Today's News Quiz

Go to Huffington Post if you want to test your wits against the past week's news.

Here's a sample question:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised to raise what controversy with President Obama during his visit to Berlin next week?
a. U.S. internet surveillance
b. Withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan
c. Interest rates
d. Austerity economics

The answer to this and 10 more questions in the quiz ...

The Latest Polk Street Redevelopment Develoments

A major component of most of the SFMTA’s plans for Polk Street
is to separate auto and bike traffic (Photo: Earl Adkins)

My article in the current edition of the Marina Times:

NEWS
SFMTA Pushes for Revised Polk Street RenovationBY JOHN ZIPPERER 

Following an at-times contentious round of back-and-forth with community groups regarding a planned remake of Polk Street’s traffic and parking design, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has issued revised proposals for the redo of the busy street and is looking forward to an early fall demonstration project. 

“The thing we had to work hardest on Polk Street was to meet [the] need for everyone to be heard and to be valued,” said Seleta Reynolds, who leads the SFMTA’s ...

Read the entire article

Week to Week Political Roundtable Audio

Here's the audio from my Week to Week political roundtable program this past Monday, June 10, 2013.

Our fun and feisty panel was Dr. Larry Gerston, professor of political science at San Jose State University, political analyst for NBC Bay Area, and author of Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California; Melissa Griffin, columnist for the San Francisco Examiner, contributor to KPIX TV and San Francisco magazine, and an attorney; and Debra J. Saunders, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and "Token Conservative" Blogger on SFGate.com.

We talked government surveillance!

We discussed young people hating the GOP!

We dissected California's screwy voter registration!

There was actual audience hissing!

Don't miss it.

Listen

Oh, and here's my Week to Week News Quiz on Huffington Post San Francisco, from the week leading up to our Monday's program.

R.I.P. Iain Banks, Culture-d Man

Scottish novelist Iain Banks, who wrote science fiction under the slightly different monicker of Iain M. Banks, which surely fooled no one, has died of cancer at the way too young age of 59. He had announced just a couple months ago that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had very little time left. He promptly proposed to and wedded his partner, Adele.

Banks is the author of numerous books, but most notable to this website is his incredible contribution to the science fiction field, his Culture series of novels set in the far future. Certainly read other reports of his life and death, but do him the most justice by checking out his many intelligent, fascinating, challenging, controversial, excellent Culture books.

The Turkey

Wows.

Turkish prime minister says, in promising to go ahead with plans despite massive demonstrations, "You cannot rule a state with the logic of give and take."

Um, first, republics have people who govern, not rule. Second, you actually DO govern a state with the logic of give and take. So maybe he was correct after all ...

Read more in The Guardian.