Soundside

GLP-1 drugs that are commonly used to treat diabetes and obesity, like Ozempic and Wegovy – are in big demand. And they’re going to be more affordable. The Trump administration recently negotiated deals to lower the prices of these drugs. It seems like some details still need to be ironed out…. but from the looks of it, many Americans who use Medicare will be able to access GLP-1s at a fraction of their original cost. According to one of the deals, some Medicare patients will be able to get GLP-1s for a $50 copay. So it’s safe to assume as costs come down, these drugs are only going to get even more popular…. And we want to know more about them. In this latest “ask a doctor” segment, we’re asking two physicians to answer all of our burning questions. GUESTS: Dr. Scott Hagan, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who studies obesity. Dr. Mara Gordon, a family physician based in Philadelphia. She also writes about the culture of medicine and authors the “Real Talk With a Doc” column for NPR. RELATED LINKS: Medicare negotiated lower prices for 15 drugs, including 71% off Ozempic and Wegovy : Shots - Health News : NPR Ozempic is making me rethink how to be a body-positive doctor : Shots - Health News : 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.

It’s already the first weekend of December, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some holiday cheer to lighten up these cold, rainy days. Thankfully, like Santa soaring past with his reindeer, here with all the stuff that’s worth doing this weekend is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!! LINKS: Year in Review 2025 | Town Hall Seattle WTO/99 - Northwest Film Forum 21st Annual Urban Craft Uprising Winter Show Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition | PMSC-FB KRAMPUS BREMERTON Seattle SantaCon Scintillating sci-fi striptease Kraken vs Detroit - Sat 12/6 Kraken vs Minnesota - Mon 12/8 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.

Shortly after the shooting of two national guard troops in Washington, D.C., the Trump Administration said it was pausing asylum decisions and halting visas for Afghan immigrants. The alleged shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a Bellingham resident who came to the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2021. The motive for the attack is unknown. One victim – 20 year old Sarah Beckstrom – was killed in Wednesday’s shooting. The attack has prompted the Trump administration to supercharge restrictions on migrants from 19 countries, primarily ones in Africa and the Middle East. And it has left many others in this country fearful about their future as the federal government turns new scrutiny on green cards and asylee statuses that have already been granted. We’re trying to get a sense of how policy actions may impact immigrant communities, so we’re speaking with Luis Cortes Romero. He is an immigration lawyer and managing partner at Novo Legal Group. A note: After our taping, on Tuesday evening, the Department of Homeland Security announced a pause for all immigration applications for people from 19 countries deemed "high risk." Those are the same 19 countries Luis and I discussed that were under some previous restrictions: mainly African and Middle Eastern nations, including Sudan, Somalia and Iran -- also Venezuela, Haiti, and more. DHS says this requires "all aliens meeting the criteria undergo a thorough re-review process." GUESTS: Luis Cortes Romero is an immigration lawyer and managing partner at Novo Legal Group. RELATED LINKS: Shooting of National Guard members prompts flurry of U.S. immigration restrictions - PBS Trump pauses immigration applications for 19 nations on travel ban list - Washington Post 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.

Have you ever wanted a pet raccoon? Well, here’s a possible sign that dream is slowly approaching: a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology suggests raccoons are getting closer to domestication. The study is not definitive yet, and more research is required. But it all has to do with researchers observing a shorter snout on the animals we affectionately refer to as trash pandas. GUEST Marina Wang, freelance journalist RELATED LINKS Raccoons Are Showing Early Signs of Domestication - Scientific American 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’s brand new Professional Women’s Hockey team, the newly christened Seattle Torrent, faces off against the New York Sirens tonight at Climate Pledge Arena… Tonight’s game is the third ever for the team, and their growing fan base has both high hopes and big expectations as the season gets started. Soundside Producer Jason Burrows sat down with Libby Denkmann ahead of tonight's game to talk about how things are going! RELATED LINKS: Seattle Torrent lose PWHL debut to Vancouver Goldeneyes in overtime Seattle Torrent drop PWHL home opener to Minnesota before record crowd Seattle Torrent vs Minnesota Frost Inaugural Home Opener Post Game Press 365 HOCKEY GIRL | PWHL (@365_hockeygirl) • Instagram 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.

