When Washington state legalized marijuana back in 2012, one of the big goals was to displace the black market, bring weed out of the shadows, and take the power away from dealers and traffickers. But more than a decade later, the ILLEGAL weed industry is still thriving in Washington, and that’s taking a toll on LEGAL cannabis businesses. Meanwhile, the SYSTEM for keeping track of legally produced weed is broken. That has raised concerns about diversion into the black market, as well as lost mone...
Jun 03, 2025•9 min
Fifteen years ago, actor Pam Nolte received a phone call from a friend who worked at the Greenwood Senior Center in Seattle. Her friend asked if she’d be willing to create an improv class specifically for people with early stage memory loss. Pam was intrigued. She had zero experience with improv. But had personal experience dealing with her mother’s experience with Alzheimer's disease. Pam eventually created a gentle and slower-paced improv class. Participants play improv games that tap into the...
Jun 03, 2025•12 min
When you buy a fruit, a vegetable, a carton of almond milk - you might assume it’s an animal free product. But all of those foods, and many more, rely on one small but mighty member of the animal kingdom: the bee. Bees – especially honeybees – are an important part of any working farm. They pollinate everything from papayas to cucumbers to coffee beans. Like cows, pigs, or chickens, these little buzzy workers are considered livestock: cared for and managed by farmers and beekeepers so that you c...
Jun 02, 2025•20 min
GAMERS REJOICE - The day that Mario, Pokémon, & Zelda fans have been looking forward to is right around the corner: The Switch 2 from Nintendo is out on THURSDAY, June 5th!! The second generation of Nintendo’s flagship console has been highly anticipated for years, but the launch announcement was NOT without controversy. Nintendo announced the new console back in January, but it wasn’t until last month that details came out about games, pricing, and licensing. It was revealed that instead of...
Jun 02, 2025•13 min
The day 65-year-old Julie Leon died was the hottest day ever recorded in Washington State history. Her death was officially ruled as hyperthermia, or overheating. Officially, more than 100 people died in the state due to that extreme 2021 heat wave, but many experts believe the number of deaths exceeds 400. Last week, Julie’s daughter, Misti Leon, filed a lawsuit, pointing the finger at who she thinks is responsible: big oil. The lawsuit claims that oil and gas companies have been knowingly misl...
Jun 02, 2025•16 min
It isn't officially summer, but it sure does feel like it in the Pacific Northwest. The sun is out and maybe you're planning on laying out by the water this weekend. But what to listen to as the warm season nears? Well, we have something that might help you. We rounded up a panel of local music experts to give you some fresh recommendations for songs to check out. Michael Reitmulder: Deep Sea Diver, Billboard Heart Sea Lemon, Diving for a Prize Bunnie on the Board: Sailorr, Soft Girl Summer Envi...
May 29, 2025•20 min
You know who we haven't discussed on this show in a while? The Boeing company. They're the 2nd biggest private employer in this state. It’s good we haven't talked about ’em because when we do, it's usually bad news. The fatal crashes a few years ago, the door panel blowing out last year, the machinist strike. The US Senate held a whistleblower hearing and the title was “Examining Boeing’s Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts.” - Not a great sign. So how is Boeing doing now? Well, the stock ...
May 29, 2025•25 min
It has been a short week for most of us, thanks to Memorial Day. Here we already approaching another weekend, nd with ALMOST everything you need to know to keep yourself busy, we've got Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!! LINKS: Mariners - Nationals on Thurs, Minnesota Twins on Fri/Sat/Sun Sounders - Minnesota United FC on Sunday Storm - Fri vs Atlanta/Sun vs Las Vegas Salmon Bay FC - FRI vs Tacoma Rat City Roller Derby - Home Team Championships Saturday Two Dykes and a Mic - Fri/Sat Mas...
May 29, 2025•5 min
The Trump Administration’s health policies are upending years of advice about COVID vaccines. Since they’ve been available, experts have recommended the shot to almost everyone. The vaccines are safe and they work. But now federal agencies are taking a much narrower approach. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. just announced the vaccines won't be recommended for children or healthy pregnant people. And the FDA plans to approve booster shots only for older adults and people with extra risk fac...
