Soundside

KUOW News and Information

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Oct 28, 2025 · 17 min
Why is the U.S. striking boats off the coast of South America?
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed U.S strikes on four more boats in waters near South America. The attacks happened Monday off the coast of Colombia in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Hegseth claimed without citing evidence, “the four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics.” Including this week’s, the strikes have killed nearly 60 people. Democrats say the President is using the military to carry out extrajudicial killings. We get the latest on why these strikes are happening. Guest Joshua Keating, senior correspondent covering foreign policy and world news, Vox Related Links Is the US about to attack Venezuela? - Vox A Timeline of Trump’s Strikes on Vessels He Says Are Smuggling Drugs - The New York Times The Real Target of Trump’s War on Drug Boats - The New Yorker See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 28, 2025 · 20 min
Amazon lays off 14,000 people - what's next for the company?
Amazon confirmed this morning it is cutting 14,000 employees from its corporate workforce. In a letter sent to employees earlier today, the Senior Vice President of “People Experience and Technology” – basically, HR – at Amazon quoted CEO Andy Jassey, saying “we want to operate like the world’s largest startup… by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and helping reduce bureaucracy.” This may only be the beginning of cuts within the company. According to Reuters, this round of workforce reduction could include as many as 30,000 positions. That would be the largest staffing reduction in the company’s history. There are indicators that Amazon’s business is booming. Cloud computing sales increased 17.5% in the second quarter. The company is planning to hire 250,000 seasonal employees, anticipating big holiday sales. So - why now? What is Amazon’s goal with these cuts, and what are they aiming to build for the future of the company? Guest: Todd Bishop, co-founder of Geekwire, and a business and technology reporter Related stories: Amazon confirms 14,000 corporate job cuts, says push for ‘efficiency gains’ will continue into 2026 - Geekwire Amazon and the media: Inside the disconnect on AI, robots and jobs - Geekwire Amazon Plans to Replace More Than Half a Million Jobs With Robots - NYT 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.
Oct 28, 2025 · 13 min
Air traffic controllers lose first full paycheck, adding stress to an already stressful job
It’s Day 28 of the federal government shutdown – just a few days away from this becoming the longest-running shutdown in U.S. history… And air traffic controllers working without pay are feeling it. Today, the nation’s roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers are getting their first zero-dollar paycheck since the government shutdown began on October 1. Some of them say they’re considering side gigs, like driving for Uber or DoorDash, to make up for lost income. And thousands of flights have been delayed over the past few days because of controller absences. The shutdown is only the latest in a long list of frustrations bogging these workers down. Understaffing has been troubling the industry for years – including here in Washington state. An aviation expert explains what it takes to become an air traffic controller, the hardships that come with this profession and where the shutdown fits into all of this. Guest: Margaret Wallace, an assistant professor of Aviation Management at Florida Institute of Technology. Wallace also worked as an air traffic controller for the U.S. Air Force for more than a decade. Related stories: Air Traffic Controllers Are Bargaining Chips in Government Shutdown - Business Insider High stress, salary: What it takes to become an air traffic controller Flight delays worsen due to air traffic controller shortage amid shutdown How the nation's air traffic controller shortage affects Washington state - Axios Seattle 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.
Oct 28, 2025 · 14 min
New documentary looks at why shipwrecks led to conflict in the PNW
If you’ve ever hung out in Oregon’s Fort Stevens State Park, you’ve probably come face to face with the Peter Iredale shipwreck. The British vessel crashed onto the coast in 1906 and has stayed there ever since. Today it has become quite the tourist attraction. But for all its notoriety, the Peter Iredale is just one of more than 2,000 shipwrecks that happened along a dangerous stretch of coastline in the Pacific Northwest. And with many of these wrecks came conflict. A new documentary explores how shipwrecks led to tension - and, sometimes, violence - between Indigenous communities and colonists in the Pacific Northwest. Guest: Anna King, a senior correspondent for Northwest Public Broadcasting and the director of “WRECKED.” Related stories: Wrecked: Sinking ships and colliding cultures on the Northwest Coast More Than 100 Died When the S.S. Valencia Wrecked in the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’—Learn Why This Stretch of Coastline Has Claimed Thousands of Ships 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.
