What started as an art fair made it big in 2001, when the Bellevue Arts Museum opened its brand-new building on the corner of 6th Street and Bellevue Way. But in the decades since opening its doors, BAM has struggled financially, and in recent reporting, the Seattle Times’ Margo Vansynghel found that a recent fundraiser was just one symptom of larg…

Proposed federal legislation is bringing attention to an understudied and overlooked part of every woman's life — menopause.Oleh Libby Denkmann

Soundside host Libby Denkmann speaks with space & science journalist Jonathan O’Callaghan about Boeing's latest scrubbed Starliner mission, and what's next.Oleh Libby Denkmann

An historic shift to American drug policy is on the way. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration is poised to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III. Weed’s longtime classification has put it at odds with laws in several states, including Washington. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the sho…

Soundside heads to Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park for the 20th Anniversary of Rat City Roller Derby!Oleh Paige Browning

The city of Seattle issued warnings to two businesses about some very unique graffiti on their front windows. It's prompted the question: Who's responsible for graffiti cleanup?Oleh Sarah Leibovitz

Soundside revisits a story produced by RadioActive alum Avery Styer back in 2016. Eight years ago, Avery took us to a space in Capitol Hill that had a special spot in their life - Lambert House, a community center for LGBTQ+ youth. Since that original story, Avery has aged out of the youth programs Lambert House currently offers, but that doesn’t m…

In 2020, amid racial justice protests, King County Executive Dow Constantine vowed to close a newly-built youth detention facility in the next five years.A new county audit of the facility, called the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center, points out the complications of actually accomplishing Constantine’s goal.…

This week a Seattle federal court sentenced Changpeng Zhao -- founder and former CEO of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance -- to four months in prison. In contrast to the high-profile case of FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, who used his crypto exchange to defraud billions of dollars from its users, Zhao pled guilty to not doing more to…

Washington ranked 33rd in preschool access for 4-year-olds. Yet Washington ranks eighth in terms of spending. So, what gives?Oleh Diana Opong

In this encore broadcast, Soundside guest host Diana Opong revisits a conversation with author Stephanie Land. Land had just published a book about her experience of going to college as a single mother, and the struggles she faced working towards her degree. Her second book is titled “Class, A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education.”…

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss a moment of anger on the City Council (and the legislation behind it), a new public safety "framework" proposed by Mayor Harrell, the progress of a measure that would change wa…

Soundside host Libby Denkmann sits down with NW News Network correspondent Anna King to talk about the impacts drought has on Farmers out in Eastern WA.Oleh Libby Denkmann

Investigative reporter and economist Loretta Napoleoni tracks the rise of 'tech titans' in her new book, “Technocapitalism: the Rise of the New Robber Barons and the Fight for the Common Good." She argues they have used technology to become massively wealthy at a high cost to most of the rest of us. We can only make Soundside because listeners supp…

In Washington state, if a teacher or other certified school staff commits serious misconduct, like abuse, districts are required to report that to the state for investigation – and possibly the revocation of that person’s certification to work in schools.Oleh Libby Denkmann

Four female Seattle police officers have told the city that they intend to sue over sexual discrimination, harassment, and a hostile work environment.Oleh Libby Denkmann

The WIAA, which governs high schools sports in Washington, briefly flirted with loosening transfer rules for student athletes this year. The potential changes raised concerns among coaches. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundside…

As Amazon faces a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit, a new book is out with a fresh look at how it went from a Bellevue garage to a sprawling empire of online retail, cloud computing, and logistics — and a political lightning rod.Oleh Libby Denkmann

A new law that could outlaw TikTok in the U.S. in 2025 has content creators in Western Washington worried about the future of their business model.Oleh Diana Opong

A film fest this weekend in Bellingham is dedicated to highlighting distinct and diverse works from women filmmakers from around the world. It’s called The CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival and it kicked off Thursday, April 25. Soundside guest host Diana Opong caught up with a panel of CASCADIA featured directors to discuss their experie…

Tens of thousands of Providence nurses, technicians, and medical assistants are about to get their slice of a big payout — totaling $220 million. That major chunk of change comes as part of a verdict in a class action wage theft lawsuit. It was filed on behalf of hourly workers against Providence Health & Services.…

Soundside host Diana Opong sits down with UW scientist Fabien Klenner to talk about the recent discoveries from Enceladus, one of the moons of Saturn.Oleh Diana Opong

Scientists gathered on the flight deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier this month to test a technology to assist with cloud brightening. The idea is basically to make clouds more reflective so they bounce more of the sun’s rays back out to space. Theoretically cooling the earth and combating global warming. It’s the first time such a test has …

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the unusual committee-level rejection of some affordable housing legislation, a new plan to prevent fires in vacant buildings, the unveiling of a citywide Transportation Plan, …

In the final episode of Lost Patients, a partnership between KUOW and The Seattle Times, host Will James and reporter Sydney Brownstone look at stories of recovery. Soundside speaks with host Will James and reporter Sydney Brownstone about why they chose to end the series with this topic and how a date at a cemetery was the impetus for this project…

