Soundside

Former Auburn police officer Jeffrey Nelson has been sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison. The decision was handed down Thursday, after Nelson was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree assault for the killing of 26 year old Jesse Sarey. And this represents a milestone: Nelson is the first Washington police officer to be charged and convicted for the use of deadly force while on duty since the passage of the law enforcement reform ballot measure, Initiative 940. Guest: Amy Radil, KUOW reporter covering politics, government, and law enforcement Relevant Links: Ex-Auburn cop gets nearly 17 years in prison for 2019 murder of Jesse Sarey - KUOW Auburn police officer’s murder trial tests new state law for police misconduct - 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.

What does it take to run a thriving business in Washington? Lately, for a number of business owners around the Sound , the answer seems to be “too much.” January has seen the closure of a number of long time Black owned businesses in the Seattle area – including Jackson’s Catfish Corner and Flowers Just-4-U in Seattle’s Central District, Plum Bistro in Capitol Hill, La Familia in Des Moines, and Nate Jackson’s Super Funny Comedy Club in Tacoma.  When faced with a rising number of Black-owned businesses saying “we can’t do this anymore” Converge Media didn’t just stand by. They launched a campaign to turn things around. This month, the local media organization announced a push to support Black businesses across the Sound. Converge Media's Besa Gordan tells us about the effort and the struggles she's hearing from Black business owners. Guest: Besa Gordon, the host of Back2Besa on Fox13 and FOX Soul/Personality and Digital Manager with Converge Media Related Links: Support Black Businesses - Converge Media Flora & Fauna: A Pioneer Square Gem Struggles Amidst Economic Downturn Ashanti Mayfield and Creamy Cone Cafe at a Crossroads Besa's recs: Intentionalist Buy Black Card Umami Kushi - Yuzu Kosho | Curry Bread | Seattle Yakitori Flora + Fauna Moe Vegan Seattle Best 100% Vegan Soul Food Fat's Chicken and Waffles | Southern Food | Seattle, WA, USA 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 lawmakers are once again considering legislation to cap rent increases across the state. This year’s iteration would limit rent hikes to 7 percent over a 12 month period – with exemptions like new construction.  A similar bill was introduced last year, it died in committee in the senate. Since then, a couple of those “no” votes have left office. And supporters say that this year is the time to finally pass a rent increase cap into law. But Republicans and trade groups argue that this legislation would deter construction and make the housing shortage worse. Guests: Senator Emily Alvarado, represents Washington's 34th Legislative District and introduced the rent stabilization bill (HB 1217) Greg Cerbana, vice president of public relations and government affairs at Weidner Apartment Homes and volunteer with the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association Relevant Links:  Axios: Washington Legislature weighs limiting rent increases Washington State Standard: Washington lawmakers revive plan for state cap on rent increases Seattle Times: Bill to cap WA rent increases passes first House hurdle   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 week isn’t over, but I know a lot of us are wishing it were. Well, if we’re so focused on the weekend, why not get an early start making plans?  Fortunately, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here to give us an early look at what’s happening around town.  LINKS:  For Your Consideration - SIFF Cinema Downtown Napoleon Dynamite Live - Spokane Bellingham Folk Festival The Disabled List 3rd Annual Comedy Festival Lunar New Year Celebration at The Bellevue Collection Lunar New Year Celebration at Westlake Park Têt in Seattle – Vietnamese Lunar New Year OTHER EVENTS NOT MENTIONED: Harlem Globetrotters 2025 World Tour Miss Behaved True Tales Of Women Behaving Badly And Living Boldly Dungeons & Drag Queens at The Crocodile 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.

