News on NPR Today 2/22/05

As usual, Morning Edition is my focus.

My news day started with an excellent report about property rights and the Supreme Court. In New London, CT, a group of homeowners is refusing to sell to the town. The town wants the land to give to developers who will turn the decaying neighborhood into a thriving business district. At issue: whether a municipal government has the right to condemn private property for the greater good, when by the “greater good” they mean “bigger tax base.” New London claims that for the economic good of the larger community, it should be able to take the property needed, regardless of who owns it. On the other side, the homeowners say they should not be forced from their home for economic improvements that will benefit corporations first and foremost. I am looking forward to hearing NPR’s coverage of the Supremes’ arguments on this issue.

Today Israel released 500 Palestinian prisoners, mostly on “administrative detention” – a strange state that is almost never used on Israelis. NPR interviewed a Palestinian woman hoping that her husband would be among those released.

The Prez is meeting with the NATO Alliance and EU leaders today to try and ease tensions between us and them, and to gain support for our work rebuilding Iraq. Thankfully, Bush has gotten some support – the EU plans to open an office in Iraq to help with economic development.

Syria vs. Lebanon still a hot issue. Some think they should leave altogether immediately, some think that would be a disaster. Stay tuned.

Margaret Spellings (what a scary woman, now in charge of education in the US, gah!!) was profiled today – apparently she likes conflict, is not intimidated by anyone or anything, and her extreme loyalty to Bush is propelling her success. She refuses to back down on NCLB issues and has set her sights on high schools next. Some think there is too much Federal interference in what should be a local issue, but Spellings does not let things like states rights deter her. No siree.

American Girl made the news – and not in a good way. They make high-end dolls with a backstory, and publish books about them. Lil has one (Samantha), and her clothes cost more than my clothes. Sad. Anyway, back to the story… Marisol is a new Mexican American doll, which is all good, making their doll lineup more diverse, but as no good deed goes unpunished, the Mexican American community is up in arms. It seems that Merisol’s book puts a certain Mexican American community in a bad light. Activists say that it paints an ugly picture of Mexican Americans and their neighborhoods. As for American Girl, they are not apologizing or changing the book. After all, it is a work of fiction about a doll. Interesting in terms of PR strategy here…

How about Eisner and Disney? Talk about a PR nightmare. Who is getting the best of this situation? It might be Pixar and Steve Jobs. Fascinating!
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NPR 2/18

OK, gotta make this quick, since I am at work, and I have missed two days this week already. Listened to Morning Edition.

Listened to one more of the red state/blue state reports in the series that ME is doing. I love that they do series like this one. It puts things into a better context for analysis, and gives a much more thorough airing of both sides of a political story. For this one, they interviewed TIm Polenti (sp?), who is the republican gov of a blue state, MN. He has been having a terrible time with bi-partisan relationships, and republicans have lost seats in the legislature because of partisan fights over the budget. His hard line on education and taxes makes it hard to gain consensus. He has pledged not to raise taxes, and has been trying to cut funding for schools. His approval rating is around 56%. Unless he can keep up schools, he is doomed.

Well, it has happened, Class Actions will now be heard in Fed. courts. Sigh. I hate watching as our rights get slowly eroded in favor of corporations' rights. Sick.

Ah, it was bound to happen. NYC is in the running for the Olympics against Moscow, Paris, Madrid and London, and NPR reported on what the Big Apple is doing to prepare for a visit this weekend from the Olympic committee (IOC). The big question is whether or not NYC can handle the logistics -- how will people get around? And then there is the whole stadium issue.... hmmm. Another cliffhanger -- I guess we find out next week how the meeting goes....

Big story on movies with controversial endings like The Sea Inside and Million Dollar Baby. Brings up all kinds of issues about the disabled and assisted suicide. Will put more here about this later!

News today NPR 2/17/05

Just a few tidbits from Morning Edition. Little people are sick like dogs here, so this will be brief...

Negroponte has been named national intelligence director by Bush. He claims the guy will be great because of his recent experience in Iraq. I suppose we will just have to wait and see on this one.

Well, he filled that one, but there are still lots of vacancies in the Bush white house.

