Alec Cowan
Producer, Soundside
About
Alec Cowan is a producer for Soundside. His interests have brought many eclectic stories to the program, and his segments gravitate toward history, technology, arts and culture, and the environment. Proud to be KUOW's unofficial "boat guy."
Prior to joining Soundside, Alec wore many hats at KUOW. He was a producer for The Record with Bill Radke and Primed seasons two and three . He also reported an episode of SoundQs detailing how prohibition forever changed Seattle policing and assisted with reporting a breakthrough cold case solved with the use of genetic genealogy.
Before joining KUOW Alec worked in NPR's Story Lab, where he helped pilot the Louder Than a Riot podcast, about hip-hop and mass incarceration, and assisted in producing a story on volunteerism in Iraq for Rough Translation. Originally from Grand Junction, Colorado, his roots in the Northwest begin in Eugene, where he studied English and philosophy at the University of Oregon and worked as a news reporter for NPR member station KLCC. He is likely neglecting his saxophone, growing book collection, and expanding personal project list in favor of boosting his online Xbox ranking.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him/his
Podcasts
Stories
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The hunt for truth behind Oregon's mysterious cattle mutilations
In 2019, the remote plains of Harney County, Oregon made national news. Scattered amongst groves of ponderosa pine were a handful of mutilated cattle. Six years later, locals still don't have answers.
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Government
New Washington Public Lands chief defends pause on logging ‘almost old-growth forests’
Can Washington state hold off harvesting older forests in the face of a projected $12 billion budget deficit without impacting local governments and school districts that get money from those timber sales?
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New Lands Commissioner pauses some timber sales to study mature forests
On day one, Dave Upthegrove announced he would be pausing logging sales on what the state calls “mature” forestland. Commissioner Upthegrove recently spoke with Soundside host Libby Denkmann about his plans to balance preservation with the department's mandate to fund county services through those timber sales.
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Understanding Seattle's past and present, one walk at a time
Soundside host Libby Denkmann joins author David B. Williams on a walk discussing the latest edition of his book, "Seattle Walks: Discovering History and Nature in the City."
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Politics
USAID in Seattle, Musk-opoly, and a chick off the old block
Politics right now it feels like everything is shifting all the time. KUOW Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay joins the show for this grab bag episode on trickling federal changes, Tesla legislation, and a passed down painting.
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Understanding Ozempic — how GLP-1 has changed weight loss
After just a few years on the market, a new wave of GLP-1 drugs approved for weight loss have upended what we know about obesity. Soundside spoke with Dr. David Cummings about recent data dives into the widespread use of GLP-1 medications, and what those studies tell us about how we think of obesity.
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The trade war is off—for now. What would tariffs mean for Washington?
The threat of a trade war against the United States' nearest neighbors is off for now with tariffs on Mexico and Canada paused for 30 days. The saga has rankled the historic friendship between the two countries—one with which Washington has deep ties.
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Starbucks implements open door changes as foot traffic continues to slow
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced last month that the coffee chain would be reversing its open-door policy as part of something called the “Coffee House Code of Conduct.” To discuss the changes and their impact on Starbucks' business, Soundside was joined by Julie Creswell, business reporter for the New York Times, where she covers the food industry.
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A think tank wants to accelerate cleanup at Hanford. Locals, though, aren't in a hurry
Project 2025 wants to finish cleanup at Hanford decades faster than currently expected. Soundside was joined by reporters Anna King and Jeanie Lindsay to discuss the project's strategy for dealing with Hanford's waste, and how the state is reacting to the blueprint.
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Fueling innovation, or exploitation? Trump supporters feud over future of H-1B visas
H-1B visas have drawn recent criticism from anti-immigration conservatives and pro-labor liberals. Soundside is joined by a local panel to discuss how the temporary worker system can improve, and what changes could be on the horizon.