Soundside

Across Washington, student vaccination rates have fallen slightly over the past few years, but those statewide figures gloss over some parts that saw pretty big declines --- especially in one southwest Washington school district. The data showed the Naselle-Grays River Valley School District saw student vaccinations for diseases like tetanus, polio and rubella drop by more than 46%, making it the district with the lowest immunization rate in the state for 2024 to 2025. But what’s on paper doesn’t tell the whole story.  Guest: Lori Ashley, clinical manager for the Pacific County Department of Health and Human Services. Related stories:  K-12 vaccination rates in WA dropped again | The Seattle Times R.F.K. Jr. Cancels mRNA Vaccine Research | The New York 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.

It’s not just your imagination: There are more shared bikes and scooters zipping around the streets of Seattle. Data collected by the city's Department of Transportation shows that between January and early August of 2025, the number of trips recorded on shared bikes and scooters jumped nearly 75 percent compared with the same time period last year.  As streets and sidewalks get more crowded – how are cities like Seattle adapting?  Guests Jeff Bailey, a writer and editor in Denver Links From E-Bikes to Scooters, Roads Are Getting More Crowded and Confusing - The Wall Street Journal Thanks 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, actress Bindi Irwin made a viral post on Instagram. Bindi is the daughter of the late Steve Irwin – the famed “Crocodile Hunter.”  Bindi is also, herself, a conservationist, but her post didn’t have to do with wildlife health. Rather, it was about her own. She said she was recovering from surgery to remove 51 lesions, a cyst, and her appendix. Prior to this, Irwin had suffered 13 years of pain from endometriosis. She wrote, “I felt utterly ashamed as a teenager and young adult being told that my pain was just part of being a woman. I felt lesser. I felt hurt. I felt weak.” Several celebrities have spoken up about their experiences with endometriosis. Padma Lakshmi, Florence Pugh, Whoopi Goldberg, Lena Dunham – the list goes on. Approximately one in ten women is affected by endometriosis. According to Yale Medicine, it’s present in up to 50% of women who are infertile. And between 50% and 80% of women with pelvic pain. But, it’s a disease that’s rarely discussed - in part because the pain experienced is often dismissed as cramps or period pain. Guest: Dr. Cindy Mosbrucker is a nationally recognized expert in minimally-invasive excision of endometriosis, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic pain in women. Her clinic is Pacific Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery in Gig Harbor. Related stories: Nancy's Nook - recommended as a free source of endometriosis information by Dr. Mosbrucker 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 years, Seattle residents have known that several city police officers attended the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally in Washington D.C. on January 6th, 2021. But the names of most of those police officers were unknown until recently. After a lengthy court fight, the city in late July disclosed the identities of all the officers who attended the rally.  The city also released records from an investigation of the officers' role in the rally. KUOW reporter Amy Radil combed through those records and joins us to talk about what she found.  Links Seattle police at Jan. 6 Trump rally told investigators they witnessed no violence, records show - 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.

An ex-county clerk in Kentucky who drew nationwide attention for denying marriage licenses for same-sex couples is back in the news.  Kim Davis is asking the Supreme Court to overturn its landmark decision that legalized same sex unions nationwide. Obergefell v. Hodges was issued in 2015. It officially recognized that queer Americans have a constitutional right to get married.  Hundreds of thousands of people have been married in the 10 years since. And also since then, Kim Davis has been fighting court battles over her refusal to grant licenses – citing her belief that she should get a religious exemption under the first amendment. The Supreme Court will decide this fall if they want to consider Davis’ appeal – and experts are skeptical that they will do so.  But what would a serious legal fight to overturn marriage equality look like?  And are legal rights besides marriage at risk for LGBTQ Washingtonians?  Guest: Professor Alison Gash, Chair of the University of Oregon’s Department of Political Science. She’s also an academic expert in United States courts, sexuality, same-sex marriage, constitutional rights and public policy. Related stories: Supreme Court formally asked to overturn landmark same-sex marriage ruling - ABC News Ten Years After Obergefell: Is Same-Sex Marriage Safe? - Washington Monthly Alito’s Same-Sex Wedding Panic Threatens LGBTQ Rights - Washington Monthly 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 days like today, it’s nice to sit back, enjoy the cloud cover, and think about all the things you want to do this weekend.  Here with a smattering of events to keep you busy is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows! LINKS: Movies at the Mural: Say Anything Seattle Tattoo Expo The Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire Seattle Worldcon 2025 Chief Seattle Days Arlington SkyFest CHOMP! Celebrate Shoreline A Touch More Live An Evening With Rhett & Link Capitol Hill Garage Sale Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm Cannonball Arts 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.

