Soundside

Oh, voter. You are going to be asked to watch so many races in the coming months. There is, of course, the presidential race, which is sucking the air out of the room. There's also governor, attorney general, congressional seats, state house representatives, land’s commissioner, and, because you live in the great state of Washington, citizen’s initiatives. And, if you don’t have enough to think about, there is a new initiative likely headed to your ballot.  It will roll back the state’s efforts to move away from this fossil fuel. And it would ban any proposed bans on natural gas. Guest: Jerry Cornfield, state government and politics reporter at the Washington State Standard Relevant Links: Washington State Standard: Initiative opponents target the millionaire behind the measures Washington State Standard: Builders launch initiative to block Washington’s natural gas phase-out Washington State Standard: Washington’s heat pump push hits a snag  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perhaps you’ve noticed a lot of construction on Seattle streets this year: new bike lanes along MLK, fresh pavement and bus shelters on Madison Street, and sidewalk replacements across the city. That’s because the Seattle Department of Transportation has money to spend.  In 2015, voters passed a $930 million transportation levy called “Move Seattle.” And initially, Seattle was slow moving that money out the door. “Move Seattle” expires this year and Seattle voters will likely be deciding on whether to raise their property taxes again for a new transportation levy this fall. And this one is clocking in at over $1.5 billion. Tomorrow, the city council plans to vote on the final version of a Seattle transportation levy that will appear on ballots in November. Guests: Greg Spotts, Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation Related Links: The Urbanist: SDOT Sprints Toward the End of the Move Seattle Era Seattle Times: Sidewalks top of mind for Seattle’s priciest-ever transportation levy KUOW: $1B for sidewalks, bike lanes, and road repairs: Seattle transportation levy ahead See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a policy President Obama enacted by executive order in 2012.  It’s had a rocky legal journey, but when it was still accepting new applications, DACA was open to undocumented young people who graduated from high school or served in the military and were brought to the U.S. as children.  The program has given roughly 800,000 people access to things like a driver’s license, a social security number, and a work permit. When the Trump Administration came into office, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that things would be changing. "I am here today to announce that the program known as DACA under the Obama administration is being rescinded." ~Former AG Jeff Sessions That was September, 2017.  Within hours, immigration attorney Luis Cortes Romero – a DACA recipient himself based in Kent, Washington – helped assemble a team of legal heavy-hitters and plaintiffs who were committed to taking on the Trump Administration in federal court.  Cortes Romero and his colleagues took the fight all the way to the highest court in the land and successfully defended DACA.  In the process, he became the first undocumented person to help argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.  Now, Luis Cortes Romero is the subject of a new documentary, called “From Here/From There (De Aquí/De Allá)”, which premieres on the PBS series VOCES tomorrow, Tuesday, July 9th.GUEST: Luis Cortes Romero RELATED LINKS:  ‘From Here/From There’ (De Aqui/de Alla): The Extraordinary Journey of Luis Cortes Romero – People's World  Luis Cortes-Romero, a lawyer and DACA recipient, on his team's Supreme Court victory. Small Step Could Bring Big Relief to Young Undocumented Immigrants Biden Gives Legal Protections to Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens - The New York Times  Trump says foreigners who graduate from US colleges should get green cards | Reuters See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside is revisiting a few of our favorite stories this holiday week, and today, we’re taking an architectural tour of Seattle.  First stop, the backstory behind Capitol Hill’s iconic Volunteer Park Reservoir – which isn’t just a pretty pool, but an emergency stopgap.  Then, the often-overlooked story of legendary architect Minoru Yamasaki as told by his granddaughter, Katie Yamasaki, author of "Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather's American Journey." And finally, we’ll visit a Seattle secret garden and fall in love with the backstory that made it possible.  Guests: Jennifer Ott, chair of the Volunteer Park Trust Alex Chen, director of drinking water at Seattle Public Utilities Katie Yamasaki, author of "Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather's American Journey." Ben Streissguth, caretaker of Streissguth Garden Relevant Links:  KUOW: Why is there a reservoir in Volunteer Park? KUOW: Serenity, surprise, and delight: sharing the legacy of architect Minoru Yamasaki KUOW: The love story that grew Seattle's 'secret garden' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Soundside team is on a break this week for the 4th of July holiday, so we’re revisiting some of our favorite segments of the year. First up, when Seattle writer and illustrator Tessa Hulls started drafting the story of her grandmother’s life, she wanted to take on the role of neutral narrator, but that didn't last long. We’ll hear about her graphic novel, Feeding Ghosts, and the complicated family history she unraveled.  