Soundside

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.