Shows / Soundside
Soundside
Soundside leads the Puget Sound conversation with smart questions, lively debates, and direct access to the region's most influential voices. Timely, insightful, and unmistakably local, it's where the Pacific Northwest comes to dig into the news.
Episodes
- Soundside
What does RFK Jr.'s nomination mean for the HPV vaccine?
On Tuesday the Senate Finance Committee voted to move forward with Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. His…
- Soundside
Landmine removal group pauses work after foreign aid freeze
The United States is drastically retooling its foreign aid to meet a new presidential administration's “America First” goals. The State Department…
- Soundside
The trade war is off—for now. What would tariffs mean for Washington?
The threat of a trade war against the United States' nearest neighbors is off for now. Last week President Donald Trump said he was placing a 25% tariff on…
- Soundside
Starbucks implements open door changes as foot traffic continues to slow
When Brian Niccol took the helm as CEO of Starbucks last fall, his mandate was to reverse a decline in customer traffic. He’s been rolling out changes in…
- Soundside
Oscar nominated costume designer returns to PNB for The Sleeping Beauty
In his storied career, Paul Tazewell has dressed American revolutionaries, a scarecrow and a tinman, and witches with a penchant for pink and green. It’s…
- Soundside
New Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes on accountability, community safety, and "policing forward"
Shon Barnes stepped into the role last week, officially taking the reins from interim Chief Sue Rahr. Barnes was previously the Chief of Police in Madison…
- Soundside
A think tank wants to accelerate cleanup at Hanford. Locals, though, aren't in a hurry
For decades, the Hanford Site in central Washington produced plutonium for the United States’ nuclear arsenal. But since its operations were shuttered…
- Soundside
Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - 1/30-2/2
The weekend is tantalizingly close to being a reality, only a FEW hours away... So, why not get started making plans RIGHT NOW!? Fortunately, Soundside…
- Soundside
"I feel like a foster parent." Outgoing chief Sue Rahr on hiring, leadership, and sexism at SPD
Sue Rahr’s tenure as Seattle’s Chief of Police is coming to an end. The interim chief took over the office during a rocky moment for SPD: she…
- Soundside
Lion Dancing into the Lunar New Year
Happy Lunar New Year! Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake. And it’s an extra special Lunar New Year in Washington, because this year, for…
- Soundside
Soundside listeners sound off about our coverage of Trump 2.0
Journalists are struggling to keep up with the breakneck pace of major policy decisions coming out of the White House. At Soundside, we have to prioritize how…
- Soundside
Fueling innovation, or exploitation? Trump supporters feud over future of H-1B visas
Most of President Trump’s closest allies appear to be cheering on his major changes to immigration policy – which have been numerous. These include…
- Soundside
Seattle counted trees as protected that may not have been in peril
In 2023, Seattle City Council waded into controversy by passing a long overdue tree protection ordinance. The law regulates whether homeowners can remove trees…
- Soundside
Former Auburn cop sentenced for murder
Former Auburn police officer Jeffrey Nelson has been sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison. The decision was handed down Thursday, after Nelson was…
- Soundside
Converge Media wants you to support Black business
What does it take to run a thriving business in Washington? Lately, for a number of business owners around the Sound , the answer seems to be “too…
- Soundside
WA lawmakers again consider cap on rent increases
Washington lawmakers are once again considering legislation to cap rent increases across the state. This year’s iteration would limit rent hikes to 7…
- Soundside
Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Jan 23rd-27th
The week isn’t over, but I know a lot of us are wishing it were. Well, if we’re so focused on the weekend, why not get an early start making plans?…
- Soundside
Why medical debt hits Indigenous Washingtonians especially hard
According to recent government reporting, Native Americans have medical debt that is double the national average. That’s despite the fact that the…
- Soundside
Resident Orca tells the story of Lummi elders' quest to bring captured whale home
The new documentary, Resident Orca, brings viewers inside the very personal work of Tribal elder Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris and her allies as they fight for…
- Soundside
The TikTok ban is delayed... again. What can we learn from the whiplash?
