Soundside

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Daily News
**Soundside**

*Soundside* leads the Puget Sound conversation with smart questions, lively debates, and direct access to the region’s most influential voices. Timely, insightful, and unmistakably local, it’s where the Pacific Northwest comes to dig into the news.

Latest Episodes:

We are once again asking: Is Seattle fashion that bad? Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

It’s finally fall, which means the return of colorful flannels, blundstones, and the occasional raincoat.

These are the clothes that have come to define Seattle fashion… which, if you haven’t heard, is bad.

That’s at least according to a longheld stereotype about our city’s aesthetic.

People like to make fun of the way Seattle-ites dress. They’ve labeled our fashion sense as Normie. Uninspired. Boring.

We’re asking two local fashion experts to weigh in on whether Seattle is an unstylish city… or if locals just earned a bad rap in their attempt to stay warm and dry.

Guest:

Clara Berg, a fashion historian and Curator of Collections at the Museum of History & Industry.
Andrew Hoge, a creative director and fashion writer in Seattle.

Related stories:

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.

As government shutdown approaches, Rep. DelBene reflects on "pivotal" hours ahead Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

The federal government is headed for a shutdown. Congressional leaders from both parties met with President Trump yesterday at the White House. They failed to make progress towards a funding deal.

Democrats say they want to reverse some Medicaid cuts that Republicans passed earlier this year – and extend tax credits for people on Obamacare plans. Meanwhile, Republicans falsely claim that their colleagues across the aisle are shutting down the government to fund healthcare for unauthorized immigrants.

Barring a last minute breakthrough in the Senate, the government will shut down for the first time in almost 7 years just after midnight tonight.

Guest:

Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01)

Relevant Links:

NPR: Here's what a government shutdown could affect around the country

Politico: Johnson, Jeffries dug in ahead of shutdown deadline

NYT: The deadlock over funding the government is growing uglier.

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.

What’s behind the White House’s anti-antifa order Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

President Trump designated antifa as a domestic terrorist organization last week.

He followed up with a memo directing the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate individuals and groups engaged in political violence and intimidation.

Trump cited antifa as a reason to mobilize 200 Oregon National Guard troops, which are expected to arrive in Portland within the next week.

The president claimed ICE facilities in the city “were under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists.”

So what is behind these anti-antifa moves by the White House? And what exactly is antifa?

Correction: At 15:26, the event Mathias is talking about actually takes place in Forks, the town where Twilight is set. It did not take place in the town in which Twin Peaks was set. Read more about what happened here.

Guest

Christopher Mathias, reporter, author of the upcoming book “To Catch a Fascist”

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.

Spoiler Alert: Someone dies in Amie Schaumberg's "Murder by the Book" Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

When homicide detective Ian Carter arrives at the scene of a murder, the victim is posed to look like Ophelia from Hamlet. Not that any of the detectives on the scene realize that...
The person who will crack open that clue, and other twisted literary references, is on the other side of their Oregon college town; English professor Emma Reilly. She’s struggling to get to class on time, and sensitive about avoiding the “absent minded professor” trope.

It’s the beginning of the new novel “Murder by the Book,” by author Amie Schaumberg… who lives in Spokane and happens to be an English professor herself. The narrative shifts between the perspectives of Detective Carter and Professor Reilly, and as the mystery unfolds, we see the crime through different lenses - Literary, Artistic, and Forensic…

GUEST: Amie Schaumberg

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.

Rena Priest’s 'Positively Uncivilized' calls on readers to rethink their perspective on the natural world Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

Rena Priest is best known for her poetry. As Washington’s poet laureate between 2021 and 2023, she traveled around the state doing readings and spreading awareness of poetry. She was the first Indigenous poet to hold that role and is a member of the Lummi Nation. Now, she’s bringing her keen observations and sharp wit to non-fiction. She’s the author of a new collection of essays, titled Positively Uncivilized.

