Pfeffer News

As Rate of Kinship Care Rises, More Support is Needed

2012-05-25T11:55:00.001-04:00

Salt Lake City, UT

KUER - Children around the country are increasingly being cared for by grandparents and other relatives. A new report by shows that kinship care' is on the rise, and that the number of children cared for by extended family members has increased by almost 18 percent nationwide over the last 10 years. Andrea Smardon reports the study assessed the needs of these caregivers, and found that families need more support.

Click here to listen to the story on the linked web page.

Front Yard Farming Movement Grows

2012-05-23T13:12:00.001-04:00

Nashville, TN

WPLN - When the economy entered its downward spiral in 2008 the lawn and garden industry took a hit. But one sector escaped the drop off – food gardening. In fact, according to the National Gardening Association, sales spiked 20 percent and stayed there. Blake Farmer reports that while many households started growing food to be more budget conscious, some are deciding vegetables and fruits can be beautiful too.

Click here to listen to the story.

The Farmer of the Future

2012-05-20T08:43:00.002-04:00

Photo Courtesy of Russ Seidel

Harvest Public Media - This we know: You can’t feed the growing world population without farmers. But there are serious questions today about who will take on the job a few decades from now. This five part series explores how technological, cultural, and political forces are bringing immense change to people who commit to building their lives around the land.

Sioux County, IA
Blending of Cultures May be Blue Print for Growth, Part 1: While some of the rural Midwest is hollowing out, regions like Sioux County, Iowa, are actually growing, thanks largely to immigrant populations moving in to take jobs that employers otherwise cannot fill. Kathleen Masterson reports melding cultures is never easy, but in communities like Sioux County, Latinos are slowly making the Midwest their home. Click here to listen to part 1

Manhattan, KS
Take Me to Your Fields: Robots on the Farm, Part 2: With automation already popular on many farms, how far will technology go? Jeremy Bernfeld reports on whether the farmer of the future will be human at all. Click here to listen to part 2

Lincoln, NE
The Sustainable Hand, Part 3: It seems every farming operation today professes to be "sustainable." We may not know if that’s true until decades from now, but Jessica Naudziunas reports farmers' choices today well may provide a game plan for tomorrow. Click here to listen to part 3

Loose Creek, MO
Who are You Calling a Corporate Farmer? Part 4: Agriculture is a big business fueled by big businesses. And although farmers themselves still come in many sizes, Peggy Lowe reports the distinction between corporate ownership and family farmer is blurring. Click here to listen to part 4

Freeman, MO
A Plot in the Middle, Part 5: The number of very small farms and very large farms have increased dramatically in the last few years, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show, at the expense of medium-sized, self-sustaining family farms. So does that mean the Farmer of the Future will be either the benefactor of an enormous family operation, or the owner of a marginal hobby, or life-style operation? Frank Morris reports a few people are actually finding ways to break into mid-level production agriculture. Click here to listen to part 5

Mississippi Grapples with Highest Teen Birth Rate in the U.S.

2012-05-16T12:14:00.000-04:00

Jackson, MS

Mississippi Public Broadcast - Mississippi has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation. For every one thousand teen girls int the state, 55 give birth. In this two part series, Lawayne Childrey looks at the causes and consequences of teen births in Mississippi.

Click here to listen to part one on the linked web page.

Click here to listen to part two on the linked web page.

National Guard Vets Get Help on the Home Front

2012-05-14T11:44:00.000-04:00

Mahtomedi, MN

Minnesota Public Radio - Kevin Ross has been in the Minnesota National Guard since 1999. In that time, he and his wife Emily's family has grown and transitioning back and forth from the battlefront to the home front is not with out challenges, especially when it comes to communication. Jessica Mador reports a parenting program is helping the family communicate more effectively.

President's Announcement Draws Mixed Reactions in First State to Grant Gay Marriage

2012-05-10T09:59:00.002-04:00

Boston, MA

WBUR - Reaction continues to pour in from around the country and around the world following President Obama's announcement on ABC that he now believes same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Fred Thys reports on how the President's comments are being received in Massachusetts, where gay marriage was first made legal.

Click here to listen to the story.

Town Still Recovering from Tornado Damage 5 Years On

2012-05-09T12:50:00.001-04:00

Photo Credit: Jon Person/flikr

Greensburg, KS

Kansas Public Radio - It’s been five years since the southwest Kansas town of Greensburg was leveled by a massive tornado. With help from friends and neighbors across the state—and across the nation—Greensburg residents are beginning to regain their footing. But Bryan Thompson reports healing is ongoing process.

