The Trump Administration is poised to slap worldwide tariffs on friend and foe alike…. Sending Wall Street reeling today.

And the president’s crackdown on unauthorized immigration has arrived in Washington, with the first big ICE raid of a workplace in our state in Bellingham. 

There’s plenty of news out of D.C. hitting home for Western Washington, and joining Soundside host Libby Denkmann the view from congress is Pramila Jayapal. She represents WA’s 7th congressional District, including most of Seattle.

GUEST: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA 7th District)

RELATED LINK: 

• Immigration officials raid Bellingham roofing company, arresting 37 | The Seattle Times

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Seattle has tried, and is still actively trying, many different approaches to addiction treatment: law enforcement diversion programs, housing first, medication assisted treatment, drug court, outreach work, the list goes on.

Now, the city has added another attempt to that list by piloting a new program that aims to get people into treatment faster by expanding access to private rehabs. 

Guest:

• David Kroman, Seattle Times city hall reporter

Related stories:

• Seattle pilot program expands access to private substance use treatment - 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

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50 years ago, on Friday, April 4th 1975, two guys from Seattle launched a software company in a  strip mall in Albuquerque NM..

That business would soon relocate to Redmond, Washington… and those Lakeside kids, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, did all right. The Windows operating system would go on to dominate the personal computer industry. 

Today, Microsoft is one of the most profitable companies in the world. And its presence laid the groundwork for the Puget Sound region as a hub for engineering and technical talent.

The path to where we are now had some bumps: Antitrust problems, and product flops. But after 5 decades the company endures, and thrives – as one of the biggest players in the emerging AI space. 

Holding onto that status, and figuring out the next big thing in the tech world, isn’t easy.

In light of the big 50-milestone, KUOW labor and economy reporter Monica Nickelsburg recently sat down with Microsoft’s vice chair and president Brad Smith to discuss the past, and the future, of the company.

Guest:

• Monica Nickelsburg, KUOW labor and economy reporter and co-host of the Booming podcast

Related Links:

• Booming - KUOW
• Tax the rich? Not so fast, say Microsoft, other Washington state businesses - KUOW
• Microsoft turns 50: A look back at everything from the Altair to the Zune - NPR

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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You’ve maybe heard that Washington state’s operating budget has a big hole… in the 12 to 15 billion dollar range?

Well, that’s not the only fiscal crater lawmakers are trying to fill.

The transportation budget is underfunded by around $1 billion dollars right now, with a bigger deficit projected down the road, if nothing changes.

Lawmakers say that would put the brakes on a lot of big projects, including maintenance and highway construction on I-5 and I-90.

A blueprint to fill the budget gap passed the state Senate over the weekend. 

The proposal would increase the gas tax by 6 cents. 

There are also a bevy of smaller taxes and fees on the table: they could affect you if you ride ferries, drive on 520, go to big concerts, and much more.

Guest:

Senator Marko Liias, represents Washington’s 21st legislative district and is chair of the Senate Transportation Committee

Links:

WA State Standard: WA state Senate OKs gas tax hike and budget built on billions of new taxes

Seattle Times: WA transportation budget lays out options: All cuts or new taxes, fees 

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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President Trump is readying new tariffs that will reportedly be his most aggressive trade policy move yet. 

The White House is ready to move PAST a scandal involving the Administration’s top national security officials discussing war plans on the encrypted messaging app Signal. 

And meanwhile, Democrats are facing anger from their own voters who are deeply displeased with how the party is responding to Trump and his policies. 

One Seattle-area Democrat has emerged as a high profile critic of the direction of his party – he says things need to change. And he’s catching flack from the left for some of his recent interviews.

That’s Congressman Adam Smith.

Guest:

• Adam Smith represents Washington’s 9th congressional district. It includes parts of Seattle, Bellevue, Renton, Kent and Federal Way. He’s also the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee

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As a resident of a state, you are guaranteed certain rights by your state constitution. In Washington, for example, we have a right to religious freedom and free elections. Oregon is looking at guaranteeing the right for all citizens to live in a healthy environment  – including a stable climate. The state legislature is debating whether to have voters weigh in on the change. 