Interesting story on Chernobyl -- where that major nuke accident happened. Interviews with people there say it is an abandoned city, but that people are beinning to come back, despite warnings that it is still not safe there. Why come back? A few high risk jobs that pay better than anything else. Sounds familiar.... fix bad places by poisoning the poor. Works every time.

News on NPR 2/16/05

Morning Edition, as usual, and that is as far as it goes. Been a bad week this week, so not a lot of time for listening broadly to the news... Sigh.

Great story on Kyoto treaty and the reduction of greenhouse gasses. Things seem to be going well (for example, innovation to reduce carbon emissions is ramping up very quickly) in Europe. Seems like most of the world is looking at the US as a spoiler who continues to turn its back on Kyoto. Bush claims the treaty would damage the US economy. The treaty actually goes into effect today. Cool! In addition to reporting on this single event, NPR looked at three countries who signed: Italy, China, and Russia. Italy, along with Germany and Belgium are the most agressive in reducing carbon, and NPR looked into these efforts. Go Italy! Then there was an interview with Chinese officials on Kyoto who said that it is unfair to treat developing countries the same as developed ones. The Chinese did sign, but there is no evidence that they are actually doing much to reduce pollution. Russia signed Kyoto to improve relations with the EU, but they are not actually doing much, either. Hopefully, things will change, but probably not for many years yet.

Tsunami update: Baby 81 has been identified and returned to his parents. Wow, what a story! There were dozens of couples that came to claim him, but genetic tests finally determined who the real parents were. The death toll continues to rise -- today it stands at 220,000, but reports say more people will be found as cleanup continues. Lots of people do not want to move away from the water's edge, because it is their livelyhood, but the gov't in Aceh wants building to begin no closer than 1.5 miles away.

Will the NHL cancel the season? Stay tuned. In other sports news, MLB begins spring training today and the NFL is looking at the first black owner of a franchise. Reggie Fowler is buying the Vikings.

NPR Today 2/15/05

Just a few small tidbits from Morning Edition today...

There was an interesting story about lobbying firms in Washington -- it seems like no suprise, but it helps to be republican these days. The story focused on a firm called Lunquist, Nethercutt and Griles, which is a new K St. firm formed by ex-civil servants. Why should we care? Environmentalists are up in arms because 2 out of 3 of these guys were supposed to be stewards of the land when employed by the government, and were "really benefiting a few with deep pockets" so that when they quit, they could make tons of money in the private sector. As it turns out, that is exactly what has happened.

Next was a report on kidnapping as an industry in India. Doctors have armed guards. Children are vulnerable at school and on the street. Both doctors and children have staged protests. Elections are coming up and kidnapping is a huge issue in the campaign. Police refused to comment for the report, and some think they are part of the problem in some cases. It has become so much like a business, kidnappers have begun offering installment plans. Ugh.

Then there was a report on the TV show "24" -- a TV show that has depicted Muslim Americans as terrorists. Fox has had Keefer Sutherland do a PSA saying that what is on the show is pure fiction and is not meant to harm or disparage Muslims, but according to some interviewed by NPR, that is too little too late. People begin to believe things that aren't true if they watch enough TV. A sad but true fact. Fox refused to comment other than the PSA.

Today Rafik Hariri was killed in Lebanon by terrorists. Accusations are blaming Syria, but Syria claims they had nothing to do with it. Can't wait to see where this goes. Seria out of Lebanon, anyone?

NPR News Today 2/14/05

I am just going to plow ahead here, pretending that this is a day no different from any other. Listened to Morning Edition as I usually do.

Well, it looks like Dean will be head of the DNC -- natch, some democrats are unhappy. They can never agree, can they? Why are they unhappy, you might ask? Dean is seen as able to energize the base, but unable to reach out to more middle of the road types. The upshot of this report was to say that democrats will have to get more flexible on messages like abortion and a few others if they are ever to win big again.

So, what about this suplimental appropriation (SA) for $80 billion? What is that all about? Well, it is SUPPOSED to be about emergency spending, but it seems like Bush is using it more as a screen to keep necessary spending off the "balance sheet" that is used when toting up the deficit. Rummy says, to justify using an SA, that you cannot properly plan the cost of war, but the guy NPR interviewed (Steve Kosniar?) says the war is not an emergency, and better/more planning should've been done. Because SAs keep money out of the budget as published, they also keep money out of the published deficit. Also, because SAs don't require the same amount of paperwork/justification, they are easier to get through congress. Steve pointed out that there are a number of things in the SA that should not be there, including a reorganization of the army. Sigh.

