Soundside

At 38 years old, Girmay Zahilay is King County’s youngest-ever executive. He’s coming in after the long tenure of his predecessor Dow Constantine, who ran the county for nearly 16 years. Zahilay was sworn in early to replace the temporary acting executive who’s been in charge since Constantine stepped down in March. He says he’s ready to “completely change” the office. The King County Executive oversees all kinds of important services like the sheriff’s department, public health, transportation, public housing, and jails. So what will that change look like? And what could it mean for King County?   GUESTS: King County Executive, Girmay Zahilay   RELATED LINKS:  Sworn in early, Exec Zahilay is ready to shake up King County - 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.

On Wednesday morning, we spoke with the mayor of Auburn and the city manager in Carnation about flooding in their cities and what they expect to happen next. GUESTS: Nancy Backus, mayor of Auburn, WA Rhonda Ender, city manager, Carnation, WA RELATED LINKS:  ‘Catastrophic’ flooding expected in King, Snohomish, Skagit counties -The Seattle Times Western Washington faces 'catastrophic' flooding as two atmospheric rivers dump heavy rain - 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.

Washington, like the entire country, has been hit hard by fentanyl.  So far this year, King County has recorded more than 650 overdose deaths involving the synthetic opioid, which can be 50 times stronger than heroin.  650 is a devastating number but it’s actually down from a peak in 2023, when more than 1,000 people died from fentanyl-related overdoses in the county. The drop mirrors a downward trend that we’ve seen across the entire country…  But the crisis is still overwhelming many communities.  A biotech company called ARMR Sciences is hoping to solve at least one piece of this very complicated puzzle: Instead of reversing these overdoses, they want to stop them from happening in the first place... through a fentanyl vaccine.  GUESTS: Dr. Colin Haile, a research associate professor at the University of Houston and he’s also one of the co-founders of ARMR Sciences. RELATED LINKS:  A Fentanyl Vaccine Is About to Get Its First Major Test | WIRED Scientists Create a Vaccine Against Fentanyl 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.

For weeks, King County homelessness service providers have been staring down a majorly disruptive change to how they currently operate.  The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development said in November that it intended to redirect billions of dollars in grants that house homeless people. This was in line with President Trump’s rejection of “housing first,” the practice that aims to get people stabilized in long-term housing before addressing mental health issues or addiction. It's guided policy in this region and across the United States for decades.  The Trump Administration’s announcement put $65 million in federal grant money for King County in doubt. And it left local leaders scrambling. The county called providers together last week to discuss the change. Washington state and roughly 20 states sued, and later, so did King County and local homeless service providers. But yesterday, 90 minutes before a court hearing, HUD withdrew the new requirements around grants. Sounds like a rollercoaster, right? Providers in the area are breathing a sigh of relief. Though, the last-minute shift signifies the complicated task of planning homelessness response, one that relies on federal dollars, when massive changes are taking place in Washington, D.C.  GUEST: Kelly Kinnison, CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority RELATED LINKS KCRHA: Changes to Federal Funding will Increase Unsheltered Homelessness in King County Seattle Times: King County has 3 plans for Trump’s homelessness funding changes 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.

A disturbing image shared by Senator Patty Murray has been reverberating across the internet.  It shows a man’s torso, his right side covered in wounds - lacerations, scratch marks, bite marks - after he was mauled by an immigration agent’s canine. Blood splatters the sheets below him. The man, Wilmer Toledo-Martinez of Vancouver, Washington, was detained outside his home last month by federal agents.  Senator Murray and Wilmer’s family are calling for his release – and calling out the violent treatment he received at the hands of immigration officers. GUEST Olia Catala is Wilmer Toledo-Martinez’s attorney, and the owner of Catala Immigration PLLC RELATED LINKS Senator: ICE dog attack on WA man ‘should shock the conscience’ - Seattle Times Vancouver man speaks for first time since viral video of ICE arrest - OPB 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.