Oct 28, 2025 · 28 min
Will people always love Costco?
At a time when Starbucks is closing 200 of its stores and Amazon plans to replace half a million jobs with robots, one Seattle business has been surprisingly resilient: Costco. In 1983, Costco opened its first store in Seattle and today it’s the third largest retailer in the world, with more than 900 stores globally. But while Costco is known for its devoted customer base and generosity towards its employees, how long is that kind of growth, and good will, sustainable? Guest: New Yorker reporter Molly Fischer Related Links: Can the Golden Age of Costco Last? 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.
Oct 23, 2025 · 5 min
Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Oct 23-27
We may not be watching the Mariners in the World Series this weekend, but that doesn't mean there aren't awesome things to do... LINKS: Tacoma Holiday Festival Dustin Nickerson at the Neptune Seattle Kraken vs Edmonton Oilers 2025 PSMS Annual Wild Mushroom Show Seattle Coffee Festival AI & Democracy - Women’s University Club SPOOKY STUFF: Washington State Horror Con Fashionably Undead: The Goopening KEXP Kids' Halloween Dance Party Pumpkin Bash - Woodland Park Zoo The Museum of Fright GWAR | Showbox Presents 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.
Oct 23, 2025 · 23 min
What's actually happening in Portland
It can be easy to make jokes about the split realities of the “Portlandia” sketch you could make out of those images, and the scene President Trump describes when he talks about the Rose City- a place, quote, “where they kill people and destroy the city.” But, with an appeals court ruling this week clearing the way for Oregon National Guard troops to deploy to Portland – what are things like in the city right now? And what can we learn from the people attempting to find common ground between the realities described by Portlanders, and the dire tales spun by our President? Guest Anna Griffin, Pacific Northwest bureau chief, New York Times 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.
Oct 23, 2025 · 19 min
This Seattle playwright's latest show is about his terminal illness. But don't worry, it's funny.
Consider yourself cordially invited to Brendan Healy’s memorial service. That’s because the Seattle playwright is sharing his experience of living with, and dying from, a terminal illness. His newest play is called "Eulogy, or How to Plan Your Own Funeral (and have fun doing it!)" If you go, you’ll get a front-row seat to remembrances of Healy’s life. But the play also promises audiences pictures of puppies, so there’s a little bit of something for everyone. He’s putting the production on through Pony World Theatre, which he co-founded in 2009. It opens on October 23 at 12th Avenue Arts, so we caught up with Brendan before he hits the stage. Guest: Brendan Healy, the Seattle playwright behind "Eulogy, or How to Plan Your Own Funeral (and have fun doing it!)" Related links: Seattle playwright navigates living with terminal illness in new show | The Seattle Times Pony World Theatre 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.
Oct 22, 2025 · 15 min
What to know about Seattle's sales tax increase, plus the latest city hall news
Today, we heard an announcement of a proposed Seattle Police union deal that could open the door to expanded use of police alternatives. There’s also been some positive news on the city budget – to the tune of about $14 million in unexpected revenue on the horizon. And the City Council recently approved a sales tax increase to fund public safety priorities. Lots of City Hall business to review with Seattle Times reporter David Kroman — and we also talk elections. Guest David Kroman, reporter, The Seattle Times Related Links Election 2025: Mayor Bruce Harrell and challenger Katie Wilson debate Seattle council approves sales tax increase for public safety Seattle officers ‘undermining’ city’s police alternative, report says 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.
Oct 22, 2025 · 15 min
The many joys (and a few potential dangers) of foraging in the PNW
What do dwarf mallow and dandelion have in common? Sure, most people would consider both of these plants weeds, but they're also both found in Natalie Hammerquist's new book, Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Hammerquist is an expert forager who makes YouTube videos about plants in the PNW. We took a trip with her to sample a veritable salad bar growing in between pavers and along the path of the Beacon Food Forest. Guest: Natalie Hammerquist, herbalist, expert forager, and author of Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest and Medicinal Plants of the Pacific 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 21, 2025 · 44 min
Election 2025: Seattle mayoral candidate debate
Seattle hasn't had a two term mayor since Greg Nickels, who won a second term nearly two decades ago. Incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell is trying to break the streak of one term mayors. He was elected to the position in 2021. He previously served on the Seattle city council for 12 years. His opponent is Katie Wilson. She founded the nonprofit Transit Riders Union and serves as its chair. 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.
