Soundside

As Donald Trump’s transition team gears up for his second administration, Democrats are spending the days after the election processing their major defeats – with a dash of second-guessing and finger-pointing about what went wrong for Kamala Harris.  Here in Washington, Governor-elect Bob Ferguson held a press conference this morning laying out plans to battle Trump on a number of fronts, including immigration, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ protections. To talk about how those battles could play out, Soundside was joined by Scott Lemieux. Lemieux is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington.  Guests: Scott Lemieux, associate teaching professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington.  Related Links:  Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Here's what he's proposed Kamala Harris was a good candidate who ran a very good campaign in a fiercely anti-incumbent environment - Lawyers, Guns & Money 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.

“Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you”. In the weeks before the election, it was a line that echoed over and over in advertisements that ran during football games, the World Series, and prime time network television. It was paired with footage of border crossings, claims about trans girls participating in youth sports, and Vice President Harris talking about federal prisoners having access to gender-affirming medical care. And, according to reporting from the New York Times, these pro-Trump television spots were highly effective: Ultimately, analysis from Kamala Harris’ leading super PAC found the  ad shifted the race 2.7 percentage points in Trump’s favor, among audiences who saw it. Now that Trump has won the election, local trans community members are worried about what that message means for their future: with another Trump administration on the horizon, will he make good on the promise that he’s not for “they/them”?Guest: Eve Palay, a Bainbridge Island resident, and a representative of Rainbow Crew NW, a resource for the West Sound LGBTQ+ community, and she’s a member of other Trans groups around the West Sound. Relevant Links: Ingersoll Gender Center Lavender Rights Project 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.

Democrats across the country today are waking up to a sea change in national politics and a realignment of political coalitions once considered solidly blue.   But closer to home, Washington state is moving further to the left.  Local Democrats appear headed for a sweep of statewide offices, and most of the conservative-backed initiatives on the ballot are losing.   But, not everything is so clear cut. Questions remain, including: Will voters ditch new regulations on natural gas? Will an anti-Trump Republican keep his seat in Congress? And who will join our state Supreme Court? Discussing what we know, what we don’t, and what it all means, is a panel of political experts. Guests: Political consultant with Fincher consulting, and host of the Hacks and Wonks Podcast, Crystal Fincher Former Washington state attorney general Rob McKenna Editor and publisher of the Washington Observer, Paul Queary Relevant Links: November 5, 2024 General Election Results - Washington Secretary of State 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.

We’re continuing to watch election results today, but many things are clear: Donald Trump will retake the presidency, and he’ll be backed by a Republican controlled Senate. Control of the House of Representatives remains up in the air. Dozens of races around the country are too close to call.  We might not know the outcome of these battleground contests for several days or even weeks, but the potential for Democrats to flip the House is a rare glimmer of hope for a party that experienced crushing defeats on Tuesday.    The picture is very different in Washington state, which, if anything, turned an even deeper shade of blue.  Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents Seattle and the surrounding area, won her reelection bid handily, beating her opponent by about 70 percentage points, as of now.  So how will Representative Jayapal, the Progressive Caucus Chair and outspoken Trump critic, approach the next two years in office?  Guests: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s election day … officially.  But don’t hold your breath, everyone. We’re still possibly days away from knowing the results of many races, both local and national.  Even so, we wanted to get a sense of how voters in Washington have been feeling and thinking about the choices on the ballot this season. KUOW has been speaking with people across the political spectrum, to get their takes on what’s driving their decisions. Guest: Alex Rochester, KUOW digital community outreach producer  Related links: What do Democratic, Republican, and Independent Washington state voters think about the 2024 ballot? - KUOW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Months and months of anticipation – or maybe dread? – have led to today. Election day.  Over the coming days and weeks, there will continue to be a lot of talk about candidates, polls, the state of democracy. But we also want to recognize the emotional difficulty of election day... of election season.  Politics can leave a lot of people bitter and divided. It’s cost treasured relationships and led to feelings of anger, contempt, and fear. Bridging divides and finding common ground aren’t simple or easy. Over the past year, Mónica Guzmán and April Lawson have been thinking a lot about how to do it.  Mónica Guzmán works with Braver Angels, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to political depolarization. Her podcast – produced in partnership with KUOW – is called "A Braver Way." Guests: Mónica Guzmán is a senior fellow at Braver Angels. April Lawson is the cofounder of Insight Debate and Dialogue. Related Links:  Braving the unknown: Your election survival guide - Braver Angels Consumed by the news? How to stay sane in a polarized election - Braver Angels 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.

