Front Page gets techy: Meta layoffs, Starlink files to go public, and the Pope comes out as anti-AI

What do you think of when you see Mount Rainier?  Some of us think, "Oh wow, I can see Mount Rainier. Must be really clear out today. Pretty." Some people, though, look at its snow-capped peaks and see a challenge, a life goal -- something they may climb one day, braving cold and oxygen deprivation. To able to say they've done it.  And then there is Simon Kearns, who looks at Mount Rainier as something to absolutely dominate.  That's what he did in early May, when he set a new speed record for climbing Washington state’s tallest peak on foot. He traveled the nearly 9,000 vertical feet to the summit and back in three hours, 43 minutes and 52 seconds.  Kearns joined Soundside to talk about what it was like shattering the previous record by more than half an hour.  Guest: Simon Kearns, a mountain guide at RMI Expeditions. Related links: Mount Rainier climber sets new speed record | The Seattle Times Simon Kearns Smashes Mount Rainier FKT by Over 30 Minutes | Outside Magazine 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.

As many as 11 people are dead in Longview, Washington after a chemical tank implosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Plant earlier this week.  Officials also confirmed yesterday that the Columbia River is contaminated due to the disaster.  Washington’s governor is calling this the deadliest industrial tragedy in the state’s modern history.  Guest:  Erik Neumann, the Southwest WA Bureau Chief for Oregon Public Broadcasting Related Links: Longview paper mill disaster could be ‘deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history,’ governor says - OPB 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.

It’s the FINAL Thursday in May, meaning that we’re just mere MOMENTS away from the BEST WEEKEND OF YOUR LIFE, so far, this week. Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with more stuff than we can fit in a normal Weekend Warmup: LINKS: Bark! The Musical HONK! Fest West Mason County Forest Festival Glazer's PhotoFest Battle on the Bank Sally Ride: A New Opera About Queer Love and the First American Woman in Space Pollinator Fest 2026 Run to End Weekend Hunger 5K THE STUFF WE DIDN'T GET TO: Brandi Carlile - Echoes Through the Canyon 14th Annual Seattle Asian American Film Festival Trae Crowder at Emerald City Comedy Club Seattle Mariners vs Arizona D-Backs Stamp & Scrapbook EXPO Seattle Spring - Renegade Craft 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 a drug you see doctors on “The Pitt” give patients in the ER for pain relief or sedation.  It’s also what cast members on the reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” take to connect with their spouses.   And it's what some Americans use to treat their depression.  Ketamine has gotten negative press in the past few years, like in 2023, when “Friends” co-star Matthew Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine.” We sat down with a doctor to learn more about this substance that’s showing up more and more in popular culture …and in Seattle, which is home to several ketamine clinics. This is part of our recurring “Ask a Doctor” segment, where we ask medical professionals to help us understand health news and trends.  Guest: Dr. Nathan Sackett, an assistant professor in the University of Washington School of Medicine and addiction psychiatrist Related links:  She Hoped Ketamine Would Rewire Her Brain. She Didn’t Live to See It Work. | WSJ Center for Novel Therapeutics in Addiction Psychiatry As ketamine clinics emerge in Seattle to treat mental illness, so does debate about safety and regulations | The Seattle Times Ketamine Use on the Rise in U.S. Adults; New Trends Emerge | UC San Diego Today 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.

In Spokane, an ongoing federal trial is raising questions about the Trump administration’s legal strategy regarding political protesters. Three people are charged with conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers during an anti-ICE protest last June.  They were part of a demonstration that was trying to stop ICE agents from moving two Venezuelan immigrants from the ICE office in Spokane to the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center. If convicted, each of the three could face up to six years in federal prison. It’s a test case for the use of conspiracy charges against protestors. The Trump administration has used the tactic several times recently in prosecutions of anti-ICE protestors.  Guest Erin Sellers, reporter at RANGE Media, a media organization covering the Inland NorthwestRelated Links All of RANGE Media's trial coverage - Erin Sellers, Conspiracy Trial Will Test Trump’s Aggressive Tactics Against Protesters - Anna Griffin, The New York TimesRight now, we're asking for listeners to give us a full review of the show. Fill out our survey! We want to know what you want to hear, so share your thoughts with us at kuow.org/feedback. 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.

