Soundside

Something interesting happened – or rather, didn’t happen – last week at a Seattle City Council committee meeting.  There was supposed to be a vote on member appointments to the Seattle Renters’ Commission. That commission has seats for 15 members but currently only has five.  The vote didn’t happen. That’s because Council President Sara Nelson and Councilmember Rob Saka failed to attend, leaving the committee shy of its three-member quorum.  That sparked a lot of outrage, including from Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, who had this to say: “This isn’t a committee meeting any more. This is just a community meeting. It is council members’ chartered responsibility to be at these meetings. This is literally our job, so I find it deeply frustrating that people took time to leave their jobs in the middle of the day, yet not every member of the committee could show up to do theirs.” Many people have criticized the council members’ absence – and some are asking whether political motivations were involved. Soundside sat down with Seattle Times reporter David Kroman, and Seattle Renters' Commission Interim Co-Chair Kate Rubin to discuss. GUESTS: David Kroman - Seattle Times City Hall Reporter Kate Rubin - Interim Co-Chair, Seattle Renters' Commission RELATED LINKS: Seattle City Council members stymie appointments to renters commission Housing & Human Services community discussion Seattle Renters' Commission 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.

New research published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology documents multiple cases of wild orcas across different oceans – apparently trying to share their prey with humans.  KUOW's Gabriel Spitzer talked with Jared Towers about this research. Towers is the executive director of Bay Cetology, a team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia. He’s one of the authors of the study.  Links These orcas have been trying to feed people, new research shows - The Seattle TimesOrcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why? - CNNThank 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.

Soundside Producer Jason Burrows here... Libby Denkmann is ON VACATION, and speaking of enriching one's life and existence by engaging in fulfilling activities outside of the work environment, here's the big list of all the cool stuff you can do this weekend: LINKS: Seafair Torchlight Run 2025 Seafair Torchlight Parade 2025 Bite of Seattle Children's Film Festival Seattle 2025 Renton River Days Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show  Front Street Arts Festival | Jansen Art Center Timber! Outdoor Music Festival Emerald City Comedy Club - Ron Funches Seattle Scottish Highland Games 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.

Change is coming to our cryptocurrency market. Last Friday, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act, the country’s first major cryptocurrency law.  It will create a regulatory framework for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency that’s value is tied to assets like the U.S. dollar. Supporters say the bill will modernize our financial system, but others say the legislation won’t do enough to protect consumers.  Here in Washington, crypto has a… mixed reputation. Last month Spokane’s city council voted to ban crypto ATMs from within city limits. And, in rural Washington, cryptomining operations have led to concerns about environmental impact and energy costs. But, crypto also has supporters in our tech hub state. And the digital funds have played a part in some of our elections – like last year, when a crypto PAC gave close to $1.5 million for ads supporting Democratic State Senator Emily Randall.  So, what does this new regulation mean for Washington state? Guest: Brady Dale, a cryptocurrency reporter at Axios. Related stories: Why PNW officials are only now deciding crypto mining regulation - The Seattle Times 2 Democrats, 1 Republican face off in competitive WA 6th District race - 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.

The Seattle School Board is extending the search for a new superintendent, past the original deadline to hire someone by the fall. That means the district will not have a permanent leader when its roughly 50,000 students come back in the fall.  We review why the school board wants more time for the search, and what that delay means for students, teachers and parents.  Editor's Note: KUOW incorrectly stated that former Seattle School Board director Vivian Song represented District 2. She represented District 4. Additionally, Song claims the district failed to file for a special election, which could’ve allowed her to continue legally serving. (The district refused to comment on the issue of her residency and whether it failed to file for a special election.) Guest Sami West, online editor/reporter, KUOW Links When will Seattle Public Schools get its next superintendent? Not this fall - 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.

Last week, well-known labor organizer Alfredo Juarez Zeferino – nicknamed Lelo – announced he would “voluntarily depart” after being held for months in Tacoma’s ICE processing center. KUOW Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez was there when Zeferino’s lawyer told supporters outside the ICE facility what Lelo had decided. Guest: KUOW Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez Related stories: WA farm labor organizer ends his deportation fight after 4 months in ICE detention - KUOW Union farmworker organizer 'Lelo' denied bond to leave Tacoma ICE lockup - 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.

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from Joe Mallahan, a former T Mobile executive and candidate for mayor in 2009.  Guest: Joe Mallahan, candidate for Seattle Mayor Links: Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone 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 war in Ukraine is causing tremendous and likely lasting psychological damage to generations of its young people. One of those traumas is caused by what’s tantamount to kidnapping by the Russian government. According to a new report by the think tank GlobSec, there have been nearly 20,000 (19,546) cases of what it calls “forcibly transferred or deported children.” These children are taken from their homes and placed in camps or with Russian families. I’m talking with two people who are associated with the report:    Eric Trupin is a psychologist and a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He wrote the forward for the report, which is titled “Stolen Generations: a systemic violation of Ukraine’s Future.”  For the last two years, Dr. Trupin also trained mental health providers in Ukraine in how to use poetry and other techniques to help young people process emotions and cope with intense trauma.  It’s a project that was created originally as a way to help rehabilitate young incarcerated people in Seattle. Guest: Eric Trupin is a psychologist and a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine Iuliia Osmolovska is Head of the GLOBSEC Kyiv Office Related stories: Stolen Generation a Systematic Violation of Ukraine’s Future - Globsec 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.

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from current Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.  Guest: Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle Links: Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone   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.

All this week, Soundside is interviewing the most competitive candidates for Seattle Mayor ahead of the August 5th primary election. Today, we hear from Katie Wilson, the co-founder and executive director of the Transit Rider's Union.  Guest: Katie Wilson, candidate for Seattle Mayor Links: Sound Politics: Bruce Harrell vs. Everyone 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.