Vice presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden sparred last night over taxes, energy policy and the Iraq war. What did you think of the debate and how the two came across?Republican Palin sought to reclaim her identity as a feisty reformer. Democrat Biden tried to undercut the maverick image of GOP presidential hopeful John McCain. Did anything you saw in the debate change your mind on the presidential race or its issues? Who would make a better vice president, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin?

Should some terminally ill adults be allowed to obtain lethal prescriptions to end their lives? Voters will decide next month. It's Initiative 1000 on the November ballot. What do you think? We'll also be talking about the death penalty. Last week a federal judge rejected the latest appeal by Washington's longest serving death row inmate, Jonathan Lee Gentry. He's been on death row for 17 years. We'll hear from a man who spent 17 years, and eight months on Florida's death row before being exonerated. Juan Melendez is now a board member of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Also today, a second view on civil commitment for people classified as violent sexual predators.

In November, you'll be asked to approve the Sound Transit 2 plan to expand light rail and bus service. It will cost you an extra nickel in sales tax for every $10 you spend. Is it worth it? Last November, voters turned down a combined transit and roads package. This year, the regional transit agency is back with a transit only plan. Got questions? We'll have guests on each side of the issue to answer them. Also today, convicted South Hill rapist Kevin Coe has completed his prison term but he's back on trial. The state wants to keep him confined through a procedure called civil commitment. We'll explain how civil commitment works.

The Justice Department has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate possible criminal conduct in the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys at the end of 2006. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and other top Justice Department officials resigned in the wake of the scandal. One of the fired U.S. Attorneys was John McKay of Western Washington. McKay says he still doesn't know why he was fired but he's got some ideas on where the special prosecutor should look. Also today, how much do you want to know about what you eat in chain restaurants? In January, a new King County rule will require restaurant chains to post nutritional information such as calorie and fat content. Will this change the way you eat? Plus, we'll hear satirist Christopher Buckley explain what he finds funny about the Supreme Court and he'll talk about growing up as William F. Buckley's son.

The House votes on the bailout bill today. Over the weekend the Bush administration modified the plan for taxpayers to buy 700 billion dollars in bad debt from banks and financial institutions. Now the money will be paid out in three stages. Any bank that offloads more than 100 million dollars in troubled loans will give the federal government a stake in their company and there will be compensation caps placed on top executives. We'll try to answer your questions about the plan and we've got a question for you. Is the financial crisis affecting you? Are you reevaluating your plans to retire, buy a house or start a business?

One side affect 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? Reporter, columnist, blogger, and radio host Robert Sheer talks about the re emergence of the military industrial complex in the wake of 9/11 which he documents in his book, The Pornography of Power. Also today, Snohomish police bust an alleged cockfighting operation, and how the economic slowdown is affecting car sales people.

At this hour President Bush is meeting with John McCain and Barack Obama and key members of Congress. They're hammering out an agreement for the biggest federal intervention in financial markets since the Great Depression. Last night the President said if the $700 billion plan isn't worked out fast, there will be a financial panic. Will the plan calm financial markets? Why should people who didn't speculate on the housing boom pay for those who did? Longer term, how do we fix the problems that got us here in the first place?We'll ask those questions of Yale economist Robert Shiller. He predicted the dotcom bubble and the subprime mortgage crisis. Now Shiller has written The Subprime Solution: How Today's Global Financial Crisis Happened, and What to Do about It. Also today, economist Dean Baker is on hand as we take your calls on the financial crisis. And we'll hear about state House speaker Frank Chopp's bold new plan for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

The Bush administration says we're heading toward even worse economic conditions unless Congress approves a $700 billion plan to buy bad debt from the financial industry. But Congress doesn't appear ready to sign on to the plan without conditions. What do you want your member of congress to do? And how much is $700 billion anyway? It's 140 billion dollars more than has been spent on the Iraq war since the invasion. It's also a third of all the money collected by the federal government last year. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows just 14% of those surveyed say the country is heading in the right direction. It hasn't been that low since 1973. Will an economic bailout put the nation on the right track?

The digital generation is coming of age, and changing everything. So says John Palfrey. He studies the digital natives among us, and he says they'll transform everything from our politics to family life. Also today, Wired reporter Jeff Howe explains how businesses crowdsource work that individuals used to do. Plus, a journalist creates an online marketplace where groups of citizens can hire reporters.