At this hour, TikTok is once again available to its millions of U.S. users – brought back to life, for at least 75 days, by the President who once tried…
- Soundside
WA justices look at "historical tradition" for high capacity magazines in Gator Guns case
The state supreme court is right now weighing the future of high-capacity gun magazine sales in Washington. Last week, the court heard arguments in Washington…
- Soundside
Washington Attorney General sues Trump Administration
Twenty-four hours after returning to office, the Trump administration is already facing its first lawsuit from Washington state. State Attorney General Nick…
- Soundside
What can you learn from dead birds? With enough volunteers, a lot
The University of Washington's Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, or COASST, is a network of nearly a thousand volunteers who walk beaches in Alaska…
- Soundside
'Roll On, Kalakala' celebrates the beginning, and end, of a Seattle icon
This month marks 10 years since the Kalakala was removed from the shores of Tacoma and demolished. The ferry, which looked a little like if the Titanic was…
- Soundside
Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Jan 17th-20th
As we prepare for the holiday weekend, some folks are heading out of town, while others are looking locally for ways to celebrate the life & legacy of Dr…
- Soundside
Pacific Drive captures the creepy of the Olympic Peninsula
The game “Pacific Drive” came out last year from Seattle-based Ironwood Studios, and it made a BIG splash for the company. So much so that…
- Soundside
The California wildfire insurance crisis
For over a week now, Los Angeles has been devastated by aggressive wildfire that are expected to be the most costly in California’s history. While many…
- Soundside
New podcast explores why healthcare can cost "An Arm and a Leg"
It’s as American as Apple Pie: You come home from the hospital - maybe it was an accidental slice with your kitchen knife, or maybe something more…
- Soundside
Can a river have rights? Everett is finding out
This past election, voters in Everett approved an initiative (24-03) that granted the Snohomish River watershed legally enforceable "rights." 24-03 is part of…
- Soundside
Contentious debate over the Comprehensive Plan comes to city council
The Seattle City Council is starting its year by taking on one of any city’s most controversial policy debates: growth. The Comprehensive Plan is now in…
- Soundside
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell on city budgets, the comprehensive plan, and more
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is running for re-election in 2025. He’s hoping to break the long running streak of single term mayors in Seattle like Mike…
- Soundside
Dangerous highs from highly potent cannabis
Marijuana has been recreationally legal here in Washington since 2012, and it's become big business for the state. Last year sales topped $1 billion, and the…
- Soundside
Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Jan 9th-13th
Our first week back after the holiday break has been jam-packed with all the news that’s fit to print… or read out loud into a microphone…
- Soundside
Washington state sends firefighters, engines to help battle LA fires
Five people have died and thousands of homes have burned in wildfires sweeping across the Los Angeles area. Five separate fires are burning in the county - the…
- Soundside
Washington sheriffs may face pressure between federal agencies and state law under Trump administration
President Elect Donald Trump has promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants on day one of his administration. Removing the approximately 11.7…
- Soundside
The Housing First Approach: A Documentary
As the Trump administration prepares to take office, a fight is brewing over the future of homelessness in America. For about a decade now, the federal…
- Soundside
As ShotSpotter rolls out in Tacoma, feelings over gunshot detection technology remain mixed
In an effort to curb gun crime, Tacoma announced last year that it was turning to a tool called ShotSpotter. ShotSpotter is a form of Gun Detection Technology…
- Soundside
A look into Amazon's "Return to Office" mandate
Amazon employees are back in the office five days a week, five years after Covid-19 shook up work as we know it; as the company’s so-called…
- Soundside
A new book looks at how border closures divided lives during COVID
It’s been five years since Covid 19 began spreading around the world from its origin in Wuhan, China. In that emergent time of the pandemic, there was…
- Soundside
Democrats in Olympia plan for massive budget gap
Washington lawmakers are facing an estimated $12 billion dollar budget deficit as they prepare to go back to work next week. How to cover that gap is the big…
