There is a lot going on in D.C. right now, and elected officials are working overtime to negotiate ahead of a looming government shutdown deadline. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee and the senior senator from Washington state, Senator Patty Murray is leading the charge on funding negotiations. At the same time, budget talks are happening about how much the federal government will spend and on what priorities. Looming over all of this is the question of whether the gover...
Mar 03, 2025•13 min
Clad in a big, bulky menswear suit, “Julia” Mozhdeh Rahmanzaei stomps around the stage at the Theater off Jackson in Seattle’s Chinatown International District. She glares over a fake beard, holding audience members’ gazes, and shakes the program for this very play in one hand. The actor and playwright is channeling the censorship she experienced in her home country of Iran. As a young artist in Tehran, her theater work repeatedly ran up against the strict rules of government monitors – who shut...
Feb 28, 2025•13 min
It’s the end of the week, the sun is shining, and maybe you’re thinking “I’m ready to get out there and explore! Meet new people, make new friends… at least until it starts raining again.” Well, rain or shine - If you’re searching for something to keep you occupied this weekend, you’re in the right place. Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here in the nick of time to give you all the highlights. Nat Geo Live: From Roots to Canopy, Nalini Nadkarni , Thurs 27 February, Port Angeles A fas...
Feb 27, 2025•5 min
Seattle Public Schools is considering closing Stevenson Elementary School amid declining enrollment. One longtime parent there is pushing back and trying to change its name to better reflect the school’s Japanese-American history. That’s the kind of opening line you might hear on Soundside if the events of the book Supersonic were real. The book is fiction, but it reflects the very real ethos of a city constantly reinventing itself through boom and bust cycles across generations. At the center o...
Feb 27, 2025•22 min
What do The Brutalist, Emilia Pérez, Dune Part II, and A Complete Unknown have in common? Yes, they’re all films nominated for Oscars at this Sunday’s ceremony. But they share something else – all of these films used Artificial Intelligence tools in some form during production. For the Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, AI was employed to alter actor’s voices while singing, or speaking Hungarian. For Dune and A Complete Unknown, AI tools changed actor or stunt double’s appearances. AI usage in film has...
Feb 26, 2025•15 min
Earlier this year Edmonds state Representative Strom Peterson put forward a bill to potentially change the state’s flag. HB 1938 would have created a committee tasked with redesigning the Washington’s iconic green and yellow banner – which is the only one with a presidential profile on it. According to the bill’s language, the due date for a new design would be sometime in 2028 – after which, voters would decide through a referendum whether to adopt it. Peterson says his idea isn’t about controv...
Feb 25, 2025•21 min
Imagine if, after being convicted of a crime as an adult, you were forced to serve additional time for crimes you committed as a minor. That is the reality for many incarcerated people in Washington state. You might remember hearing about the passing of a state law back in 2023 that prevented people’s juvenile felonies from increasing their sentence terms as an adult. Well, that bill had a catch. It excluded those who are currently incarcerated, leaving behind more than 700 eligible people. A fe...
Feb 25, 2025•12 min
Have you checked your mail today? It’s that special time, every two years, when Seattleites get 100 bucks from the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. I’m talking about democracy vouchers! That money’s not for you, though. It’s for political candidates you want to support in November’s election. And it’s a big one: Not only is the Mayor up for reelection. So is the City Attorney. There are also 3 seats on the Seattle City Council in contention. Two of those are citywide positions, currently...
Feb 25, 2025•21 min
Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has made clear he has no intention of changing course based on one of the new directives from the Trump Administration. Earlier this month, the Department of Education issued a so-called Dear Colleague letter, which stated that any institutions receiving federal funds from that Department would be required to eliminate all race-based programs – including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs – or risk losing federal funds. W...
Feb 25, 2025•23 min
Today marks the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. More than 500 Ukrainians and supporters gathered this weekend in Downtown Seattle to show solidarity and share their fears about Ukraine’s future. The third anniversary of the war comes as President Donald Trump has mused over upending America’s commitment to Ukraine’s defense. U.S and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia last week for bilateral talks, including discussion of the future of Ukraine. Notably absent at the table...