Twenty-six years ago, this week over 40,000 people came to Seattle to protest at the World Trade Organization's ministerial conference. Labor organizers, farmers, and environmental groups planned and executed peaceful action against what many saw as anti-democratic elements of the WTO, and the profound risks from the unfettered expansion of global trade. At events from Memorial Stadium to the waterfront and marches in downtown Seattle, advocates for the global south joined arms with American steelworkers, decrying the outsourcing of jobs. Ultimately, the “Battle of Seattle” pushed trade policy to the front page. But for many, the enduring memories from that week in Seattle are the clouds of tear gas deployed by police and broken windows at downtown businesses. A new documentary called WTO/99 tries to capture the events on the ground as they happened. It’s composed entirely of archival footage. And it highlights the way narratives around power and protest are shaped by media images. GUEST: Ian Bell, director, WTO/99 RELATED LINKS: Soundside's conversation with DW Gibson, author of "One Week to Change the World," about the WTO protests Where to watch WTO/99 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.

Some rare bipartisanship is emerging in congress: it focuses on questions about the legality of a September 2nd U.S. strike on a boat in the Caribbean. 11 people were killed, including two men who initially survived the first strike, but were killed by a follow-up attack. This operation was the start of a campaign of strikes the Trump Administration says it is waging to protect Americans from drugs smuggled by narco-terrorists. GUEST: Representative Adam Smith (WA-09), ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee RELATED LINKS: NPR: Congress steps in as questions mount over who authorized a second strike at sea NPR: As strikes on alleged drug boats grow, so do questions about their legality and goal 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.

We have a new thing we’re trying out on Mondays on Soundside. We're calling it Front Page.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 reporter Scott Greenstone. TODAY'S TOPICS: National Guard Shooting in Washington D.C. Noem says National Guard shooting suspect was 'radicalized' in the U.S. Seattle Traffic Why Seattle traffic got worse in 2024 Light rail’s push to Federal Way gives students, workers front-door access Pigeons Why Sound Transit is waging a ceaseless battle against birds 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.

Dr. Robert Jones is the new president of our region’s largest educational and research hub. He took the helm at the University of Washington in August, and when we sat down recently, he shared a bit about his background and path to Seattle. Jones says his parents were sharecroppers farming peanuts and cotton in southwest Georgia. “Where most people would tell you the last thing you should have anything to do with if you grew up as a son of sharecroppers. I was innately curious about science, and particularly became very curious about plants” It’s ultimately what set him on his academic path: Crop physiology. “And in my case, it was corn, and the whole goal was to understand the impact of environment on physiological processes that would be disrupted and cause a reduction in the yield of a major agricultural crops under a global climate change scenario. This was before the term global climate change was corn, and so that's what I spent 34 and a half years trying to understand, how do we make corn more tolerant to heat and drought stress? And that basic physiological research has led to what is now most of the major agricultural crops being able to withstand temperatures and drought longer than they ever had before in the modern history of production agriculture.” Jones spent more than three decades teaching and doing research at the University of Minnesota. He later led the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where the enrollment grew by 25% and they launched a new medical school during his tenure. The University of Washington has a similar enrollment size to Illinois – more than 60-thousand students and 30-thousand faculty and staff. So Soundside wanted to hear from the new university president… Roughly 100 days into his tenure, what’s his read on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the school? We should note we are a self-sustaining service of the University of Washington, with editorial independence. GUEST: University of Washington President, Dr. Robert Jones 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 show today, we’re getting you ready for Thanksgiving leftovers with a little leftovers of our own. We’re pulling some of our favorite segments from Soundside past out of the fridge, and warming ‘em up for you. Up first: edible plants are all around us in the Pacific Northwest. We'll hear how one local author became obsessed with helping people identify tasty greens and stay safe foraging for mushrooms and leafy goodies. Also on the show: for over 60 years the quiz game show Jeopardy has been a beloved part of people’s lives. Washington native Ken Jennings says, growing up, the show sparked his love of trivia. It’s a passion that led him to a 74 game winning streak in 2004, and eventually a job behind the podium as host. Meanwhile he’s translated his trivia expertise into his own game - called Kennections. It’s a weekly puzzle he writes for Mental Floss. GUESTS: Natalie Hammerquist, herbalist, expert forager, and author of Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest and Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest Ken Jennings, host of Jeopardy and author of The Complete Kennections: 5,000 questions in 1,000 puzzles RELATED LINKS: The many joys (and a few potential dangers) of foraging in the PNW Soundside "kennects" with Ken Jennings 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.

