Ross Reynolds Videos

12:00 p.m. State Route 520 Bridge Replacement There's a new plan for replacing the state Route 520 Bridge. The Seattle City Council gets briefed this morning and we'll brief you at noon. Port of Seattle Lowers Levy The Port of Seattle is reducing its tax rate, but some Port Commissioners think it should have been dropped even more. Copenhagen Climate Report An updated report on climate change assembled for the Copenhagen Summit next month has more bad news. We'll talk to a University of Washington scientist who helped write it. Green Homes, Red Tape KUOW correspondent Tom Banse reports that new energy efficient home building standards are headed for trouble in the upcoming session of the state legislature. 12:20 p.m. 'Good Without God' Harvard University has a Humanist chaplain. He's also an atheist. We'll talk to Greg Epstein about his book Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe. 12:40 p.m. Mixology 101 The inventor of the Cosmo and a bartender at New York City's Death & Co. join us in the studio for a cocktail roundtable.

12:00 p.m. State Revenue Down $760 Million A new state revenue forecast is out today. State officials have been bracing for a shock to the system. We bring you the bad news and the good news. New State Math and Science Requirements Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn announces a change to the state's math and science tests required for graduation. And a delay to the math requirement. We get reactions from the business community. Neighborhood Based Schooling is Back Seattle schools become neighborhood schools again under a new student assignment plan. Phyllis Fletcher reports. 12:20 p.m. Your Winter Olympic Plans The Winter Olympics are right next door in British Columbia next February. Are you going? We'll talk to Seattle Times reporter Ron Judd who's been writing about the difficulties you might have finding tickets and a hotel. Have you been to the Olympics? Share your tales of Olympic triumph or woe. 12:40 p.m. Cornel West on Religion, Academics and Life Dr. Cornel West joins us to talk about how he reconciles his deep belief in Jesus Christ with his love of academic inquiry. The Princeton professor's new book is titled Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir.

12:00 p.m. Arsonist Caught? Seattle Police have a person of interest in custody in connection the string of arsons in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood. Hospital Pay The executive of the non profit Valley Medical Center got a $1.7 million retirement bonus. And he's still on the job. John Ryan reports. Sprinkler Blues at Local Clubs A new law requiring expensive sprinkler systems in small performance spaces is causing some local clubs to stop the music. One of them is the popular Capitol Hill nightspot, The War Room. Co owner Brian Rauschenbach joins us. 12:20 p.m. A Different Take on Health Care Reform Harvard Economist David Cutler was on board for the failed Clinton Administration run at health insurance reform. Cutler thinks free market incentives can make doctors and hospitals more effective and more efficient. We'll talk to him about how that would work. 12:40 p.m. Things We Used To Do Once we used clothes lines. Now we have clothes driers. Once the slide rule was the state of art math tool. Calculators have left them in the dust. We'll talk to Anna Jane Grossman, author of Obsolete: An Encyclopedia of Once Common Things Passing Us By about everyday behaviors and apparatuses that are disappearing. We'll also hear from you: What are things or activities some call old fashioned but you call just right?

12:00 p.m. Apples Washington's apple growers are feeling good about sales this year. Early numbers show a strong demand for their 2009 crops. Plus, scientists say they've come up with a better breed of apple that stays fresh for months. John McKay on Marijuana Law Reform Former U.S. Attorney John McKay speaks out on the impact of federal and state marijuana laws. The Electronic Sun The Kitsap Sun has adopted innovative social networking tools for its online readers. We talk with the paper's editor. 12:20 p.m. Ballot Deadline Debate Governor Gregoire and others say Washington needs to update its election day deadline. Instead of making sure ballots are postmarked on election day, they'd like to see ballots in the hands of the state by then. Others say the current system is fine. Secretary of State Sam Reed and Representative Sam Hunt join us to discuss the pros and cons. 12:40 p.m. 'SuperFreakonomics' Four years ago after their groundbreaking book Freakonomics, authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner are back. Their new book, SuperFreakonomics covers everything from drunk driving to prostitution. We talk with the authors.