This whole thing started because Sedro-Woolley high school teacher LinseyKitchens saw the people in her life struggle with the Internet. Specifically, she sawthem struggle with what to believe and how to engage their critical thinking skills. Whether that was a teenager in her classroom, convinced that if they bought aprotein powder from their favorite influencer, it would make them stronger andmore popular. Or the senior citizens in her life, who went down rabbit holes ofconspiracy theories online. Or fell for online scams. So Kitchens became obsessed with teaching media literacy to people of all ages.She even won a fellowship at the University of Washington’s Center for anInformed Public where she studied how teachers can incorporate media literacyinto their classrooms. This past spring, she created a day-long event where teens and seniors could spendthe day together, at what you might call a “giant skills swap.” The teenagers gavepresentations about how AI scrapes information from reliable and unreliablesources.While the seniors gave presentations about animal rescue and how to fix aflat tire. But the event almost didn’t happen, because one of those groups was scared toengage with the other group. SoundSide’s Kyle Norris was at the event, called “Ageless Intelligence,” and hasthis story. 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.

The organization charged with managing the regional response to homelessness is facing an existential crisis. Some local elected leaders have called for the dissolution of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority after a damning forensic audit from consulting firm Clark Nuber released last month.The audit reported the agency has lost track of at least $8 million dollars, incurred $4 million of questionable administrative costs, and at one point operated with a negative cashflow of $44 million dollars.The review found the $200 million dollar agency, which started operations in 2021, didn’t have the necessary oversight, accounting practices or internal financial controls to handle large amounts of public money appropriately.   King County and the City of Seattle fund the bulk of KCRHA. Now, the city and county are at a decision point: reform the agency or shut it down. And that decision is likely to come this summer.  KCRHA released a corrective action plan on Friday that outlines steps the agency will take over the next 60 days in response to the audit.   Guest: Kelly Kinnison, CEO of King County Regional Homelessness Authority Relevant Links: KUOW: King County homelessness agency board votes to tighten purse strings following damning audit AXIOS: Seattle-area homelessness agency at risk after audit KCRHA Corrective Action Plan 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 Todd Bishop, editor and co-founder of Geekwire Related stories Meta cuts nearly 1,400 jobs in Seattle area, 20% of local workforce, in sweeping AI revamp - Geekwire Pope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical - NYT SpaceX is churning out 70 Starlink satellites a week in Redmond, and other tidbits from its IPO filing - Geekwire A viral video says booking a flight at a library is cheaper. We investigated. - Washington Post 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.

Ultra-processed foods are everywhere. But we aren’t supposed to eat them. At least, that’s the current discourse around these foods, which can include soda, instant oatmeal and sliced bread.  Research has found that diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked to diabetes, obesity, heart disease and many cancers.  That's a hard pill to swallow, considering that roughly 70% of our grocery store products are ultra-processed, according to the Yale School of Public Health. So we want a little more clarity on what these foods are, how they could impact us and if it’s really so bad to snack on a granola bar (or order the occasional hot dog at a baseball game).  Guest: Dr. Neelendu Dey, a gastroenterologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Related links:  Ultra-Processed Foods Information Sheet | Yale School of Public Health Ultra-processed food: Five things to know | Stanford Medicine News Center  What Are Ultra-Processed Foods? | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health 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.

What a week, right? But hey… We’ve got a long weekend ahead of us, and since Memorial Day is the unofficial start of Summer, it’s exciting to see that there’s… rain in the forecast for Monday.  Well, either way - rain or shine, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with a ton of fun stuff to do this weekend! LINKS: Inaugural Ballard Book Crawl Lost the Plot Mobile Books Bremerton by the Book Page 42 Bookstore Smut & Sips Book Recommendations thanks to @beckybooksandbeads! Trailhead Direct - Begins Saturday! Whidbey Ren Faire Festival | Northwest Folklife 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.