Soundside Podcasts

Turnout for this year’s November election was the lowest on record since Washington started keeping track in 1936. Statewide, 36.41% of registered voters returned their ballot in 2023. That beats the previous low of 37.1%, held in another odd-year election — 2017, and the one before that, 38.52% in 2015. So, what is it with odd-year elections and l…

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines announced over the weekend it plans to buy Hawaiian Airlines. The nearly 2-billion dollar deal would solidify Alaska’s position as the nation’s fifth largest carrier. But this is far from a done deal – the Biden administration has closely scrutinized other large airline mergers and could step in to try to block the sal…

The situation in Woodinville has gotten messier than a vegetable garden after a bunch of rabbits moved in, and now, the city council and mayor are stepping in to try to bring both all parties back to the table.By Libby Denkmann

If you’ve tried to catch a boat regularly lately, you know Washington state’s ferry system is struggling. Many vessels are 40 to 50 years old. The Tilikum is 63 years old. A third of the fleet is out of service. Several routes are on reduced service or running smaller boats. What's behind the service's woes and how does WSF plan to return to stabil…

Since time immemorial, Native Tribes in the Columbia Basin met at a village crossroads called Mool-Mool.In the wake of the Yakama Treaty of 1855, the site was of continual use as a U.S. military outpost, and for decades, the grounds included a boarding school operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where children from the Yakama Nation were force…

In 1906, the Steamship Dix was shuttling passengers from Colman Dock to Port Blakely when it crossed the path of the SS Jeanie. After the SS Jeanie rolled the SS Dix, the latter's passengers scrambled for safety, with dozens tragically sinking aboard the vessel. More than 100 years later, local shipwreck enthusiasts believe they've found the steame…

If you’re in the Pacific Northwest right now, it’s cold outside. There’s frost on the ground in the morning — sometimes a freezing mist in the air. And lately, very little rain. Winter doesn’t technically start for another three weeks. But if this is all feeling off to you, you may need to prepare for more weirdness; it’s an El Niño year.…

A combination of long commute times, outsized fear of crime, lack of housing, and older office space is causing downtown Seattle's slow recovery from the pandemic. KUOW's Joshua McNichols looks at a few ways to combat these factors. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.k…

The new movie "Thin Skin" follows the life of Ahamefule J. Oluo, a newly divorced father who spends his days working a soul-sucking office job, while at night, he works on what he truly loves: his music. Then, Oluo speaks to his father for the first time in decades, and things take a turn.By Mike Davis

By Libby Denkmann

The Washington State Department of Transportation has a lot of very expensive projects it has to manage in order to keep people moving around, and legislators recently got some pretty massive sticker shock for a different project — one that’s aimed at improving the way salmon move around.By Libby Denkmann

Typically, a major construction project in Seattle requires a city permit. Changes to a park would have you wading into the political process – maybe lobbying your city council member or the mayor. But beavers can’t be bothered with land use applications. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift…

Soundside Producer Jason Burrows shares three of his favorite segments that he worked on from the past year for this pre-Thanksgiving break. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundsideBy Libby Denkmann

Describing one’s personal political values is not an easy thing to do, especially when they don’t all neatly align or fit with one party. Thomas and Sherwin are both Christians, but are at different stages in their lives with very different political views. In this "One Small Step" conversation, recorded at the University of Washington's Suzzallo l…

One of the goals of a "One Small Step" conversation is for participants to understand why people have the political beliefs they have. In this conversation, we’ll hear from Washington state senators Karen Keiser, who is a Democrat, and John Braun, who is a Republican. They have worked across the aisle and through disagreements over the years, and t…

The Soundside team is taking some time off this Thanksgiving week. In the spirit of thankfulness, we're revisiting some of our favorite segments from over the last year, and the hardworking producers who make Soundside are making the picks.By Libby Denkmann

Finding out you disagree with someone you like is a jarring experience, and when it comes to heated political topics, those disagreements can lead to lost relationships. "One Small Step" is about finding connection despite disagreement. In this conversation, Allison, a progressive, and Sue Lani, a libertarian, share stories about how they see this …

In the spirit of thankfulness: Soundside is going to revisit some of our favorite segments from over the last year, and the hardworking producers who make Soundside will be making the picks.By Libby Denkmann

This week, Sound Transit fare ambassadors, those blue vested, yellow hatted transit employees, started issuing warnings to train riders who haven’t paid. It’s the first time in more than three years that Sound Transit is enforcing fares. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://…

If there was a big-picture winner of Seattle’s 2023 general election, it’s arguably Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.By Libby Denkmann

Before you go through your own pantry or head to the store to pick up food to donate, Soundside called up some experts to help you make more impactful donations.By Libby Denkmann

Just outside Ilwaco, Washington, is the nation’s largest and busiest coast guard unit. This stretch of coast, known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” is one of the most dangerous waterways to navigate in the U.S.By Alec Cowan

Washington elections are a lesson in patience. A week after the general election, results are just shaping up for most of the major races. And those results can help with determining what policy and politics will look like in Seattle, and Washington.By Mike Davis

Soundside interviews author Stephanie Land about her most recent book, "Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education."By Diana Opong

Hundreds of nurses at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett went on the picket line Tuesday morning after authorizing a five day strike. The major sticking points are staffing levels and pay. The union and Providence have been in negotiations for months over a new contract for roughly 1300 nurses. We can only make Soundside because listener…

Since 1972, the Streissguth Gardens have become one of Seattle’s most unique landmarks. The gardens take up a full acre of hillside just west of Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park.If you’ve spent a morning running up the long Blaine Street Stairs, you’ve passed right by the gardens. But the story of how this unorthodox public garden came to be is one of…

