Soundside

It’s a story we can all relate to… Three generations in a car, headed to a family event. The parents are excited; their kid is not. And Grandma? She’s asleep in her wheelchair. In the short animated film “POW!”, this particular family is Native American, and they’re headed to a powwow, where Jake desperately searches for an outlet to charge his gaming device… as his parents try to get him to participate in the festivities… “POW!” is a funny, touching slice of life for young Native Americans. It will be screened both this weekend at the Tulalip Reservation, and next week at SIFF as part of the “Family Picture Show!” GUEST:  Filmmaker Joey Clift - Comedian, Emmy and Peabody nominated TV writer, director, as well as an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. RELATED LINKS: POW! Trailer Tulalip Reservation Screening SIFF "Family Picture Show" 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.

Over the last 10 years Washington has passed a bevy of climate laws aimed at reducing the state’s carbon emissions.  That includes a carbon auction, a ban on coal in the state’s energy mix, and a requirement that the state reach net zero emissions by 2045. But during that same period, energy production from renewable sources has actually declined slightly. Oregon has set its sights on net zero emissions by 2050. It, too, has seen sluggish growth in renewable energy.  Both states rely on the Bonneville Power Administration to move energy across the state.  A new investigation from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network, found that the Bonneville Power Administration's aging grid may be stymieing decarbonization efforts in the Northwest. 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. Guests: Monica Samayoa, climate reporter at OPB Tony Shick, investigative editor and reporter at OPB  Links: How the Pacific Northwest’s dream of green energy fell apartSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research has brought us a little closer to answering a key question about consciousness: How does the brain create the experience of self-awareness?  The problem was first posed by Aristotle, over 2000 years ago.  KUOW editor and longtime science journalist Gabriel Spitzer tells us more about that research and the Seattle scientist at the center of 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.

Founded in 1890 in the Central District, Bartell Drugs may be entering its final days.   Its parent company, the national pharmacy chain Rite Aid, exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last year, but continues to struggle financially. Now, the fewer than 30 Bartell Drugs and around 100 Rite Aids will be sold or closed forever. This continued hemorrhaging of retail pharmacy stores will likely be felt most acutely in lower-income neighborhoods. A 2022 UW study already put the number of Washingtonians with low-access to pharmacies at 1.2 million.  Guests: Alex Halverson, Seattle Times business reporter Dr. Dima Qato, professor at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy.  Links:  Why the new Rite Aid bankruptcy could kill Seattle’s Bartell Drugs Filling a prescription in the Seattle area? Put on comfortable shoes and be ready to wait Reforming Markets to Strengthen Independent Pharmacies 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’s youth prisons are facing a crisis of overcrowding. The state’s two medium and maximum security youth prisons – Green Hill School in Chehalis, and Echo Glenn Children’s Center in Snoqualmie – have both consistently met or surpassed their maximum capacity for residents in recent years. When the 2025 Washington legislative session began, lawmakers had lots of potential solutions. From custody transfers, to increased diversion programs, to early release petitions - lawmakers brought a bevy of bills attempting to fix overcrowding at  youth detention centers. But now, with the session at an end… some of those key bills have not passed. What happened, and where does it leave Washington’s youth detention centers? Guests: Jake Goldstein-Street, reporter with the Washington State Standard Dr. Eric Trupin, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington Medical School. He’s also a child psychologist who has worked with incarcerated youth for decades Related stories: No fixes on horizon for crowding crisis in WA’s youth prisons - Washington State Standard Washington lawmakers confront juvenile detention overcrowding crisis - 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.

On May 2nd, Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law a new requirement that clergy of all faiths become mandatory reporters of child abuse. It’s a move that’s especially controversial for the Catholic Church because of the sacrament of confession. Up until now, admitting to crimes during confession, in a private conversation with a priest, retained similar legal protections as attorney-client privilege. In a statement criticizing the new law, Seattle Archbishop Paul Etienne said the law violates the “seal of confession," and any priest who reports information received in confession “will be excommunicated from the Church.”   Guest: Dr. Russell Powell, the Father John Topel Endowed Scholar for Catholic Thought and Justice at the Seattle University School of Law.  Links:  Abuse survivors defend WA law that feds slam as ‘anti-Catholic’ Federal Courts: First Amendment and Religion ‘Excommunicated’: WA Archdiocese pushes back against mandatory reporting law, DOJ investigating 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.

Are men okay?  It’s a question sometimes asked in jest, but recent data has caused some experts to worry about American men and boys. Men are going to and graduating from four year colleges at lower rates than women. Men age 25-54 are participating in the workforce at a lower rate than ever before. And, data from 2023 suggests young men are spending significantly more time alone than they did in 2019. And this concern comes as influencers like the Tate brothers and Joe Rogan keep taking up space in the manosphere – a network of podcasters and influencers pushing a version of masculinity that many people consider toxic.   So how do you navigate healthy masculinity, and raising young men, in 2025? We talk with our expert panel about how to raise boys in 2025.  Guests: Don Cameron, executive director of Seattle CARES Mentoring Movement Jerad Koepp, Native student program specialist for North Thurston Public Schools, 2022’s Washington Teacher of the Year Keren Landman, independent reporter, former health reporter for Vox Related Links: Mentor sign up form for Seattle CARES, the next mentor trainings take place on May 31st and August 27th How to talk to boys so they grow into better men, a Vox article by reporter Keren Landman Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness. A 2023 Washington Post opinion piece on this topic, by Christine Emba  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.

Kevin Diers was an announcer and engineer here at KUOW. You could hear his work all over the station, behind shows like Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He had a big footprint in the radio and music scene here in Seattle, for many years: Kevin was a long time host of Metal Shop and Loud and Local at KISW. On KISW’s Instagram page, the band The Home Team wrote: "Kevin was the biggest supporter of local bands and music... He put us on when no one else would, and consistently uplifted the local scene with Loud & Local. He will be missed.” Kevin was also part of the team at DEFY wrestling, a Seattle-area pro-wrestling promoter where he hosted a DEFY podcast. Kevin was a gentle soul. He was kind and built community wherever he went. And he leaves a huge hole in our hearts. We miss you, Kevin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should Seattle city council members have to recuse themselves if a policy proposal would directly help or harm their self interests? That’s been the guidance here in Seattle for the last 40 years. But a new proposal from City Council member Cathy Moore could change that. The idea to change ethics rules for the council comes ahead of contentious debates related to tenant protections and eviction laws in the city.  And it’s set to go before the council’s governance committee today, Thursday May 8th. Guest: Seattle Times city hall reporter David Kroman Related stories: Seattle City Council to consider changing ethics code for votes - 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.

Thanks for checking out the Weekend Warmup - We have a LOT going on this weekend. First of all, Sunday is Mother's Day. Second of all, the Mariners are starting a home stand against the Blue Jays on Friday. Let's go! LINKS: Seattle Mariners Schedule USAF Band of the Golden West - Bellingham USAF Band of the Golden West - Mercer Island Seattle Beer Week 43rd Annual Beat the Bridge World Migratory Bird Day | Seward Park Audubon Center Penn Cove Water Festival  Pierogi Fest 2025 Seattle Art Book Fair  BonsaiFEST! | Pacific Bonsai Museum  SIFF 'n' Stitch: Mamma Mia! Sinners - SIFF Cinema Downtown NEXT WEEK: Never Turn Back Opening Party: Soul Train Revival | Museum of Pop Culture 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.