Reporters and producers from around the country are attending "economy bootcamps" to understand the current downturn.
Learn more at NPR.org.
With an economy larger than most countries in the world, how can the state of California be in so much financial trouble? NPR is taking an in-depth look at how the Golden State went broke, and what’s being done to dig out with a series called California in Crisis.
San Francisco’s KQED has a collection of economic coverage that tracks the California situation, including reports on how small businesses are coping and whether the downturn is actually creating opportunity for the state’s tech hubs in Silicon Valley.
And NewsHour talked to Patchwork Nation’s Dante Chinni about the foreclosures in monied burbs — a key community in struggling California.
Listen to the interview here: Foreclosures in Monied Burbs? and read the full report.
It may be summer vacation for students, but public schools around the country are in the headlines, as they are usually among the first to feel the impact of budget cuts. Already strapped for cash, some are coming up with new ideas to make the most of what they have, both in terms of staff and resources.
In Oakland, California, budget cuts have bred creativity – as well as several species of creatures. Cultivating their own insects and small animals like crayfish for science projects, rather than buying them from suppliers, has saved the district over $200,000.
Youth Radio reports on this unique approach.
In Seattle, teachers are seeing cutbacks beyond classroom resources as layoffs loom. Teacher seniority is the traditional way that layoffs are conducted in the school system. KPLU reports on a group of teachers that is pushing for a merit-based system that retains the best – rather than those who’ve been there longest. But the idea is facing criticism from both the union and the school system.
It’s not just elementary and high school education that are at risk due to the economic downturn. Students have faced increased costs at universities, among them the University of California system. This week, KQED’s California Report spoke with UC President Mark Yudof.
“The budget leaves us hurting badly…it leaves us somewhat less competitive for faculty and staff.”
Listen to The California Report interview with Yudof.
As President Obama addresses the nation about health care reform and the economy, take a look back to President Roosevelt and the projects that brought the country through the Great Depression.
The economy has put farmers in a tight spot, but there is good news out there, too.
NPR today reported on dairy farmers in California, the top dairy-producing state in the country. And while they may have funny commercials featuring talking cows, farmers like Joey Mendoza aren’t laughing.
“Mendoza says he’s squeezed between competition from mega-dairies, the high cost of feed and the dip in consumer demand. These days, he’s earning only about half of what it costs for him to produce each gallon of milk.”
From PBS NewsHour’s Patchwork Nation, there’s somewhat comforting news in Tractor Country, a key community the project is following. In Sioux City, Iowa, farmers are not feeling quite as despondent as Mendoza after a damp spring. Blogger Donald King wrote about the start of summer in farmland and shared his thoughts about the current climate.
“For areas like this, agriculture is totally wrapped up with the health of the economy. So it is as hard to ignore the state of the economy in Iowa as it is anywhere these days. I can report that at least in traditionally strong agricultural communities like Sioux Center and Orange City, Iowa, we are holding our own. Sure, everyone is behaving cautiously, spending is fairly flat, but no one is panicking, and unemployment is still below the national average.”
There’s also good news for the industry as a whole. This feature from earth-friendly web site Mother Nature Network features 40 Farmers Under 40 – many of whom are experimenting with new techniques of both growing and selling.
It’s summer vacation time, when families hit the road and see some of the nation’s most treasured places — national parks. While stimulus funds help keep the parks ready for visitors, many who live near these well-preserved areas are facing hard times.
In Flagstaff, Arizona, near the Grand Canyon, nearly one in three people need government assistance each month, NPR station KNAU reports. Many residents come to Flagstaff from the surrounding Navajo reservations because the city has better resources, but it’s hard to stay.
““We have single parents working two jobs…sometimes these families are just one paycheck away from being homeless.”
Listen to “Poverty With a View”
In Montana, Yellowstone Public Radio’s series on economic hardship in the region last year examined homelessness and job loss in the Yellowstone National Park area. Their reports also addressed “big Sky Grants” given to laid-off local residents and a bill that protects the residents of mobile home parks.
At the same time, federal funds are being freed up to keep park rangers employed so the parks run smoothly all summer long.
WNYC and PRI’s The Takeaway reports on a project that will put a new roof on the visitors’ center at the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah.
Do you plan to visit a National Park this summer? How are the parks in your area weathering the economic climate? Share your national parks stories here.
From Twitter NPR: Economy Nightly Business Report Marketplace Business Desk WNYC: Economy Economy Story: Featured VideosReporters and producers from around the country are attending "economy bootcamps" to understand the current downturn.
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