Soundside

A growing body of research shows that cell phones inhibit learning and distract students in class. But should they be banned in schools? It’s a question that districts across Washington state are struggling with.  Last year State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal issued guidance that basically said… yes. It encouraged districts statewide to adopt policies that would restrict cell phone use by students.  But many districts have yet to adopt these kinds of uniform restrictions, leaving parents, students and teachers in the dark about how this issue will be handled. We speak with some of the lawmakers tangling with this and physician and documentarian who thinks this is a crisis we need to face head on.  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: State Rep. Stephanie McClintock, State Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, Dr. Delaney Ruston Relevant Links:  WA bill would limit cellphone use in schools Banned from school? Teens picture life without cellphones Screenagers documentary series Away For The Day See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Solomon might be a new name to you. But it’s time to get to know him if you live in Seattle. Because last month, he was appointed to fill the District 2 seat on the City Council.  He’s taking over from Tammy Morales, who stepped down in January - two years before the end of her term.  After five rounds of voting, Solomon beat out six other finalists for the seat. He will now represent an area spanning from the Chinatown-International District to Rainier Beach. Solomon has said that he won’t run for the District 2 position in this November’s election. So - why did he apply for this position? And what does he plan to do during his relatively short time in office? Guest:Interim District Two city Councilmember Mark Solomon Related Links: Seattle City Council taps SPD crime prevention coordinator to fill District 2 seat - 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.

Residents of Altadena, California are facing difficult choices in the wake of the devastating Eaton fire, which started just over a month ago in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles. Rebuild, or sell their properties to developers and leave the neighborhood?  Angela King is KUOW’s host of Morning Edition, and she grew up in Altadena..  She recently took a trip back to her hometown to take stock of the wildfire damage – and document the resiliency of the community. Check out Angela's full story here. GUEST: Angela King RELATED LINKS: Love letter from Altadena: KUOW host revisits hometown in wake of LA fires Grammy-nominated singer Aloe Blacc performs at event encouraging Eaton Fire victims not to sell - CBS Los Angeles First Altadena property with home destroyed by Eaton Fire hits market, sells within days - CBS Los Angeles Stevie Wonder “Smile Please” 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.

For over 50 years, the little theater at the corner of 50th & University Way has been showing movies to passionate filmgoers. And in that span, it’s changed owners, it was renamed, and for the past 20 years, has been the longest running completely volunteer run cinema in the country. But like all good things, the Grand Illusion’s time at its current location has come to an end. The owners announced back in 2023 that the site was for sale, and that they would not be extending the Grand Illusion’s lease beyond January 31st, 2025. But that didn’t deter either the volunteers OR patrons from selling out the final week of screenings, with some intrepid fans waiting in the rain for HOURS before the final screening of 1985’s RE-ANIMATOR on 35mm. And this isn’t the END of the Grand Illusion - the staff have been working hard to find a new location here in the U-District, and they’ve got a few events scheduled in partnership with the Northwest Film Forum and Central Cinema. Soundside Producer Jason Burrows headed down the street to the Grand Illusion to find out how folks were feeling about the closing of this particular chapter of the storied theater’s history… GUESTS: Brian Alter - Executive Director Richard Gilbert - General Manager Spencer Sundell - Lead Projectionist Trevor Brandt - Lead Programmer RELATED LINKS: The Grand Illusion is Moving Seattle’s Grand Illusion Cinema closing this winter, hopes to relocate - Seattle Times Seattle's Grand Illusion Cinema, indie film buff favorite, faces uncertain future following $2.3 million sale - KUOW Grand Illusion Cinema (@gicinema) • Instagram 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.

He just may be the most celebrated travel writer and show host of our time.  When he’s not touring the hidden gems of Europe, Rick Steves spends a lot of his days in Edmonds, his hometown since he was 12. Did you know he was in the Husky marching band in college?  Steves may not have known back then that he would dedicate his life to travel writing, but there were hints. One was a journal he kept when he made a life changing trip in his 20’s. That journal has become a new book titled “On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer.” And it came out this week. We’ve asked the travel guru, philanthropist and social activist to join us to discuss his career, his new book, and his view of geopolitics. GUEST: Rick Steves RELATED LINKS:  Istanbul to India by Bus The Rick Steves guide to life - Washington Post Book Tour Events: Feb. 24 at Village Books in Bellingham Feb. 25 at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park Feb. 26 at Town Hall Seattle 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.

