The Conversation Podcast

It's all over. The Seattle Supersonics are moving to Oklahoma City. They leave behind the team name and colors. The Sonics have been in Seattle for 41 years. What's your reaction? Sonics owner Clay Bennett will pay Seattle 45 million dollars to settle the lease on the Key Arena. Is that a good deal? Mayor Greg Nickels is optimistic that Seattle will attract another team. Are you? Also today, it's official, we're bad drivers. The fourth Annual Allstate America's Best Drivers Report shows Seattle near the bottom. Are you surprised? What's the most deplorable example of bad driving you've ever seen?

Today (July 2) at 4:00 p.m. there will be a public hearing on new streetcar lines in Seattle. Four new locations are under consideration: a Central Line downtown, the U District, First Hill and Fremont Ballard. Would you like to see more streetcars? What do you think of the current streetcar from South Lake Union to Westlake? How well do streetcars work in other cities? Also today, three Rainier Valley Parks will be closed on the 4th of July because of concerns about violence and vandalism. And, what's behind Starbuck's decision to close 5% of their stores. Plus, fast moving wildfire in Okanogan County closes a bingo parlor and threatens homes.

A new survey shows 9 in 10 people expect ballooning fuel costs to squeeze them financially over the next half year. Are you hurting? Call us if the rising price of gas is creating a real hardship for your family. Also today, we'll hear from a Beacon Hill blogger who looked closely at the crime statistics Seattle Police puts in its Website. She says the numbers are wrong. And a group of Democratic legislators say Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' proposal to ban guns in city parks and facilities violates the state constitution. They want the Attorney General to look into it. We'll hear from one state representative who says he wants to know whether cities like Seattle can set aside the Bill of Rights when you walk onto city property.

Beginning tomorrow you'll face a $124 fine it you're caught driving while talking on your cell phone handset. The hand held cell phone ban is a secondary offense, so you'd only get the fine if you were pulled over for another traffic infraction. Do you think that this law will improve driving? Will you stop using a hand held phone? What distracts you the most while you're driving? Also today a Beacon Hill blogger says the crime statistics Seattle Police puts in its web site are totally inaccurate. And Olympic hopefuls are in Eugene competing in track and field. We'll check in to find out the thrill of victory and the agony of the feet. Plus, the science of snooping on your friends. What our stuff says about us.

It's Bill Gates last day at Microsoft. The media is flush with analysis of how he influenced the world. How did he influence you? Did you work with or for Bill Gates? How has Microsoft affected you? Perhaps Bill's influence on you has been oppositional you've been fighting or competing with his dream. Beyond the personal affect, how has Gates influenced Western Washington? There's direct impact of the man. There's the impact of Microsoft and the Gates Foundation. And there are the changes brought about by current and former Microsoft employees. Call and tell us. Also today, The Wisdom of Whores. Epidemiologist Elizabeth Pisani tells us what she learned hanging around with transvestite prostitutes in Indonesia.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Americans have a personal right to own a gun. In a five to four vote, the court struck down a Washington D.C. handgun ban as unconstitutional. The ruling says the constitution does not allow an absolute prohibition of handguns used for self defense. What's your reaction to the ruling? Should individuals have a right to own a handgun? Do you think Washington D.C. will be safer now that people can buy handguns legally? Also today, we continue our series on Washington Secretary of State candidates with Mark Greene. And we'll look at the new police union contract with the City of Seattle. The city council is expected to approve the contract on Monday, despite some misgivings about whether the city can afford it. What will the new police contract mean for law enforcement, and for police oversight?

The Amazon dot com web site went down earlier this month. Jeff Bezos explains what happened. Also today, many talented reporters are crossing over to work in public relations. We'll hear one explain why he went to the what some call 'the dark side.' AND Washington State Lottery receipts are up. Is that good, because it means more money for state education? Or bad because people are throwing away money on lottery tickets? Museums in London, Paris, and Washington are full of artifacts from ancient cultures. Do Greece and Italy have a valid claim for their return? Who should hold the priceless relics of human history. Web Extra! Amazon dot com founder Jeff Bezos talks about the June 2008 service outage at the web site, the impact of cell phones on his company, Amazon's sale of computer processing and storage, his investment in the micro blogging service Twitter, the Washington business environment, and his interest in commercial space travel.

