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It’s Thursday, and like we do every week, we like to look ahead at what there is to do over the weekend. And we do that by turning to the biggest nerd in the business, Soundside Producer Jason Burrows... LINKS: Seattle Pride in the Park Paws & Pride Dog Walk Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show NORTHWEST NOIR: NWFF's 2026 Annual Gala DubSea Fish Sticks 2026 Cascade PBS Ideas Festival Kent Nerd Party 2026 Duvall Days 2026 Anacortes Waterfront Festival Point Defiance Flower & Garden Festival The "Sound of Sunshine" Steel Orchestra Concert 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 16 years, Ada’s Technical Books in Capitol Hill was THE place to find eclectic books, grab a coffee and co-work with other folks in the neighborhood, play a game out on the street side tables, or just hang out and read a book. But like a lot of our favorite books, the ending often arrives before you’re ready, and Ada’s story is no different. The bookstore and cafe will be closing at the end of the week, and many Ada’s faithful will MOURN its loss. Ada’s was built to be a place of community that encouraged curiosity and learning. You learn a lot yourself, when you run a business for so long, and Soundside is happy to have the chance to glean wisdom from the co-owner of Ada’s Technical Books. GUEST: Danielle Hulton RELATED LINK: Capitol Hill bookstore Ada’s will close; Fuel coffee chain up for sale 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 is more than five months into a new pilot program that has been using AI to screen requested procedures for people enrolled in Medicare. It’s called the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) program, which incentivizes private companies to deny procedures. Washington lawmakers and medical professionals say the program has led to denials and delays in care for older residents. All of this is covered in a new story from KUOW that looks at the pushback to this pilot program. Guest: Stephen Howie, a senior online editor and reporter at KUOW Related links: Washington seniors face denied, delayed care under AI Medicare review program | 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.

We won’t have a full explanation for the implosion at a Longview paper processing mill for a while. The disaster left 11 people dead, and released thousands of gallons of white liquor, which is a highly corrosive chemical used to break down wood chips into pulp. The tragedy highlights the risks when people work in close proximity with large quantities of dangerous chemicals. The plant is one of several big industrial facilities in the area. Reporter Kyra Buckley looked into the pulp and paper mill industry and its safety record for Oregon Public Broadcasting. Related LinksLongview mill tragedy highlights dangerous nature of wood product manufacturing - Kyra Buckley, Oregon Public Broadcasting After Explosion, Mourning Mixes With Dread Over a Paper Mill’s Future - Anna Griffin, Aaron West The New York Times WA agencies lacked role inspecting failed chemical tank in Longview mill disaster - Washington State StandardThank 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 NetworkSee 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: David Kroman, Seattle Times city hall reporter Related stories: Bob Kettle says Mayor Wilson is legally required to turn on CCTV cameras - Seattle Times Mayor Katie Wilson pitches sales tax increase for transit - Seattle Times Giant warehouse planned for Wild Waves property in Federal Way - Federal Way Mirror Car drives onto elevated light rail tracks in Seattle - KING5 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 NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just like many other celebrities, Bill Gates has a stylist. His sweaters, button-downs and glasses are meant to portray someone calm and approachable, current and former employees say. His clothing choices show how carefully he's crafted an image as a global philanthropist, in the decades since co-founding Microsoft. But maintaining Gates’s image has become more difficult, due to persistent inquiries about his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That relationship is also affecting his major philanthropic efforts with the Seattle-based Gates Foundation.Reporter Emily Glazer investigated the mounting backlash against Bill Gates over revelations in the Epstein files and the ways Gates’s team has tried to manage his image.Guest Emily Glazer, enterprise reporter at The Wall Street Journal Related Links Bill Gates Spent Years Crafting His Image. Now It’s Cracking. - The Wall Street JournalBill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties - The Wall Street Journal Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! Right now, we're asking for listeners to give us a full review of the show. Tell us where we could improve, or what you've enjoyed at kuow.org/feedback. Also, 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 dream of light rail to Ballard just took a big hit. The Sound Transit Board voted last week on how to move forward with expanding the system and how to cover a $34 billion dollar budget shortfall over the next two decades. After a marathon voting session, the board moved forward with several major projects. Those include: finishing rail to Everett and Tacoma, building a West Seattle extension, adding a new station at Graham Street, and making a new line between Issaquah and Kirkland (though, the delivery target is now 2050). You may have heard the board did not, however, prioritize getting light rail to Ballard. Instead, under the new plan, the line will stop at Seattle Center. Guest: Seattle City Council Member Dan Strauss Relevant Links: The Urbanist: Sound Transit Board OKs Major ST3 Update, Casting Ballard into Limbo KUOW: Sound Transit board shelves Ballard extension, saves South Seattle stations Seattle Times: Ballard light rail idea rejected while Sound Transit OKs other lines Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! Right now, we're asking for listeners to give us a full review of the show. We want to know what you like, what you hate: Tell us your hot takes. kuow.org/feedback. Also, 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. GuestAngela Poe Russell, a veteran journalist and the playwright behind "Aviatrix." Related LinksSeattle Times: Seattle officials introduce bill to help residents battle gun violence Axios: Seattle's economic engine is starting to sputter Aviatrix | Seattle Public Theater Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! Right now, we're asking for listeners to give us a full review of the show. We want to know what you want from the show, so share your thoughts with us at kuow.org/feedback. Also, 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 men’s FIFA World Cup starts next week! Seattle will host six games, including one featuring the U.S. team. Soundside has discussed the politics of the World Cup, how these giant events can impact a city, and other weighty FIFA-related topics. You can find all of those conversations below. But we haven't talked about the actual game yet. Who’s playing, who’s expected to do well and could our own US team actually pull out a better-than-expected this year? Guest Leander Schaerlaecken, author, The Long Game - U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts. Related Links As the World Cup arrives in Seattle, so do the contradictions - SoundsideIs it worth it to host the World Cup? It depends. - Soundside How Good Is This World Cup Squad, Really? - The New Yorker Leander Schaerlaecken's columns for The Guardian Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! Right now, we're asking for listeners to give us a full review of the show. We want to know what you like, what you hate: Tell us your hot takes. kuow.org/feedback. Also, 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.

This case was seen as a test case for harsher enforcement by the Trump administration against protestors, and now there’s a verdict. Three anti-ICE protestors have been found guilty of federal conspiracy charges. The case had to do with a demonstration outside of the Spokane ICE office last June. The protest was part of a wave of anti-immigration actions that popped up across the country. The day after the protest in Spokane, the Trump Administration started cracking down on immigration protests by instructing prosecutors to charge non-violent demonstrators with conspiracy. So what happens now to these convicted protestors? And what does this mean for future political marches or demonstrations? Guest: Erin Sellers, reporter with RANGE Media, a media organization that covers the Inland Northwest. Related Links: Jury finds Spokane 3 protesters guilty of federal conspiracy charges - Range Media Inside the federal trial of 3 Spokane anti-ICE protesters - KUOW Conspiracy Trial Will Test Trump’s Aggressive Tactics Against Protesters - New York Times Six of the Spokane 9 accept plea deals - Range Media Prosecutors told to prioritize, publicize cases tied to Trump immigration protests - Reuters Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible!Right now, we're asking for listeners to give us a full review of the show. We want to know what you want from the show, so share your thoughts with us at kuow.org/feedback. Also, if you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotesSoundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.