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Soundside

Get to know the PNW and each other. Soundside airs Monday through Thursday at 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on KUOW. Listen to Soundside on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Additional Credits: Logo art is designed by Teo Popescu. Audio promotions are produced by Hans Twite. Community engagement led by Zaki Hamid. Our Director of New Content and Innovation is Brendan Sweeney.

Mission Statement:

Soundside believes establishing trust with our listeners involves taking the time to listen.

We know that building trust with a community takes work. It involves broadening conversations, making sure our show amplifies systemically excluded voices, and challenging narratives that normalize systemic racism.

We want Soundside to be a place where you can be part of the dialogue, learn something new about your own backyard, and meet your neighbors from the Peninsula to the Palouse.

Together, we’ll tell stories that connect us to our community — locally, nationally and globally. We’ll get to know the Pacific Northwest and each other.

What do you think Soundside should be covering? Where do you want to see us go next?

Leave us a voicemail! You might hear your call on-air: 206-221-3213

Share your thoughts directly with the team at soundside@kuow.org.


Join the Soundside Listener Network

Enter your number below or text SOUND to 206-926-9955 to get your questions in front of local government officials and share your thoughts on issues in the Puget Sound region. We’ll text you 1-2 prompts per week, and your response may be featured on the show!



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Episodes

  • caption: The sun radiates over Nevada.

    One option for slowing climate change? Block out the sun

    A once unthinkable solution to human caused climate change is gaining traction. And it's not more renewable energy sources or some bigger battery. No, some scientists are considering going right to the source, and blocking out a portion of the sun's rays.

  • caption: Anchors in the side of a rock face for rock climbers.

    Rock climbing could change to protect the wild — but will that make it more dangerous?

    What does it mean for land to be “wild?” It’s a question that federal land managers have thought about since the Wilderness Act of 1964, which defined wilderness as areas “...untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” Our national parks and public lands have visitor centers, fire lookouts, and other approved "installations" that help us enjoy the wild safely. But just what defines an installation has become the center of a recent debate between rock climbers and conservationists.

  • caption: A student walks through the entryway area as second-grade students returned to in-person learning at Somerset Elementary School in Bellevue on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021.

    Teachers spoke out about a gravel yard near their Mukilteo school, then came the cease-and-desist

    Teachers at an elementary school in Snohomish County say a gravel yard next to their school is disrupting classes and is a health hazard to students. Mountain Loop Mine started using the lot last year and teachers at Fairmount Elementary, which is part of Mukilteo School District, said they’re now forced to leave the windows closed or use homemade air filtration systems in classroom.

  • caption: This undated photo made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a strain of Candida auris cultured in a petri dish at a CDC laboratory.

    Four cases of rare fungus found in WA. Here's what you should know about it

    Last month the first-ever local outbreak of Candida auris, a deadly fungus, was reported in Washington State. So far, four cases of infection from the fungus have been linked to Kindred Hospital in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood. Cases of C. auris -- which was first identified in Japan in 2009 -- have risen throughout the United States since 2016.

  • caption: Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun departs after a meeting in the office of Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Part of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet was grounded following a mid-air cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight.

    What will it take for Boeing to rebuild its reputation?

    Boeing’s struggles feel a little more personal to Seattleites, and those struggles have been huge. So what does the company need to do to turn things around? And how should Boeing begin to rebuild a reputation for quality and safety, after its series of high-profile failures?

  • oil refinery fossil fuel gas carbon

    The future of Washington state's carbon auction may come down to gas prices

    Washington state Republicans hope you'll think about high gas prices when you vote this fall. A GOP-backed initiative to repeal the Climate Commitment Act -- which charges companies for emitting carbon into the atmosphere -- is likely headed to your ballot. Republicans argue it’s a misguided policy that’s been too painful for average Washingtonians filling their tanks. Democrats in Olympia are now racing to smooth out rough edges on Governor Inslee's signature environmental law – like those pesky high carbon auction prices. They’re making a case to save the law … which they argue is a necessary tool to help combat climate change.

  • seattle pride lgbtq

    Is it 'lewd' to show your nipple or wear a jockstrap at a gay bar?

    Over the weekend city and state enforcement teams inspected four Seattle gay bars. Three of those bars - The Cuff Complex, Neighbors, and The Seattle Eagle - were found to be in violation of “lewd conduct” laws. In a city where nude beaches and jockstrap kickball are acceptable, why is it lewd to work at a bar with your nipple showing?