Soundside

Last night in Milwaukee, Ohio senator J.D. Vance accepted the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States and took his place as former President Donald Trump’s running mate.  Vance’s first convention speech possibly - maybe - upstaged the cameo earlier in the night from Babydog, a rotund bulldog owned by West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. This was always going to be a big week f...

Washington’s 3rd Congressional District covers the southwest corner of the state, from Long Beach to Mount Adams, and from Yelm down to Vancouver.  It’s also the home of one of the most fiercely contested congressional seats in the entire country. In 2022, Republican challenger Joe Kent defeated incumbent Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler in the Primary, but lost to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp P...

To round out today's show, we're going to meet someone who spends nearly all of his time proudly showing off our little corner of the Pacific Northwest. As the lead naturalist for the Seward Park Audubon Center, Ed Domiguez teaches park visitors about local birds, and animals, along with plants and everything in between. Soundside producer Jason Burrows joined Ed on one of his early bird treks bac...

King County is in the midst of a coordinated effort to confront gun violence. Late last week, the county announced a 100-day initiative to combat shootings in the area.   Gun violence is a national issue, and it’s the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States, surpassing traffic collisions in 2020, and last month U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence a...

A few months ago, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz was demoted following numerous HR complaints – and legal filings – during his time at the helm of the SPD. Those complaints include claims of discriminatory behavior by Diaz toward women and people of color. There were also rumors of a relationship with an employee. Diaz has denied those allegations, but in May, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that...

Where do you put juvenile offenders when correctional facilities won’t take them? That’s the question many county judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials are facing after Washington’s Department of Children, Youth and Families closed both of the state’s youth correctional facilities to new inmates until further notice. To explain what’s happening and what it means for youth who are conv...

Last night - President Biden sat down with NBC’s Lester Holt, and answered a question on everyone’s mind: will the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump change the election? His answer: "I don't know. And you don't know either." He’s right - we don’t know how last weekend’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will change things. But, at least for now, some c...

Washington’s 3rd Congressional District covers the southwest corner of the state, from Long Beach to Mount Adams, and from Yelm down to Vancouver.  It’s also the home of one of the most fiercely contested congressional seats in the entire country. In 2022, Republican challenger Joe Kent defeated incumbent Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler in the Primary, but lost to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp P...

The FBI is still searching for a motive in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Republican and Democratic leaders have urged Americans to turn down the temperature of rhetoric that demonizes and dehumanizes political opposition  to try to take the edge off the anger and division that’s come to be standard in public discourse. But it’s...

Voters statewide have big choices coming their way: They’re getting their ballots for the August primary starting next week, and there are a lot of candidates to decide between. Over the last week, Soundside host Libby Denkmann has been interviewing the top candidates in the race for our state's next Attorney General.  Now, KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone, and former Washington Attorney Ge...

Washington voters this year are contemplating a wide-open race to replace the state’s Attorney General. The Attorney General manages the state's largest public law firm, overseeing a staff of attorneys charged with representing public agencies and defending the rights of Washington residents, covering issues including consumer protection, civil rights, environmental regulations, and antitrust.  Th...

I can’t stop listening to the news, it’s stressing me out to the max, you say? I’m literally listening to the news right now, and may be developing an anxiety-induced twitch, you say? If that’s how you’re feeling right now, you may be in need of a little escape this summer. Perhaps a good book is in order? Well, if that’s the case you’re in luck because our next guests are here to hook you up with...

Washington voters this year are contemplating a wide-open race to replace the state’s Attorney General. The Attorney General manages the state's largest public law firm, overseeing a staff of attorneys charged with representing public agencies and defending the rights of Washington residents, covering issues including consumer protection, civil rights, environmental regulations, and antitrust.  Th...

Remlinger Farms in Carnation, Washington, is a 350-acre working farm. It’s celebrated for its family-friendly attractions, including amusement parks, petting zoos, berry picking, pumpkins, hayrides. There’s an on-site cafe and brewery.  And now it’s become the Seattle area's hottest new concert venue.  Partnering with Seattle Theater Group, the farm is hosting a brand-new concert series. The 6000-...

Like a lot of Washingtonians right now, we're doing our best to stay cool.  Sometimes going outside is unavoidable, and in that case, it means doing everything you can to avoid sun damage.  That means applying - and reapplying lots of sunscreen. But lately, some people on social media platforms like Tiktok, have been trying to convince their audiences to do the opposite. You don’t have to have a m...

Washington voters this year are contemplating a wide-open race to replace the state’s Attorney General. The Attorney General manages the state's largest public law firm, overseeing a staff of attorneys charged with representing public agencies and defending the rights of Washington residents, covering issues including consumer protection, civil rights, environmental regulations, and antitrust.  Th...

Oh, voter. You are going to be asked to watch so many races in the coming months. There is, of course, the presidential race, which is sucking the air out of the room. There's also governor, attorney general, congressional seats, state house representatives, land’s commissioner, and, because you live in the great state of Washington, citizen’s initiatives. And, if you don’t have enough to think ab...

Perhaps you’ve noticed a lot of construction on Seattle streets this year: new bike lanes along MLK, fresh pavement and bus shelters on Madison Street, and sidewalk replacements across the city. That’s because the Seattle Department of Transportation has money to spend.  In 2015, voters passed a $930 million transportation levy called “Move Seattle.” And initially, Seattle was slow moving that mon...

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a policy President Obama enacted by executive order in 2012.  It’s had a rocky legal journey, but when it was still accepting new applications, DACA was open to undocumented young people who graduated from high school or served in the military and were brought to the U.S. as children.  The program has given roughly 800,000 people access to things...

Soundside is revisiting a few of our favorite stories this holiday week, and today, we’re taking an architectural tour of Seattle.  First stop, the backstory behind Capitol Hill’s iconic Volunteer Park Reservoir – which isn’t just a pretty pool, but an emergency stopgap.  Then, the often-overlooked story of legendary architect Minoru Yamasaki as told by his granddaughter, Katie Yamasaki, author of...

The Soundside team is on a break this week for the 4th of July holiday, so we’re revisiting some of our favorite segments of the year. First up, when Seattle writer and illustrator Tessa Hulls started drafting the story of her grandmother’s life, she wanted to take on the role of neutral narrator, but that didn't last long. We’ll hear about her graphic novel, Feeding Ghosts, and the complicated fa...

The Soundside team is taking some time off this 4th of July week; some of us are on vacation, and others are working on upcoming shows.  We’re going to revisit some of our favorite segments, and the hardworking producers who make Soundside, will be making the picks. Producer Noel Gasca's picks: Lily Gladstone chronicles Blackfeet Nation's reunion with buffalo in new SIFF documentary In 'Thunder So...

For months, one creature of the night has been drawing the fascination and exasperation of city leaders, police officers, and residents of one of Seattle’s trendiest neighborhoods. Some call him The Belltown Hellcat. Maybe you’ve caught a glimpse of his souped-up 2023 Dodge Charger Hellcat zipping by, or the car’s revving and backfiring has kept you from getting a decent night of sleep. Or you cou...

When it comes to Presidential elections, Washington state's electoral votes are about as blue as you can get. But there are still big stakes here when it comes to how national political conversations affect local races. A recent analysis from the Cook Political Report says that the 2024 Washington gubernatorial race is shaping up to be competitive, even though a Republican hasn't been governor sin...

For weeks, Seattle Public Schools families have been waiting for news about school closures. In May, the district announced plans to close 20 elementary schools to shore up its budget. And that left parents, and students, wondering if their local school was on the chopping block. Last night was supposed to be the night they would learn which schools will close, but they’ll have to wait just a litt...