boosts pay, fast-tracks max deals for stars like Caitlin Clark, AP source says - The Associated Press

Kelsey Plum sees WNBA's offer as a 'win,' but CBA talks continue - ESPN

What a March CBA deal would mean for WNBA free agency, expansion and the draft - The Athletic

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They’re basically tiny pieces of silicon semiconductor wafers that drive our tech-focused economy.

And their supply chain is highly centralized. Most chips come from just one country, Taiwan. And Taiwan is in a very delicate geopolitical position. 

China has claimed sovereignty over the island democracy since the founding of the PRC, in 1949. 

If China ever decided to exert its claims using military force – that could put chip production in danger. Potentially leading to the largest economic downfall since the Great Depression. 

According to documents obtained by the New York Times, it’s an issue tech companies here in the US have known about for years, and have largely tried to ignore.

Guest:

• Tripp Mickle, Silicon Valley reporter for the New York Times

Related stories:

• The Looming Taiwan Chip Disaster That Silicon Valley Has Long Ignored - NYT
• Nvidia’s Quarterly Profit Hits $43 Billion on Strong A.I. Chip Sales - NYT

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

….. But these files also show that Epstein’s connections within the company Gates co-founded, Microsoft, were more widespread than previously known. 

Epstein built relationships with several of Microsoft’s top executives. He traded gifts and advice with them, and even invited some to his island. 

And, through these big players, Epstein also got access to the inner workings of the company. 

Guests: 

• Karen Weise, a technology correspondent for The New York Times who’s based in Seattle 

Related links:

• How Jeffrey Epstein Ingratiated Himself With Top Microsoft Executives - The New York Times
• Records show deeper ties between Epstein, ex-Microsoft exec Myhrvold | The Seattle Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

But, for a small group, “antifa” is more than just a label. 

In his new book, journalist Christopher Mathias reports that for self-identified members of antifa, the bulk of their work actually involves infiltrating right-wing extremist groups.

Often, this takes the form of intelligence gathering online. In some cases it means disguising themselves for in-person operations: becoming members, showing up, getting peoples’ real names and plans. 

One man did just that in the Seattle area. Mathias tells his story in a new book. 

Guest

Christopher Mathias, journalist covering antifa and the far right, author, "To Catch A Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right"

Related Link

What’s behind the White House’s anti-antifa order - Soundside, KUOW

White nationalists claimed WA man doxxed them. How a judge responded - Tacoma News Tribune

Antifa used to unmask neo-Nazis, now it’s exposing ICE: ‘Predators don’t get anonymity’ - The Guardian

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The stated purpose of the event was to memorialize those who lost their lives during the Islamic Republic’s deadly crackdown on protesters in January, which had a death toll estimated in the tens of thousands.

With the U.S. and Israel striking Iran over the weekend, the event also provided a place to process the beginning of war.

The event was organized by the Seattle Isfahan Sister City Advocacy group.

ALSO: analysis of the widening conflict in the Middle East with Reşat Kasaba, professor at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies.

RELATED LINKS:

• Iran Hits Back Across the Mideast, Targeting U.S. Bases and Allies

• Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is 'not Iraq' and is 'not endless'

• What to Know About the Widening Fallout From the Bombing of Iran

• Push from Saudis, Israel helped move Trump to attack Iran 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After three new light rail stations opened up south of Seattle in December, the light rail is set to start running across Lake Washington about a month from now.

But budget issues may complicate plans for the future lines. We'll get into that and much more.

Guest:

• Dow Constantine, CEO of Sound Transit

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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Two of our Soundside producers are celebrating their birthdays this weekend, (Happy Birthday Maleeha Syed and Gabi Healy!!)

Women’s hockey is BACK at Climate Pledge Arena, AND it’s the final days of Black History Month, so let’s go out & do some stuff!!

Here’s Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows to get us caught up on all that’s happening!

LINKS:

• Mad Science: A night of Improv and Laughter
• Seattle Torrent vs Toronto Scepters
• Kraken vs Canucks
• Sea Slug Animation Festival 2026
• Poulsbo Blues & Jazz Festival
• Tacoma Beer Week Events
• Free Rose Pruning Demonstration - Woodland Park Zoo
• Doughboys - Seattle Theatre Group
• 4th Annual Black Makers & Creatives Art Exhibit
• Iranian Vigil & Solidarity Art Exhibition

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These chatbots have a wealth of information at their metaphorical fingertips. But the accuracy of the information that they offer us is, well, questionable.

But it makes sense why some people turn to AI for medical advice.

They’re usually free, which gives them an upper hand when healthcare in the United States is so expensive. 

They’re also easy to access, so people can get their questions answered immediately, instead of waiting for an opening at their doctor’s office. 

And they’re trained to be empathic, which is especially appealing to patients who don’t feel valued in medical settings. 

In this "Ask a Doctor" segment, we explore the world of health advice and chatbots with two medical professionals. 

Guests: 

• Angad Singh is a family medicine physician. He's also an Associate Chief Clinical Information Officer and Clinical Associate Professor at UW Medicine.
• Danielle Bitterman is an assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Clinical Lead for Data Science and AI at Mass General Brigham.

Related links:

• A.I. Chatbots Are Changing How Patients Get Medical Advice - The New York Times
• How to Use ChatGPT for Health Advice | Right as Rain
• Health Advice From A.I. Chatbots Is Frequently Wrong, Study Shows - The New York Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest:

• Jane C Hu - journalist and host of City Cast Seattle

Related stories: 

• City Council weighs in on mayor’s pick for Seattle’s highest-paid job - Seattle Times
• Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026: What it takes to rent your home on Airbnb - Seattle Times
• Why ‘No Right Turn on Red’ Signs Are Multiplying. Plus, Seattle’s Best Places To Cry and Criminal Drones - City Cast Seattle
• Murals by henry bring joy to Seattle, but it took decades to get there - KUOW

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He taught biology. He ran a popular outdoors program. And, according to the rumor, he sexually abused students. 

The journalists broke the news of these allegations for their school newspaper…. And chaos unfolded. 

The reporters faced pressure to step down from the paper. Their schoolmates turned on them. Their teacher was placed on leave. 

And, just a few months after everything blew up, Mr. Hudson died by suicide.  

“Adults in the Room” is a new series from KUOW that explores the questions that went unanswered 27 years ago: Did Mr. Hudson really abuse these students? Or did these young journalists act irresponsibly, at the expense of a teacher’s life? 

Guests: 

• Isolde Raftery is a managing editor at KUOW. She's also the host of “Adults in the Room" and 

  one of the student journalists who broke the news on these allegations at Garfield. 

Related links: 

• KUOW - Focus: Adults in the Room
• KUOW - Two Seattle girls learn a secret at their high school. Their lives change forever
• KUOW - In 'Adults in the Room,' a KUOW investigative journalist re-reports the story that's haunted her for nearly three decades

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Sunday a Mexican military raid killed cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, more commonly known as El Mencho. 

In response, members of his Jalisco New Generation Cartel created havoc throughout the nation - lighting cars and buildings on fire, ransacking businesses, and setting up blockades along major roadways throughout the country.

According to authorities at least 62 people have died since Sunday - including cartel members, security officers, and civilians. 

Flights to and from Seatac to various airports in Mexico were cancelled, as the US government recommended that all US citizens and residents shelter in place.

Guest:

• Vanessa Freije is an Associate Professor of International Studies, and she’s the chair of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Washington. She's currently based in Mexico City.

Related stories:

• Mexico Is Caught Between Trump and the Cartels - NYT
• What to Know About the Cartels Operating in Mexico - NYT

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: 

• Seattle Times reporter Jim Brunner

Related stories:

• T.S.A. Says PreCheck Will Remain Operational at Airports - NYT
• Sen. Cantwell, WA elections officials slam Trump-backed voter ID bill - Seattle Times
• In Washington State, Democrats Consider Breaking a Taboo: Taxing the Rich - NYT

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The paper is called Top of the Mountain. It details the goings on in the prison as well as recipes for the food you can buy at the commissary, advice from long time residents, and interviews with the formerly incarcerated.

Top of The Mountain started after three people committed suicide in the unit. The goal was to be a way to form connection. It has grown into a labor of love. 

We spoke with the founder of Top of The Mountain and a reporter there about the paper and what it means to the prison community

Guests:

Jennifer Jaylee, founder of Top of the Mountain

Jeffrey McKee, writer for Top of the Mountain

Relevant Links:

Prison Journalism Project: My Job at a Washington State Prison Newsmagazine

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lee’s adult life in America started when he moved to Seattle, still a teenager –  where he studied at the University of Washington, washed dishes at a restaurant, and eventually opened his own gung fu schools. He also met his wife, Linda, once a martial arts student.

His five years in Seattle were formative for Lee both in terms of learning about America, but also about himself and honing his cross-cultural philosophy. 

That’s the subject of a new play at Seattle Children’s Theater called Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story, it runs through March 22nd. 

Guest:

Shannon Lee, founder and chair of the Bruce Lee Foundation and author of Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee

Relevant Links:

Seattle Children's Theater page

Bruce Lee Foundation website

Seattle Times: Seattle Children’s Theatre Bruce Lee play fights on after Kennedy Center canceling

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The months-long campaign led to intense protest. Two American citizens were shot and killed by immigration enforcement officers during the operation.