This week we’re going back into the archives to dig up some of our favorite Soundside segments. And with Thanksgiving just days away, this episode is all about food and drink! We'll revisit conversations we had this year on the trend of people drinking less alcohol these days.... .... The sweet apple variety that has left a bitter taste in some farmers’ mouths (spoiler: it's the honeycrisp).... ...And the shortage of matcha, which has blown up on social media and dominated coffee shop menus lately. GUESTS: Emily Ritchie, executive director of the Northwest Cider Association. Malcolm Purinton, assistant teaching professor of history at Northeastern University. Bill Clark runs the Diamondback Acres farm with his wife, Angell, in Chelan. Jeannie Liu, owner of Miro Tea. Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter at Eater. RELATED LINKS: Liquor before beer, best to steer clear? Why people are drinking less these days Honeycrisp apples are the worst (just kidding, but they are tough to grow) A lot of people love matcha... And that's causing some problems 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.

This week, we’re re-airing some of our favorite stories from the past year. First up on today's show: The Seattle Torrent played their very first professional women’s hockey game on Friday night, but before they even had a name, we talked with their General Manager Meghan Turner about bringing the team to the city. Later, we’ll play an interview with the author of the literary mystery “Murder by the Book.” Finally, we’ll get a peek inside a Pow Wow through the lens of a kid who just wants to play his game! GUESTS: Meghan Turner - General Manager, Seattle Torrent Amie Schaumberg Joey Clift RELATED LINKS: No name, lots of game: Women's pro hockey comes to Seattle Spoiler Alert: Someone dies in Amie Schaumberg's "Murder by the Book" Filmmaker Joey Clift talks about the inspiration behind the animated short POW! Watch POW! via First Nations Experience - Pow! 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.

