Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island is the site of the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history. The nuclear plant near Harrisburg officially closed in 2019, but now, Microsoft is making a deal to restart the facility and buy all of its electricity for the next 20 years.

How likely is this to actually happen? And what does this say about the future of energy and tech? 

Guests:

Evan Halper, business reporter covering the energy transition for the Washington Post

Relevant Links:

Washington Post: Microsoft deal would reopen Three Mile Island nuclear plant to power AI

Washington Post:Three Mile Island owner seeks taxpayer backing for Microsoft AI deal



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. 

Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island is the site of the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history. The nuclear plant near Harrisburg officially closed in 2019, but now, Microsoft is making a deal to restart the facility and buy all of its electricity for the next 20 years.
How likely is this to actually happen? And what does this say about the future of energy and tech? 
Guests:
Evan Halper, business reporter covering the energy transition for the Washington Post
Relevant Links:
Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/09/20/microsoft-three-mile-island-nuclear-constellation/">Microsoft deal would reopen Three Mile Island nuclear plant to power AI</a>
Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/10/03/nuclear-microsoft-ai-constellation/">Three Mile Island owner seeks taxpayer backing for Microsoft AI deal</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

Microsoft strikes deal to re-open Three Mile Island nuclear plant as energy needs grow

The Seattle School District is now planning to close just 5 schools next year. That’s down from the 21 possible closures the district had proposed earlier.

The district has been teasing school closures for months as a part of its “Well Resourced Schools” plan.

Seattle Schools faces a $94 million dollar budget deficit and Superintendent Brent Jones proposed closing schools to help cover that gap.

After the announcement of which schools would close last month, the push back from parents was swift. And the School Board? Well, they weren’t on-board either. Now, with a scaled back plan, the district will need to explore other options to cover its fiscal deficit. 

Guest:

Liza Rankin, President of the Seattle School Board

Links:

KUOW:Seattle Schools' proposed closures trimmed from 21 to just 5 schools after backlash

KUOW:Seattle families brace for school closures. What can we learn from last time?

The Seattle School District is now planning to close just 5 schools next year. That’s down from the 21 possible closures the district had proposed earlier.
The district has been teasing school closures for months as a part of its “Well Resourced Schools” plan.
Seattle Schools faces a $94 million dollar budget deficit and Superintendent Brent Jones proposed closing schools to help cover that gap.
After the announcement of which schools would close last month, the push back from parents was swift. And the School Board? Well, they weren’t on-board either. Now, with a scaled back plan, the district will need to explore other options to cover its fiscal deficit. 
Guest:
Liza Rankin, President of the Seattle School Board
Links:
KUOW: <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-public-schools-closures-trimmed-from-21-to-just-5">Seattle Schools' proposed closures trimmed from 21 to just 5 schools after backlash</a>
KUOW: <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-families-are-bracing-for-school-closures-what-happened-last-time">Seattle families brace for school closures. What can we learn from last time?</a>

After revising school closure plan, what's next for Seattle Public Schools?

Since Hamas militants attacked Southern Israel on October 7, taking roughly 1200 lives, and capturing hundreds of hostages, the Israeli military has responded with overwhelming force in Gaza. 

Bombs and other military actions have killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. 

Most of the homes, businesses, schools and mosques in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed – and millions have been displaced.

And there is no end in sight to the bombardment. 

The U.S. State Department says Hamas has refused for weeks to engage in cease-fire talks. Previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly stalled a cease-fire and hostage deal by adding new conditions to negotiations.

For the past 12 months, Palestinian Americans and the wider Muslim community in the Seattle area have been urging the U.S. to halt weapons transfers and funding to Israel. 

On Saturday, roughly 500 protesters gathered at Pier 62 on Seattle’s waterfront to demand change. 

Yesterday, we spoke with members of Seattle’s Jewish community about how they’re remembering the first anniversary of the October 7th attack on Israel.

Today, we’re speaking with members of Seattle’s Palestinian and Muslim communities about the effects of the war in Gaza.



Guests:
Akram Baioumy, an Imam with MAPS (Muslim Association of Puget Sound) 


Yaz Kader, a Palestinian American and an uncommitted delegate from Washington state at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. He’s also the author of a new Op-Ed in Real Change News, called “Silencing the Palestinian voice at the local and national levels”.