Feb 24, 2025•24 min
KUOW has uncovered a controversial period in the life of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell -- one that he's rarely discussed in public. In 1996, while at a casino in Iowa, Harrell brandished a gun in a late-night confrontation over a parking spot. Harrell was arrested over the incident before the charges were dismissed five months later. He says he was racially profiled in the events leading up to the arrest. KUOW’s reporting is the first local coverage of Mayor Harrell’s run-in with the law. It comes...
Feb 20, 2025•13 min
Wednesday on Soundside, host Libby Denkmann asked if your shopping habits had changed in recent months. Recent polling by the Guardian found that a large portion of Americans have changed where they're purchasing due to their political affiliations or beliefs. Have you changed where you spend cash based on the political situation? Lots of you responded, and Soundside shares your comments. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.o...
Feb 20, 2025•4 min
If you enjoy skiing, you probably know it takes more than just some skis, boots and poles to slide down a hill. It also takes money, sometimes a lot of it. Tickets at Washington's big ski resorts run from $65 to $150 a day. That's not the case at Badger Mountain ski area in Central Washington. There, the price is a mere $15 a day. That's because the hill is a nonprofit entirely run by volunteers. Alex Rochester, KUOW's digital community outreach coordinator and resident skier, headed up to Badge...
Feb 20, 2025•9 min
It’s the end of the week, and the first time in a while where there’s not a Super Bowl, Valentine, or President’s Day to keep you busy. If you’re searching for something to keep you occupied this weekend, you’re in the right place. Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here in the nick of time to give you all the highlights… LINKS: Between Two Worlds - David Lynch Musical Tribute The REAL Twin Peaks Fest in North Bend Black Restaurant Week Lunar New Year Celebration | Seattle Chinatown-In...
Feb 20, 2025•5 min
DEI policies – short for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – have been in the crosshairs since President Donald Trump arrived back in the White House. Many corporations have been proactively choosing to downsize their DEI programs or eliminate them completely. But one company is facing a unique level of backlash: Target. The retail giant announced last month it would eliminate multiple DEI projects, including hiring goals, and its Racial Equity Action and Change program which focused on investing ...
Feb 20, 2025•27 min
KEXP DJ Tory J (AKA Tory Johnston) is the co-host of Sounds of Survivance , a show featuring indigenous artists from all over the world. Johnston explains how he ended up feeling inspired to host the show, why he feels it's important to showcase these artists, and he plays some of the incredible music that can be heard on his show. Guest: Tory Johnston (DJ Tory J), host of Sounds of Survivance on KEXP. Related Links: Sounds of Survivance Samantha Crain Liv Rion Thank you to the supporters of KUO...
Feb 20, 2025•20 min
It hasn’t even been a month since President Donald Trump was sworn into office, but the sudden and drastic changes he – and Elon Musk – have ordered are being felt at every level of the federal government. Thousands of federal workers got notice over the weekend that they were being terminated – in departments ranging from the U.S. Forest Service to the CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The judiciary has slowed some of the biggest Trump moves, like ending birthright citizen...
Feb 19, 2025•18 min
For decades, a Washington law has empowered prosecutors to pursue felony charges against those who assault healthcare workers. Which, on a base level, makes sense. Healthcare workers don’t want to be harmed while doing their jobs. But some are worried that a potential felony charge – which would apply to both physical attacks, and typically minor offenses like spitting on someone – doesn’t prevent those attacks from happening and moves those with severe mental health challenges into a criminal j...
Feb 18, 2025•15 min
Today, there is a Spotify playlist for any genre, mood, or activity you could ever think of. But, in the not-so-distant past, you’d have to tune your AM or FM radio until you found a sound you liked. If you wanted to hear soul music in Seattle circa 1970, there was one local station that would never disappoint. It was called KYAC, and it was a true rarity at the time. The station was Black owned and operated from 1965 to 1981. The small station has an outsized legacy in both our city and the cou...
Feb 18, 2025•19 min
In 2019, the remote plains of Harney County, Oregon made national news. Scattered amongst groves of ponderosa pine were a handful of mutilated cattle. The cows had an almost surgical removal of their tongues and other organs. But the most astounding thing is that the scenes where these cattle were found were pristine. No tracks. And not one drop of blood – the carcasses were drained dry. That detail became the inspiration for a documentary by co-directors Jackson Devereux and Lachlan Hinton, and...
