We may not be watching the Mariners in the World Series this weekend, but that doesn't mean there aren't awesome things to do... 

LINKS:

• Tacoma Holiday Festival
• Dustin Nickerson at the Neptune
• Seattle Kraken vs Edmonton Oilers
• 2025 PSMS Annual Wild Mushroom Show
• Seattle Coffee Festival
• AI & Democracy - Women’s University Club

SPOOKY STUFF: 

• Washington State Horror Con
• Fashionably Undead: The Goopening
• KEXP Kids' Halloween Dance Party
• Pumpkin Bash - Woodland Park Zoo
• The Museum of Fright
• GWAR | Showbox Presents

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can be easy to make jokes about the split realities of the “Portlandia” sketch you could make out of those images, and the scene President Trump describes when he talks about the Rose City- a place, quote, “where they kill people and destroy the city.”

But, with an appeals court ruling this week clearing the way for Oregon National Guard troops to deploy to Portland – what are things like in the city right now?

And what can we learn from the people attempting to find common ground between the realities described by Portlanders, and the dire tales spun by our President?

Guest

Anna Griffin, Pacific Northwest bureau chief, New York Times

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 NPR Network.

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Your weekend has arrived, we're ALL celebrating HUMPY, and we're anticipating that very first Mariners World Series... But, there are a bunch of other things happening, so let's get to it!

LINKS:

• SPORTS!!
  • Mariners!! - Thurs/Fri at home, (Sun/Mon in Toronto if needed)
  • Reign vs Utah Royals FC
  • Seahawks vs Houston - MNF!
• SIFF DocFest - starts Thurs 10/16, ends 10/23
• Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair
• Seattle Oddities & Curiosities Expo 2025
• Slack Key Seattle Festival
• Seattle No Kings - Oct 18
• No Kings - FULL MAP
• Seattle Opera - The Pirates of Penzance
• Northwest Record Show

SPOOKY STUFF:

• Haunted Skies | The Museum of Flight
• Hoot 'n' Howl | Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
• Zoo Boo | Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
• Family Mask Workshop at Dabble

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy post-election day to all those who celebrate!

Maybe you're the type who eagerly awaits each wave of results, or maybe it's something you've already forgotten about. Regardless, pat on the back to everyone who made the time to turn in a ballot. 

Now... we might make you question the way you formed your decisions -- especially if you asked ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok for elections information.

Today the University of Washington announced the results of a study looking at the potential influence artificial intelligence can have on our political decision making. 

It’s something that’s coming up a lot these days as AI becomes more prevalent. So we want to know what exactly this new study found - and if we should be worried about the results. 

Guest:

• Jillian Fisher, lead author of the study.

Related stories: 

• Could AI tilt the outcome of elections? - The Economist
• How artificially-generated content could dominate the 2026 campaign - The Boston Globe

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 NPR Network.

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For 12 years, researchers in Washington and British Columbia have been tracking down a mystery. 

Along the Pacific coast, sea stars were dissolving into goo. This phenomenon was given a name: sea star wasting disease and it killed billions of these marine creatures. 

For more than a decade, scientists studied the wasting disease but couldn’t figure out why it was happening. 

A new paper published this week in Nature Ecology and Evolution details a likely culprit. 

Guest:

John Ryan, KUOW environment reporter

Relevant Links:

KUOW: Scientists crack the case of the melting sea stars. It only took a decade

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 NPR Network.

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If you’ve spent much time on social media here in Washington, you’ve likely seen a headline like this one:

Office Workers Secretly Waiting for Landing Seaplane to Decapitate Paddleboarder

That gem comes from “The Needling,” which describes itself as Seattle’s only real fake news. It’s the comedy creation of Lex Vaughn, the site’s founder and editor since 2018 – longevity enough to lampoon two presidential elections. 

Thursday night, she’ll be at SIFF Cinema Downtown, as part of its Talking Pictures series. Vaughn has chosen to screen and discuss Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Today, Soundside is pleased to have her on to talk about how she came to be Seattle’s fake news maven, as well as what it means to do satire in 2025. 

GUEST: Lex Vaughn - Founder & Editor of The Needling

LINK: The Needling

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 NPR Network.

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It’s primary election day. If you fail to perform that most sacred civic duty of a free democracy, you won’t be alone. In fact, you’re in the majority.

King County expects that just 35% percent of registered voters will send in a ballot for this primary. Is it fair when so few voters make decisions for everyone else? 

Guest: 

Zoltan Hajnal, professor of political science at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy

Relevant Links:

New York Times: Why Does No One Vote in Local Elections?

