Soundside

This month marks 10 years since the Kalakala was removed from the shores of Tacoma and demolished. The ferry, which looked a little like if the Titanic was mixed with a spaceship, was once the symbol of Seattle - a shiny, chrome vision of the future. While the Kalakala is gone, it’s far from forgotten. There’s even a song that follows the journey of the Kalakala: from its creation to its eventual demise. And the story of the song itself is filled with twists and turns. We sat down with the people behind this song to hear why they’ve spent years dedicated to remembering the Kalakala Guests: Relevant Links: Roll On Kalakala and Other Seaworthy Tunes Album Release Show - The Rabbit BoxJon Pontrello - Roll On Kalakala (Lyrics by Jack Broom)Roll On, Kalakala, Roll On - The Seattle 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.

As we prepare for the holiday weekend, some folks are heading out of town, while others are looking locally for ways to celebrate the life & legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr… Producers Jason Megatron Burrows & Brooklyn Jamerson-Flowers are here with an early look at what's happening this weekend! LINKS: Monster Jam - Tacoma DomeSeattle Sister Cities Soup Sampling - Capitol Hill, Saturday The Aluminum Show - Olympia, Sunday NAAM | Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration 2024 Seattle MLK, Jr. Coalition MLK Day 2025 Painting the Town Red: A MLK Day Tribute to Billie Holiday at The Royal Room Other events we couldn't get to: MLK Celebration: With Liberty & Justice, For Whom? - Bainbridge Island Museum of Art - Bainbridge Island, Sunday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration - Washington State Historical Society Celebrating Dr. King’s Legacy | United Way of King County An Evening Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy - Olympia, Friday 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 game “Pacific Drive” came out last year from Seattle-based Ironwood Studios, and it made a BIG splash for the company. So much so that Hollywood is taking notice: “Saw” creator James Wan’s production company announced last month it has optioned Pacific Drive to develop it into a television series. The Pacific Northwest is home to some major power players in the videogame industry. But this is a big win for an indie game studio. The game pays homage to the our region, with a setting that feels familiar: the Olympic Peninsula, in 1998. Albeit an alternate timeline, extra creepy version of the peninsula. We wanted to learn more about the role of the Pacific Northwest in the game’s creation, and what success means for this local independent company. GUEST: Cassandra Dracott - CEO & Creative Director of Ironwood Studios, the team behind the game Pacific Drive. 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 LINKS: Pacific Drive ‘Pacific Drive’ TV Series Based on Indie Survival Game in the Works From James Wan - Variety ‘Pacific Drive’ takes players on supernatural adventure in the Pacific Northwest - OPB The Pacific Northwest in video games: It’s always weird | Polygon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For over a week now, Los Angeles has been devastated by aggressive wildfire that are expected to be the most costly in California’s history. While many have already seen their communities burned, we won’t know the full extent of the damage for weeks. Already, thousands of families are wondering how they are going to recover and rebuild. Central to that question is how much of the costs insurance will cover. And it comes as California is going through a home and renter’s insurance crisis. Guest Levi Sumagaysay has been covering California’s economy and its insurance market for CalMatters breaks down the crisis and some potential solutions. Guest: Levi Sumagaysay, CalMatter Economy Reporter Relevant Links: LA fires could worsen California’s stressed insurance market Can California fix its home insurance market? - CalMatters California fire insurance: FAIR Plan going through growing pains - CalMatters 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 as American as Apple Pie: You come home from the hospital - maybe it was an accidental slice with your kitchen knife, or maybe something more serious. And as you recover… you wait. For thousands of dollars in medical bills. It’s a problem that radio reporter Dan Weissman had long been familiar with, due to a pre-existing condition. Learning how to navigate the arcane system behind those bills has become a full time gig for Weissman. He’s the host of An Arm and a Leg, a podcast exploring why healthcare costs so damn much. The show has been running since 2018, and starting this Thursday we’re very excited to welcome it to the KUOW family of podcasts. Guest: Dan Weissman, host of An Arm and A Leg Relevant Links: An Arm and a Leg website 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.