Oct 20, 2025 · 17 min
Honeycrisp apples are the worst (just kidding, but they are tough to grow)
Wanna scare an apple farmer? Just say one word: “Honeycrisp.” We're kidding…. But they do make farmers' lives harder. That’s according to a recent story in the Wall Street Journal calling the variety a “farmer’s nightmare.” And that’s tough because they’re one of the most popular apples on the market. People can’t seem to resist their sweet, crunchy flavor. So there’s high demand for the apple… but honeycrisps are pretty demanding in return: They’re apparently thin-skinned. They bruise easily. And they’re susceptible to disease. Washington is the biggest apple producer in the entire country, so we asked a farmer in Chelan if this apple variety is rotten right to the core. Guest: Bill Clark runs the Diamondback Acres farm with his wife, Angell, in Chelan. Related links: About Us – Chelan Ranch America’s Favorite Apple Is a Farmer’s Nightmare - WSJ Gala is Washington state's top apple this season - Axios Seattle 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.
Oct 20, 2025 · 11 min
Is the future of healthcare decision making in the hands of AI?
In a few months, Washingtonians on Medicare could see additional hurdles when it comes to getting approval for their procedures and care. . That’s because the Trump Administration is exploring the use of prior authorizations to assess whether medical services are necessary for a patient. If it isn’t, the procedures may not be covered. Prior authorization is a common practice in the insurance industry but not in Medicare. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says the tool will help weed out waste and fraud. And it says it will use AI to help make eligibility decisions. Washington is one of six states that will pilot the program, starting in January. GUEST: Darius Tahir - Correspondent for KFF News RELATED LINKS: AI Will Soon Have a Say in Approving or Denying Medicare Treatments Health Care AI reviews rolling out for Medicare in WA for some procedures WISeR (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) Model 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.
Oct 20, 2025 · 28 min
A Seattle-based translator on 'We Computers,' dirty jokes and AI-proof careers
Shelley Fairweather-Vega is a Seattle-based translator. She’s responsible for the English edition of Uzbek writer Hamid Ismailov’s novel “We Computers.” For that work, Fairweather-Vega is a finalist for a 2025 National Book Award in the translated literature category. She wrote in the afterword to “We Computers,” that she tried to find room in the plot for the poetry, and room for the poetry in the plot. We talk with her about her work and the community of translators around the Puget Sound. Guest Shelley Fairweather-Vega Related Links We Computers: A Conversation with Hamid Ismailov and Shelley Fairweather-Vega - Yale University Press 2025 National Book Awards: Seattle writer, translator longlisted - The Seattle Times 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.
Oct 16, 2025 · 42 min
Election 2025: Seattle city attorney candidates debate
Who will be Seattle’s next top lawyer? The city attorney enforces Seattle’s laws, prosecutes misdemeanor crimes and defends the city in court. After a summer primary, former assistant U.S. attorney Erika Evans emerged as the challenger to incumbent City Attorney Ann Davison. They debate at KUOW in front of a live studio audience. Guests Ann Davison, incumbent Seattle city attorney Erika Evans, candidate for city attorney Related links City Inside/Out: Seattle City Attorney Race Will Seattle reelect its conservative City Attorney? (published before the summer primary) - Cascade PBS Trump has become the focal point in Seattle city attorney race - The Seattle Times 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.
