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
The man behind three WA initiatives says the state legislature has gone too far, will voters agree?
You won’t see Brian Heywood’s name on your ballot this November but you will see his impact. Heywood is a Redmond based hedge fund manager who spent millions…
- Soundside
Boeing machinists face decision to ratify or strike after latest union contract
To ratify, or to strike: those are the options in front of 33,000 Boeing workers this week. On Monday, machinists at Boeing sites across the West Coast woke up…
- Soundside
Shopping for Nordstrom: Nordstrom family enters bid to buy back the company
Last March, it was reported that the Nordstrom family was interested in once again taking their storied retail company private. There hadn’t been much word…
- Soundside
Proponents of I-2117 make the case for dismantling WA's cap and invest system
This November, Washington voters will be asked to weigh in on complicated policies like a capital gains tax and a long-term care fund. Maybe the most complex…
- Soundside
I-2117 puts WA's cap and invest system on the ballot, defenders of the system make their case
This November, Washington voters will be asked to weigh in on complicated policies like a capital gains tax and a long-term care fund. Maybe the most complex…
- Soundside
New study examines increasing suicide rates in Asian American youth
This week (September 8th to 14th) is National Suicide Prevention Week. Deaths by suicide in young people have risen by more than 60% in recent decades. And in…
- Soundside
Asahel Curtis' photography continues to surprise archivists nearly a century later
At the turn of the 20th century, Asahel Curtis was a prolific photographer who traveled throughout Washington. His work captured the state as it underwent big…
- Soundside
"The importance of giving folks their flowers" - Black & Loud Fest highlights Black performers across the PNW
If someone asked you to name three Rock musicians that are Black, could you? Some people might be able to, but in general there aren’t a lot of them. This is…
- Soundside
Burien faces new challange to homelessness policy, this time on religious grounds
There’s a new wrinkle in the debate over homelessness policy in the city of Burien. Last September, Burien passed a controversial ordinance banning camping in…
- Soundside
PFAs in Spokane's well water? Maybe recall a County Commissioner
Spokane County Commissioner Al French is facing a recall effort over his handling of disclosures of contaminated groundwater in the West Plains. The “Clean…
- Soundside
How small acts of “dignity” can help vulnerable populations
One of the best coffee spots in Bellingham isn’t a cafe, at least according to some of the folks in the city’s unhoused population. Instead, it’s a casual…
- Soundside
As light rail expands, suburbs plan for density
Riders packed trains on Friday to see four new stations on the One Line, which now stops in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood. At the 148th Street…
- Soundside
A look at the Seahawks before their home opener on Sunday
Being a sports fan in Washington State is akin to riding the Extreme Scream at the fair: big highs, and REAL SUDDEN LOWS. Yes, I’m looking at you, Seattle…
- Soundside
King County Council is unanimous: keep the youth jail open
Members of the King County Council have moved to officially say the county’s youth jail should remain open. The council voted last week eight-to-zero in favor…
- Soundside
Why Washington is a bellwether for the presidential election
The Democratic party is riding the Good Vibes Express after its Chicago convention. And a look at polling averages gives them reason to celebrate: Since…
- Soundside
WSU researchers are on a quest to digitize over 30,000 bees, butterflies and other pollinators
Washington State University's MT James Entomological Collection is the largest insect museum in the state, it holds around three million specimens. In 2022…
- Soundside
Christian Nationalism and its effect on Yakima city politics
Last year, the Yakima City Council made a landmark decision by passing a proclamation to designate the month of June as LGBTQ+ Pride month. Less than a year…
- Soundside
Budget woes, cellphones, and safety: educators share their thoughts going into the new school year
For many Washington students, and parents, the school year is just about to start - if it hasn’t already. And they're not the only ones gearing up for the new…
- Soundside
It's time to do a vibe check on the state of remote work
Earlier this month, City of Seattle workers were told most of them will have to return to the office at least 3 days a week starting this fall. Meanwhile… a…
- Soundside
Mia Zapata and The Gits are often defined by a tragic murder, drummer Steve Moriarty's book tells a different story about the band