Local prosecutors have been trying to investigate those shootings but they say they have been rebuffed by the federal government.

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it was denied access to evidence by the FBI meanwhile, Hennepin County prosecutors in Minneapolis are crowdsourcing evidence from people who videotaped one of the shootings. 

Like local officials everywhere, King County is navigating a shifting relationship with the federal government and the possibility that an immigration enforcement surge could happen here.

Guests:

Leesa Manion, King County Prosecuting Attorney

Gary Ernsdorff, Supervising Attorney at the Special Operations Unit

Relevant Links:

KCPAO: Manion Reaffirms Commitment to Protecting King County from Unlawful Deployment of ICE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let’s get out of the house this weekend & do some fun stuff!

“What fun stuff?” you may ask… and with that answer is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!

LINKS:

• Northwest Flower & Garden Festival
• Seattle Home & Garden Show
• Wintergrass Festival
• Black History Month Soirée 2026 - Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
• Lunar New Year Family Festival | Seattle Art Museum
• Cupid's Undie Run at The Dock in Fremont
• Cardi B - Climate Pledge Arena

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

But federal wildland firefighters across the country were also wearing pants containing potentially dangerous PFAS chemicals, according to reporting this month from ProPublica. 

Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew about that risk for years, before it became public knowledge. 

In Washington, fire seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer and just last year, western Washington experienced its largest fire in a generation.

Reporter Abe Streep covered all of this for ProPublica, and he talked with KUOW's Paige Browning.

Related Links

Firefighters Wore Gear Containing “Forever Chemicals.” The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years.

“It Feels Impossible to Stay”: The U.S. Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This research backs up a trend that doctors have been seeing for a while now: Colon cancer isn’t just a disease that affects older people. 

Just last week, James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson on “Dawson’s Creek” died of colorectal cancer. He was 48 years old. 

In the past few years, more health organizations have followed the American Cancer Society in lowering the recommended age for colon cancer screenings from 50 to 45 years old. 

And more recently, there’s been a trend online that encourages people to start “fibermaxxing”... which is just a fancy way of telling them to eat more fiber.  

We talk to a doctor about this trend and the symptoms to look out for when it comes to colon cancer. 

Guests: 

• Dr. Rachel Issaka, director of the colorectal cancer screening program for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and UW Medicine

Related links: 

• Leading Cancer Deaths in People Younger Than 50 Years | Breast Cancer | JAMA | JAMA Network
• Colorectal Cancer Is Now the Top Cause of Cancer Death in Younger People - WSJ

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: 

• Seattle Times reporter David Kroman

Related stories:

• Seattle Seahawks begin sale process, less than 2 weeks after winning Super Bowl - NYT
• Katie Wilson promises shelter, focus on public safety in first year of office - Seattle Times
• Tension rising over how to spend revenue from proposed WA income tax - Washington State Standard

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The current Presidential administration says that climate change is a “hoax” and that environmental regulations hinder the economy.  

Current EPA head Lee Zeldin is praising the move by Trump. Environmental activists and democratic lawmakers took no time to denounce the decision, saying that it will harm public health and lead to intensifying climate change related catastrophes, such as wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding.

And, of course, there’s a court challenge. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that California intends to sue the federal government over this change – potentially leading to a drawn out, years long battle to determine what the EPA can and cannot do when it comes to greenhouse gas regulation. Washington attorney general Nick Brown has promised something similar.

But how could its repeal change climate science and policy in the United States? And what does it mean for Washington?

Guests:

• David Battisti - Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Science and Tamaki Endowed Chair at the University of Washington
• Former Washington State Governor Jay Inslee

Related stories:

• As U.S. abandons climate fight, Washington state feels the heat to do more - KUOW
• Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change - NYT
• Future of Washington state’s climate-pollution fund up in the air - KUOW

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The theater’s six story tall and 80 foot wide screen has endeared itself to local movie goers since it opened nearly 30 years ago. 

Pacific Science Center sent out an email last week confirming they are selling the Boeing Imax, and a parcel of land equaling nearly a quarter of its footprint at Seattle Center.

The buyer is a familiar neighbor: The Space Needle.

And Space Needle leaders said, through a statement, they intend to keep operating the theater.

GUEST: Chase Hutchinson - Freelance writer & film critic

RELATED LINKS: 

• Pacific Science Center’s Boeing IMAX Theater to Be Sold to Space Needle
• Seattle’s Pacific Science Center to sell IMAX theater, part of property
• PacSci Real Estate Transaction - Pacific Science Center

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a time for love, of course. For fancy dinners. Cute notes. And hopefully, for some, a time for intimacy.

We review some of the research, and get some advice, on our burning questions about sex, love and relationships.

Guest

Professor Nicole McNichols, author,  You Could Be Having Better Sex: The Definitive Guide to a Happier, Healthier, and Hotter Sex Life, @nicole_thesexprofessor

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are your voices recovering from the Seahawks parade? Or from yelling at the Olympics on t-v like me? 

Let’s get out there and do something FUN, or cute and sweet, for Valentine’s Day weekend! 

Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows here with almost all of the lovely options we've got for the weekend!

LINKS:

• The Atomic Bombshells: J’ADORE 17 Year Anniversary at Triple Door
• Winter Festival | Early Music Seattle
• Noir City - SIFF
• After Hours Premier: No Pressure Valentines - Seattle Aquarium
• Busch Light PBR Everett
• Comedy of Love: A Valentine's Day Improv
• Disenchanted! | Tacoma City Theaters
• Science After Dark - Pacific Science Center
• Get a Friday the 13th Tattoo at One of These Seattle Shops

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, as frustrating as it can be, we understand that there’s a fair bit of truth-bending involved in finding love online:

Like pictures with really flattering angles or exaggerations of interests. 

All’s fair in love and/or exciting-but-sometimes-brief-and-often-regretted romance.

But is it fair if someone’s using AI to make basic conversation?

A growing number of daters report asking ChatGPT – or one of a flurry of new “AI dating assistant” startups – to craft questions and answers on dating apps.

Was that witty repartee in your DMs generated by a bot? How much has dating been co-opted by digital wingmen, and what does it mean for the future of digital romance? 

Guest:

Henry Chandonett, reporter for Business Insider

Relevant Links:

Business Insider: The Rise of the AI Wingman

The Guardian: ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Need we say more? Surely by now, you know that your Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl this year.

KUOW's Noel Gasca was on the scene of the Seahawks Victory Parade in downtown Seattle, she talked with us about what she saw. 

Guest

Noel Gasca, reporter, KUOW

Related Links

Seattle's 12s celebrate Super Bowl champion Seahawks

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: 

• Author of the Savage Love column and host of the Savage Lovecast Podcast, Dan Savage

Related Stories:

• As US Olympians call for tolerance and LGBTQ rights, some face Trump attacks and online hate - NPR
• ‘Heated Rivalry’ Reaches 10.6 Million Viewers in The U.S. With Audience Increasing by Over 100% Since Finale - Variety

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Depending on how things turn out, the outdoor gear brand could see the closure of nearly 200 stores across the United States and Canada. The Seattle Times also reports that the company's store operator plans to close its headquarters in Seattle and lay off 60 workers. 

This isn’t the first sign of trouble for the Seattle-based business, which faced bankruptcy proceedings in 2003 and 2009. 

This latest filing won’t affect the company’s wholesale, manufacturing or online operations -- so it’s not like the brand’s going away completely.

But the news still feels pretty big…. 

Because once upon a time, not too long ago, Eddie Bauer was a premiere spot for outdoor gear. It outfitted the first American to summit Mount Everest.  

And there was a time when it was quite the fashion statement to walk into work with an Eddie Bauer puffer. 

As the company faces an uncertain future, we decided to reflect on its legacy. 

Guests: 

• Clara Berg, a fashion historian and Curator of Collections at MOHAI.

Related links:

• Our Story – Eddie Bauer
• Eddie Bauer to close its Seattle headquarters, lay off 60 workers | The Seattle Times
• Eddie Bauer: From Outdoor Staple to Bankruptcy Watch - Business Insider
• Retail operator of Eddie Bauer files for bankruptcy, will keep stores open during restructuring | AP News
• Eddie Bauer store operator files for bankruptcy, seeks sale | Reuters

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed an executive order, titled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.“

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently disclosed it's investigating Nike for “systemic allegations of DEI-related intentional race discrimination” against white workers.

Nike does have regional ties – with headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. But... this is Nike: “Just Do It” and Air Jordans. We’re talking about a global entity, and this investigation could have wide ranging implications for employment practices nationwide.

Guests: 

• Rebecca Davis O'Brien, a labor reporter at The New York Times

Related links: 

• EEOC Files Subpoena Enforcement Action Against NIKE | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• Nike, Accused of Bias Against White Workers, Is Under Federal Investigation - The New York Times
• What to Know About the Federal Investigation Into Nike - The New York Times
• Nike and Trump’s Supporters Have Been on a Collision Course for Years - The New York Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hanging over all of this is budget tightening in Olympia state lawmakers are planning a multi million dollar cut to legal assistance for tenants. 

Are we at a crisis point when it comes to the number of evictions in our state?

