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, voters are getting ready to determine who will oversee Washington’s public schools. The incumbent, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, is facing some challengers in the primary on August 6. Guest: Washington State Standard reporter Grace Deng Relevant Links: Washington State Standard: Six quotes to sum up the second WA schools c...
Jul 31, 2024•13 min
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 tumbleweed drifts across the street… which, actually, is the problem we’re here to discuss today. Tumbleweeds, also known as Russian thistle, are an invasive plant here in the United States. And for people in Central and Eastern Washington, they’re a nuisance that can clog roads and pose a potential fire hazard. So when reporter Anna King...
Jul 30, 2024•14 min
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, salmon have been overtaken by a non-native species of fish hailing from the East Coast - THE SHAD. Shad runs now number in the millions, while just about 700 thousand native Chinook make the trip up the Columbia each year. What’s behind the rise of this East Coast interloper? Humans, of course. But the effects of Shad on the local ecosyst...
Jul 30, 2024•14 min
The U.S. presidential race has undergone a big transformation. But has anything changed for Democrats who voted "uncommitted" in Washington state's presidential primary? As the party prepares to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris in a virtual role call vote, an uncommitted delegate says Harris needs to show more separation from President Biden on the war in Gaza before she will earn his support. Guest: Yaz Kader, uncommitted delegate for Washington’s 7th congressional district, which encompas...
Jul 30, 2024•18 min
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 reliable attempt – yet again – at a federal data privacy bill in the U.S. Congress. Back in April, two Washington legislators – Democrat Senator Maria Cantwell and Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers – announced to much fanfare that they would be leading the charge this year with newly drafted legislation called the American Priv...
Jul 29, 2024•26 min
In a move aimed at curbing street racing, the Seattle City Council recently approved stricter penalties for people who participate in, or are spectators of, the activity. A blog post by the city specifically noted a street racing event from July of last year as an influence on the legislation. Three people were wounded and one was killed during the race in Capitol Hill, after someone opened fire on a crowd of spectators. City Attorney Ann Davison, who worked in partnership on the bill, called st...
Jul 29, 2024•20 min
There are 28 candidates running for Governor in the August 6th Primary. So, if you’re a Washington voter and feeling a little overwhelmed, you’re not alone. On Soundside we’re keeping it simple. This week we’re interviewing the top 4 candidates in terms of polling and fundraising. So far, we’ve spoken with Dave Reichert , Bob Ferguson , and Mark Mullet . They all want to replace Democratic Governor Jay Inslee, who’s been in office for almost a dozen years. All these candidates have very differen...
Jul 25, 2024•28 min
All this week we're talking to the top polling candidates running for governor in Washington state. Voters, when you finally crack that August 6th primary ballot envelope open, you will see there are 28 people vying for governor of the Evergreen State, that's a lot so we're talking to the four men who lead the pack in fundraising and polling, and next up is Washington State’s current Attorney General, Bob Ferguson. Ferguson is a Democrat. He was first elected Attorney General in 2012 and before ...
Jul 24, 2024•18 min
For the first time in 12 years, there is no incumbent running for Governor in the state. And since Gov. Jay Inslee decided he would not seek a fourth term in office, dozens of candidates have thrown their hat in the ring to replace him. This week I’m talking to the four men who lead the pack in fundraising and polling. Next on the list, Democratic state Senator Mark Mullet. Mullet represents Washington's 5th legislative district in Olympia. He also owns an ice cream parlor and pizza shop in Issa...
Jul 24, 2024•28 min
Vice President Kamala Harris is quickly gaining momentum as a potential successor for President Joe Biden in November. But there’s still one major event that will define this year’s Democratic campaign: The Democratic National Convention. The convention will take place from August 19-22 in Chicago. President Biden, who clinched his primary victories, would typically seize the opportunity to discuss policy and outline the party's platform for the final stretch of the election. But with his depart...