Four years ago Democrat Chris Gregoire beat Republican Dino Rossi by only 133 votes after three recounts to win the governor's seat. This year Gregoire and Rossi are running again, and polls show it's a dead heat. On Saturday they had their first debate. This hour we'll play excerpts, get reactions from knowledgeable political observers, and hear what you have to say. Gregoire and Rossi fielded questions about transportation, the economy, crime and energy. Who you think won? What did they say that impressed you? Where did you think they dodged questions? Are the gubernatorial candidates addressing the issues you feel are vital to the state's future?We'll also hear about 150 bright pink tents that popped up in West Seattle overnight. It's a camp for homeless squatters, and they're calling it Nickelsville.

After weeks of defending failing financial institutions, the Bush Administration and Congressional leaders are going on the offensive. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says the federal government is writing a plan to cover the bad housing debt which caused the crisis. President Bush warned the plan will put a 'significant' amount of taxpayer funds at risk, but that it's necessary to keep the financial system from grinding to a halt. The Wall Street Journal calls it the biggest intervention in financial markets since the 1930s. Is this the beginning or the end of the financial crisis? The immediate reaction of stock markets to the still un formulated plan is enthusiastic. Stock markets around the world rocketed up today on the news, following record declines earlier this week. Should the federal government take on the bad housing debt? Will Congress and the White House agree on a plan? How much will it cost taxpayers? Can we afford it? Will this action settle the credit crisis? BusinessWeek's Michael Mandel will be on hand to answer your questions.

More than 40 million uninsured Americans are one major illness away from financial disaster. The cost of health care for businesses and individuals continues to rise. Our high tech medical care is miraculous, but when you compare the health of Americans to people in other developed nations, we lag behind even though we pay much more for health care. Today, we're talking health care with former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson and Kathleen O'Connor, founder of CodeBlueNow!, a bipartisan group that's trying to form a consensus health care reform plan. Are you a patient or a health care provider? Where do you think our health care system is off track? What is to be done?

The Dow Jones Industrial average has dropped more than 20 percent since last year. And last night the U.S. government essentially bought an insurance company. In an unprecedented move, the Federal Reserve Board announced it's lending as much as $85 billion to rescue American International Group. In return the federal government will own an 80 percent stake of AIG.Is the federal government taking the right approach? Why is it saving some companies and letting others like Lehman Brothers, fall into bankruptcy? What questions or insights do you have about how the federal government is handling the financial crisis? Also today, we'll listen to what John McCain and Barack Obama have been saying about the financial crisis and get expert analysis.

Yesterday the stock market fell 504 points, the worst one day drop since the 9/11 attacks. The immediate cause was the bankruptcy at Lehman Brothers, and the sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America. USA Today reports that while the problems originated in the real estate market, the credit crunch has emerged as a full blown financial crisis. How is the financial crisis on Wall Street affecting your street? How is it affecting your personal financial decisions, or your workplace? Are you making changes? Wondering how the turmoil may affect your future decision to buy a house, leave a job or retire? Call us. Personal finance expert Jane Bryant Quinn will answer your questions.

If the driving age was 17 or 18, there would be fewer highway deaths. That's according to a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In Great Britain and Australia teens can't get licenses until they're 17. Most European Union countries have a minimum driving age of 18. But recent efforts to raise the driving age in the United States have failed. If you believe there would be fewer automobile accidents, would you support bumping the minimum driving age to 17 or 18? Also today, Osama bin Laden's driver Salim Hamdan was at the center of a historic Supreme Court decision on presidential power. Last month a military jury convicted Hamdan at Guantanamo. New York Times Magazine writer Jonathan Mahler talks about his book The Challenge: Hamdan versus Rumsfeld and the Battle Over Presidential Power.

Polls show surging support for the John McCain Sarah Palin ticket. Here in Washington, the Republicans have pulled within a few points of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Today we want you to help us understand why. Have you talked to people who are moving from undecided to McCain Palin? Put on your citizen reporter cap and tell us about it. We'll ask the Republican National Committee's Director of Online Communications why she thinks there's a surge in the West for the Republicans. McCain and Palin have embraced the maverick label. Historian of the West Richard White traces the derivation of the word maverick. Also today, who's your friend online. What's the difference between a Facebook friend and an in person friend? What I have learned about online friends is... you fill in the blank.