Links:

Seattle Times: King County, WA eviction levels hit an all-time high, again

Guest:

Alexis Weisend, real estate reporter at the Seattle Times

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

But football fans had other ways to amp up the excitement:

Betting cold hard cash.

It’s impossible to avoid hearing about betting when you’re watching most sporting events in the US these days -- let alone the biggest game of the year.

According to the American Gambling Association, Americans were expected to wager $1.76 billion dollars on this year’s Super Bowl. That’s a near 27% increase over last year.

Now, sports betting is still illegal in Washington state outside of tribal casinos. 

But, as the mobile betting market has expanded legally into more and more states, alternative means for placing bets have become increasingly popular - even in states like Washington.

And according to my next guest, that market isn’t just shaping how we watch the game. It’s changing the game itself.

Guest:

• Danny Funt covers sports betting as a contributor at the Washington Post, and he’s the author of the new book “Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling”

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Seattle wasn’t supposed to dominate its division, or field another historic defense, or win the Super Bowl for the second time in team history.

But that’s exactly what happened this season, culminating in yesterday’s 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots.

From the trophy presentation at Levi's Stadium to the triumphant confines of Seattle bars … KUOW’s Natalie Akane Newcomb brings us this audio postcard.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: KUOW Politics Editor Cat Smith

Related Links:

• Super Bowl 2026: Dominant Seahawks show they’re here to stay
• Review: Bad Bunny brought Puerto Rico's history and culture to a revolutionary Super Bowl show
• Super Bowl LIX averages record audience of 127.7 million viewers
• Trump, Bad Bunny and Puerto Rico’s Perennially Broken Power Grid - POLITICO
• Trump bashes Bad Bunny’s halftime spectacle - POLITICO
• "Good Will Dunkin' : The Pilot"
• Seahawks owner Jody Allen isn’t a placeholder. She’s an essential leader
• When the Seattle Seahawks sell, will any tech execs step up for the 12s?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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The shop will serve drinks that reflect Thailand’s popular flavors and hot climate. Nudibranch also plans to host low-cost community events at the shop, like guest chef nights and gallery walks.

This cafe-slash-community-space is just a few days away from opening its doors...

But we were able to steal some time from the busy owners to hear how the vision for Seattle’s first Thai coffee shop came together.

Guests: 

• Emily Sirisup and Cole Arnesen, two of Nudibranch Coffee's founders 

Related links: 

• Nudibranch Coffee | Explore Thai Coffee Today
• Nudibranch Wants to Be Seattle’s First Thai Coffee Shop | Eater Seattle
• Nudibranch will bring Thai coffee to former Capitol Hill vegan doughnut shop | CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Maybe something sports related?

LINKS:

• Olympic Opening Ceremony
• Olympic Women's Hockey @ Rough & Tumble Ballard
  • Full Watch Party Schedule
• Ear Hustle | Town Hall Seattle
• Eagle Festival | Arlington, WA
• Enumclaw Wine & Chocolate Festival
• Chocolate “Escape Room” challenge
• Washington State Gaming Expo / Anime Washington
• The Grave Plot Film Fest
• Seahawks at Patriots Super Bowl LX Game Center

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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WSDOT has encouraged travelers to Seattle, especially commuters, to consider using the bus instead of clogging the freeway with more cars. 

But that might be a hard sell. Perennial concerns about safety, reliability, and access have plagued King County Metro, and other transit options. 

And elsewhere in the city, Mayor Katie Wilson has called for a dedicated lane for the crosstown Route 8 bus.  

We're talking about it all, plus putting your questions (and complaints) to the general manager of King County Metro. 

Guest

Michelle Allison, general manager, King County Metro

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

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It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: Axios Twin Cities newsletter co-author Kyle Stokes

Related stories:

• Trump administration pulling 700 immigration agents from Minnesota - Axios
• How Minnesota's rapid responders track ICE agents in real time - Axios
• Melinda French Gates reacts to new details about Bill Gates in the Epstein files - NPR

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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A proposal introduced in the State Legislature this month would require it. 

If it passes, Washington will join over 20 states that already require age verification.

Critics have said the law makes users vulnerable to data breaches and that content about LGBTQ people can be flagged as sexual, instead of educational, among other issues. 

So far, the bill hasn’t made it out of the House Consumer Protection and Business committee. But meanwhile, the core question remains: What to do about the access kids have to harmful sexual materials on an ever-changing internet? 

Guests

Shauna Sowersby, state politics reporter at The Seattle Times

Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor at the University of Washington, @nicole_thesexprofessor 

Links

HB 2112 - 2025-26, establishing an age minimum to access certain adult content online

WA age verification bill targets access to online adult content - The Seattle Times

The Age-Gated Internet Is Sweeping the US. Activists Are Fighting Back - Jason Parham, Wired

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

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In some cases, they might also use a spit hood. 

This is a mesh or cloth covering that goes over a patient’s head. It was patented for law enforcement to use during arrests. Critics of these devices consider them dehumanizing…. And in some cases, dangerous. 

In the past decade, at least five people in the United States died in medical care incidents involving spit hoods. And the FDA doesn’t classify them as medical devices, which means they aren’t subjected to safety regulations.

This all comes to us in a new investigation from The Seattle Times. The reporting looks at how spit hoods are used in medical facilities across the country. 

Guests: 

• Hannah Furfaro, a mental health reporter at the Seattle Times and the journalist behind “Shrouded in Secrecy.”

Related links: 

• Shrouded in Secrecy: An investigation from The Seattle Times | The Seattle Times
• When hospitals use spit hoods on patients, no one is watching | The Seattle Times
• Where and how spit hoods are used across the U.S. | The Seattle Times
• How safe are spit hoods — and do they actually work? | The Seattle Times
• How spit hood use could be made safer, according to experts | The Seattle Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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But let’s talk about how people in Washington are currently most likely to interact with Customs and Border Protection: At the border.

At those crossings, there is the potential, for your phone, or other devices, to be searched. 

Last fiscal year, Customs and Border Protection reported a 16 percent increase in searches of digital devices compared with 2024.

Maybe you’re planning to head to Canada for a weekend trip, or maybe to the warm weather of Mexico during our dark and dreary winter,

Should you expect your phone to be searched at the border? And what steps can you take to protect your data?

GUEST: Gabe Castro-Root, New York Times

RELATED LINKS: 

• Phone Searches at the Border Are Up: How to Protect Your Privacy
• Traveling to the U.S. Under Trump: Visas, Border Control and What to Know
• Border Search of Electronic Devices at Ports of Entry

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

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Ben Shuldiner was the only finalist for the position, and the Seattle School Board unanimously approved his contract back in November.

On Sunday he stepped into the role early after two teenagers, who are believed to be SPS students, were shot and killed at a bus stop in Rainier Valley. The shooting happened near both South Shore PK-8, and Rainier Beach High School.

Soundside sat down with Shuldiner to get his response to the shooting, and to preview his priorities for leading the largest school district in Washington.

Guest:

• Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner

Related stories:

• 2 teen boys killed at bus stop on Rainier Avenue in Seattle - KUOW
• Seattle School Board names lone superintendent finalist, a district leader recruited from Michigan - KUOW
• No cops at Garfield High. Seattle School Board rejects plan to revive resource officer program - KUOW

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: KUOW Reporter, Producer, and Documentary Podcast Creator Will James

Related stories:

• 2 teen boys killed at bus stop on Rainier Avenue in Seattle
• Seattle-area businesses, students join national general strike
• Seattle CHOP verdict: City must pay $30.5 million to family of slain teen
• Grammys 2026: Zach Top leads WA winners

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the first feature film directed by Kristen Stewart. And it tackles heavy themes that the protagonist experiences firsthand, like sexual abuse and drug addiction. 

But it also explores the beauty in that life, like the escape she finds in competitive swimming, which lands her a college scholarship… And later, a passion for storytelling that she discovers in a creative-writing class. 

“The Chronology of Water” may be a work of art, but it isn’t a work of fiction. 

It’s adapted from the real-life story of Lidia Yuknavitch, an Oregon author who published a memoir with the same title in 2011. 

The film is screening at SIFF on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. 

Guests: 

• Lidia Yuknavitch, the author of "The Chronology of Water"

Related links: 

• The Chronology of Water | Lidia Yuknavitch | Hawthorne Books
• ‘The Chronology of Water’ Author Lidia Yuknavitch on Having Her Memoir Adapted by Kristen Stewart | Vogue
• “The Chronology of Water” Is an Extraordinary Directorial Début | The New Yorker
• The Chronology of Water | SIFF 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Maybe this will help ease the frustration while you wait in traffic. It could be worse: we could need a whole new bridge.

That’s the situation for the I-5 span over the Columbia River, at the border of Washington and Oregon. Parts of the crossing are over 100 years old, and local leaders have discussed a replacement for decades.

Planning between Washington and Oregon started twenty years ago … the project hasn’t broken ground yet, and cost estimates have recently ballooned.

But the I-5 bridge replacement got good news from the Coast Guard this month that could make it a tad less pricey.

Guests: 

• Carley Francis, Interim Program Administrator for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program

Related links: 

• Interstate Bridge Replacement Program
• Washington State Is Losing Control of the Columbia Interstate Bridge Replacement Megaproject » The Urbanist
• Coast Guard OKs new I-5 bridge over Columbia River without movable span • Washington State Standard

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Let’s do something FUN this weekend! Here with all the stuff to do is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!!

