Soundside

Latest Episodes:

Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Dec 18-21 Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

The end of the year is just around the corner, and with the next two Thursdays each being holidays, this is the final Weekend Warmup of the Year!

LINKS:

TNF! Seahawks vs Rams
- Thurs 12/18
The 29th Annual Model Train Festival - Washington State Historical Society
- Opens Fri 12/19 - runs through Jan 1, 2026
2025 Winter Beer Fest – WA Brewers Guild
- Fri/Sat - 12/19-20
Hell’s Belles at the Croc
- Sat 12/20
United Indians Native Art Market » United Indians of All Tribes Foundation - Daybreak Star
- Sat/Sun - 12/20-21
Seattle Torrent vs Boston Fleet
- Sun 12/21 - 2pm

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 Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flooding in WA: Skagit County's 40-year old flood maps and a dog kennel evacuation Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Skagit County has been hit by multiple waves of catastrophic flooding over the past week.

Amid the devastation, there is a bright spot: A floodwall in Mount Vernon successfully held off the Skagit River as it rose to a record 37.7 feet. That floodwall only exists because it sits in an area determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be at highest risk of flooding.

Many residents of Skagit county might be unaware of the current flooding risk to their homes or businesses – because, according to The Seattle Times, Skagit County’s flood maps haven’t been updated in 40 years.

We'll hear from Lulu Ramadan, who reported on these flood maps, before turning to Kristiana de Leon, who had to evacuate malamutes amid flooding along the Puyallup River last week.

GUESTS:

Lulu Ramadan, an investigative reporter at The Seattle Times
Kristiana de Leon of the Washington Alaskan Malamute Adoption League

RELATED LINKS:

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 Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flooding in WA: Pacific evacuation, levee breach and more Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

Approximately 10,000 people are still under evacuation notice after multiple levee failures across Western Washington.

In King County: flood controls have breached in the last 48 hours. As of this morning, residents in the city of Pacific, east of Tacoma, are under a "go now" evacuation order after a flood control breach on the nearby White River. A levee was breached yesterday in Tukwila and Kent, the evacuation order for the area is no longer in effect.

Guests:

Casey Martin, KUOW reporter

Josh Baldi, water and land resources division director for King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks

Relevant Links:

KUOW live updates

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What might an "in-house" deportation fleet mean for DHS & ICE? Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

The Department of Homeland Security may be shifting its approach to deportation flights by ICE.

According to reporting by the Washington Post, DHS recently signed a contract to purchase six Boeing 737 planes.

Currently, ICE primarily uses charter planes for deportations. This purchase suggests the agency has plans to expand its capacity to deport people using its own fleet.

What implications does this have for immigration enforcement and the way detainees are moved in and out of the United States?

GUEST:

McKenzie Funk - Reporter at ProPublica covering immigration, privacy and climate change

RELATED LINKS:

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 Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Front Page: Flooding, food prices, and one really old quarterback Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

Every Monday on Soundside we catch you up on the top stories that are fascinating right now – and what they say about the Pacific Northwest.
It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

GUEST: KUOW Politics Editor Cat Smith

TODAY'S TOPICS:

Flooding
- Live updates: Western Washington braces for more rain and flooding this week - KUOW
Canlis
- A market of extremes: How 2026 will impact restaurant winners and losers - Restaurant Dive
Grandpa Rivers & the Indianapolis Colts
- Philip Rivers hadn't played an NFL game in 5 years. The grandfather nearly upset a Super Bowl contender. - NBC

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 Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes weighs in on the police shooting in Othello and a new mayor-elect Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

It’s been a busy year for the Seattle Police Department.

A new chief was sworn in, the longstanding federal consent decree ended and the city reached a new contract with the Seattle Police Officers Guild that changes how it can approach unarmed crisis response.

Plus, a new mayor will take office in January.

Mayor-elect Katie Wilson announced this week that she planned to retain Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes, despite some rumors to the contrary.

Soundside's Libby Denkmann talked with Barnes on the morning of Thursday, December 11th, about the incoming administration, the recent policing shooting in Othello, and more.

Note: Starting at 7:45 in the interview, Barnes cites several statistics about a drop in crime. We asked SPD for more information about the decreased crime percentages, and they said Barnes is referencing the first 11 months of 2025 compared to 2024. But in reference to homicides, the information SPD gave us cites 2019 as the last comparable year, and the reduction is actually 36 percent, instead of 35 percent, as Barnes states.

Guest
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes

Seattle City Council Approves Police Contract as South End Mourns Killing in Othello - South Seattle Emerald
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 Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flooding in WA: Skagit County, Gov. Ferguson's emergency response and more Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

Catastrophic flooding continues to threaten Washington.

Around 100,000 people in Western Washington have been advised to evacuate.

Hundreds of Washington National Guard members have been tapped to help with response efforts.

And Gov. Ferguson declared a statewide emergency in response to the flooding.

We talked to three KUOW reporters about what they're seeing on the ground and what we need to know about this weather event.

CORRECTION: As of 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 11, approximately 100,000 people were advised to evacuate across Western Washington. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Skagit County issued immediate evacuation orders to 100,000 residents.

GUESTS:

KUOW Reporter Joshua McNichols
KUOW Reporter John Ryan
KUOW Reporter Casey Martin

RELATED LINKS:

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 Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Dec 12-14 Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

Hey Soundside Listeners!

Because our entire show was focused on flood coverage with the Governor's press conference, and live conversations with KUOW reporters Joshua McNichols, John Ryan, and Casey Martin, we decided to skip the Weekend Warmup on the air this week, and drop it here on the podcast feed instead.

Stay safe, check KUOW.org for updates, and look in on your neighbors.

With that said, please enjoy this podcast exclusive Weekend Warmup!

LINKS:

SPORTS!
- Seahawks vs Indianapolis Colts - Sun 1:25pm
- Buffalo Sabres at Seattle Kraken - Sun 5pm
- Seattle Torrent vs Ottawa Charge - Wed 7pm
WildLanterns: Night Owls (21+) - Fri 12/12
Mozart & Mutts: Annual Holiday Concert - Fri 12/12
Jurassic Quest | Washington State Fairgrounds
The Naughty Novel Social Club: Krampus Edition
DEAF SANTA CLAUS - Sun 12/14

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 Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet King County's new Executive: Girmay Zahilay Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

At 38 years old, Girmay Zahilay is King County’s youngest-ever executive.

He’s coming in after the long tenure of his predecessor Dow Constantine, who ran the county for nearly 16 years. Zahilay was sworn in early to replace the temporary acting executive who’s been in charge since Constantine stepped down in March.

He says he’s ready to “completely change” the office. The King County Executive oversees all kinds of important services like the sheriff’s department, public health, transportation, public housing, and jails.

So what will that change look like? And what could it mean for King County?

GUESTS:

King County Executive, Girmay Zahilay

RELATED LINKS:

Sworn in early, Exec Zahilay is ready to shake up King County - KUOW

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 Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flooding in WA: Updates from Auburn and Carnation Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

On Wednesday morning, we spoke with the mayor of Auburn and the city manager in Carnation about flooding in their cities and what they expect to happen next.

GUESTS: