Never mind the facts (Obama did not invent the progressive income tax.) Never mind an opportunity to have an intelligent debate over the role of government in our lives and our economy. What is capitalism? What is socialism? Can the two co-exist? Do they already? Was the New Deal an attempt to emasculate the free market and turn the American Dream into a Nightmare of Mediocrity? Or were the "socialist"

With one week to go, my mind's made up on this year's ballot, but for those who are still undecided, a little help in finest of American traditions. & Peer pressure. &

The housing meltdown has prompted some unusual questions for state and county elections officials. Some Californians who have recently lost their homes to foreclosure aren't sure where to vote next week. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen says those who have moved to temporary housing can still cast ballots.

April Boling and Marti Emerald, the candidates vying to replace city councilman Jim Madaffer in District 7, faced off on KPBS radio’s "These Days" this morning. They took very different positions on outsourcing city jobs. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

San Diego State University has created a machine that can simulate a 9.0 earthquake. KPBS Environmental Reporter Ed Joyce tells us what's shaking and why it's important.

The California legislature will return to Sacramento next week to grapple with yet another multi-billion dollar budget deficit. Community clinic operators are hoping lawmakers won't ask for more healthcare cuts. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.

Americans don't select their president directly. They vote for president through the Electoral College - electors who in practice pledge to vote for the candidate based on how the voters decided. A candidates needs to win at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win. However, a movement to elect the president through the popular vote of the public is gaining ground.

For the third time in four years, Californians will be asked to vote on a parental notification measure for teenagers seeking an abortion. Prop 4 would amend the state Constitution to require a physician to notify a minor's parent or other adult family member 48 hours before performing an abortion.

These Days legal analyst Dan Eaton talks about the kind of Supreme Court justices candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are likely to choose, if they are elected President.

A U.S. citizen held at a border immigration center for 15 days has been released after an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer showed a birth certificate to federal authorities.

Who should be the next representative for the 7th Council District in the City of San Diego? Host Tom Fudge speaks to candidates Marti Emerald and April Boling about their goals for District 7, and the City of San Diego. We also discuss San Diego's pension debt, and ways to ensure an adequate water supply for the future.

It looks like California state lawmakers will be coming back after the election to tackle the state's growing budget deficit. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he will call for a special session of the legislature November 5th -- the day after the election.

If you want to avoid what may be some long lines at the polls next week, you still have time to sign up to vote by mail in the general election. Today is the last day to request those ballots.

On Sunday I moderated a discussion on the economy for the La Jolla Playhouse's Discovery Sunday Series. & The discussion followed the matinee performance of Tobacco Road, which led nicely into a comparison between today's economic crisis and the Great Depression. & However, I focused mainly on today's economy and what went wrong -- basically how it got sick and why the disease is spreading. & We started with the sub-prime mortgage crisis and dipped in along the timeline of illness at credit default swaps, the $700 billion bailout and ending with projections for the future. Obviously, credit default swaps are hardly part of my regular beat, so I had a lot of studying to do. & Plus, I was interviewing Todd Buchholz, a former economic policy advisor to the White House, who was also a Harvard professor of economics and a hedge fund manager. He was very entertaining on the subject and the audience seemed very engaged - especially when they got fiesty about the current state of affairs. &