The world premiere of Jubilee debuted at Seattle Opera with its inaugural performance over the weekend.

Jubilee is a new opera honoring the Fisk Jubilee singers, a group of groundbreaking Black American singers from Fisk University, in Tennessee.

Soundside's Diana Opong sat down with creator and director Tazewell Thompson, who reflected on how the seeds of the opera Jubilee were sown in his early years living in New York. It was during his formative years that he was introduced to the rich tapestry of spirituals through old recordings, a discovery that ignited a profound sense of connection in his life. 

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. 

Guests:
Tazewell Thompson, creator and director of the new opera, Jubilee
Marlette Buchanan, Seattle vocalist and former Fisk Jubilee singer
Dr. Agenia Clark, president of Fisk University

Related Links:
Seattle Opera - Jubilee

The world premiere of Jubilee debuted at Seattle Opera with its inaugural performance over the weekend.
Jubilee is a new opera honoring the Fisk Jubilee singers, a group of groundbreaking Black American singers from Fisk University, in Tennessee.
Soundside's Diana Opong sat down with creator and director Tazewell Thompson, who reflected on how the seeds of the opera Jubilee were sown in his early years living in New York. It was during his formative years that he was introduced to the rich tapestry of spirituals through old recordings, a discovery that ignited a profound sense of connection in his life. 
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. 
Guests:
<ul>
<li>Tazewell Thompson, creator and director of the new opera, Jubilee</li>
<li>Marlette Buchanan, Seattle vocalist and former Fisk Jubilee singer</li>
<li>Dr. Agenia Clark, president of Fisk University</li>
</ul>
Related Links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.seattleopera.org/jubilee">Seattle Opera - Jubilee</a></li>
</ul>

Soundside

Seattle Opera brings the spiritual to the stage in "Jubilee"

This election season we’re bringing you conversations on all of the statewide initiatives on the November ballot. 

Most recently, we looked at both sides of the Capital Gains Tax Repeal. 

This week, we’re taking a deep dive into I-2124: it’s the initiative that would give Washington voters the option to OPT-OUT of the WA Cares long term services insurance program.

Gov. Inslee signed the bill that created WA Cares into law back in 2019. It’s a kind of “social insurance plan,” which would extend a one-time benefit of $36,500 to people who pay into the program, to help them cover the cost of long-term care.

Right now, most Washington workers pay about 58 cents into the program for every 100 dollars earned. If you make $50,000 dollars a year, that’s about 24 dollars a month. 

There was a delay in getting the payroll deduction started because of COVID, then an opt-out period, so payroll deductions for the plan didn’t actually kick in until July of last year. 

The first claims for WA Cares benefits can be filed starting July 1st, 2026. 

A vote of "Yes" on Initiative 2124 would make the program optional, instead of a payroll tax applying to most workers with a W-2. 

We’ll hear both sides of I-2124 this week: TODAY, we’re talking to the YES side. 



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.



GUEST:Elizabeth New - Policy Analyst and the Director of the Centers for Worker Rights and Health Care at the Washington Policy Center

RELATED LINKS: 
Washington Initiative 2124, Opt-Out of Long-Term Services Insurance Program Initiative (2024) - Ballotpedia
Vote ‘yes’ on I-2124 and make WA Cares participation optional | The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Vote ‘yes’ on Initiative 2124 and give residents more choice on WA Cares

This election season we’re bringing you conversations on all of the statewide initiatives on the November ballot. 
Most recently, we looked at both sides of the Capital Gains Tax Repeal. 
This week, we’re taking a deep dive into I-2124: it’s the initiative that would give Washington voters the option to OPT-OUT of the WA Cares long term services insurance program.
Gov. Inslee signed the bill that created WA Cares into law back in 2019. It’s a kind of “social insurance plan,” which would extend a one-time benefit of $36,500 to people who pay into the program, to help them cover the cost of long-term care.
Right now, most Washington workers pay about 58 cents into the program for every 100 dollars earned. If you make $50,000 dollars a year, that’s about 24 dollars a month. 
There was a delay in getting the payroll deduction started because of COVID, then an opt-out period, so payroll deductions for the plan didn’t actually kick in until July of last year.  The first claims for WA Cares benefits can be filed starting July 1st, 2026. 
A vote of "Yes" on Initiative 2124 would make the program optional, instead of a payroll tax applying to most workers with a W-2. 
We’ll hear both sides of I-2124 this week: TODAY, we’re talking to the YES side. 
 
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.
 