Relevant Links:
Silencing the Palestinian voice at the local and national levels - Real Change

Since Hamas militants attacked Southern Israel on October 7, taking roughly 1200 lives, and capturing hundreds of hostages, the Israeli military has responded with overwhelming force in Gaza. Bombs and other military actions have killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2024/gaza-reconstruction-rebuild-process-plans/">Most of the homes</a>, businesses, schools and mosques in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed – and millions have been displaced. And there is no end in sight to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-lebanon-hezbollah-hamas-6-october-2024-0210e9d539a899e21ee89b52807b6af7">bombardment</a>. The U.S. State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-october-1-2024/">says</a> Hamas has refused for weeks to engage in cease-fire talks. Previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/03/ceasefire-hostage-negotations-cairo-gaza-israel">reportedly</a> stalled a cease-fire and hostage deal by adding new conditions to negotiations. For the past 12 months, Palestinian Americans and the wider Muslim community in the Seattle area have been urging the U.S. to halt weapons transfers and funding to Israel. On Saturday, roughly 500 protesters gathered at Pier 62 on Seattle’s waterfront to demand change. 
Yesterday, we spoke with members of Seattle’s Jewish community about how they’re remembering the first anniversary of the October 7th attack on Israel.
Today, we’re speaking with members of Seattle’s Palestinian and Muslim communities about the effects of the war in Gaza. 
Guests:
<ul>
<li>Akram Baioumy, an Imam with MAPS (Muslim Association of Puget Sound) </li>
<li>
Yaz Kader, a Palestinian American and an uncommitted delegate from Washington state at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. He’s also the author of a new <a href="https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2024/10/02/silencing-palestinian-voice-local-and-national-levels">Op-Ed in Real Change News</a>, called “Silencing the Palestinian voice at the local and national levels”.
</li>
</ul>
Relevant Links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2024/10/02/silencing-palestinian-voice-local-and-national-levels">Silencing the Palestinian voice at the local and national levels - Real Change</a></li>
</ul>

How Seattle’s Palestinian community is marking one year since the Israel-Hamas war began

How can personal tragedy inspire the most unlikely of people to become activists?

This question is at the heart of Norita, a new documentary screening Oct. 8 at the Seattle Latino Film Festival.

Norita takes a moving look at the life and journey of an Argentinian woman, Nora Cortiñas. She was a mother who became caught in the crosshairs of Argentina’s military dictatorship, which stretched from 1976 to 1983.

Norita’s fearless protest against the government, and search for justice, played a role in toppling the dictatorship, and she spent the rest of her life as a leading voice for human rights.

She died earlier this year in May at the age of 94. 

Soundside producer Noel Gasca caught up with Melissa Daniels, a producer of Norita, about the documentary's exploration of Norita's life and legacy. 

You can purchase tickets to the Seattle Latino Film Fesitval's screening of Norita here.

Guest:
Melissa Daniel, Norita producer

Related links:
Norita film homepage
Norita trailer
Nora Cortiñas, 94, a Founder of Argentina's Mothers of the 'Disappeared,' Dies - The New York Times

How can personal tragedy inspire the most unlikely of people to become activists?
This question is at the heart of Norita, a new documentary screening Oct. 8 at the Seattle Latino Film Festival.
Norita takes a moving look at the life and journey of an Argentinian woman, Nora Cortiñas. She was a mother who became caught in the crosshairs of Argentina’s military dictatorship, which stretched from 1976 to 1983.
Norita’s fearless protest against the government, and search for justice, played a role in toppling the dictatorship, and she spent the rest of her life as a leading voice for human rights.
She died earlier this year in May at the age of 94. 
Soundside producer Noel Gasca caught up with Melissa Daniels, a producer of Norita, about the documentary's exploration of Norita's life and legacy. 
You can purchase tickets to the Seattle Latino Film Fesitval's screening of Norita <a href="https://slff.org/full-line-up/social-justice-spotlight-norita-tlz36">here.</a>
Guest:
<ul>
<li>Melissa Daniel, Norita producer</li>
</ul>
Related links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.noritafilm.com/">Norita film homepage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbJol48NpPU&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.noritafilm.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE">Norita trailer</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/world/americas/nora-cortinas-dead.html">Nora Cortiñas, 94, a Founder of Argentina's Mothers of the 'Disappeared,' Dies - The New York Times</a></li>
</ul>

Microsoft strikes deal to re-open Three Mile Island nuclear plant as energy needs grow

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