Soundside host Diana Opong sits down with cybersecurity journalist Eric Geller & cybersecurity researcher Quentin Hodgson to talk about the recent report about security issues at Microsoft.Oleh Diana Opong

Washington state Republicans gathered in Spokane over the weekend to throw support behind a candidate for governor and other key offices. After a rowdy back and forth over whether the party would endorse at all, former Richland school board member Semi Bird emerged with the official GOP stamp of approval for the governor’s race. The decision sends …

The investigation into Boeing’s safety culture, and what led up to the 737 Max blowout over Portland in January has made its way to Capitol Hill.Oleh Diana Opong

Soundside host Diana Opong sits down with WSU horticulturalist and fruit breeder Kate Evans to talk about the science behind creating the new WA64 apple.Oleh Diana Opong

Seattle Public Schools is phasing out its highly capable cohort (HCC) model – where advanced learners go to a handful of elementary, middle and high schools in the district with curriculum that is one or two years ahead of their grade depending on the subject. Instead, starting next school year (2024-25), the district’s replacement, called the “hig…

Soundside host Libby Denkmann speaks with NW Insurance Council president Kenton Brice about the rising cost of auto insurance in WA State.Oleh Libby Denkmann

"I think lots of people looking towards this Passover holiday are trying to figure out — how will I sit around a Seder table and talk about what's happening in the world today and this lens of Jewish identity, knowing that my parents, grandparents, my children, or grandchildren see the world through really, really different eyes than I do?"…

Dip into your average grocery or convenience store, and you’ll have your pick of at least a dozen different brands of bottled water.But despite being so ubiquitous in American culture today, the meteoric rise of bottled water isn't by coincidence -- and your average bottle and average tap have more in common than you might think.…

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss the historically-early budget process beginning for the Seattle City Council, a new piece of equitable development legislation, a squabble over police hiring (and testing), a r…

Like sour cream dolloped lovingly on a baked potato, journalist and food writer Rachel Belle finds the delicious nooks and unexpected crannies of the Pacific Northwest culinary scene.Oleh Libby Denkmann

Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks with freelance journalist Andrew Engelson about his reporting in Publicola on SPD Officer Kevin Dave's employment record at the Tucson Police Department in Arizona.Oleh Libby Denkmann

As of last week, a long-running avian influenzas outbreak has affected more than 85 million poultry birds -- making it the deadliest avian flu in U.S. history. If that wasn’t enough cause for concern, cases of avian flu are now showing up in dairy cows and in Texas, at least one case was confirmed to have jumped from a dairy cow to a person.…

Oleh Libby Denkmann

If you headed to a public library in Seattle over the weekend, you may have found your local branch was closed.Oleh Libby Denkmann

A ruling by a King County judge over the sale of timber in Eastern King County points to the increased scrutiny the DNR faces over how it manages public lands. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundside…

Former Congressman and King County Sheriff Dave Reichert has raised a substantial amount of cash and shows well in polling against Democratic frontrunner and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson in Washington's race for governor. But as Seattle Times’ Jim Brunner reports, Reichert may be lacking sizzle with the base heading into the state Republican…

Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks with Bill Porter aka "Red Pine" and filmmaker Ward Serril about the new film "Dancing with the Dead."Oleh Libby Denkmann

If the Tolt River Dam failed, it would be catastrophic for the roughly 2000 people that live in Carnation. Fortunately, the city has an alarm system that would alert residents of a dam failure so they could evacuate. Unfortunately, residents have unexpectedly and pointlessly heard that sound eight times in the last four years.…

Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks election security with Jerry Cornfield of the WA State Standard and TrueMedia.org's Dr. Oren Etzioni.Oleh Libby Denkmann

The world’s first Amazon Go store in Seattle opened on Jan. 22, 2018. The New York Times called it “A Store of the Future,” where all customers had to do was pop an item in their cart and walk out. A little over six years in the future, developers for Amazon's “Just Walk Out” technology are facing layoffs, and the technology itself is being fazed o…

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman, city hall reporter for the Seattle Times, discuss a new budget forecast for the City of Seattle, a new twist in negotiating a contract for the Seattle Police Officer's Guild, a report on how SPD officers …

Chili crunch is known for its punch, and now, a legal battle over the name has one local foodie fighting back against a culinary giant.Oleh Libby Denkmann

What could bring Republicans and Democrats together? An unlikely political duo from Washington state has teamed up in the name of data privacy.Oleh Libby Denkmann

Across the city of Seattle this month, poems from local writers are on display at storefronts, libraries, and in office buildings. They're part of "Poetry in Place," a project from Seattle Civic Poet, Shin Yu Pai, which runs throughout April. We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: htt…

The separation of Japanese American families during WWII is the focus of "Currents," a new operetta by local librettist AC Petersen and composer Jeremy Berdin.Oleh Libby Denkmann