Soundside

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 –...

Sound Transit is looking at potential cuts and readjustments to its ST3 plan. Voters approved the vision for the next phase of regional transit nearly a decade ago.  But last year, Sound Transit announced it was somewhere between 30 and 40 billion dollars in the hole . At a Sound Transit retreat in March, board members were presented with the reality that they may need to drop planned station...

The Trump Administration is changing federal cannabis policy. On Thursday acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order reclassifying medical marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug.  That puts the drug in the same category as substances like ketamine and anabolic steroids. Now, this doesn’t mean cannabis is legal nationwide, and people with convictions related to mari...

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: David Kroman - Seattle Times City Ha...

In less than two months, Seattle will begin hosting matches for the 2026 World Cup.  And, like in the 10 other U.S. host cities, there is a lot of excitement here about this mega international sporting event coming to town. ... But there's likely some trepidation, too, as people think ahead to the congested streets, possible transit hangups and big crowds.  Seattleites could be tempted t...

Hey, it's your weekly roundup of everything worth going out & doing this weekend! HOST: Soundside producer Jason Megatron Burrows LINKS:  Seattle/King County Clinic at Seattle Center Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Melissa Auf der Maur: Even the Good Girls Will Cry, A '90s Rock Memoir Professional Bull Riding - Tacoma Dome The Pancakes & Booze Art Show Carnival of Cocktails &m...

If you’ve walked through Westlake Park recently, perhaps you’ve noticed the new statue of Swami Vivekananda, a philosopher and Hindu monk. Vivekananda is credited with introducing yoga and the Vedanta philosophy to a global audience. That statue is a gift to the city from the government of India. People from India represent more than 10 percent of Washington’s foreign-born reside...

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:  Greg Kim, reporter for the Cli...

Canada needs healthcare workers, but there just aren't enough of them in the country. So they've amped up their efforts to recruit medical professionals from other countries, especially the United States. And Canada is seeing quite a bit of success. Last year, the British Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons reported licensing three times the number of American physicians than they had the...

A California doctor is suing primary care provider One Medical, claiming she was fired in part for retaliation for raising concerns about patient care.  Amazon owns One Medical, it bought the company in 2023. The service offers telemedicine and in-person locations and Amazon Prime members are able to access a One Medical membership at a discount.  The company’s goal is to use techn...

The January shooting of two teenage boys in Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood devastated its residents. The incident also amplified a split between people who believe surveillance cameras could help keep residents safe, and those who remain concerned about how data from the cameras gets used. Guest Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero, freelance reporter for the South Seattle Emerald Related links South Se...

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:  Angela Poe Russell, a veteran...

In August 2018, Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 aircraft from SeaTac International Airport. A new documentary tells his story through the eyes of his friends and family, who opened up for the first time since their 2018 statement. Guest Patricia E. Gillespie, documentary filmmaker and director of #SKYKING Related links The Seattle Times:  ‘#SkyKing’ dir...

KUOW journalist Isolde Raftery has taken us back in time, to Seattle’s Garfield High School 26 years ago.  In her podcast, "Adults in the Room", she tells listeners about a rumor about a teacher named Tom Hudson. The rumor was that Hudson was sexually abusing a student.  Mr. Hudson was a popular teacher at Garfield. He taught biology and led a student outdoors program. At the time,...