Soundside

For a long time, if you wanted to know what the future looked like for Washington’s climate policies, you just had to look at California.   The Golden State put a carbon auction in place in 2012. 10 years later, state lawmakers here set up our own cap and trade system. California passed legally binding emissions goals in 2006. Washington did that about a decade later. And let&rsquo...

When the University of Washington began searching for a new president back in 2015, they did what you might expect: They started a nationwide hunt, looking for the best fit to lead an institution known at the time, more for its research than for its classes. It turns out the answer was right at home. Ana Mari Cauce had been at the University of Washington since 1986, in various teaching and leader...

Seattle is gearing up to host some big events this summer – from music festivals to early World Cup matches. The Sounders will host their first  FIFA Club World Cup match on Sunday June 15 at Lumen Field. June is also Pride Month, with all kinds of LQBTQ+-focused celebrations planned throughout the city. It’s a time when law enforcement agencies are tasked with keeping people safe...

ICE enforcement raids led to violent clashes between protestors and law enforcement in Los Angeles this weekend.  President Trump mobilized the National Guard in response. This was against the wishes of the state’s Governor, Gavin Newsom -- it’s the first time a President has done so since the 1960s.  Both Newsom and L.A. mayor Karen Bass have vocally criticized the move, wit...

President Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops in Los Angeles this weekend. Protests had broken out in response to aggressive local immigration enforcement activity.  California’s attorney general now says the state will sue the president over this.  But here in Washington, is the state prepared for widespread protests or presidential mobilization of the national g...

If you’re not up for driving all the way to Astoria Oregon for the Goonies, and would rather stick closer to home this weekend, never fear - we’ve got you covered! Here with almost every event, festival, and concert happening this weekend is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows! LINKS: Steel Magic Northwest - "Here Comes the Sun" Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show - Tacoma Indigeno...

Let’s talk foosball. You know, the table top game with the little soccer guys. Maybe you’re a hot shot at your local bar. You have a few tricks up your sleeve. And maybe they’ve even won you a couple beers over the years.  But we warn you: You are in an entirely different league from Spokane resident Lotus Leong-Chesbrough. She has won real money playing foosball. She’...

Chris Vance was a Republican for 37 years. During that time he served as the chair for the Washington State Republican Party, a Metropolitan King County Councilmember and a state representative. But then Donald Trump descended down that golden escalator.  Vance left the GOP in 2017 as President Trump was reshaping the Party in his image. Since then Vance has considered himself in exile&hellip...

Last month Pierce County resident Tuan Thanh Phan was deported. That wasn’t unexpected for Tuan or his family - he was planning on starting a new life in Vietnam after he was deported. His permanent residency was revoked in 2009, nearly ten years after he was convicted of first degree murder and second degree assault.  The surprise was where he went. He wasn’t going to Vietnam, hi...

In D.C. the president’s Big Beautiful Bill is facing a contentious fight in the Senate. Governor Ferguson recently signed over 400 bills into law.  But there was other bill related news in recent weeks and we went to see someone who has been right in the middle of it.  Alejandro Rico Guevara is one of the foremost researchers on hummingbird bills. He has spent years studying how hu...

Cathy Moore is stepping down from the Seattle City Council. She announced the decision yesterday afternoon, citing health and personal reasons.  Moore has been in office for a year and a half, and leaves district 5 - which includes Greenwood, North Gate and Lake City - down an elected representative. Why has Moore decided to step down after such a short tenure, and what does it mean for Seatt...

When Washington state legalized marijuana back in 2012, one of the big goals was to displace the black market, bring weed out of the shadows, and take the power away from dealers and traffickers.  But more than a decade later, the ILLEGAL weed industry is still thriving in Washington, and that’s taking a toll on LEGAL cannabis businesses.  Meanwhile, the SYSTEM for keeping track of...

Fifteen years ago, actor Pam Nolte received a phone call from a friend who worked at  the Greenwood Senior Center in Seattle. Her friend asked if she’d be willing to create an improv class specifically for people with early stage memory loss. Pam was intrigued. She had zero experience with improv. But had personal experience dealing with her mother’s experience with Alzheimer's di...

