A harried emergency room doctor rushes between patients; his waiting room is filled to the brim with sick and injured people, he’s dodging a RAT infestation, all while overseeing a new crop of residents getting up to speed on their ER rotation.

AND oh yes… sparring with a hospital administrator who’s reminding him: He needs to get those patient satisfaction scores up.

It’s all in the day in the life of Dr. Robby of “The Pitt,” the fictional Pittsbourgh Emergency Department at the heart of HBO’s buzzy new streaming show.

The show has received praise from medical pros, and close readings from fans who say it portrays the financial pressure of ERs in a new and compelling way.

One of those fans is the host and creator of the "An Arm and A Leg" podcast - a show about the cost of healthcare in America, co-produced with KFF Health News and distributed in partnership with KUOW. 

GUEST: Dan Weismann

RELATED LINKS:

• An Arm and A Leg Podcast
• A Real-Life ER Doctor Examines The Pitt 
• ‘The Pitt’ Has Impressed Real Doctors With Its Accuracy - The New York Times
• 'The Pitt' Wins Praise From Pittsburgh ER Staff for Being 'Most Realistic'
• "ER" Sues "The Pitt"

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 now, members of Seattle's political establishment have been trying to fix one particular street corner: 12th and Jackson, in Little Saigon. This corner is an example of what city leaders call "hot spots" — tiny sections of the city that are home to disproportionate amounts of crime and disorder.

A report by the city last year found there were more than a hundred crimes targeting people and overdoses - mainly from fentanyl - at or around 12th and Jackson over a one-year period.

And it's been this way for years. Leaving residents and business owners in this historically Asian-American community begging for help from the city.

KUOW's Will James wanted to know: What's driving the crisis on display at 12th and Jackson? Why has it persisted for so long? And is there a solution to these problems that seem so intractable?

Will spent months visiting this corner and getting to know some of the people who congregate there, trying to answer these questions.

Read the full story: Fentanyl fuels a persistent ‘hot spot’ at Seattle’s 12th and Jackson. What will it take to fix it?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pride is one of the events of the summer here in Seattle.

Thousands of people gather in the city throughout the month of June for parties, themed events, and of course a huge parade celebrating and elevating the LGBTQIA+ community here in the Pacific Northwest.

But this year, those events may look a little different. And that may be due to pressure from the other Washington.

In his first few months in office, President Trump has called for an end to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in both the public and private sector..

He’s also pushed forward multiple executive orders focused on limiting the rights of transgender Americans, including access to healthcare.

Now, Pride organizations across the country are seeing a decline in sponsorship dollars as they prepare for this year’s events.

Guests:

• Egan Orion, Executive Director of Seattle PrideFest
• Patti Hearn, Executive Director of Seattle Pride
• Danni Askini, Executive Director Gender Justice League and Trans Pride Seattle

Related Links:

• Seattle PrideFest website
• Seattle Pride website
• Trans Pride Seattle 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.

Certain names linger on the lips of ardent Seattle fans who still rock Supersonics Green & Gold:

Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Detlef Schrempf and Nate McMillan. Ray Allen and Kevin Durant… Players who evoke wistfulness and nostalgia. 

Other names bring notes of bitterness, and regret for Sonics faithful:

Howard Schultz. The man who sold the team…  And Clay Bennett – the man who bought them and soon moved them to Oklahoma City.

The team pulled up stakes 16 years, five months, and 12 days ago … but who's counting? 

Why are many Seattle-ites still hung up on the team that broke their hearts nearly two decades ago? And what REALLY went wrong to make Seattle lose its NBA franchise?

Most lifelong fans could spin their version of events … but the one we’re asking also happens to be an award-winning journalist and the host of a podcast called “Sonic Boom: How Seattle Lost its Team.” 

The show was recently re-released by The Ringer, and it remains relevant for anyone who wants to understand the history of the NBA in Seattle and when and how the Sonics could return.

