Soundside

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 purchased 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.