Feb 13, 2025•22 min
Universities, cancer centers and hospitals will soon go under the knife, if the Trump Administration gets its way. Last Friday, the National Institutes of Health announced they would immediately slash four billion dollars of funding for research institutes across the country. This would directly impact at least 70 research facilities in Washington State. Critics of the plan have said it would severely hamper medical progress in the US that could be felt for decades. 22 attorneys general filed su...
Feb 13, 2025•14 min
It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, So if you’re looking for a great idea for something to do with your sweetie, OR you just want to avoid the love-birds as much as possible, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows has you covered… EVENTS: Wonderland Gear Exchange — Pitch-A-Trailmate Psychic Medium: Travis Holp FUN & FLIRTY - The Crocodile Science After Dark: Valentine's Day at Pacific Science Center Mars Love Affair: A Night with Mary Roach | The Museum of Flight Noir City - SIFF Cinema Downtow...
Feb 13, 2025•5 min
On the campaign trail last year, Dave Upthegrove promised that if elected to Commissioner of Public Lands, he would preserve forests starting on day one. Well, Upthegrove is now in charge of the state’s Department of Natural Resources – sworn in last month – and he held true to his promise. On Jan. 15 – day one – Upthegrove announced he would be pausing logging sales on what the state calls “mature” forestland. These are forests that were last logged before World War II – not old enough to be de...
Feb 12, 2025•18 min
The Urban Raptor Conservancy's Ed Deal and Patti Loesche are running a decades long study on the population health of Cooper's Hawks in Seattle. What does that involve? Spending a lot of time looking for and observing the city's hawks. This piece originally aired in October of 2024. Guests: Patti Loesche, co founder of the Urban Raptor Conservancy Ed Deal, co founder of the Urban Raptor Conservancy Related Links: Urban Raptor Conservancy Website KUOW: What's that screeching? Maybe a hungry young...
Feb 12, 2025•7 min
Have you tucked into a romance novel lately? If not, you might be in the minority of readers. Romance sales are soaring. Last year, they grew twice as fast as the rest of the fiction market. In the past, the genre’s commercial value was widely accepted - romance books have always been big sellers. But now, its literary merit is being recognized, too. So this Valentine’s Day, there’s more reason than ever to find love in a stack of books. And we won’t leave you hunting. GUESTS: Charlie Hunts, own...
Feb 12, 2025•24 min
Local author David B. Williams’ Seattle Walks: Discovering History and Nature in the City leads readers through loops and one-way strolls, traversing terrain ranging pockets of downtown, to North and West Seattle. Each walk tells a story, exploring how Seattle came to be the city it is today through both big and small details. But in the years since it was first published in 2017, the city has changed -- in more ways than one. Williams wanted his walks to reflect the history of that change too. ...
Feb 12, 2025•17 min
The Trump Administration’s moves to downsize the federal workforce and reshape agencies around the president’s “America First” agenda are repeatedly running into stop signs as challenges to these policies hit the courts. But at least one federal judge says it’s not playing out that way in the case he’s overseeing – the Administration is not fully complying with his temporary restraining order to stop the freeze on federal grants. It sets up a standoff between two branches of government. Meanwhil...
Feb 11, 2025•15 min
For years, Grant County sat on enough clean hydroelectricity to power more than a million homes. Then came the tech companies, interested in the cheap and plentiful electricity. They built data centers all over rural Washington to help fuel the modern internet. The data centers use so much energy that in the next few years, Washington state could struggle to keep up with local electricity needs. Washington’s new governor, Bob Ferguson, has taken notice. Last week, he signed an executive order to...
Feb 11, 2025•17 min
A growing body of research shows that cell phones inhibit learning and distract students in class. But should they be banned in schools? It’s a question that districts across Washington state are struggling with. Last year State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal issued guidance that basically said… yes. It encouraged districts statewide to adopt policies that would restrict cell phone use by students. But many districts have yet to adopt these kinds of uniform restrictions, leav...
Feb 11, 2025•12 min
Mark Solomon might be a new name to you. But it’s time to get to know him if you live in Seattle. Because last month, he was appointed to fill the District 2 seat on the City Council. He’s taking over from Tammy Morales, who stepped down in January - two years before the end of her term. After five rounds of voting, Solomon beat out six other finalists for the seat. He will now represent an area spanning from the Chinatown-International District to Rainier Beach. Solomon has said that he won’t r...
Feb 10, 2025•19 min
