Soundside

It’s Giving Tuesday, a day to take a pause from the holiday hustle and bustle, and give back to our community through charitable causes.  One way a lot of people like to give back is by donating food or money to their local food bank. While grocery prices are stabilizing, grocery prices are up about 20% compared to four years ago.  So how is inflation impacting food banks ahead of this holiday sea...

Since the late 1800s, logging has been a major industry in the Pacific Northwest, and its impact on the region's economy and environment have been significant. For the towns that depend on logging, the profession comes with a lot of pride. But it’s also one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , roughly 4 in 100,000 people die from injury at...

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the WTO protests in Seattle, a raucous action by 50,000 protesters who descended on the city in the fall of 1999. Their aim? Shutting down a conference of top decision makers at the World Trade Organization.  When this coalition of activists succeeded in stopping the WTO’s opening ceremonies, the “Battle of Seattle” became an inflection point in a growing st...

If you’re a parent with kids in public school, you’re likely familiar with the "lunch crunch." Across the state, a growing squeeze on lunchtimes is leading many students to eat lunch quickly -- if at all.  A recent investigation from KING 5 reveals that many schools are falling short of meeting recommended lunch time benchmarks. This is critical time that helps kids stay full and focused throughou...

Fantasy football season is well underway, with many players excited about the upcoming playoffs.  I know next to nothing about fantasy football and had to get a primer from Soundside Producer Alec Cowan, who is playing in KUOW’s league.  He says it’s essentially regular people trying their hand at being NFL managers: drafting players, and forming rosters for each game. There are elaborate points s...

Soundside  is taking a break this week to celebrate Thanksgiving. Don’t worry - we’ll be back with new episodes next week. Until then, we’re bringing you some of our favorite stories from the 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 th...

Soundside is taking a break this week to celebrate Thanksgiving. Don’t worry - we’ll be back with new episodes next week. Until then, we’re bringing you some of our favorite stories from the 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...

The first days of Robert Lester’s ambitious canoe journey started with a lot of walking. That start was in Butte, Montana on Silver Bow Creek -- the starting point of a 1300-mile trip through the Columbia River basin to the Pacific Ocean.  Lester made the trip in a two seat canoe. He was joined by 18-year-old Braxton Mitchel, who’d never canoed beforehand.  That journey took 55 days and is the foc...

It’s been a week! The headlines, the bomb cyclone, being stuck without electricity... A LOT of us could use a way to disconnect and do something FUN this weekend, so to help with that, we’ve enlisted our resident Culture Nerd to find the best events! So, once again, here’s producer Jason Megatron Burrows with a few sneak peeks of things to keep you occupied this weekend…  LINKS: Vitamin String Qua...

Lucidity is a new opera staging its west coast premiere at the Seattle Opera tonight.   The performance takes a deeper look at the personal impacts that a dementia diagnosis has on an individual, and their family.  The opera follows Lili, a former singer who has a bit of a diva streak. Her adopted son, Dante, pauses his career as a pianist to care for his mom. Together, they navigate Lili’s declin...

Seattle has a rich jazz history -- and you can’t talk about it without mentioning legends like Ray Charles and Quincy Jones. Both artists knew each other, as they grew their music chops right here in Seattle. Of course, we can’t forget to mention Kenny G. In the 1920s and 1930s jazz clubs were an escape during prohibition, and many of them lasted long after prohibition ended. For almost 45 years,...

Bird flu has spread at astonishing speed and with little discretion for what it infects. Since first emerging, the strain of H5N1 has infected wild birds, commercially raised chickens, seals, dairy cows, and, yes, even humans. Late last week, Woodland Park Zoo announced that a red breasted goose died in a suspected case of bird flu. The zoo quickly isolated birds and restricted access to them.  Me...

Back in 2021, following calls for police reform after the murder of George Floyd, Washington state did something unique. Legislators created a state-funded agency to investigate instances of serious or fatal police use of force – even ones that had happened in the past. Many believe the Office of Independent Investigations has potential to improve trust between marginalized communities and law enf...

