KBCS News - 91.3 KBCS

Never Again Is Now Artwork to be featured at Bellevue College

Artist, Erin Shigaki, will be installing an art mural near the Bellevue College Main Campus Fountain today. The artwork is a wheatpaste of two children at a US government incarceration camp for people of Japanese descent during WWII. Shigaki describes the art piece and why she chose this image for an installation. Producer: Yuko

Wintergrass Jamming Culture

Every year, the nooks and crannies of the hallways of a fancy, downtown Bellevue hotel are filled with bluegrass music during the Wintergrass Music Festival. Wintergrass is a northwest bluegrass festival tradition bringing the region bluegrass artists from around the world, workshops on this musical genre and techniques, and a youth camp for the children

Black Panther Party Women Pt 1

The Black Panther Party was active in Seattle, offering protection and services for the local black community. Services included a free breakfast program which fed hundreds of children in Seattle, and a free health clinic, today monikered as the Carolyn Downs clinic in Seattle’s Central District. The women of the Black Panther Party were a

Courthouse ICE Arrests

The New York Times has published a number of articles on the trend of ICE arresting undocumented immigrants at courthouses. Monserrat Padilla, Co-Director of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) describes the increase of ICE arrests at public courthouses here in Washington state. You can call the WAISN 24 hour hotline at 1-844-724-3737 for help,

LGBTQ Immigration Detention in Washington State

As of January 28th, Washington’s Northwest Detention Center is intentionally housing LGBTQ detainees. Monserrat Padilla Co-Director of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) describes the efforts to protect this population of immigrants. Producer: Yuko Kodama Photo: torbakhopper

Skagit Valley Farmworkers and ICE

US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agents arrested 24 year old Medardo Cruz-Ventura on January 24th. Edgar Franks, Political Director of Familias Unidas por la Justicia describes how ICE activities impact Washington’s Skagit Valley where farmworkers make up 30% of the population.

Swedish Hospital Workers’ Strike

About 7,800 workers among seven regional Swedish Hospital locations went on strike beginning Tuesday morning at 7 am. In preparation for the walk out, hospital management had cancelled elective surgeries, closed emergency department services in Redmond and Ballard and stopped labor and deliveries service at their Ballard location. Strikers announced their return to work for

Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Seattle March

Thousands took the streets in Seattle on Monday for the 38th annual Martin Luther King Jr Day March. KBCS’s Gol Hoghooghi and Yuko Kodama gathered sounds and interviews from the celebration.

Mochitsuki: A Thriving Japanese New Year Tradition

What’s the story behind mochi – the chewy, sticky treat that’s served up on New Year’s Day in Japan? The tradition of pounding mochi, or mochitsuki is a dying craft in Japan, but it thrives in our region. Listen to this highlight of Bellevue, Washington mochitsuki artisan, Shoichi Sugiyama. 31st Annual Bainbridge Island Mochitsuki Festival

KBCS News Picks Ten Stories from 2019

Getting Out Alive: a harrowing account of one woman navigating for her life after being shot by her ex-partner The Book They Can’t Erase: the ‘jeli’ are keepers of stories in the African Mende tradition. Listen to this perspective of people who volunteered into slavery. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: A series of multiple perspectives