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Governor Bob Ferguson’s chief strategy officer, Mike Webb, left his position in March, Ferguson said in a statement, quote, “I wouldn’t be governor without Mike.”

Webb resigned after allegations surfaced of a hostile work environment.

Ferguson told the Washington State Standard that he takes allegations against a team member seriously, quote “no matter how close that person is to me.”

Now, new reporting by Axios reveals that the Governor may have known about concerns about his longtime aid  years before Webb resigned.

Guest:

• Melissa Santos, Axios Seattle reporter

Related stories:

• Gov. Ferguson knew of concerns about top aide years ago, audio confirms - Axios Seattle
• WA governor admits ‘stupid’ decision to invite former top aide on state plane - Seattle Times
• Scoop: Ferguson's office was told of allegations against top aide years ago - Axios Seattle

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 NPR Network.

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Yes, we’re talking about tariffs again. 

Many of the world’s countries are awaiting the impact of new American tariffs, which are slated to take effect on Thursday.

One country, however, is experiencing it now. The Trump Administration bumped up tariffs on Canadian goods to 35%, and that new rate went into effect on Friday.

Trump said he made the change, in part, because of Canada’s failure to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S. 

Now 35% sounds intense, but a lot of Canadian goods are actually exempt from the increase because of a trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  

It’s kind of confusing to know exactly what these tariffs mean for our neighbor to the north, so we asked Thomas Davidoff, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, to help us understand. 

Guest:

• Thomas Davidoff, an associate professor in the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.

Related stories: 

• With new tariffs hitting, WA tallies costs of trade war | The Seattle Times
• Murray says Trump's Canadian tariffs could cause costly rift with WA - KUOW

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 NPR Network.

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For over 60 years the quiz game show Jeopardy has been a beloved part of people’s lives.

Washington native Ken Jennings says, growing up, the show sparked his love of trivia. It’s a passion that led him to a 74 game winning streak in 2004, and a victory at the Greatest of All Time tournament – so we can officially call him The GOAT.

Eventually, he even won the title of “host” of Jeopardy.

Meanwhile he’s translated his trivia expertise into his own game - called Kennections. It’s a weekly puzzle he writes for Mental Floss. 

And while you can no longer get a home game of Jeopardy, you can bring home Kennections in Jennings’ latest book: The Complete Kennections: 5,000 questions in 1,000 puzzles. 

Guest:

• Ken Jennings, host of Jeopardy and author of The Complete Kennections: 5,000 questions in 1,000 puzzles

Related stories:

• The Complete Kennections: 5,000 Questions in 1,000 Puzzles

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 NPR Network.

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The Western United States is in the midst of fire season. Here in Washington, the Burdoin Fire in the Columbia Gorge has burned more than 10,000 acres. The Bear Gulch Fire on the peninsula has closed portions of Olympic National Park.

Leading up to this summer, governors and lawmakers raised concerns about cuts to the US Forest Service, which fights wildland fires. Brooke Rollins is head of the USDA, which oversees the Forest Service. She told Fox News that the agency’s ability to fight fires hasn’t been affected by the cuts. But new reporting from ProPublica has found that the agency is facing staffing issues that could affect its ability to respond to fires.

Editor's Note: KUOW incorrectly stated that the Burdoin Fire had burned more than 100,00 acres, the correct number was more than 10,000 acres. 

Guest:

Abe Streep, reporter at ProPublica's Southwest Bureau

Relevant Links:

ProPublica: The Forest Service Claims It’s Fully Staffed for a Worsening Fire Season. Data Shows Thousands of Unfilled Jobs.

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s not just your imagination: Matcha is actually getting harder to track down these days.  

The green drink has become a hot commodity in the past few years, blowing up on TikTok and taking up more real estate on your favorite coffee shop’s menu. Japan’s tea industry has struggled to keep pace with the fervor. There’ve been reports of a global shortage and price hikes. 

In this episode, we hear about Miro Tea's experience of the shortage before checking in with Bettina Makalintal, a senior reporter at Eater, who gave us a broader look at what's going on with matcha. 

Guest:

• Jeannie Liu, owner of Miro Tea
• Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter at Eater 

Related stories: 

• A Matcha Shortage Hits TikTok’s Favorite Japanese Tea Brands | Eater
• It’s not easy finding green as matcha shortage hits Seattle shops | The Seattle Times
• Matcha: World's thirst for the tea swallows global supplies

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you hear that sound? It’s a bird, it’s a plane… Wait, yep, that is DEFINITELY  a plane, because the Blue Angels are practicing. Which reminds me, Seafair Weekend is here!