GUEST: Jordan Ritter Conn - Senior Staff Writer at The Ringer

RELATED LINKS:

• Sonic Boom: How Seattle Lost Its Team - The Ringer
• SuperSonics | 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.

Trapped in the never ending cycle of, “what do YOU want to do? I dunno, what do YOU want to do?”

Well, the weekend is nigh, and Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with everything YOU need to enjoy your time away from work…

LINKS:

• Scott Shoemaker’s :Probed! – Intiman Theatre
• Rick Steves, Ann Powers, J. Kenji López-Alt, and Pedro the Lion — Live Wire Radio
• Roméo et Juliette | April 11 - 20, 2025
• Record Store Day - Seattle Stores
• SIFF & Stitch - Labyrinth
• Free Oral Cancer Screening - UW Red Square

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.

More than 500 law firms across the United States have signed a legal brief supporting Perkins Coie in a fight against President Trump.

The Seattle-based law firm was targeted last month by the Trump Administration with a sweeping Executive Order. The order directs the federal government, in almost all cases, to not hire Perkins Coie or use contractors associated with the firm. 

This is just one of the law firms that has recently been targeted by Trump, mostly due to past actions or associations that the President disagrees with. 

And not all firms are fighting back. 

Guest:

Defense attorney and Serious Trouble co-host Ken White

Related Links: 

Inside the Law Firm That Decided to Fight Back Against Trump’s Attack

Judge Halts Trump Order Targeting Law Firm Perkins Coie

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.

“Patient A,” as she is identified in court documents, artificially conceived a child at the University of California San Francisco Center for Reproductive Health. 

She had carefully selected the sperm donor – it was the same one used for her other child. 

But she later found out through a genetic database and a private investigator that the doctor who oversaw the procedure, Christopher Herndon, had allegedly used his own sperm in the insemination. 

By the time "Patient A" learned what he had done, Herndon was practicing in Seattle and would continue to practice for five months after Patient A filed a complaint with the state medical commission. 

The case highlights the complicated balance between patients rights and due process for doctors. 

Guest:

Katie Campbell, KUOW editor and reporter

Relevant Links:

KUOW - A Seattle doctor was investigated for fertility fraud. The case highlights tension between patient, physician rights

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago, Washington found itself at the leading edge of a once-in-a-century pandemic. The rapid spread of COVID, and the lockdowns that followed, shaped our communities, our health and our work for years to come.

In this hour long special, we reflect on how the pandemic changed our region and how its effects still show up in our every day lives.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The price of eggs is the talk of the town, and has been, for months. Earlier this year, a dozen eggs could cost you up to eight dollars a carton. Today, you can find them for cheaper. However, farmers continue to deal with the leading cause of that high price tag: the avian flu.

To get a local perspective on the disease and the strain it’s putting on egg production, we reached out to a few Washington state poultry farmers. 

Guests:

Jennie Watkins, owner of Ananda Hills Farm & Fibers

John Bellow, owner of SpringRain Farm & Orchard

Related Links: 

Bird flu is taking a massive toll on wild animals, researchers find

Bird flu kills sandhill cranes in northern Indiana

Bird flu Q&A: What to know to help protect yourself and your pets

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.

Amazon is taking a crack at satellite internet. 

On Wednesday, the Seattle based tech company plans to launch the first 27 satellites of Project Kuiper. The company bills this as the start of a “constellation” of satellites providing internet all over the world. 

In all, it plans to launch more than 3,000 satellites by 2029. 

Amazon is trying to take market share from Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has dominated the satellite internet industry since it came online in 2019.

Guest:

Jonathan O’Callaghan - Science journalist who covers space for Scientific American, NYT, the BBC, and Nature.

Relevant Links:

MIT Technology Review: Amazon is about to go head to head with SpaceX in a battle for satellite internet dominance

GeekWire: Amazon and ULA get set to launch batches of satellites for Project Kuiper network

SciAm: The Risky Rush for Mega Constellations

SciAm: The FCC’s Approval of SpaceX’s Starlink Mega Constellation May Have Been Unlawful

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.