Soundside

Seattle is gearing up to host some big events this summer – from music festivals to early World Cup matches. The Sounders will host their first FIFA Club World Cup match on Sunday June 15 at Lumen Field. June is also Pride Month, with all kinds of LQBTQ+-focused celebrations planned throughout the city. It’s a time when law enforcement agencies are tasked with keeping people safe, and respecting free expression.  And that balance has gotten extra difficult in recent weeks here in Seattle, after duelling protests by queer demonstrators and their allies and fundamentalist Christian groups. So we wanted to invite the Seattle Police Department, and the city of Seattle on to talk about how they’re approaching public safety this summer.  And a note: this conversation was recorded on Friday, prior to this weekend’s protests in Los Angeles, and the mobilization of the National Guard. Guests: Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes Seattle Chief Public Safety Officer Natalie Walton-Anderson  Related stories: Cal Anderson protest: No charges (yet), Parks says nope to August, FBI threat, and ‘mostly silent’ vigil planned outside Seattle church - Capitol Hill Seattle Blog 8 more arrests at dueling protests, this time at Seattle City Hall - Seattle Times 14 indicted on charges of drug trafficking in Chinatown International District - 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.

ICE enforcement raids led to violent clashes between protestors and law enforcement in Los Angeles this weekend.  President Trump mobilized the National Guard in response. This was against the wishes of the state’s Governor, Gavin Newsom -- it’s the first time a President has done so since the 1960s.  Both Newsom and L.A. mayor Karen Bass have vocally criticized the move, with Newsom calling it an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.” Over 50 people were arrested this weekend. More protests are planned today.  It’s something we’re watching closely here in Seattle, a Democrat-led city in a heavily Blue state with its own history of showdowns with the Trump Administration.  Relevant Links: CalMatters: With troops and protests, Trump’s feud with California moves to the streets of LA CalMatters: Gavin Newsom asks Trump to withdraw troops from Los Angeles as protests intensify Guest: Nigel Duara, LA-based reporter for CalMatters   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.

President Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops in Los Angeles this weekend. Protests had broken out in response to aggressive local immigration enforcement activity.  California’s attorney general now says the state will sue the president over this.  But here in Washington, is the state prepared for widespread protests or presidential mobilization of the national guard? We spoke with Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, a Democrat, on Monday morning about those questions.  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.

If you’re not up for driving all the way to Astoria Oregon for the Goonies, and would rather stick closer to home this weekend, never fear - we’ve got you covered! Here with almost every event, festival, and concert happening this weekend is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows! LINKS: Steel Magic Northwest - "Here Comes the Sun" Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show - Tacoma Indigenous People Festival - Seattle Center Kent Nerd Party 2025 Duvall Days Festival SCOTTISH GATHERING - Blaine Maritime Gig Festival - Gig Harbor 2025 Anacortes Waterfront Festival Seattle Pride in the Park 2025 Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival Fiber Fusion Northwest - Monroe The Stranger's Burger Week 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.

Let’s talk foosball. You know, the table top game with the little soccer guys. Maybe you’re a hot shot at your local bar. You have a few tricks up your sleeve. And maybe they’ve even won you a couple beers over the years.  But we warn you: You are in an entirely different league from Spokane resident Lotus Leong-Chesbrough. She has won real money playing foosball. She’s been coy about saying how much, but it's at least in the six figures.  She’s also claimed two foosball world titles and, in 2018, was inducted into the Table Soccer Hall of Fame. Later this month she's headed to Spain for the World Cup. And she expects to win.  Guest:  Lotus Leong-Chesbrough Related Stories:  ‘The battle of the fittest on the table’: Two Spokane women to compete in foosball World Cup next month 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.     Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Vance was a Republican for 37 years. During that time he served as the chair for the Washington State Republican Party, a Metropolitan King County Councilmember and a state representative. But then Donald Trump descended down that golden escalator.  Vance left the GOP in 2017 as President Trump was reshaping the Party in his image. Since then Vance has considered himself in exile… flirting with independent candidates and openly supporting Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.  So it might come as a surprise that he is returning to the party and calling himself a Republican once again. This time, though, he’s part of a new group called Our Republican Legacy. They say they want to establish a big tent inside the Party to advance a more traditionally Republican agenda.  Guest: Chris Vance, a senior adviser for the group Our Republican Legacy Related Links: A rallying cry for a post-MAGA future from a Republican in exile Our Republican Legacy 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 month Pierce County resident Tuan Thanh Phan was deported. That wasn’t unexpected for Tuan or his family - he was planning on starting a new life in Vietnam after he was deported. His permanent residency was revoked in 2009, nearly ten years after he was convicted of first degree murder and second degree assault.  The surprise was where he went. He wasn’t going to Vietnam, his birth country. Instead, Tuan ended up on a flight to South Sudan. That was redirected to Djibouti. The flight was part of a push by the Trump administration to remove convicted visa holders from the U.S. – back to countries that aren’t their own.  Now Phan's wife is sounding the alarm - she hasn't heard from her husband since he was sent to Djbouti. Guest: KUOW Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez Related Stories: A Pierce County man expected to be deported to Vietnam. Instead, ICE routed him to South Sudan - 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.

In D.C. the president’s Big Beautiful Bill is facing a contentious fight in the Senate. Governor Ferguson recently signed over 400 bills into law.  But there was other bill related news in recent weeks and we went to see someone who has been right in the middle of it.  Alejandro Rico Guevara is one of the foremost researchers on hummingbird bills. He has spent years studying how hummingbirds use their beaks to feed and fight. But his latest research looked at how human actions seem to be driving a high-speed example of evolution in hummingbird bills.  Alejandro is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Washington, and he’s the co-author of a study published last month in Global Change Biology. It shows how hummingbird feeders have influenced the size and shape of hummingbird bills in a matter of decades. Guest: Alejandro Rico Guevara, Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Washington Relevant Links: NPR: Backyard feeders changed the shape of hummingbird beaks, scientists say Global Change Biology: Supplemental Feeding as a Driver of Population Expansion and Morphological Change in Anna's Hummingbird Smithsonian: California’s Hummingbirds Have Changed Their Beaks in Response to Backyard Feeders, Study Finds 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.

Cathy Moore is stepping down from the Seattle City Council. She announced the decision yesterday afternoon, citing health and personal reasons.  Moore has been in office for a year and a half, and leaves district 5 - which includes Greenwood, North Gate and Lake City - down an elected representative. Why has Moore decided to step down after such a short tenure, and what does it mean for Seattle’s city council? Guest: David Kroman, city hall reporter for the Seattle Times Related stories: Councilmember Moore to step down - Seattle City Council Blog Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore is stepping down - 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.

When Washington state legalized marijuana back in 2012, one of the big goals was to displace the black market, bring weed out of the shadows, and take the power away from dealers and traffickers.  But more than a decade later, the ILLEGAL weed industry is still thriving in Washington, and that’s taking a toll on LEGAL cannabis businesses.  Meanwhile, the SYSTEM for keeping track of legally produced weed is broken. That has raised concerns about diversion into the black market, as well as lost money, product safety, and more. Tim Gruver Wrote about the “fuzzy math of tracking dark weed” for The Washington Observer GUEST: Tim Gruver - Washington Observer RELATED LINK: The fuzzy math of tracing dark weed 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.