Let’s get the skinny on all the things to do with Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!!

LINKS:

• SEAFAIR WEEKEND FESTIVAL
  • Hydroplane Races
  • Car Show
  • Blue Angels
  • Fleet Week
• SPORTS!!
  • Mariners vs Rangers - Fri/Sat/Sun
  • Reign vs Angel City FC - Fri 
  • Storm - vs LA Sparks Fri / Indiana Fever Sun 
  • Sounders vs Club Santos Laguna - Sun
• Kite Festival | Pierce County, WA - Sat/Sun
• Watershed Festival - The Gorge Amphitheater - FRI/SAT/SUN

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demonstrators are gearing up for another nationwide No Kings Day Protest this weekend against President Donald Trump. 

If you don’t know what we’re talking about, here’s a tagline on the event’s website to catch you up to speed: “Reclaiming Democracy, Rejecting Authoritarianism.” 

For years, Americans on the left have called Trump an authoritarian. And for a lot of people, his second go in the White House has only reinforced these labels.

In the past year, Trump has pardoned rioters who tried to keep him in office after a free and fair election; deployed the National Guard to major U.S. cities against the wishes of state governors; and called for the prosecution of his critics by the U.S. Justice Department. 

But does Trump’s expansion of executive authority make him… and authoritarian? Or a fascist, as some argue? Two experts from the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies hash it out with us. 

Guest:

• Scott Radnitz, Herbert J. Ellison Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Washington
• Daniel Bessner, Anne H.H. and Kenneth B. Pyle Associate Professor in American Foreign Policy at the University of Washington and co-host of American Prestige
  

Related stories:

• U.S. is sliding toward authoritarianism, hundreds of scholars say : NPR
• Trump Vows to Prosecute Political Enemies — Who’s Next? | TIME
• What is fascism? Experts unpack the ideology : NPR

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Seattle City Council confirmed 14 members to the Renters’ Commission on Tuesday, following a controversial delay after Councilmembers Rob Saka and Sara Nelson failed to show up for a previous vote on Commission appointments. 

Their absence forced an unusual cancellation of the vote because the housing committee didn’t reach quorum. Some people think this was influenced by an email former councilmember Cathy Moore sent, urging her former colleagues to delay the vote. 

In this episode of Soundside, we catch up with Councilmember Mark Solomon, who was appointed to Seattle’s District 2 seat after Tammy Morales left the position in January.

He's also serving as vice chair of the Housing and Human Services Committee... and is one of the people Moore tried to email before that first vote. 

Guest:

• Mark Solomon, Seattle City Councilmember appointed to represent District 2. 

Related stories: 

• Seattle City Council members stymie appointments to renters commission | The Seattle Times
• Nelson, Saka Boycott Housing Committee, Blocking Seattle Renters Commission Appointments » The Urbanist
• Seattle council keeps renter’s commission without landlords | The Seattle Times

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NEW AGE movement isn't just about crystals, suburban yoga studios, dubious medical cures and positive affirmations – though there’s plenty of all of that to be found on YouTube.  

The concept of changing your mindset, accessing a higher spiritual power or vibration – and ushering in a utopia is a powerful and enduring promise that emerges again and again in America. 

And the American New Age movement has deep ties to Washington State and the West.

Journalist Leah Sottile examined the history of several spiritualists and new age leaders – some may say cult leaders – in  a new book published earlier this year.

It’s called Blazing Eye Sees All: Love Has Won, False Prophets, and the Fever Dream of the American New Age. 

GUEST: Leah Sottile

RELATED LINKS: Book Review: ‘The Instability of Truth,’ by Rebecca Lemov; ‘Blazing Eye Sees All,’ by Leah Sottile 

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 NPR Network.

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What does the Northwest sound like to you? 

Is it the tide rolling over a rocky beach? The wind across the Palouse? A ferry horn echoing across the Puget Sound?

On Soundside, we occasionally ask field recordists about their iconic sounds of northwest.  

Today, we'll hear from acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, also known as the Sound Tracker.

He brought a recording from inside a driftwood log on the Washington coast.

Guest:

Gordon Hempton, acoustic ecologist and Emmy Award winning sound recordist 

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 NPR Network.

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When you get on the bus, do you think about the driver behind the wheel? 

If you rode the 8 bus recently, your driver might have been Desiree Andersen, otherwise known as @desinthepark. During her more than two years driving, she also went to grad school for social work. That helped give her extra insight into the needs of the people she drives. 