Click here to listen to the story on the linked web page.

Philosophies Collide as Lugar Faces Stiff Primary Challenge

2012-05-07T11:56:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Konica

Evansville, IN

Indiana Public Broadcasting - Six-term incumbent Senator Richard Lugar hasn’t had a primary challenger since he was first elected in 1976. His first challenger in five re-election attempts is Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock, a Tea Party favorite. Brandon Smith reports on the primary race that’s brought national attention to the Hoosier state. The primary is May 8.

Click here to listen to the story.

Surfers Work to Protect World’s Best Waves

2012-05-04T13:23:00.003-04:00

Santa Cruz, CA

KAZU - Santa Cruz's new designation as a World Surfing Reserve is more than just an accolade for tourism brochures. Krista Almazan reports it's a proactive move by surfers to protect the waves they love.

Click here to listen to the story.

Two-Headed Trout Spur Scrutiny of Mine Pollution

2012-05-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

Soda Springs, ID

N3 - Here’s an image you usually don’t see without the help of Photoshop: two-headed fish. Pictures of deformed baby trout with two heads show up in a study of creeks in a remote part of southeast Idaho. The study examined the effects of a contaminant called selenium. It comes from a nearby mine owned by the agribusiness giant, J.R. Simplot. Jessica Robinson reports critics say the two-headed trout have implications beyond a couple of Idaho creeks.

Click here to listen to the story.

Hunting for Hot Stocks, Some Investors Head to Private Markets

2012-04-30T12:43:00.001-04:00

New York, NY

WNYC - Facebook is the most anticipated IPO in years. Soon anyone will be able to buy shares of the social networking giant on the Nasdaq exchange. But some investors have already been purchasing pieces of Facebook ― and many other hot stocks ― on private exchanges. Ilya Marritz reports these exchanges are lightly-regulated, and they are poised to grow, thanks to recent changes in securities laws.

Bringing a Horse in from the Wild

2012-04-27T12:55:00.000-04:00

Bloomfield, IA

Harvest Public Media - If your kids have been bugging you to get them a pet, here’s an idea: why not adopt a wild horse? After all, few things teach responsibility better than taming a mustang. Like your local animal shelter’s pet adoption drive, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is trying to find a few good homes for wild horses and burros by holding adoption events around the country. Kate Wells reports the bureau recently brought wild horses and burros to the Davis county fairgrounds hoping to place the wild horses and burros with good owners.

Click here to listen to the story on the linked web page.

Athletes Get Creative to Finance Olympic Hopes

2012-04-23T12:25:00.000-04:00

Eugene, OR

N3 - Some Olympic hopefuls are lucky. They have six-figure endorsement contracts and can concentrate solely on training for peak performance. More commonly, dreams of Olympic glory mean scrounging for dollars. One runner from Eugene even auctioned his left shoulder on eBay recently. Tom Banse reports on some creative personal fundraising by elite local athletes.

Click here to listen to the story.

Pipeline Struggle: Who Can Exert Eminent Domain?

2012-04-20T13:30:00.002-04:00

Austin, TX

StateImpact Texas - Texas politicians love giving lip service to the sanctity of private property rights. You also hear them talking a lot about the benefits of the state’s robust oil and gas industry. But what happens when those two things come into conflict? Mose Buchele reports on the story of eminent domain and how it comes to bear on the Keystone XL pipeline.

Click here to listen to the story on the linked web page.

Detroit has Vacant Land. But Forty Square Miles?

2012-04-18T12:37:00.000-04:00

Photo Courtesy of flickr: w4nd3rl0st

Detroit, MI

Changing Gears - Forty square miles. That’s how much of Detroit lies vacant, nearly a third of the city. You could fit Miami or San Francisco inside all that emptiness. At least, that’s what we’ve heard for years. But as Kate Davidson reports, it might not be true.

Click here to listen to the story.

Digital Upgrades Threaten Small Town Theatres

2012-04-17T12:07:00.000-04:00

Forest City, IA

Iowa Public Radio - The familiar movie-opening theme is fading in many of Iowa’s small communities. Many main-street theaters, caught in a technological dilemma, are closing. But as Dean Borg reports some communities are scrambling to preserve main street silver screens.

