A ferry ride and an unsettling offer launches us into the new novel, "Whidbey"

It's not a spoiler to say someone gets murdered in T Kira Madden's new book, "Whidbey." But what happens next? You'll have to read and find out. Whidbey is expansive, detailed and visceral. It makes readers wonder about questions of justice, forgiveness, belief and unconditional love. We talk wit…

The push to protect polyamorous families in the Puget Sound

Last month, Olympia became the first city in Washington, and one of just a handful in the country, to pass explicit protections for polyamorous families. The city passed two ordinances in late February that establish protections for people in diverse family and relationship structures.  Supporter…

Congressman Adam Smith on war with Iran

Residents of Tehran were warned to stay indoors yesterday [SUN], as black smoke blanketed parts of the Iranian capital city. It comes after Israel attacked dozens of fuel depots in the city of 10 million people.   The U.S. and Israel continued to launch airstrikes against Iran over the weekend. A…

Front Page: Gas Prices, the Millionaire's Tax, Daylight Savings Time, and the Opera

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 storie…

Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - 3/5-8

We’ve come to the end of another week here at Soundside, the end of Winter is right around the corner, and there is a LOT to do before we ‘Spring Forward’ on Sunday. Let’s talk about it! Here’s Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows LINKS: Emerald City Comic Con Tacoma Beer Week Winthrop Hot A…

Anthropic–Pentagon contract dispute raises questions about AI's use in the military

Hours before the United States launched strikes on Iran, there was another big story at the Pentagon:  The Department of Defense designated Anthropic, the U.S.-based AI company, a supply chain risk. This was shortly after President Trump ordered all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic technol…

What a new CEO might signal about XBox's future

There’s a major reshuffling of leadership happening at one of the videogame industry’s top companies.  After 38 years at Microsoft, Phil Spencer is stepping away from his role as CEO of Microsoft Gaming.  His was an incredibly long tenure, and it’s leaving many to wonder what it means for XBox, M…

Front Page: the latest from Washington's legislature

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 storie…

Will the WNBA season get delayed?

WNBA fans, mark your calendars for March 10th. That's a key deadline that could determine when the teams actually hit the court. If the league and players can’t shake hands on a new collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, by next Tuesday, the 2026 season could be delayed. The Seattle Storm's Nne…

The big risk to the global economy hidden in the supply chain of semiconductors

Much of your technology - your phone, your kid’s ipad, your electric car… wouldn’t function without computer chips. They’re basically tiny pieces of silicon semiconductor wafers that drive our tech-focused economy. And their supply chain is highly centralized. Most chips come from just one countr…