And she shared those insights on TikTok, where she started posting during a break between driving shifts.

But Andersen is now shifting gears. This month, she left her job at King County Metro. We talked with her about what's next. 

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 NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A policy change from the Trump Administration could fundamentally change the federal government’s relationship with climate change.

The proposal, announced on Tuesday, would overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s  "endangerment finding” – which, in 2009, determined that greenhouse gases are harmful to people and the environment.

It's the basis for emissions regulations on vehicles, power plants, and the oil and gas industries under the Clean Air Act. 

Washington has been at the vanguard of climate regulations – last year, voters chose to keep our carbon auction system in place, and our attorney general is fighting to preserve plans to ban sales of most non-electric vehicles in Washington by 2030.

So, what could this EPA proposal mean for Washington’s climate policies? And where does Washington stand amid the flurry of deregulatory moves and cuts to green energy subsidies by the Trump Administration?

Guest:

• Jay Inslee, former Governor of Washington state

Related stories:

• In Game-Changing Climate Rollback, E.P.A. Aims to Kill a Bedrock Scientific Finding - NYT
• Democrats can win over young Trump voters. Here’s how. - Washington Post

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summer is a great season for adventures with your favorite pup.

The sun is shining. The lakes are glistening. The grass is only partially dead. 

But – just like your human kids, furry members of the family need you to keep a watchful eye out for warm-weather hazards

Soundside called in an expert here to help.

GUEST: Seattle Humane Society Senior Veterinarian Dr. Lauren Restis

RELATED LINKS: 

• First aid tips for pet owners | American Veterinary Medical Association
• Seattle dog park to close to remove potentially deadly plant
• Dogs will be allowed on Seattle’s light rail

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 NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People are clucking about the Little Red Hen.

The cherished country music bar in Green Lake could close at the end of July, after nearly 100 years in business. 

The Little Red Hen first opened its doors in 1933 in Phinney Ridge, before moving to Green Lake. Today the bar’s a community hub where customers line dance, sing karaoke and enjoy bluegrass jam sessions. 

Fun fact, it was also featured in the Stone Temple Pilots’ music video for the song, “Plush.”

Now a lease dispute between the bar’s owner and the landlord could shut it down.

In response, community members - and avid country music and dance fans - have banded together to try to keep the bar open.  

Guest:

• Gage Clark, a patron trying to save the Little Red Hen. 

Related stories: 

• Fans of Little Red Hen, banjos and fiddles in hand, rally to save Seattle honky-tonk - KUOW
• At this Green Lake dive bar, karaoke is a cathartic, unifying experience - The Seattle Times
• Little Red Hen facing closure after 92 years amid lease dispute - KING 5
• I Dance To Forget | Freddy Luongo - Bandcamp

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump Administration is attempting to revamp homelessness policy in the United States. Late last week, the president signed an executive order that, among other things, ends federal support for policies that employ the “housing first” model. It also calls for an increase in involuntary commitments for people with mental health conditions or substance use disorders. The order aims to drastically change how cities and states respond to the homelessness crisis. 

Guest:

Will James, host of KUOW's Lost Patients, an award-winning podcast about homelessness and mental illness in Seattle

Relevant Links:

NPR: Trump signs an executive order to make it easier to remove homeless people from streets

KUOW: Lost Patients

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 NPR Network.

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Something interesting happened – or rather, didn’t happen – last week at a Seattle City Council committee meeting. 

There was supposed to be a vote on member appointments to the Seattle Renters’ Commission. That commission has seats for 15 members but currently only has five. 

The vote didn’t happen. That’s because Council President Sara Nelson and Councilmember Rob Saka failed to attend, leaving the committee shy of its three-member quorum.  That sparked a lot of outrage, including from Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, who had this to say:

“This isn’t a committee meeting any more. This is just a community meeting. It is council members’ chartered responsibility to be at these meetings. This is literally our job, so I find it deeply frustrating that people took time to leave their jobs in the middle of the day, yet not every member of the committee could show up to do theirs.”

Many people have criticized the council members’ absence – and some are asking whether political motivations were involved.

Soundside sat down with Seattle Times reporter David Kroman, and Seattle Renters' Commission Interim Co-Chair Kate Rubin to discuss.

GUESTS:

• David Kroman - Seattle Times City Hall Reporter
• Kate Rubin - Interim Co-Chair, Seattle Renters' Commission

RELATED LINKS:

• Seattle City Council members stymie appointments to renters commission
• Housing & Human Services community discussion
• Seattle Renters' Commission

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology documents multiple cases of wild orcas across different oceans – apparently trying to share their prey with humans. 