This past election, voters in Everett approved an initiative (24-03) that granted the Snohomish River watershed legally enforceable "rights." 24-03 is part of a broader legal trend called the “rights of nature" movement, an environmental legal theory gaining traction around the world in places like Ecuador, India, and Australia. Here in the U.S., communities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida have tried giving some bodies of water these extended legal protections -- like the right to exist, right to flow, and right to regenerate and flourish -- which proponents hope add a layer of protections not covered by regulations. 24-03 passed with 57 percent of the vote. The success of these efforts, however, has been watered down and challenged by courts and legislatures over issues of jurisdiction and scope -- issues voiced by skeptics of the initiative this past election. Soundside visited Everett to talk with proponents and opponents about what these new rights could mean for the Snohomish River now that they've been approved by voters. Additionally, Soundside spoke with a global expert in river rights and policy about how this legal theory works, and where Everett's initiative fits within the broader global movement for environmental personhood. Guests: Related links: City in Washington Votes to Grant Local River Legally Enforceable Right to ExistInitiative Text - Snohomish River Watershed Now Has Legal RightsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Seattle City Council is starting its year by taking on one of any city’s most controversial policy debates: growth. The Comprehensive Plan is now in front of the council. It dictates where and how Seattle can grow over the next two decades. Past comprehensive plans have concentrated growth in areas dubbed “Urban Villages” – places along major arterials, like Columbia City, Othello, Lake City, and Ballard. They largely kept neighborhoods with single family homes unchanged. The current plan continues that legacy, but allows for more density in around 30 newly designated “neighborhood centers.” This comes as Seattle continues efforts to comply with a state law that mandates denser single family zoning. Guest: Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth, who represents Seattle's 3rd District Relevant Links: KUOW: How will Seattle's next comprehensive plan shape the city? KUOW: Seattle's growth plan inches toward more housing, draft by draft Seattle Times: Fault lines emerge as Seattle council takes up housing plan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is running for re-election in 2025. He’s hoping to break the long running streak of single term mayors in Seattle like Mike McGinn, Ed Murray, and Jenny Durkin. The election is still nearly a year away, and in the meantime, the mayor will finish the last year of his term addressing a long list of issues: public safety, the future of downtown, and the implementation of a new comprehensive plan. The mayor sat down with Soundside host Libby Denkmann to discuss his plans for 2025. Guest: Relevant links: Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is running for re-election in 2025Seattle’s next police chief: Mayor appoints Shon Barnes of Madison, Wisconsin to lead 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.

Marijuana has been recreationally legal here in Washington since 2012, and it's become big business for the state. Last year sales topped $1 billion, and the state earned hundreds of millions in taxes on marijuana. As the drug’s popularity in the state has increased, so has its potency. As this episode's guest would say, it’s not your dad’s weed. Now, doctors are seeing more harmful, and sometimes fatal consequences from overuse of marijuana. KUOW online editor and producer Stephen Howie has reported a deep dive on the subject and he’s here to explain how a new generation of weed is impacting a new generation of users. Guest: Stephen Howie, KUOW online editor/producer Relevant link: KUOW - Weed sick: High-potency cannabis leads to ER visits, illnesses for some users 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.

Our first week back after the holiday break has been jam-packed with all the news that’s fit to print… or read out loud into a microphone, whatever. Now that the weekend is nearly here, it’s time to sail away & relax a little… In that spirit, here’s our resident “Cruise Director,” Producer Jason Megatron Burrows live from the Lido Deck with everything exciting happening this weekend! EVENTS: Bridge to Bridge Fake Race at 14th Avenue NW Boat Ramp Unicorns & Rainbows 5k at Green Lake Park Crystal Mountain Takeover | Seattle Kraken Tacoma Comedy Club | Pablo Francisco Tacoma Comedy Club | Trae Crowder Neptune Theater - Nate Jackson PBR Spokane | Spokane Arena Radiant Reflections: Celebrating the Beauty of the African Diaspora - Bainbridge Island Museum of Art National Geographic LIVE: Diving the Great Barrier Reef | Benaroya Hall As always, if you'd like to suggest an event for future installments of the Weekend Warmup, shoot us an email - SOUNDSIDE@KUOW.ORG 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.

Five people have died and thousands of homes have burned in wildfires sweeping across the Los Angeles area. Five separate fires are burning in the county - the Palisades fire, Eaton fire, Hurst fire, Lidia and Sunset fires. The Palisades and Eaton Fires are some of the most destructive in the region’s history. Local resources are stretched thin – but some help is on the way from Washington. Dozens of engines and more than 100 firefighters from local agencies have committed to travel to help battle the blazes in L.A. Many are already on their way. Guests: Ben Peeler, Assistant Chief for Clark Cowlitz Fire Rescue Relevant links: What to know about thousands of evacuations and homes burned in Los Angeles area fires 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.