U.S. foreign aid is in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. Workers at USAID woke up on Wednesday to an order putting nearly all personnel of the foreign assistance agency on administrative leave starting Friday. This follows a day-one executive order by the President to “reevaluate” foreign aid the United States sends so that it aligns with his “America First” agenda. Within the week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio put a stop-work order on all foreign aid. That was later amended to exempt “life-saving” assistance like food and medicine, but employees and contractors say it isn’t clear which programs qualify for waivers. It’s left organizations that provide services like HIV treatment, famine relief, and landmine removals scrambling to make sense of what comes next. However, there are vocal critics of the new administration’s foreign aid policy. Democratic lawmakers rallied at USAID headquarters on Tuesday and are questioning the legality of the plan. Guest:Congressman Adam Smith of Washington’s 9th District and ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee. Related links:Landmine removal group pauses work after foreign aid freeze 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After just a few years on the market, a new wave of GLP-1 drugs approved for weight loss have upended what we know about obesity. By now, these are household names: Mounjaro. Wegovy. Zepbound… and yes, Ozempic. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that one in 8 American adults reported trying a GLP-1 medication. “Body by Ozempic” has become a punchline on red carpets. Doctors and regulators have a strong body of evidence that GLP-1 drugs are remarkably effective at promoting weight loss and controlling diabetes.But new research looking at millions of patients in the VA medical system has suggested they may have surprising effects on a range of other medical conditions – from cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s to substance use disorder. The new data also found possible side effects that were not previously known.  Soundside spoke with Dr. David Cummings, professor of medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition at the University of Washington, about recent data dives into the widespread use of GLP-1 medications, and what those studies tell us about how we can rethink obesity.  Guests:  Dr. David Cummings, professor of medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition at the University of Washington. Related Links:  Sweeping review suggests weight-loss drugs’ effect on 175 conditions - The Washington Post End of the Line for BMI? Experts Propose New Obesity Definition - Newsweek Most people quit Ozempic within one year. Here's why. 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 Tuesday the Senate Finance Committee voted to move forward with Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services.  His nomination now heads to the Senate floor, where he’s expected to be confirmed.  As the secretary of the HHS, Kennedy would have oversight over 11 agencies including the FDA, the CDC and the National Institutes of Health. Kennedy has come under fire from both Democrats and Republicans for some of his controversial beliefs – the most contentious being his extensive history of anti-vaccine work and rhetoric. Kennedy has in particular focused on Gardasil, the HPV vaccine. A lawyer by trade, he has helped facilitate hundreds of potential lawsuits aimed at pharmaceutical company Merck, which manufactures the drug.  The vaccine is nearly 100% effective against cancers caused by the human papillomavirus – most notably cervical cancer.  Kennedy has criticized the vaccine, calling it ‘dangerous and defective’ and claiming it can ‘increase the risk of cervical cancer.’ Guest:  Dr. Linda Eckert, a professor in the University of Washington School of Medicine, Women's Health Division of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A leading expert in cervical cancer prevention, she's written a new book titled ENOUGH: Because We Can Stop Cervical Cancer.  Relevant Links: NYT: Committee Sends R.F.K. Jr.’s Health Secretary Nomination to Full Senate Associated Press: RFK Jr. kept asking to see the science that vaccines were safe. After he saw it, he dismissed it BBC: Fact-checking RFK Jr's views on health policy 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 United States is drastically retooling its foreign aid to meet a new presidential administration's “America First” goals. The State Department will reportedly absorb the foreign aid agency USAID, which is also a target of Elon Musk’s government efficiency agency, DOGE. Democrats say this move by the Trump Administration is illegal and unconstitutional and congress would need to act to make major changes to the agency. This is only the latest in a series of steps to claw back money Congress has approved to fund agencies helping people outside America’s borders.  Money for a diverse set of causes like HIV prevention, anti-narcotics training, and famine relief immediately stopped flowing after a stop work order was issued by the State Department.  Some of that work has since resumed after a temporary waiver was granted for life saving medical treatment, shelter and food assistance – but the abrupt shutdown had already disrupted many aid organizations ability to pay staff and continue operations.  And the stop work order is still in effect for most organizations, including here in the Pacific Northwest. Guest:  Crystal Oswald-Herold, program director at PeaceTrees Vietnam Relevant Links: NYT: U.S. Halt to Foreign Aid Cripples Programs Worldwide WaPo: Trump moves to wrest control of USAID as Musk says, ‘We’re shutting it down’ Slate: Why It’s A Huge Deal That Trump Is Trying to Shut Down USAIDSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The threat of a trade war against the United States' nearest neighbors is off for now. Last week President Donald Trump said he was placing a 25% tariff on goods from North American trading partners Mexico and Canada. In an executive order, Trump said he was using the United States’ economic leverage to push the countries into better border enforcement. He also said he was seeking to balance out a trade deficit. The announcement led to widespread anxiety and confusion across US borders. However, yesterday we learned that tariffs on Mexico have been paused for a month after negotiations with Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum, who activated 10,000 national guard members to the US border on Monday. In a last minute deal, Canada also announced their U.S. tariffs were pausing for 30 days after outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he was appointing a “fentanyl czar” to tackle drug trafficking. The saga has rankled the historic friendship between the two countries—one with which Washington has deep ties. Guests: Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute with Western Washington University based in Bellingham Joshua McNichols is a reporter here at KUOW and the co-host of “Booming,” a podcast about the local economy Related Links: Booming - An economy podcast from a city that (almost) never stops growing 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.