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. 

In her new book, Dr. Kemi Doll says Black women are facing a 'gynecological health crisis'

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.

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"

Sports superfans may seem to have been born bleeding their teams’ colors, but really, they’re created. 

It happens around formative events: a buzzer-beating come-from-behind win, a once-in-a-generation athlete or a championship season. 

This year probably saw a few Seattle uberfans get converted during the Seahawks’ dominating Superbowl performance. 

Tonight, some more sports fanatics may be formed. Game 4 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League finals begins in a few hours, and new champions could be crowned. 

Sadly, Seattle’s PWHL team, the Torrent, is not among those vying for the title. But the team still managed to capture its own share of superfans during their inaugural season.

One of those is our producer Jason Burrows. If you’ve noticed that we mentioned the Torrent a lot this year, it’s because of him. 

We decided to let him have one more go, talking about his new favorite team. We were more than a little surprised to learn how far he has fallen. 

RELATED LINKS: 
Seattle Torrent | Home | PWHL
Season Ticket Memberships | Seattle Torrent
Seattle Torrent • Instagram
Gloves Off Seattle | Instagram
365 HOCKEY GIRL | Instagram

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.

Sports superfans may seem to have been born bleeding their teams&rsquo; colors, but really, they&rsquo;re created.&nbsp;
It happens around formative events: a buzzer-beating come-from-behind win, a once-in-a-generation athlete or a championship season.&nbsp;
This year probably saw a few Seattle uberfans get converted during the Seahawks&rsquo; dominating Superbowl performance.&nbsp;
Tonight, some more sports fanatics may be formed. Game 4 of the Professional Women&rsquo;s Hockey League finals begins in a few hours, and new champions could be crowned.&nbsp;
Sadly, Seattle&rsquo;s PWHL team, the Torrent, is not among those vying for the title. But the team still managed to capture its own share of superfans during their inaugural season.
One of those is our producer Jason Burrows. If you&rsquo;ve noticed that we mentioned the Torrent a lot this year, it&rsquo;s because of him.&nbsp;
We decided to let him have one more go, talking about his new favorite team. We were more than a little surprised to learn how far he has fallen.&nbsp;
RELATED LINKS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.thepwhl.com/en/teams/seattle-torrent">Seattle Torrent | Home | PWHL</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thepwhl.com/en/teams/seattle-torrent/tickets/season-ticket-memberships">Season Ticket Memberships | Seattle Torrent</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/pwhl_torrent/">Seattle Torrent &bull; Instagram</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gloves_off_seattle/">Gloves Off Seattle | Instagram</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/365_hockeygirl/">365 HOCKEY GIRL | Instagram</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.

Soundside producer Jason Burrows explains his sudden, but not surprising, descent into Seattle Torrent SUPERFANDOM.

The Seattle Torrent's first season? It really was about the friends we made along the way.

Tacoma author Tamiko Nimura's father died when she was just 10 years old. 

Among the things he left behind was an unpublished manuscript about his family’s incarceration at the Tule Lake camp for Japanese Americans. 

Nimura ultimately made a pilgrimage to Tule Lake in 2014, to see where her father was forced to spend part of his childhood.

She used her father's manuscript and her own experience to write a new book called “A Place for What We Lose: A Daughter’s Return to Tule Lake,” which is out now. 

Guest

Tamiko Nimura, author, “A Place for What We Lose: A Daughter’s Return to Tule Lake”

Related Links

Exploring Tamiko Nimura’s New Book “A Place For What We Lose” - Densho

Nimura's event in Seattle on June 6th

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.