LINKS:

• Washington Sportsmen's Show
• Tacoma Home + Garden Show
• Heated Rivalry Rave | Neumos
• sQuatch Fest + Galactic Fest 2026
• For Your Consideration - SIFF
• The Chronology of Water - SIFF
• Battle of the Sound: Seattle Thunderbirds vs Everett Silvertips
• Tacoma Tattoo Expo 2026
• Seattle Wedding Show
• Drag Queen Bingo - Chuck’s Hop Shop Seward Park

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re discuss a range of topics - from drug laws and diversion, to federal immigration enforcement in the city. 

And a quick reminder about the city attorney’s duties: They enforce Seattle’s laws, prosecute misdemeanor crimes and defend the city in court.

Guest:

•  Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans

Related storieS:

• Seattle doubles down on diversion — not charges — for public drug use - KUOW
• Ferguson, Brown pledge legal action if ICE violates WA residents’ rights - Seattle Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Pretti, a 37 year old VA nurse, was shot and killed on Saturday by Customs and Border Patrol agents. It was the second deadly shooting in one month by immigration officers in Minnesota. 

Federal officials said Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.” Pretti did have a gun on him, which he was legally licensed to carry.  Video of the scene does not show him brandishing the weapon and he appeared to be disarmed before he was shot by CBP. 

After several members of his administration spent the weekend defending the agents’ actions, President Trump on Monday relieved Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino of command duties in Minnesota and put border czar Tom Homan in charge.

Governor Tim Walz said in a statement that he spoke with Homan this morning and they agreed to the need for “an ongoing dialogue.”

Since the Pretti killing, some Republicans in congress have signaled rare criticism of the President’s policies. Some called for an  independent investigation and appear to be pushing to de-escalate the situation in Minnesota. 

Meanwhile, there is a showdown in Congress this week over funding for DHS – fueled by outrage over the events in Minneapolis – and it’s all leading to a potential federal government shutdown looming on Friday.

Guest: 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal - U.S. Representative from Washington's 7th District

Relevant Links:

NPR: In the wake of Alex Pretti's death, Congress appears on track for a partial shutdown

NPR: Tensions escalate in Minnesota after another killing

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Politico has documented more than 2,400 cases across the country, in which judges have rejected the administration’s detention policy.  

Across our own state local police departments have put out statements about what they can and cannot do when ICE comes to their communities.

In the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, many Police Departments were challenged to renew their focus on civil rights – to avoid the kinds of shootings, injuries, and lawsuits we see around ICE and Border Patrol right now. 

According to reporting by The Atlantic and the Wall Street Journal, that’s led to a rift between federal agents and police officers, as they see ICE using tactics previously denigrated by the Justice Department in the wake of George Floyd. 

But what are police officers able to do when confronting potential civil rights violations by federal agents?

Guest:

• Tahir Duckett is the Executive Director of the Center for Innovations in Community Safety at Georgetown Law. The center runs the ABLE project, which teaches police how to intervene during civil rights violations by fellow law enforcement officers

Related stories:

• Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project - Georgetown Law
• Police and ICE Agents Are on a Collision Course - The Atlantic
• Police Who Once Backed ICE’s Mission Are Losing Faith in Its Tactics - Wall Street Journal

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a press conference last month, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. argued that infant formula falls short in comparison to breast milk. 

And in a strategy report published last September called “Make Our Children Healthy Again," the White House said it would “work to increase breastfeeding rates.” 

In some corners, these initiatives and comments have ruffled feathers – with critics arguing the emphasis was tantamount to shaming women who can’t or choose not to breastfeed. 

But they also got us thinking about the science behind the breast milk versus infant formula debate ….  and why it’s still so controversial when people have been feeding their babies since, well… forever. 

Guests: 

• Janelle Guirguis-Blake, a practicing family physician in Tacoma and clinical professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Related links: 

• The-MAHA-Strategy-WH.pdf
• RFK Jr. is investigating infant formula. Here’s what’s at stake | CNN
• Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for Infants and Children: A Systematic Review | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics
• HHS, FDA Announce Operation Stork Speed to Expand Options for Safe, Reliable, and Nutritious Infant Formula for American Families | FDA

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest:

Seattle Times reporter David Kroman

Related stories:

• 'Not our America.' Washington state leaders condemn federal shootings in Minnesota - KUOW
• Super Bowl 60 is set and it's a rematch from 11 years ago: Patriots vs. Seahawks - KUOW

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And here with all the random stuff you can do this weekend is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!

LINKS:

• Edible Books — Shorelake Arts
• GameSymphonic with Eímear Noone | Seattle Symphony
• Pacific NW Reptile & Exotic Animal Show
• Jet City Roller Derby 20th Anniversary Season Game 1
• 5th Annual Viking Beard Competition
• Anaheim Ducks at Seattle Kraken - Fri 1/23 - 7pm
• New Jersey Devils at Seattle Kraken - Sun 1/25 - 12pm
• Seattle Torrent vs Vancouver Goldeneyes - Sun 1/25 - 3pm IN DENVER
• Seahawks NFC Championship Game - Seahawks vs LA Rams - Sun 1/25 - 3:30

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the name of the museum’s permanent exhibit that opened in October. The phrase is a reminder that you’ve probably seen many times...

But don’t be lulled into thinking you’ll know what to expect. It has been given a new lens. 

We went to Tacoma a few months ago to talk with the curators behind "This Is Native Land" about how the exhibit came together... and how it challenges the typical ways that museums portray Indigenous people. 

Guests:

• Todd Clark, tribal liaison for the Washington State Historical Society and co-curator of “This Is Native Land.”
• Danica Sterud Miller, associate professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington Tacoma and co-curator of "This Is Native Land." 

Related links

• This Is Native Land - Washington State Historical Society
• Washington State History Museum opens new exhibit, 'This is Native Land' | Puyallup Tribe
• ‘This is Native Land' explores Washington state history through contemporary art | KNKX Public Radio

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

His show, This American Life, has won Peabody awards, the first ever audio journalism Pulitzer. And it’s also shaped generations of listeners and audio makers. As an early adopter of podcasting (2006), the show was for many a first foray into digital listening. It spawned major hits like Serial, which led to a boom in documentary podcasting.

But the world of audio has changed a lot in recent years. 

Ira Glass shares his thoughts with Soundside.

And he’s coming to the Mount Baker Theater in Bellingham this weekend (Saturday, January 24th) to share some of his secrets: the show is called  “An Evening with Ira Glass: Seven Things I've Learned”

Guest:

• Host and executive producer of This American Life, Ira Glass

Related Links:

• Mount Baker Theatre Presents An Evening with Ira Glass: Seven Things I've Learned

• Ira Glass Explains Why I’m Listening to Podcasts Wrong | SubwayTakes Uncut - Youtube

• Ira Glass plays a nicer version of himself on the radio - NPR

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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The 13 square block campus draws over 10 million visitors each year, but supporters argue that the city has been taking Seattle Center for granted.

The campus is scattered with aging buildings and creaky infrastructure… And it’s unclear where money to fix up the center will come from.

In short, Seattle Center is in the middle of a crossroads.

David Kroman reports for the Seattle Times. Along with Margo Vansynghel, he co-bylined a story about the issues facing Seattle Center and a proposed path forward.

GUEST: David Kroman

RELATED LINK: Seattle Center is fraying. Will the city pay to fix it?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest:

KUOW reporter Casey Martin

Related stories:

• ICE Arrest of a Citizen, Barely Dressed, Sows Fear in Twin Cities - NYT
• Seattle police directive clarifies officers’ role as ICE rumors rise - Seattle Times
• In act of ICE resistance, Seattleites make hundreds of ‘whistle kits’ - Seattle Times
• Mayor Wilson Announces Executive Orders to Accelerate Shelter and Improve Transit - Office of the Mayor
• A more clean and comfortable ride: Why Link is moving to vinyl seats - Sound Transit
• Seahawks had ‘right intent’ with 49ers ticket resale notice that upset fans - Seattle Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Many of us remember Marshawn Lynch’s 2011 BEAST-QUAKE. Seahawks fans revel in Lumen Field’s reputation for noise when opposing teams are on offense… 

Even T-Mobile Park has experienced its fair share of shaking. Earlier this year when the Mariners made it to the playoffs, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network was on site to measure the bone rattling when the M’s hit home runs.

And this past weekend, they were at the 49ers game with a live stream where fans could keep tabs on how much shaking was going on...

GUEST: Harold Tobin - Director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and WA State Seismologist

RELATED LINKS: 

• PNSN 2026 Seahawks vs 49ers
• PNSN - Seahawks on Instagram
• Seahawks fans’ roar over 49ers rivaled ‘Beast Quake,’ scientists say

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Since then, fewer kids in Washington have been taken from their birth families, especially infants. But over the same time period, more babies and children from families who’ve been investigated by child welfare workers have died.

That’s why critics say those changes have made children less safe and should be reversed.

Read the full story: Washington made it harder for CPS to separate families. Critics say kids are less safe

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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The Tacoma News Tribune, Tri-City Herald, Bellingham Herald, the Olympian. For over a century all of these local papers have brought in-depth reporting and local news to their communities.