We could tell this next story with numbers. There is a lot of data.  But at its core: This is a story about Native American kids.  And how year after year, law enforcement and lawmakers in Olympia allow these children to be arrested and jailed at far higher rates than their white peers. Those experiences as children have lasting consequences well into adulthood.  State officials and lawmakers know there’s a problem. But advocates say they haven’t done enough to stop it.  GUEST Melanie Henshaw - Indigenous affairs reporter, InvestigateWest RELATED LINKS Native American children significantly more likely to be arrested, detained in Washington Native American kids less likely than others in WA to be offered second chance in juvenile court, data shows Most children charged as adults in Washington are youth of color 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 June 26th, 2020, and a group of protesters stands in the midst of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest. They’re talking to another group of people, including a city employee, about city sanitation workers getting access to the area. Towards the front of the group stands a 16 year old boy, wearing a grey baseball cap, a hoodie, and a surgical mask. He taps a protest organizer’s shoulder, so they’ll know he wants to speak. What you’re hearing is some of the last known footage of Antonio Mays Jr before he was shot and killed, just days later, in the CHOP zone.  That death contributed to the end of the Occupied Protest in 2020. The video - was livestreamed by Omari Salisbury of Converge Media, and remained on Youtube all these years. The fact that it shows Antonio was only recently rediscovered, shortly before a civil trial that could shed more light on Antonio’s death . That civil trial, stemming from a lawsuit the teen’s father filed against the City of Seattle, is set to begin this week. Guests: Omari Salisbury, founder of Converge Media Will James, KUOW reporter and producer Relevant Links: Converge Media: Reflections on the Rediscovered Dignity of Antonio Mays Jr. Converge Media: The Tape: Rediscovering Humanity in the Shadow of CHOP KUOW: Victim of unsolved Seattle CHOP killing featured in newly unearthed video   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 Monday on Soundside we catch you up on the top stories that are fascinating right now – and what they say about the Pacific Northwest.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 city hall reporter David Kroman TODAY'S TOPICS: ICE K-9 Attack Senator: ICE dog attack on WA man ‘should shock the conscience’ - Seattle Times Energy troubles loom large As WA’s coal ban looms, Montana wind fills only some of the energy gap - Seattle Times Frank Gehry Dies Frank Gehry, Titan of Architecture, Is Dead at 96 - NYT FIFA World Cup schedule announced 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule: Seattle matches’ times, matchups unveiled - 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.

GLP-1 drugs that are commonly used to treat diabetes and obesity, like Ozempic and Wegovy – are in big demand. And they’re going to be more affordable.  The Trump administration recently negotiated deals to lower the prices of these drugs. It seems like some details still need to be ironed out….  but from the looks of it, many Americans who use Medicare will be able to access GLP-1s at a fraction of their original cost. According to one of the deals, some Medicare patients will be able to get GLP-1s for a $50 copay. So it’s safe to assume as costs come down, these drugs are only going to get even more popular…. And we want to know more about them. In this latest “ask a doctor” segment, we’re asking two physicians to answer all of our burning questions.  GUESTS: Dr. Scott Hagan, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who studies obesity. Dr. Mara Gordon, a family physician based in Philadelphia. She also writes about the culture of medicine and authors the “Real Talk With a Doc” column for NPR. RELATED LINKS:  Medicare negotiated lower prices for 15 drugs, including 71% off Ozempic and Wegovy : Shots - Health News : NPR Ozempic is making me rethink how to be a body-positive doctor : Shots - Health News : 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.

It’s already the first weekend of December, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some holiday cheer to lighten up these cold, rainy days. Thankfully, like Santa soaring past with his reindeer, here with all the stuff that’s worth doing this weekend is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!! LINKS:  Year in Review 2025 | Town Hall Seattle WTO/99 - Northwest Film Forum 21st Annual Urban Craft Uprising Winter Show Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition | PMSC-FB KRAMPUS BREMERTON Seattle SantaCon Scintillating sci-fi striptease Kraken vs Detroit - Sat 12/6 Kraken vs Minnesota - Mon 12/8 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.