The next report (I guess they put it here just in case you were about to slit your own wrists on account of the news today) was about a study of what makes people happy. Study participants were given Palm Pilots to keep track of their moods all day. Group A was a group of healthy individuals and Group B was a group of kidney patients who were quite ill. Surprisingly Group B members were pretty happy overall. Conclusion: People have a basic balance and no matter what happens, you eventually come back to this basic place. Cool.

What's Up Today 2/11/05

Listened to Morning Edition.

Nice report on Basra reconstruction efforts. Mostly bashed the US efforts there and applauded the locals who really seem to be getting things done. There are many new projects underway, including a children's hospital, but they are beginning to run out of money. About 40% of the budget they had has gone toward security costs. Depressing.

Social Security chatter goes on and on. The Bush administration has eked out a little more info on the program, but not much. First, investments will be limited to conservative stock funds and bonds. Second, accounts will not be available until 2009, and will have no effect on those 55 and older now. Dems don't like what they're seeing, and some republicans are shying away from support because their constituents are restless. One thing everyone can agree on: something needs to be done.

Lynn Stewart, the lawyer who helped her terrorist client communicate with his followers, has been found guilty on 5 counts, including aiding and abetting a terrorist. She claims that the whole case is based on one press release that resulted in nothing happening at all. (Amazing what PR can do, eh?) She is appealing, natch, and sees her conviction as a bad sign for civil liberties in this country.

Hawaiian music now has its own category in the Grammys. Score one for the little people. Some of the most popular Hawaiian music involves traditional chants. People are really excited in Hawaii, and they say it means that the mainstream is finally recognizing this uniqe music.

A quick update on the Class Action Fairness Act: it is very likely to win approval in the senate and house. It is on the fast track and the Prez has already agreed to sign it.

NPR News Today 2/10/05

Listened to Morning Edition.

Doesn't it feel, sometimes, like us little people keep getting screwed? Well, don't read any farther if you get depressed when you think of how the rich get all the breaks.

Bush calls the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 "A fair solution" that does not eliminate the rights of citizens to sue corporations (no, I guess not, it just severely hampers their efforts by making it too expensive for individuals, and impossible for groups of people to pool their resources to get justice). And guess what? The Act is backed mainly by...imagine that!...business interests. Hmm. Senators who support the bill say it is helpful to citizens who currently get taken advantage of by "predatory lawyers." To keep these horrible, unethical litigators from bilking the public (or, some people might say, getting justice where justice is due), the bill forces class actions involving more than $5 million into federal courts. Those against this bill are trying to couch it in terms of the erosion of states' rights. It will be interesting to see how this PR battle works out, but at the moment, it does not look good for the opposition.

And we are back again to the privatization of Social Security. NPR explored the story of Galviston, Texas, a city that replaced SS with a private system in the 70s. It seems to be working....for rich people. The GAO (that is, The Government Accountability Office) has been studying Galivston's system and came to the conclusion that private SS systems are best for high wage earners, but it will not keep up with regular SS if you live a long time for most people. In addition to experts at the GAO and from Galviston, NPR interviewed a recent retiree who said that she feels cheated by the system because she just figured out that, in she'd stuck with SS, she would've been entitled to $500 more per month than she gets from Galviston. Sigh.

There was a bit about elections in Saudi Arabia. Women can't run for office or vote, the men who will vote will vote for only half of the governing body. The other half of the government will be appointed by the king. Hmm. NPR interviewed a woman professor who teaches in Saudi Arabia, and she was great! She was, like, hey, it is a tiny, tiny step, but at least it is a step. However, without including women, it is all a farce. You cannot have a fair government that looks out for everyone's needs if only men are allowed to run things.

N. Korea announced that they have NUKES today. No one knows for sure if this is true. The report today made it sound like it might not be. Is it all blustering rhetoric on NK's part? Or is it true? At any rate, NK said also that they would not return to talks on the subject.

