Steve Scher

The presidents of Washington’s six public universities have a deal for state legislators in Olympia. They would hold back on tuition increases for two years. In return, the Legislature would spend an additional $225 million on higher education. Will legislators agree? Adding to the money woes is the mandate from the state Supreme Court to amply fund K-12 education — meaning even less money making its way to public colleges and universities. We discuss funding higher education in 2013 with University of Washington President Michael Young.

Are we all in sales? Are most transactions — in school, with our children, at the coffee shop — about getting people to part with resources? Daniel Pink argues that "buyer beware" has been replaced with "seller beware." He joins us to talk about the ideas in his new book, "To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others."

What do presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have in common? They were each re-elected to a second term. That may seem like the norm, but it isn’t — we haven’t seen so many reelections in a row since the 1800s. What does it mean for a person considering a presidential run in 2016? University of Washington professor David Domke joins us.

Victoria Times-Colonist columnist Les Leyne brings us the latest news from Canada. Film critic Robert Horton considers Woody Allen's classic comedies of the 1970s. Then, Seattle Times economics columnist Jon Talton reviews the aftermath of the "fiscal cliff" deal.

What makes a good self-help book? Book commentator and author Nancy Pearl joins us to think about it. Her favorite is “The Dance of Anger” by Harriet Lerner. What's yours? Call us at 206.543.5869 or email weekday@kuow.org.

Naturalist, illustrator and sculptor Tony Angell shares his home and his imagination with birds. He joins us to talk about the ecological role birds play in our lives and how the natural world inspires his creativity.

The next cliff looms in Washington, DC, as the US Treasury runs out of borrowing authority at the end of February. There may be a decision about across-the-board spending cuts known as "sequestration," as well as a debate over the social safety net.

Will Democrats agree to cuts to Social Security and Medicare? We talk with economics writer James Kwak about the political support for smaller government and less revenue.

When you look at a person, do you "see race?" Sharon Leslie Morgan and Tom DeWolf have been asking that question as they sat down at dinner tables around America. They found the lingering pain of slavery, and some paths to healing. They join us for a conversation about the journey toward racial equality.

It’s Friday — time to review the week’s news with Eli Sanders, Knute Berger, David Horsey and Bruce Ramsey. The House of Representatives voted 257-167 late Tuesday night to avoid the "fiscal cliff." The deal keeps the Bush tax cuts in place for individuals making less than $400,000 a year, extends federal emergency unemployment benefits and Washington state's sales tax deduction, and sets up Fiscal Cliff 2 in just a few weeks. We'll look at how the deal went down and what lies ahead.

Seattle has grown since KING 5's sketch comedy show Almost Live! left the air in 1999. Now some of the team that brought "The Lame List" and "COPS in Wallingford" to TV is back with a new show of modern-day Seattle-centric funny. The 206, starring Pat Cashman, John Keister and Chris Cashman, premieres tomorrow night. They join us in studio with a preview.