Soundside

A policy change from the Trump Administration could fundamentally change the federal government’s relationship with climate change. The proposal, announced on Tuesday, would overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s  "endangerment finding” – which, in 2009, determined that greenhouse gases are harmful to people and the environment. It's the basis for emissions reg...

Summer is a great season for adventures with your favorite pup. The sun is shining. The lakes are glistening. The grass is only partially dead.  But – just like your human kids, furry members of the family need you to keep a watchful eye out for warm-weather hazards Soundside called in an expert here to help. GUEST: Seattle Humane Society Senior Veterinarian Dr. Lauren Restis RELATED LI...

People are clucking about the Little Red Hen. The cherished country music bar in Green Lake could close at the end of July, after nearly 100 years in business.  The Little Red Hen first opened its doors in 1933 in Phinney Ridge, before moving to Green Lake. Today the bar’s a community hub where customers line dance, sing karaoke and enjoy bluegrass jam sessions.  Fun fact, it was a...

The Trump Administration is attempting to revamp homelessness policy in the United States. Late last week, the president signed an executive order that, among other things, ends federal support for policies that employ the “housing first” model. It also calls for an increase in involuntary commitments for people with mental health conditions or substance use disorders. The order aims t...

Something interesting happened – or rather, didn’t happen – last week at a Seattle City Council committee meeting.  There was supposed to be a vote on member appointments to the Seattle Renters’ Commission. That commission has seats for 15 members but currently only has five.  The vote didn’t happen. That’s because Council President Sara Nelson and Cou...

New research published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology documents multiple cases of wild orcas across different oceans – apparently trying to share their prey with humans.  KUOW's Gabriel Spitzer talked with Jared Towers about this research. Towers is the executive director of Bay Cetology, a team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia. He’s one of the a...

Soundside Producer Jason Burrows here... Libby Denkmann is ON VACATION, and speaking of enriching one's life and existence by engaging in fulfilling activities outside of the work environment, here's the big list of all the cool stuff you can do this weekend: LINKS: Seafair Torchlight Run 2025 Seafair Torchlight Parade 2025 Bite of Seattle Children's Film Festival Seattle 2025 Renton River Days Ur...

Change is coming to our cryptocurrency market. Last Friday, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act, the country’s first major cryptocurrency law.  It will create a regulatory framework for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency that’s value is tied to assets like the U.S. dollar. Supporters say the bill will  modernize our financial system , but others say the legislation won&r...

The Seattle School Board is extending the search for a new superintendent, past the original deadline to hire someone by the fall. That means the district will not have a permanent leader when its roughly 50,000 students come back in the fall.  We review why the school board wants more time for the search, and what that delay means for students, teachers and parents.  Editor's Note: KUOW...

Last week, well-known labor organizer Alfredo Juarez Zeferino – nicknamed Lelo – announced he would “voluntarily depart” after being held for months in Tacoma’s ICE processing center. KUOW Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez was there when Zeferino’s lawyer told supporters outside the ICE facility what Lelo had decided. Guest:...

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from Joe Mallahan, a former T Mobile executive and candidate for mayor in 2009.  Guest: Joe Mallahan, candidate for Seattle Mayor Links: Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possib...

The war in Ukraine is causing tremendous and likely lasting psychological damage to generations of its young people. One of those traumas is caused by what’s tantamount to kidnapping by the Russian government. According to a new report by the think tank GlobSec, there have been nearly 20,000 (19,546) cases of what it calls “forcibly transferred or deported children.” These childr...

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from Ry Armstrong, an actor, union chair, and co-director of the non-profit of Seattle.  Guest: Ry Armstrong, candidate for Seattle Mayor Links: Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this sho...

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from Katie Wilson, the co-founder and executive director of the Transit Rider's Union.  Guest: Katie Wilson, candidate for Seattle Mayor Links: Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show...

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from current Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.  Guest: Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle Links: Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone   Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.o...

Local and national organizations alike are still absorbing the historic implications of the Republican tax and spending law known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill. President Trump signed the legislation on July 4th. The law makes the Trump tax cuts of 2017 permanent, and increases spending on border security and energy production, among many other measures. It also includes significant cuts to gover...

You might have noticed that Mount Rainier’s been looking a little…. Bald lately.  People on social media have been posting about how Washington’s favorite sight looks less snowy than usual. Some of them are saying they’ve never seen the mountain look this bare in their lives.  Rainier definitely sheds some snow in the warmer months. And Washington has been gettin...

Imagine a cartoon show where the characters talk back to you. That's the premise for "Cartoon Mess Live", a live comedy show by Seattleite Tom DesLongchamp .  DesLongchamp is basically a puppeteer, doing improv alongside a cohost named Duck. It’s like if you could see the person operating Elmo, and the pair of them had a late night talk show. But also Elmo is a 2-dimensional cartoon. De...

The weekend is upon us, and Soundside producer Jason Burrows is here with all the events fit to broadcast. LINKS: SPORTS! Seattle Mariners vs Houston Astros Seattle Sounders vs San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Reign vs Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds Sandsations Sand Sculpture Festival - Long Beach, WA Seattle Arab Festival 2025 Seattle Bon Odori Seafair Chinatown Parade Indian Days Powwow CAPITOL HI...

We’re closing in on the deadline for President Trump’s rescission package. Senate Republicans have until this Friday to pass the package with a simple majority. If they don’t, they’ll face a Democratic filibuster that they’ll need 60 votes to overcome. On Tuesday, the Senate voted to advance rescissions with a 51-50 vote – Vice President JD Vance was the tie bre...

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez represents Washington’s 3rd District, which encompasses Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, and Skamania counties and a smidge of Thurston County. It’s a relatively rural district that has voted for President Trump three times.  Somehow, she has been able to convince a good number of those Trump voters to ALSO send her, a Democrat, to Congress. ...

Yesterday, a King County Judge ordered the city of Seattle to come up with a plan to end “nudity as constituted” at the park. Denny Blaine has been the city’s most well known nude beach for decades – and is a beloved LGBTQ+ community gathering space. This order follows a series of attempts by neighbors of the park to end nudity at Denny Blaine. And it’s a move support...

Actor Matthew Law has walked the halls of ABC's Abbott Elementary, piloted a spaceship in an episode of Star Wars: Ahsoka and played "The Cynic" in the  "This Is Me... Now: A Love Story” the Jennifer Lopez movie musical.  Law hails from Washington. He was born in Yakima and grew up in Seattle, where he attended Greenwood Elementary and Ballard High School. And he's a film...

King County’s health department has published innovative and educational comic strips about public health issues for more than 15 years. The county hires local comics artists to tackle issues such as long term covid, preparing for a natural disaster and how to deal with a failing septic system.  Meredith Li-Vollmer is the heartbeat behind this popular project, which she founded in 2008....

The Seattle City Council recently approved a $2 million dollar loan for the city’s social housing developer. That’s a public development authority that will manage publicly financed housing in the city. It can serve people who make up to 120% of the area median income.  Voters overwhelmingly supported the creation of the social housing developer in 2023. They also approved a fundi...