But new policies instituted by publisher McClatchy Media have left reporters at the papers worried that the company is adopting artificial intelligence tools for efficiency’s sake, at the cost of  accurate information.

Union members from the Idaho and Washington State Newsguild, a group of five McClatchy owned papers in the region (that includes the four from WA and The Idaho Statesman), are demanding that the publisher change its policy on how it uses artificial intelligence to produce and collate content.

Guests:

• Kristine Sherred is the food reporter at the Tacoma News Tribune, and chair of the WA state newsguild

Links:

• To our readers: How we are using AI in our newsrooms - Miami Herald
• The McClatchy News Group Is Pushing AI. Their Union Is Pushing Back. - The Stranger

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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If you need a bit of distraction from your doom scrolling, we’ve got just the thing… 

Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with local events you can check out over the next few days, plus some really great stuff coming up to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day…

LINKS:

• SEATTLE SEAHAWKS vs San Francisco 49ers - Saturday 5pm
• Seattle Torrent vs Boston Fleet - Sun 7pm
• Seattle Kraken vs Pittsburgh Penguins - Mon 2pm
• Seattle Retro Fest
• Monster Jam | Tacoma Dome
• Fat Con
• Kidstock! 2026 | Edmonds Center for the Arts
• Follow the Yellow Brick Road: An Oz Film Festival
• 2026 Winterhop Brewfest

MLK Day Events:

• Annual Community Celebration of MLK | Seattle Colleges - Fri 1/16
• 2026 MLK Day March & Celebration on January 17 - Parkways - Sat 1/17 
• 26th Annual Expansions MLK Unity Party and Live Broadcast - Sun 1/18
• MLK Celebration 2026 - Bainbridge Island Museum of Art - Sunday 1/18
• Events | SCBHC - Everett, WA Sun 1/18 - Celebration + Mon 1/19 - March & Rally
• MLK Day — Seattle MLK Jr Organizing Coalition - Mon 1/19
• NAAM | Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration 2026 - Mon 1/19

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Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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This next segment is about a bright spot in the state’s budget: the money generated from the cap and invest system. That’s part of the Climate Commitment Act which voters upheld in 2024. 

Here’s how it works: The state sets a limited amount of emissions allowed each year by major companies that’s the cap.

Companies that emit more than they’re supposed to have to buy an allowance in a state-run auction. The latest auction generated $394 million dollars. The money is supposed to go towards climate investments like air quality monitors, electric vehicle chargers, and public transportation projects. 

But Governor Ferguson recently proposed using more than half billion dollars of that money to fund another program: The Working Families Tax Credit. It’s a refund that gives money back to low-and-medium income state residents.   

Meanwhile, Republicans, perhaps seeing an opening with the governor’s proposal, want to use the money to offset utility costs for schools.

Environmental groups are already pushing back against the Governor’s proposal. 

The budget fight has come for this big pot of money and we’re going to hear two perspectives on this issue today. 

Guests:

Todd Myers, Vice President of Research at Washington Policy Center

Reuven Carlyle, Founder of Earth Finance, former state senator, and architect of the Climate Commitment Act

Relevant Links:

Seattle Times: A budget ‘rat hole’? Political fight over WA climate money intensifies

Washington State Standard: WA governor calls for tapping reserve fund and climate law cash to fill budget hole

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Since the shooting, the administration is doubling down on its immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities. The number of federal immigration enforcement agents deployed to Minnesota is expected to reach 3,000 in the coming days, the largest operation in U.S. history, according to DHS.  

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal joined us to share her thoughts on the events that unfolded this past week.  

Guests:

• Pramila Jayapal, U.S. Representative for Washington's 7th Congressional District. 

Related links: 

• How 3,000 federal agents would compare to 10 largest Twin Cities police forces - The Minnesota Star Tribune
• New poll reveals voter sentiments on fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good - USA TODAY 
• Trump officials defend federal agents after ICE shooting - The Hill 
• Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump's Deadly Assault on Minnesota - Rep. Pramila Jayapal's Youtube page

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But Washington passed a law in 2007 that protects trans athletes' participation in school sports. It was the first state to do so.

For more than a decade, that law received very little attention. But in recent years, questions about fairness, the athletic advantages conferred by testosterone, and the sanctity of women’s sports have become fiery political issues. 

And for the first time, a few trans athletes have won competitions, including Verónica Garcia, a runner from Spokane Valley.  In May, she repeated as the state 2A high school girls champion in the 400 meters.

Last month, she was the subject of an extensive profile in the Washington Post that explored her life as she was finishing high school and competing in track and field for the last time

Reporter Casey Parks followed Verónica for a year.

We spoke to them both for almost two hours. This episode is the condensed version of that conversation. 

Guests 

Verónica García, college student and runner

Casey Parks, reporter, The Washington Post

Related Links

For young transgender runner, racing wasn’t the hardest thing  - The Washington Post (Casey's piece)

Heywood you sign this? Let's Go WA is working on two new initiatives - Soundside, KUOW

WA Democrats won’t hold hearings on parental rights, trans athlete initiatives - Washington State Standard

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Some recent developments could make a large number of these screenings easier.

In early January, the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, updated its guidelines to say that self-administered tests are an acceptable way to screen for human papillomavirus. HPV is a sexually-transmitted disease that causes the majority of cervical cancer cases. 

OB-GYNs are hopeful that at-home testing will make cervical cancer screenings  easier to access…. and significantly more comfortable. 

Guests:

• Dr. Linda Eckert, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine

Related links: 

• New Guidelines Endorse Self-Swab Alternative to Pap Smear for Cervical Cancer Testing - The New York Times
• Cervical Cancer Risk Factors | Cervical Cancer | CDC
• The FDA has approved an at-home HPV test. What you need to know : NPR

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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GUEST: Paige Browning - KUOW News Anchor & Podcast Host

RELATED LINKS:

• After Minneapolis killing, protests in Seattle, U.S. demand: ‘ICE out’
• Valdez introduces bill to ban face-concealing masks by law enforcement in response to masked ICE raids
• Gov Bob Ferguson’s 6 Request Bills
• WA Democrats won’t hold hearings on parental rights, trans athlete initiatives
• Here’s What to Know About the Protests in Iran
• Iran Edges Closer to a Revolution That Would Reshape the World
• NFL playoffs: Seahawks will host 49ers in NFC divisional round
• Seahawks continue crackdown on resale of season tickets

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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And we’re about to begin a new legislative session on Monday, January 12th. 

In Olympia, lawmakers are facing a yawning budget shortfall and uncertain funding from the federal government. 

We review the new laws we need to follow and preview the upcoming session.

GUESTS

• Jake Goldstein-Street, reporting, Washington State Standard

RELATED LINKS

• Gerrymander Washington state? Democrats want to talk about it - KUOW
  
• These new laws and taxes take effect in Washington state on Jan. 1 - Washington State Standard 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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LINKS: 

• 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour - Northwest Film Forum
• David Horsey | Elliott Bay Book Company
• OrcaCon Tabletop Games Convention 
• Seattle Travel and Adventure Show
• Great Train Show 2026 - Ridgefield, WA
• Seattle Bach Festival
• Jules Maes Saloon - Prohibition Party
• Seattle Torrent vs Minnesota Frost
  • Official Watch Party at Rough & Tumble Ballard

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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The city has a new mayor, a new city attorney, two new council members, and, as of Tuesday afternoon, a new city council president.

District 3 representative Joy Hollingsworth won unanimous support yesterday from her colleagues to lead the council over the next two years. 

The stakes of leading the city are always high, but this looks to be an especially packed year:  there’s the ongoing project of finishing the city’s growth plan, another budget deficit to contend with…. and the World Cup (and its hordes of fans) landing here in June. Not to mention the potential for federal policy changes that could impact city government.

So - how will the city council navigate 2026 and beyond?

GUEST:

• Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth

RELATED LINKS: 

• Councilmember Hollingsworth calls for action after violence on Capitol Hill - Seattle City Council Blog
• Seattle OKs New Growth Plan, but Biggest Zoning Battles Lie Ahead - The Urbanist
• Katie Wilson is officially Seattle's mayor. Her agenda: affordability, housing, and workers' rights - KUOW

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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The Trump Administration is leaning on Venezuela to open up its oil industry to U.S. companies and oust the influence of Russia and China. President Trump said Tuesday that Venezuela will turn over 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S.

As this new era of interventionism unfolds, Greenland also appears to have returned to the top of the White House’s agenda.

We talked to Rep. Adam Smith, the Democratic ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, about all of that and more. 

NOTE: News is developing quickly, and we spoke to Rep. Smith just after 10am PT. Head to npr.org or KUOW for the latest updates. 

GUEST:

• Rep. Adam Smith, Democrat, Washington's 9th district

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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It was a sudden and intense escalation of an ongoing campaign by the United States to oust Maduro.

Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores, appeared in a Manhattan court yesterday in an arraignment hearing over drug trafficking and weapons charges. Those charges were central to the government’s rationale for capturing Maduro. 

But since Maduro’s capture, the Trump administration has focused on the Venezuelan oil industry and threatened other countries in Latin America like Cuba, Columbia and Mexico. 