Click here to listen to the story.

If Affordable Care Act is Upheld, Colorado Could be a Model for Country

2012-04-13T09:45:00.003-04:00

Photo Courtesy of David Sachs (Affordable Care Act Rally at SCOTUS)

Denver, CO

Colorado Public Radio - The 2010 federal health care law that the Supreme Court is currently considering includes a big expansion of Medicaid, the publicly funded health program for the poor. If the court upholds the law, Colorado offers a glimpse of the future. The state is launching its own Medicaid expansion now, albeit on a much smaller scale. Eric Whitney reports the state is focusing on the poorest of the poor.

Click here to listen to the story.

Budget Cuts Threaten Transitional Kindergarten

2012-04-11T09:55:00.000-04:00

The California Report - A new state law recently added a grade called transitional kindergarten for children who are too old for preschool, but still too young for regular kindergarten. Families who fall into this category were excited to about the new option this year, but Ana Tintocalis reports that proposed state budget cuts now threaten to derail the program at hundreds of school districts.

In Cloudy Northwest, Window Tinting is In

2012-04-06T08:38:00.000-04:00

Seattle, WA

KPLU - You pull up to a stop light, look over and the windows on the SUV next to you are so dark you can’t see in. Why are we hiding behind tinted automobile windows here in the Pacific Northwest? Paula Wissel tries to find out.

Click here to listen to the story.

Do Higher Standards Create Better Readers?

2012-04-04T12:37:00.001-04:00

Philadelphia, PA

WHYY - Policymakers and academics are very interested in what kind of literature turns students into avid readers. They argue that high schools across the country aren't pushing even their motivated students to read enough nonfiction, digest difficult texts, or do more than memorize information. Ben Herold reports.

Click here to listen to the story.

"Stand Your Ground" Law Not Going Anywhere Soon

2012-04-03T07:55:00.001-04:00

Photo courtesy of Werth Media

Miami, FL

WLRN - Democrats in the Florida Legislature are calling for a swift "review" of the lenient self-defense law known as "Stand Your Ground." That's the six-year-old statute invoked by George Zimmerman to excuse his actions in the Trayvon Martin shooting case. But even its most vehement opponents are calling only for review, not repeal. Rick Stone reports they are still tip-toeing around the lobbying power that got the law passed in the first place.

Click here to listen to the story.

Doctor "Gag Order" Provision in Natural Gas Law has Some Up in Arms

2012-03-30T11:37:00.000-04:00

(Communities United for Rights and Environment)

Pittsburgh, PA

Essential Public Radio - Public health advocates and some environmental groups are crying foul over a provision in the new Marcellus Shale natural gas regulations. The groups claim the wording in the law, which regulates drilling, amounts to a gag order for doctors when it comes to chemicals that may make people sick, but industry advocates say that’s not the case. Deanna Garcia reports.

Click here to listen to the story.

As Noise Pollution Grows at Sea, a Team Looks for Answers

2012-03-27T11:52:00.002-04:00

photo credit: NASA

Gulf of Mexico

StateImpact Texas - When you think about pollution in the ocean from oil drilling and shipping, what comes to mind? The wreck of the Exxon Valdez? The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico? Mose Buchele reports it turns out that the oil industry might be harming the world's oceans in other ways that haven’t received much notice until now.

Click here to listen to the story.

As Students Opt for Odd Majors, Some Wonder about Job Prospects

2012-03-23T10:40:00.001-04:00

Columbus, OH

StateImpact Ohio - If you’re really into studying the history of the Indonesian heavy metal scene, or perhaps you’d rather spend your days analyzing golf swings, then college may be the place for you! There’s a proliferation of unorthodox college majors in Ohio and nationwide. Ida Lieszkovszky reports students seem to like the new range of classes, but critics worry they don’t guarantee the best jobs or biggest paychecks.

Click here to listen to the story.

Black Residents Demand Action in the Shooting of Trayvon Martin

2012-03-21T14:14:00.001-04:00

Sanford, FL

WMFE - Members of Sanford's black community are calling for a boycott of the city's police department unless chief Bill Lee steps down. That was the message at a rally held at the Allen Chapel AME church in Sanford's Historic black Goldsboro neighborhood Tuesday night. Matthew Peddire reports there's still anger at the lack of an arrest in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin.

Click here to listen to the story on the linked web page.