Americans are reading less for pleasure these days.

That’s according to research from the University of Florida and University College London. And it’s not a little dip - we’re talking a 40% drop in daily leisure reading for people 15 and older over the past two decades. 

This shift is especially prevalent for specific groups, like Black Americans, people with lower incomes, and people in rural areas.  

We dug deeper into the findings from this study... and took a closer look at Seattle's reading habits. 

Guest:

• Jill Sonke, co-director of the EpiArts Lab at the University of Florida.

• Brooke Bosley, co-founder of the Black Futures Book Club.

• Spencer Ruchti, author events manager for Third Place Books.

Related stories

• Reading for pleasure in free fall: New study finds 40% drop over two decades News | University of Florida
• Fewer People Are Reading for Fun, Study Finds - The New York 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.

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It’s been quite a week for one Seattle scientist, after getting an unexpected late-night call from a Swedish phone number last week.

That call turned out to bring good news: Dr. Mary Brunkow is sharing this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

She’s being honored for research she did decades ago; work that would eventually loom large in developing ways to treat autoimmune disease and cancer.

We’ve asked Dr. Brunkow to reflect a bit on what that work looks like in hindsight, and what it means to share this honor…

GUEST: Dr. Mary Brunkow

RELATED LINKS:

• She didn’t believe she won the Nobel — until a photographer showed up at her Seattle door 
• Mary E. Brunkow – Facts – 2025 - NobelPrize.org 
• UW alum awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine – Be Boundless

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.

Two candidates are running to represent Southeast Seattle, including Beacon Hill, the Chinatown-International District, Columbia City, and Rainier Beach.

The District 2 seat was left vacant earlier this year when former City Councilmember Tammy Morales left the role. It’s being temporarily filled by Interim Councilmember Mark Solomon, but he’s going to step aside once voters decide which candidate they want to represent their community. 

The current candidates for District 2 are campaigning on platforms that prioritize key issues, like gun violence, housing and homelessness.

We'll dig into the ways they differ so you can make an informed decision when you reach for your ballots.  

Guests:

• Adonis Ducksworth, the communications and policy advisor at the Seattle Department of Transportation
• Eddie Lin, an assistant attorney for the Seattle City Attorney’s office

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 open this weekend's warmup with a fun chat about the TASVEER FILM FESTIVAL. 

Soundside's Libby Denkmann spoke with Tasveer Executive Director Rita Meher about what everyone can expect for this year's festival, and what exciting things they've got coming soon!

Then producer Jason Burrows takes it away with the standard issue warmup.

LINKS:

• Tasveer Film Festival
• SPORTS!
  • Mariners vs Tigers - Game 5 - Fri 10/10 5:08p
  • Seattle Reign - Fri 10/10 vs Bay FC
  • UW Husky Men’s Football - FRI 10/10 vs Rutgers
  • Seattle Sounders - SAT 10/11 vs Real Salt Lake
  • Seattle Kraken - Sat 10/11 vs LV Golden Knights
• Love Letters writing workshop
• Roller Boogie at Pier 66
• 2025 Cascadia Poetry Festival 9
• Cider 'n' Gold
• HAUNTED - Tacoma Art Museum
• Seattle Meowtropolitan  - Pumpkin Carving
• Halloween Train

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.

Vocal pro-Palestinian protests have been happening within one of the Seattle area’s biggest industries. Groups of tech workers at various companies have campaigned to end their employer’s relationships with the Israeli government. One such group, called No Azure for Apartheid, has occupied the Microsoft campus and disrupted corporate events.  

Guests:

Hossam Nasr - former Microsoft employee and organizer with No Azure for Apartheid

Relevant Links:

The Guardian: Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its technology in mass surveillance of Palestinians

Geekwire: Inside the Microsoft protests: Fired engineer speaks out on Palestine, Israel, AI, and big tech

KUOW: Microsoft employees protest company’s contract with Israeli intelligence organization

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 news hit like a gulp of bitter cold brew: Seattle-based Starbucks announced last month the company would be closing hundreds of stores and laying off another 900 corporate employees. 

Tuesday, October 7th, it was reported that another 369 employees will be laid off here in Washington State in December due to store “closures.”

This follows a restructuring plan laid out by CEO Brian Niccol.

Here to walk us through the latest out of SBUX HQ is Heather Haddon. She covers restaurants for the Wall Street Journal, and has been following this story all year.

GUEST: Heather Haddon

RELATED LINKS: 

• Starbucks’s Roller Coaster Week of Job Cuts and Store Closures

• Starbucks to Close Stores, Lay Off 900 More Corporate Employees  

• Has Your Starbucks Barista Been Acting Especially Friendly Lately? Here’s Why.  

• Message from Brian: An Important Update - About Starbucks 

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 two years since Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups carried out multiple coordinated attacks in Israel - killing over a thousand people. Around 250 Israelis were taken hostage. 

It was a day of unconscionable atrocities and hatred. And war has only made the horrors grow. Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to the United Nations. Last month the United Nations Human Rights Commission declared that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.

Locally we see a lot of activism around America’s support for Israel and American business’  involvement in Israel and Gaza. 

But, what do things look like inside Israel right now?

And will a ceasefire, if it happens, or the return of hostages, change the picture in Israel?

Guest:

• Liora Halperin is a Professor of International Studies and History, and Distinguished Endowed Chair of Jewish Studies, at the University of Washington, and she’s the Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Near and Middle Eastern Studies.

Related stories:

• Israel at War With Itself - 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.

Wildfire smoke is deadly and getting deadlier. A recent study published in Nature estimates that if warming continues at the current rate, smoke exposure could kill 70,000 Americans a year by 2050… and researchers expect that Washington could feel some of the biggest impacts. 

Some researchers say the study points to some of the strongest evidence so far that climate change is endangering people in the United States. Smoke pollution can cause coughing and throat irritation, but it can also lead to long-term respiratory and heart issues. 

The West Coast in particular is expected to see the biggest increases in smoke pollution. 

So we’re bringing you another “ask a doctor” segment, where we ask medical professionals to give us the information we need to stay healthy. 

GUEST: Dr. James Wallace, a family medicine physician and the health officer for Okanogan County. 

RELATED LINKS: 

• Wildfire Smoke Will Kill Thousands More by 2050, Study Finds
• The Fifth Season — Clean Air Methow
• Telling the story of wildfire smoke risks
• Washington Smoke Blog

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.

In a bid to make progress on homelessness during the pandemic, Seattle began housing people in a shelter at the Civic Hotel, just a few blocks from the Space Needle. The space offered wraparound services and, unlike some other shelters, didn’t require its clients to be sober. 

And all in all, it seemed like things were going pretty well.

Then Seattle stopped sending people there. Rooms were empty, despite the fact that the city had committed millions of dollars to keep using the building.

A new investigation digs into why the city stopped using the Civic Hotel… and the complicated journey to finding a replacement. 

Guest:

• Ashley Hiruko, an investigative reporter at KUOW and a fellow with ProPublica. 

Related stories:

• KUOW - Seattle paid for shelter beds that it left vacant despite a massive need for housing

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.

Seattle Public Schools have only been back in session for about a month, but it’s already been a busy year for the district. 

We wanted to get caught up on what’s been happening, so we reached out to Interim Superintendent Fred Podesta for a conversation last week. 

We talked with him about school lunch protests, the budget, and a proposed pilot program to bring a school engagement officer back to one Seattle high school. 

Guest

Fred Podesta, interim superintendent, Seattle Public Schools

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.