Soundside

This segment includes discussion about sexual assault. Washington state’s Special Commitment Center sits on McNeil Island in the Puget Sound. It’s operated by the Washington Department of Health and Social Services and houses about 150 people who were detained or committed there – sometimes for decades – after they committed acts of sexual violence.  It isn’t a criminal facility, but a civil one. There used to be a prison on the island but that closed in 2011. Today, many of the people at the facility on McNeil have developmental or other disabilities. They’re supposed to be receiving sex offender treatment. Some lack the ability to understand that treatment or the implications of their actions.   While the state keeps people on McNeil Island for fear they will re-offend, some people at the center have become victims of sexual assault while under state care.  A recent investigation by the Seattle Times looked at so-called vulnerable adults at the Special Commitment Center and how the state decides who warrants protection when someone is both a perpetrator and victim.  Guest: Rebecca Moss, investigative reporter at the Seattle Times who writes about McNeil Island in a series called “Uncommitted” Relevant Links: The Seattle Times: For 23 years, WA has detained a man for a crime he can’t understand The Seattle Times: Behind The Seattle Times’ investigation into McNeil Island abuses See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Juris grew up on a wheat farm in Klickitat County, in southern Washington near the Oregon border, watching his dad and his grandpa work together on the farm.  Andy is a fourth generation farmer – he understands the difficulties of the industry. But he says, in the past few months, things have changed. Andy’s farm machinery uses a lot of diesel, so, like everyone, he’s feeling the pain at the pump. Since the U.S. and Israel started their bombing campaign against Iran, and Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, diesel prices have hit record highs in Washington state. More than diesel, though, he’s really worried about the global fertilizer supply – much of which comes through the Strait.  Guests: Andy Juris, a fourth-generation wheat farmer in Klickitat County, Washington Randy Fortenbery, the Thomas Mick Endowed Chair in Small Grain Economics at Washington State University Related stories: Washington ranks last in farmer take-home pay in 2024 - Capital Press Farmers see fertiliser price surge as Iran war blocks exports, threatening losses - Reuters 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 year we’re trading in our smartphones for corded landlines and dial-up internet! Right?  Well, maybe not. But people have definitely been trying to use their phones less. Digital cameras and refurbished iPods have gotten more popular in the past few years, especially in younger generations.   And on TikTok there’s the trend of “analog bags” – people filling their bags with knitting sets, books and other screen-free activities to avoid the temptation of reaching for their phones. All of that sounds nice. But at the end of the day it’s really hard to get away from our phones because they do everything for us! And those algorithms are so good at drawing us in.  Meta and YouTube were recently found liable in a landmark case after a woman accused the companies of fueling her social media addiction, beginning when she was a child.  But what’s it like, and how hard is it, to give up on digital convenience? We’re going to ask a couple of experts for tips on how to use our phones a little less. Guests: Julianne Bell is a staff culture writer at The Stranger. Jordan McMahon is a technology writer for The Strategist. He also writes a newsletter called “Rebooting.”    Related links: My So-Called Luddite Life | The Stranger Rebooting | Jordan McMahon | Substack What Is an Analog Bag? Inside the TikTok Trend Fighting Digital Burnout | Business Insider Why people are buying iPods again | Axios  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.

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call 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: Omari Salisbury – founder of Converge Media and host of The Big O Show LINKS: Hundreds sign petition to honor Rainier Beach High students killed in January Katie Wilson Talks Mayoral Transition and Transparency Mayor Wilson Town Hall on Security & Surveillance Rahwa Ogbe Keshi Habte, Seattle community organizer, dies at 42 Mariners Launch “Steelhead Sundays” to Honor Black Baseball Legacy in Seattle Celebrating the Legacy of the Seattle Steelheads 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.

April Fool’s Day is thankfully behind us, and while they DO say that “April Showers bring May Flowers,” it looks like we’ve got a partly sunny weekend ahead…  Let’s check out what there is to do in the next few days! HOST: Soundside producer Jason Megatron Burrows LINKS:  Norwescon Sakura-Con Seattle's Easter Swing Women Made Film Festival in Everett, WA The Stranger Presents: The 2026 Undisputable Champions of Comedy! 93rd Annual Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade Seattle Torrent vs NY Sirens at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN 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.

Has something like this happened to you before?  You’re on a hike with someone, maybe a romantic partner, and you start slowing down, or want to take a break, but your partner wants to push on. Eventually, you’re left behind as your partner goes ahead without you. And this situation has consequences for the relationship. If so, you’re not alone.  The phrase “Alpine Divorce” was coined in a short story about a murderous husband over 100 years ago - but TikTok has lately adopted the label for less dastardly scenarios. In a recent viral post, a woman sobs as she climbs down a mountain - saying “he left me”. The video has thousands of comments, many of which share similar stories of being left behind on the trail. But how common is Alpine Divorce? And is it actually a bad thing to spend some solo time on the trail? Guest: Alaina Demopoulos, daily features writer for the Guardian Related stories: Women are being abandoned by their partners on hiking trails. What’s behind ‘alpine divorce’? - The Guardian 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 King County Council has made some moves lately to limit federal immigration enforcement within the county. Last week, council expanded on Executive Girmay Zahilay’s order that bars ICE and other agencies from using county property to make arrests . And earlier in the month, the council passed an emergency moratorium on new ICE detention facilities. Those include holding centers for people awaiting deportation.  How much of an impact will these new laws have against the administration’s push for detention and deportation?  Guests: King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda King County Councilmember Jorge Barón  Relevant Links:  KUOW: King County bans immigration detention facilities, joining other Western Washington cities Seattle Times: King County Council votes to ban ICE from county property 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.

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call 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: Austin Jenkins, national reporter covering tech policy in the states for Pluribus News, now part of State Affairs and host of Inside Olympia RELATED LINKSTrump signs a new executive order on voting. Experts say he lacks the authorityWATCH: Rejected: WA SOS will not process referendum to repeal income tax lawWashington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minorsWashington’s space economy powers the Artemis II moonshot 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.

Late last year, an atmospheric river caused devastating flooding across Western Washington.  Today, some estimate the region-wide damages may be over a billion dollars.  For parts of Whatcom County, it was the second major flood in less than five years. And they are looking for solutions. New reporting from the New York Times highlights how communities around the Nooksack River are debating how to mitigate damage from future flooding:  Dredge the river of sediment now? Or attempt a more ambitious plan to return the river to its natural state? In many ways the conversation pits farmers’ and homeowners’ concerns against environmental advocacy and tribal rights.  GUEST: Bernard Mokam is a news assistant for the New York Times LINK: As Northwest Flooding Worsens, Conflicting Interests Stymie Solutions 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.

“Learn to Code.” A decade ago that slogan was everywhere as computer programming was seen as a job that not only paid well, but almost guaranteed job security, especially in a tech hub like Seattle.  But in the last four years, more than 700,000 tech workers have been laid off.  And while overhiring during the pandemic, and rising interest rates, are believed to have sparked most of these layoffs, another issue is changing coding forever – artificial intelligence.  GUEST: Clive Thompson is a tech and science writer who recently spoke with more than 70 software developers for the New York Times magazine about how AI is reshaping the future. The piece is called “Coding After Coders: The End of Computer Programming as We Know It”  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.