In the early 90s, Seattle was at the center of a sonic revolution. Grunge, a homegrown sludgy rock sound, became a global commodity. At the same time, another…
- Soundside
How Thurston County is aiming to bring homelessness to "functional zero"
Addressing homelessness is looking a little different in Thurston County these days. The county, which includes Olympia, just became the fifth community in the…
- Soundside
No, Seattle's most notorious brothel madam was not a Gilded Age Girl Boss
We know a few things about the woman known as Lou Graham, for sure: She was a brothel madam in Seattle at the turn of the century. And she’s immortalized in…
- Soundside
How a battle over owls points to a bigger question in conservation
Last winter, federal officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a program to save the perpetually threatened northern spotted owl. The…
- Soundside
The battle for Public Lands Commissioner turns to a recount
At this point, most of Washington’s primary election results have been called. Bob Ferguson will face Dave Reichert in the race for governor. Tanya Woo and…
- Soundside
What goes on beyond the tv stream at the DNC
When some people picture political conventions, they might imagine a grand stage lit up with dazzling lights, a seemingly never ending stream of speeches - and…
- Soundside
For the first time in its history, McNeil Island is releasing more patients than it's taking in
Chances are high that you’ve never been to McNeal Island before. Few have - the island, located in the Puget Sound, southwest of Tacoma, isn’t accessible to…
- Soundside
How a century-old church in Tacoma is trying to become affordable youth housing
Picture a historic church in Tacoma’s Proctor neighborhood, bathed in afternoon sunlight, poised for a dramatic transformation. Julie Cain, who purchased the…
- Soundside
Fitz Cahall on 17 years of finding new adventures outdoors
When Fitz Cahall started his “Dirtbag Diaries” podcast in 2007, he was an avid outdoorsman struggling to make ends meet as a travel writer. At the time, this…
- Soundside
Renters say "junk fees" create real harm
Imagine you are renting a property and your grass dies and gets brown (this is the Pacific Northwest, where, aside from some unseasonable August rain, it’s…
- Soundside
How solitary confinement affects the mental health of WA State inmates
The Washington State Department of Corrections has pledged to stop the use of solitary confinement in state prisons, in most cases. And the agency says it has…
- Soundside
Weekend rain a welcome relief as wildfire burns near Stehekin
The summertime is usually the peak season for tourists in Stehekin, Washington – a small community of around 100 people at the north end of Lake Chelan. It’s…
- Soundside
Fewer WA children are in foster care amid state effort to keep families together
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families, which oversees the state’s foster care system, celebrated a milestone last week: The number of children in…
- Soundside
Hear It Again: He broke his neck diving into a pool. 20 years later, new technology is helping him recover
For decades, the road to recovery after a spinal cord injury has meant years of physical therapy. The goal is often small but meaningful improvements in body…
- Soundside
New COVID study finds pandemic mandates did, in fact, save lives
A new study out of the University of Virginia combined data from all 50 states to see how COVID restrictions did or didn’t reduce pandemic deaths. Despite…
- Soundside
For Seattle drag performers, sick days are not an option
For many performers, a missed show can mean a huge pay cut. Drag queens, comedians, musicians, and other entertainers are mostly independent contractors, which…
- Soundside
Updates are coming to this 60-year-old treaty guiding the Columbia River
The Columbia River is undoubtedly one of the most important rivers in the Northwest. Today, its irrigation provides water for the farms of Central Washington…
- Soundside
An Indigenous CEO says "time is ticking" to help Native elders heal from government-run boarding schools
For 150 years, the United States government operated boarding schools that separated Native American children from their families and communities. The…
- Soundside
Exploring the intersection of art and landscape in the Pacific Northwest
A new show from Cascade PBS looks at the way artists in the Pacific Northwest incorporate their surroundings into drawings, tapestry, and pottery. ‘Art by…
- Soundside
Marysville Schools are facing a 'critically declining financial condition,' but is far from the only district with budget challanges
There are a lot of stories about the financial challenges facing schools right now: Seattle School District has a $100 million budget gap they need to close…
- Soundside
What will it take to bring the Boeing Starliner, and it's astronauts, back to Earth?