President Elect Donald Trump has promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants on day one of his administration. Removing the approximately 11.7 million people living in the United States without authorization would take a massive operational effort -- and likely require cooperation from both state and local governments. Right now, most Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in the U.S. happen because of a hand off from local law enforcement. But that kind of cooperation is restricted in Washington state. 2019’s Keep Washington Working Act broadly limits state and local law enforcement from assisting with federal immigration proceedings. But Trump allies are already ramping up the pressure on local leaders in places like California and D.C. with similar sanctuary laws in place: Stephen Miller’s America First Legal Foundation announced last month that it had identified hundreds of elected officials in sanctuary jurisdictions who it claimed could be held civilly liable for obstructing federal immigration enforcement. As the new Trump Administration takes office, Washington state’s elected sheriffs will be among those officials feeling the squeeze between federal agencies, and state law. Guest: Steven Strachan, Executive Director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Relevant Links: WASPC Statement on local law enforcement involvement in immigration issues 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.

As the Trump administration prepares to take office, a fight is brewing over the future of homelessness in America. For about a decade now, the federal government has pushed a strategy called Housing First. It's designed to get people off the streets and into permanent homes... even when they have serious problems with mental illness or substance use. Seattle was one of the earliest adopters of this approach, back in the nineties. But, over the past few years, a growing chorus of critics — mostly on the political right — has questioned Housing First. They want to go back to a time when efforts to fight homelessness focused more on getting people into treatment and having them "earn" access to subsidized housing by changing their behaviors. Now some of those critics are about to come to power in the White House, like Vice President elect JD Vance. You've probably heard of Project 2025. It's the conservative Heritage Foundation's plan for Trump's second term. It calls for an end to Housing First — a move that would upend the nation's homelessness strategy. KUOW's Will James has covered homelessness for years. He wanted to know: What is at the heart of this backlash against Housing First? And, with homelessness reaching record levels, do the critics have a point? Is it time to change course? If so, where do we go from here? Will spent months digging into these questions and brings us this original, freshly-reported documentary, which we're sharing with you for the first time today. The story starts right here in Seattle... because this city is intertwined with the history of Housing First and now, the movement against it. 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: Will James, KUOW Audio Documentary Producer Related Links: KUOW - Lost Patients See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an effort to curb gun crime, Tacoma announced last year that it was turning to a tool called ShotSpotter. ShotSpotter is a form of Gun Detection Technology (GDT), which uses a series of acoustic microphone sensors to track loud bangs, booms, and pops in a designated area. Once those "dynamic events" are triggered, a human classifier verifies the sound was a gunshot and alerts local police. The entire process happens within 60 seconds or less. The idea is that it’s a faster and more accurate way to alert police to gunshots, compared with relying on 911 calls. That, then, allows police to get to a more targeted crime scene sooner, and have more evidence to ideally solve the crime. SoundThinking, the company that runs ShotSpotter, says the technology has been used in more than 180 cities globally. However, the technology has been controversial in several large cities. Houston’s mayor called ShotSpotter a “gimmick” when he announced plans to scrap the city’s contract. After years of debate over its effectiveness, Chicago ended its use of Shotspotter in September. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell advocated for years for using an acoustic gunshot detection technology in Seattle before backing off his plan to fund a pilot program last year. Tacoma is moving forward with ShotSpotter, thanks to an $800,000 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. That grant will fund three different kinds of technology aimed at improving the city’s ability to investigate gun crimes. The police department is on the verge of piloting ShotSpotter in a two square mile area around Hosmer Street, in South Tacoma. Tacoma Police told us the city's ShotSpotter rollout is now slated for Spring 2025. But some in the city are concerned about the cost and accuracy of ShotSpotter, and say it might lead to greater police presence and surveillance in communities that have long suffered from over policing. To learn more, Soundside spoke with a group of community advocates who've spoken against the technology at ShotSpotter information sessions in Tacoma; Alfred Lewers Jr., the Senior Director of Trauma Response and Community Engagement at SoundThinking; and Eric Piza, a professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University in Boston who's studied the use of ShotSpotter in major cities like Chicago and Kansas City. Guests: Related links: Tacoma residents voice concerns about gunshot detection pilot program during public forum | king5.comShotSpotter FAQs - City of TacomaI studied ShotSpotter in Chicago and Kansas City – here’s what people in Detroit and the more than 167 other cities and towns using this technology should knowSeattle Mayor Bruce Harrell shelves plans for ShotSpotter technology | The Seattle Times See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon employees are back in the office five days a week, five years after Covid-19 shook up work as we know it; as the company’s so-called Return-To-Office policy took effect on Thursday, January 2nd. Amazon is the largest private employer to roll back its pandemic-era work from home policy. So, what will this mean for both employees AND local businesses in the hubs where Amazon resides? Monica Nicklesburg tackled this question for KUOW as the resident Labor & Economy Reporter, she’s also the co-host of the KUOW podcast BOOMING, and she joined Soundside host Libby Denkmann to break down how those employees are feeling about this shift. 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: Culture-building or cost-cutting? Amazon's return-to-office order raises questions, fearsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been five years since Covid 19 began spreading around the world from its origin in Wuhan, China. In that emergent time of the pandemic, there was widespread concern about clusters of the virus, in Italy, then Iran, then an outbreak at a nursing home in the Pacific Northwest. By March of 2020, an unprecedented international phenomenon took place: countries began closing their borders. When the World Closed its Doors by Laurie Trautman and Edward Alden looks at how this international effort disrupted the lives of people who had grown reliant on movement between countries; from migrant workers to cross-border families. Guest: Laurie Trautman, Director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University 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 facing an estimated $12 billion dollar budget deficit as they prepare to go back to work next week. How to cover that gap is the big story heading into the session. Majority Democrats are already floating possibilities for new taxes to bridge the difference between spending and revenue. And while the budget is undoubtedly the biggest challenge – lawmakers are also expected to be tackling sticky issues like rent increase caps and education funding. Guest: Washington State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (WA 43 - Seattle) Relevant Links: KUOW: ‘A perfect storm’: Inside Washington’s massive budget gap Washington State Standard: Making sense of Washington’s multi-billion dollar budget hole Seattle Times: WA’s 2025 legislative session will feature new faces, big budget gap 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.