KUOW's Gabriel Spitzer talked with Jared Towers about this research. Towers is the executive director of Bay Cetology, a team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia. He’s one of the authors of the study. 

Links

These orcas have been trying to feed people, new research shows - The Seattle Times
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why? - CNN

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 NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two candidates are running to represent the city of Seattle in one of our two city-wide Council seats.

And 2026 will be a big year for the council – we’ve got a looming budget deficit, potential federal funding cuts, and, of course, the continuous threat of federal troops being sent to our fair city.

The first candidate is a familiar name – incumbent Sara Nelson was elected to the position 9 seat in 2021. She is the city council president, and a co-founder of Fremont Brewing.

Her opponent is Dionne Foster - former executive director of the nonprofit Washington Progress Alliance, which advocated for a statewide capital gains tax. Foster is also a former policy advisor for the city.

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside Producer Jason Burrows here... Libby Denkmann is ON VACATION, and speaking of enriching one's life and existence by engaging in fulfilling activities outside of the work environment, here's the big list of all the cool stuff you can do this weekend:

LINKS:

• Seafair Torchlight Run 2025
• Seafair Torchlight Parade 2025
• Bite of Seattle
• Children's Film Festival Seattle 2025
• Renton River Days
• Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show
•  Front Street Arts Festival | Jansen Art Center
• Timber! Outdoor Music Festival
• Emerald City Comedy Club - Ron Funches
• Seattle Scottish Highland Games

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Change is coming to our cryptocurrency market.

Last Friday, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act, the country’s first major cryptocurrency law. 

It will create a regulatory framework for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency that’s value is tied to assets like the U.S. dollar. Supporters say the bill will modernize our financial system, but others say the legislation won’t do enough to protect consumers. 

Here in Washington, crypto has a… mixed reputation. Last month Spokane’s city council voted to ban crypto ATMs from within city limits. And, in rural Washington, cryptomining operations have led to concerns about environmental impact and energy costs.

But, crypto also has supporters in our tech hub state. And the digital funds have played a part in some of our elections – like last year, when a crypto PAC gave close to $1.5 million for ads supporting Democratic State Senator Emily Randall. 

So, what does this new regulation mean for Washington state?

Guest:

• Brady Dale, a cryptocurrency reporter at Axios.

Related stories:

• Why PNW officials are only now deciding crypto mining regulation - The Seattle Times
• 2 Democrats, 1 Republican face off in competitive WA 6th District race - The Seattle Times

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Seattle School Board is extending the search for a new superintendent, past the original deadline to hire someone by the fall.

That means the district will not have a permanent leader when its roughly 50,000 students come back in the fall. 

We review why the school board wants more time for the search, and what that delay means for students, teachers and parents. 

Editor's Note: KUOW incorrectly stated that former Seattle School Board director Vivian Song represented District 2. She represented District 4. Additionally, Song claims the district failed to file for a special election, which could’ve allowed her to continue legally serving. (The district refused to comment on the issue of her residency and whether it failed to file for a special election.)

Guest

Sami West, online editor/reporter, KUOW

Links

When will Seattle Public Schools get its next superintendent? Not this fall - KUOW

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, well-known labor organizer Alfredo Juarez Zeferino – nicknamed Lelo – announced he would “voluntarily depart” after being held for months in Tacoma’s ICE processing center.

KUOW Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez was there when Zeferino’s lawyer told supporters outside the ICE facility what Lelo had decided.

Guest:

• KUOW Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez

Related stories:

• WA farm labor organizer ends his deportation fight after 4 months in ICE detention - KUOW
• Union farmworker organizer 'Lelo' denied bond to leave Tacoma ICE lockup - KUOW

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from Joe Mallahan, a former T Mobile executive and candidate for mayor in 2009. 

Guest:

Joe Mallahan, candidate for Seattle Mayor

Links:

Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in Ukraine is causing tremendous and likely lasting psychological damage to generations of its young people.

One of those traumas is caused by what’s tantamount to kidnapping by the Russian government. According to a new report by the think tank GlobSec, there have been nearly 20,000 (19,546) cases of what it calls “forcibly transferred or deported children.”

These children are taken from their homes and placed in camps or with Russian families.

I’m talking with two people who are associated with the report:   

Eric Trupin is a psychologist and a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He wrote the forward for the report, which is titled “Stolen Generations: a systemic violation of Ukraine’s Future.” 