If there’s a sci-fi movie or TV show that you enjoy, there’s a good chance it’s based on a book, and there’s an even better chance that book has won a HUGO AWARD.  From Afrofuturist Octavia E Butler to Sci-Fi legends Frank Herbert and Ursula Le Guin, the Pacific Northwest has been home to several winners of one of the most prestigious honors in speculative fiction, fantasy and sci-fi.  What you may not realize is that the Hugo Award Ceremony happens each year at a gathering called “Worldcon.” And this year, the convention is being held right here at the Seattle Convention Center. Worldcon is the is the official convention of the World Science Fiction Society. Events and programming began Wednesday and festivities run through Sunday. GUEST: Kathy Bond, Chair of WorldCon 2025 RELATED LINKS:  Seattle Worldcon 2025  Worldcon 2025 celebrates the past and future of science fiction — and the part Seattle has played - GeekWire 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.

There’s a war being waged in Seattle right now. But you won’t see it out on the streets, among your fellow citizens. Instead – look to the sky.  For years, two airlines: Delta and Alaska have battled for supremacy at Seatac.  Now, The Wall Street Journal says Alaska Airlines is making a big play to expand international flights – and Delta is striking back.  Guest: Alison Sider, a reporter covering airlines and air travel for the Wall Street Journal Related stories: Battle for Seattle: Can Delta Keep Dominating International Flights? - Wall Street Journal Delta Gets Blowback for Using AI to Set Airfares - Wall Street Journal 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 Trump administration is trying to restrict access to a substance you might find at your local smoke shop.  The FDA in late July announced plans to crack down on 7-OH. Commissioner Marty Makary described it as an opioid that can be more potent than morphine and the agency's pushing to get it classified as a Schedule 1 substance -- like ecstasy or heroin.  You may not have heard of 7-OH, but you’ve probably heard of kratom. It’s the substance that 7-OH comes from – and it’s controversial in its own right. Some states have banned kratom. The federal government tried to classify it as a Schedule 1 substance in 2016 but opted not to after getting a wave of pushback. This year Washington state regulators withdrew a proposal to designate kratom as a Schedule 1 substance, saying it didn’t meet the criteria. So for now, you can buy kratom products in the state.  We wanted to know more about both kratom and 7-OH, so we checked in with a research professor at the University of Washington for insight.  Guest: Caleb Banta-Green, research professor at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology and Research. Related stories:  FDA recommends concentrated Kratom be scheduled as illicit substance | The Hill What to know about changes to kratom sold in Seattle | Axios Seattle Kratom & 7-OH: What do we know about use, safety, and overdose risk? | Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (University of Washington) What is 7-OH? Opioid-like product may get banned by FDA | USA TODAY 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.

So far in 2025, Seattle is on track for a decline in homicides for the second year in a row.  The city’s finally catching up to other parts of the country that started to see drops in lethal violence a few years ago, according to a new story published in The Seattle Times.  The country saw a surge in homicides when the pandemic hit. Seattle was no exception, and the violence continued. The city experiencing one of its deadliest years on record in 2023.  But lately things have been trending in a safer direction for the city and King County as a whole.   Guest: Sara Jean Green, reporter at The Seattle Times. Related stories:  Seattle is seeing fewer homicides, catching up with national trend | The Seattle Times  KUOW - Seattle passes grim milestone with record high homicides | KUOW   Seattle had 'highest number of murders in 26 years' in 2020 | MyNorthwest  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.