GUESTS:

• Jenaro Abraham, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Gonzaga University
• Marines Scaramazza, reporter and manager of Latino Herald, based in Lynnwood

RELATED LINKS: 

NPR: 7 takeaways from Trump's incursion into Venezuela

Seattle Times: After Maduro’s capture, Venezuelans in WA ask: ‘Should we be happy?’ 

Al Jazeera: Trump’s bid to commandeer Venezuela’s oil sector faces hurdles, experts say

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That’s because there’s been a lot of changes at SIFF, the Seattle International Film Festival, which has been the vanguard when it comes to all things movies.

The organization announced Monday, it was undergoing an organizational restructuring, including some layoffs.

This follows a somewhat tumultuous year for SIFF. For more, we're joined by... 

GUESTS:

• Chase Hutchinson, critic and freelance reporter, who often covers SIFF for the Seattle Times

RELATED LINK: 

• SIFF announces more layoffs, organizational restructuring | The Seattle Times 

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Colleen Echohawk has been thinking about these issues a lot. She is the new CEO of Community Roots Housing, a Public Development Authority that manages over 2,300 affordable housing units in Seattle. They’re set to open more units in 2026, so we spoke to her about her plans for the organization.

Echohawk is also a member of the transition team for Mayor Katie Wilson, co-chairing the a group working on affordable housing and community needs. 

Guest

Colleen Echohawk, CEO, Community Roots Housing

Related Links

Seattle’s affordable housing industry is in crisis. The city faces tough choices - The Seattle Times (June 2025)

Seattle doubles bailout for ailing affordable housing sector - The Seattle Times (December 4th, 2025)

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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Guest:

• Geekwire contributing editor, journalist, and owner of the Streamline Tavern - Mike Lewis

Related stories:

• Maduro and wife plead not guilty to narco-terrorism charges - NPR
• Trump wants U.S. oil companies in Venezuela. Here's what to know - KUOW
• Katie Wilson is officially Seattle's mayor. Her agenda: affordability, housing, and workers' rights - KUOW
• Seattle-area Somalis seek officials’ help with daycare doxxing, immigration crackdown - KUOW

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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That song, if you don’t recall, begins with a question: “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?” 

We here at Soundside say, NO! We will remember. 

This year, we brought on a couple new producers, and they have been fantastic additions to our team! I am super excited to see how they help us grow. 

But we will never forget those who helped us get here. So, today, we’re playing back some of the great work by former Soundside producers.

RELATED LINKS: 

• 'Thousands of stiches, all by hand': a look at Puget Sound's artisan sailmakers
• Remembering Soul Radio-o-o-o-o-o-o 1250 KYAC - Seattle
• How the Olympic marmot became Washington's fuzziest state symbol  

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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And today, we're talking about transit. And translators. 

A now-former King County Metro Bus driver tells us what passengers should know when they ride the bus. But more importantly, we got some insight into why the 8 in downtown Seattle is so often called the late bus.

Plus, we sat down with a Seattle-based translator to discuss her National Book Award-nominated work translating the novel We Computers into English. 

She said that translating the poetry and the prose in this book was like running a triathlon.

We're taking a trip with two local women who helped us get from point A to point B in 2025. 

Guests

• Desiree Andersen, former King County Metro bus driver, @desinthepark
• Shelley Fairweather-Vega, Seattle-based translator of Hamid Ismailov's 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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For this episode, we devoted the entire hour to a conversation we originally aired last month on Bruce Lee.  

This year, author Jeff Chang published an in-depth biography on Lee’s life. It's called “Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America." In it, Chang shows how the rise of Bruce Lee mirrored the rise of Asian American identity. 

In this interview, we talked about Lee’s life in Seattle; his rise in Hollywood; and how his short life left an imprint on Asian Americans that can be felt to this day. 

RELATED LINK:

• "Water Mirror Echo" explores the life, and legacy, of Bruce Lee
• Book Review: ‘Water Mirror Echo,’ by Jeff Chang - The New York Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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But we’ve still got plenty of jam packed shows ready for you.

Today - we’re focusing on local businesses here in the Pacific Northwest.

RELATED LINKS:

• A tech startup helping the visually impaired "watch" sports with their fingertips
• Will people always love Costco?
• At 75, Cougar Gold canned cheese is still a Washington state favorite
• The lights go down... for now... on the Grand Illusion Cinema

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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She was a centrist outlier on a progressive city council when she was first elected in 2021. But the dynamics changed: Nelson became the center of power, and ended up running the show as council president, after a moderate slate of candidates swept the 2023 election. 

She helped oversee pandemic-era recovery, worked with two different mayoral administrations and two very different presidential administrations during her time on the council. 

Now - her time in office is coming to an end.

Next month, there will be a new, more progressive representative in the citywide Position 9 seat that Nelson’s held the past four years. Nonprofit leader Dionne Foster will take Nelson’s place after winning by a wide margin of votes in November. 

Between passing a police contract, approving phase one of the city’s Comprehensive Plan, and putting forward a bill to change how consultants work with the city – Nelson has been busy during her last month in office.

And last week she spent an hour with Soundside to reflect on her tenure and the direction Seattle politics is moving.

GUESTS:

• Sara Nelson, outgoing position 9 Seattle City Councilmember and City Council President

RELATED LINKS: 

• Seattle passes new transparency law aimed at political consultants - Seattle Times
• New Seattle Police contract includes pay boost, increased use of unarmed crisis responders - KUOW

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

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GUEST: Former KIRO-FM host Dave Ross

TODAY'S TOPICS:

• Flooding
  • Seattle Times: A damaged King County levee awaited fixes for years. Then it failed.
  • NBC News: Federal grants for flood mitigation work sat on hold as storms inundated Washington state
• Affordability
  • NYTimes: How Democrats Used One Word to Turn the Tide Against Trump
  • NYTimes: These Young Adults Make Good Money. But Life, They Say, Is Unaffordable.
• Dave Ross parody songs

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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It’s also a time to argue with said friends and family about some really dumb stuff.

Is Die Hard a holiday movie? Should Mariah Carey officially be crowned “Queen of Christmas?” Has there ever been a good Hanukkah song? 

You’ll be debating hard hitting questions like this. And on Soundside, we’re here to help you win the argument.

It’s our gift to you.

Today – We’re pitting three movies, songs, and local events against each other to determine a winner, in a totally original game we’re calling “Kiss Merry Kill.”

And of course that’s merry like Santa is - with an E.

HOLIDAY FARE DISCUSSED:

Movies

• Deck the Halls (2006)
• The Happiest Season (2020)
• A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000)

Music

• The Christmas Shoes by NewSong
• Mistletoe by Justin Bieber
• Puppy for Hanukkah by Daveed Diggs

Events

• The Bait Shop holiday light show
• SantaCon
• The Seattle Christmas Market
• Sitting on Santa's lap at the Bellevue Square Mall

GUESTS:

• Betty Wetter is a Seattle drag queen, and host of monthly drag variety show Tush! at the Clock-out Lounge
• Juno Men is a comedian, and co-host of the Moth Storytelling Slam here in Seattle

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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Red Light Vintage & Costume sits in the heart of the University District. It has been a fixture in Seattle’s fashion scene since it opened in the mid 90s.

Now the shop could close because owner Niz Marar is retiring.

He’s hoping to sell the business before his lease expires at the end of January. If he can’t find a buyer, fashion lovers will have to let go of this cherished spot. 

We talk to Marar about his final few weeks at Red Light... and hear from the person who's trying to keep it alive by buying the shop before the lease ends.  

GUESTS:

• Niz Marar, owner of Red Light Vintage & Costume
• Tacee Webb, co-founder of Red Light Vintage & Costume

RELATED LINKS: 

• Red Light Vintage – vintage & costume
• Red Light Revival: New classes, events, & memberships! — Kickstarter

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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Did you actually put down your phone long enough to get through a book this year? It's not too late. 

Many great books came out this year. If you need suggestions for something to read or to give to someone who really ought to be reading more, we've got you covered. 

GUESTS:

• Misha Stone, reader services librarian, Seattle Public Library
• Spencer Ruchti, author events manager, Third Place Books

RELATED LINKS: 

• Our list of books we loved! Yes, it's a Google Doc.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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LINKS:

• TNF! Seahawks vs Rams
  • Thurs 12/18
• The 29th Annual Model Train Festival - Washington State Historical Society
  • Opens Fri 12/19 - runs through Jan 1, 2026
• 2025 Winter Beer Fest – WA Brewers Guild 
  • Fri/Sat - 12/19-20
• Hell’s Belles at the Croc
  • Sat 12/20
• United Indians Native Art Market » United Indians of All Tribes Foundation - Daybreak Star
  • Sat/Sun - 12/20-21
• Seattle Torrent vs Boston Fleet
  • Sun 12/21 - 2pm

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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Amid the devastation, there is a bright spot: A floodwall in Mount Vernon successfully held off the Skagit River as it rose to a record 37.7 feet. That floodwall only exists because it sits in an area determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be at highest risk of flooding. 

Many residents of Skagit county might be unaware of the current flooding risk to their homes or businesses –  because, according to The Seattle Times, Skagit County’s flood maps haven’t been updated in 40 years. 

