Government

Olympia Update With Austin Jenkins

the conversation with ross reynolds — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:28:27 +0000

Washington state’s proposed marijuana rules were released yesterday, and critics are already weighing in. Plus, Republican legislators are pushing for education reform. David Hyde gets all the details from Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins.

Your Take On The News: IRS, NBA And DUI

Weekday — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

The White House has received a lot of criticism this week over three issues that have gained national attention. A series of emails were released by the White House in relation to the Benghazi hearing. The IRS seems to have been targeting political leaning groups, in particular conservative ones, for audits. Journalists from the Associated Press had their phone records obtained by the government without their knowledge. How do these latest controversies effect the political climate in Washington D.C.?

Also, Washington Governor Jay Inslee has unveiled his top three budget priorities for the special session, the National Transportation Safety Board wants to lower the legal alcohol limit to 0.05, and 400 people showed up to a King County Council meeting this week to object to the potential cuts in bus service.

Finally, will this be the last time that Eli Sanders, C.R. Douglas and Knute Berger have to talk about the NBA, the Sacramento Kings and the Sonics on our panel?

Write to us at weekday@kuow.org to tell us what news stories you have been following this week.

Democratic Party Activists Weigh In On Seattle Mayor's Race

Deborah Wang — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:54:11 +0000

Democratic activists in the city of Seattle last night began picking favorites in the Seattle mayoral election. Incumbent mayor Mike McGinn didn’t make their list.

The 46^th District Democrats was the first local party organization to endorse in the race. The 46^th Legislative District includes parts of north Seattle, Shoreline, and Kenmore.

Washington Florist Sues State, Says She "Will Not Wilt"

Anna King — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:53 +0000

There’s a new development in the case of a Richland, Wash. florist who refused to sell flowers for a same sex couple’s wedding. The business owner’s lawyers announced a counter suit Thursday saying the florist “will not wilt.”

The owner of Arlene’s Flowers argues there are plenty of other shops in the Tri-Cities that could cater to a gay or lesbian wedding.

Boise Man Arrested On Terrorism Charges

Jessica Robinson — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:14 +0000

Federal agents arrested a man in Idaho Thursday suspected of conspiring to support a terrorist organization in Central Asia. Thirty-year-old Fazliddin Kurbanov is from Uzbekistan and lives in Boise.

Two federal grand juries – one in Idaho and one in Utah – handed down a total of four terrorism-related charges against Kurbanov. Federal authorities say he attempted to help the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan with money and computer software between August 2012 and May 2013.

Sonics Fans Upset, But Still Hopeful

Carolyn Adolph and Deborah Wang — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:48:53 +0000

The Sacramento Kings will stay in Sacramento. NBA owners met in Dallas Wednesday and overwhelmingly rejected an effort by investor Chris Hansen to move the team to Seattle.

Listener Call In: Is President Obama Doing A Good Job?

the conversation with ross reynolds — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:03:05 +0000

The Obama administration is facing tough criticism these days over issues including Benghazi and and the Internal Revenue Service scandal. What do you think? Is President Obama doing a good job? Ross Reynolds takes the temperature here in the Puget Sound region.

Washington Courts Seek IT Security Review, Audit Following Breach

Austin Jenkins — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:48:39 +0000

Washington’s court system will hire an outside expert to perform a computer security review and audit. The move follows a hacking incident – revealed last week - that exposed nearly a hundred Social Security numbers and perhaps up to a million driver license numbers. But now there’s another cyber security concern at Washington Courts.

The Washington Courts public website was hacked. But now the concern is for the state’s Judicial Information System.

Federal Sequester Turns Employment Workers Into Job Seekers

Jessica Robinson — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:47:20 +0000

In the next couple of months, many employment office workers in the Northwest will join the unemployed. State labor agencies are having to make cutbacks in staffing. It's due to a combination of the economy getting better and federal budget cuts known as the “sequester” setting in.

Staffing at the local employment office usually moves in the exact opposite direction as the rest of the economy.

Reporting From Syria’s War Zone

the conversation with ross reynolds — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:25:42 +0000

The civil war in Syria continues in an apparent stalemate. Ross Reynolds talks with BBC Middle East correspondent Paul Wood about the war and recent allegations of chemical weapon use.