May 29, 2025•15 min
Federal funding for research from the National Science Foundation is being awarded at the slowest rate in 35 years, according to an investigation from the New York Times. Since the start of Trump’s second term, cuts to National Institutes of Health and NSF grants have totaled more than 1.5 billion, according to the research publication Science . Republicans have justified these cuts by claiming the administration is rooting out wasteful spending, or left-wing ideology run amok. And these attacks...
May 27, 2025•45 min
Jason Megatron Burrows is out this week, so Shane NoCoolNickname Mehling rattles through some of the best things to do this Memorial weekend. Northwest Folk Life Seattle Black Nerd Fest Second Breakfast - Hobbit Feast and Painting Party! Charcuterie Board Workshop Kevin Diers Benefit Show Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Netwo...
May 22, 2025•4 min
When you ride a Metro bus that Nathan Vass is driving, you might notice a few things. It starts with when you get on the bus: he makes a point of saying hello to every passenger who climbs aboard. Once you grab a seat, you’ll see he’s also on the intercom, announcing every single stop. When he isn’t orienting riders, he’s chatty and talks with people sitting at the front of the bus. And when you step off the bus he says goodbye. What you may not notice is that Nathan is noticing everything happe...
May 22, 2025•20 min
The United States spends 30 billion dollars on foster care each year. Yet, according to author Claudia Rowe, the results have too often been damaging for the children in that system. The award-winning journalist claims our child welfare system is dangerously dysfunctional: by disconnecting kids from their biological families and extended networks, she says, foster care severs attachments that are important for healthy brain development. Her new book, Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of Americ...
May 22, 2025•27 min
Recent ICE enforcement activity has made headlines across the region. This week, federal immigration agents arrested 17 people at a manufacturer in Kent. And The Seattle Times reports ICE officers appeared to arrest at least 3 people at a Seattle immigration court. But if you're stopped by ICE, everyone is entitled to certain rights and protections by law, no matter what your legal status is. In case you could use help knowing what those rights are, we speak to one Seattle immigration attorney a...
May 21, 2025•18 min
Governor Ferguson was kind of a wild card as legislators worked on shoring up a $16 billion budget gap this year. The Democratic governor had been unusually friendly to Republicans and signaled he was open to their ideas for how to fill the deficit. Meanwhile, Democrats in the state house and senate have publicly insisted that they have a good relationship with the governor , even as he shot down some of their proposals to generate revenue, like a new wealth tax. The weeks of wondering whether t...
May 21, 2025•6 min
Several law enforcement agencies across the country have decided to replace a popular model of pistol due to concerns about misfires – the guns have been reported to fire accidentally, even when in their holsters. Washington’s police academy earlier this year banned the firearm at all its training facilities. It’s a move that’s drawn protest from several local police departments . In some cases, when agencies choose to replace the guns, they aren’t being sent to a landfill, or a recycling center...
May 21, 2025•18 min
In one of the most deadly local climbing accidents in recent memory, four men fell roughly 400 feet while climbing in the Northern Cascades on May 10th. One man survived, Anton Tselykh. The tragedy has caused grief – and prompted questions – in the local climbing community. And while some of the accident’s details are still unclear, it made us wonder about the impact of a loss like this on the climbing community, rock climbing safety, and what climbers should know about the North Cascades. Guest...
May 21, 2025•20 min
Signs of the frosty relationship between the United States and Canada are everywhere: from additional checkpoints at border crossings, to fewer Blue Jays fans showing up to T-Mobile Park to see their team play here recently. Rhetoric from the President about making Canada the 51st state and tariffs have put a wedge between the two countries. And the effects of this split are spiraling to how we manage natural resources that cross the border. The Columbia river system - which touches British Colu...
May 19, 2025•18 min
If you’ve logged into TikTok or Instagram in recent weeks, you may have heard that the port is empty. Social media videos have been popping up claiming that Seattle’s port has no cargo ships docked. And Seattlites are pointing the finger at the continuous threat of new tariffs. But is that actually the case? KUOW labor and economy reporter Monica Nickelsburg headed to the port to find out in the newest episode of KUOW's Booming podcast. Guest: Monica Nickesburg is KUOW’s labor and economy report...
May 19, 2025•8 min
The Trump administration's federal cuts have put billions of dollars for scientific research and thousands of research jobs at risk. They could also be imperiling laboratory animals. Scientists around the country are concerned that funding cuts could mean prematurely ending research involving mice, dogs, nonhuman primates, and more. Like many others, the University of Washington is a research institution that relies on animal subjects for its studies. If these studies are unable to continue, sci...
