Steve Scher

Vancouver Sun political correspondent Vaughn Palmer brings us the latest from Canada. Film critic Robert Horton looks at presidents on the silver screen. Then, Michael Parks wraps up the region's recent economic news.

Recent debate over the future of the state's pre-paid tuition program and the continually rising cost of college raises a larger question: Who is going to pay for a college education? It used to be that Washington state paid most of the cost of a public university degree. Today, students must find most of the funds. As costs rise, how will society keep higher education affordable? William Zumeta heads the graduate program at the Evans School of Public Affairs and has written about the costs of college. He joins us to talk about how we can make sure people in Washington state can pursue higher education without having to go into crushing debt.

More than 28 million people tuned in to watch the Grammy Awards — how much do the Grammy's actually have to do with music? Bush family photos are posted online after a hacker breaks into several private email accounts. What kind of a window is it into the former president’s life, and is it a window we should be caught looking through? Also, director Steven Soderbergh says he's retiring from filmmaking. What legacy does he leave behind and how does film fit into the storytelling medium today? Northwest Film Forum’s Lyall Bush, singer and songwriter Rachel Flotard and Three Imaginary Girls co-founder and editor Liz Riley join us to discuss the week's art and culture news.

When it comes to proper usage, the Grammar Police work overtime. Have you ever corrected another person’s grammar? How did that go over? Linguist Geoffrey Pullum has written widely on language and usage, from technical syntactic theory to a study called “The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax." He joins us for a conversation about the constant struggle for grammatical excellence (or even just improvement) and the right and wrong way to encourage better sentence structure.

Daffodils are pushing through the soil, though temperatures are still soggy and cold.  Time to start getting those winter gardens ready for spring.  Our gardening panel returns (on a new day – Monday!) to answer your questions. Call us at 206.543.5869 or toll free 800.289.5869. You can also email weekday@kuow.org.

What is “normal” in a romantic relationship? More importantly, what’s “normal” for couples who say they're really happy? UW Sociologist Dr. Pepper Schwartz teamed up with Harvard sociologist James White and wellness entrepreneur Chrisanna Northrup to answer that question. Together they conducted and analyzed the largest human relationship study ever done. We’ll talk with Dr. Schwartz about the “perfect couple.”

It’s Friday — time to review the week’s news with Joni Balter, Knute Berger and C.R. Douglas. The public debate on the Seattle Police Department's use of drones heats up. Superintendent Jose Banda ordered Seattle teachers to administer the MAP test. There is an effort in Congress to change U.S. pot laws. Is Washington State blazing the way? What’s your take? Call us at 206.543.5869 or write to weekday@kuow.org.

A recent study from the Centers For Disease Control has found that nearly one-third of mentally ill adults are smokers. In fact, they’re 70 percent more likely to smoke than adults without mental illness. The relationship between cigarettes and mental hospitals is a complicated one. Historically, smoking was common in mental hospitals. It was even used as an incentive for patients at times. Now, more and more treatment facilities are becoming smoke-free. What does this mean for patients who rely on the habit for comfort? Pam Belluck has been writing about these issues. She covers health and science for The New York Times.

People don’t write letters much anymore. They don’t even mail in bills! As a result, the postal service is cutting Saturday mail service to save money. So, let us pause for a moment to reflect on the letter. What is lost if handwritten letters are no longer written? If you still write letters, why do you? Author Nick Bantock ponders those questions with us. Tell us what you think at weekday@kuow.org or call 206.543.5869.

President Obama has nominated REI executive Sally Jewell for Secretary of the Interior.  What should she focus on if she is confirmed?  How should she manage the vast public lands that would be in her portfolio? We talk with local experts and conservationists. Join the discussion by emailing weekday@kuow.org.