A big controversy is gripping many Washington towns right now: automated license plate readers. Flock Safety, a technology and surveillance company, operates cameras in cities and counties across the nation. Those license plate readers take pictures of vehicles and their license plates – pictures that can be used by police to solve crimes. But questions about who has access to the cameras is leading several jurisdictions to turn off their automated licence plate readers. GUESTS: KUOW producer Hans Anderson Flock Safety chief legal officer, Dan Haley Phil Neff, a research coordinator at the University of Washington Center for Human Rights Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe Beryl Lipton, a senior investigative researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation RELATED LINKS: Washington Court Rules That Data Captured on Flock Safety Cameras Are Public Records - Electronic Frontier Foundation Redmond turns off Flock Safety cameras after ICE arrests - The Seattle Times Immigration agencies accessed WA law enforcement license plate data, report finds - 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 NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yes, turkey is an iconic centerpiece. But it’s a challenge. Turkeys take hours to cook (let alone, defrost!). The results can be dry, flavorless slabs of meat. If you believe online discourse, a growing number of bold omnivores are calling it quits on Thanksgiving turkey. And from an animal welfare perspective, there’s a lot of waste and carnage associated with "the national holiday of meat-eating." We asked Soundside's audience about whether they're moving on from turkey -- and what they might make instead. GUESTS: Marina Bolotnikova, deputy editor, Vox's Future Perfect Thanks to KUOW’s Paige Browning for all her help and hard work on this segment. RELATED LINKS: 8 million turkeys will be thrown in the trash this Thanksgiving 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 NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday, Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez stood on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and fought her own party. The subject of the disagreement? Whether or not a fellow Democratic member of congress, Chuy Garcia of Illinois, had crossed ethical lines and rigged the 2026 election for his chief of staff. By, among other things, announcing his retirement after the filing deadline. Gluesenkamp Perez introduced a nonbinding resolution to disapprove of the maneuver, to the apparent surprise of Democratic leadership. After speaking out, she was skewered by many of her fellow party members. One called her opposition a “cheap political stunt” Gluesenkamp Perez is known for bucking the party. Just last week she was one of only 6 House Democrats who voted to end the federal shutdown. She also represents one of the few purple districts in the country: Washington’s 3rd, which includes Lewis, Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania County. GUEST: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez represents Washington’s 3rd congressional district, which includes Lewis, Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania County RELATED LINKS: Scoop: House Dem infighting poised to get even worse - Axios After fierce fight, WA lawmaker secures US House rebuke of fellow Democrat - WA state standard End of shutdown ignites new round of sparring among WA’s congressional lawmakers - WA state standard 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 NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While it has been so nice being back behind the microphone this week after a little time off, we’ve got Thanksgiving ahead of us! And since we won’t have a show NEXT Thursday, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is doing double duty this week with an extra large Weekend Warmup… THIS WEEK: Seattle Christmas Market Julefest 21+ Night Market Renegade Craft Fair - Seattle Winter Warren Miller's Sno-ciety | McCaw Hall Heart - Climate Pledge Arena NEXT WEEK: SPORTS PWHL Home Opener! Seattle Torrent vs Minnesota Frost - Fri 11/28 UW Men’s Football vs Oregon Ducks - Sat 11/29 Kraken vs Edmonton - Sat 11/29 Seahawks vs Vikings - Sun 11/30 Seattle Marathon - Sun 11/30 GeekCraft Expo NOVEMBER ART MARKET — Duwamish Tribe 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 NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the week since Katie Wilson officially became Seattle’s mayor-elect, there have suddenly been a lot of think pieces about her from the national press. Editorial boards at the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have taken a certain “doom mongering” stance on another socialist winning office. The President of the United States added his two cents, and called her a communist. Wilson’s election is making waves in a year when both democrats and democratic socialists scored high profile wins across the country. But let’s be honest: national reporting is usually scant here in the PNW, and pretty late to the game. KUOW listeners – many of them, have been clued into this race for weeks if not months. What we haven't heard is the inside story of the Wilson campaign – how the team took a newcomer to electoral politics – a policy wonk, whose style she herself has called “pretty dumpy” – and got her elected mayor. And what does the future look like for progressives in a city with a historically fickle electorate? Two key figures from the Wilson campaign team joined Soundside to share their view on how it all went down. GUESTS: Katie Wilson campaign manager Alex Gallo Brown WinPower strategies political consultant, and Katie Wilson’s consultant, Jake Simpson RELATED LINKS: Trump threatens Seattle’s World Cup, calls Mayor-elect Wilson ‘communist’ - Seattle Times Seattle’s coming socialist experiment - Washington Post Seattle Elects Mamdani West - Wall Street Journal Katie Wilson is the new mayor but confronts the same challenges - 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.

Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Washington published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on the spotted ratfish, sometimes called a ghost shark. It’s one of the most common fish you’ll find in the Puget Sound and it has teeth in an unexpected place. The study’s authors say that, not only is this unusual, but it also tells us something very interesting about evolution. GUEST: Karly Cohen, post-doctoral researcher at Friday Harbor Labs RELATED LINKS: PNAS: Teeth outside the jaw: Evolution and development of the toothed head clasper in chimaeras Smithsonian: This Deep-Sea Fish Has Teeth on Its Forehead—and It Uses Them for Sex University of Washington: This common fish has an uncommon feature: Forehead teeth, used for mating 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.

Air traffic controllers are getting paid again, now that the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is over. Air traffic controllers dominated headlines during the shutdown as they continued to work their stressful jobs without pay. Some of them took on side gigs to make up for lost income. And as the shutdown dragged on, controller shortages led to flight delays and cancellations around the country. Now things are slowly getting back to normal, as the FAA lifts restrictions on air traffic ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Steph Winder of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association tells us how controllers are doing now that they're out of shutdown mode. GUEST: Steph Winder, Northwest Mountain Regional Vice President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association RELATED LINKS: Trump Wants $10K Bonus for Air Traffic Controllers Who Didn't Call Out - Business Insider Air traffic controllers warn of ‘tipping point’ during shutdown : NPR FAA to Lift Government Shutdown-Related Flight Restrictions - WSJ 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.