2025 is officially here - and with that comes a whole lotta new: new resolutions, new goals, and a new page a day pull away calendar on your desk at work. But even with all this new to look forward to - at least one thing will stay the same in 2025: we’ll be here to bring you the news coverage you rely on and trust every day. Soundside reached out to the KUOW newsroom to ask reporters about the big stories they’ll cover this year. 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’s no longer rolling up to Franklin High School in a blue Oldsmobile Super 88 with homemade white wall tires, or knocking out accounting tests on the University of Washington campus, but Kenny G is still in touch with his Seattle roots -- even after selling more than 75 million records worldwide. The iconic sax-man played a run of sold-out shows at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley over the turn of the new year. In case you couldn’t make it to a show, the story of how Kenneth Gorelick of Seward Park became one of the best-selling instrumentalists of all time is chronicled in Kenny G’s new memoir, “Life in the Key of G.” The book explores the craft of saxophone playing and the mind of a meticulous artist, always striving to improve. Readers also get some unexpected stories -- like how Kenny G once tried his best to get fired from Whitney Houston’s tour, or the time Elton John gave him a “pinch” of approval. Soundside's Libby Denkmann caught up with Kenny from his LA studio ahead of his return to Jazz Alley. Guests: Related Links: Kenny G See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside will be off the air on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. We will be back with some fresh new stories Jan. 2. For today, we’ve revisiting a mix of some of Soundside producer Alec Cowan's favorite segments from this past year, including his patrol with a pair Seattle's "real-life superheroes" and the musicians keeping jazz music alive in Seattle. We also have one new story for you, courtesy of producer Jason Megatron Burrows. 2024 was the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. Burrows explored how the game is staying up to date after 5 decades of gameplay, and its attempt to stay relevant in 2025. Hear and read the original stories below. Stories Featured: KUOW - A night on patrol with Seattle's 'real-life superheroes'KUOW - Jazz has a storied past in Seattle. But what about its future?KUOW - Soundside looks back at the 50th Anniversary of D&D 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.