Weekday

The biggest holiday feast of the year for many is just days away. Are you prepared for Thanksgiving? If you have questions or your menu could use some last-minute help, here's a chance for expert advice. Chefs Kerry Sear and Kenyetta Carter join us with cooking tips, tricks and recipes. Call us at 206.543.5869 or write weekday@kuow.org.

Also this hour: The sweeping destruction of Superstorm Sandy reminded us how quickly natural disasters can change lives. A new film by Ken Burns on PBS looks at the example of the Dust Bowl, "the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history." Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tim Egan (“The Worst Hard Time”) joins us to reflect on the lessons of the Dust Bowl. Also, we dig into the numbers of how Washington state funds education with Marguerite Roza of the Center for Reinventing Public Education.

Sound recordist Martyn Stewart says he started working for Mother Nature at an early age, “fighting for the planet and her critters.” Stewart has captured the sounds and plights of animals around the world for more than 150 films, documenting everything from fox hunts in the UK to dolphin slaughters in Japan. His latest film is “Dawn to Death: The Dolphins of Taiji.”

Also this hour: we sift the details of the Hostess bankruptcy with Fortune magazine's David Kaplan and talk with veteran broadcaster Bryan Johnson, who retired from Seattle’s KOMO 4 earlier this month after 53 years with the station.

It’s Friday — time to review the week’s news with Joni Balter, Knute Berger, Essex Porter and Erica C. Barnett. The final 2012 election results are in: Jay Inslee will be Washington's next governor and the state will begin its experiment with charter schools. We'll wrap up these and other big stories of the week with our panel and get your take at 206.543.5869 or weekday@kuow.org.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning musician, composer and vocalist Taj Mahal is celebrating four decades in American blues and roots with a new album, "Maestro." He joins us in the studio to talk about his musical life and legacy ahead of a run of shows with the Taj Mahal Trio starting tonight at Seattle's Jazz Alley.

When Dance Theatre of Harlem was forced to close its professional company in 2004, it was a blow to dance lovers around the country and to fans in the Pacific Northwest.  Seattle had been a frequent stop during the company's 35-year history, attracting raves for its productions of classical ballets as well as contemporary work influenced by African and African-American cultural traditions.  So it seems fitting that after Dance Theatre of Harlem re-started its company two years ago, then mounted its first national tour in 2012, Seattle would be on the itinerary.

Washington state entered the history books by becoming one of the first states in the country to vote to approve same-sex marriage and legalize marijuana. These policies take effect on December 6. What is King County doing to get ready? King County Executive Dow Constantine joins us to talk about how these changes will unfold. Have a question for the King County Executive? Call 206.543.5869 or write weekday@kuow.org.

One Sunday evening nearly a decade after the September 11 attacks, President Obama spoke from the White House to tell the world that the United States had carried out an operation that killed Osama bin Laden. The work to locate bin Laden took years, and ultimately led to a walled compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Mark Bowden is a national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine, contributing editor to Vanity Fair and author of "Black Hawk Down." He joins us to talk about "The Finish: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden," his insider account of the hunt for America’s most-wanted enemy.

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President Obama holds his first White House news conference in eight months on Wednesday. He's expected to speak about his re-election, the impending "fiscal cliff" and negotiations with Congress, as well as the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus and questions surrounding General John Allen, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan. We'll carry live NPR coverage of the president's remarks and questions from the White House press corps.

Thousands of Syrians have crossed the border into neighboring countries to escape the civil war that has been raging since September of 2011. Simon Eccleshall is the head of disaster and crisis management with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. He joins us from Geneva to talk about efforts to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Syria.

Does firing the top brass hold the key to success for America's military? Author, journalist and senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security Thomas Ricks argues that the top military leadership of the United States has not lived with the same fear of being relieved of duty the way it once did. Ricks says lax treatment of underperforming generals since World War II has invited subpar performance and a lack of accountability. We talk with Thomas Ricks about his new book, “The Generals.”

Also this hour: Weekday green thumbs Marty Wingate, Willi Galloway and Greg Rabourn join us to answer your flower, vegetable and native plant questions. Need guidance for your garden? Call us at 206.543.5869 or email weekday@kuow.org.

Plus, Michael Fagin joins us to recommend a hike to match the week's weather forecast.