If you purchasd or rode an e-bike in the last 10 years, there’s a good chance it was a Rad Power Bike. The company, based in Seattle, was one of the first to popularize e-bikes with the general public, and grew to be the largest electric bike company in North America. But now, the company is on the brink of collapse. A spokesperson told Geekwire last week that Rad faces potential closure as early as January due to “significant financial challenges.” After virtually building the e-bike industry, and seeing demand quadruple during the pandemic, what went wrong for Rad Power Bikes? And can they recover? GUEST: Geekwire editor Taylor Soper RELATED LINKS: The rise and fall of Rad Power Bikes: From breakout success to the brink of shutdown - Geekwire Rad Power Bikes faces possible shutdown as it tries to survive ‘significant financial challenges’ - Geekwire 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.

In 2023, Bellevue organizer Mubarak Elamin made the decision to bring his mother to the United States. At the time, she was living in Sudan, where a brutal war had broken out between the country’s army, the Sudanese Armed Forces, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The situation deteriorated into what the U.N. has called one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced. Some regions are suffering from famine. In January, the United States declared Sudan was experiencing a genocide. And despite this upheaval, Mubarak says it seems like a lot of people don’t know what's going on in Sudan. GUEST: Mubarak Elamin, a Sudanese community organizer in Bellevue Nisrin Elamin, assistant professor of Anthropology and African Studies at the University of Toronto RELATED LINKS: Sudan war: A simple guide to what is happening WA’s Sudanese community suffering amid war that’s displaced millions | The Seattle Times The State Of The Civil War In Sudan : 1A : 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.

Unionized Starbucks workers have started their fourth day on strike. Workers walked off the job in over 40 cities last week. And this year’s strike has gotten attention from high-profile politicians. Both Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson and New York's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani called on customers to boycott the coffee chain. Last week, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) urged Starbucks to cut a deal with the union. So what’s holding up negotiations? GUEST: Casey Martin, KUOW reporter covering the strike RELATED LINKS: Unionized Starbucks' workers strike in Seattle, across the country 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.

You’re probably heard the term “microplastics.” And you’ve probably also heard that they’re bad for you. A write up from Stanford Medicine says, quote, “they’re in the water we drink, the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the air we breathe.” But what exactly are they? A local doctor is helping us understand what exactly these particals are, and how or if we should avoid them. GUEST: Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a professor of pediatrics and adjunct professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington and the Seattle Children's Research Institute RELATED LINKS: Microplastics and our health: What the science says - Stanford Medicine 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.

In early October, film buffs around the region received some bittersweet news… The historic Egyptian Theater in Capitol Hill – which had been closed for repairs – would not reopen as a public theater. The Seattle International Film Festival decided to end its lease, saying it was a difficult decision but that it just wasn’t financially feasible. This comes on the back of the closing of the Grand Illusion and AMC 10 theaters in the U-District. In an era of streaming services and movie studio consolidations… What DOES it take to keep the independent theater scene thriving? GUESTS: Beth Barrett - Artistic Director SIFF Kenny Alhadeff - Owner, Majestic Bay Theater Chase Hutchinson - Freelance Writer and Movie Critic RELATED LINKS: For SIFF, Seattle’s Cinerama was a marquee purchase. Has it paid off? SIFF lays off staff amid financial challenges Seattle movie theater update: SIFF will end lease at historic Egyptian 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.

Here at Soundside, we've got lots of plans this weekend. Paige Browning is playing in a Kickball tournament, while Jason is planning on cheering for her... Supervising Producer Sarah Leibovitz is doing LAUNDRY... What joy! As for YOU, here are all your options from this week's Weekend Warmup... LINKS: SIFF Cinema Italian Style 2025 Sew, Quilt, Needlework, Craft, Expo & Festival in Puyallup Gobble Up Northwest! - Urban Craft Uprising Seattle International Auto Show The 2025 DB Cooper Conference Seattle Kraken vs San Jose Sharks Gilman Village 2025 Winter Fest Grit City Comic Show UW Huskies Men’s Football vs Purdue Death and Music | Town Hall 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.

Seattle has been a target of anti-car activism since at least the early 1960s, when the construction of I-5 carved up the Chinatown International District. Washington architect Paul Thiry said the creation of the freeway signaled when Seattle started to lose its identity as a city. But what would a less car-centric Seattle actually look like? Whom would it benefit? And is it even feasible? The hosts of "The War on Cars" podcast join "Soundside" for more. They’ve co-written a new book: “Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves From the Tyranny of the Automobile.” They’re both based in Brooklyn, New York, but joined KUOW's Paige Browning in our Seattle studio. GUESTS: Sarah Goodyear, host, The War on Cars podcast Doug Gordon, host, The War on Cars podcast RELATED LINKS: What Comes After the ‘War on Cars’? - Bloomberg ‘Life After Cars’ with Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon - Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast 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.

