Author Archives: Laura Hertzfeld

New Orleans, or what you will

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King Cakes/ Credit: Flickr user Chez_loulou

King Cakes/ Credit: Flickr user Chez_loulou

Yesterday was Twelfth Night, the kick off of Mardi Gras season in New Orleans. The city has made huge strides over the past few years to come back following Hurricane Katrina, and some say the storm gave New Orleans an advantage when the economic crisis hit, as stimulus funds were already at work there.

WWNO in New Orleans tells the story of a handful of new restaurants that are defying the financial odds.

“Ambitious new chefs and restaurateurs seemed eager to join the fray and local rising stars asserted their prominence with new ventures. Despite the condition of financial markets, 2009 saw the debut of one new restaurant after another in New Orleans while a few landmark restaurants made significant changes to their operations.”

2010 will be the first census of the new century, and New Orleans is getting good news on that end, too – the New Orleans Times-Picayune learned this week that the Census Bureau increased its population estimate for the city by 25,000, which will increase funds to improve infrastructure and services.

But there are things that New Orleans can’t replaced with stimulus funds. Mine is the story of the pets who were left behind, some who reunited with their owners months later. It premieres on Independent Lens in February, just in time for Mardi Gras.

Spending to save

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Travel and merchandise deals are on the rise, but with the uncertain economy, it’s hard to decide whether or not to take advantage of the market. Is spending more money on goods and services a smart way to boost the economy?

If you’re having trouble figuring out when to spend or save, take this quiz from KQED’s You Decide. Students can also check out the new Facebook application from Youth Radio that we featured earlier in the week: Stop Me From Spending.

On the travel end of things, a Frugal Traveler piece in the New York Times this week lists 10 great web resources to help save on travel.

And it’s not a reality now, but perhaps a savings-themed restaurant a la Planet Hollywood would be an ideal place to have fun and get money tips. One letter writer to NPR jokingly suggested that Planet Moneywood” could be the next big career move for Planet Money correspondent Chana Joffe Walt.

Lighten up

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News about the economy’s potential for 2010 may be mixed, but some people who’ve faced the brunt of losing a job are looking on the bright side.

Reporter Julie Rose at WFAE in Charlotte, NC, found several friends and acquaintances who were enjoying their “time off” after losing a job. She reported for Marketplace:

The subject line of the e-mail read “LAID OFF!!” — all caps, two exclamation points. It was from my friend Jenny Van Stone, an interior designer. I felt terrible thinking of her down in the unemployment line. But a few weeks later, I started getting e-mails from her that were like, “Hey, can’t write now. Off to meet a friend for coffee.” Or “Headed to the park. We’ll talk later.

EconomyStory’s partner blog EconomyBeat found a great collection of humorous music videos by C.H.A.Z.Z., including this one, about getting laid off.

But serious questions about the job recovery still loom large as we start the new year. Maureen from Albany, New York asked NewsHour’s Paul Solman asking about how the recovery can happen if the jobs that get created are lower paying than the old ones.

The answer to that complex question is, unfortunately, both yes and no, according to Solman.

Can a country live with greater inequality than we have in the United States right now? Well, some countries certainly do. Can a country prosper in such an environment? It remains to be seen.

New things for the new year

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New Year candles/ Credit: Flickr user Optical Illusion

New Year candles/ Credit: Flickr user Optical Illusion

While the rest of the country was drinking champagne and indulging in holiday treats, some non-profit media folks were hard at work readying new projects for the new decade.

California Watch is a new approach to investigative local journalism from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Based in the Bay Area, the project links reporters and media outlets, including San Francisco’s KQED to produce stories about issues across California. In its first iteration, the money and politics area of the site features a piece on campaign contributions and an interactive graphic tracking one candidate’s spending.

Curious about how to plan your career for the next decade? NPR’s Morning Edition reported on what types of jobs will be flourishing this decade, including many opportunities in health care and retail sales.

Unfortunately, not all the outlooks for 2010 are good. ProPublica looks at a group of reports from economists who still see the glass as half-empty this January.

If saving money was on your list of New Year’s resolutions, add the Youth Radio Facebook application “Stop Me From Spending”. Do you really need a new pair of shoes? The application lets you get advice from friends before you splurge.

Goodbye, hello

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It seems no one is particularly sad to bid 2009 adieu, after the financial crisis, terror threats and swine flu took their toll, but we found some creative ways to say goodbye and some exciting ways to look ahead to 2010.

NPR’s Morning Edition reports on a shredder stationed in New York’s Times Square, where tomorrow night the ball will drop us into 2010, but today an industrial-sized shredder lets people say “good riddance.”

NewsTrust ranks the best journalism of 2009, including well-reported financial stories like a PBS NewsHour piece on health insurance in the Netherlands, and lighter takes on seminal moments of 2009, like Jon Stewart’s slamming of CNBC.

Nightly Business Report shares ideas on the best careers for the next decade. How about becoming a patient advocate or an immigration specialist?

Columnist Anne Applebaum shares her predictions about the Iran elections and Mideast politics in 2010 on PRI’s The World, and how they may affect change in the U.S.,

On a brighter note, how about some bubbly from California to toast the New Year? Wine producers in northern California are seeing a surge just in time to ring in 2010, KQED reports.