For the last two years, Dr. Trupin also trained mental health providers in Ukraine in how to use poetry and other techniques to help young people process emotions and cope with intense trauma. 

It’s a project that was created originally as a way to help rehabilitate young incarcerated people in Seattle.

Guest:

• Eric Trupin is a psychologist and a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine
• Iuliia Osmolovska is Head of the GLOBSEC Kyiv Office

Related stories:

• Stolen Generation a Systematic Violation of Ukraine’s Future - Globsec

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from current Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. 

Guest:

Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle

Links:

Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from Katie Wilson, the co-founder and executive director of the Transit Rider's Union. 

Guest:

Katie Wilson, candidate for Seattle Mayor

Links:

Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from Ry Armstrong, an actor, union chair, and co-director of the non-profit of Seattle. 

Guest:

Ry Armstrong, candidate for Seattle Mayor

Links:

Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local and national organizations alike are still absorbing the historic implications of the Republican tax and spending law known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill.

President Trump signed the legislation on July 4th. The law makes the Trump tax cuts of 2017 permanent, and increases spending on border security and energy production, among many other measures.

It also includes significant cuts to government assistance programs, like SNAP and Medicaid. 

Soundside reached out to several local leaders to ask how the One Big Beautiful Bill will affect their work. 

Guests:

• Gloria Hatcher-Mays, executive director of the Rainier Valley Food Bank

• Malou Chávez, executive director of Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

• Bob Ferguson, Washington governor 
• Jacqueline Barton True, vice president of advocacy and rural health for the Washington State Hospital Association
• Cathy Bambrick, administrator for Astria Toppenish Hospital

Related stories:

• Potential for 'pretty dire consequences' for WA health care due to Trump's budget bill - Kitsap Sun 

• WA officials warn ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will wreak havoc on Medicaid system - Tacoma News Tribune

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans are reading less for pleasure these days.

That’s according to research from the University of Florida and University College London. And it’s not a little dip - we’re talking a 40% drop in daily leisure reading for people 15 and older over the past two decades. 

This shift is especially prevalent for specific groups, like Black Americans, people with lower incomes, and people in rural areas.  

We dug deeper into the findings from this study... and took a closer look at Seattle's reading habits. 

Guest:

• Jill Sonke, co-director of the EpiArts Lab at the University of Florida.

• Brooke Bosley, co-founder of the Black Futures Book Club.

• Spencer Ruchti, author events manager for Third Place Books.

Related stories

• Reading for pleasure in free fall: New study finds 40% drop over two decades News | University of Florida
• Fewer People Are Reading for Fun, Study Finds - The New York Times

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might have noticed that Mount Rainier’s been looking a little…. Bald lately. 

People on social media have been posting about how Washington’s favorite sight looks less snowy than usual. Some of them are saying they’ve never seen the mountain look this bare in their lives. 

Rainier definitely sheds some snow in the warmer months. And Washington has been getting hit with some pretty serious heat lately. 

Many of us know that climate change is a thing, so how much of that is playing into the mountain’s sleek peak? (Basically, how much dread should we be feeling about this?) 

Soundside asked a glaciologist to explain what's happening up there. 

Guest:

• Dr. Mauri Pelto, director of the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project. 

Related stories: 

• The mountain is out: Mount Rainier shows rocky face after record-breaking heat, snow melt - seattlepi.com
• Mount Rainier’s glaciers are disappearing. What happens when they’re gone? - Tacoma News Tribune

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine a cartoon show where the characters talk back to you. That's the premise for "Cartoon Mess Live", a live comedy show by Seattleite Tom DesLongchamp.

 DesLongchamp is basically a puppeteer, doing improv alongside a cohost named Duck. It’s like if you could see the person operating Elmo, and the pair of them had a late night talk show. But also Elmo is a 2-dimensional cartoon.

DesLongchamp sat down with Soundside host Libby Denkmann to discuss his show, and why it's so hard to describe.

Guest:

• Tom DesLongchamp, creator of "Cartoon Mess Live"

Related links:

• Cartoon Mess Live at The Rabbit Box

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weekend is upon us, and Soundside producer Jason Burrows is here with all the events fit to broadcast.

LINKS:

• SPORTS!
  • Seattle Mariners vs Houston Astros
  • Seattle Sounders vs San Jose Earthquakes
  • Seattle Reign vs Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds
• Sandsations Sand Sculpture Festival - Long Beach, WA
• Seattle Arab Festival
• 2025 Seattle Bon Odori
• Seafair Chinatown Parade
• Indian Days Powwow
• CAPITOL HILL BLOCK PARTY 
• Darrington Bluegrass Festival
• Cartoon Mess LIVE
• King County Fair - Enumclaw
• Seattle Boba Fest
• GeekFest West - Everett
• TRAFFIC ALERT - NB I-5 totally closed from I-90 to 45th Ave (U-District)

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re closing in on the deadline for President Trump’s rescission package.

