The Conversation Podcast

California Refinery Fire Could Cause Gas Price Hike: A refinery fire in California is likely to affect gas prices. KUOW's Ruby de Luna tells us what that means for Washington drivers. Welfare Bank Fee Dropped: JPMorgan Chase will no longer charge Washington welfare clients $.85 to withdraw cash at an ATM. That fee is abolished in a renegotiated contract the state has signed with the New York–based bank to continue providing cash benefits electronically. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins has details. First Grey Wolf Killed By State Officials: For the first time, state officials have killed a female wolf from a pack in Northeastern Washington after repeated incidents with livestock on nearby ranches. Ashley Ahearn reports on what happened. Are Spitsbergen Whales Making A Comeback? Commercial whaling almost drove Spitsbergen whales to extinction. Since the 1970s sightings have been few and far between. Now researchers are using their ears to observe these whales instead of their eyes. We talk to the leading whale expert at the University of Washington. A Hacker Takeover: Mat Honan, a senior editor at Wired.com, is perhaps the last person one might think would fall prey to hackers. Over the course of an hour all the contents of his iPhone, his MacBook, his iPad and his Gmail went poof. Honan talks to NPR's Renee Montagne about how hackers were able to gain access to his accounts.

A recent tally of homeless young people in King County found nearly 700 people under the age of 25 without permanent housing. Seattle has become one of the nation's hotspots of youth homelessness. Are we ahead of the trend in homeless infrastructure, or lagging behind? We talk to the directors of two homelessness youth services in the city, and a former homeless youth that now spends her time reaching out to those on the streets.

Can You Correct Your Partisan Lens? According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & Press, the values and basic beliefs of voters are more polarized along partisan lines today than they were 25 years ago. Research shows that your partisan bias leads you to believe misinformation about a politician or a policy decision, especially when you're presented with corrective facts. How do you correct for your biases and stay open to the facts? The Best Tech Gadgets For Travel: Do you ever feel overloaded with batteries, chargers and tech devices when you travel? Does it feel impossible to leave home without a camera, smartphone, tablet, laptops and all the accouterments? Our travel expert offers great tips for lightening your load.

Primary Election Results: Yesterday's primary election yielded good news for library levy supporters in Seattle and clarified three crowded congressional races. So, who got through? The Port On Sodo Traffic: New studies commissioned by the Port of Seattle predict that traffic from the proposed Sodo sports arena would have a major impact on freight mobility. The Rise Of Citizen Science: Public participation in scientific research is mushrooming in the Northwest and across the country. It can take the form of volunteer monitoring and data collection, crowd–sourced science or science education with a research component.

With daily newspapers facing declines in advertising revenue and circulation, there's been hope that online–only publications would pick up the slack. Are they? What's happening in Seattle with online–only news? Ross Reynolds talks with Publicola, SeattlePI.com, and the newest editor and publisher of Crosscut about the challenges and successes of telling stories exclusively on the internet.

Four decades of mistaken tax and trade policy, declining public and private investment, and willing disregard of existing laws have crippled many American industries and sent thousands upon thousands of US jobs overseas without cause, according to authors Jim Steele and Don Bartlett in their new book. Ross Reynolds talks with the authors of "The Betrayal of the American Dream."

Mass Mailing Aims To Get Out The Vote: About 2 million people never received a ballot to vote in today's primary election. That's because they are not registered to vote. The state election office hopes to change that through a campaign to get people to register. Liz Jones explains how it will work. Legislative Move To Stop Patent Trolls: Critics say patent trolls exploit patent laws for profit. New legislation aims to stop that. We talk to the legislators behind the bill. Thunderstorms Threaten The Ozone Layer: Summer storms are rare in Seattle, but a few weeks ago our skies rumbled and lit up in full force. A recent study shows that thunder storms may be a threat to the ozone layer. When storms send water vapor miles into the stratosphere it could be setting off ozone–destroying chemicals. Could ozone damage get worse if global warming leads to more storms?

Seattle is celebrating the 28th National Night Out Against Crime tonight. It's a crime–prevention event meant to bring neighbors and neighborhoods together and decrease crime around your home. What's your neighborhood like? Have we lost the community feeling of neighborhoods in the past? What makes a great neighbor? Who drives you crazy?