12:00 p.m. Mourning a Seattle Police Officer The Seattle Police Department is holding a memorial service today for slain Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton. KUOW reporter Amy Radil updates us live from this somber event. Unemployment Update The U.S. unemployment rate has exceeded 10 percent of the population. Have we reached the high water mark? Also this week, the U.S. Senate approved extending unemployment benefits. In Washington state some people are able to collect payments for 79 weeks. We'll talk to some experts about what's happening both nationally and here in our state. Domestic Partnerships: Making it Real Backers of the everything but marriage act for domestic partners, Referendum 71, are declaring victory. Practically speaking, what will that mean for same sex partners who want to take advantage of these new benefits? Representative Jamie Pederson joins us to provide some nuts and bolts advice. 12:20 p.m. Nathan Myhrvold on the Stratoshield Former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold says we could reverse global climate change by pumping liquid sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. We could use a hose lifted more than 15 miles into the sky using helium filled balloons. It would dim the sun just enough to reduce or reverse global warming. Nathan Myhrvold explains what he calls the Stratoshield. 12:40 p.m. American Muslim Teenager What's it like to be a Muslim teen in the United States? Dilara Hafiz and Imran Hafiz are a mother and son team that has written a guide. They'll join us to share their valuable tips.

Today The Conversation is talking about the election results. Voters chose King County Councilmember Dow Constantine to be the next County Executive. There are new faces on the Seattle City Council and the Seattle School Board. The domestic partners measure Referendum 71 and the Seattle Mayor's race remains undecided.

12:00 p.m. Leading King County Dow Constantine won a tough battle for the office of King County Executive. He takes office in just a few weeks and joins us to talk about what he'll do first. Bipartisan or Not? King County elections are now officially bipartisan, although you never would have known that during the recent election season. To help us understand the dynamics party affiliation played in the election, we have P I reporter Neil Modie in the studio. 12:20 p.m. Mayoral Race Seattleites still don't know who their next mayor will be. Mike McGinn has a one percent lead over Joe Mallahan. KUOW's Deb Wang reports. Welcome Newcomers There are new faces on the Seattle City Council, Mike O'Brien and Sally Bagshaw and on the Seattle School Board, Betty Patu and Kay Smith Blum. We'll hear from the newcomers. 12:40 p.m. Referendum 71 The domestic partners measure referendum 71 has a very narrow lead with many votes left be counted. Do the election results thus far tell us how it's going to go? Chris McCullough, a political consultant, is here to share his prediction. Initiative 1033 By one survey Tim Eyman's tax and spending reduction measure 1033 was ahead by 30 points, but it went down to defeat. Was it bad polling or a reverse in voter sentiment? Scott Whiteaker from the No on 1033 campaign joins us. Seattle City Port The race for Seattle Port Commission centered on the need for reform. How happy are port reform voters today with the results? Brian Slodysko joins us to discuss the future of the Port of Seattle.

12:00 p.m. Boeing Dreamliner to South Carolina Boeing announced yesterday it will build its second 787 Dreamliner production line in South Carolina instead of Puget Sound. KUOW's Deborah Wang reports. School Board Race In the race for school board in South Seattle voters have a choice between UW researcher Wilson Chin and Betty Patu. Chin touts his ability to parse the district's data. Betty Patu worked for the School District for 32 years coordinating dropout prevention. KUOW's Phyllis Fletcher introduces us to the candidates. Seattle Sounders FC to the Playoffs Local soccer fans are over the moon. The Seattle Sounders FC are headed to the playoffs. That's not bad for their very first year as a major league soccer team. We'll check in with the official Sounders Nerd at the Website Publicola. 12:20 p.m. Boeing in South Carolina Boeing's announcement about moving its second 787 Dreamliner production to South Carolina means future jobs will be in Charleston instead of Everett. They'll be nonunion jobs instead of members of the Machinists union. What's the significance of the decision for organized labor, Puget Sound, and Boeing? Is anyone to blame? Is everyone to blame?

