This week, we're looking at the special election in Washington’s 5th Legislative District, which covers Issaquah to Enumclaw.

State Sen. Victoria Hunt, a Democrat, was appointed to the seat and is running to keep her job this fall. 

Republicans think they could flip this district. They’d like to claw back a little power from Democrats, who currently hold majorities in both the state House and Senate.  

We talk with Sen. Victoria Hunt about her campaign. 

Guest

State Sen. Victoria Hunt, Washington's 5th Legislative District

Related Links

On The Ballot: Chad Magendanz, 5th Legislative District - KUOUW

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.

This week, we're looking at the&nbsp;special election in Washington&rsquo;s 5th Legislative District, which covers Issaquah to Enumclaw.
State Sen. Victoria Hunt, a Democrat, <a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/06/04/replacement-chosen-for-washington-state-senator-who-died/">was appointed to the seat</a> and is running to keep her job this fall.&nbsp;
Republicans think they could flip this district. They&rsquo;d like to claw back a little power from Democrats, who currently hold majorities in both the state House and Senate.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We talk with Sen. Victoria Hunt about her campaign.&nbsp;
Guest
State Sen. Victoria Hunt, Washington's 5th Legislative District
Related Links
<a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/on-the-ballot-chad-magendanz-5th-legislative-district">On The Ballot: Chad Magendanz, 5th Legislative District - KUOUW</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.

Soundside

We talk to the Democratic incumbent in the state Senate race in Washington's 5th District, which spans Issaquah to Enumclaw.

On The Ballot: State Sen. Victoria Hunt, 5th Legislative District

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act, is kind of like a Washington D.C. unicorn, because it passed on a bipartisan basis. Both Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D) and Rep. Dan Newhouse R) were part of strong majorities supporting the legislation. 

The bill is a collection of measures focusing on the supply side of the housing equation: things that might make it easier for prospective owners to buy a home and for potential home builders to start constructing.

But President Trump hasn't signed it, even though it's on his desk. We talk about why not, and what the bill could mean for the Evergreen State. 

Guest
Heidi Groover, real estate reporter, The Seattle Times

Related Links
What we know about the big housing bill Trump is refusing to sign - The Seattle Times



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.

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act, is kind of like a Washington D.C. unicorn, because it passed on a bipartisan basis. Both Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D) and Rep. Dan Newhouse R) were part of strong majorities supporting the legislation.&nbsp; The bill is a collection of measures focusing on the supply side of the housing equation: things that might make it easier for prospective owners to buy a home and for potential home builders to start constructing. But <a href="https://abcnews.com/Politics/yawn-trump-downplays-bipartisan-landmark-housing-bill/story?id=134323115">President Trump hasn't signed it</a>, even though it's on his desk. We talk about why not, and what the bill could mean for the Evergreen State. Guest <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/author/heidi-groover/">Heidi Groover</a>, real estate reporter, The Seattle Times Related Links <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/what-we-know-about-the-big-housing-bill-trump-is-refusing-to-sign/">What we know about the big housing bill Trump is refusing to sign</a> - The Seattle Times 
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.

 President Trump loves a bill signing ceremony. So why did he cancel one for a federal housing bill passed last week?

What the bipartisan housing bill might do for WA and why it's not law — yet

Hiking can be hard. So can trail running. Even harder than both of those? Performing a rescue in the woods. 

That’s why Seattle Mountain Rescue is using exoskeleton legs, under the brand name Hypershell, that you can wear on your legs to basically...  help you move. 

The hope is that these mechanical legs will help the volunteer rescue team navigate rough terrain and steep inclines to quickly get to people on the trail. 

We drove out to North Bend to see exactly how this gear works. 

Guest: Wes Cooper, an Emerging Technologies Director at Seattle Mountain Rescue. 

Related links: 
Seattle Mountain Rescue deploys exoskeletons as second team in U.S. to use the tech | KING 5
I Hiked Using Robot Legs in the Grand Canyon. I Didn’t Even Need My Cane | CNET
I Hiked a Mountain Wearing $2,000 Robotic Legs. It Was a Walk in the Park. - WSJ

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.

Hiking can be hard. So can trail running. Even harder than both of those? Performing a rescue in the woods.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s why Seattle Mountain Rescue is using exoskeleton legs, under the brand name Hypershell, that you can wear on your legs to basically... <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness/hiked-using-robot-legs-grand-canyon-didnt-even-need-my-cane/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us">&nbsp;help you move</a>.&nbsp;
The hope is that these mechanical legs will help the volunteer rescue team navigate rough terrain and steep inclines to quickly get to people on the trail.&nbsp;
We drove out to North Bend to see exactly how this gear works.&nbsp;
Guest: Wes Cooper, an Emerging Technologies Director at Seattle Mountain Rescue.&nbsp;
Related links:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle-mountain-rescue-deploys-exoskeletons-second-team-in-us-use-the-tech/281-80153332-116e-497f-95b3-41a990ea2072">Seattle Mountain Rescue deploys exoskeletons as second team in U.S. to use the tech | KING 5</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness/hiked-using-robot-legs-grand-canyon-didnt-even-need-my-cane/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us">I Hiked Using Robot Legs in the Grand Canyon. I Didn&rsquo;t Even Need My Cane | CNET</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/robot-legs-hypershell-x-ultra-tested-e8a254e2">I Hiked a Mountain Wearing $2,000 Robotic Legs. It Was a Walk in the Park. - WSJ</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.

We went to North Bend to test out the Hypershell, which this organization is using for search and rescue missions on hiking trails.

The exoskeleton that's helping Seattle Mountain Rescue move 'better, faster, safer'

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: sports journalist and author of the newsletters The Dang Apostrophe and The Grudgery, Danny O'Neil

Related Links:
Mamdani Emerges as Kingmaker, Pushing His Slate to a Primary Sweep - NYT
Seattle mayor endorses challenger to WA Senate majority leader - Washington State Standard
WA’s rich are leaving? Another tax on wealth smashes records - Seattle Times
Has VAR become a lottery at the World Cup? - BBC

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: sports journalist and author of the newsletters <a href="https://www.dannyoneil.com/">The Dang Apostrophe </a>and <a href="https://www.grudgery.com/">The Grudgery</a>, Danny O'Neil
Related Links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/24/nyregion/mamdani-politics-influence.html">Mamdani Emerges as Kingmaker, Pushing His Slate to a Primary Sweep - NYT</a></li>
<li><a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/06/27/seattle-mayor-endorses-challenger-to-wa-senate-majority-leader/">Seattle mayor endorses challenger to WA Senate majority leader - Washington State Standard</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/was-rich-are-leaving-another-tax-on-wealth-smashes-records/">WA&rsquo;s rich are leaving? Another tax on wealth smashes records - Seattle Times</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8e2ynrp7kro">Has VAR become a lottery at the World Cup? - BBC</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.

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.

On The Ballot: State Sen. Victoria Hunt, 5th Legislative District

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