Have you checked your mail today? It’s that special time, every two years, when Seattleites get 100 bucks from the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. I’m talking about democracy vouchers!

That money’s not for you, though. It’s for political candidates you want to support in November’s election. 

And it’s a big one: Not only is the Mayor up for reelection. So is the City Attorney. There are also 3 seats on the Seattle City Council in contention. 

Two of those are citywide positions, currently held by Council President Sara Nelson and brand new council member Alexis Mercedes Rinck. Both of them are seeking reelection.

The third seat is District 2, in southeast Seattle which is held by newly appointed council member Mark Solomon.

These five races are all eligible to receive campaign funding via Democracy Vouchers… 

GUEST: David Kroman | The Seattle Times

RELATED LINKS: 

• Democracy Voucher Program
• Participating Candidates
• Have democracy vouchers delivered on their promise to make Seattle elections fairer?

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 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has made clear he has no intention of changing course based on one of the new directives from the Trump Administration.

Earlier this month, the Department of Education issued a so-called Dear Colleague letter, which stated that any institutions receiving federal funds from that Department would be required to eliminate all race-based programs – including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs – or risk losing federal funds.  Washington’s K-12 schools receive 7 percent of their funding from the Department of Education.

Reykdal responded with his own letter last week, stating in part that he has: “Advised Washington’s school districts that they should not make changes to their existing policies, practices, and programming in accordance with this letter.”

Guest:

• Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal

Relevant Links:

• KUOW: 'We are not going backward.' Washington schools chief tells districts to maintain DEI programs despite Trump threat
• Seattle Times: WA superintendent tells schools to stand firm on ‘race-based’ programs 

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.

Today marks the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

More than 500 Ukrainians and supporters gathered this weekend in Downtown Seattle to show solidarity and share their fears about Ukraine’s future.

The third anniversary of the war comes as President Donald Trump has mused over upending America’s commitment to Ukraine’s defense.

U.S and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia last week for bilateral talks, including discussion of the future of Ukraine. Notably absent at the table – anyone from Ukraine.

Trump also falsely said last week that Ukraine started the war – which began with Russia’s invasion.  

And in a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Ukraine's President, Volodomir Zelenskyy, of being a “dictator without elections” - writing, “Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”

The dramatic shift in rhetoric from the U.S. has left European leaders and Ukranians scrambling to understand what will happen next.

Guests:

• KUOW producer Natalie Akane Newcomb

• Dr. Lena Surzhko Harned, an associate teaching professor of Political Science at Pennsylvania State University. She is also the associate director and a faculty affiliate of the Public Policy Initiative at Penn State Behrend.

Related links:

• In pushing for Ukraine elections, Trump is falling into Putin-laid trap to delegitimize Zelenskyy - The Conversation

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.

KUOW has uncovered a controversial period in the life of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell -- one that he's rarely discussed in public.

In 1996, while at a casino in Iowa, Harrell brandished a gun in a late-night confrontation over a parking spot. Harrell was arrested over the incident before the charges were dismissed five months later.

He says he was racially profiled in the events leading up to the arrest.

KUOW’s reporting is the first local coverage of Mayor Harrell’s run-in with the law. It comes at an important moment because this year, Harrell is up for reelection.

The reporting on the incident comes from KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko, who joined Soundside to share her reporting. 

Guests:

• Ashley Hiruko, KUOW investigative reporter

Related Links: 

• KUOW - Seattle Mayor Harrell was arrested in 1996 for pulling gun during parking lot confrontation

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.

Wednesday on Soundside, host Libby Denkmann asked if your shopping habits had changed in recent months.

Recent polling by the Guardian found that a large portion of Americans have changed where they're purchasing due to their political affiliations or beliefs.

Have you changed where you spend cash based on the political situation? 

Lots of you responded, and Soundside shares your comments.

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.

If you enjoy skiing, you probably know it takes more than just some skis, boots and poles to slide down a hill. 

It also takes money, sometimes a lot of it. 

Tickets at Washington's big ski resorts run from $65 to $150 a day. 

That's not the case at Badger Mountain ski area in Central Washington. There, the price is a mere $15 a day. 

That's because the hill is a nonprofit entirely run by volunteers. 

Alex Rochester, KUOW's digital community outreach coordinator and resident skier, headed up to Badger Mountain to find out how this community keeps skiing ALIVE, in this report which originally aired in March 2023.

Related Links:

• Volunteers keep skiing affordable at Badger Mountain

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 the end of the week, and the first time in a while where there’s not a Super Bowl, Valentine, or President’s Day to keep you busy. 

If you’re searching for something to keep you occupied this weekend, you’re in the right place. 

Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here in the nick of time to give you all the highlights… 

LINKS: 

• Between Two Worlds - David Lynch Musical Tribute
• The REAL Twin Peaks Fest in North Bend
• Black Restaurant Week
• Lunar New Year Celebration | Seattle Chinatown-International District
• Black Art Takeover - Northwest African American Museum
• Winter Mead Festival at Skål Beer Hall
• Almost Live! (Almost an Exhibit)

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.

DEI policies – short for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – have been in the crosshairs since President Donald Trump arrived back in the White House.

Many corporations have been proactively choosing to downsize their DEI programs or eliminate them completely. But one company is facing a unique level of backlash: Target. 

The retail giant announced last month it would eliminate multiple DEI projects, including hiring goals, and its Racial Equity Action and Change program which focused on investing in and carrying products from Black and minority-owned businesses.

Critics of these moves have been calling for boycotts of the red bullseye but it may end up hurting those businesses Target has helped. 

Guests:

• Timeka Tounsel, Associate Professor of Black Studies in Communication at the University of Washington. 

Relevant Links: 

• Black faith leaders call for Target boycott for backing off diversity initiatives
• Target retreated on DEI. Then came the backlash
• In age of racial reckoning, Ralph Lauren partners with Morehouse and Spelman grads on vintage Black fashion styles

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.

KEXP DJ Tory J (AKA Tory Johnston) is the co-host of Sounds of Survivance, a show featuring indigenous artists from all over the world. 

Johnston explains how he ended up feeling inspired to host the show, why he feels it's important to showcase these artists, and he plays some of the incredible music that can be heard on his show. 

Guest:

• Tory Johnston (DJ Tory J), host of Sounds of Survivance on KEXP. 

Related Links: 

• Sounds of Survivance
• Samantha Crain
• Liv Rion

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 hasn’t even been a month since President Donald Trump was sworn into office, but the sudden and drastic changes he – and Elon Musk – have ordered are being felt at every level of the federal government.  

Thousands of federal workers got notice over the weekend that they were being terminated – in departments ranging from the U.S. Forest Service to the CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

The judiciary has slowed some of the biggest Trump moves, like ending birthright citizenship or withholding billions in federal funding. But the President’s nominees have been largely confirmed and Musk personnel mostly continue to have access to critical government systems. 

So what can the Democratic Party do to put guardrails around this administration?

Guest: 

• US Representative Rick Larsen (Washington State’s 2nd Congressional District since 2001)

Links: 

• Rep. Larsen's 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.