We'll hear from Lulu Ramadan, who reported on these flood maps, before turning to Kristiana de Leon, who had to evacuate malamutes amid flooding along the Puyallup River last week.   

GUESTS:

• Lulu Ramadan, an investigative reporter at The Seattle Times 
• Kristiana de Leon of the Washington Alaskan Malamute Adoption League

RELATED LINKS: 

• Skagit County flood maps showing high-risk areas are 40 years old | The Seattle Times 
• Washington Alaskan Malamute Adoption League – We pull for them 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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In King County: flood controls have breached in the last 48 hours. As of this morning, residents in the city of Pacific, east of Tacoma, are under a "go now" evacuation order after a flood control breach on the nearby White River. A levee was breached yesterday in Tukwila and Kent, the evacuation order for the area is no longer in effect. 

Guests:

Casey Martin, KUOW reporter

Josh Baldi, water and land resources division director for King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks

Relevant Links: 

KUOW live updates

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to reporting by the Washington Post, DHS recently signed a contract to purchase six Boeing 737 planes.

Currently, ICE primarily uses charter planes for deportations. This purchase suggests the agency has plans to expand its capacity to deport people using its own fleet.

What implications does this have for immigration enforcement and the way detainees are moved in and out of the United States? 

GUEST:

• McKenzie Funk - Reporter at ProPublica covering immigration, privacy and climate change

RELATED LINKS: 

• DHS inks contract to create its own fleet of 737 jets for deportations
• Inside ICE Air: Flight Attendants on Deportation Planes Say Disaster Is “Only a Matter of Time”
• At Seattle’s Boeing Field, Real-Time Video Offers a Rare Glimpse of America’s Troubled Deportation Flights
• Avelo Airlines, a New ICE Air Contractor, Faces Backlash in Connecticut

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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GUEST: KUOW Politics Editor Cat Smith

TODAY'S TOPICS:

• Flooding
  • Live updates: Western Washington braces for more rain and flooding this week - KUOW
• Canlis
  • A market of extremes: How 2026 will impact restaurant winners and losers - Restaurant Dive
• Grandpa Rivers & the Indianapolis Colts
  • Philip Rivers hadn't played an NFL game in 5 years. The grandfather nearly upset a Super Bowl contender. - NBC

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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A new chief was sworn in, the longstanding federal consent decree ended and the city reached a new contract with the Seattle Police Officers Guild that changes how it can approach unarmed crisis response.

Plus, a new mayor will take office in January.

Mayor-elect Katie Wilson announced this week that she planned to retain Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes, despite some rumors to the contrary. 

Soundside's Libby Denkmann talked with Barnes on the morning of Thursday, December 11th, about the incoming administration, the recent policing shooting in Othello, and more. 

Note: Starting at 7:45 in the interview, Barnes cites several statistics about a drop in crime. We asked SPD for more information about the decreased crime percentages, and they said Barnes is referencing the first 11 months of 2025 compared to 2024. But in reference to homicides, the information SPD gave us cites 2019 as the last comparable year, and the reduction is actually 36 percent, instead of 35 percent, as Barnes states. 

Guest
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes

Related Links

Seattle City Council approves new police contract, boosting pay and expanding crisis response -KUOW

Seattle police video shows officers fatally shooting allegedly armed man - The Seattle Times

Seattle City Council Approves Police Contract as South End Mourns Killing in Othello - South Seattle Emerald

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Around 100,000 people in Western Washington have been advised to evacuate. 

Hundreds of Washington National Guard members have been tapped to help with response efforts.

And Gov. Ferguson declared a statewide emergency in response to the flooding. 

We talked to three KUOW reporters about what they're seeing on the ground and what we need to know about this weather event. 

CORRECTION: As of 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 11, approximately 100,000 people were advised to evacuate across Western Washington. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Skagit County issued immediate evacuation orders to 100,000 residents.

GUESTS:

• KUOW Reporter Joshua McNichols
• KUOW Reporter John Ryan
• KUOW Reporter Casey Martin

RELATED LINKS: 

• KUOW - Live updates: 100,000 evacuated in historic Skagit Valley flood in Washington state
• KUOW - Western Washington faces 'catastrophic' flooding as two atmospheric rivers dump heavy rain
• Live: Flooding in WA’s Skagit, Snohomish rivers prompt road closures, evacuations | The Seattle Times
• Skagit River creeps toward Mount Vernon flood wall | The Seattle Times

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Because our entire show was focused on flood coverage with the Governor's press conference, and live conversations with KUOW reporters Joshua McNichols, John Ryan, and Casey Martin, we decided to skip the Weekend Warmup on the air this week, and drop it here on the podcast feed instead.

Stay safe, check KUOW.org for updates, and look in on your neighbors. 

With that said, please enjoy this podcast exclusive Weekend Warmup!

LINKS:

• SPORTS!
  • Seahawks vs Indianapolis Colts - Sun 1:25pm
  • Buffalo Sabres at Seattle Kraken - Sun 5pm
  • Seattle Torrent vs Ottawa Charge - Wed 7pm
• WildLanterns: Night Owls (21+) - Fri 12/12
• Mozart & Mutts: Annual Holiday Concert - Fri 12/12
• Jurassic Quest | Washington State Fairgrounds
•  The Naughty Novel Social Club: Krampus Edition
• DEAF SANTA CLAUS - Sun 12/14

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Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s coming in after the long tenure of his predecessor Dow Constantine, who ran the county for nearly 16 years. Zahilay was sworn in early to replace the temporary acting executive who’s been in charge since Constantine stepped down in March.

He says he’s ready to “completely change” the office. The King County Executive oversees all kinds of important services like the sheriff’s department, public health, transportation, public housing, and jails.

So what will that change look like? And what could it mean for King County?

GUESTS:

• King County Executive, Girmay Zahilay

RELATED LINKS: 

• Sworn in early, Exec Zahilay is ready to shake up King County - KUOW

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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GUESTS:

• Nancy Backus, mayor of Auburn, WA
• Rhonda Ender, city manager, Carnation, WA

RELATED LINKS: 

• ‘Catastrophic’ flooding expected in King, Snohomish, Skagit counties -The Seattle Times
• Western Washington faces 'catastrophic' flooding as two atmospheric rivers dump heavy rain - KUOW

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So far this year, King County has recorded more than 650 overdose deaths involving the synthetic opioid, which can be 50 times stronger than heroin. 

650 is a devastating number but it’s actually down from a peak in 2023, when more than 1,000 people died from fentanyl-related overdoses in the county. The drop mirrors a downward trend that we’ve seen across the entire country… 

But the crisis is still overwhelming many communities. 

A biotech company called ARMR Sciences is hoping to solve at least one piece of this very complicated puzzle: Instead of reversing these overdoses, they want to stop them from happening in the first place... through a fentanyl vaccine. 

GUESTS:

• Dr. Colin Haile, a research associate professor at the University of Houston and he’s also one of the co-founders of ARMR Sciences.

RELATED LINKS: 

• A Fentanyl Vaccine Is About to Get Its First Major Test | WIRED
• Scientists Create a Vaccine Against Fentanyl

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development said in November that it intended to redirect billions of dollars in grants that house homeless people. This was in line with President Trump’s rejection of “housing first,” the practice that aims to get people stabilized in long-term housing before addressing mental health issues or addiction. It's guided policy in this region and across the United States for decades. 

The Trump Administration’s announcement put $65 million in federal grant money for King County in doubt. 

And it left local leaders scrambling. The county called providers together last week to discuss the change. Washington state and roughly 20 states sued, and later, so did King County and local homeless service providers.

But yesterday, 90 minutes before a court hearing, HUD withdrew the new requirements around grants.

Sounds like a rollercoaster, right? Providers in the area are breathing a sigh of relief. Though, the last-minute shift signifies the complicated task of planning homelessness response, one that relies on federal dollars, when massive changes are taking place in Washington, D.C. 

GUEST:

Kelly Kinnison, CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority

RELATED LINKS

• KCRHA: Changes to Federal Funding will Increase Unsheltered Homelessness in King County

• Seattle Times: King County has 3 plans for Trump’s homelessness funding changes

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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It shows a man’s torso, his right side covered in wounds - lacerations, scratch marks, bite marks - after he was mauled by an immigration agent’s canine. Blood splatters the sheets below him.

The man, Wilmer Toledo-Martinez of Vancouver, Washington, was detained outside his home last month by federal agents. 

Senator Murray and Wilmer’s family are calling for his release – and calling out the violent treatment he received at the hands of immigration officers.

GUEST

• Olia Catala is Wilmer Toledo-Martinez’s attorney, and the owner of Catala Immigration PLLC

RELATED LINKS

• Senator: ICE dog attack on WA man ‘should shock the conscience’ - Seattle Times
• Vancouver man speaks for first time since viral video of ICE arrest - OPB

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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But at its core: This is a story about Native American kids. 

And how year after year, law enforcement and lawmakers in Olympia allow these children to be arrested and jailed at far higher rates than their white peers.

Those experiences as children have lasting consequences well into adulthood. 

State officials and lawmakers know there’s a problem. But advocates say they haven’t done enough to stop it. 