In this post 9/11 world, John McCain and Barack Obama want us to do voluntary national service. Many countries have compulsory national service where citizens must serve in the military or do civilian duty. Should we all give back to our country by performing national service? Do you think national service makes us better citizens? Why does service have to be through the government? Can't we do just as much good through churches, private groups or on our own? Plus, in a close five to four ruling the State Supreme Court has decided that the smoking ban applies to the Bremerton American Legion post. The ban clearly says it applies to any place of employment, but is it going too far to ban smoking in a private club?

Polls have a huge influence in political messages and advertising. Today we'll hear from one of the premier pollsters, John Zogby. We'll get his take on the post convention bounce that John McCain and Sarah Palin are enjoying. We'll ask him, and you: at the end of the day, is it a politician's stand on the issues that decides elections? Or is it personality and temperament? Also, on Monday in SeaTac two pit bulls attacked a 71 year old woman and nearly killed her. Surgeons are trying to reattach her ears the dogs ripped them from her head. According to the Seattle Animal Shelter, although only four percent of licensed dogs in Seattle are pit bulls, 22 percent of reported bites are by pitbulls. Activists in Seattle and Spokane would like a ban on pit bulls. What do you think?

Youth voter participation was on the rise during the presidential primaries. This year, one in five eligible voters will be 18 to 29. Will this be the year the youth vote is decisive? Democracy is predicated on participation. But young voters participate in elections much less than older voters. Why? What's being done in 2008 to get people under 25 to engage in politics? Will it work? We'll talk to the head of MoveRed, a conservative get out the vote group, and we'll meet a 17 year old delegate for Barack Obama. Did you vote the first year you were eligible? Why or why not? Are you an adamant young non voter? Tell us why. What do we miss when young people don't vote? And what we might we gain if they do?

This year about 3,000 middle school students at low achieving schools in the District of Columbia will get paid to show up at school and do well. New York City and five other states are experimenting with cash for grades. Should kids get paid to go to school, behave well and get good grades? One educator says they're just preparing students for life where people get paid to work. What do you think? Also today, Washington Mutual (WAMU) ousts its chief executive. What needs to change at Seattle based WAMU, the nation's largest savings and loan? We hear more about the new CEO. Seattle's neighborhood plans have been a model for the nation. They're designed to give local residents the power to control growth in their neighborhoods. Tonight (Monday), the city council holds a public hearing on revising those plans. Plus, one of Washington State's top political reporters, David Postman, is leaving the Seattle Times for a job in media relations at Paul Allen's company Vulcan. He'll tell us why.

Last night John McCain gave his acceptance speech for the Republican nomination. How do Barack Obama and John McCain's acceptance speeches compare? Where do they agree? Where do they disagree? Where is the emotional center of each address? The acceptance speech is a candidate's chance to speak before an enthusiastic live audience and to the nation via television. It's the moment in a presidential campaign where the candidates set course for the final two month sprint to the election. We'll hear what Obama and McCain had to say about the economy, Iraq, energy and each other. We'll play back the emotional high points where they each tried their best to connect with the American voter. We'll critically examine their claims, and we'll hear how you evaluated the speeches.

Republican Dino Rossi lost the governor's race four years ago by 133 votes. He joins us to talk about his re run against Democrat Chris Gregoire. Also today, Sarah Palin fired up the Republican National Convention last night in St. Paul. The political pundits have been explaining what it all means. Today you tell us what you thought of the speech. And, should it be easier to raise taxes? Currently it takes a supermajority or two thirds vote. Democratic State Senator Lisa Brown has filed a lawsuit to change that. It's scheduled to go before the state supreme court on Tuesday. Should a simple majority be required to raise taxes instead of a supermajority?

