Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest:

Mike Lewis - Journalist and owner of the Streamline Tavern in Seattle

Related stories:

• Soccer beacon Seattle shines on the World Cup stage - The Athletic
• Empty Rooms and Plunging Prices: World Cup Tourism Is Off to a Slow Start - NYT
• Public entities across the state are spending around $120 million to host the World Cup, according to a KUOW analysis - KUOW
• A huge WA immigration law firm rises and falls: The inside story - Seattle Times
• Why Did Every Starbucks Barista in Korea Have to Take a History Lesson? - NYT

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.

We’ve been having a lot of fun with the World Cup, and with Team USA taking on Australia on Friday at Seattle Stadium, things are going to be BUSY in downtown Seattle… 

But, if you’re looking to get out of the city, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with a bunch of options for your Juneteenth & Father’s Day weekend!

LINKS:

• WORLD CUP - Juneteenth Match Day
• Mariners vs Boston
• JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS
  • June 19 — Seattle, Jimi Hendrix Park
  • June 19 — Seattle, NW African American Museum
  • June 19 — Shoreline, Shoreline City Hall
  • June 19 — Tacoma, Haub Family Field
  • June 19 — Tukwila, Sullivan Center
  • June 20 — Kent, Morrill Meadows Park
  • June 20 — Lynnwood, Martha Lake Park
  • June 20/21 — Seattle, Arte Noir
• Gorge Blues and Brews
• Edmonds Arts Festival
• Marysville Strawberry Festival
• Rhubarb Days 2026
• Brinnon ShrimpFest
• Revel Revolution Women & Nonbinary Ride 2026
• Fremont Solstice Parade - Seattle
• Fremont Fair

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.

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: Melissa Santos

Related Links: 

• Displaced residents react to Upriver Fire - KHQ
• Rare black bear attack on Mount Si injures hiker, shuts down mountain - King 5
• WA falls again in national education ranking - Washington State Standard
• More Washington kids are uninsured as child well-being slips - Axios
• World Cup 2026: Tiny ‘designated protest zones’ pop up around Seattle Stadium - 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.

Have you ever taken a close look at the University Bridge? Specifically those little towers on either side?

Earlier this year, depending on which one you looked at, you might have seen a person hanging out. Maybe you waved at her.   

That was Vivian Cho. She was one of two people that Seattle picked to serve as this year’s Bridge Artists in Residence.  

It’s a program that the city runs annually. Artists are invited to hang out in a bridge tower for months, either on the Fremont or the University Bridge. At the end of these stints, they showcase art that they created during their residencies. 

Vivian's artwork went up at King Street Station in early June.... so we took a trip back to November, when we visited her in the bridge tower studio. 

Guest: Vivian Cho, one of Seattle's Bridge Artists in Residence

Related links: 

• Big News from the Bridges: Meet the 2025 Bridge Artists in Residence! - Art Beat

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 Sonia Raman, becoming head coach of a WNBA basketball team wasn’t originally in the plans.

Sure, she grew up playing the sport. But when her college career ended, she went on to earn a JD/a degree from Boston College Law School. And then, she did what many of us do: she got a regular office job.

So how do you go from working for the US Department of Labor, to starting this year as head coach for the Seattle Storm?

Guest:

• Seattle Storm head coach Sonia Raman

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.

The green card application process has become more confusing in recent weeks.

In May, the Trump administration sent out a memo saying applicants inside the U.S. would need to leave the country and apply from their home country. 

The change could have affected tens of thousands of Washington residents, some of whom have waited years to complete the last step to become a U.S. citizen.

But then, the week following that announcement – the Trump administration appeared to partially walk back the change.

The back-to-back announcements panicked many hoping to get their green cards. A lot of unanswered questions remain, so Soundside spoke with a Seattle immigration attorney about how she's working through this moment. 

Guest

• Tahmina Watson, founding immigration lawyer with Watson Immigration Law

Related Links

Actually, Most Immigrants Won’t Need to Leave U.S. to Get Green Cards, D.H.S. Says - The New York Times

Stephen Miller’s New Attack on Green-Card Applicants Is Simply a Scare Tactic - Slate

What Trump’s dramatic green card announcement means for WA - The Seattle Times

'Confusion and uncertainty.' Washington green card hopefuls react to new policy hurdle - KUOW

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.

Aurora Avenue North has been the site of escalating gun violence that police say is driven by sex trafficking.

Last week, Mayor Katie Wilson, City Attorney Erika Evans, and Council President Joy Hollingsworth held a news conference to announce next steps. 

They include using civil orders to take guns away from sex traffickers and closing side streets.

Hanging over all of this is whether the city should use stay out of areas of prostitution or SOAP law. 

Guest: 

Former Seattle City Council member and King County Superior Court Judge Cathy Moore

Relevant Links:

KUOW: How three key players view the narrative about sex work and gun violence on Aurora Avenue

Seattle Times: Seattle moves to take guns from traffickers on Aurora as mayor closes streets

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.

Burrowing Shrimp dig into the sand and make tunnels underground. In doing so they kick up about a handful of sand up to the surface everyday, and bury clams and oysters. 

That’s a problem for shellfish farmers. Researchers at the University of Washington found a new way to get rid of the pests with the help of concrete vibrators. 

Guests: 

• Jennifer Ruesink, a biology professor at the University of Washington and the senior author of a recent paper on the technique. 

• Ken Wiegardt, a 5th generation oyster grower with Jolly Roger Oysters in Willapa Bay. 

Links: 

A new method could help Washington shellfish farmers control a pesky shrimp - UW News 

Immobilization of Burrowing Shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) by Vibrocompaction as a Pest Control Strategy for Shellfish Farms -  Journal of Shellfish Research

Shellfish growers’ request to use neonicotinoid pesticide too risky for Washington’s environment - Department of Ecology of Washington State 

Jennifer L. Ruesink - University of Washington 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even in one of the U.S.'s most non-religious areas, early data suggests more people in the Seattle area are converting to Roman Catholicism.

The archdiocese of Seattle keeps tallies on catechumens, which refers to a person who will be baptized, confirmed and receive Holy Communion. In 2026, the archdiocese already reports over 1070 catechumens, across more than 130 parishes, a 17 percent increase over last year and a 40 percent increase since 2024.

We spoke with a handful of recent converts to Catholicism from around the Seattle area about why each of them converted, and what role faith plays in their lives now.


Guest

Kevin Brown, Graduate Program director and a lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at Gonzaga University. He also currently serves as the editor of the Proceedings of the Catholic Theological Society of America.   

Related Links

Roman Catholic Churches See a Surge of New Converts - The New York Times

National Rise in Catholicism Conversions Makes its Way to the Puget Sound - The Seattle Spectator

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.

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: Soundside Producer Maleeha Syed

Related Links:

• Was the World Cup win over Paraguay the best in USMNT history?
• At Gonzaga, a glimpse of Salah and a city's day of wonder
• After Somali referee denied entry, Seattle organization returns World Cup tickets
• Seattle moves to take guns from traffickers on Aurora as mayor closes streets
• WA weather: Highs in Seattle area could touch 90 on World Cup game day

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.