Soundside

Dredge the Nooksack? The debate continues in Whatcom County

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.

Software development in the age of AI

“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.

Seattle approved higher pay for gig workers. So why didn't their pay change that much?

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.

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

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.

Mariners' opening weekend brings feelings of enthusiasm, expectation, and JOY!

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.