Senate Republicans have until this Friday to pass the package with a simple majority. If they don’t, they’ll face a Democratic filibuster that they’ll need 60 votes to overcome.

On Tuesday, the Senate voted to advance rescissions with a 51-50 vote – Vice President JD Vance was the tie breaker. Republican Senators Collins, Murkowski, and McConnell all voted no.

Today, Senators will have up to 10 hours of debate before the final floor vote – if they pass the package, it will then head back to the House for a vote, before going to the President’s desk. Again, this all needs to happen by the end of Friday.

So that’s a lot of procedural details, but let’s get to the nitty gritty:

If this passes, the Administration would claw back $9 billion dollars in previously approved funding – most of which is intended for global health programs and foreign aid projects.

It would also rescind more than $1.1 billion dollars currently budgeted for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or CPB.

You’re listening to public radio right now - so you’re probably well aware that  those dollars include funding for KUOW, as well as other local public radio and TV stations, which receive support from the CPB.

What exactly would the impact of rescission be for Seattle stations? Can public media survive these cuts? And, with news becoming increasingly fragmented, should taxpayers still pay for public media? 

We’re putting those questions to leaders of local public media organizations.

Guests:

• Kerry Swanson is interim CEO of KUOW
• Rob Dunlop is CEO and President of Cascade PBS
• Ethan Raup is CEO and President of KEXP

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez represents Washington’s 3rd District, which encompasses Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, and Skamania counties and a smidge of Thurston County.

It’s a relatively rural district that has voted for President Trump three times. 

Somehow, she has been able to convince a good number of those Trump voters to ALSO send her, a Democrat, to Congress. 

And that’s put Gluesenkamp Perez in a unique and small club of Democrats being asked to diagnose their party’s problems and come up with a vision for the future.

So what does it take to lead from a vulnerable seat, and what are the lessons Democrats can draw from what’s happening in Southwest Washington?

One of those might be – figure out the solution to the gerontocracy in Congress.

GUEST: Rep. Marie Gluesenkam Perez

RELATED LINKS:

• House Democrat floats radical solution to Congress' age problem 

• Gluesenkamp Perez Statement on Senate Passage of Budget Reconciliation Bill
• How a Red-District Democrat Is Navigating Trump | The Ezra Klein Show
• Yes, Car Headlights Are Too Damn Bright

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, a King County Judge ordered the city of Seattle to come up with a plan to end “nudity as constituted” at the park.

Denny Blaine has been the city’s most well known nude beach for decades – and is a beloved LGBTQ+ community gathering space.

This order follows a series of attempts by neighbors of the park to end nudity at Denny Blaine.

And it’s a move supporters of the nude beach say would be a “sanitization of queer spaces” in an increasingly gentrified city.

Guests:

• Seattle Times City Hall reporter David Kroman

Related stories:

• Judge orders an end to nudity at Seattle’s Denny Blaine Park, for now - Seattle Times
• Community members give Denny Blaine Park play area proposal a dressing down - KUOW
• ‘I share your disgust.’ Texts show Seattle Mayor Harrell, rich neighbor discussing Denny Blaine - KUOW

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Matthew Law has walked the halls of ABC's Abbott Elementary, piloted a spaceship in an episode of Star Wars: Ahsoka and played "The Cynic" in the  "This Is Me... Now: A Love Story” the Jennifer Lopez movie musical. 

Law hails from Washington. He was born in Yakima and grew up in Seattle, where he attended Greenwood Elementary and Ballard High School. And he's a filmmaker too, directing and writing several short films for his “True Story” series. 

Soundside caught up with him during a break in his shooting schedule. 

Guests

Matthew Law, actor

Links 

‘Abbott Elementary’ actor Matthew Law on Seattle upbringing, ‘True Story’ -The Seattle Times

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 NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King County’s health department has published innovative and educational comic strips about public health issues for more than 15 years.

The county hires local comics artists to tackle issues such as long term covid, preparing for a natural disaster and how to deal with a failing septic system. 

Meredith Li-Vollmer is the heartbeat behind this popular project, which she founded in 2008.