Americans are at the polls right now voting for the next president – among a lot of other important state and local races. And if you’re highly engaged in the outcome of Donald Trump versus Kamala Harris – you’re not just casting a ballot. You’re reading, watching and listening to tons of content about this presidential race, and in some cases agonizing over public polling in the weeks leading up to election day. This year, the polls are showing one thing: neither candidate holds a clear edge.  So how can you avoid getting burned by faulty expectations? And how should we prepare for the rush of election night and the cascade of state-by-state returns we’re about to experience?    Guest: Armin Thomas is a political analyst at Split Ticket, a non-partisan election analysis firm Relevant Links: Our Final Forecast - Split Ticket Why Washington is a bellwether for the presidential election - 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.

He was one of the greatest musical minds of the 20th century… and he hailed from Seattle. Songwriter, composer, arranger and producer Quincy Jones, died yesterday at the age of 91.  The 28-time Grammy winner moved to the Pacific Northwest at the age of 10 and eventually graduated from Garfield High School. Jones credited Seattle's musical openness with shaping his style. He met Ray Charles here. In a typical night, they would play across the city, from the tony Seattle Tennis Club to hangouts on Jackson Street, which was in the city's red light district, playing classical, jazz, marches, and pop music.   Jones played jazz trumpet. Quincy Jones described his time in Seattle for PBS' “American Masters” in 2021: "We had to play everything with school. We played Sousa. And you play classical music and Debussy… on the jobs… Ray Charles, we, played Debussey on some of the jobs and we had to play Big Fat Butterfly parody, a parody on a poor butterfly. We had to play absolutely everything." That musical openness and genre defying attitude was a thread that he carried throughout his life.  In the 50's, Jones played with some of the jazz greats, including Herbie Mann, Zoot Sims, Hank Jones and Charles Mingus on Evening in Paris from his 1957 LP, “This Is How I Feel About Jazz." A few years later Jones played with Ray Charles on "One Mint Julep." But soon, Jones was branching out stylistically. He left an indelible mark on the music industry through his film scores... And while Soul Bossa Nova wasn't specifically WRITTEN for Austin Powers, it certainly became known as the theme song for the "International Man of Mystery..." He arranged songs for legends like Frank Sinatra. And in the 70's, when funk was EVERYWHERE, Jones turned it into gold, including the track "The Streetbeater," which became the theme song to Sanford & Sons... In the 80's Jones famously produced Michael Jackson's meteoric rise to stardom, with tracks like "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough." He butted heads with Jackson on the opening to Billie Jean... (He thought it was too long, Jackson disagreed.) And made the notorious phone call that got Eddie Van Halen in the studio to play guitar on "Beat It..." Quincy Jones, a giant of American music, is one of few producers to have number one records in three consecutive decades, the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s... Jones passed Sunday night at his home in Los Angeles. He was 91. 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.  RELATED LINK:  Quincy Jones’s Legacy in 14 Essential Songs - New York TimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boeing machinists are voting today on a new contract offer that could end their seven week-old strike. More than 33,000 workers walked off the job on September 13 – after they overwhelmingly voted to reject an offer from Boeing that included a 25 percent pay increase over 4 years. In late October, Machinists also voted down Boeing’s second offer – which would have raised wages 35 percent over four years. Boeing says this third deal is their best and final offer. It includes a pay bump of 38 percent over four years, as well as a 12,000 dollar ratification bonus. IAM District 751, which represents Boeing workers, has endorsed the proposal. Guest: Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory 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’s Public School District is grappling with a nearly 100 million dollar budget shortfall, as student enrollment in the district has dropped in recent years. In a letter last month, Superintendent Brent Jones said that SPS was proposing the closure of North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo, and Stevens elementary schools next year, pending school board approval. The district says the latest plan will save around $5 million dollars - much less, notably, than the close to 30 million the broader closure plan was expected to yield. So, where will the rest of the money come from to shore up the budget?  Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Brent Jones sat down with Soundside host Libby Denkmann to talk school closures, highly capable programs, and more. 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. Guest: Dr. Brent Jones, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Relevant Links: 4 Seattle schools up for closure revealed - KUOW Seattle Public Schools enrollment ticks up slightly as district moves ahead with closures - KUOW School closures: No answers for my 5-year-old - Seattle Times Seattle private school enrollment spikes, ranks No. 2 among big cities - Seattle Times See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.