Seattle hasn't had a two term mayor since Greg Nickels, who won a second term nearly two decades ago. 

Incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell is trying to break the streak of one term mayors. He was elected to the position in 2021. He previously served on the Seattle city council for 12 years. 

His opponent is Katie Wilson. She founded the nonprofit Transit Riders Union and serves as its chair. 

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.

Seattle hasn't had a two term mayor since Greg Nickels, who won a second term nearly two decades ago.&nbsp;
Incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell is trying to break the streak of one term mayors. He was elected to the position in 2021. He previously served on the Seattle city council for 12 years.&nbsp;
His opponent is Katie Wilson. She founded the nonprofit Transit Riders Union and serves as its chair.&nbsp;
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.

Soundside

Incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell is looking to fend off Transit Rider Union chair Katie Wilson

Election 2025: Seattle mayoral candidate debate

Many federal immigration officers are reportedly in the process of packing up and leaving the Twin Cities. Border Czar Tom Homan said Sunday that Operation Metro Surge is drawing down. 

The months-long campaign led to intense protest. Two American citizens were shot and killed by immigration enforcement officers during the operation.

Local prosecutors have been trying to investigate those shootings but they say they have been rebuffed by the federal government.

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it was denied access to evidence by the FBI meanwhile, Hennepin County prosecutors in Minneapolis are crowdsourcing evidence from people who videotaped one of the shootings. 

Like local officials everywhere, King County is navigating a shifting relationship with the federal government and the possibility that an immigration enforcement surge could happen here.

Guests:

Leesa Manion, King County Prosecuting Attorney

Gary Ernsdorff, Supervising Attorney at the Special Operations Unit

Relevant Links:

KCPAO: Manion Reaffirms Commitment to Protecting King County from Unlawful Deployment of ICE

Many federal immigration officers are reportedly in the process of packing up and leaving the Twin Cities. Border Czar Tom Homan said Sunday that Operation Metro Surge is drawing down.&nbsp;
The months-long campaign led to intense protest. Two American citizens were shot and killed by immigration enforcement officers during the operation.
Local prosecutors have been trying to investigate those shootings but they say they have been rebuffed by the federal government.
Earlier this week, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it was denied access to evidence by the FBI meanwhile, Hennepin County prosecutors in Minneapolis are crowdsourcing evidence from people who videotaped one of the shootings.&nbsp;
Like local officials everywhere, King County is navigating a shifting relationship with the federal government and the possibility that an immigration enforcement surge could happen here.
Guests:
Leesa Manion, King County Prosecuting Attorney
Gary Ernsdorff, Supervising Attorney at the Special Operations Unit
Relevant Links:
KCPAO:&nbsp;<a href="https://kcprosecutor.medium.com/manion-reaffirms-commitment-to-protecting-king-county-from-unlawful-deployment-of-ice-f8403755caa0">Manion Reaffirms Commitment to Protecting King County from Unlawful Deployment of ICE</a>

As Operation Metro Surge winds down in Minnesota, officials in Washington are preparing for the possibility of an immigration enforcement surge in Seattle

King County Prosecutors Office prepares for a potential immigration enforcement surge

Thursdays... What a concept!

Let’s get out of the house this weekend & do some fun stuff!

“What fun stuff?” you may ask… and with that answer is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!

LINKS:
Northwest Flower & Garden Festival
Seattle Home & Garden Show
Wintergrass Festival
Black History Month Soirée 2026 - Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
Lunar New Year Family Festival | Seattle Art Museum
Cupid's Undie Run at The Dock in Fremont
Cardi B - Climate Pledge Arena

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.

Thursdays... What a concept!
Let&rsquo;s get out of the house this weekend &amp; do some fun stuff!
&ldquo;What fun stuff?&rdquo; you may ask&hellip; and with that answer is Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows!
LINKS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.gardenshow.com/">Northwest Flower &amp; Garden Festival</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattlehomeshow.com/">Seattle Home &amp; Garden Show</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wintergrass.com/">Wintergrass Festival</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.biartmuseum.org/event/black-history-month-soiree-2026/">Black History Month Soir&eacute;e 2026 - Bainbridge Island Museum of Art</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/whats-on/events/lunar-new-year-family-festival-feb-21">Lunar New Year Family Festival | Seattle Art Museum</a></li>
<li><a href="https://join.ctf.org/event/2026-cupids-undie-run-seattle/e705242">Cupid's Undie Run at The Dock in Fremont</a></li>
<li><a href="https://climatepledgearena.com/event/cardi-b-26/">Cardi B - Climate Pledge Arena</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.

Soundside presents the Weekend Warmup! Find all the events worthy of YOUR time off with host Jason Megatron Burrows.

Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Feb 19-22

Fighting wildland fires is dangerous enough. The smoke exposure, changing conditions and mental health risks can be daunting, for even experienced firefighters.   

But federal wildland firefighters across the country were also wearing pants containing potentially dangerous PFAS chemicals, according to reporting this month from ProPublica. 

Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew about that risk for years, before it became public knowledge. 

In Washington, fire seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer and just last year, western Washington experienced its largest fire in a generation.

Reporter Abe Streep covered all of this for ProPublica, and he talked with KUOW's Paige Browning.

Related Links

Firefighters Wore Gear Containing “Forever Chemicals.” The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years.

“It Feels Impossible to Stay”: The U.S. Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them

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.

Fighting wildland fires is dangerous enough. The smoke exposure, changing conditions and mental health risks can be daunting, for even experienced firefighters.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
But federal wildland firefighters across the country were also wearing pants containing potentially dangerous PFAS chemicals, according to reporting this month from ProPublica.&nbsp;
Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew about that risk for years, before it became public knowledge.&nbsp;
In Washington, fire seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer and just last year, western Washington experienced its largest fire in a generation.
Reporter Abe Streep covered all of this for ProPublica, and he talked with KUOW's Paige Browning.
Related Links
<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/forest-service-forever-chemical-firefighter-pfas">Firefighters Wore Gear Containing &ldquo;Forever Chemicals.&rdquo; The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years.</a>
<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/wildland-firefighters">&ldquo;It Feels Impossible to Stay&rdquo;: The U.S. Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them</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="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.

The Forest Service has known for years that "forever chemicals" were in some of the equipment for wildland firefighters.

Election 2025: Seattle mayoral candidate debate

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