According to recent government reporting, Native Americans have medical debt that is double the national average. That’s despite the fact that the federal government is under a legal and moral obligation to provide healthcare to registered members of federally recognized tribes. In many cases, the debt stems from medical care the Indian Health Service was unable to provide but was supposed to pay for when members sought care elsewhere. The resulting debt damages credit scores and adds to health disparities that impact many indigenous communities, including high costs and poor access to care. Indigenous Affairs reporter Melanie Henshaw has been covering problems with healthcare access for InvestigateWest and joins Libby to share her reporting. Guest: Melanie Henshaw, InvestigateWest Indigenous Affairs Reporter Relevant Links: Native Americans face double the average medical debt, report finds — often for bills that aren’t their responsibility | InvestigateWest Colville tribal citizens left on the hook when Indian Health Service doesn’t pay medical bills | InvestigateWest Report lays bare stark disparities in health care outcomes for Native Americans in Washington | InvestigateWest 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 new documentary, Resident Orca, brings viewers inside the very personal work of Tribal elder Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris and her allies as they fight for Sk'aliCh'ehl-tenaut's, also known as Tokitae, release.  In recent years, people of the Lummi Nation tried to secure the return of the orca to her home waters, the Salish Sea. They consider her a family member. Sk'aliCh'ehl-tenaut's story gained national attention as efforts to get her home ramped up. And you may be familiar with the sad ending to her life – but you’ve never seen Sk'aliCh'ehl-tenaut's story like this. The movie will play at Pickford Film Center on Saturday January 25.  Guest:  Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris, Tribal Elder with the Lummi Nation Sarah Sharkey Pierce, co-director of Resident Orca Simon Schneider, co-director and cinematographer of Resident Orca Relevant Links: Resident Orca website  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this hour, TikTok is once again available to its millions of U.S. users – brought back to life, for at least 75 days, by the President who once tried to kill it.  It’s been a long and confusing road to get here.Congress passed a law last April to force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the U.S.. On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld that ban, which was set to go into effect on Sunday. TikTok then went dark on Saturday, when users were greeted with a message that read: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”Shortly afterwards, a hopeful update appeared in that popup message: “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.” The app was back in service Sunday, after about 14 hours offline for U.S. users.  President Trump sealed a reprieve for TikTok with the stroke of his Sharpie on Monday, signing an executive order delaying the enforcement of the federal ban for 75 days.     It’s just another stop on the long road toward a potential all-out ban of the Chinese-owned app for U.S. users -- and the President’s latest actions raise a host of political, legal and cultural questions. Soundside was joined by a panel of experts to break down what's next. Guests: Ben Brody, a technology reporter for Punchbowl News based in D.C. Jessica Maddox, associate professor of digital media at the University of Alabama. Joseph Tomain, senior lecturer at Indiana University Bloomington.  Related Links:  TikTok Starts Working Again After Trump Says He Will Stall a Ban - The New York Times KUOW - As Congress pushes potential TikTok ban forward, users wonder what happens next Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, threatening app’s existence in the U.S. : 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.

The state supreme court is right now weighing the future of high-capacity gun magazine sales in Washington. Last week, the court heard arguments in Washington v. Gator’s Custom Guns. At issue is whether a 2022 law banning magazines with more than 10 rounds is constitutional. Complicating the matter is a recent U.S. Supreme Court cases that sets out a new originalist rule for restrictions on guns.  Guest: Jake Goldstein Street, reporter at the Washington State Standard Relevant Links: Washington State Standard: State and gun shop clash at WA Supreme Court over high-capacity magazine ban   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.

Twenty-four hours after returning to office, the Trump administration is already facing its first lawsuit from Washington state. State Attorney General Nick Brown says he has filed a challenge to President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of unauthorized immigrants.  It was one of dozens of orders President Trump signed during his first day back in the big chair, ranging from renaming a mountain, to pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement. Guest: KUOW politics reporter and Sound Politics co-host Scott Greenstone Relevant Links: Washington state AG sues Trump administration over order to end birthright citizenship - KUOW Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship - KUOW WA Proud Boy Ethan Nordean has 18-year sentence commuted by Trump - 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 University of Washington's Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, or COASST, is a network of nearly a thousand volunteers who walk beaches in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. Those citizen scientists are counting dead birds and their work has been critical to understanding the effects of warming ocean waters on the marine ecosystem. Guests: Julia Parrish, Associate Dean at the University of Washington's College for the Environment and founder of COASST Carl Haynie, COASST volunteer Relevant Links:  COASST Website Science: ‘Blob’ heat wave killed millions of seabirds—and they haven’t bounced back New York Times: Ocean Heat Wiped Out Half These Seabirds Around Alaska 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.