Oct 16, 2025 · 6 min
Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Oct 16-20
Your weekend has arrived, we're ALL celebrating HUMPY, and we're anticipating that very first Mariners World Series... But, there are a bunch of other things happening, so let's get to it! LINKS: SPORTS!! Mariners!! - Thurs/Fri at home, (Sun/Mon in Toronto if needed) Reign vs Utah Royals FC Seahawks vs Houston - MNF! SIFF DocFest - starts Thurs 10/16, ends 10/23 Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair Seattle Oddities & Curiosities Expo 2025 Slack Key Seattle Festival Seattle No Kings - Oct 18 No Kings - FULL MAP Seattle Opera - The Pirates of Penzance Northwest Record Show SPOOKY STUFF: Haunted Skies | The Museum of Flight Hoot 'n' Howl | Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Zoo Boo | Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Family Mask Workshop at Dabble 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.
Oct 15, 2025 · 28 min
Is Trump an authoritarian? Or a fascist? Two UW professors weigh in
Demonstrators are gearing up for another nationwide No Kings Day Protest this weekend against President Donald Trump. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, here’s a tagline on the event’s website to catch you up to speed: “Reclaiming Democracy, Rejecting Authoritarianism.” For years, Americans on the left have called Trump an authoritarian. And for a lot of people, his second go in the White House has only reinforced these labels. In the past year, Trump has pardoned rioters who tried to keep him in office after a free and fair election; deployed the National Guard to major U.S. cities against the wishes of state governors; and called for the prosecution of his critics by the U.S. Justice Department. But does Trump’s expansion of executive authority make him… and authoritarian? Or a fascist, as some argue? Two experts from the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies hash it out with us. Guest: Scott Radnitz, Herbert J. Ellison Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Washington Daniel Bessner, Anne H.H. and Kenneth B. Pyle Associate Professor in American Foreign Policy at the University of Washington and co-host of American Prestige Related stories: U.S. is sliding toward authoritarianism, hundreds of scholars say : NPR Trump Vows to Prosecute Political Enemies — Who’s Next? | TIME What is fascism? Experts unpack the ideology : NPR 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.
Oct 14, 2025 · 42 min
Election 2025: Seattle City Council position 9 candidates debate
Two candidates are running to represent the city of Seattle in one of our two city-wide Council seats. And 2026 will be a big year for the council – we’ve got a looming budget deficit, potential federal funding cuts, and, of course, the continuous threat of federal troops being sent to our fair city. The first candidate is a familiar name – incumbent Sara Nelson was elected to the position 9 seat in 2021. She is the city council president, and a co-founder of Fremont Brewing. Her opponent is Dionne Foster - former executive director of the nonprofit Washington Progress Alliance, which advocated for a statewide capital gains tax. Foster is also a former policy advisor for the city. 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.
Oct 14, 2025 · 21 min
Are you reading less these days? Researchers say you're part of a bigger trend
Americans are reading less for pleasure these days. That’s according to research from the University of Florida and University College London. And it’s not a little dip - we’re talking a 40% drop in daily leisure reading for people 15 and older over the past two decades. This shift is especially prevalent for specific groups, like Black Americans, people with lower incomes, and people in rural areas. We dug deeper into the findings from this study... and took a closer look at Seattle's reading habits. Guest: Jill Sonke, co-director of the EpiArts Lab at the University of Florida. Brooke Bosley, co-founder of the Black Futures Book Club. Spencer Ruchti, author events manager for Third Place Books. Related stories Reading for pleasure in free fall: New study finds 40% drop over two decades News | University of Florida Fewer People Are Reading for Fun, Study Finds - The New York Times 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.
Oct 13, 2025 · 17 min
What's the difference between a scurfy mouse and a scruffy mouse? A Nobel Prize
It’s been quite a week for one Seattle scientist, after getting an unexpected late-night call from a Swedish phone number last week. That call turned out to bring good news: Dr. Mary Brunkow is sharing this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She’s being honored for research she did decades ago; work that would eventually loom large in developing ways to treat autoimmune disease and cancer. We’ve asked Dr. Brunkow to reflect a bit on what that work looks like in hindsight, and what it means to share this honor… GUEST: Dr. Mary Brunkow RELATED LINKS: She didn’t believe she won the Nobel — until a photographer showed up at her Seattle door Mary E. Brunkow – Facts – 2025 - NobelPrize.org UW alum awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine – Be Boundless 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.