In the aftermath of the 2024 election, Democrats are confronting a possible existential threat: The erosion of support among important demographic groups, particularly Latinos.  An example close to home helps illustrate the shift: In the 14th Legislative District, in the Yakima Valley, a newly redrawn map was supposed to strengthen Latino representation in the state House and Senate. Republicans e...

One of the most closely watched congressional races of the 2024 election happened here in Washington State, with Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez facing off once again against Donald Trump-endorsed Republican Joe Kent.  The district went for Trump in the presidential race, but held on to the Auto Shop owner-turned-Congresswoman for another term. And she’s here to talk about the win, what Democrats...

Washington state is about to get a new top lawyer.  Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown defeated Pasco Mayor Pete Serrano earlier this month to become the state’s next Attorney General.  Brown is an Army veteran who also served as general counsel to Governor Jay Inslee.  When he’s sworn in in January, he’ll be stepping into the high-profile job just as the stakes get even higher: Washington state had...

Washington voters just upheld the state’s new capital gains tax — which places a 7% tax on the sale of long-term assets like stocks and bonds.   Now, the Seattle City Council is looking at a proposal to create its own capital gains tax for the city itself. Instead of benefitting schools, like the state tax, this revenue would fund things like rental assistance. But so far, the idea is not being un...

Canoe journeys are rigorous, challenging trips that go for hundreds of miles.  Each year, canoe “families” from different tribal nations paddle between villages on the Salish Sea, joining local celebrations and ceremonies along the way. They camp at each stop until reaching that year’s destination tribal site.  For indigenous people who take part, it’s an important way to connect with their cultur...

Students, parents, and educators are still waiting to find out how the Seattle School Board will vote on a proposal to close four elementary schools in the district. But in the meantime - a group of SPS parents believe it's time to take matters into their own hands: they’ve launched an effort to recall school board president Liza Rankin. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show...

Soundside host Libby Denkmann is still on a high from her experience at the USHER show on Sunday, but we're looking forward to what’s happening THIS weekend...  Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here to help you get a jump on making plans with “THE WEEKEND WARMUP!”  LINKS:  SIFF Presents SHREK WEEK !! Shrek the Musical - Spokane Shrek the Musical - Bellingham First Annual Veteran Art Show - Spoka...

Back in 2017, President Donald Trump arrived in office touting big promises about immigration. Remember building a wall and making Mexico pay for it? Or defunding sanctuary cities? Trump had mixed success fulfilling those pledges, though not for lack of trying. Many of his policy goals couldn’t get past the courts, or Congress. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump made even more immigratio...

Election results are still coming in for Washington’s tightest races. Most of the voter initiatives went down to defeat this year. But one -- Initiative 2066 -- is poised for success. It targets natural gas regulations by rolling back pieces of a big law forcing Puget Sound Energy to explore electrification and likely knocking down new building codes that makes installing natural gas in new constr...

Donald Trump has vowed to take a number of actions on his first day in the oval office. He’s promised mass deportations, increased tariffs, and deregulation.  While some home builders see a potential silver lining in deregulation, other policies could raise the cost of building and that might affect housing supply in an area with a housing shortage.  Guest: Heidi Groover, real estate report at the...

Getting an interview for a new job has always been tough.  For candidates, the challenge is crafting a cover letter and resume that make you stand out. For employers, the challenge is often volume. Finding the right candidate with the right qualifications – in a stack of applications.  Now, inject AI into the mix. Large Language models (LLMs for short) are being used to help automate some of the t...

Washingtonians voted down three tax-related initiatives that would have repealed the state’s cap and trade program, made the state’s long term care program optional, and repealed the state’s new capital gains tax.  Those lost by large margins. One initiative passed, it protects access to and use of natural gas.  All four initiatives were backed by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood, who put $6 milli...