Front Page: TSA funding, the future of mail-in ballots, and the Crosslake Connection

The King County Council has made some moves lately to limit federal immigration enforcement within the county. Last week, council expanded on Executive Girmay Zahilay’s order that bars ICE and other agencies from using county property to make arrests . And earlier in the month, the council passed an emergency moratorium on new ICE detention facilities. Those include holding centers for people awaiting deportation.  How much of an impact will these new laws have against the administration’s push for detention and deportation?  Guests: King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda King County Councilmember Jorge Barón  Relevant Links:  KUOW: King County bans immigration detention facilities, joining other Western Washington cities Seattle Times: King County Council votes to ban ICE from county property  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: Austin Jenkins, national reporter covering tech policy in the states for Pluribus News, now part of State Affairs and host of Inside Olympia RELATED LINKSTrump signs a new executive order on voting. Experts say he lacks the authorityWATCH: Rejected: WA SOS will not process referendum to repeal income tax lawWashington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minorsWashington’s space economy powers the Artemis II moonshot 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.

Late last year, an atmospheric river caused devastating flooding across Western Washington.  Today, some estimate the region-wide damages may be over a billion dollars.  For parts of Whatcom County, it was the second major flood in less than five years. And they are looking for solutions. New reporting from the New York Times highlights how communities around the Nooksack River are debating how to mitigate damage from future flooding:  Dredge the river of sediment now? Or attempt a more ambitious plan to return the river to its natural state? In many ways the conversation pits farmers’ and homeowners’ concerns against environmental advocacy and tribal rights.  GUEST: Bernard Mokam is a news assistant for the New York Times LINK: As Northwest Flooding Worsens, Conflicting Interests Stymie Solutions 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.

“Learn to Code.” A decade ago that slogan was everywhere as computer programming was seen as a job that not only paid well, but almost guaranteed job security, especially in a tech hub like Seattle.  But in the last four years, more than 700,000 tech workers have been laid off.  And while overhiring during the pandemic, and rising interest rates, are believed to have sparked most of these layoffs, another issue is changing coding forever – artificial intelligence.  GUEST: Clive Thompson is a tech and science writer who recently spoke with more than 70 software developers for the New York Times magazine about how AI is reshaping the future. The piece is called “Coding After Coders: The End of Computer Programming as We Know It”  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.

A couple years ago, Seattle passed a law to pay delivery drivers more for their labor.  The policy guaranteed these gig workers minimum compensation. The idea was to protect people working for apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash.  …. And it stirred up some big reactions.   Delivery companies protested the change. Restaurant owners said the policy hurt business. And some City Councilmembers considered rolling the law back just a few months after it went into effect.  After all that fuss…. researchers have found that the pay for these drivers hasn’t actually changed that much. Guest:  Andrew Garin, an Associate Professor of Economics at Carnegie Mellon University.  Related links: KUOW - Seattle's gig worker law was supposed to boost pay. It did at first, until orders dropped Wage standard for Seattle delivery drivers at an impasse | The Seattle Times KUOW - Seattle has a new gig worker minimum wage. Who's benefiting and who's footing the bill? 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: Congresswoman Suzan DelBene RELATED LINKS:  House GOP leaders push DHS funding bill through May TSA Pay to Resume, but ICE Could Remain at Airports, Homan Says Trump Renews Energy Site Threats After Claiming Progress in Peace Talks 'A lot of votes may not count': Supreme Court appears ready to upend WA mail-in ballot rules for federal races by November 2026 Huge Crowds Turn Out To Finally Ride Light Rail Across Lake Washington 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 Opening Day at T-Mobile Park. In just hours, Mariners fans will be back in the stands, ready to cheer on the team as they look to improve on last year’s record-breaking playoff run. The M’s won the AL West, but fell agonizingly short of the World Series…  It’s an interesting feeling, being a Mariners fan right now. First of all, our nachos float in a souvenir ferry boat container. SECONDLY, our expectations are really high! Gone are the days of the tried and true “well, hopefully we’ll make the playoffs.” NOW, the faithful are expecting greatness, we’ve SEEN how good this team can be, and we’re ready for more…  Here to either temper our expectations -or- bolster our enthusiasm, maybe even make us a bit delusional, is editor-in-chief of Lookout Landing GUEST: Kate Preusser RELATED LINKS:  Mariners Opening Weekend Opening Day Power Rankings If it all goes right | Lookout Landing  If it all goes wrong | Lookout Landing 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 beautiful here in the U-District, and as it is when it's nice outside, we want to go do stuff this weekend! As we do every Thursday, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with all the events fit to print and worthy of your excitement! HOST: Soundside producer Jason Megatron Burrows LINKS:  Mariners Opening Weekend Puck Place Market 2026 Seattle Torrent vs Ottawa Charge Onda Origins Coffee/Seattle Torrent Rain Country Dance Association - 2026 Emerald City Hoedown Seattle No Kings- March 28 Celebrate the new Crosslake Connection! | Sound Transit Stand By Me: The Film and Its Stars 40 Years Later Bellingham Children’s Film Festival Spring Salon Fundraiser 2026 - Key to Change Moving Stories – TDOV 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.

Amanda Ogle's car got stolen in 2017, and she fought for over a year to get it back from a Seattle towing company. Her bill? $21,684.  Ogle was unhoused at the time, so her 1991 Camry wasn’t just a way to get around; it was her home.  Her case attracted coverage in The Seattle Times and elsewhere, and now her saga is the plot of a movie, Tow, starring Rose Byrne.  Guests: Amanda Ogle, her child Avery Ogle and her lawyer Kevin Eggers, who are all portrayed in the film.  Related Links: A towing outrage made Amanda Ogle a Seattle celebrity. Here’s the twist A $21,634 bill? How a homeless woman fought her way out of tow-company hellSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just this morning, the NBA Board of Governors approved exploring two possible expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas.  Yes, you’re allowed to squeal, but listen carefully: this is not a done deal, the team is not back yet. But here's why one sportswriter (and Sonics enthusiast) won't be apologizing to any Thunder fans in Oklahoma City anytime soon. Guest Danny O'Neil, sportswriter Related LinksOKC wants apology before giving back Sonics history? Are you kidding? - The News Tribune The Dang Apostrophe (Danny's newsletter)NBA owners vote to explore Vegas, Seattle expansion bids - ESPNThank 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.