Soundside

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page. 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: Melissa Santos - Axios Related Links...

Ben Shuldiner just hit 100 days in his role as the superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.... and he’s had to tackle some pretty big issues in that short window.   Like a budget deficit, which could be as much as $100 million. And student safety, after two Rainier Beach High School students were shot and killed at a bus stop in January.  And screen time in the classroom...

It might not be the prettiest weekend, but there ARE a lot of things to do! Go enjoy your weekend! LINKS: Seattle International Film Festival GeekCraft Expo Viking Fest Seattle Pierogi Fest 2026 – Polish Home Association The Seattle Super Saunter U District Street Fair Mariners vs San Diego Padres Reign vs NJ/NY Gotham FC Sounders vs LA Galaxy Storm AWAY vs Indiana Fever Thank you to the sup...

If you’re planning to head across the border to Canada for a weekend trip this summer, you've got to pack the essentials. Keys, wallet and of course your phone. But you may want to also consider something new – who might want to take a look at that phone as you cross the border. Last fiscal year, Customs and Border Protection reported a 16% increase in searches of digital devices compa...

Spring is here which means a malignant force is around us, stalking our parks, beaches and grassy medians.  I’m talking about the Canada Goose. You turn a corner and you see two geese and small goslings. They hiss, they honk, they’re aggressive, their poop closes Lake Washington swim spots and, I hate to implicate you, but they are here because of us. Western Washington wasn&rsquo...

In 2019, Washington became the first state in the country to legalize human composting as an alternative to burial and cremation. That same year, entrepreneur Micah Truman founded Return Home, a funeral home that built the world’s first large-scale human composting facility in Auburn, Washington. A new documentary tells the story of how Truman, who set out to disrupt the funeral industry for...

Yesterday, we spoke with KUOW reporter Anna Boyro Weyrauch about the social media maelstrom that has taken over Seattle. I am talking about the drama between the Laurelhurst neighborhood and Seattle Children’s Hospital over helicopter landings.  When we talked about this yesterday – we were curious to hear how the whole saga had unfolded from the perspective of someone living in L...

Well, yes, they're back on the court. Seattle's WNBA team played their first regular season game Friday night.  But the team has changed a lot since last season. They lost two key veteran players. But a new coach and two first-round draft picks could mean an exciting year for the Storm. And as more people are watching the WNBA, the players start this season with a new union contract – w...

In 2021, Microsoft set an aggressive emissions goal: 100 percent of its electricity would come from renewable sources or be matched by zero-carbon energy purchases, 100 percent of the time. This was a big pledge – one that went farther than its existing net-zero emissions goal. But a lot can change in six years … Now, the company appears to be weighing a retreat. According to recent r...

A cookbook from a Seattle author takes readers into the food and history of the Cham, an ethnic group in Vietnam and Cambodia.  Nurhaliza Mohamath is a writer, storyteller, culture worker..... and the author of "“My Cham Tongue," which promises readers “a taste of an ancient kingdom through family recipes."  Mohamath stopped by Soundside to share why she wanted to publish the...

For decades, Seattle Children’s Hospital has been restricted from using its helipad except when transporting a child who is critically ill or facing a life-threatening emergency. These restrictions come from an agreement between the hospital and the nearby neighborhood of Laurelhurst. The old agreement became the subject of new scrutiny on Reddit and now a change may be in the works. Guest A...

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page. 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:  Ryan Packer - Contributing Edi...

You know, it really feels like THIS WEEKEND is the first REAL weekend of Spring... Let’s get out & enjoy it!  LINKS: Seattle International Film Festival Seattle Beer Week   Maifest - Leavenworth Washington Get Intimate with the Shrub-Steppe | KEEN World Migratory Bird Day Celebration! · Seward Park Audubon Center Beat the Bridge for Breakthrough T1D Spring Walk n Wag Pen...

The 52nd Annual Seattle International Film Festival begins this evening, bringing 11 days of movie magic back to the Pacific Northwest.  Over 200 films from more than 70 countries are on the docket, with features, shorts, documentaries, and – for the brave at heart – SECRET screenings on both Sundays of the festival.  It’s been a tough year for SIFF,  the organizat...

After visiting the shipyard in Florida where three new ferries will be built, WSF Executive Director Steve Nevey is feeling optimistic about a new boat coming on line in 2030 to assist with the agency's ailing fleet.  Guest: Steve Nevey, the Executive Director of the Washington State Ferry System Relevant Links: Seattle Times:  WA gets just 2 bids to build new electric ferries, and the p...

The House just wrapped a federal government shutdown fight, a deadline to authorize military action against Iran came and passed and further afield a state Senate primary in Indiana has launched predictions about the redistricting fights rippling across the nation.  Soundside talked with Rep. Pramila Jayapal about the latest from the other Washington.  Guest Rep. Pramila Jayapal, represe...

If you look on the cover of Hole's album "Celebrity Skin," you'll see her right away.  Melissa Auf der Maur is standing to the left of Courtney Love. The 1998 album is the first one she recorded with the band. She joined in 1994 after bassist Kristen Pfaff died, and she played with them around the world, from a music festival in Australia to Tuktoyaktuk, a village in the Arctic Circle. But af...

What happens when a state spends beyond its means?  Moody’s and Fitch, two of the three major credit rating agencies, recently moved Washington’s credit outlook from “stable” to “negative.”  So it turns out that you're not the only one keeping your spending in check and trying to bump up your credit score... Because states have to worry about that...

The nation is still reckoning with a Supreme Court decision last week that critics say renders a key aspect of the Voting Rights Act useless. The court ruled that Louisiana illegally used race in the way it drew its district map.  It has wider implications for how all such maps are drawn. Some states, including Florida, have already moved to change their maps. This is all happening mere month...

This year, Washington cut more than $500,000 from the state’s Department of Natural Resources.  These budget cuts are going to mean campground closures, less trail maintenance and dirtier bathrooms at a lot of popular trailheads.  Many are wondering how it’ll impact their outdoors time, because the Department of Natural Resources maintains a lot of land.  We ch...

May the Fourth Be With you, because today is Star Wars Day! For nearly 50 years, the Star Wars franchise has captured the hearts of SO MANY sci-fi and fantasy fans. And for a lot of people, it’s all about the droids… R2-D2 and C-3PO, to be precise. This past weekend, that love of droids was on full display at both the Museum of Flight, and at Barnes & Noble in Northgate, where we...

Members of Congress from Washington state are almost unified in their condemnation of the Iran war, which passed the two-month mark this week. But the two House Republicans on the east side have been supportive of President Trump’s decision to strike Iran starting Feb. 28th. One of them is Rep. Michael Baumgartner, a Republican representing Washington's 5th Congressional District. Baumgartne...

If you still don't have any plans for this weekend, fear not. The Weekend Warmup is here to help with a whole bunch of ideas for fun things to do around the region this weekend. LINKS:  Seattle May Day 2026 Seattle Black Film Festival Sequim Irrigation Festival Mariners vs KC Royals Kentucky Derby Day Party at Emerald Downs May the Fourth | The Museum of Flight Seattle Erotic Art Festival PNW...

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page. 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:  Cat Smith, KUOW politics edito...

A plethora of social media influencers and affordable, high-quality products means the quest for so-called “perfect skin” seems more attainable than ever. Poreless, plump, unwrinkled, acne-free: Companies are ready to sell you something to make those attributes a reality for you. But does anyone really need a 20-step skincare routine? And when do our efforts start to do us harm –...