Soundside

Fighting wildland fires is dangerous enough. The smoke exposure, changing conditions and mental health risks can be daunting, for even experienced firefighters.    But federal wildland firefighters across the country were also wearing pants containing potentially dangerous PFAS chemicals, according to reporting this month from ProPublica.  Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew about that risk for years, before it became public knowledge.  In Washington, fire seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer and just last year, western Washington experienced its largest fire in a generation. Reporter Abe Streep covered all of this for ProPublica, and he talked with KUOW's Paige Browning. Related Links Firefighters Wore Gear Containing “Forever Chemicals.” The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years. “It Feels Impossible to Stay”: The U.S. Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them 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.

Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths for Americans under the age of 50, according to a paper published last month in JAMA.   This research backs up a trend that doctors have been seeing for a while now: Colon cancer isn’t just a disease that affects older people.  Just last week, James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson on “Dawson’s Creek” died of colorectal cancer. He was 48 years old.  In the past few years, more health organizations have followed the American Cancer Society in lowering the recommended age for colon cancer screenings from 50 to 45 years old.  And more recently, there’s been a trend online that encourages people to start “fibermaxxing”... which is just a fancy way of telling them to eat more fiber.   We talk to a doctor about this trend and the symptoms to look out for when it comes to colon cancer.  Guests:  Dr. Rachel Issaka, director of the colorectal cancer screening program for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and UW Medicine Related links:  Leading Cancer Deaths in People Younger Than 50 Years | Breast Cancer | JAMA | JAMA Network Colorectal Cancer Is Now the Top Cause of Cancer Death in Younger People - 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.

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:  Seattle Times reporter David Kroman Related stories: Seattle Seahawks begin sale process, less than 2 weeks after winning Super Bowl - NYT Katie Wilson promises shelter, focus on public safety in first year of office - Seattle Times Tension rising over how to spend revenue from proposed WA income tax - Washington 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 Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, President Trump announced he was overturning the Environmental Protection Agency’s  "endangerment finding.” That finding is a scientific conclusion signed by the EPA in 2009. It determined that greenhouse gases are harmful to people and the environment, and it allowed the EPA to regulate heat trapping emissions like carbon dioxide and methane.  The current Presidential administration says that climate change is a “hoax” and that environmental regulations hinder the economy.   Current EPA head Lee Zeldin is praising the move by Trump. Environmental activists and democratic lawmakers took no time to denounce the decision, saying that it will harm public health and lead to intensifying climate change related catastrophes, such as wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding. And, of course, there’s a court challenge.  California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that California intends to sue the federal government over this change – potentially leading to a drawn out, years long battle to determine what the EPA can and cannot do when it comes to greenhouse gas regulation. Washington attorney general Nick Brown has promised something similar. But how could its repeal change climate science and policy in the United States? And what does it mean for Washington? Guests: David Battisti - Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Science and Tamaki Endowed Chair at the University of Washington Former Washington State Governor Jay Inslee Related stories: As U.S. abandons climate fight, Washington state feels the heat to do more - KUOW Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change - NYT Future of Washington state’s climate-pollution fund up in the air - 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 Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another one of Seattle’s iconic movie theaters has been sold. This time, the Boeing IMAX theater.  The theater’s six story tall and 80 foot wide screen has endeared itself to local movie goers since it opened nearly 30 years ago.  Pacific Science Center sent out an email last week confirming they are selling the Boeing Imax, and a parcel of land equaling nearly a quarter of its footprint at Seattle Center. The buyer is a familiar neighbor: The Space Needle. And Space Needle leaders said, through a statement, they intend to keep operating the theater. GUEST: Chase Hutchinson - Freelance writer & film critic RELATED LINKS:  Pacific Science Center’s Boeing IMAX Theater to Be Sold to Space Needle Seattle’s Pacific Science Center to sell IMAX theater, part of property PacSci Real Estate Transaction - Pacific Science Center 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.

Happy almost-Valentine’s day to all who celebrate.  It’s a time for love, of course. For fancy dinners. Cute notes. And hopefully, for some, a time for intimacy. We review some of the research, and get some advice, on our burning questions about sex, love and relationships. Guest Professor Nicole McNichols, author,  You Could Be Having Better Sex: The Definitive Guide to a Happier, Healthier, and Hotter Sex Life, @nicole_thesexprofessor 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.

What a WEEK!  Are your voices recovering from the Seahawks parade? Or from yelling at the Olympics on t-v like me?  Let’s get out there and do something FUN, or cute and sweet, for Valentine’s Day weekend!  Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows here with almost all of the lovely options we've got for the weekend! LINKS: The Atomic Bombshells: J’ADORE 17 Year Anniversary at Triple Door Winter Festival | Early Music Seattle Noir City - SIFF After Hours Premier: No Pressure Valentines - Seattle Aquarium Busch Light PBR Everett Comedy of Love: A Valentine's Day Improv Disenchanted! | Tacoma City Theaters Science After Dark - Pacific Science Center Get a Friday the 13th Tattoo at One of These Seattle Shops 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 use dating apps, there’s a lot of pressure to make an impression in the mere moments you have before someone decides whether you’re worth the effort.  So, as frustrating as it can be, we understand that there’s a fair bit of truth-bending involved in finding love online: Like pictures with really flattering angles or exaggerations of interests. All’s fair in love and/or exciting-but-sometimes-brief-and-often-regretted romance. But is it fair if someone’s using AI to make basic conversation? A growing number of daters report asking ChatGPT – or one of a flurry of new “AI dating assistant” startups – to craft questions and answers on dating apps. Was that witty repartee in your DMs generated by a bot? How much has dating been co-opted by digital wingmen, and what does it mean for the future of digital romance?  Guest: Henry Chandonett, reporter for Business Insider Relevant Links: Business Insider: The Rise of the AI Wingman The Guardian: ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SEA...HAWKS! Need we say more? Surely by now, you know that your Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl this year.KUOW's Noel Gasca was on the scene of the Seahawks Victory Parade in downtown Seattle, she talked with us about what she saw. GuestNoel Gasca, reporter, KUOWRelated LinksSeattle's 12s celebrate Super Bowl champion Seahawks 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:  Author of the Savage Love column and host of the Savage Lovecast Podcast, Dan Savage Related Stories: As US Olympians call for tolerance and LGBTQ rights, some face Trump attacks and online hate - NPR ‘Heated Rivalry’ Reaches 10.6 Million Viewers in The U.S. With Audience Increasing by Over 100% Since Finale - Variety 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.