Seattleites have been closely watching election results for nearly a week since polls closed. That’s because the city’s mayoral candidates were in a tight race. Longtime Seattle politician and current Mayor Bruce Harrell is trying to win a second term. His challenger is Katie Wilson, a Democratic socialist who has never held elected office before. Last night’s vote tally gave more clarity about who is likely to lead the city next year. GUEST: Cat Smith, KUOW Politics Editor RELATED LINKS: KUOW: Wilson’s lead increases in Seattle mayoral race, leaving Harrell further behind 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.

Bruce Lee holds a special place in Seattle’s heart – and Seattle played a key role in Bruce Lee’s life. He attended the University of Washington. He taught martial arts around the city. And after his tragically young death, at the age of 32, Lee was buried at Lake View Cemetery on Capitol Hill. A biography by author Jeff Chang traces this journey alongside the cultural and political context in which Lee was becoming the international icon he is today. It’s called “Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America.” In the book Chang shows how the rise of Bruce Lee mirrored the rise of Asian American identity and the ways that they each shaped each other. GUEST: Jeff Chang, author of "Water Mirror Echo" RELATED LINKS: Book Review: ‘Water Mirror Echo,’ by Jeff Chang - The New York Times ‘Water Mirror Echo’ explores how Bruce Lee still shapes Asian America Remembering Bruce Lee, and his time in Seattle, on the 80th anniversary of his birth | 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.

After a monthslong search, the Seattle Public Schools district finally has a new superintendent. The Seattle School Board voted to name Ben Shuldiner as the lone finalist for the role. Shuldiner is currently the superintendent of the Lansing School District in Michigan. He’ll be the fourth superintendent in the last decade. Back in March, former superintendent Brent Jones announced he was planning to step down from the position … and would have left in September. Instead, he went on medical leave in May and since then the role has been filled by an interim superintendent. Shuldiner's appointment comes during a period of turmoil for the district, which has been facing a budget shortfall and grappling with issues around school safety. KUOW's Sami West tells us about her takeaways from her conversation with him this week. Guest: Sami West, KUOW reporter who has been following the ongoing search for a new superintendent at Seattle Public Schools. Related Stories: KUOW - Seattle School Board names lone superintendent finalist, a district leader recruited from Michigan KUOW - Seattle School Board moves 2 unnamed finalists forward in superintendent search KUOW - Seattle Public Schools to hunt for new leader as Superintendent Jones steps down 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's pro women's soccer team have returned to the National Women's Soccer League playoffs. Seattle Reign play the Orlando Pride on Friday in a win-or-go-home match. But do the Reign have the potential to make a deep playoff run? Soundside producer Gabrielle Healy gets into it. Plus, everything you need to know about coach Laura Harvey and ChatGPTgate. Guest Susie Rantz, writer for Sounder at Heart covering Seattle Reign Related Links All even in Orlando, 1-1 - Sounder at Heart The constant amidst chaos: Lauren Barnes’ Reign - Sounder at HeartSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s weekends like these where you WANT a solid plan for what to do, so you’re not just stuck sulking about the weather. And while Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows may be on his way to sunny Florida AS WE SPEAK for a weekend in Tampa, he still left us with a smattering of potential options: LINKS: Port Gamble Ghost Conference Best of the Northwest Fall Show 2025 - Seattle NW's Largest Garage Sale & Vintage Sale Brew: A Clue-Themed Winter Beer Festival America's Test Kitchen Live at Food Fight with Rachel Belle GeekGirlCon - 15th Year! Captain Slinky Presents Oddmall Emporium of The Weird Light the Forest: Pilchuck Glass School Seahawks vs. Cardinals SIFF Talking Pictures: Ken Jennings presents Quiz Show 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.

