Soundside

For people addicted to fentanyl, the desire to quit is often overshadowed by the fear of withdrawal. Incredible nerve pain, diarrhea, chills, vomiting. It’s been likened to the worst flu you’ve ever experienced.  Buprenorphine, the medication often used to aid in easing addiction, can trigger withdrawal symptoms, making it tough for patients to continue treatment.  Here in Seattle, Downtown Emergency Service Center, or DESC, has been trying a new method of administering buprenorphine to ease treatment and curb cravings -- and it’s showing some promising results.  Guests: Jeremy Hoog, senior nurse manager at DESC's Opioid Recovery and Care Access. Carson Bell is a care navigator at DESC. Related Links:  Substance Use Disorder Treatment - DESC Seattle nonprofit rolling out potential ‘game changer’ for fentanyl addiction | The 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.

A new law waiting to be signed by the governor would give you more options when your technology breaks. House Bill 1483 establishes a “right to repair” for consumer electronics, including tech like phones, laptops, and home appliances. Its partner bill in the Senate (SB 5680) also establishes the right to repair electric wheelchairs. This is part of a larger, nationwide movement to create more accessible technology. If the governor signs these bills into law, Washington will be the seventh state to have a right to repair on the books.  But, what exactly will this mean for Washingtonians? And how could this change things when your phone next takes a dive into Lake Washington? Guests: Representative Mia Gregerson was the lead sponsor of House Bill 1483. She represents Washington’s 33rd district, which includes Burien, Normandy Park, Seatac, Des Moines, and parts of Renton Amanda Miller, Executive Director of South King Tool Library Related Links: Repair Economy Washington 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 tech companies began announcing advanced artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, there was widespread enthusiasm. AI was going to make mundane jobs more efficient; it was going to reshape entire industries and creative processes; and it was going to free up time for humans to do things that were, well, more human – things like creating art.  But in the last few years, it’s been artists themselves raising the alarm around automation. Some see AI as a cool new tool, or another color on the palette; others argue it’s an existential threat to industries that were already struggling to stay afloat.  For local theater director Ryan Guzzo Purcell, the bleeding edge of AI in art is something we can’t approach from an either/or point of view. His latest production with The Feast is a reinterpretation of “The Adding Machine,” a 100 year old play about automation by playwright Elmer Rice. A new version of the play at Seattle University’s Lee Performing Arts Center updates that notion for modern times, leaning into the question of dealing with automation by incorporating AI at practically every level: the stage design, the production – even the performances.  Soundside producer Alec Cowan spoke with Purcell to learn more about the intersection of technology and stagecraft after attending a showing last October. GUEST: Ryan Guzzo Purcell, artistic director at The Feast, a Seattle theater company, and director of "The Adding Machine: A Cyborg Morality Play." RELATED LINKS:  What's Next | The Feast (the-feast.org) The Adding Machine: A Cyborg Morality Play - Seattle University How Seattle theater company The Feast’s play using AI turned out | The Seattle Times KUOW - Artists vs. AI: where innovation meets unwelcome imitation 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.

Today marks the 100th day of Donald Trump’s presidency. How about some more numbers: Since taking office, the President has signed more than 140 executive orders, pushing major policy shifts on issues from  immigration, to climate policy, and DEI in schools and workplaces . As of Monday, court rulings have blocked or paused Trump policies 128 times, according to the New York Times. The administration enacted high tariffs on around 60 countries before walking that back and going with a much lower rate on most countries – with 1 major exception: China. Under Trump, immigration authorities have used a 1798 law designed for wartime to deport people accused of being gang members without hearings. Even with these aggressive tactics, experts are skeptical that the administration is on track to expel 1 million people a year, as Trump promised.  And here’s one more number: 0. That’s the branches of government that Democrats control. They’ve been on the sidelines during this rapid and expansive change to the federal government.  Guest: Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01)   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.

Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall has headed up the King County Sheriff’s Department since 2022.  The King County Sheriff’s Department serves unincorporated King County and 12 contract cities, in addition to policing King County Metro buses and Sound Transit trains. Since she took over the role, overall crime numbers have been trending in a positive direction – felony referrals were down by a quarter in 2024 compared to 2019.  And new data from the King County Prosecutor’s office released this morning says that in the first quarter of 2025, the county saw the lowest number of shots fired incidents since 2021.But Sheriff Cole-Tindall has been sounding the alarm about staffing challenges as King County is facing down a budget shortfall of at least $150 million dollars. Proposed cuts to the sheriff’s department budget total more than 30 million dollars over the next two years.  Sheriff Cole-Tindall joined Soundside host Libby Denkmann in-studio today to discuss these issues, and to answer listener questions on public safety, immigration enforcement, homelessness response and more. GUEST: King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall RELATED STORIES: Early 2025 data shows crime dropping in Seattle - Axios King County Sheriff's Office reduces staffing amid budget constraints - KOMO King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall reaffirms department’s commitment to immigrant rights - b-town blog King County Sheriff’s lawsuit over Burien camping ban thrown out by federal judge - 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.

