Government

The Port Of Seattle Has A New Commissioner
Stephanie Bowman has been selected to join the Seattle Port, filling the seat Rob Holland vacated.  Last month, Courtney Gregoire was picked to replace Gael Tarleton. President of the Port of Seattle Commission Tom Albro explains why these two were selected out of the 35 applicants.

Inside The Emanuel Family
Ezekiel Emanuel and his two brothers Rahm and Ari grew up to become powerhouses in their respective careers. Rahm is the mayor of Chicago, Ari is a successful Hollywood agent and Ezekiel is the head of the department of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania. In his new memoir "Brothers Emanuel: A Memoir of An American Family," Ezekiel tells the story of his family's history — from his parents early life as political and civil rights activists to the family's modern day successes.

Following The Old Rules
The Washington State Constitution is a 19th century document rooted in populist traditions from the era. It still functions today, but there have been significant changes. Over the past decade, state courts have come to rely on the state’s constitutional rather than federal doctrines. This is especially true in the area of individual rights, according to Hugh Spitzer, Constitutional scholar and co-author of the book, "The Washington State Constitution."

Seattle’s July 4th fireworks are scheduled to go ahead after all. City leaders announced yesterday they’ve secured enough corporate sponsors to stage the event on Lake Union this summer.

Last month a SWAT team from Bellevue arrived around 5:00 a.m. in a Columbia City neighborhood to serve a warrant for a suspect. As the dramatic scene unfolded the suspect, Russell Smith, was shot and killed by three Bellevue police officers. Now neighbors want answers about what happened.

Budget officials in the city of Seattle delivered some good news yesterday. For the first time since the financial crisis, the city is forecasting a budget surplus.

Police say a quadruple murder in Federal Way Sunday night started as a domestic violence incident.

In Washington state, it’s perfectly legal for employers to refuse to hire people who smoke. In 2006, state lawmakers tried but failed to join 29 other US states that made it illegal for employers to discriminate against smokers. 

According to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, it’s legal for companies to ban smokers from their workforce because smokers are not protected by any wrongful termination laws.

This Week In Olympia
The legislative session is almost over but lots of issues remain unresolved. Education funding is still up in the air, so is an agreement on a balanced budget.  Jerry Cornfield, reporter and political columnist for the Everett Herald is waiting for answers along with the rest of us.
 

David Stockman Takes The American Economy To The Woodshed
In 1985,  federal budget Director David Stockman was sharply rebuked by his boss, Ronald Reagan, for saying the president’s tax programs were trickle-down programs to help the rich. These days, author David Stockman is taking Ben Bernanke, Wall Street Banks and the Obama administration to the woodshed for printing money, running deficits and leaving the gold standard.
 

The Media’s Boston Bomber Frenzy
CNN went on the air with misinformation about the imminent arrest of suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings. The front page of the New York Post identified the wrong men as suspects. Should audiences have any expectations for factual reporting during these fast moving stories? 

The Washington, DC: Week In Review
What was it like to work in Washington, DC, last week? Lawmakers rejected all the gun control proposals despite testimony from Newtown parents. President Obama expressed his disappointment, calling it a "shameful day" for the country. Add to that, the contaminated letters and awful bombing in Boston. CBS News producer Jill Jackson brings us a week in review.

How Media Shapes History
Thousands of years ago, the development of writing gave power to writers. Today, the computer gives power to coders. William Bernstein chronicles the impacts technology has on human communication from its origins in Mesopotamia to our 21st century global society in his book, “Masters of the Word: How Media Shaped History.”

Interfaith Amigos: Ancient Texts In A Modern World
The Bible, the Torah and the Quran are ancient religious texts written for an ancient audience.  How do we adapt ancient teachings to a modern world? The Interfaith Amigos share their views.

On March 22, 2013,  around  5:00 a.m., a SWAT team from the Bellevue Police Department showed up at a tiny dead-end street in Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood. They were there to arrest a suspect on a warrant for robbery.

Things did not go smoothly.