Gary Davis

If you've been stuck in traffic jams on I-5 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord recently, you're not alone. The back-ups are an almost daily occurrence since thousands of soldiers returned from deployments. The race is on to come up with some long-term solutions, not only to the transportation troubles but to education and social service demands. That's because military analysts predict an additional 14,000 more soldiers and their families will arrive by 2015.

You might think that in the midst of the Great Recession everyone - including candidates for office - are feeling the pinch. Not so.

Northwest-based relief agencies World Vision, World Concern and MercyCorps are rapidly expanding relief efforts in Haiti as a cholera outbreak there spreads. Dozens have been killed, and thousands are infected.

 A new exhibit at Seattle's Frye Art Museum is full of items rich in double meaning. Like a large wax chair full of hundreds of arrows. Or a jar full of medicinal leeches. 

And then there's a stunner of a dress that stops you as soon as you walk in through the door. "You'll see a really beautiful dress, with wide wide sides. And it looks very sheer. It's organza," says Frye deputy director Robin Held. 

"Now the surface of the dress looks like it's covered in bugs."

It's actually covered with more than 2,500 black bows. But it doesn't stop there.

Power politics, power voice and plain 'ol power. Michelle Obama is in Bellevue this afternoon (at the Hyatt) to support Patty Murray's campaign.

The buzz from Everett to Bellingham is the snub John Koster delivered to the folks preparing for his debate with Congressman Rick Larsen.  Republican (and Tea Party endorsed) Koster pulled out of the KCTS 9 sponsored debate Wednesday, the day before the taping in Seattle. The reason? Koster claims panelist Jerry Cornfield of The Herald of Everett was biased against him.

On a rare day when the President of the United States is in town, the talk of KPLU's  newsroom was not on Obama's visit, but Juan Williams' firing by NPR.  Williams told Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly on Monday "I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country.

When you're involved in political campaigns, doughnuts and cupcakes are often close at hand.  President Obama made sure both were available during his Seattle stopover to support Senator Patty Murray's campaign.  On his way to a Seattle couple's home for a backyard 'event' the President made a surprise stop at Top Pot Doughnut's 5th Avenue store, and brought two boxes to his hosts, Cynnie and Erik Foss.  When you're a guest you bring a little something.

A self-described 'poor man' from Spokane tells us he wouldn't think of voting for I-1098, the income tax measure, because "the rich are blessed."  KPLU's Paula Wissel asks "Who's rich and who's not?" in our latest report on Election 2010.  The initiative aims to tax the wealthiest 1.2% in the state. That's a quantifiable definition of 'rich.'  But the conversation also invites a qualitative definition to a perhaps undefinable question.

You gotta do your homework.  That's  the advice KPLU's Keith Seinfeld got from tax experts on how voter's might want to approach their November ballots.  Your vote will help establish major tax policies in Washington for years to come.  They offer some helpful tools.  Too much to think about? Keith gives us a little help from Monty Python and the Romans.

How's this for a guest list? President Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn will present his plans today (Monday) for balancing the city’s budget. That means proposing cuts totaling $67 million dollars.