- Soundside
A new governor, budget woes, and pickleball: KUOW's newsroom shares their big stories of 2025
2025 is officially here - and with that comes a whole lotta new: new resolutions, new goals, and a new page a day pull away calendar on your desk at work. But…
- Soundside
How Kenny G went from local fill-in to global saxophone phenom
He’s no longer rolling up to Franklin High School in a blue Oldsmobile Super 88 with homemade white wall tires, or knocking out accounting tests on the…
- Soundside
Soundside's Producer Picks: Jazz clubs, real-life superheroes, and late nights in Pioneer Square
Soundside will be off the air on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. We will be back with some fresh new stories Jan. 2. For today, we’ve revisiting a mix…
- Soundside
Soundside looks back at the 50th Anniversary of D&D
The tabletop role playing game Dungeons & Dragons was first published in 1974. 5 decades later, there’s a new ‘edition’ of the game out, and…
- Soundside
Libby looks back on her favorite Soundside stories of 2024
The Soundside team is taking the week off to rest and prepare for some upcoming shows we’re working on in the new year. So in the meantime, we're going…
- Soundside
Your favorite sounds of the Pacific Northwest
All this week, Soundside has heard from local sound artists about their quintessential sounds of the Pacific Northwest. We’ve heard coyotes howling…
- Soundside
Looking back at the best local albums of 2024
Are your music listening habits stuck in a rut? Did you open your Spotify Wrapped and realize you listened to the same five songs on an endless loop? Maybe you…
- Soundside
Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Dec 20th-24th
Soundside is about to take a long and well deserved break, we’ve got some best-of shows planned for the holiday week, and we’re just generally…
- Soundside
Is it still possible to "fix" Congress? Outgoing Congressman Derek Kilmer has hope
After almost 20 years in public office, Derek Kilmer is stepping down from his role as U.S. Representative for WA's 6th district. The Representative was chair…
- Soundside
Transit workers call for safety improvements after fatal stabbing of Metro driver
Around 3:00am today, a King County Metro driver was fatally stabbed near the 4100 block of University Way in Seattle’s U-District. At a press conference…
- Soundside
KUOW's Ashley Hiruko breaks down the latest with Former SPD Chief Diaz
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has fired former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz. The decision was announced Tuesday in a letter from the mayor to the Seattle…
- Soundside
Redmond poet Lena Khalaf Tuffaha talks about winning a National Book award, Palestine, and more
The light touch of tea glasses. Jasmine vines. Cigarette kisses. These are some of the images the Redmond-based poet, essayist, and translator Lena Khalaf…
- Soundside
Listening to the rhythm of snow melting in the Pacific Northwest
What does the Northwest sound like to you? It’s a question we’ve asked local sound artists. And this week, we’ve been sharing some of their…
- Soundside
What does the NW sound like? Perhaps an old metro bus
What does the Northwest sound like to you? It’s a question we’re asking local sound artists. And, over the next week, we’ll be hearing some…
- Soundside
A grocery mega-merger just failed. Could it shape the future of antitrust?
Breakups are always hard. Especially when you’re two of the largest grocery mega-conglomerates in the country. Last week two judges – including a…
- Soundside
How incoming Congresswoman Emily Randall is planning for Trump's first 100 days in office
Emily Randall has been a “person to watch” in Washington politics for a while now. Randall’s first electoral victory was in 2018, when she…
- Soundside
What is the quintessential NW sound? For Perri Lynch Howard, it's coyotes in the Methow
What does the Northwest sound like to you? Is it light drizzle on you window? The sound of waves pushing against rocky beaches or dry grass blowing in the…
- Soundside
Upper Columbia River in WA designated a Superfund site
Washington State has a brand-new Superfund site: the Upper Columbia River. It’s the latest development in the federal government's attempts to force a…
- Soundside
Could WA achieve universal healthcare? Our new Insurance Commissioner weighs in
For the first time in 24 years, Washington has a new state Insurance Commissioner stepping into the role. Patty Kuderer is currently a state senator…
- Soundside
Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Dec 13th-15th
Once again, thanks for listening to Soundside during our Winter Fundraising Drive! Here at Soundside, we work really hard to bring you the news, like our…