 

Tacoma author Tamiko Nimura's father died when she was just 10 years old.&nbsp;
Among the things he left behind was an unpublished manuscript about his family&rsquo;s incarceration at the <a href="https://densho.org/tulelake/">Tule Lake camp for Japanese Americans</a>.&nbsp;
Nimura ultimately made a pilgrimage to Tule Lake in 2014, to see where her father was forced to spend part of his childhood.
She used her father's manuscript and her own experience to write a new book called &ldquo;A Place for What We Lose: A Daughter&rsquo;s Return to Tule Lake,&rdquo; which is out now.&nbsp; Guest Tamiko Nimura, author, &ldquo;<a href="https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295754758/a-place-for-what-we-lose/">A Place for What We Lose: A Daughter&rsquo;s Return to Tule Lake</a>&rdquo; Related Links <a href="https://densho.org/catalyst/tamiko-nimura-a-place/">Exploring Tamiko Nimura&rsquo;s New Book &ldquo;A Place For What We Lose&rdquo;</a> - Densho <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tamiko-nimura-a-place-for-what-we-lose-seattle-community-launch-tickets-1988956186495?aff=oddtdtcreator">Nimura's event in Seattle on June 6th</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.
&nbsp;

 Tamiko Nimura's new book explores complicated questions about memory, solidarity and family

A Tacoma author grapples with Japanese American incarceration and her father's death

In April 2024, the Everett School District launched a third-party investigation into a teacher at Henry M. Jackson High School over allegations of an inappropriate physical relationship with a student. 

Later that year, the teacher resigned. Not long after, he voluntarily gave up his K-12 teaching license.

That decision stopped further investigation and the gears of oversight meant to provide transparency about problem teachers. And the teacher soon got a faculty job at a nearby community college.

Guests
Moe Clark, investigative reporter for InvestigateWest
Eliza Aronson, investigative reporter for The Daily Herald in Everett

Related links

InvestigateWest: An Everett teacher resigned over a relationship with a student. Shoreline Community College hired him months later.

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 April 2024, the Everett School District launched a third-party investigation into a teacher at Henry M. Jackson High School over allegations of an inappropriate physical relationship with a student.&nbsp;
Later that year, the teacher resigned. Not long after, he voluntarily gave up his K-12 teaching license.
That decision stopped further investigation and the gears of oversight meant to provide transparency about problem teachers. And the teacher soon got a faculty job at a nearby community college.
Guests
<ul>
<li>Moe Clark, investigative reporter for InvestigateWest</li>
<li>Eliza Aronson, investigative reporter for The Daily Herald in Everett</li>
</ul>
Related links
InvestigateWest: <a href="https://www.investigatewest.org/an-everett-teacher-resigned-over-a-relationship-with-a-student-shoreline-community-college-hired-him-months-later/">An Everett teacher resigned over a relationship with a student. Shoreline Community College hired him months later.</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.

In April 2024, the Everett School District launched a third-party investigation into a teacher over allegations of an inappropriate physical relationship with a student. Two investigative reporters tell what happened after.

A loophole that can allow problem teachers back in class

From high ticket prices to questions about how the games are used by authoritarian leaders to bolster nationalism, the World Cup coming to town raises questions about the organization running the event. FIFA has also been dogged by scandal over host country selection and TV marketing rights. 

But, it's the World Cup – probably the biggest sporting event of all – and one that is so fun to watch. 

So how do we relate to a game that is both beautiful and run by an entity as complicated as FIFA?

Guest:

Jules Boykoff, professor of Political Science at Pacific University and the author of the forthcoming book Red Card:The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing and the FIFA Greed Machine

Relevant Links:

Red Card: An excerpt from Jules Boykoff's new book on the 2026 FIFA World Cup 

Jules Boykoff’s ‘Kicking’ Is Clear-Eyed And Warm-Hearted

‘Green card for the planet’? Fifa’s World Cup is on pace to be a climate catastrophe

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.