She says the visual and hand drawn style of storytelling helps make potentially dry information palatable. The county has also found that comics are an effective way to communicate with people who speak English as a second language. In fact, some of King County’s comic books have been printed into more than 20 languages. 

But the program almost didn’t happen. Had  Li-Vollmer listened to her high school art teacher who was unkindly critical of her artwork.

Guest:

• Meredith Li-Vollmer, Risk Communication Specialist at Public Health - Seattle & King Countt

Related stories:

• A comic-book approach to public health. King County's winning formula - KUOW
• King County Health comics

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 NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Seattle City Council recently approved a $2 million dollar loan for the city’s social housing developer. That’s a public development authority that will manage publicly financed housing in the city. It can serve people who make up to 120% of the area median income. 

Voters overwhelmingly supported the creation of the social housing developer in 2023. They also approved a funding plan for the developer in February that pays for it by putting in place a new tax on companies with high income earners. Next year, the social housing developer is anticipated to receive an estimated $50 million dollars from that tax. 

In the meantime, Mayor Bruce Harrell requested the $2 million dollar loan, saying the money would go towards keeping the organization running and potentially acquiring new property this year. As of now, the developer doesn’t own any. In its early stages, the developer has been dogged by concerns that it hasn’t proven it can get this money out the door and into housing and questions about whether it’s serving the city’s greatest need by using public money to provide housing for people making more than the median income for the area. 

Guest:

Roberto Jimenez, CEO of Seattle’s Social Housing Developer

Links:

KUOW: Why someone earning over $100,000 could qualify for Seattle’s affordable housing

Seattle Times: Seattle’s social housing developer struggles with ‘growing pains’

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 NPR Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle hockey fans rejoice! There is a new professional women’s team to root for, starting this fall.

The name of the team? Well … that’s yet to be determined, but there are many things we DO know about this upcoming third season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

This year, for the first time, the league is expanding into the Pacific Northwest, with teams in Vancouver and Seattle. There’ll now be 8 teams total vying for the “Walter Cup.” 

And things are moving FAST at PWHL Seattle: Players have been drafted, head coach Steve O’Rourke has been hired. 

There’s still a lot to be figured out, and the person making many of those decisions will be the new general manager Meghan Turner, who was the assistant GM of the Boston Fleet before being tapped for the head job here in Seattle.

Guest: Meghan Turner, General Manager of PWHL Seattle

Related Links:

• PWHL Turns To Turner To Lead New Seattle Women’s Team 

• PWHL Seattle GM Meghan Turner working to ‘create a community’ 

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been quite a week for one Seattle scientist, after getting an unexpected late-night call from a Swedish phone number last week.

That call turned out to bring good news: Dr. Mary Brunkow is sharing this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

She’s being honored for research she did decades ago; work that would eventually loom large in developing ways to treat autoimmune disease and cancer.

We’ve asked Dr. Brunkow to reflect a bit on what that work looks like in hindsight, and what it means to share this honor…

GUEST: Dr. Mary Brunkow

RELATED LINKS:

• She didn’t believe she won the Nobel — until a photographer showed up at her Seattle door 
• Mary E. Brunkow – Facts – 2025 - NobelPrize.org 
• UW alum awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine – Be Boundless

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside is taking a break this week. 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. 

Relevant Links:

• Pacific Drive captures the creepy of the Olympic Peninsula
• Hear Ye, Hear Ye, there's trouble brewing at the Renaissance Faire!
• Touring the history of Black music at MoPop's "Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music"

WEEKEND WARMUP LINKS:

• 2025 Queer and Trans Film Festival — Three Dollar Bill Cinema

• Ballard SeafoodFest

• NW Tune-Up Festival

• Japan Fair

• West Seattle Summer Fest

• Redmond Arts Festival

• Bluegrass From the Forest

• CID Celebration

• Summer Celebration 2025 | Mercer Island, Washington

• Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside is taking a break this week. 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 NPR Network.

Relevant Links:

• Can you solve the mystery of the Oakville blobs?
• The new food that has beekeepers "buzzing"
• How a Spokane woman became a hall of fame foosball player

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's summer vacation week on Sounside. But that doesn't mean we're out of your podcast feed.

Senior producer Gabrielle Healy shares some of her favorite recent Soundside segments.

We’re talking about everything from the unsung heroes of the early Seattle rap scene with music writer Novocaine132 to your rights if you encounter ICE.

Plus, Seattle Eats talks about the Emerald City's best slice of pizza.

Guests

• Novocaine132, author of "The Birth of Seattle Rap."

• Henry Hwang, a directing attorney for Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

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 NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.