Well, yes, they're back on the court. Seattle's WNBA team played their first regular season game Friday night. 

But the team has changed a lot since last season. They lost two key veteran players.

But a new coach and two first-round draft picks could mean an exciting year for the Storm.

And as more people are watching the WNBA, the players start this season with a new union contract – with new salary increases and other new benefits to match.

Guest

Maitreyi Anantharaman, staff writer for Defector, an employee-owned sports and culture website. 

Related Links

Role Players, Ring Chasers, And A Shadow GM: Your Guide To The 2026 WNBA Season - Defector

How Can You Not Be Romantic About Women’s Basketball? - Defector

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.

Well, yes, they're back on the court. Seattle's WNBA team played their first regular season game Friday night.&nbsp;
But the team has changed a lot since last season. They lost two key veteran players. But a new coach and two first-round draft picks could mean an exciting year for the Storm. And as more people are watching the WNBA, the players start this season with a new union contract &ndash; with new salary increases and other new benefits to match. Guest Maitreyi Anantharaman, staff writer for Defector, an employee-owned sports and culture website.&nbsp; Related Links <a href="https://defector.com/wnba-season-preview-2026">Role Players, Ring Chasers, And A Shadow GM: Your Guide To The 2026 WNBA Season</a> - Defector <a href="https://defector.com/how-can-you-not-be-romantic-about-womens-basketball">How Can You Not Be Romantic About Women&rsquo;s Basketball?</a> - Defector Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Soundside

Well, yes, they're back on the court for this season. 

Are the Seattle Storm so back? 

Yesterday, we spoke with KUOW reporter Anna Boyro Weyrauch about the social media maelstrom that has taken over Seattle.

I am talking about the drama between the Laurelhurst neighborhood and Seattle Children’s Hospital over helicopter landings. 

When we talked about this yesterday – we were curious to hear how the whole saga had unfolded from the perspective of someone living in Laurelhurst. Did the average resident even know about this policy? 

How did they feel being at the center of the online firestorm?

Well, I asked for feedback and you delivered. 


Relevant Links: 

KUOW: How online scrutiny is changing Seattle Children's and Laurelhurst's helipad policy

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.

Yesterday, we spoke with KUOW reporter Anna Boyro Weyrauch about the social media maelstrom that has taken over Seattle.
I am talking about the drama between the Laurelhurst neighborhood and Seattle Children&rsquo;s Hospital over helicopter landings.&nbsp;
When we talked about this yesterday &ndash; we were curious to hear how the whole saga had unfolded from the perspective of someone living in Laurelhurst. Did the average resident even know about this policy? How did they feel being at the center of the online firestorm? Well, I asked for feedback and you delivered.&nbsp; 
Relevant Links:&nbsp;
KUOW: <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-online-scrutiny-is-changing-seattle-childrens-and-laurelhursts-helipad-policy">How online scrutiny is changing Seattle Children's and Laurelhurst's helipad policy</a>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Laurelhurst residents respond to Seattle Children's helicopter controversy

In 2021, Microsoft set an aggressive emissions goal:

100 percent of its electricity would come from renewable sources or be matched by zero-carbon energy purchases, 100 percent of the time.

This was a big pledge – one that went farther than its existing net-zero emissions goal. But a lot can change in six years … Now, the company appears to be weighing a retreat.

According to recent reporting by Bloomberg, Microsoft is considering delaying or dropping its 100 percent renewable electricity pledge because of energy intensive data center build outs.

This isn't the only scaling back the company has been doing with its carbon goals.

GUEST: Alastair Marsh

LINKS:
Microsoft Reconsiders Clean-Energy Pledge Made Harder by AI
How Microsoft Spooked the Global Carbon Removal Market
Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030
6 projects that helped Microsoft meet its renewable energy goal 

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.

In 2021, Microsoft set an aggressive emissions goal:
100 percent of its electricity would come from renewable sources or be matched by zero-carbon energy purchases, 100 percent of the time.
This was a big pledge &ndash; one that went farther than its existing net-zero emissions goal. But a lot can change in six years &hellip; Now, the company appears to be weighing a retreat.
According to recent reporting by Bloomberg, Microsoft is considering delaying or dropping its 100 percent renewable electricity pledge because of energy intensive data center build outs.
This isn't the only scaling back the company has been doing with its carbon goals.
GUEST: Alastair Marsh
LINKS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-05-06/microsoft-considers-dropping-100-100-0-clean-energy-target?srnd=undefined">Microsoft Reconsiders Clean-Energy Pledge Made Harder by AI</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-22/how-microsoft-spooked-the-global-carbon-removal-market?srnd=undefined">How Microsoft Spooked the Global Carbon Removal Market</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/01/16/microsoft-will-be-carbon-negative-by-2030/">Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030</a></li>
<li><a href="https://news.microsoft.com/source/features/sustainability/6-projects-that-helped-microsoft-meet-its-renewable-energy-goal/">6 projects that helped Microsoft meet its renewable energy goal </a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

As Microsoft's investment in AI data centers expands, their goals of becoming carbon net negative have begun to decline. Bloomberg's Alastair Marsh joins Soundside to discuss.

Microsoft set ambitious climate goals. AI is making them hard to meet.

A cookbook from a Seattle author takes readers into the food and history of the Cham, an ethnic group in Vietnam and Cambodia. 

Nurhaliza Mohamath is a writer, storyteller, culture worker..... and the author of "“My Cham Tongue," which promises readers “a taste of an ancient kingdom through family recipes." 

Mohamath stopped by Soundside to share why she wanted to publish the book... and why she wanted it to go beyond the food. 

Guest: Nurhaliza Mohamath, the author of "My Cham Tongue" 

Related links: 
My Cham Tongue
In a New Cookbook, Author Nurhaliza Mohamath Serves Up Cham Cuisine and Culture | South Seattle Emerald
'My Cham Tongue' seeks to unite people through Cham cuisine Real Change
Cham Refugee Community: A Photo and Video Portrait of Generational Wealth-Building | South Seattle Emerald

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.

 

A cookbook from a Seattle author takes readers into the food and history of the Cham, an ethnic group in Vietnam and Cambodia.&nbsp;
Nurhaliza Mohamath is a writer, storyteller, culture worker..... and the author of "&ldquo;My Cham Tongue," which promises readers &ldquo;a taste of an ancient kingdom through family recipes."&nbsp;
Mohamath stopped by Soundside to share why she wanted to publish the book... and why she wanted it to go beyond the food.&nbsp;
Guest: Nurhaliza Mohamath, the author of "My Cham Tongue"&nbsp;
Related links:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.mychamtongue.com/">My Cham Tongue</a></li>
<li><a href="https://southseattleemerald.org/community/2026/03/26/in-a-new-cookbook-author-nurhaliza-mohamath-serves-up-cham-cuisine-and-culture">In a New Cookbook, Author Nurhaliza Mohamath Serves Up Cham Cuisine and Culture | South Seattle Emerald</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2026/04/08/my-cham-tongue-seeks-unite-people-through-cham-cuisine">'My Cham Tongue' seeks to unite people through Cham cuisine Real Change</a></li>
<li><a href="https://southseattleemerald.org/community/2023/01/12/cham-refugee-community-a-photo-and-video-portrait-of-generational-wealth-building">Cham Refugee Community: A Photo and Video Portrait of Generational Wealth-Building | South Seattle Emerald</a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.
&nbsp;

Nurhaliza Mohamath's cookbook promises readers “a taste of an ancient kingdom through family recipes."  She shared why she wanted to publish the book... and why she wanted it to go beyond the food. 

Are the Seattle Storm so back?

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