Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Rosenblum Wins Democratic Attorney General Primary

Oregon Democrats have chosen former state judge Ellen Rosenblum as their nominee for attorney general. She defeated former federal prosecutor Dwight Holton in Tuesday's primary election by a wide margin. But it's still not clear if Rosenblum will face any opposition in the general election this fall. Marijuana became a key issue in the race. More »

Monday, May 07, 2012

Electricity Rate Increases, European Elections, Jailhouse Nutrition Science

Why Is Seattle City Light Raising Their Rates? Mayor Mike McGinn is proposing a Seattle City Light rate increase of 28 percent over 6 years. How would the money be used? How are businesses responding? KUOW's business reporter Deborah Wang joins us to discuss the details.

The Ripple Effect From European Elections: How will the election outcomes in Europe (Greece and France) affect the Washington state economy? We'll ask Seattle Times economics columnist Jon Talton.

Current Nutrition Standards Based On Jailhouse Science? Current US nutrition requirements are based on studies done on prisoners and patients at mental institutions. Researchers first deprived the inmates of nutrients, then gave them the bare minimum to figure out how much is needed to be healthy. How accurate are these studies? We talk to NYU professor and nutrition expert Marion Nestle.

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Gregoire To Gubernatorial Candidates: New Education Tax Needed

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire has a message for both leading candidates to replace her next year. The state will need to find a new, dedicated source of funding for education. The Democrat made her comments Wednesday at a ceremony to sign a newly rebalanced state budget. More »

Monday, March 26, 2012

Washington's Insurance Exchange, And Congressman Jay Inslee

Will Washington's Insurance Exchange Survive Supreme Court Ruling? The United States Supreme Court began hearing arguments on the Affordable Care Act today and Washington State insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler explains what will happen to programs already underway here in our state if that legislation is overturned.

Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate: Congressman Jay Inslee Jay Inslee is running for Governor and Ross talks to him about his timing in stepping down as the Representative for Washington's 1st Congressional District, education reform, health care and the budget.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Richard Sanders Tries For New State Supreme Court Seat

In 2010, Richard Sanders was ousted from the Washington State Supreme Court by Charlie Wiggins in a close election race. Now Sanders is seeking to return to that bench. Thursday he announced he's running for an open seat on the court this fall. More »

Monday, March 19, 2012

Representative Jay Inslee, And Signs Of Hope In Sudan

Representative Jay Inslee: Today is the last day that Jay Inslee will represent Washington state's 1st District in Congress. He's resigning his seat to focus on his campaign for governor. What does he make of criticism that he's abandoning his constituents? We'll also ask him about a ruling on the language for Referendum 74 to overturn gay marriage in the state. What does Inslee have to say about the final ballot wording and the issue? Those and many other issues when US Representative Jay Inslee joins us to answer your questions.

A Sign Of Hope? Refugees Return To Darfur: The United Nations estimates that since 2003, close to 3 million Sudanese were displaced by civil war. Many moved to massive refugee camps, where they have remained for almost a decade. Over the last year more than 100,000 refugees have made their way back to Darfur to begin picking up the pieces — the largest return of refugees since the conflict began. Could this be a sign of hope that the conflict is cooling? It's been less than a year since the Republic of South Sudan gained its independence. As violence heats up in the Nuba Mountains, is it too soon for refugees to return?

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Romney Takes Idaho, Helped By Mormon Vote

Mitt Romney took the state of Idaho Tuesday in the state's first–ever presidential caucus. The former Massachusetts governor won with 33 percent of the vote. More »

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Super Tuesday, Sled Dogs And Citizens United

What's So Super About Super Tuesday? It's Super Tuesday, with 419 delegates to the GOP convention up for grabs. Mitt Romney currently claims the most among Republican candidates, with 353 delegates. Since a candidate needs 1,144 delegates to win the nomination, what will today's results actually mean?

A Super Tuesday Playlist: We've heard a lot over the past few days about polls, candidates, robocalls and the current state of the GOP. Today we're going to slow things down a little bit — and play some music. Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post's "The Fix" politics blog joins us to share her favorite reader–recommended songs for a Super Tuesday playlist.

Iditarod Sled Dog Race Underway: Mushers left Anchorage on Saturday for the 40th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Over the course of the next week and a half, teams will cross 1,000 miles of mountains, rivers and tundra on their way to the finish line in Nome. Temperatures most days hover around zero degrees Fahrenheit. We'll hear a breakdown of the course's challenges from a former competitor.

Jeffrey Clements — Corporations Are Not People: In the wake of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling allowing corporations, unions and individuals to make unlimited donations to political campaigns, Congress is considering a new amendment to the US Constitution that would limit the protections of the Constitution to "natural persons." Supporters say the "People's Rights Amendment" would reassert the supremacy of state and federal laws over corporate actions.

The Weather And Hike Of The Week: Michael Fagin suggests a hike to match the week's weather forecast.

Sound Of The Day "Weekday" listener Janet shares a sound of good health.

Monday, March 05, 2012

GOP Caucuses Are Finished, But The Voting Is Not Over

Record numbers of Republicans in Washington turned out to select delegates and cast votes in a non–binding presidential straw poll this weekend. Mitt Romney was the clear winner, followed by Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. But it will be months before the Romney campaign knows exactly how many delegates it can count on from Washington state. KUOW's Deborah Wang has this look ahead. More »

Monday, March 05, 2012

Heavy Turnout At Seattle GOP Caucus

Organizers say about 300 Republicans signed in to caucus Saturday at the Labor Temple in downtown Seattle. They say that's more than double the turnout in 2008 for this same group. KUOW's Liz Jones reports. More »