Soundside

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DEI rollbacks highlight the uneasy relationship between corporations and Black consumers Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

DEI policies – short for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – have been in the crosshairs since President Donald Trump arrived back in the White House.

Many corporations have been proactively choosing to downsize their DEI programs or eliminate them completely. But one company is facing a unique level of backlash: Target.
The retail giant announced last month it would eliminate multiple DEI projects, including hiring goals, and its Racial Equity Action and Change program which focused on investing in and carrying products from Black and minority-owned businesses.

Critics of these moves have been calling for boycotts of the red bullseye but it may end up hurting those businesses Target has helped.

Guests:

Timeka Tounsel, Associate Professor of Black Studies in Communication at the University of Washington.

Relevant 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.

The local DJ showcasing the survival and resistance of indigenous artists Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

KEXP DJ Tory J (AKA Tory Johnston) is the co-host of Sounds of Survivance, a show featuring indigenous artists from all over the world.

Johnston explains how he ended up feeling inspired to host the show, why he feels it's important to showcase these artists, and he plays some of the incredible music that can be heard on his show.

Guest:

Tory Johnston (DJ Tory J), host of Sounds of Survivance on KEXP.

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.

What can Democrats actually do about Trump and Musk? Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

It hasn’t even been a month since President Donald Trump was sworn into office, but the sudden and drastic changes he – and Elon Musk – have ordered are being felt at every level of the federal government.

Thousands of federal workers got notice over the weekend that they were being terminated – in departments ranging from the U.S. Forest Service to the CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The judiciary has slowed some of the biggest Trump moves, like ending birthright citizenship or withholding billions in federal funding. But the President’s nominees have been largely confirmed and Musk personnel mostly continue to have access to critical government systems.

So what can the Democratic Party do to put guardrails around this administration?

Guest:

US Representative Rick Larsen (Washington State’s 2nd Congressional District since 2001)

Links:

Rep. Larsen's website

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.

Legislative carveout would change penalties for assaults on health care workers Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

For decades, a Washington law has empowered prosecutors to pursue felony charges against those who assault healthcare workers. Which, on a base level, makes sense. Healthcare workers don’t want to be harmed while doing their jobs.

But some are worried that a potential felony charge – which would apply to both physical attacks, and typically minor offenses like spitting on someone – doesn’t prevent those attacks from happening and moves those with severe mental health challenges into a criminal justice system that worsens their condition.

That’s led state lawmakers to propose an adjustment to the law broadening the penalties for those who assault healthcare workers – which would exempt people experiencing mental health crisis.

The bill – HB 1220 – passed out of committee last week and is now headed to the full House.

Seattle Times’ investigative reporter Sydney Brownstone has been following the story.

Guests:

Sydney Brownstone, investigative reporter for the Seattle Times

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.

Remembering Soul Radio-o-o-o-o-o-o 1250 KYAC Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

Today, there is a Spotify playlist for any genre, mood, or activity you could ever think of. But, in the not-so-distant past, you’d have to tune your AM or FM radio until you found a sound you liked.

If you wanted to hear soul music in Seattle circa 1970, there was one local station that would never disappoint. It was called KYAC, and it was a true rarity at the time. The station was Black owned and operated from 1965 to 1981.

The small station has an outsized legacy in both our city and the country at large. It was the first station in Seattle to play a rap song — the iconic “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang.

In fact, it was so beloved that when the station was eventually sold, listeners held a funeral for it. For Black History Month, producer Lauren Williams went back in time to 1970s Seattle to ask folks about what it was like to work at and listen to KYAC during its heyday.

Guests:

Vivian Phillips, founder of Arte Noir and former KYAC DJ
Sheila Locke, event DJ and former KYAC DJ
Jas Keimig, Seattle-based arts reporter.

Related Links:

How Seattle rap crashed the mainstream by swimming against the current — NPR
For three decades, this Seattle DJ electrified the airwaves, paving the way for future Black radio personalities. — Black Arts Legacies
Black History of the Northwest — 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.

