Conversation

It’s that time of year when we talk about forecasts -- no, not the weather forecast, though we do have our fingers crossed for warmer weather. The Governor, the House and the Senate have all released their budget proposals and if the Governor or the House gets their way Washington brewers could be hit hard. The Governor’s budget would end a tax exemption for local brewers and increase the tax per barrel of beer sold in Washington state from $4.78 to $20.28. The House proposal wouldn’t hit brewers quite as hard but the tax paid per barrel would still be doubled. How would these proposed plans impact the micro-beer business and consumers? According to the president of the Washington Brewers Guild, quite a bit. Ross Reynolds talks with Heather McClung, president of the Washington Brewers Guild and the co-founder of the Seattle brewery Schooner Exact.

Recently, Princeton alum Susan Patton prompted a heated discussion when she urged women at the Ivy League school to find a husband before graduating. She argued that men regularly marry women who are younger, less intelligent and less educated. Patton thinks Princeton women should marry a man who is their intellectual equal. What do you think about the "Mrs." degree? Ross Reynolds talks with listeners about the poorly received push for a "Mrs." degree.

Seattle TV and Radio is about to experience some big changes. Yesterday the Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that it was buying Seattle-based Fisher Communications for about $373 million. Fisher owns 20 television stations including KOMO in Seattle, and four Fisher radio stations in Seattle, including KOMO. Other stations include KIMA and KEPR in Yakima and the Tri-Cities, KATU in Portland, KVAL in Eugene and KBOI in Boise. Ross Reynolds gets the skinny on Sinclair from Northwestern University professor Dan Kennedy.

Three budgets walk into a news cycle, but only one budget will leave. Ross Reynolds talks with Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins about the latest from our lawmakers in Olympia. 

What is short and sweet and fun all over? This week's Conversation news quiz! Tune in and hear a listener play for the chance to be crowned the Conversationalist of the Week!

Governor Inslee released his budget proposal a couple weeks ago, and then came the Washington Senate budget. Yesterday the House released their budget and today Ross Reynolds talks with Representative Ross Hunter about how the House budget differs from the Senate and gubernatorial budget plans. 

Journalist and author David Sheff struggled to save his son Nic from addiction and he recounted his experience in the memoir "Beautiful Boy." In his new book "Clean," Sheff argues addiction is not a failure of character but a disease that can be prevented and cured. Ross Reynolds sits down with David Sheff for a discussion on drug abuse, parenting and the struggle to shift the way the world sees addiction.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee wants to crackdown on drunken drivers in the wake of some recent tragedies involving intoxicated drivers. Today, Ross Reynolds talks with New York University Langone Medical Center professor, Baron Lerner about how DUI laws and enforcement in Washington compare nationally.

Microsoft has launched a new round of ads blasting Google for sharing user’s personal information if they are using Android software to run a smartphone or a tablet. Previously Microsoft ads attacked Google for accessing Gmail users' emails to create targeted advertising. To find out more on Microsoft’s strategy with the advertising campaign Ross Reynolds talks with Michael Cusumano, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management and the author of several books about Microsoft.

Are you ever driving down the street, see something happen in traffic and wonder, is that allowed? Ross Reynolds sits down with KUOW's favorite traffic cop, Officer John Abraham, and talks about the rules of the road. From four-way stops to tailgating, pedestrian rule breakers and aggressive bus drivers, The Conversation is on the road to getting your traffic questions answered.