GUEST: <a href="https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/authors/detail/elizabeth-new-hovde">Elizabeth New</a> - Policy Analyst and the Director of the Centers for Worker Rights and Health Care at the Washington Policy Center
RELATED LINKS: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Initiative_2124,_Opt-Out_of_Long-Term_Services_Insurance_Program_Initiative_(2024)">Washington Initiative 2124, Opt-Out of Long-Term Services Insurance Program Initiative (2024) - Ballotpedia</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/vote-yes-on-i-2124-and-make-wa-cares-participation-optional/">Vote ‘yes’ on I-2124 and make WA Cares participation optional | The Seattle Times</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/the-seattle-times-editorial-board-recommends-vote-yes-on-initiative-2124-and-give-residents-more-choice-on-wa-cares/">The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Vote ‘yes’ on Initiative 2124 and give residents more choice on WA Cares</a> </li>
</ul>

Should WA Cares be Optional? The case for YES on I-2124

When you think of the wild west, you might imagine a sheriff, keeping watch over a small, dusty town he calls home. And a posse of locals: ready to be called up to fight off cattle rustlers or moonshine smugglers who threaten to cause trouble.

It’s hard to imagine something like that now, in 2024 Washington State.

But, in Klickitat County, down south on the Columbia River, a sheriff's posse has been making the news for its growing size and the number of responsibilities it’s taking on within the community.

Advocates say the posse is filling shortfalls within the Sheriff’s budget. 

Critics say it’s empowering citizens to take the law into their own hands – and allowing the sheriff to choose which laws he’ll enforce and which ones he’ll ignore.

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. 

Guest:
Paul Kiefer, a freelance reporter who covered this story for Investigate West

Related Links:
In a rural stretch of Washington, a ‘constitutional sheriff’ and his growing volunteer posse provoke controversy - Investigate West

When you think of the wild west, you might imagine a sheriff, keeping watch over a small, dusty town he calls home. And a posse of locals: ready to be called up to fight off cattle rustlers or moonshine smugglers who threaten to cause trouble.
It’s hard to imagine something like that now, in 2024 Washington State.
But, in Klickitat County, down south on the Columbia River, a sheriff's posse has been making the news for its growing size and the number of responsibilities it’s taking on within the community.
Advocates say the posse is filling shortfalls within the Sheriff’s budget. 
Critics say it’s empowering citizens to take the law into their own hands – and allowing the sheriff to choose which laws he’ll enforce and which ones he’ll ignore.
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. 
Guest:
<ul>
<li>Paul Kiefer, a freelance reporter who covered this story for Investigate West</li>
</ul>
Related Links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.invw.org/2024/10/10/in-a-rural-stretch-of-washington-a-constitutional-sheriff-and-his-growing-volunteer-posse-provoke-controversy/">In a rural stretch of Washington, a ‘constitutional sheriff’ and his growing volunteer posse provoke controversy - Investigate West</a></li>
</ul>

Why one Constitutional Sheriff has created a growing volunteer posse

Since the 1963 Gideon decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the right to a lawyer has been guaranteed to defendants facing criminal charges – even if they can’t afford to pay. 

Advocates say that guarantee is in  jeopardy in our state because of a lack of personnel. Washington State public defenders are in short supply and that’s having cascading effects on the criminal legal system. 

The Washington State Bar Association is recommending a counterintuitive solution to the shortage: they want to cap the number of cases that public defenders can take on in a year, but the plan has its detractors. 

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. 

Guests:

Jason Schwarz, Director of Snohomish County Office of Public Defense and Chair of the Washington State Bar Association, Council on Public Defense

Russell Brown, executive director of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys

Relevant Links:

Washington State Standard: Can smaller caseloads help Washington fill its public defender ranks?

Seattle Times: WA’s public defender system is breaking down, communities reeling 

Since the 1963 Gideon decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the right to a lawyer has been guaranteed to defendants facing criminal charges – even if they can’t afford to pay. 
Advocates say that guarantee is in  jeopardy in our state because of a lack of personnel. Washington State public defenders are in short supply and that’s having cascading effects on the criminal legal system. 
The Washington State Bar Association is recommending a counterintuitive solution to the shortage: they want to cap the number of cases that public defenders can take on in a year, but the plan has its detractors. 
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. 
Guests:
Jason Schwarz, Director of Snohomish County Office of Public Defense and Chair of the Washington State Bar Association, Council on Public Defense
Russell Brown, executive director of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
Relevant Links:
Washington State Standard: <a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/06/03/can-smaller-caseloads-help-washington-fill-its-public-defender-ranks/">Can smaller caseloads help Washington fill its public defender ranks?</a>
Seattle Times: <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/was-public-defender-system-is-breaking-down-communities-reeling/">WA’s public defender system is breaking down, communities reeling </a>

Seattle Opera brings the spiritual to the stage in "Jubilee"

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