Soundside

Opponents of I-638 sue to stop ban on trans girls in girls' school sports

The inevitable court challenge to I-638 is here. That initiative bars trans girls from playing girls K-12 sports in Washington. It passed with over 55 percent of the vote

SPS Superintendent Shuldiner on classroom tech policy and school mergers

Starting today, no more Minecraft in most Seattle classrooms. It’s part of a technology overhaul that includes new limits on YouTube and AI chatbots. We catch up with SPS

For Jayapal, Trump impeachment is a risky strategy when Dems take congress

Democrats are still basking in the glow of their sweeping electoral wins. You have to go back a half a century, to the post-Watergate era, to find a similar landslide vic

A post Election Day roundup with Soundside and Sound Politics

The Soundside and Sound Politics teams broke down the biggest takeaways from Election Day. They dug into the initial results on ballot initiatives, national races and mor

As WA faces ballooning liability costs, legislative clash brews

In the 2026 fiscal year alone, the state paid out over $600 million in judgements, settlements and legal costs. It’s an issue that goes way beyond dollars on a spreadshee

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson on homelessness, grocery stores and the city budget

Every month, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson sits down with Soundside to discuss the latest news and answer your questions. This month: Housing policy, the budget, the search

As energy rates rise, Kitsap voters consider leaving PSE

Kitsap County relies on Puget Sound Energy for it's electricity. The private, investor owned utility is looking at a 30% rate increase over the next three years. So, the

Introducing: Ai Yai AI! The biggest headlines in AI

We are bombarded every day with headlines about the latest in artificial intelligence.  There’s a battle between AI doomers: the people warning of the technology’s capa

Trans girls in sports, on the ballot. The arguments for and against I-638.

This year, Washington voters will decide if they want to ban transgender girls from participating in girls' sports. Initiative 638 has become one of the state's most cont

The access question at the center of WA's parents bill of rights initiative

Washington voters will weigh in on three initiatives this year: a repeal of the high earners income tax, a ban on trans girls competing in K-12 girl's sports, and a Paren

The battle happening on Snohomish County's ballot

What's going on with Snohomish County's charter proposals? Five proposals to amend the county charter are on the ballot this year. The usually sleepy process has gotten m

City Attorney Erika Evans on "Connection Court" and public safety approach on Aurora

Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans is nearly one year on the job. Just this week, she announced a new sentencing alternative “Connections Court.” Her office has also been

As PAC money pours in, two Democrats fight to represent the Eastside

One of the closest races in Washington’s elections this year is between two Democrats on the Eastside. Following a “no” vote on Washington’s millionaires tax in March,

Don't call her 'abolitionist': Seattle's CARE Chief Amy Barden on what unarmed response should look like

Seattle has three public safety departments. You probably know about the police and fire department, but the city also manages the Community Assisted Response and Engagem

Renton is considering whether to keep Flock cameras. The clock is ticking.

In Renton, a heated fight over whether to keep Flock cameras mirrors the national angst people are feeling about surveillance, government, and big tech. These license pla

Close races in Northwest states show interesting fault lines in the electorate

Washington has two neighboring states with very close races on very issues that show interesting fault lines in the electorate. In deep blue Oregon, Democratic Governor T

WA state Supreme Court races are usually sleepy affairs. Not this year.

Listeners, it's time to lock in on the races for the Washington Supreme Court. Why? Five out of nine seats are up for grabs, a rare number of seas. We’re expecting some p

The push, and pushback, to getting RVs off of Seattle's streets

Seattle could change the rules for parking RVs in the city. The councilmember pushing for this change is hoping it will eventually get them off the streets and people con

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda on King County’s response to Medicaid cuts

Massive federal cuts to Medicaid are playing out here in King County. 4,000 lawfully present immigrants lost their coverage this month, and over 200,000 more could see th

The debate over WA's millionaires tax

The fate of the high earners income tax, sometimes called the “Millionaire’s Tax," is in the hands of Washington voters. This year, Democrats in Olympia passed a nearly 1