Two NASA astronauts named Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are currently stuck in space. The pair launched in the Boeing Starliner earlier this year…
- Soundside
Race remains tight in primary for public lands commissioner
While ballots are still being counted, most of the races in last week’s primary election have been decided. But one contest in particular – the race to become…
- Soundside
Remembering Seattle music journalist Charles R. Cross
We wanted to round out today’s show by remembering a man described as the greatest music journalist Seattle ever had - Charles R. Cross. For over 40 years…
- Soundside
As Seattle City Council gets up to speed, election results may signal voter discontent
Primary election results continue to roll in. And sure, your head may have been turned by that flashy State Lands Commissioner race. But if you’re a Seattle…
- Soundside
Data centers put WA clean energy goals in jeopardy
Across vast stretches of rural Washington, large boxy warehouses have popped up between fields of potatoes. They contain the humming infrastructure that the…
- Soundside
Community of Point Roberts struggling as tourists are slow to return
Summer is in full swing with clogged hiking trails, packed ferries, and the smells of backyard barbeques. But while many of you might be visiting tourist towns…
- Soundside
Breaking down Washington's 2024 primary election
Yesterday, thousands of Washingtonians dug through the pile of mail sitting on their hallway table. They found their primary ballot - maybe even their voter…
- Soundside
What to know about Covid and the Summer Surge
Have your friends been canceling on you because they’re sick? Coworkers on prolonged absence because your entire team came down with a bug? Feeling a sniffle…
- Soundside
Better, Faster, Farther and the revolutionary impact of women runners
It’s track and field week at the Paris Olympics. Yesterday, the women’s 800 wrapped up with Keeley Hodgkinson of Great Britain taking the top spot. As exciting…
- Soundside
Seattle Synchro's small but mighty part in this year's Olympic games
The Paris 2024 Olympics are in full swing. Tomorrow (Wednesday the 7th) is the final day of competition for the artistic swim teams - better known to many by…
- Soundside
Voter Turnout and YOU! Elections Officials share their thoughts on the Primary
It’s primary election day. Over a million Washingtonians have already turned in their ballots. If you’re not one of those early voters, you’re not alone. About…
- Soundside
Nearly 99% of WA ballots are accepted, what's going on with the 1% that aren't?
When I say the one percent, what do you think of? Is it the ultrawealthy? A phrase coined during the Occupy Movement? Is it the second wateriest form of milk…
- Soundside
As wildfires burst through, ranchers fight to protect their herds and homes
Fueled by dry weather and high temperatures, wildfires across the Northwest have now burned more than 1 million acres. On Friday, Governor Jay Inslee declared…
- Soundside
Seattle City Council's SOAP and SODA Zones, explained
Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison and Councilmember Cathy Moore say they have a plan to give the city a new tool to help fight drug trafficking and…
- Soundside
The Race for District 3: Leslie Lewallen
We’re headed back to Washington’s 3rd Congressional District – which includes the southwest corner of the state, from Long Beach to Mount Adams, and from Yelm…
- Soundside
Amid mergers and layoffs, how is Seattle's theater scene doing?
There has been an onslaught of news in Seattle’s theater community. Earlier this year, Seattle Rep announced it was laying off the majority of its artistic…
- Soundside
WA race for head of public schools is heating up
August is right around the corner and that means schools are getting ready for the academic year. While kids are hanging onto a few more weeks of summer…
- Soundside
Tumbleweeds, a Northwest nuisance, are taking home decor by storm
The scene opens on a dusty street. Weathered wooden buildings with false fronts line either side of the street, as two gunslingers line up at high noon. A lone…
- Soundside
The Columbia River is FULL of Shad!
For generations, native Chinook salmon have made their spring migration up the Columbia River… But over the past few decades, as their population has dwindled…
- Soundside
"Harris needs to listen to us" - an uncommitted delegate gets ready for the Democratic Convention
The U.S. presidential race has undergone a big transformation. But has anything changed for Democrats who voted "uncommitted" in Washington state's…
- Soundside
As companies run out of training data, regulators want more guardrails for AI
Each year we can count on the reliable passing of the seasons: the leaves falling in Autumn, winter blooming into spring, and if you’re following tech, the…