There is agreement that the federal deficit is unsustainable in the long run. The US is borrowing too much money. But there's little agreement about when we will have gone too far. We talk to Wall Street Journal economics editor David Wessel about his breakdown in his new book "Red Ink: Inside the High–Stakes Politics of the Federal Budget."

King County Opens The Door For Heat Energy From Wastewater: The Department of Energy estimates that 350 billion KWH of energy are flushed down drains in the form of heated water. King County is one of the first counties in the nation to try to do something about all that wasted heat energy. KUOW's Ashley Ahearn reports. Washington Capitol Dome To Get $1M Bath: Washington's Capitol dome is about to get a bath for the first time in eight years. The sandstone dome has turned from tan to black, especially on the north side. Austin Jenkins spoke with the foreman in charge of the cleaning and repair job. Surprising Real Estate Segment Booms: The housing market in the Northwest is finally showing signs of recovery, but there's one sector of real estate that never let up during the economic downturn. Real estate agents who sell what's known as "survival realty" are experiencing boom times. Jessica Robinson takes us inside a remote corner of the Northwest that has been a hotspot for home buyers wanting to ride out disaster — natural or otherwise. ACT Theatre Takes A Comical Look At Unemployment: There's a new play on stage at ACT Theatre about the life of the unemployed called "99 Layoffs." We talk to local playwright Vincent Delaney about his comedy and the truths he hoped to reveal.

Futurist Sonia Arrison believes the first person that will live to be 150 years old has already been born. What will the rapidly evolving improvements in medicine and life extension mean for us, our society and the earth? What will living longer mean for careers, family and faith? Sonia Arrison answers these questions in her new book, "100 Plus: How the Coming Age Of Longevity Will Change Everything, From Careers And Relationships To Family And Faith."

How many things did you reveal about yourself online today? Did you enter your credit card number? Did you post photos from last night? Law professor Lori Andrews says much of what we post can be used against us. In her new book, "I Know I Saw What You Did: Social Networks And The Death Of Privacy," Andrews says it may be time for a social network constitution.

Washington Faces Lawsuit Over Handling Of Powell Case: A new report on a high–profile Pierce County murder–suicide concludes that the police and social workers should have communicated better. Washington state's social service agency says the child fatality review, released Thursday, supports its belief that no one could have anticipated Josh Powell would kill his two young sons and himself. Correspondent Tom Banse reports. Is The Arena Deal A Solid Investment? Earlier this week, the King County Council voted to move forward with a new sports arena in Sodo, but the Seattle City Council pushed back, asking for better terms. State Representative Reuven Carlyle says the pushback doesn't go far enough. We talk to Carlyle about what he thinks is missing in the arena deal. Who Should Be The Next Secretary Of State? Stability has been a hallmark in Washington's office of secretary of state, but there's about to be a changing of the guard. Republican Sam Reed is not seeking reelection this year. Seven candidates are vying to succeed him. KUOW's Amy Radil reports on the race.

Seattle Times political reporter Jim Brunner stops by KUOW to talk about the most interesting races in the August 7 primary. What races are going to be the closest? Who's a wildcard? We get Brunner's predictions and hear from listeners about how they're voting.

New County Mental Health Crisis Facility: Last year, designated mental health providers from King County's Crisis Commitment Service provided outreach for more than 6,000 people. On Monday, King County plans to open a new facility in south Seattle's Jackson Place neighborhood. Some say it's a more appropriate and cost effective solution. KUOW's Patricia Murphy reports. Inslee, McKenna And DelBene Go For Gold In Olympic TV Ads: It's down to the wire for candidates running for political office in Washington state. They have until Tuesday to woo voters in this year's primary. Three candidates are spending heavily on television ads that are running at a time when they are getting a lot of notice. KUOW's Deborah Wang has the story. A Recent History Of Fabulists, From Stephen Glass To Jonah Lehrer: Why do journalists make up facts? Adam Penenberg is a journalism professor at New York University who broke the story about former New Republic reporter Stephen Glass, which was made into the movie "Shattered Glass." We ask Penenberg about the recent case of journalist Jonah Lehrer who invented Bob Dylan quotes, how Lehrer and Glass compare, and other cases of quote–inventing fabulists.