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

Jim Brunner, political reporter for The Seattle Times

Related Links

Duffy Defends Road Trip Reality Show In Tense Senate Hearing
Foes of WA high-earners income tax launch repeal initiative

Meet the Seattle woman behind a national effort to end same-sex marriage
Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets his trophy — but for wrong award


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.

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&rsquo;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 <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/author/jim-brunner/">Jim Brunner</a>, political reporter for The Seattle Times Related Links <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/us/politics/sean-duffy-senate-testimony.html">Duffy Defends Road Trip Reality Show In Tense Senate Hearing</a> <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/foes-of-wa-high-earners-income-tax-launch-repeal-initiative/">Foes of WA high-earners income tax launch repeal initiative</a>
<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/meet-the-seattle-woman-behind-a-national-effort-to-end-same-sex-marriage/">Meet the Seattle woman behind a national effort to end same-sex marriage</a> <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/foes-of-wa-high-earners-income-tax-launch-repeal-initiative/">Seahawks&rsquo; Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets his trophy &mdash; but for wrong award </a>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://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

Another day, another opposition to the millionaire's tax update. Plus: Sen. Patty Murray questions Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about his road trip across America.

Front Page: Murray vs Duffy, West Seattle anti-same sex marriage activist, opposition to "millionaire's tax"

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.

Ultra-processed foods are everywhere. But we aren&rsquo;t supposed to eat them.
At least, that&rsquo;s the current discourse around these foods, which can include soda,&nbsp;instant oatmeal and sliced bread.&nbsp;
Research has found that diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked to diabetes, obesity, heart disease and many cancers.&nbsp;
That's a hard pill to swallow, considering that roughly <a href="https://ysph.yale.edu/research/information-sheets/ultra-processed-foods/">70% of our grocery store products</a> 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&rsquo;s really so bad to snack on a granola bar (or order the occasional hot dog at a baseball game).&nbsp;
Guest:&nbsp;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:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://ysph.yale.edu/research/information-sheets/ultra-processed-foods/">Ultra-Processed Foods Information Sheet | Yale School of Public Health</a></li>
<li><a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/07/ultra-processed-food--five-things-to-know.html">Ultra-processed food: Five things to know | Stanford Medicine News Center</a></li>
<li>&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-are-ultra-processed-foods">What Are Ultra-Processed Foods? | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health</a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <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.

Ultra-processed foods are everywhere.... but what exactly are they? A gastroenterologist breaks down what we know about these foods lining our grocery store shelves.

Ask a Doctor: What are ultra-processed foods (and should we avoid them)?!

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 BookstoreSmut & 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.

What a week, right? But hey&hellip; We&rsquo;ve got a long weekend ahead of us, and since Memorial Day is the unofficial start of Summer, it&rsquo;s exciting to see that there&rsquo;s&hellip; rain in the forecast for Monday.&nbsp;
Well, either way - rain or shine, Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with a ton of fun stuff to do this weekend!
LINKS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYF0_kGkt6l/">Inaugural Ballard Book Crawl</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.losttheplotbooks.com/schedule">Lost the Plot Mobile Books</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://ballastbookco.com/bremerton-by-the-book">Bremerton by the Book</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.page42bookstore.com/">Page 42 Bookstore</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYdaXmPARE7/">Smut &amp; Sips</a> </li>
<li>Book Recommendations thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/beckybooksandbeads/reels/">@beckybooksandbeads</a>!</li>
<li><a href="https://trailheaddirect.org/">Trailhead Direct</a> - Begins Saturday!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.whidbeyrenfaire.org/">Whidbey Ren Faire</a></li>
<li><a href="https://nwfolklife.org/festival/home.html">Festival | Northwest Folklife</a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Memorial Day Weekend means FUN - let's get out & do stuff with this weekend's warmup!

Soundside's Weekend Warmup: Books, Books, and MORE BOOKS!

Black women face higher rates of uterine fibroids compared to white women. They’re less likely to get accurate diagnoses for endometriosis. 

And they’re twice as likely to die from uterine cancer than white women. 

Dr. Kemi Doll considers these disparities part of the evidence for a broader health crisis in gynecological care for Black women.

Why hasn’t the medical community done more to address these problems? And how can patients and practitioners navigate a system that consistently overlooks Black women? 

Doll's new book, "A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing,” works to answer those questions. 

Guest: Dr. Kemi Doll, aprofessor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington and the author of "A Terrible Strength."

Related links:
A Terrible Strength by Kemi Doll | Penguin Random House 
Spotlighting a common female cancer, and a health disparity - UW Medicine Newsroom
Why Black women are at greater risk for fibroids and endometrial cancer | Scientific American
Understanding the gynecological health crisis facing Black women | Science Friday

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.

Black women face <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/13/well/live/uterine-fibroids-black-women.html">higher rates of uterine fibroids </a>compared to white women. They&rsquo;re <a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/health/2025-02-28/black-women-with-endometriosis-are-often-gaslit-at-the-doctors-office">less likely to get accurate diagnoses</a> for endometriosis.&nbsp;
And they&rsquo;re <a href="https://divisionofresearch.kaiserpermanente.org/uterine-cancer-rates-black-women/">twice as likely to die from uterine cancer</a> than white women.&nbsp;
Dr. Kemi Doll considers these disparities part of the evidence for a broader health crisis in gynecological care for Black women.
Why hasn&rsquo;t the medical community done more to address these problems? And how can patients and practitioners navigate a system that consistently overlooks Black women?&nbsp;
Doll's new book, "A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing,&rdquo; works to answer those questions.&nbsp;
Guest:&nbsp;Dr. Kemi Doll, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington and the author of "A Terrible Strength."
Related links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/775526/a-terrible-strength-by-kemi-doll-md-mscr/">A Terrible Strength by Kemi Doll | Penguin Random House&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://newsroom.uw.edu/blog/spotlighting-common-female-cancer-and-health-disparity/">Spotlighting a common female cancer, and a health disparity - UW Medicine Newsroom</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/why-black-women-are-at-greater-risk-for-fibroids-and-endometrial-cancer/">Why Black women are at greater risk for fibroids and endometrial cancer | Scientific American</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/gynecologic-health-crisis-for-black-women-improving-uterine-health/">Understanding the gynecological health crisis facing Black women | Science Friday</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.

In "A Terrible Strength," Dr. Doll explores the disparities that Black women experience in their gynecological health care and what can be done to close that gap. 

Front Page: Murray vs Duffy, West Seattle anti-same sex marriage activist, opposition to "millionaire's tax"

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