If that guarantee does pass, it would allow state residents to sue Oregon if they are denied this right. And it would become part of an international effort to hold governments legally liable for accelerating climate change. 

Guest:

Alex Baumhardt, reporter at Oregon Capital Chronicle 

Relevant Links:

Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregonians ask Legislature to let voters decide on constitutional right to healthy climate

Oregon Capital Chronicle: U.S. Supreme Court declines to revive landmark climate suit brought by young Oregonians

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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The Washington State Legislature is in the process of hammering out the  transportation budget, which is estimated to have a BILLION dollar shortfall over the next two years. according to Transportation Committee Chairman Senator Marko Liias.

Down in Olympia, both the House and Senate have each been working on their own respective bills aimed at addressing the funding gap to get things like highway infrastructure built and maintained… 

One provision in the Senate’s bill – which passed on Saturday – has raised alarms for folks in the business of selling E-Bikes.

Soundside host Libby Denkmann is joined by Seattle Bike Blog editor & founder, Tom Fucoloro to talk about why E-Bike shop owners aren't excited about the current proposal.

GUEST: Tom Fucoloro

RELATED LINKS:

• Already facing uncertainty from Trump’s tariff threats, an e-bike tax ‘would be awful’ for Washington’s struggling bike shops – Seattle Bike Blog
• State Budget Proposals Focus on Highway Expansion in Both Chambers - The Urbanist
• WA may be getting new highways — for cyclists | The Seattle Times 
• SB 5801 Washington State Legislature

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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Bellevue-based startup OneCourt says its devices enable the “first tactile sports broadcasts." The goal is to give a deeper game experience for sports fans who are visually impaired, and to deliver it in real time. 

A social media influencer recently went viral when he took the tablet for a spin at a Trailblazers game. Portland was the first NBA team to provide OneCourt devices at every home game, but more have followed. And OneCourt's goal is to see its devices at every major sporting event in the world. 

Guests:

Kunal Mehta and Jerred Mace from OneCourt

Related Links: 

OneCourt website

Blind guy welcoming accessibility to the NBA on a new level

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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The fight over fluoride in drinking water is not new – it’s been around ever since public programs began in the 1940s.

But now, there is a push to end fluoridation programs. United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr has criticized fluoridation, claiming it contributes to a host of afflictions, including bone cancer and thyroid disease. 

Around the country, some areas are taking actions to end fluoridation. 

Last week, Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water. That is slated to take effect on May 7th. 

Here in Washington, the southwestern cities of Camas and Longview are both considering banning fluoride.

Guest:

• Dr. Charlotte Lewis is a pediatrician at Seattle’s Children's Hospital. She’s also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine,  where her work is focused on increasing access to dental care and expanding pediatricians' understanding and involvement in oral health.

Relevant Links:

• Utah Becomes First State to Ban Fluoride in Public Water - NYT
• Longview City Council looking to 'punt' fluoride decision to voters - Lower Columbia Currents
• Camas could be the first community in Washington to remove fluoride from drinking water - The Columbian

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 the United States, immigrants do not have the right to legal representation in the same way American citizens do. But it’s a different story for children who come to this country alone, thanks to the federally funded Unaccompanied Children Program. It provides legal representation to more than 26,000 children by contracting with non-profit legal aid organizations throughout the country.

On March 21, the Trump Administration sent out a stop-work notice that some organizations are calling a near-termination of the program. The move means children as young as toddlers may be expected to represent themselves in very complicated immigration hearings. In response, a number of organizations that assist kids in the immigration system sued the Trump Administration.\

Thousands of unaccompanied minors have been placed with sponsors across the Pacific Northwest over the past decade, and the ending of contracts supporting them will have very real impacts on people and courts in our region.

Guests:

• Matt Adams, Legal Director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

Related Links: 

• Trump Administration Halts Funding for Legal Representation of Migrant Children
• Coalition of more than 100 Legal Organizations Denounce Government’s Termination of Unaccompanied Kids Program
• White House reportedly halts funding for legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children

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.