Soundside

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WA Senate Debate: Two Democrats vie to represent Seattle's northern suburbs Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

This election season, State Sen. Jesse Salomon is defending his seat against a challenger who believes he's not progressive enough, Rep. Cindy Ryu. Legislative District 32, which they both represent now, is a safe seat for Democrats. LD 32 includes Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood and also parts of northwest Seattle, Edmonds and Woodway.
Both have been in local and state politics for a while, but why is Ryu running against Salomon now? The two sat down for a debate with "Soundside" in front of a live audience.

Plus: Co-hosts Libby Denkmann and David Kroman talk today's top headlines and Shane Mehling takes on the Weekend Warmup.

Today on the show:

Jesse Salomon, state senator for Legislative District 32
Cindy Ryu, position 1 representative for Legislative District 32

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go todonate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New school year, new fights over free speech at the UW Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

The University of Washington's Board of Regents almost voted on a change to the school's Student Conduct Code in early September, which led to a wave of pushback from students and faculty who read it as an effort to crackdown on certain kinds of protests. The school delayed that original vote and extended its feedback period to December.

Soundside spoke to students, as well as an organization that advocates for free speech, about what all of this signals about the state of protests at the University of Washington.

Also, KUOW is a self-sustaining service of the University of Washington, meaning we fundraise separately and maintain editorial independence from the school.

Today on the show:

Radcliffe Cushman, an undergraduate student at the University of Washington
Francisco Dojenia, a graduate student at the University of Washington
Laura Beltz, the director of policy reform at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to donate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congressman Adam Smith answers your questions on Israel, AI, and more Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Oddsmakers and election forecasters say Democrats are heavily favored to win back the House this November. If that does happen, Washington State Congressman Adam Smith is likely to chair the powerful House Armed Services Committee. There, he would take on some seriously thorny issues, such as the U.S. war in Iran, the war between Israel and Palestine, the Department of War and the role of AI in military operations.

Plus: Co-hosts Libby Denkmann and David Kroman talk today's top headlines.

Today on the show:

Congressman Adam Smith. He represents Washington’s 9th congressional district, which includes Federal Way, Renton, and parts of Bellevue and Seattle

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go todonate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The candidates running to represent Seattle's progressive 43rd Legislative District Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

This November, Sen. Jamie Pedersen will defend his seat in Seattle's 43rd Legislative District against a challenger who believes he's not progressive enough. Hannah Sabio-Howell, a labor activist and former legislative aide, is running to unseat Pedersen, who has represented the district for nearly two decades. The two sat down for separate interviews with "Soundside" to share why they think they're the best fit for the progressive district.

Plus: Co-hosts Libby Denkmann and David Kroman talk today's top headlines.

Today on the show:

Hannah Sabio-Howell, who's running to represent the 43rd Legislative District in Seattle
Sen. Jamie Pedersen, an incumbent running for reelection in the 43rd Legislative District

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go todonate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle city council candidates debate public safety, food deserts, and more Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Two candidates are running to represent Seattle’s northern neighborhoods - from Greenwood to Bitterlake, and Crown Hill to Lake City.

The outcome of this race has big implications for the political balance of City Hall and could prove to be the tipping point in continued debates over tax revenue, whether to turn on CCTV cameras as a crime prevention measure, the next stage of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan, and the ever looming issue of the city’s budget deficit.

Today on the show: City Council District 5 candidates Nilu Jenks and Julie Kang

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to donate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Council President Hollingsworth on the budget, progressive policies, and mayor's homelessness goals Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

Budget deficits are an annual trend for post pandemic Seattle. The city is facing a projected $175 million dollar budget shortfall next year. To solve that, the city's socialist mayor has put forward no new taxes. She’s instead calling for cuts to many departments, while adding more police.

Now the ball is in the city council’s court, to amend and pass the budget by the end of the year.

This is just one of the many items the council has on its plate – including housing and public safety initiatives.

Today on the show: Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to donate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A broken window, the Central Library and a $6 billion city-wide problem Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

A broken window on the 9th floor of Seattle's Central Library symbolizes a six billion dollar problem. Much of the city’s infrastructure is aging.

The animal shelter needs renovations, the Fire Department needs a new headquarters – the city even needs new maintenance yards.

And competition for those dollars is going to be pretty intense. The city’s budget is in a tough place and previous ways the city has raised money iwon't be around forever.

Plus: A new screen time policy at Seattle Public Schools for K-2 students
Today on the show:
Noel Gasca, KUOW reporter
Tom Fay, chief librarian, Seattle Public Library
Rob Gannon, director of administrative services, Seattle Public Library
Keith Harris, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Urban Design & Planning at the University of Washington
Jesse Praeter, library patron
Peter Wheeler, library patron

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to donate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI, housing, and Aurora Ave N: A conversation with the candidates for WA State Legislative District 46 House Position 1 Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Washington’s 46th Legislative District covers the north end of the city of Seattle, from the northern City Limit at 145th down to NE 45th, and from Aurora Ave N out to Lake Washington.

Gerry Pollet is a lawyer and environmental advocate who has represented the district in Olympia since 2012. He currently chairs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review committee and is running for re-election this year.

He attracted two motivated challengers this year, both Democrats, and will now face Will Dreher, a former assistant U.S. Attorney and partner at the law firm Keller Rohrback, in the general election.

We’ve invited them both into the studio to talk about their platforms.

Today on the show:

Gerry Pollet
Will Dreher

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to donate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The debate around Seattle's 'fair pricing' push for grocery shoppers Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Seattle could soon ban"algorithmic-based price discrimination"for grocery shoppers. It's a move that city leaders are pushing in the name of affordability and privacy protection.

In this episode, we'll talk to a City Councilmember who's trying to pass it, as well as an industry leader who has critiques of the ordinance as it's written. We'll also hear from a privacy reporter about what this fight against "surveillance" or "personalized pricing" looks like around the country.

Plus: Soundside's Weekend Warmup (click for links to events!)

Today on the show: Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Seattle City Councilmember; Amanda Dalton, president and CEO of the Northwest Grocery Retail Association; Alfred Ng, privacy reporter at POLITICO

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go todonate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Candidates vying to replace Newhouse talk immigration, trade, and data centers Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

The race to replace one of the last Trump-skeptical Republicans in Congress is in Central Washington. We'll take you to Washington's 4th Congressional District to hear from candidates vying to replace Dan Newhouse in the house.

It's one of the safest Republican house seat in the state. But it touches on some pretty big picture issues like immigration, trade and data centers.

Today on the show: Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney, former Air Force Major John Duresky

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to donate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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