Steve Scher
Stories
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Your Take On The News
It’s Friday — time to review the news with Joni Balter, Knute Berger and Erica C. Barnett. City Councilman Tim Burgess jumped into the Seattle mayor's race this week, Congress peered over the fiscal cliff and state officials got ready to implement Washington's new same-sex marriage and legalized marijuana laws. We'll wrap up these and other stories of the week with our panel and hear your take at 206.543.5869 or weekday@kuow.org.
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One Month After Superstorm Sandy, A Long Recovery
The storm is over, but the recovery from Sandy will go on for months to come. This week the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut said they'd seek more than $80 billion in federal aid to rebuild and protect against another devastating storm. Meanwhile, some residents displaced by the storm are struggling with whether rebuilding is worth the cost. We check in for an on-the-ground update.Also this hour: we hear about Myanmar's prospects for democratic reform from the University of Washington's Mary Callahan, we talk with a plaintiff in a new lawsuit filed this week challenging the US military's ban on women serving in combat, and Nick Bond joins us with a weekend weather forecast.
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Sierra Club Wants Coal Out Of PSE's Stocking
Puget Sound Energy owns and operates a coal-fired power plant out of Billings, Montana, that the Sierra Club calls "the dirtiest coal plant in the West." The Colstrip Plant meets EPA emission standards and PSE touts its green-energy portfolio, with plans to triple its renewable energy supply by 2020. How does coal fit into that equation? And with coal plants generating 42 percent of America's electricity, how much impact would closing one plant have? We take a look with PSE's Andy Wappler and Anne Hedges of the Montana Environmental Information Center.Also this hour: Should Congress and the President use the approaching fiscal cliff to reach a "grand bargain" and reform Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security? We talk with State Senator Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens) and Michael Lind of the New America Foundation. Plus, we listen back to the career of voice actor Lucille Bliss and get a recommendation for a tasty Vietnamese banh mi sandwich from Sara Dickerman.
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The New Freelance Economy
Up to one-third of working adults in the United States are independent contractors. Do you have what it takes to make it on your own? Freelancers Union founder Sara Horowitz joins us to talk about how independent workers are changing the national job landscape and what you need to know before joining the ranks of the self-employed.
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Canada, Culture And Commerce: Fiscal-Cliff Notes And "Hitchcock"
Vancouver Sun political correspondent Vaughn Palmer brings us the latest news from Canada. Film critic Robert Horton assesses Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock. Then, we review the latest economic news with Seattle Times columnist Jon Talton.
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More From Jon Meacham On Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was a deeply political man who viciously fought for his beliefs, but he was also flawed. More than simply accepting slavery, Jefferson benefited from it in many ways — though, through the language of the Declaration, he may have set in motion its eventual disintegration. We hear more from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham ("Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power") about how this contradictory president wielded power and influence, and how he shaped America’s evolution.Also this hour: the state's Joint Task Force on Education Funding met last week to hear proposals for how to fund Washington state schools in the coming years. We talk with state Senator Steve Litzow. Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess stops by to talk about his run for mayor. And have you ever thought about breaking into the children's book biz? Author Jill Brazier joins us with a how-to.
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Greendays Gardening: Preparing For Winter
Just a few more weeks until we winter over. Is your garden ready for winter? Marty Wingate and Greg Rabourn join us to answer your questions. Call us at 206.543.5869 or write to weekday@kuow.org.Also this hour: two Seahawks defenders face multi-game suspensions for violating the NFL's performance enhancing drug policy, allegedly for using the attention-focusing drug Adderall. We check in with Rick Figler of the Cleveland Clinic about Adderall's off-label applications in pro sports.
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Jon Meacham On Thomas Jefferson
Many books have been written about Thomas Jefferson. The latest, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham, seeks in part to rehabilitate Jefferson’s legacy, reinstating him as a consummate politician and an idealist for human liberty, even as he fell short in ending one of America's greatest injustices. How did Jefferson see his role in the evolving American idea? Jon Meacham joins us to talk about "Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power."Also this hour: Governor Chris Gregoire leaves office in January but she doesn't intend to spend her remaining time in Olympia as a lame duck. She joins us to talk about her eight years as governor, her priorities for her final months in office and where she might wind up next. Plus, Michael Fagin joins us with a hike to match the week's weather.
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Tamim Ansary On Afghanistan's Interrupted History
The US military and its allies are drawing up plans to leave Afghanistan by 2014, but it will be some time before the nation is truly independent. Peace in Afghanistan has been interspersed with foreign invasion for centuries, from the Mongol Empire to today’s war. We talk with writer Tamim Ansary about his new book, “Game Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan,” and what Afghan independence might look like in the future.Also this hour: we talk with city planner Jeff Speck about what makes for a walkable city, and geologist David Williams joins us with thoughts about cairns, the "messengers in stone" that can draw us into a deeper consideration of place and the people who have been there before.
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Conlangs: The Art Of Fake Languages
Constructed languages, or "conlangs," are the made-up tongues that bring the worlds of "Avatar," "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Trek" to life. We talk with linguist David J. Peterson, creator of the Dothraki language for HBO's "Game of Thrones," about what goes into creating a language from scratch.Also this hour: we talk with NOAA senior scientist Richard Feely about a new study that finds evidence of rising ocean acidification, we look at how online retailers fared on Black Friday with Bloomberg's Matt Townsend and archeologist Matt Beresford traces the history of unusual ritual burials.