So far in 2025, Seattle is on track for a decline in homicides for the second year in a row. The city’s finally catching up to other parts of the country that started to see drops in lethal violence a few years ago, according to a new story published in The Seattle Times. The country saw a surge in homicides when the pandemic hit. Seattle was no exception , and the violence continued. The city experiencing one of its deadliest years on record in 2023. But lately things have been trending in a sa...
Aug 13, 2025•12 min
Pre-season football is here. The Seattle Seahawks have a rejuvenated roster, but they are far away from being a pre-season favorite for the Superbowl. So, let’s remember some good times: I’m talking a Superbowl win, a Superbowl loss, the Legion of Boom, Beast Mode ... in the early 2010s, the Seahawks were a football juggernaut. And now, they’re the subject of a new book called The Franchise: Seattle Seahawks: A Curated History of the Legion of Boom Era. Guest: Michael-Shawn Dugar, staff writer a...
Aug 12, 2025•26 min
Two familiar Republican names from last year’s election are back in the news: Joe Kent and Pete Serrano. They’re not running for election, but they may be finding success instead with federal appointments. Kent is a former Green Beret who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House twice in District 3. The Senate approved his appointment as director of the National Counterterrorism Center late last month. Serrano was the mayor of Pasco and ran for Washington Attorney General against Nick Brown. It was...
Aug 11, 2025•16 min
Sound Transit has a busy few years ahead. Trains are set to start running to Federal Way in December, but a long-awaited east side expansion across Lake Washington has been delayed again – to at least April 2026. That comes as riders and public transit enthusiasts alike are clamoring for additional light rail service to Ballard, West Seattle and beyond. Amid all of this, Sound Transit has a new CEO, former King County Executive Dow Constantine. Constantine came to KUOW for a long conversation ab...
Aug 11, 2025•34 min
Salmon recovery efforts have had mixed success in Washington, where salmon habitat and spawning routes have been disrupted for generations. But what if human consumption wasn't part of that equation? What if the salmon we eat were no longer wild-caught in the ocean or pulled out of a farm? What if that salmon was grown in a lab? Starting in late August, you could try some at one Seattle restaurant, so we're talking about the future of cultivated fish and meat. Guests Frida Garza, staff reporter,...
Aug 07, 2025•23 min
The forecast for the weekend is sunshine & 80 degrees, so Soundside producer Jason Megatron Burrows wants YOU to get outside & DO STUFF!! LINKS: MARINERS - Fri/Sat/Sun - vs Tampa Bay Edmonds Block Party West Seattle Glass Float Hunt Ananda Mela Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival WA Midsummer Renaissance Faire! Jacques ze Whipper Secret Show Festival At Mt Si Sundae Runday Tunnel Marathons Omak Stampede Issaquah Film Festival SIFF CatVideoFest 2025 SIFF Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (40th An...
Aug 07, 2025•5 min
Happy post-election day to all those who celebrate! Maybe you're the type who eagerly awaits each wave of results, or maybe it's something you've already forgotten about. Regardless, pat on the back to everyone who made the time to turn in a ballot. Now... we might make you question the way you formed your decisions -- especially if you asked ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok for elections information. Today the University of Washington announced the results of a study looking at the potential influence a...
Aug 07, 2025•17 min
For 12 years, researchers in Washington and British Columbia have been tracking down a mystery. Along the Pacific coast, sea stars were dissolving into goo. This phenomenon was given a name: sea star wasting disease and it killed billions of these marine creatures. For more than a decade, scientists studied the wasting disease but couldn’t figure out why it was happening. A new paper published this week in Nature Ecology and Evolution details a likely culprit. Guest: John Ryan, KUOW environment ...
Aug 06, 2025•8 min
If you’ve spent much time on social media here in Washington, you’ve likely seen a headline like this one: Office Workers Secretly Waiting for Landing Seaplane to Decapitate Paddleboarder That gem comes from “The Needling,” which describes itself as Seattle’s only real fake news. It’s the comedy creation of Lex Vaughn, the site’s founder and editor since 2018 – longevity enough to lampoon two presidential elections. Thursday night, she’ll be at SIFF Cinema Downtown, as part of its Talking Pictur...
Aug 06, 2025•21 min
It’s primary election day. If you fail to perform that most sacred civic duty of a free democracy, you won’t be alone. In fact, you’re in the majority. King County expects that just 35% percent of registered voters will send in a ballot for this primary. Is it fair when so few voters make decisions for everyone else? Guest: Zoltan Hajnal, professor of political science at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy Relevant Links: New York Times: Why Does No One Vote in Local Elections? ...
