Soundside

When it comes to Presidential elections, Washington state's electoral votes are about as blue as you can get. But there are still big stakes here when it comes to how national political conversations affect local races. A recent analysis from the Cook Political Report says that the 2024 Washington gubernatorial race is shaping up to be competitive, even though a Republican hasn't been governor since the 1985. While it may be assumed Democrats will get the votes they need to clinch the governor's mansion in Olympia, that doesn't mean voters are enthusiastic about democratic candidates, or the party's platform. Soundside host Libby Denkmann caught up with KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone about his trip to the Washington state Democratic convention, where he talked to delegates about what it'll take for the party's messaging to land with voters.  Guests:  Scott Greenstone - KUOW politics reporter Michael Kazin - Historian and professor at Georgetown University, author of "What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party." Relevant Links: KUOW - WA Democratic Party will send ceasefire letters to Biden, party leadership See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For weeks, Seattle Public Schools families have been waiting for news about school closures. In May, the district announced plans to close 20 elementary schools to shore up its budget.And that left parents, and students, wondering if their local school was on the chopping block. Last night was supposed to be the night they would learn which schools will close, but they’ll have to wait just a little longer to find out. Guest: Sami West, KUOW education reporter Relevant Links: KUOW: Families won't know which Seattle schools may close until fall KUOW: Will closing schools really balance the budget for Seattle Public Schools? Parents have their doubts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a four year hiatus, the reality television show “Cops” is returning to Spokane County. If you had a TV anytime in the last few decades, you know the show: shaky cameras following police busting drug deals, stopping thefts, chasing down the “bad boys”. Paramount canceled Cops in 2020, amid the George Floyd protests.  But it didn’t take long for the show to return. ‘Cops’ began airing again in 2021 as part of Fox Nation -- Fox’s streaming service.  Now, after four years away from the limelight, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels says now is the time to start filming again.   Guests: Nick Gibson - county reporter for the Spokesman Review Sean Campbell - independent investigative journalist and contributing reporter with the Garrison Project. An independent, nonpartisan organization addressing the crisis of mass incarceration and policing   Relevant Links: Spokesman Review: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/18/resurrected-reality-tv-series-cops-to-return-to-sp/  Slate:  https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/11/reality-tv-cops-on-patrol-live-pd.html  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After an 8 month search, the Seattle Art Museum has a new director and CEO: Scott Stulen comes to Seattle from Tulsa, Oklahoma where he led the Philbrook Museum. In their announcement, SAM touted Stulen’s work expanding the role of museums in civic life by using the Philbrook as a polling place and vegetable garden. Stulen’s hire comes at an important time for the SAM, arts organizations are still recovering from the pandemic, the museum is engaged in union negotiations with security guards, and carrying out a new strategic plan. Guests: Scott Stulen, incoming director and CEO of the Seattle Art Museum Relevant Links: KUOW: Seattle Art Museum has a new leader after 8-month CEO search GeekWire: Seattle Art Museum’s new CEO brings innovation mindset — with an openness to AI and other tech See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An influential research team with a focus on fighting false and misleading election information online has reportedly collapsed under pressure from conservative critics.  The Stanford Internet Observatory’s future is uncertain now that the team has lost most of its staff. While Stanford told reporters in a statement that the Observatory’s work will continue under new leadership, it appears the rapid analysis work identifying election misinformation that researchers conducted during the 2020 election will not continue.   The announcement comes as disinformation work has come under fire in recent years. Some Republicans in congress, conservative groups and influencers have said academic research designed to track and better understand rumors online amounts to a censorship campaign and a violation of their First Amendment rights. Stanford's Internet Observatory (SIO) and University of Washington researchers have also been the subject of a lawsuit from a conservative pundit and a vaccine skeptic, represented by former Trump Administration advisor Stephen Miller’s group America First Legal.     That’s a troubling development for those who are continuing the work of studying our online information ecosystem, including researchers at the University of Washington.  Soundside spoke with Kate Starbird, the co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, about what the cracks in the SIO's foundation say about the field at large.  Guests: Kate Starbird, co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington. Starbird's work focuses on misinformation and disinformation.  