The hunt for truth behind Oregon's mysterious cattle mutilations Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

In 2019, the remote plains of Harney County, Oregon made national news. Scattered amongst groves of ponderosa pine were a handful of mutilated cattle. The cows had an almost surgical removal of their tongues and other organs.

But the most astounding thing is that the scenes where these cattle were found were pristine. No tracks. And not one drop of blood – the carcasses were drained dry.

That detail became the inspiration for a documentary by co-directors Jackson Devereux and Lachlan Hinton, and reporter Anna King. Their documentary film – three years in the making – is titled “Not one Drop of Blood,” and it’s being announced as the headliner today for the Film Fort festival – part of Tree Fort in Boise.

Soundside was joined by Anna King, alongside co-directors Lachlan Hinton and Jackson Devereux, to discuss the film and the mystery haunting Harney County, Oregon.

Guests:

Anna King, senior correspondent for Northwest Public Broadcasting
Jackson Devereux and Lachlan Hinton, directors of "Not One Drop of Blood."

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.

Why the NIH cuts could have a "devastating impact" on medical research Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Universities, cancer centers and hospitals will soon go under the knife, if the Trump Administration gets its way. Last Friday, the National Institutes of Health announced they would immediately slash four billion dollars of funding for research institutes across the country.

This would directly impact at least 70 research facilities in Washington State.

Critics of the plan have said it would severely hamper medical progress in the US that could be felt for decades. 22 attorneys general filed suit to stop the action, and on Monday a federal judge put a hold on the cuts for those 22 states, then made the pause nationwide.

But the fate of this funding is still uncertain.

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(s):

Dr. Helen Chu, a board certified physician with UW Medicine and a UW professor of Medicine and Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

What’s at stake for Washington’s flagship research institutions in the legal battle over NIH funding

Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Valentine's Edition Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend,

So if you’re looking for a great idea for something to do with your sweetie, OR you just want to avoid the love-birds as much as possible, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows has you covered…

EVENTS:

Wonderland Gear Exchange — Pitch-A-Trailmate
Psychic Medium: Travis Holp
FUN & FLIRTY - The Crocodile
Science After Dark: Valentine's Day at Pacific Science Center
Mars Love Affair: A Night with Mary Roach | The Museum of Flight
Noir City - SIFF Cinema Downtown
Wild At Heart - Central Cinema
Akira - SIFF Cinema Uptown
Prom Date Mixtape: "Friday I'm in Love" - 8th Annual Valentines Ball at High Dive
I'm Not Ok!: An Emo & Pop Punk Anti-Valentine's Day Dance Party at High Dive

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.

New Lands Commissioner pauses some timber sales to study mature forests Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

On the campaign trail last year, Dave Upthegrove promised that if elected to Commissioner of Public Lands, he would preserve forests starting on day one.

Well, Upthegrove is now in charge of the state’s Department of Natural Resources – sworn in last month – and he held true to his promise. On Jan. 15 – day one – Upthegrove announced he would be pausing logging sales on what the state calls “mature” forestland. These are forests that were last logged before World War II – not old enough to be designated “old growth, ”but host a diverse range of plants and animals.

While considered a win by conservationists, his plan was met with concern from those dependent on revenue from public trust timber sales to fund schools and county services in the state – something mandated by the state’s constitution.

Commissioner Upthegrove recently spoke with Soundside host Libby Denkmann about his plans to balance preservation with that mandate.

Guests:

Dave Upthegrove, Commissioner of Public Lands

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.

Hear It Again: Meet the people on a quest to count every Cooper's Hawk in Seattle Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

The Urban Raptor Conservancy's Ed Deal and Patti Loesche are running a decades long study on the population health of Cooper's Hawks in Seattle.

What does that involve? Spending a lot of time looking for and observing the city's hawks.

This piece originally aired in October of 2024.

Guests:

Patti Loesche, co founder of the Urban Raptor Conservancy
Ed Deal, co founder of the Urban Raptor Conservancy

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.

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