Aug 05, 2025•17 min
When Governor Bob Ferguson’s chief strategy officer, Mike Webb, left his position in March, Ferguson said in a statement, quote, “I wouldn’t be governor without Mike.” Webb resigned after allegations surfaced of a hostile work environment. Ferguson told the Washington State Standard that he takes allegations against a team member seriously, quote “no matter how close that person is to me.” Now, new reporting by Axios reveals that the Governor may have known about concerns about his longtime aid ...
Aug 05, 2025•26 min
Yes, we’re talking about tariffs again. Many of the world’s countries are awaiting the impact of new American tariffs, which are slated to take effect on Thursday. One country, however, is experiencing it now. The Trump Administration bumped up tariffs on Canadian goods to 35%, and that new rate went into effect on Friday. Trump said he made the change, in part, because of Canada’s failure to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S. Now 35% sounds intense, but a lot of Can...
Aug 04, 2025•15 min
For over 60 years the quiz game show Jeopardy has been a beloved part of people’s lives. Washington native Ken Jennings says, growing up, the show sparked his love of trivia. It’s a passion that led him to a 74 game winning streak in 2004, and a victory at the Greatest of All Time tournament – so we can officially call him The GOAT. Eventually, he even won the title of “host” of Jeopardy. Meanwhile he’s translated his trivia expertise into his own game - called Kennections. It’s a weekly puzzle ...
Aug 04, 2025•36 min
The Western United States is in the midst of fire season. Here in Washington, the Burdoin Fire in the Columbia Gorge has burned more than 10,000 acres. The Bear Gulch Fire on the peninsula has closed portions of Olympic National Park. Leading up to this summer, governors and lawmakers raised concerns about cuts to the US Forest Service, which fights wildland fires. Brooke Rollins is head of the USDA, which oversees the Forest Service. She told Fox News that the agency’s ability to fight fires ha...
Aug 01, 2025•13 min
It’s not just your imagination: Matcha is actually getting harder to track down these days. The green drink has become a hot commodity in the past few years, blowing up on TikTok and taking up more real estate on your favorite coffee shop’s menu. Japan’s tea industry has struggled to keep pace with the fervor. There’ve been reports of a global shortage and price hikes. In this episode, we hear about Miro Tea's experience of the shortage before checking in with Bettina Makalintal, a senior report...
Aug 01, 2025•12 min
Do you hear that sound? It’s a bird, it’s a plane… Wait, yep, that is DEFINITELY a plane, because the Blue Angels are practicing. Which reminds me, Seafair Weekend is here! Let’s get the skinny on all the things to do with Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!! LINKS: SEAFAIR WEEKEND FESTIVAL Hydroplane Races Car Show Blue Angels Fleet Week SPORTS!! Mariners vs Rangers - Fri/Sat/Sun Reign vs Angel City FC - Fri Storm - vs LA Sparks Fri / Indiana Fever Sun Sounders vs Club Santos Laguna - Su...
Jul 31, 2025•5 min
The Seattle City Council confirmed 14 members to the Renters’ Commission on Tuesday, following a controversial delay after Councilmembers Rob Saka and Sara Nelson failed to show up for a previous vote on Commission appointments. Their absence forced an unusual cancellation of the vote because the housing committee didn’t reach quorum. Some people think this was influenced by an email former councilmember Cathy Moore sent, urging her former colleagues to delay the vote. In this episode of Soundsi...
Jul 31, 2025•16 min
The NEW AGE movement isn't just about crystals, suburban yoga studios, dubious medical cures and positive affirmations – though there’s plenty of all of that to be found on YouTube. The concept of changing your mindset, accessing a higher spiritual power or vibration – and ushering in a utopia is a powerful and enduring promise that emerges again and again in America. And the American New Age movement has deep ties to Washington State and the West. Journalist Leah Sottile examined the history of...
Jul 30, 2025•32 min
What does the Northwest sound like to you? Is it the tide rolling over a rocky beach? The wind across the Palouse? A ferry horn echoing across the Puget Sound? On Soundside, we occasionally ask field recordists about their iconic sounds of northwest. Today, we'll hear from acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, also known as the Sound Tracker. He brought a recording from inside a driftwood log on the Washington coast. Guest: Gordon Hempton , acoustic ecologist and Emmy Award winning sound recordist ...