From high ticket prices to questions about how the games are used by authoritarian leaders to bolster nationalism, the World Cup coming to town raises questions about the organization running the event. FIFA has also been dogged by scandal over host country selection and TV marketing rights.&nbsp;
But, it's the World Cup &ndash; probably the biggest sporting event of all &ndash; and one that is so fun to watch.&nbsp;
So how do we relate to a game that is both beautiful and run by an entity as complicated as FIFA?
Guest:
Jules Boykoff, professor of Political Science at Pacific University and the author of the forthcoming book Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing and the FIFA Greed Machine
Relevant Links:
<a href="https://www.sportspolitika.news/p/red-card-jules-boykoff-fifa-sports-politics-trump-infantino-world-cup">Red Card: An excerpt from Jules Boykoff's new book on the 2026 FIFA World Cup </a>
<a href="https://defector.com/jules-boykoffs-kicking-is-clear-eyed-and-warm-hearted">Jules Boykoff&rsquo;s &lsquo;Kicking&rsquo; Is Clear-Eyed And Warm-Hearted</a>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/world-cup-climate-change">&lsquo;Green card for the planet&rsquo;? Fifa&rsquo;s World Cup is on pace to be a climate catastrophe</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.

How do soccer fans relate to a game that is both beautiful and run by an entity as complicated as FIFA

As the World Cup arrives in Seattle, so do the contradictions

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:Melissa Santos - Axios

Related Links:
UW student Juniper Blessing, 19, remembered as ‘full of life’
Seattle weighs pause on large data centers
An AI hate wave is here
Five large data centers eyed for Seattle
His daughter called him crying, and then another voice got on the phone. Only one of them was real

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.axios.com/authors/msantos">Melissa Santos - Axios</a>
Related Links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/uw-student-juniper-blessing-19-remembered-as-full-of-life/">UW student Juniper Blessing, 19, remembered as &lsquo;full of life&rsquo;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/05/15/seattle-data-center-moratorium-ai-energy">Seattle weighs pause on large data centers</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/17/ai-backlash-polling-sentiment">An AI hate wave is here</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/five-large-data-centers-eyed-for-seattle/">Five large data centers eyed for Seattle</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/08/his-daughter-called-him-crying-and-then-another-vo/">His daughter called him crying, and then another voice got on the phone. Only one of them was real</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.

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.

Front Page: Juniper Blessing, AI Data Centers, and AI Scams

Ben Shuldiner just hit 100 days in his role as the superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.... and he’s had to tackle some pretty big issues in that short window.  

Like a budget deficit, which could be as much as $100 million.

And student safety, after two Rainier Beach High School students were shot and killed at a bus stop in January. 

And screen time in the classrooms (Shuldiner recently implemented a new cell phone policy limiting student screen time during the school day)

Shuldiner sat down for a live interview to answer a whole bunch of questions from us here on Soundside and from our listeners.

Guest: Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner 

Related links: 
Can new superintendent Shuldiner the burden of Seattle Public Schools? | KUOW
100 days for Seattle’s new superintendent. How is he doing? | The Seattle Times
Seattle’s new superintendent takes aim at administrative bloat | The Seattle Times
Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a ‘Generation-Long Decline’ | The New York 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.

Ben Shuldiner&nbsp;just hit 100 days in his role as the superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.... and he&rsquo;s had to tackle some pretty big issues in that short window.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Like a budget deficit, which could be as much as $100 million.
And student safety, after two Rainier Beach High School students were shot and killed at a bus stop in January.&nbsp;
And screen time in the classrooms (Shuldiner recently implemented a new cell phone policy limiting student screen time during the school day)
Shuldiner sat down for a live interview to answer a whole bunch of questions from us here on Soundside and from our listeners.
Guest:&nbsp;Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner&nbsp;
Related links:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/can-new-superintendent-shuldiner-the-burden-of-seattle-public-schools">Can new superintendent Shuldiner the burden of Seattle Public Schools? | KUOW</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/100-days-for-seattles-new-superintendent-how-is-he-doing/">100 days for Seattle&rsquo;s new superintendent. How is he doing? | The Seattle Times</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/seattles-new-superintendent-takes-aim-at-administrative-bloat/">Seattle&rsquo;s new superintendent takes aim at administrative bloat | The Seattle Times</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/upshot/test-scores-school-districts-us.html">Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a &lsquo;Generation-Long Decline&rsquo; | The New York Times</a></li>
</ul>
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Ben Shuldiner just hit the 100-day mark in his new role as the superintendent for Seattle Public Schools. He joined Soundside for a live interview to answer our (and our listeners') burning questions. 

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