Links: The Washington Post: Stanford’s top disinformation research group collapses under pressure Politico: Challenge to Biden hectoring of social media firms appears doomed at Supreme Court Platformer: The Stanford Internet Observatory is being dismantled See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A King County Superior Court Judge has hit the pause button on a few elements of the Parents Bill of Rights, also known as I-2081. The Friday order comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of WA in May. LGBTQIA advocacy groups and civil liberties organizations raised concern about the legality of the Parents Bill of Rights and its effect on students. Jeanie Lindsay joined Soundside host Libby Denkmann to talk about which parts of the bill have been put on hold, and what this means for schools, students, and their parents. GUEST: Jeanie Lindsay, Olympia correspondent for Northwest News Network RELATED LINKS:  New police pursuit rules, 'parents bill of rights' become law in Washington - Northwest News Network ACLU sues Washington to stop 'parents bill of rights' initiative from becoming law - Northwest News Network Washington's 'parents bill of rights' law partly on hold - KUOW Washington's Public Schools Will Continue to Protect Student Privacy and Safety - OSPI Statement See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Families of people who died on Boeing jets are renewing their calls for criminal prosecution of the company after Boeing’s CEO appeared before Congress this week. The families are asking the Justice Department to fine Boeing the maximum – 24 billion dollars – for the dual 737 Max 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019.  The letter to the DOJ comes the day after Boeing’s David Calhoun testified before on a series of safety lapses and whistleblower complaints at the company.  The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee hearing was the first time Calhoun had faced lawmakers since the door plug of a MAX 9 ripped off an Alaska Airlines plane back in January. Members of congress have already heard from a bevy of whistleblowers, as well aviation and engineering safety experts testifying on what’s gone wrong at the company. Tuesday’s hearing was a rare instance of bipartisan agreement on the Hill:  Calhoun faced the heat from Democrat and Republican lawmakers. Guest: Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time in 25 years, the Makah Tribe of Neah Bay will once again be allowed to hunt the Eastern Pacific Gray Whale. The tribe, which is located in the northwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula, has the only treaty in the US that explicitly includes the right to hunt whales for cultural and sustenance purposes. But, in the past 90 years, they have only been allowed to exercise that right once, in 1999, when tribal members harpooned a whale.  The ceremony was controversial: there were threats of violence, protestors on boats tried to stop the hunt. At vigils, activists held signs that said “Save the whales, kill a Makah.” It also sparked decades of court battles, scientific reviews, and bureaucracy. Now, following the 2021 recommendation of a judge to grant the Makah a waiver, the  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as NOAA, has authorized a return of whaling. Guest: Makah Tribal Council Chairman Timothy J. Greene Sr Relevant Links: KNKX: https://www.knkx.org/makah-tribe-waiver-noaa-whale-hunt-marine-mammal-act-washington The New York Times:  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/us/makah-whales-hunting-noaa.html  NOAA: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-fisheries-authorizes-makah-tribe-to-resume-gray-whale-hunt  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School is out for the summer, and when students of two Seattle schools return in the fall, there will be some changes. Cell phones will be banned at Robert Eagle Staff Elementary and Hamilton International Middle School.  Students will check their cell phone into a small lockable pouch when they arrive at school. Districts across the state and country have taken similar actions. Florida and Indiana have passed laws requiring districts to create policies that restrict phone usage during the school day  This all comes amid a growing body of research on the impacts that smartphones have on teen learning and mental health.  Guests: Lucía Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Psychology Kris Hagal, executive director of digital learning at Peninsula School District Links: Seattle Times: Two Seattle schools ban cellphones  WA State Standard: Should Washington’s public schools ban students from using cellphones? Tacoma News Tribune: Local school district bans social media use at school. Here’s how they’ll enforce it See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Employees of Everett’s Daily Herald are on strike today. They’re protesting the management decisions that led to a dozen staffers being laid off from the newspaper last Wednesday.  Back in March, Carpenter Media Group purchased Black Press Media, which owned 43 publications in Washington and Alaska, including the Herald. Carpenter says the restructuring is part of plans to improve the economics of the paper and better serve the community.   The Daily Herald covers nearly 1 million residents in Snohomish and Island counties. Carpenter reportedly has plans to eliminate 62 positions across Sound Publishing, of which the Herald is its largest publication. This decision comes amid years of contraction within local journalism. To get more on the potential impacts, Soundside spoke with Caleb Hutton. He’s the local news editor of the Everett Herald, and is among the newsroom members who is being let go.  KUOW requested to speak with representatives from Carpenter Media Group, but they have not responded.Guests: Caleb Hutton - Local News Editor, Everett's Daily Herald Relevant Links: HeraldNet.com - ‘This breaks my heart’: Roughly half of Everett Herald news staff laid off KUOW - Everett Herald’s new owner appears to censor story about layoffs  WA State Standard - At one of WA's oldest papers, deep cuts and an uncertain future See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.