The stage was set this Saturday, the OL Reign were vying for their first National Women’s Soccer League Championship against New York's Gotham FC. It was also the final professional game for the Reign's transcendent talent, retiring winger Megan Rapinoe, and then, less than 5 minutes into the match, Rapinoe left with an injury. We can only make Sou…

Seattle Times reporters Isabella Breda & Manuel Villa talk with Soundside about PFAS chemicals in the drinking water near the city of Spokane. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundsideBy Diana Opong

KUOW Arts & Culture reporter Mike Davis sits down with the hosts of the new podcast "TEXT ME BACK" to find out why they decided to record the conversations that usually take place via text!By Mike Davis

6PPD has been in use for decades as a kind of bonding agent that prevents cracking and general wear and tear in tires. When the surface of the tire reacts with ozone or oxygen, it turns into a new compound called 6PPD-Quinone, which is toxic to aquatic life like coho salmon.By Diana Opong

Coast redwoods and giant sequoias are iconic trees that tower over Northern California’s forests, but scientists are wondering if these trees will survive through a rapidly changing climate. It's leading some to consider a potential solution: moving the trees to the Pacific Northwest. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make th…

For the last six weeks, jurors in Tacoma have listened to testimony in the trial against three Tacoma police officers charged in the death of 33 year-old Manuel Ellis. Soundside guest host Mike Davis caught up with Peter Talbot, a criminal justice reporter for The News Tribune in Tacoma about some key moments in the trial so far.…

The 2023 General Election is over. And because we’re election news junkies, we’re here to catch up on what’s known so far about how Washingtonians voted.By Diana Opong

How does a community define itself? And what happens when a community's foundational story intersects with a violent piece of American history? Those are questions director Irene Lusztig takes on in her new documentary "Richland" - about the community surrounding the Hanford Nuclear site in central Washington, which produced the plutonium used in t…

In many counties across Washington, sheriffs are nonpartisan, at times running unopposed. But this year’s election in Snohomish County is different. Bothell Deputy Chief of Police Susanna Johnson, who is currently leading with 52% of the vote, is running against incumbent Sheriff Adam Fortney, who so far has garnered 47% of votes.…

For many across Western Washington, this year's general election ballot includes decisions that will impact one of the issues that voters are most concerned about: housing. In Seattle, there’s a nearly $1 billion dollar levy to build more affordable housing. And in Tacoma, a renter-protection initiative in Tacoma has drawn hundreds of thousands of …

Four of the seven seats on Seattle's school board are up for grabs, and only two incumbents are running for re-election, meaning the board will get at least two new members after November 7. KUOW education reporter Sami West is here to explain some of the biggest issues candidates will have to address after the election.…

Across the country, members of Moms for Liberty have increasingly confronted school administrators at board meetings and advocated against school curriculum including subjects like diversity, equity and inclusion, racism in the United States, and LGBTQ+ issues -- including in Washington State. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us…

On Sunday, Seattle chef Thierry Rautureau died of complications from pulmonary fibrosis. Thierry was a staple of the Seattle food scene — his restaurants, Rover, Luc, and Loulay, helped build Seattle’s reputation as a culinary destination.By Libby Denkmann

Whatcom County voters are looking at .2 percent sales tax increase on this November's ballot. A similar measure failed in 2015 and then again 2017. Now, county leaders hope a third time is the charm. And to placate parts of the electorate with anti-carceral views, the county council included money for services to hopefully keep people out of the ne…

Since the late 1960s, Washington state has led the nation in fetal alcohol research. And yet today, there's only one treatment center in Washington state for kids ages 3 to 12 diagnosed with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or prenatal substance exposure.By Libby Denkmann

A federal commission has approved a pipeline project to increase the flow of Canadian natural gas through the Pacific Northwest and California, despite opposition from from state officials, federal lawmakers, and Native American tribes.By Libby Denkmann

Last year, a pillar of Seattle’s Mexican-American artist community passed away. Francisca Garcia was well known for making the annual Día de los Muertos ofrenda at El Centro de La Raza in Beacon Hill, as well as curating ofrendas for other events, like Folklife, and the opening of the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano Chicana Latino Latina Culture. She als…

Soundside host Libby Denkmann chats about horror movies & what makes them so much fun with Make Believe Film Festival founder Billy Ray Brewton. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundsideBy Libby Denkmann

After passing over Astoria, OR earlier this month, passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight from Everett to San Francisco were told their flight was being diverted.According to court documents, an off-duty pilot attempted to pull a fire suppression lever, which would have effectively turned the plane into a glider. He later told police that his ment…

For 15 years, a federal standard has prevented regulators from considering planet-warming emissions when enforcing the Endangered Species Act, a federal law aimed at protecting species at risk of extinction. But now, researchers at the University of Washington and Polar Bears International believe they’ve found a way to close that loophole. It's a …

Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte is turning 20 this year. Soundside caught up with the Seattle man considered to be the "father" of the autumnal sensation about the rise of pumpkin spice.By Libby Denkmann

KUOW Public Health Reporter Eilis O'Neill sits down with Soundside host Libby Denkmann to talk about the changing face of caregiving in the Pacific Northwest. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundsideBy Libby Denkmann

Downtown Seattle has the Seattle Art Museum, the Paramount, the symphony, and some other theaters and galleries. But it hasn’t been the center of Seattle’s arts scene for a long time.Now, with downtown struggling economically, Mayor Bruce Harrell has been talking about a new arts and entertainment district downtown. He says he wants to put a street…

As Catholic bishops meet at the Vatican to discuss potential reforms, some progressives aren't waiting for a papal sign off. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundsideBy Libby Denkmann