In the book Priest explores the history of broken treaties, battles over fishing rights, and struggles with cultural erasure that compose the bedrock of the modern Coast Salish native experience. She also challenges the non-Native reader to experiment with perspective: for example, what if we maintained the kind of spiritual relationship with the natural world that put us in community with salmon, instead of above them?

The title of the book itself speaks to the types of stories Priest tells. “Uncivilized” is a term that was, for generations, used to denigrate native people. But also one that had been reclaimed by Priest’s family and used in a playful way.

Priest is reading at Third Place Books Ravenna on Monday September 29 at 7:00 pm.

Guest:

Rena Priest, author of Positively Uncivilized

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The real land before time: unearthing the Permian Period Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

Christian Sidor is a professor in the UW Department of Biology and curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Burke. And for the last 18 years, he’s been traveling back and forth to Zambia and Tanzania, collecting fossils from the Permian period.

The Permian lasted about 47 millions years and ended 252 million years ago with the Triassic Period.

Sidor has found a lot of Permian specimens. Last month he and his collaborators co-edited a series of 14 articles on the animals they’ve discovered during their field work.

So, we wanted to go check out some of these new, ancient animals.

Guest:

Christian Sidor: professor in the UW Department of Biology and curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Burke

Related stories:

Fresh fossil finds in Africa shed light on the era before Earth’s largest mass extinction - UW News

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.

Pramila Jayapal on government shutdown, threats from Arizona lawmaker Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

Congress is barreling toward a government shutdown and Democrats are weighing whether they should use their leverage in this negotiation.

They want to extend Obamacare subsidies and potentially roll back some cuts to Medicaid. President Trump has threatened mass firings of federal workers in the event of a shutdown.

All of this is going on as the country is grappling with a rise in political violence – and political rhetoric that blames the other side for the problem.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal joined Soundside to talk more about all of this.

Guest:

Pramila Jayapal, U.S. Representative for Washington's 7th Congressional District.

Related stories:

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.

Why some of Washington's wine growers are letting their best fruit rot Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

It’s crush season in Washington, a time when grape growers and winemakers are usually very busy, working insane hours to make new wine.

But a huge percentage of the state’s highest quality wine won't get made this year.

Sluggish wine sales have meant growers are letting some of their best fruit rot, sometimes right on the vine.

And Washington growers and winemakers alike are concerned about the future of their businesses.

We talk about what's behind the wine glut.

Guest

Anna King, senior correspondent for Northwest Public Broadcasting

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" Sept 25-29 Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

The Mariners have made the playoffs as the AL West champs, and they're facing the Dodgers for the final games of the regular season, but hey... there's ALWAYS more to do this weekend! Check it out:

LINKS:

SPORTS!!
- Mariners vs Dodgers - Final games of the season! Fri/Sat/Sun
- UW Huskies vs The Ohio State Buckeyes Sat 12:30p
- Sounders vs Vancouver Whitecaps Sat 7:30pm
- Reign vs NC Courage Sun 5pm
- Kraken vs Calgary Flames - Preseason Game #2 MON 7pm
Prosser Balloon Rally
Festa Italiana Seattle
Northwest Tea Festival
Enumclaw BBQ, Brews, & Brats
Bellingham SeaFeast
Seattle Opera - Costume Sale
Musical Migration - Crossings
Danny Elfman's Music From the Films of Tim Burton with the Seattle Symphony
Hitchcock Hotel 2025 — Can Can Culinary Cabaret
Unicorn: Burn Relief Fundraiser | Neumos
- Unicorn Staff Fire Relief Fund

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.

On The Ballot: State Sen. Victoria Hunt, 5th Legislative District Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

This week, we're looking at the special election in Washington’s 5th Legislative District, which covers Issaquah to Enumclaw.

State Sen. Victoria Hunt, a Democrat, was appointed to the seat and is running to keep her job this fall.

Republicans think they could flip this district. They’d like to claw back a little power from Democrats, who currently hold majorities in both the state House and Senate.

We talk with Sen. Victoria Hunt about her campaign.

Guest

State Sen. Victoria Hunt, Washington's 5th Legislative District

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.