When you buy a fruit, a vegetable, a carton of almond milk - you might assume it’s an animal free product. But all of those foods, and many more, rely on one small but mighty member of the animal kingdom: the bee.  Bees – especially honeybees – are an important part of any working farm. They pollinate everything from papayas to cucumbers to coffee beans.  Like cows, pig...

GAMERS REJOICE - The day that Mario, Pokémon, & Zelda fans have been looking forward to is right around the corner: The Switch 2 from Nintendo is out on THURSDAY, June 5th!! The second generation of Nintendo’s flagship console has been highly anticipated for years, but the launch announcement was NOT without controversy. Nintendo announced the new console back in January, but it w...

The day 65-year-old Julie Leon died was the hottest day ever recorded in Washington State history. Her death was officially ruled as hyperthermia, or overheating.  Officially, more than 100 people died in the state due to that extreme 2021 heat wave, but many experts believe the number of deaths exceeds 400. Last week, Julie’s daughter, Misti Leon, filed a lawsuit, pointing the finger a...

It isn't officially  summer, but it sure does feel like it in the Pacific Northwest. The sun is out and maybe you're planning on laying out by the water this weekend. But what to listen to as the warm season nears? Well, we have something that might help you. We rounded up a panel of local music experts to give you some fresh recommendations for songs to check out. Michael Reitmulder: Deep Se...

You know who we haven't discussed on this show in a while? The Boeing company. They're the 2nd biggest private employer in this state. It’s good we haven't talked about ’em because when we do, it's usually bad news. The fatal crashes a few years ago, the door panel blowing out last year, the machinist strike. The US Senate held a whistleblower hearing and the title was “Examining...

It has been a short week for most of us, thanks to Memorial Day.  Here we already approaching another weekend, nd with ALMOST everything you need to know to keep yourself busy, we've got Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!! LINKS: Mariners - Nationals on Thurs, Minnesota Twins on Fri/Sat/Sun Sounders - Minnesota United FC on Sunday Storm - Fri vs Atlanta/Sun vs Las Vegas Salm...

The Trump Administration’s health policies are upending years of advice about COVID vaccines. Since they’ve been available, experts have recommended the shot to almost everyone. The vaccines are safe and they work. But now federal agencies are taking a much narrower approach. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. just announced the vaccines won't be recommended for children or healthy...

Federal funding for research from the National Science Foundation is being awarded at the slowest rate in 35 years, according to an investigation from the New York Times. Since the start of Trump’s second term, cuts to National Institutes of Health and NSF grants have totaled more than 1.5 billion, according to the research publication Science .  Republicans have justified these cuts by...

Jason Megatron Burrows is out this week, so Shane NoCoolNickname Mehling rattles through some of the best things to do this Memorial weekend.  Northwest Folk Life Seattle Black Nerd Fest Second Breakfast - Hobbit Feast and Painting Party! Charcuterie Board Workshop Kevin Diers Benefit Show Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nb...

When you ride a Metro bus that Nathan Vass is driving, you might notice a few things. It starts with when you get on the bus: he makes a point of saying hello to every passenger who climbs aboard.  Once you grab a seat, you’ll see he’s also on the intercom, announcing every single stop. When he isn’t orienting riders, he’s chatty and talks with people sitting at the fr...

The United States spends 30 billion dollars on foster care each year. Yet, according to author Claudia Rowe, the results have too often been damaging for the children in that system.   The award-winning journalist claims our child welfare system is dangerously dysfunctional: by disconnecting kids from their biological families and extended networks, she says, foster care severs atta...

Recent ICE enforcement activity has made headlines across the region.  This week, federal immigration agents  arrested 17 people at a manufacturer in Kent. And The Seattle Times reports ICE officers appeared to arrest at least 3 people at a Seattle immigration court.  But if you're stopped by ICE, everyone is entitled to certain rights and protections by law, no matter what your leg...