The debate over how to address homelessness in Spokane continues to simmer after a decision this month from Washington’s Supreme Court. The ruling struck down Proposition 1, a camping ban introduced by a citizen-led initiative that was overwhelmingly passed by Spokane voters in 2023.  The court’s decision wasn’t based on the merits of the camping ban, but rather on whether the citizens of Spokane had the power to take such action in the first place.  Now, the legal ripples of this decision are stirring up fierce emotions over regulating homelessness in Spokane, and are raising questions over how much say citizens can have in local policy at large. Guests: Emry Dinman, city hall reporter for the Spokesman Review.  Related Links:  Homeless camping ban struck down by state Supreme Court Spokane City Council declines to reinstate Prop 1 after state Supreme Court strikes it down 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.

Companies have increasingly shifted the responsibility of saving for  retirement onto workers. Pension plans have mostly disappeared from the private sector, in favor of 401k style plans. For example, the Boeing Machinist union tried unsuccessfully get their pension plan reinstated during last year’s strike. For most public employees, including Washington state workers, though, Pensions are still an option. But not all public pensions are created equal. Some allow workers to potentially increase their pension checks by logging a lot of overtime in their highest paid years. The result is a big ongoing cost to the state of Washington. Seattle Times data reporter Manuel Villa combed through 20 years of payroll data on this practice by City of Seattle workers: specifically police and firefighters.  GUEST: Manuel Villa - Seattle Times data reporter on the investigations team RELATED LINKS: Inflated Seattle public pensions for retirees cost tens of millions How WA public pensions work: retirement funding, risks, ‘spiking’ Try our WA public pension ‘spiking’ calculator | The 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.

Do you ever wonder why you turn to Google so often to search for a recipe or a news article or how to properly use a semicolon?  If you ask Alphabet, Google’s parent company, they’ll tell you it’s because they just have the best results.  The Department of Justice has a different take: it filed an antitrust case against the company in 2020 accusing Google of using its power as the pre eminent online search engine to stifle competition.  The government won last year, when a federal judge ruled against Google. This week, both the company and the D-O-J have returned to court to argue for what they believe the remedy should be for these monopolistic practices.  Depending on what’s decided in a D.C. courthouse, there could be big changes in store for one of tech’s biggest juggernauts.  Guest:  Douglas Ross, professor of law at the University of Washington Relevant Links: New York Times: U.S. Asks Judge to Break Up Google   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.

Have you been outside this week? It’s GORGEOUS.  If you need a few more excuses to go out & do things, then you’re in luck. We’ve got Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows here with one or two or three more reasons to leave your house LINKS: Seattle/King County Clinic - Seattle Center Crescendo: A Symphonic Celebration of Washington Landscapes Seattle Independent Bookstore Day Jet City Roller Derby vs RCRD's Grave Danger PBR Unleash the Beast | Tacoma Dome Run Like the Wind Running Festival Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Washington State Apple Blossom Festival 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.

Vauhini Vara’s new essay collection opens with a heart to heart with ChatGPT.  In her prompt, she asks the program to give her feedback on a few chapters of her upcoming book.  “I’m nervous,” she tells it.  “That’s completely understandable,” it responds with a cheery exclamation point. “Sharing your writing can feel really personal, but I’m here to provide a supportive and constructive perspective. Take your time, and whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here to discuss it with you.”  So begins a high tech odyssey through old Google searches, Amazon product reviews, social media profiles and experiments with artificial intelligence. Along the way, Vara explores the technology that came of age alongside her, including her teenage years on Mercer Island and college experience at Stanford, and how her relationship with it has changed over time.  The book is part-memoir, part critique of how tech companies have positioned their products as “collaborators,” or even companions, in our lives. Every couple chapters, Vara invites the large language model to respond to her writing. It’s just one of the ways she breaks form in the book.  It’s called “SEARCHES: Selfhood in the Digital Age.” Vara will be speaking about the book with the University of Washington's Emily M. Bender at The Elliot Bay Book Company on Wed. April 23 at 7pm. Guests: Vauhini Vara, author Related Links:  Elliott Bay Book Company | Events 45368 Vauhini Vara 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.