Jul 24, 2024•12 min
The political landscape is shifting rapidly this week. Just days after President Biden announced he would not seek re-election, the Democratic party is getting in line behind the Vice President. According to an Associated Press survey, Vice President Kamala Harris has earned enough delegate support to become the Democratic nominee for President. And now, as she takes center stage, the spotlight on Harris has intensified. And the floodgate of criticism from Republicans has opened. Some of these a...
Jul 23, 2024•15 min
For the first time in 12 years, the Governor’s race in Washington is wide open, with no incumbent running. Three-term Governor Jay Inslee is stepping aside, and there are four clear frontrunners to replace him. This week we’ll hear from the men vying to replace Governor Inslee, and first up is Dave Reichert. Reichert formerly served as King County Sheriff and represented Washington’s 8th Congressional district for 14 years. Guests: Dave Reichert, former congressman representing Washington's 8th ...
Jul 23, 2024•23 min
Public opinion polling. It’s never been more consequential for the direction of our democracy – or more scrutinized. For weeks, journalists, pundits and politicians have debated the available data on the outcomes of a head-to-head rematch between President Joe Biden and former-President Donald Trump. Those numbers had appeared increasingly troubling for Democrats. And the polling data, in the end, reportedly made the difference for Biden in deciding to step aside. For more insight into the impli...
Jul 22, 2024•14 min
On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced he would not be running for re-election, and would instead endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. A lot of the news coverage in the last twenty four hours has focused on how party officials from both sides of the aisle are considering the President’s decision to step down from race. But those aren’t the people who will ultimately be deciding the outcome of this race in November. The question is: will an influx in Democratic Party fundraising, institutional...
Jul 22, 2024•10 min
Vice President Kamala Harris is headed to visit campaign staff in Wilmington, Delaware this afternoon. This of course, comes as she works to consolidate Democratic support for her abbreviated campaign for the party’s presidential nomination. It once seemed beyond the realm of possibility that President Biden would leave the campaign stage. For weeks he insisted he was up to the task of defeating Donald Trump. At one point Biden even said the “Lord Almighty” would have to tell him to quit. Meanwh...
Jul 22, 2024•28 min
Last night in Milwaukee, Ohio senator J.D. Vance accepted the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States and took his place as former President Donald Trump’s running mate. Vance’s first convention speech possibly - maybe - upstaged the cameo earlier in the night from Babydog, a rotund bulldog owned by West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. This was always going to be a big week for Republican politics – but I think it’s safe to say that there’s been even more eyes and attention ...
Jul 19, 2024•19 min
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District covers the southwest corner of the state, from Long Beach to Mount Adams, and from Yelm down to Vancouver. It’s also the home of one of the most fiercely contested congressional seats in the entire country. In 2022, Republican challenger Joe Kent defeated incumbent Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler in the Primary, but lost to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in the General election by roughly 2600 votes. This time around, Gluesenkamp Perez is the incumb...
Jul 18, 2024•26 min
To round out today's show, we're going to meet someone who spends nearly all of his time proudly showing off our little corner of the Pacific Northwest. As the lead naturalist for the Seward Park Audubon Center, Ed Domiguez teaches park visitors about local birds, and animals, along with plants and everything in between. Soundside producer Jason Burrows joined Ed on one of his early bird treks back in 2022, and brings us this story of enjoying nature. Ed is still leading guided tours today -- yo...
Jul 18, 2024•6 min
King County is in the midst of a coordinated effort to confront gun violence. Late last week, the county announced a 100-day initiative to combat shootings in the area. Gun violence is a national issue, and it’s the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States, surpassing traffic collisions in 2020, and last month U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence a public health crisis. Guests: Eleuthera Lisch - Director of Public Health - Seattle and King County’s ...
Jul 17, 2024•17 min
A few months ago, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz was demoted following numerous HR complaints – and legal filings – during his time at the helm of the SPD. Those complaints include claims of discriminatory behavior by Diaz toward women and people of color. There were also rumors of a relationship with an employee. Diaz has denied those allegations, but in May, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that Diaz would no longer lead the department and appointed former-King County Sheriff Sue Rahr to replac...