A new study shows U.S. home prices posted record declines in April. Home prices in Seattle fell 4.9 percent. A Harvard study out yesterday calls the housing downturn the worst in a generation. So what's so great about owning your own home? Should government policy favor owners over renters? Is it better to rent? What's been your experience? Also today, more than 90 percent of Americans believe in God or a universal power. Curiously that includes one in five people who say they are atheists. That's from a Pew Center survey of 35,000 adults. Do you believe in a Supreme being, or Beings? And, teens are being exposed to more alcohol ads on TV. Is it influencing their behavior?

Scott McClellan was President Bush's press secretary. In a new book he says the administration confused a propaganda campaign with the basic truth of Iraq. We'll ask McClellan about his role. Also today, what books would you recommend to Barack Obama and John McCain? What do you think the next President should read? What books offer insight into the nation, our place in the world, the exercise of power? Perhaps it's not a non fiction book, but a novel that illuminates the human condition. Or a book about philosophy or religion. What books do you think the presidential candidates should read and why?

One side effect of the so called war on terror has been a huge increase in defense spending. But is that money keeping us safe from terrorist attack? For example the massive expenditures for war planes. Backers of the 65 billion dollar F 22 Raptor fighter program said it would help defend the launch of the Space Shuttle from terrorist attack. Did we need to spend 65 billion to attain air superiority in the skies of Florida? Today on The Conversation reporter, columnist, blogger, and radio host Robert Scheer talks about the re emergence of the military industrial complex in the wake of 9/11. Also today, Snohomish police bust an alleged cockfighting operation. And car salesmen are hit by the recession.

Until the end of the 20th century our food system was humanity's greatest triumph. There was more and better food, and it was more affordable. But according to Paul Roberts, author of The End of Food, in 2008, the system is breaking down. Obesity is on track to become the world's top public health problem. Salmonella and e coli is infecting more food. Food remains cheap, but is there an unaccounted cost? PLUS Washington State cherries are coming in this week. We'll learn about the crop, and find out why Rainiers are so much more expensive than Bings. Also today, Barack Obama announces he will not accept public campaign funding because he says the system is broken. Opting out also allows the presumptive Democratic contender to raise more money. Is public financing of campaigns possible? We'll find out about the effort here in Washington State.

What if you could grow meat in laboratories instead of on the hoof? Even hard core carnivores will concede there are problems: There are vast amounts of grain used to feed the animals. And chicken and pig farms generate tons of waste. Now, researchers are working a solution. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is offering a million dollars to the scientist who comes up with commercially viable meat produced in a laboratory. But would you eat it? Also, to publish or not to publish? The managing editors for the Seattle Times and Seattle P.I. talk about their different decisions on running photos of suspected terrorists provided by the FBI. We learned this week the people in the photos were harmless European businessmen.

The release of the new Grand Theft Auto video game is a big deal. Sort of what a new Beatles album or Star Wars movie meant for earlier generations. What's the impact of video games on our culture? Are you playing the new Grand Theft Auto IV game? What do you think? What's the impact of video games on you? On your family and friends? Also today, Seattle is looking at four sites for a new jail Haller Lake, Interbay, Highland Park, and near the reservoir in West Seattle. The United States has only five percent of the world's population, but nearly a quarter of all the prisoners. Why do we lock up so many people here compared to other countries? How does Washington State compare? Is it keeping us safer?

TV satirist Stephen Colbert picks up a prestigious Peabody Award today. Colbert touts the Colbert bump, an advantage he claims politicians get when they appear on the Colbert Report. It turns out he's right. Also today, New York Times reporter Tim Weiner on the history of the CIA. He says it's been marked by repeated and persistent failure. And Rick Perlstein traces the fierce partisanship in contemporary American politics back to Richard Nixon. Plus, novelist Russell Banks tries his hand at history in a new book called Dreaming Up America.

TV satirist Stephen Colbert picks up a prestigious Peabody Award today. Colbert touts the Colbert bump, an advantage he claims politicians get when they appear on the Colbert Report. It turns out he's right. Also today, New York Times reporter Tim Weiner on the history of the CIA. He says it's been marked by repeated and persistent failure. And Rick Perlstein traces the fierce partisanship in contemporary American politics back to Richard Nixon. Plus, novelist Russell Banks tries his hand at history in a new book called Dreaming Up America.