Tag Archives: 2010

Fees, keys and ripped up tees

It hasn’t been an upbeat start to 2010.

A blog post on NPR this morning pointed out that while the December jobless rate was higher than economists anticipated, it would have been EVEN HIGHER if those who’d dropped out of the market all together had been counted. And talk of a new recession for 2010 was the headline on a NewsHour analysis piece this week.

A range of issues indicate recessionary trends from reports at stations around the country:

Minnesota Public Radio reported on “Cash for Keys” plans, where lenders pay former – and busted — homeowners to surrender their keys faster. These systems have cropped up across the country, with some success.

Cash for keys has been around for years, he says, and it’s increased with the jump in foreclosures.

On the health care front, as a national bill moves through Congress, WSIU in Illinois reported on a new bill in the state that allows young people up to age 24 to stay on their parents’ health insurance, costing the state nothing but charging fees to those families that wish to keep their grown kids covered.

Many people shop at discount retailer H&M to save some money on fashionable clothes, particularly as little luxuries are less affordable. But reports this week about the chain ripping up old clothes, making them unwearable, rather than donating them to charity had the Web up in arms.

But maybe being in the dumps isn’t all bad. Creating more waste is actually a GOOD economic indicator, according to a story from WIUM in western Illinois. A waste management expert told the station:

“A trash collection report is one of the strongest economic indicators. When more waste is collected in an area, in this case western Illinois, that means more people are staying home. But at the same time, they’re buying things close to home.”

New things for the new year

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.