And then, we'll speak with the director of a documentary about renowned translator Bill Porter aka Red Pine. Guests: Tessa Hulls, author of Feeding Ghosts Ward Serrill, filmmaker behind Dancing with the Dead Bill Porter, translator and author Relevant Links KUOW: In 'Feeding Ghosts,' author, illustrator Tessa Hull recounts a healing journey across generations KUOW: A Port Townsend man went searching for hermits. Now he's a celebrity in China See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Soundside team is taking some time off this 4th of July week; some of us are on vacation, and others are working on upcoming shows.  We’re going to revisit some of our favorite segments, and the hardworking producers who make Soundside, will be making the picks. Producer Noel Gasca's picks: Lily Gladstone chronicles Blackfeet Nation's reunion with buffalo in new SIFF documentary In 'Thunder Song,' a Coast Salish punk creates her own form of medicine Guests: Lily Gladstone, Oscar nominee and executive producer of Bring Them Home Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe, author of "Thunder Song: Essays" and “Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For months, one creature of the night has been drawing the fascination and exasperation of city leaders, police officers, and residents of one of Seattle’s trendiest neighborhoods. Some call him The Belltown Hellcat. Maybe you’ve caught a glimpse of his souped-up 2023 Dodge Charger Hellcat zipping by, or the car’s revving and backfiring has kept you from getting a decent night of sleep. Or you could be one of his roughly 760 thousand Instagram followers – watching as he posts clips of his late night or early morning drives - going upwards of 100 miles per hour. Needless to say, city officials and police are not pleased. And requests of him to quiet down - have been ignored. Since March, Hudson has been hit with two charges of reckless driving. And last week, a Seattle Municipal Court Judge fined him over $83 thousand dollars for not removing the noise-enhancing modifications that violate the city’s noise laws. Seattle Times reporter Paige Cornwell joins Soundside host Libby Denkmann to share an update on how the Hellcat ended up in hot water. Guests: Paige Cornwell - Reporter for The Seattle Times See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to Presidential elections, Washington state's electoral votes are about as blue as you can get. But there are still big stakes here when it comes to how national political conversations affect local races. A recent analysis from the Cook Political Report says that the 2024 Washington gubernatorial race is shaping up to be competitive, even though a Republican hasn't been governor since the 1985. While it may be assumed Democrats will get the votes they need to clinch the governor's mansion in Olympia, that doesn't mean voters are enthusiastic about democratic candidates, or the party's platform. Soundside host Libby Denkmann caught up with KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone about his trip to the Washington state Democratic convention, where he talked to delegates about what it'll take for the party's messaging to land with voters.  Guests:  Scott Greenstone - KUOW politics reporter Michael Kazin - Historian and professor at Georgetown University, author of "What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party." Relevant Links: KUOW - WA Democratic Party will send ceasefire letters to Biden, party leadership See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For weeks, Seattle Public Schools families have been waiting for news about school closures. In May, the district announced plans to close 20 elementary schools to shore up its budget.And that left parents, and students, wondering if their local school was on the chopping block. Last night was supposed to be the night they would learn which schools will close, but they’ll have to wait just a little longer to find out. Guest: Sami West, KUOW education reporter Relevant Links: KUOW: Families won't know which Seattle schools may close until fall KUOW: Will closing schools really balance the budget for Seattle Public Schools? Parents have their doubts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a four year hiatus, the reality television show “Cops” is returning to Spokane County. If you had a TV anytime in the last few decades, you know the show: shaky cameras following police busting drug deals, stopping thefts, chasing down the “bad boys”. Paramount canceled Cops in 2020, amid the George Floyd protests.  But it didn’t take long for the show to return. ‘Cops’ began airing again in 2021 as part of Fox Nation -- Fox’s streaming service.  Now, after four years away from the limelight, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels says now is the time to start filming again.   Guests: Nick Gibson - county reporter for the Spokesman Review Sean Campbell - independent investigative journalist and contributing reporter with the Garrison Project. An independent, nonpartisan organization addressing the crisis of mass incarceration and policing   Relevant Links: Spokesman Review: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/18/resurrected-reality-tv-series-cops-to-return-to-sp/  Slate:  https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/11/reality-tv-cops-on-patrol-live-pd.html  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.