Soundside

More than 500 law firms across the United States have signed a legal brief supporting Perkins Coie in a fight against President Trump. The Seattle-based law firm was targeted last month by the Trump Administration with a sweeping Executive Order. The order directs the federal government, in almost all cases, to not hire Perkins Coie or use contractors associated with the firm.  This is just one of the law firms that has recently been targeted by Trump, mostly due to past actions or associations that the President disagrees with.  And not all firms are fighting back.  Guest: Defense attorney and Serious Trouble co-host Ken White Related Links:  Inside the Law Firm That Decided to Fight Back Against Trump’s Attack Judge Halts Trump Order Targeting Law Firm Perkins Coie 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.

“Patient A,” as she is identified in court documents, artificially conceived a child at the University of California San Francisco Center for Reproductive Health.  She had carefully selected the sperm donor – it was the same one used for her other child.  But she later found out through a genetic database and a private investigator that the doctor who oversaw the procedure, Christopher Herndon, had allegedly used his own sperm in the insemination.  By the time "Patient A" learned what he had done, Herndon was practicing in Seattle and would continue to practice for five months after Patient A filed a complaint with the state medical commission.  The case highlights the complicated balance between patients rights and due process for doctors.  Guest: Katie Campbell, KUOW editor and reporter Relevant Links: KUOW - A Seattle doctor was investigated for fertility fraud. The case highlights tension between patient, physician rights See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago, Washington found itself at the leading edge of a once-in-a-century pandemic. The rapid spread of COVID, and the lockdowns that followed, shaped our communities, our health and our work for years to come. In this hour long special, we reflect on how the pandemic changed our region and how its effects still show up in our every day lives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The price of eggs is the talk of the town, and has been, for months. Earlier this year, a dozen eggs could cost you up to eight dollars a carton. Today, you can find them for cheaper. However, farmers continue to deal with the leading cause of that high price tag: the avian flu. To get a local perspective on the disease and the strain it’s putting on egg production, we reached out to a few Washington state poultry farmers.  Guests: Jennie Watkins, owner of Ananda Hills Farm & Fibers John Bellow, owner of SpringRain Farm & Orchard   Related Links:  Bird flu is taking a massive toll on wild animals, researchers find Bird flu kills sandhill cranes in northern Indiana Bird flu Q&A: What to know to help protect yourself and your pets   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.

Amazon is taking a crack at satellite internet.  On Wednesday, the Seattle based tech company plans to launch the first 27 satellites of Project Kuiper. The company bills this as the start of a “constellation” of satellites providing internet all over the world.  In all, it plans to launch more than 3,000 satellites by 2029.  Amazon is trying to take market share from Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has dominated the satellite internet industry since it came online in 2019. Guest: Jonathan O’Callaghan - Science journalist who covers space for Scientific American, NYT, the BBC, and Nature. Relevant Links: MIT Technology Review: Amazon is about to go head to head with SpaceX in a battle for satellite internet dominance GeekWire: Amazon and ULA get set to launch batches of satellites for Project Kuiper network SciAm: The Risky Rush for Mega Constellations SciAm: The FCC’s Approval of SpaceX’s Starlink Mega Constellation May Have Been Unlawful   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.

Troublemakers is one of the groups behind #TeslaTakedown, an escalating campaign of peaceful protests outside Tesla dealerships across the country. They’re targeting Musk as his Department of Government Efficiency continues to slash federal jobs and restructure agencies, purportedly in an effort to root out waste, fraud and abuse.  The peaceful activism, along with scattered incidents of vandalism against Tesla dealerships and cars, appears to be making a dent in the finances of the wealthiest man on earth. Musk has publicly lashed out against these protests, claiming without evidence that wealthy bad actors are paying people to show up.  Valerie Costa, a Seattle-based co-founder of Troublemakers, is familiar with these allegations. Last month, Musk claimed on his platform X that Costa’s group was funded by the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue.  The next day he linked to an interview with her and simply stated, “Costa is committing crimes.” This has upended her life but it hasn’t deterred her activism. Guest: Valerie Costa Related Links: A Tesla protester targeted by Elon Musk speaks out: 'I have to protect myself' 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 Trump Administration is poised to slap worldwide tariffs on friend and foe alike…. Sending Wall Street reeling today. And the president’s crackdown on unauthorized immigration has arrived in Washington, with the first big ICE raid of a workplace in our state in Bellingham.  There’s plenty of news out of D.C. hitting home for Western Washington, and joining Soundside host Libby Denkmann the view from congress is Pramila Jayapal. She represents WA’s 7th congressional District, including most of Seattle. GUEST: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA 7th District) RELATED LINK:  Immigration officials raid Bellingham roofing company, arresting 37 | 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.

Seattle has tried, and is still actively trying, many different approaches to addiction treatment: law enforcement diversion programs, housing first, medication assisted treatment, drug court, outreach work, the list goes on. Now, the city has added another attempt to that list by piloting a new program that aims to get people into treatment faster by expanding access to private rehabs. Guest: David Kroman, Seattle Times city hall reporter Related stories: Seattle pilot program expands access to private substance use treatment - 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.

50 years ago, on Friday, April 4th 1975, two guys from Seattle launched a software company in a  strip mall in Albuquerque NM.. That business would soon relocate to Redmond, Washington… and those Lakeside kids, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, did all right. The Windows operating system would go on to dominate the personal computer industry.  Today, Microsoft is one of the most profitable companies in the world. And its presence laid the groundwork for the Puget Sound region as a hub for engineering and technical talent. The path to where we are now had some bumps: Antitrust problems, and product flops. But after 5 decades the company endures, and thrives – as one of the biggest players in the emerging AI space.  Holding onto that status, and figuring out the next big thing in the tech world, isn’t easy. In light of the big 50-milestone, KUOW labor and economy reporter Monica Nickelsburg recently sat down with Microsoft’s vice chair and president Brad Smith to discuss the past, and the future, of the company.Guest: Monica Nickelsburg, KUOW labor and economy reporter and co-host of the Booming podcast Related Links: Booming - KUOW Tax the rich? Not so fast, say Microsoft, other Washington state businesses - KUOW Microsoft turns 50: A look back at everything from the Altair to the Zune - 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.

You’ve maybe heard that Washington state’s operating budget has a big hole… in the 12 to 15 billion dollar range? Well, that’s not the only fiscal crater lawmakers are trying to fill. The transportation budget is underfunded by around $1 billion dollars right now, with a bigger deficit projected down the road, if nothing changes. Lawmakers say that would put the brakes on a lot of big projects, including maintenance and highway construction on I-5 and I-90. A blueprint to fill the budget gap passed the state Senate over the weekend.  The proposal would increase the gas tax by 6 cents.  There are also a bevy of smaller taxes and fees on the table: they could affect you if you ride ferries, drive on 520, go to big concerts, and much more. Guest: Senator Marko Liias, represents Washington’s 21st legislative district and is chair of the Senate Transportation Committee Links: WA State Standard: WA state Senate OKs gas tax hike and budget built on billions of new taxes Seattle Times: WA transportation budget lays out options: All cuts or new taxes, fees    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.