It’s getting harder for unhoused people in Tacoma to find a place to spend the night. Last week, the city council there voted narrowly, 5-to-4, to expand buffer zones where encampments are not allowed. The new ban, which went into effect this week, includes areas within two blocks of public schools, parks, libraries, and most of downtown and Hilltop. Critics say this only makes it harder for people to find a place to sleep. Guest: Tacoma News Tribune reporter Cameron Sheppard Related Links: How will Tacoma’s encampment-ban expansion impact plans to address homelessness? In a split vote, Tacoma council decides fate of homeless camping-ban expansionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In April, 25-year-old Alex Kuhnhausen died of a bacterial infection he contracted at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. This isn’t unheard of – last year, there were 39 deaths reported in Washington prisons. But the details of Alex Kuhnhausen’s decline and death raise questions about decisions by prison officials and medical staff; decisions that many believe contributed to his death. Guest: Reporter Brandon Block Related Links: How a WA prison turned a treatable ailment into a death sentence 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.

When you step into the Seattle Asian Art Museum’s new exhibit… you feel small. You’re surrounded by light, blocks of color reaching across the floor, creeping up the walls. The art takes up space, immersing you in light and shadow, as though you’ve entered another world. Steel cubes carved with meticulous designs hang from the ceiling. Papercraft covered in embroidery line the walls. What looks like a giant doily hangs from strings by the entrance. All lit to project intricate patterns across the space. This is "Geometry of Light," an exhibit the museum opened in late August. The artist behind it is Anila Quayyum Agha, the first Pakistani American to ever have a solo exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. She talked to Soundside about her art, what it's like to be the first Pakistani American to have an exhibit at the museum and what she hopes people take away from "Geometry of Light." Guest Anila Quayyum Agha, the artist behind "Geometry of Light." Related links: Anila Quayyum Agha: Geometry of Light | Seattle Art Museum Anila Quayyum Agha Uses Patterns to Break Patterns - The New York Times About — Anila Quayyum Agha 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 voters head to the polls amid a contentious mayoral race in Seattle, we’re looking to the past to try to answer a lingering question. It’s hard to win reelection as a Seattle mayor. The last time it happened was nearly two decades ago. Why has it been so long? We're going directly to the source for more: Democrat Greg Nickels was mayor of Seattle for two terms, between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2009. He served on the King County Council for 14 years prior to his election. KUOW's politics editor Cat Smith brings us that conversation. Related Links Outgoing Mayor Greg Nickels leaves stamp on Seattle - The Seattle Times, published in 2009 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.

TRIGGER WARNING - SELF HARM INVOLVING CHILDREN In 2022, the body of 13-year-old Jay Taylor was discovered behind a grocery store in Gig Harbor. Jay had died by suicide, a tragedy that only grew more shocking when police realized he’d livestreamed the act on Instagram, encouraged by the people watching. Jay Taylor was a victim of 764, a global online group of predators that victimizes kids, some identified to be as young as nine years old. They coerce them to send nude photos, commit self-harm and even take their own lives. Guest: Barrett Gay, digital research analyst of domestic and international right-wing extremism at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Related Links: ‘It broke me’: Inside the FBI hunt for the online predators who persuaded a 13-year-old to die There Are Dark Corners of the Internet. Then There's 764 FBI targets 250 suspects in '764' network of online predators manipulating kids into violent, explicit videos 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 immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington has quickly reached capacity this year under the Trump administration’s push to scale up deportations. The population inside nearly doubled in a matter of months, raising some concerns about staffing levels and reported delays for detainees accessing lawyers or medical care. The experience for those inside detention has also shifted in some profound ways due to new policies, including cuts to legal aid programs, restrictions on who is eligible for bond and increased fees for court filings. A new KUOW documentary, “Inside ICE Detention,” opens a window into this time of rapid transition at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma and looks into who is getting detained, how they are treated and some of the new pressures people are facing as they try to fight deportation. The story centers on the experience of a woman named Espinoza, who was arrested during an ICE workplace raid in Kent, WA. Espinoza was four days away from getting married to her partner of 12 years when the raid happened, and she grapples with hopelessness in detention while trying to navigate a way out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you believe that we’re already at the end of October? Time is a weird soup. This week has been jam packed with things, AND we have an election next Tuesday. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s enjoy the weekend!! LINKS: Seattle Short King Contest Seattle Kraken vs NY Rangers - Sat 11/1 Short Run Comix Festival Seattle Opera - The Pirates of Penzance Brewallup 2025 Washington State Toy Show Sea-Meow Convention 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs - Seattle vs Minnesota - Mon 11/3 Seattle Kraken vs Chicago Blackhawks - Mon 11/3 Seattle Welcome Day - Tues 11/4 DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: Nov. 1 — El Centro de la Raza Nov. 1 — Phinney Center Nov. 1 — Shoreline Recreation Center Nov. 1 & 2 — Seattle Center Nov. 1 & 2 — Town Hall Seattle (ticketed event) Nov. 2 — Tacoma Art Museum 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.