Jul 30, 2025•4 min
When you get on the bus, do you think about the driver behind the wheel? If you rode the 8 bus recently, your driver might have been Desiree Andersen, otherwise known as @desinthepark . During her more than two years driving, she also went to grad school for social work. That helped give her extra insight into the needs of the people she drives. And she shared those insights on TikTok, where she started posting during a break between driving shifts. But Andersen is now shifting gears. This month...
Jul 29, 2025•20 min
A policy change from the Trump Administration could fundamentally change the federal government’s relationship with climate change. The proposal, announced on Tuesday, would overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s "endangerment finding” – which, in 2009, determined that greenhouse gases are harmful to people and the environment. It's the basis for emissions regulations on vehicles, power plants, and the oil and gas industries under the Clean Air Act. Washington has been at the vanguard of...
Jul 29, 2025•21 min
Summer is a great season for adventures with your favorite pup. The sun is shining. The lakes are glistening. The grass is only partially dead. But – just like your human kids, furry members of the family need you to keep a watchful eye out for warm-weather hazards Soundside called in an expert here to help. GUEST: Seattle Humane Society Senior Veterinarian Dr. Lauren Restis RELATED LINKS: First aid tips for pet owners | American Veterinary Medical Association Seattle dog park to close to remove...
Jul 29, 2025•8 min
People are clucking about the Little Red Hen. The cherished country music bar in Green Lake could close at the end of July, after nearly 100 years in business. The Little Red Hen first opened its doors in 1933 in Phinney Ridge, before moving to Green Lake. Today the bar’s a community hub where customers line dance, sing karaoke and enjoy bluegrass jam sessions. Fun fact, it was also featured in the Stone Temple Pilots’ music video for the song, “Plush.” Now a lease dispute between the bar’s owne...
Jul 28, 2025•15 min
The Trump Administration is attempting to revamp homelessness policy in the United States. Late last week, the president signed an executive order that, among other things, ends federal support for policies that employ the “housing first” model. It also calls for an increase in involuntary commitments for people with mental health conditions or substance use disorders. The order aims to drastically change how cities and states respond to the homelessness crisis. Guest: Will James, host of KUOW's...
Jul 28, 2025•15 min
Something interesting happened – or rather, didn’t happen – last week at a Seattle City Council committee meeting. There was supposed to be a vote on member appointments to the Seattle Renters’ Commission. That commission has seats for 15 members but currently only has five. The vote didn’t happen. That’s because Council President Sara Nelson and Councilmember Rob Saka failed to attend, leaving the committee shy of its three-member quorum. That sparked a lot of outrage, including from Councilmem...
Jul 28, 2025•19 min
New research published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology documents multiple cases of wild orcas across different oceans – apparently trying to share their prey with humans. KUOW's Gabriel Spitzer talked with Jared Towers about this research. Towers is the executive director of Bay Cetology, a team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia. He’s one of the authors of the study. Links These orcas have been trying to feed people, new research shows - The Seattle Times Orcas a...
Jul 25, 2025•18 min
Soundside Producer Jason Burrows here... Libby Denkmann is ON VACATION, and speaking of enriching one's life and existence by engaging in fulfilling activities outside of the work environment, here's the big list of all the cool stuff you can do this weekend: LINKS: Seafair Torchlight Run 2025 Seafair Torchlight Parade 2025 Bite of Seattle Children's Film Festival Seattle 2025 Renton River Days Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show Front Street Arts Festival | Jansen Art Center Timber! Outdoor Music ...
Jul 24, 2025•6 min
Change is coming to our cryptocurrency market. Last Friday, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act, the country’s first major cryptocurrency law. It will create a regulatory framework for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency that’s value is tied to assets like the U.S. dollar. Supporters say the bill will modernize our financial system , but others say the legislation won’t do enough to protect consumers. Here in Washington, crypto has a… mixed reputation. Last month Spokane’s city council voted...
Jul 24, 2025•11 min
The Seattle School Board is extending the search for a new superintendent, past the original deadline to hire someone by the fall. That means the district will not have a permanent leader when its roughly 50,000 students come back in the fall. We review why the school board wants more time for the search, and what that delay means for students, teachers and parents. Editor's Note: KUOW incorrectly stated that former Seattle School Board director Vivian Song represented District 2. She represente...
Jul 22, 2025•12 min
Last week, well-known labor organizer Alfredo Juarez Zeferino – nicknamed Lelo – announced he would “voluntarily depart” after being held for months in Tacoma’s ICE processing center. KUOW Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez was there when Zeferino’s lawyer told supporters outside the ICE facility what Lelo had decided. Guest: KUOW Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez Related stories: WA farm labor organizer ends his deportation fight afte...
Jul 22, 2025•8 min