Jul 17, 2024•11 min
Where do you put juvenile offenders when correctional facilities won’t take them? That’s the question many county judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials are facing after Washington’s Department of Children, Youth and Families closed both of the state’s youth correctional facilities to new inmates until further notice. To explain what’s happening and what it means for youth who are convicted of serious crimes, Soundside was joined by KUOW investigative reporter Ann Dornfeld. Guests: A...
Jul 17, 2024•14 min
Last night - President Biden sat down with NBC’s Lester Holt, and answered a question on everyone’s mind: will the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump change the election? His answer: "I don't know. And you don't know either." He’s right - we don’t know how last weekend’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will change things. But, at least for now, some corners are calling for unity and dialing back extreme rhetoric. And public calls for the incumbent p...
Jul 16, 2024•19 min
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District covers the southwest corner of the state, from Long Beach to Mount Adams, and from Yelm down to Vancouver. It’s also the home of one of the most fiercely contested congressional seats in the entire country. In 2022, Republican challenger Joe Kent defeated incumbent Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler in the Primary, but lost to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in the General election by roughly 2600 votes. This election, Kent is back for round 2, and look...
Jul 16, 2024•27 min
The FBI is still searching for a motive in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Republican and Democratic leaders have urged Americans to turn down the temperature of rhetoric that demonizes and dehumanizes political opposition to try to take the edge off the anger and division that’s come to be standard in public discourse. But it’s not clear everybody’s listening to that hopeful message. We had reports that former President Trump ...
Jul 15, 2024•53 min
Voters statewide have big choices coming their way: They’re getting their ballots for the August primary starting next week, and there are a lot of candidates to decide between. Over the last week, Soundside host Libby Denkmann has been interviewing the top candidates in the race for our state's next Attorney General. Now, KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone, and former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna are chiming in on the race so far. And later, Greenstone will take a deeper look at...
Jul 12, 2024•40 min
Washington voters this year are contemplating a wide-open race to replace the state’s Attorney General. The Attorney General manages the state's largest public law firm, overseeing a staff of attorneys charged with representing public agencies and defending the rights of Washington residents, covering issues including consumer protection, civil rights, environmental regulations, and antitrust. This year’s race is an especially interesting one. The current Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, is runni...
Jul 11, 2024•23 min
I can’t stop listening to the news, it’s stressing me out to the max, you say? I’m literally listening to the news right now, and may be developing an anxiety-induced twitch, you say? If that’s how you’re feeling right now, you may be in need of a little escape this summer. Perhaps a good book is in order? Well, if that’s the case you’re in luck because our next guests are here to hook you up with novels, non-fiction roller coasters, and storylines that’ll make you forget TikTok dances exist for...
Jul 11, 2024•31 min
Washington voters this year are contemplating a wide-open race to replace the state’s Attorney General. The Attorney General manages the state's largest public law firm, overseeing a staff of attorneys charged with representing public agencies and defending the rights of Washington residents, covering issues including consumer protection, civil rights, environmental regulations, and antitrust. This year’s race is an especially interesting one. The current Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, is runni...
Jul 10, 2024•21 min
Remlinger Farms in Carnation, Washington, is a 350-acre working farm. It’s celebrated for its family-friendly attractions, including amusement parks, petting zoos, berry picking, pumpkins, hayrides. There’s an on-site cafe and brewery. And now it’s become the Seattle area's hottest new concert venue. Partnering with Seattle Theater Group, the farm is hosting a brand-new concert series. The 6000-capacity outdoor space has booked performers like Portugal the Man, Mt. Joy and Elvis Costello. BUT te...
Jul 10, 2024•12 min
Like a lot of Washingtonians right now, we're doing our best to stay cool. Sometimes going outside is unavoidable, and in that case, it means doing everything you can to avoid sun damage. That means applying - and reapplying lots of sunscreen. But lately, some people on social media platforms like Tiktok, have been trying to convince their audiences to do the opposite. You don’t have to have a medical degree to know: that kind of advice is wrong, and it’s having a worrying impact. Here to help u...
Jul 10, 2024•15 min