12:00 p.m. Susan Hutchison King County Executive Candidate Susan Hutchison stood by Police Chief Sue Rahr this week to announce she wants to put the county jails under Rahr's control. Hutchison says it will save money. We'll ask her how. 12:20 p.m. SHARE Clients Forced to Protest? Publicola reports that residents of the tent cities operated by SHARE say they're forced to participate in demonstrations or face eviction. We'll talk to a client of SHARE about his experience. 12:40 p.m. Michael Chabon on Manhood Michael Chabon is the author of 11 books, including the Pulitzer Prize winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and the bestseller, The Yiddish Policeman's Union. His latest book is a collection of essays titled Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son. He'll explain why he thinks a father is a man who fails every day.

Women's Land Rights This week the Seattle based Rural Development Institute launches an initiative to secure land rights for women. Sara Vowell Sarah Vowell talks about her literary history of the Puritans, The Wordy Shipmates. Ruling on Referendum 71 Some gay rights advocates want to publish names of those who signed the petition to get Referendum 71 on the ballot. A group called Protect Marriage Washington sued to block the state from releasing the names. Today the 9th circuit court of appeals heard the case.

12:00 p.m. New Taxes? Governor Gregoire says the door is open for new taxes. We talk to KUOW's Austin Jenkins. Ranked Choice Voting The voters of Pierce County used ranked choice voting to elect their County Executive, County Council and other county officers in 2008. But county officials claim it was expensive, complicated and confusing. So they've put Charter Amendment 3 on the ballot this November, which would eliminate ranked choice voting. We talk to an expert at the University of Washington. Flu Shots Required for Nurses? The Washington State Hospital Association is now considering asking the state to make flu shots mandatory for hospital workers. The association's board is meeting October 14 to consider the idea. 12:20 p.m. Exploring Polyamory Polyamory: The Next Sexual Revolution? asks Newsweek magazine. Polyamory isn't casual dating, it isn't polygamy and it isn't promiscuity, though it's been long construed as each of those things. We want to know if you've been involved or are considering getting involved in Seattle's poly community. Maybe you've experimented with it and it has or hasn't worked out. Call and tell us your experience with it. 12:40 p.m. Troops in Afghanistan President Obama is meeting with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, today. McChrystal says if we don't get 40,000 more troops soon we will likely lose the war. What's the balancing act for President Obama in trying to decide what to do next in Afghanistan?

12:00 p.m. 'Condo Glut' KUOW's Deborah Wang reports on the surplus of condominiums in Seattle. Fred Meyer Expansion Blogs are buzzing about the Greenwood Fred Meyer expansion. We talk to the PhinneyWood blog. Disaster Fair! Auburn's Disaster Preparedness Fair is happening this Saturday. We'll find out what they've got planned. 12:20 p.m. Communes in the Northwest In the early 1970's an estimated 750,000 people lived on tens of thousands of communes across America. The Pacific Northwest was a hotbed. One of the best known was Seattle's Love Israel family commune. Historian Charles LeWarne tells their story. Were you involved with Love Israel, or another commune? Share your story. 12:40 p.m. Puyallup Postcard The Conversation does the Puyallup and brings back stories of prize winning cattle, hypnotism and corn dogs versus churros.

12:00 p.m. Mike McGinn on Nightlife Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn is out with a position paper on Seattle's nightlife. Smooth jazz or punk rock? We'll find out. Carbon Disclosure Most of the biggest businesses in Washington state don't publicly report their greenhouse gas emissions. KUOW's John Ryan reports. 12:20 p.m. Curse of the Good Girl Rachel Simmons, founder of the Girl's Leadership Institute argues that we've idealized girls who are always polite, modest and selfless. Simmons argues the good girl identity is not only impossible to achieve, it also curtails girls' power and potential. Is she right? What's your experience? 12:50 p.m. Senator Cantwell on Health Care KUOW's Derek Wang talks to Senator Maria Cantwell about her position on the health care reform bill being debated in the Senate.