May 19, 2025•20 min
If you're looking for exciting things to do this weekend, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with MOST of the stuff you can get up to. Okay, SOME of the stuff you can get up to. Also, one quick correction: Jason erroneously said University AVE instead of University WAY when talking about the U-District Street Fair - it's here in the U-District, NOT in Downtown Seattle. LINKS: POW! Screening at the Tulalip Reservation Seattle International Film Festival!! Meet Me Here SIFF Episode!...
May 15, 2025•5 min
It’s a story we can all relate to… Three generations in a car, headed to a family event. The parents are excited; their kid is not . And Grandma? She’s asleep in her wheelchair. In the short animated film “POW!”, this particular family is Native American, and they’re headed to a powwow, where Jake desperately searches for an outlet to charge his gaming device… as his parents try to get him to participate in the festivities… “POW!” is a funny, touching slice of life for young Native Americans. It...
May 15, 2025•18 min
Over the last 10 years Washington has passed a bevy of climate laws aimed at reducing the state’s carbon emissions. That includes a carbon auction, a ban on coal in the state’s energy mix, and a requirement that the state reach net zero emissions by 2045. But during that same period, energy production from renewable sources has actually declined slightly. Oregon has set its sights on net zero emissions by 2050. It, too, has seen sluggish growth in renewable energy. Both states rely on the Bonnev...
May 14, 2025•18 min
New research has brought us a little closer to answering a key question about consciousness: How does the brain create the experience of self-awareness? The problem was first posed by Aristotle, over 2000 years ago. KUOW editor and longtime science journalist Gabriel Spitzer tells us more about that research and the Seattle scientist at the center of it. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside ...
May 14, 2025•16 min
Founded in 1890 in the Central District, Bartell Drugs may be entering its final days. Its parent company, the national pharmacy chain Rite Aid, exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last year, but continues to struggle financially. Now, the fewer than 30 Bartell Drugs and around 100 Rite Aids will be sold or closed forever. This continued hemorrhaging of retail pharmacy stores will likely be felt most acutely in lower-income neighborhoods. A 2022 UW study already put the number of Washingtonians wi...
May 14, 2025•17 min
Washington’s youth prisons are facing a crisis of overcrowding. The state’s two medium and maximum security youth prisons – Green Hill School in Chehalis, and Echo Glenn Children’s Center in Snoqualmie – have both consistently met or surpassed their maximum capacity for residents in recent years. When the 2025 Washington legislative session began, lawmakers had lots of potential solutions. From custody transfers, to increased diversion programs, to early release petitions - lawmakers brought a b...
May 14, 2025•22 min
On May 2nd, Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law a new requirement that clergy of all faiths become mandatory reporters of child abuse. It’s a move that’s especially controversial for the Catholic Church because of the sacrament of confession. Up until now, admitting to crimes during confession, in a private conversation with a priest, retained similar legal protections as attorney-client privilege. In a statement criticizing the new law, Seattle Archbishop Paul Etienne said the law violates th...
May 13, 2025•21 min
Are men okay? It’s a question sometimes asked in jest, but recent data has caused some experts to worry about American men and boys. Men are going to and graduating from four year colleges at lower rates than women. Men age 25-54 are participating in the workforce at a lower rate than ever before. And, data from 2023 suggests young men are spending significantly more time alone than they did in 2019. And this concern comes as influencers like the Tate brothers and Joe Rogan keep taking up space ...
May 12, 2025•51 min
Kevin Diers was an announcer and engineer here at KUOW. You could hear his work all over the station, behind shows like Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He had a big footprint in the radio and music scene here in Seattle, for many years: Kevin was a long time host of Metal Shop and Loud and Local at KISW. On KISW’s Instagram page, the band The Home Team wrote: "Kevin was the biggest supporter of local bands and music... He put us on when no one else would, and consistently uplifted the...
May 08, 2025•5 min
Should Seattle city council members have to recuse themselves if a policy proposal would directly help or harm their self interests? That’s been the guidance here in Seattle for the last 40 years. But a new proposal from City Council member Cathy Moore could change that. The idea to change ethics rules for the council comes ahead of contentious debates related to tenant protections and eviction laws in the city. And it’s set to go before the council’s governance committee today, Thursday May 8th...
May 08, 2025•13 min
