Soundside

Latest Episodes:

Governor Ferguson leaves most tax increases in place as he signs the budget into law May 21, 2025

Show notes

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 the Governor would make major changes to the Democrat-passed general fund and transportation budget are finally over. Yesterday afternoon, the Governor gave his approval to nearly all of the budget proposals.

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.

Guest:

Paul Queary, editor and publisher of The Washington Observer

Relevant Links:

The Washington Observer: Ferguson tacks left and embraces the Legislature

KUOW: Gov. Ferguson signs new WA budget into law, leaving bulk of tax increases intact

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Why a gun that's been banned from WA's police academy is still being used by officers May 21, 2025

Show notes

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.

Instead, they’re being sold to dealers, who may put them back in circulation to the public.

That’s the latest from a new report from Mother Jones and The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America.

Guest:

Ava Sasani is the assistant editor of The Data Hub - an initiative by The Trace, the only newsroom dedicated to reporting on gun violence. She’s also the co-author of the story “A Gun Deemed Too Dangerous for Cops, but Fine for Civilians” - created in partnership with Mother Jones.

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.

After deadly climbing accident in North Cascades, here's what one local climbing expert thinks May 21, 2025

Show notes

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

James Pierson, director of operations for the American Alpine Institute

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.

Negotiations stall on Columbia River Treaty May 19, 2025

Show notes

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 Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana - is a major water and power source for the US. For 61 years, the two countries have worked closely to control floods and manage hydropower on the river.

When President Trump came back into office in January, Canadian and American officials were weeks away from updating the Columbia River Treaty.

But now, discussions have ground to a halt.

Guest:

Karen Weise,technology correspondent with the New York Times

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.

Is Seattle's port empty? May 19, 2025

Show notes

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 reporter. She’s also the co-host of Booming, KUOW’s economics podcast.

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.

Amid federal cuts, here's why UW's lab animals could be euthanized May 19, 2025

Show notes

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, scientists will have to consider euthanizing these animals.

That could mean setbacks to all sorts of health-related experiments, including ones related to cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Guest

Sally Thompson-Iritani assistant vice provost for Animal Care, Outreach and Three Rs (reduction, refinement and replacement) in the Office of Research at the University of Washington

The Washington Post: Trump’s deep cuts to health research put lab animals at risk, scientists say

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" - May 15-18 May 15, 2025

Show notes

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:

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.

Filmmaker Joey Clift talks about the inspiration behind the animated short POW! May 15, 2025

Show notes

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 will be screened both this weekend at the Tulalip Reservation, and next week at SIFF as part of the “Family Picture Show!”

GUEST: Filmmaker Joey Clift - Comedian, Emmy and Peabody nominated TV writer, director, as well as an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

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.

WA lags behind other states in green energy growth May 14, 2025

Show notes

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 Bonneville Power Administration to move energy across the state.

A new investigation from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network, found that the Bonneville Power Administration's aging grid may be stymieing decarbonization efforts in the Northwest.

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.

Guests:

Monica Samayoa, climate reporter at OPB

Tony Shick, investigative editor and reporter at OPB

Links:

How the Pacific Northwest’s dream of green energy fell apart

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What we know about the science of consciousness May 14, 2025

Show notes

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.