Like so many others, Jas Ikeda struggled with the images and stories coming out of Gaza – of the widespread destruction and the growing starvation. Like others, she felt frustrated that more wasn’t being done to help the people caught in the conflict. Unlike most others, Ikeda has a lot of sailing experience. So when she heard about the Global Sumud Flotilla, she jumped at the chance. The flotilla consisted of 42 small to mid-sized vessels, setting out from Spain, carrying food, supplies, and hundreds of activists. The stated goal was to challenge Israel’s blockade and show solidarity with Palestinians. They were intercepted and detained by the Israeli military on October 1 – an outcome they knew was likely. She and the other activists were held for about six days. The timing of Ikeda’s voyage, capture and release, coincided with a historic moment. Just three days after Ikeda was released Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. The deal, which was negotiated and pushed by the Trump Administration, included an agreement that - QUOTE - "Full aid will be immediately sent.” Such aid would be a lifeline for Palestinians. In August, Gaza was confirmed to be under famine conditions. The ceasefire deal gave a lot of hope to aid organizations that have been stymied by the tight control Israel holds over the border. But flare ups of violence have threatened that aid. On Tuesday, the Israeli military struck targets in Gaza, killing more than a hundred people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating terms of the ceasefire. GUESTS: Jas Ikeda - Washington resident, and member of the Global Sumud Flotilla Mara Kronenfeld - Executive Director of the UNRWA USA National Committee LINKS: Israel takes steps to shut down international aid groups in Gaza and the West Bank This Weekend’s Violence in Gaza Shows How Fragile the Cease-Fire Really Is What aid organizations say is needed in Gaza amid Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan - ABC News How fast can much needed food and aid get to Palestinians? Netanyahu Orders Strikes in Gaza, as Israel Says Hamas Violated Cease-Fire More Food Reaches Gaza, but It’s Still Not Enough 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.

Washington State highways and bridges are in need of a serious refresh. That’s according to a WSDOT official who told the Washington State Transportation Commission this month: “We are in the early stages of critical failure due to lack of funding.” - Troy Suing, Director, Capital Program Development and Management, Washington State Department of Transportation “Preservation” generally refers to the long-term work needed to sustain already existing infrastructure. WSDOT says it’ll need an additional $8 billion dollars over the next decade to do that work. Jerry Cornfield at the Washington State Standard reported that while the Legislature did approve a 15.5 BILLION dollar budget for the next two years…. less than a billion dollars was earmarked for preservation over that time. That’s well short of the $1.6 Billion needed to keep pace with the wear and tear put on our state’s infrastructure. GUEST: Senator Marko Liias - Chair of the WA State Senate Transportation Committee LINKS: ‘Early stages of critical failure’: Funding outlook is grim for WA road upkeep - WA State Standard Meeting Agenda – October 14-15, 2025 – Washington State Transportation Commission Washington State Transportation Commission - Meeting Video Move Ahead Washington Legislature approves bipartisan plan to fund Washington state transportation future 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.

More than 1 in 10 people in Washington state rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Most of those recipients are in households with children. And all of them will get cut off from those benefits on October 31st if the partial federal government shutdown doesn’t end by then. This week, Governor Ferguson said he’d direct over 2 million dollars in weekly food aid to state food banks should the shutdown continue. That program will start November 3rd. But is that enough to make up for the loss of SNAP benefits? Guest Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks, race and equity reporter, The Seattle Times Related Links WA to direct $2.2 million a week to food banks as SNAP cutoff nears - The Seattle Times WA SNAP benefits to run out Nov. 1 if government shutdown persists - The Seattle TimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 YorkerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.