GUEST

• Melanie Henshaw - Indigenous affairs reporter, InvestigateWest

RELATED LINKS

• Native American children significantly more likely to be arrested, detained in Washington
• Native American kids less likely than others in WA to be offered second chance in juvenile court, data shows
• Most children charged as adults in Washington are youth of color

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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Towards the front of the group stands a 16 year old boy, wearing a grey baseball cap, a hoodie, and a surgical mask. He taps a protest organizer’s shoulder, so they’ll know he wants to speak.

What you’re hearing is some of the last known footage of Antonio Mays Jr before he was shot and killed, just days later, in the CHOP zone. 

That death contributed to the end of the Occupied Protest in 2020.

The video - was livestreamed by Omari Salisbury of Converge Media, and remained on Youtube all these years. The fact that it shows Antonio was only recently rediscovered, shortly before a civil trial that could shed more light on Antonio’s death .

That civil trial, stemming from a lawsuit the teen’s father filed against the City of Seattle, is set to begin this week.

Guests:

Omari Salisbury, founder of Converge Media

Will James, KUOW reporter and producer

Relevant Links:

Converge Media: Reflections on the Rediscovered Dignity of Antonio Mays Jr.

Converge Media: The Tape: Rediscovering Humanity in the Shadow of CHOP

KUOW: Victim of unsolved Seattle CHOP killing featured in newly unearthed video

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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GUEST: Seattle Times city hall reporter David Kroman

TODAY'S TOPICS:

• ICE K-9 Attack
  • Senator: ICE dog attack on WA man ‘should shock the conscience’ - Seattle Times
• Energy troubles loom large
  • As WA’s coal ban looms, Montana wind fills only some of the energy gap - Seattle Times
• Frank Gehry Dies
  • Frank Gehry, Titan of Architecture, Is Dead at 96 - NYT
• FIFA World Cup schedule announced
  • 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule: Seattle matches’ times, matchups unveiled - Seattle Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And they’re going to be more affordable. 

The Trump administration recently negotiated deals to lower the prices of these drugs. It seems like some details still need to be ironed out….  but from the looks of it, many Americans who use Medicare will be able to access GLP-1s at a fraction of their original cost. According to one of the deals, some Medicare patients will be able to get GLP-1s for a $50 copay.

So it’s safe to assume as costs come down, these drugs are only going to get even more popular….

And we want to know more about them. In this latest “ask a doctor” segment, we’re asking two physicians to answer all of our burning questions. 

GUESTS:

• Dr. Scott Hagan, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who studies obesity.
• Dr. Mara Gordon, a family physician based in Philadelphia. She also writes about the culture of medicine and authors the “Real Talk With a Doc” column for NPR.

RELATED LINKS: 

• Medicare negotiated lower prices for 15 drugs, including 71% off Ozempic and Wegovy : Shots - Health News : NPR
• Ozempic is making me rethink how to be a body-positive doctor : Shots - Health News : NPR 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thankfully, like Santa soaring past with his reindeer, here with all the stuff that’s worth doing this weekend is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!!

LINKS: 

• Year in Review 2025 | Town Hall Seattle
• WTO/99 - Northwest Film Forum
• 21st Annual Urban Craft Uprising Winter Show
• Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition | PMSC-FB
• KRAMPUS BREMERTON
• Seattle SantaCon
• Scintillating sci-fi striptease
• Kraken vs Detroit - Sat 12/6
• Kraken vs Minnesota - Mon 12/8

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The alleged shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a Bellingham resident who came to the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2021.

The motive for the attack is unknown. One victim – 20 year old Sarah Beckstrom – was killed in Wednesday’s shooting.

The attack has prompted the Trump administration to supercharge restrictions on migrants from 19 countries, primarily ones in Africa and the Middle East. And it has left many others in this country fearful about their future as the federal government turns new scrutiny on green cards and asylee statuses that have already been granted. 

We’re trying to get a sense of how policy actions may impact immigrant communities, so we’re speaking with Luis Cortes Romero. He is an immigration lawyer and managing partner at Novo Legal Group.

A note: 

After our taping, on Tuesday evening, the Department of Homeland Security announced a pause for all immigration applications for people from 19 countries deemed "high risk." 

Those are the same 19 countries Luis and I discussed that were under some previous restrictions: mainly African and Middle Eastern nations, including Sudan, Somalia and Iran -- also Venezuela, Haiti, and more.

DHS says this requires "all aliens meeting the criteria undergo a thorough re-review process."

GUESTS:

• Luis Cortes Romero is an immigration lawyer and managing partner at Novo Legal Group. 

RELATED LINKS: 

• Shooting of National Guard members prompts flurry of U.S. immigration restrictions - PBS
• Trump pauses immigration applications for 19 nations on travel ban list - Washington Post

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Well, here’s a possible sign that dream is slowly approaching:  a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology suggests raccoons are getting closer to domestication. 

The study is not definitive yet, and more research is required. But it all has to do with researchers observing a shorter snout on the animals we affectionately refer to as trash pandas. 

GUEST

• Marina Wang, freelance journalist

RELATED LINKS

• Raccoons Are Showing Early Signs of Domestication - Scientific American

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight’s game is the third ever for the team, and their growing fan base has both high hopes and big expectations as the season gets started.

Soundside Producer Jason Burrows sat down with Libby Denkmann ahead of tonight's game to talk about how things are going!

RELATED LINKS: 

• Seattle Torrent lose PWHL debut to Vancouver Goldeneyes in overtime 
• Seattle Torrent drop PWHL home opener to Minnesota before record crowd 
• Seattle Torrent vs Minnesota Frost
• Inaugural Home Opener Post Game Press
• 365 HOCKEY GIRL | PWHL (@365_hockeygirl) • Instagram

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labor organizers, farmers, and environmental groups planned and executed peaceful action against what many saw as anti-democratic elements of the WTO, and the profound risks from the unfettered expansion of global trade. 

At events from Memorial Stadium to the waterfront and marches in downtown Seattle, advocates for the global south joined arms with American steelworkers, decrying the outsourcing of jobs. 

Ultimately, the “Battle of Seattle” pushed trade policy to the front page. 

But for many, the enduring memories from that week in Seattle are the clouds of tear gas deployed by police and broken windows at downtown businesses. 

A new documentary called WTO/99 tries to capture the events on the ground as they happened. It’s composed entirely of archival footage. And it highlights the way narratives around power and protest are shaped by media images.  

GUEST: Ian Bell, director, WTO/99

RELATED LINKS:

• Soundside's conversation with DW Gibson, author of "One Week to Change the World," about the WTO protests
• Where to watch WTO/99

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GUEST: Representative Adam Smith (WA-09), ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee 

RELATED LINKS:

• NPR: Congress steps in as questions mount over who authorized a second strike at sea
• NPR: As strikes on alleged drug boats grow, so do questions about their legality and goal

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GUEST: KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone.

TODAY'S TOPICS:

• National Guard Shooting in Washington D.C.
  • Noem says National Guard shooting suspect was 'radicalized' in the U.S.
• Seattle Traffic
  • Why Seattle traffic got worse in 2024
  • Light rail’s push to Federal Way gives students, workers front-door access
• Pigeons
  • Why Sound Transit is waging a ceaseless battle against birds

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jones says his parents were sharecroppers farming peanuts and cotton in southwest Georgia.

“Where most people would tell you the last thing you should have anything to do with if you grew up as a son of sharecroppers. I was innately curious about science, and particularly became very curious about plants”

It’s ultimately what set him on his academic path: Crop physiology.

“And in my case, it was corn, and the whole goal was to understand the impact of environment on physiological processes that would be disrupted and cause a reduction in the yield of a major agricultural crops under a global climate change scenario. 

This was before the term global climate change was coined, and so that's what I spent 34 and a half years trying to understand, how do we make corn more tolerant to heat and drought stress? 

And that basic physiological research has led to what is now most of the major agricultural crops being able to withstand temperatures and drought longer than they ever had before in the modern history of production agriculture.”

Jones spent more than three decades teaching and doing research at the University of Minnesota. He later led the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where the enrollment grew by 25% and they launched a new medical school during his tenure. 

The University of Washington has a similar enrollment size to Illinois – more than 60-thousand students and 30-thousand faculty and staff.

So Soundside wanted to hear from the new university president… Roughly 100 days into his tenure, what’s his read on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the school? 

We should note we are a self-sustaining service of the University of Washington, with editorial independence.

GUEST: University of Washington President, Dr. Robert Jones

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

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Up first: edible plants are all around us in the Pacific Northwest. We'll hear how one local author became obsessed with helping people identify tasty greens and stay safe foraging for mushrooms and leafy goodies.

Also on the show: for over 60 years the quiz game show Jeopardy has been a beloved part of people’s lives. Washington native Ken Jennings says, growing up, the show sparked his love of trivia. It’s a passion that led him to a 74 game winning streak in 2004, and eventually a job behind the podium as host. 

Meanwhile he’s translated his trivia expertise into his own game - called Kennections. It’s a weekly puzzle he writes for Mental Floss.

GUESTS:

• Natalie Hammerquist, herbalist, expert forager, and author of Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest and Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest

• Ken Jennings, host of Jeopardy and author of The Complete Kennections: 5,000 questions in 1,000 puzzles

RELATED LINKS:

• The many joys (and a few potential dangers) of foraging in the PNW
• Soundside "kennects" with Ken Jennings

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.