Both major party presidential candidates support merit pay for teachers. That's what Barack Obama told a major teacher's union last July. The teachers booed. John McCain has also come out in support of merit pay for teachers. Some unions and teachers resist merit pay. We'll find out the pros and cons of merit pay for teachers. Are you a teacher or parent? Tell us what you think about merit pay for teachers. Also today, police release more details on yesterday's shooting rampage in Skagit County that left six people dead and others wounded. Plus, Boeing machinists vote today on whether to go on strike at midnight. We'll find out what impact a Boeing strike could have on the local economy. And we'll tell you about an experiment in journalism getting the public to pay for stories they want to see reported. It's called crowdfunding. We'll hear how it works.

Is Sara Palin on the Republican vice presidential ticket a step forward for women? Does McCain's choice of a working mother bolster the cause of all working mothers? Also today, Bellevue teachers are on strike. We'll hear more about the dispute. The leadership of the Machinists union recommends the rank and file reject Boeing's final contract offer. We'll learn about the prospects for a strike. We'll also hear about the clashes between activists and police in St. Paul at the Republican national convention. Some protestors say law enforcement is squelching legitimate political expression, but members of the Connecticut delegation to the Republican convention say they were attacked by protesters who threw bleach on them.

Last month's fight between a motorist and Critical Mass bike protesters has led to a community conversation on how we get along on the roads. In this rebroadcast listeners discuss the questions: Is it possible for bicyclists, cars and pedestrians to share? Or does urban design make it impossible? How do we make it better?

More than 600 Washington schools have failed to meet annual performance goals set by the No Child Left Behind Act. Under the federal law, schools must improve their performance on standardized tests each year. In Washington, the measuring tool is the Washington Assessment for Student Learning, or WASL. Are schools failing? Are the goals unrealistic? Is the test flawed? Most public schools are scheduled to start on Tuesday, but in Bellevue, teachers may be walking a picket line, even though teachers' strikes are illegal. We'll find out why. Also today, we'll learn more about John McCain's vice presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. We'll hear from Denver based commentator David Sirota on the Democratic Convention. And why are hot peppers hot?

DNA testing offers extensive information about the diseases and traits you may develop. Companies like 23andMe, Navigenics and deCode Genetics promise to decipher the history written in your genes. But does personal DNA testing help or confuse? A federal advisory committee says gaps in the oversight of genetic tests could lead to patient harm. We'll bring you the debate over personal DNA testing. Have you, or would you get your DNA analyzed? We'll tell you what you need to know about personal DNA testing. Also today, Barack Obama first came to national attention for his speech at the Democratic National Convention four years ago. Tonight supporters and detractors will be closely watching his speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president. That got us thinking: How important are speeches in our media saturated, low attention span culture? What speech resonated with your experience or changed your mind, and why?

Governor Gregoire is considering a four day work week for state employees. Have you ever tried to squeeze a full week's work into fewer days? What are the pros and cons of non traditional work weeks? Also today, one thing that stands out about Seattle is the lack of children. Fewer than one in five Seattle households have kids. Seattle has a lower percentage of children under 15 than nearly every other big American city, and it's way below the national average. Why aren't there more kids in the city? How does being relatively child free affect the city? Is this a problem? We'll also find out about a church that's leasing a farm to grow organic produce for low income folks.

Hillary Clinton addresses the Democratic National Convention tonight. What she says could be crucial for a Democratic victory in the fall. What should she say? John McCain is already using Clinton's words in his attack ads against Barack Obama. How can Clinton mend fences? Maybe you're an Obama supporter who wants to hear her unify the party. Can she damn Obama with faint praise? Maybe you're a Republican who thinks Clinton's speech could help McCain. Maybe you're a Clinton supporter. What can she say to get you to support Obama? Or is it up to Obama bring you into the fold? Tell us what you'd like to hear from Hillary Clinton. Also today, the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and other groups are gathering signatures for a measure that would prevent illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses. And, the fight over cutting down 100 trees at a Seattle high school.

Should guns be banned from some public places? Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels wants to make city facilities gun free. Meanwhile gun rights groups are fighting a ban on guns at the Atlanta airport, and the U.S. Interior Department may allow concealed weapons in national parks for the first time in 25 years. Where, if anywhere, should guns be banned?Also today, Washington Senator Patty Murray was a Hillary Clinton supporter. She'll tell us about efforts to unify the party at the national convention in Denver, which begins today. And we'll talk to Death Cab for Cutie's guitarist Chris Walla, who's covering the bloggers covering the convention.