12:00 p.m. Inmates Get a Refund A judge has ordered Pierce County to refund a fee they collected on inmates at a county jail. Net Neutrality The head of the Federal Communications Commission is proposing new rules to insure net neutrality. For those of you who don't play volleyball, what does that mean. And what does it mean to you? 12:20 p.m. Washington State Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark Peter Goldmark sets policy for 3 million acres of publicly owned land and 2.6 million acres of shorelines and tidelands. Revenue from his department funds public schools and universities. He also runs the state's largest fire department and sets regulations for private timber harvests. 12:40 p.m. The Future of Washington State's Public Lands We continue our conversation with Commissioner Peter Goldmark and take your calls. Two Seattle Geniuses The MacArthur Foundation has awarded two genius grants to Seattleites. Poet Heather McHugh and documentary filmmaker James Longley, whose work includes Iraq in Fragments. We talk to Elizabeth Austen who covers the poetry beat for KUOW about Heather McHugh. And we hear a poem.

12:00 p.m. State Tax Revenue to Drop Washington is forecasting a state revenue drop by $238 million over the next two years. We talk to KUOW's Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins about why, and ask what the Governor plans to do about it. Green Grades for Cruise Ships How green are the cruise ships that dock in Seattle? We find out from an environmental group that's out with a new report. And we'll check in with the Seattle Port Commission to find out what being done here. 12:20 p.m. Health Care Reform A powerful Senate committee has advanced their version of health insurance reform. They've dropped the call for a government insurance option for all Americans. Congressman Jim McDermott and other special guests help us parse the plan. 12:40 p.m. Graduating With a D Average In Seattle schools you have to get a C average to graduate. But the school district wants to drop that requirement to a D average. The district says it's not lowering standards. We'll find out why and take your calls.

On July 23, 2009 the Seattle City Club hosted a Seattle mayoral debate between incumbent Greg Nickels, James Donaldson, Mike McGinn, Joe Mallahan, Norman Sigler and Jan Drago at Rainier Square in downtown Seattle. It was moderated by KUOW's Ross Reynolds and Seattle Time columnist and editorial board member Joni Balter.

12:00 p.m. Breast feeding: Now, a Civil Right A law goes into effect Sunday making breast feeding in public a civil right in Washington state. What will it mean for you? Henry Louis Gates vs. Cambridge Police Cambridge Massachusetts police dropped disorderly conduct charges against scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., but the controversy rages on. A lot has been said. What do you have to say? 12:20 p.m. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. A lot has been said about this dispute between Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Cambridge Massachusetts police by President Obama and others. What's your take on this dispute? 12:40 p.m. Mayor's Debate Last night Mayor Nickels faced his challengers Donaldson, Drago, Mallahan, McGinn and Sigler in a debate at Seattle's City Club. Ross Reynolds was a moderator. We'll hear excerpts. The Corner The Conversation's Jenny Asarnow has teamed up with local artists to document the intersection of 23rd Avenue and East Union Street in Seattle's Central District. The corner represents a changing neighborhood and at times a clash of cultures.

12:00 p.m. Nickelsville Evicted The Nickelsville tent city faces eviction from its location in West Seattle. We'll speak to a Nickelsville representative about their next move. Self Destructing Digital Data Developers at the University of Washington say they've created new software that will make your digital information self destruct, just like Mission Impossible. Amateur Astronomers An amateur astronomer in Australia has spotted an Earth sized blot on the surface of Jupiter with a telescope in his backyard. How? We talk to the head of a local astronomer's group. 12:20 p.m. 20 Cent Bag Fee Vote Next Month The 20 cent bag fee for paper or plastic bags is up for a vote a month from today. We'll speak to experts on both sides of the issue and we'll be taking your calls. Should Seattleites pay for bags at the store? How are you going to vote and why? 12:40 p.m. Double Nickels and a Dime for Grocery Bags? More of your calls and comments on the upcoming bag fee vote. Neighborhood News We'll get an update on the latest neighborhood news from bloggers in West Seattle and the Central District.