Armed services has fallen short on recruitments for the first time in a long long time, and the spokesperson told NPR it is only an anomaly. The report followed a group of Marines as they visited high schools and ROTC programs to try to gain greater numbers of recruits. These guys go around with Hummers and attack helicopters to impress the kids, and they do an amazing job. An interesting use of PR to sway people to their way of thinking.

But the news for us peons is not all bad. It's Fashion Week! Oh, wait, us peons can't afford any of the clothes that will be shown in NYC, and for the most part can't get in to see what's on the runways anyway. Gah.

News of the Day, NPR 2/9/05

Listened to Morning Edition, as usual.

The good news is, prices are down on Light Sweet Crude (oil, for those of us not up on the lingo), and hey GM is launching new, smarter airbags, but for now only for the rich. Gotta save those people so they buy more lux cars, right? The new airbags debut today at the Chicago Auto Show.

Lots on Israel/Palestine today. Will the peace hold? Will the plan work? G-d I hope so. Those people have had enough of ugliness and death. Everyone is very worried about what the next terrorist attack will do to the process, but all in all people are really hopeful, and that is a good sign.

Then there was a report on the Real ID Act -- pros and cons were debated. Sounds like this ID thing (driver's licenses, that is) is best left to individual states. Also, seems like the gov't is trying to palm off INS activities to states without providing any money for the operations the Act requires. I am guessing there will be more about this issue. I am quite interested to see if the Act passes.

Great report on diabetics and health care. Turns out that if people with diabetes get kicked off their group plan, or the group plan changes, that often they cannot get coverage anywhere else. They end up going deep into debt to pay for care, or they end up getting taken in by insurance scams. Terrible. Not sure I understood from this report what was being done to remedy this problem, or what the people pointing out the problem want the public to do about it. Should we write to our congressperson? Start a protest? What?

Also, NPR explored some new research on gum disease and its links to heart disease. A recent study indicates there is a link, but more research needs to be done to determine exactly what the link is. In other words, does the gum disease cause heart problems, or to heart problems cause the gum disease? These studies will be done soon. Very interesting. Just to be safe, floss, will you?

Last, I heard an interesting report on the NAACP and their troubles with a "politically motivated" audit by the IRS. This audit hinges on the nonprofit status of the NAACP, and their "endorsement" of Kerry over Bush. Supposedly the IRS was directed to look into a speech by the president of NAACP about the fact that Bush failed to come speak to the NAACP by two unidentified congressmen. The president never actually came out and said don't vote for X, Y or Z, so the NAACP has refused to cooperate with the IRS. You go, NAACP!

Oh, almost forgot about the report on Christo. Is what this guy does ART? Or what? Some think it is art, some don't. Shocking. All this fuss is because a huge installation is open in Central Park in NYC. Whatever Christo is, even if he is not a "real artist" -- he is a hell of a PR man. He always gets tons of exposure for whatever he does. I'd love a look at that guy's PR plans.

NPR News 2/8/05

Did not get to listen to much of anything today. Home with a sickie playing nursemom. Here is what I recall hearing today:

Rice visited Europe and has been creating quite a stir there. France is all aquiver, worrying about how to deal with another four years of Bush. Seems they want to make nice with Condi, but they still have reservations about US policy on many things. I guess we will just have to wait and see how our international relations turns out. Can we smooth things over with Europe or not?

NPR News today 2/7/05

So, here we are, the Monday after the Superbowl. I wonder what's in the news today? Hmm. Listened to Morning Edition, just so's you know.

I tried to ignore Superbowl coverage, but this little tidbit leaked through on betting and fan behavior. NPR went to Las Vegas to see how the Superbowl plays there. There is no end to what people will do to entertain themselves, is what I took away from this report. Apparently, in Las Vegas (and probably many other places), you can place bets on just about anything that might happen in the game, from who will receive the kickoff to which QB will be sacked first and anything else you can think of. Interviews with fans were... what to say... enlightening. Not being much of a sports person/betting person/rabid fan person myself, NPR provided a great look inside "game day" for sports lovers/bettors/rabid fans. Wow.

Rice likes what she sees in Abbas and reiterated that the US intends to help the Palestinians reform their security forces. She qualified this statement by saying that it is important that Israelis and Palestinians pursue a bi-lateral security effort. In other words, the US should not be in the region all the time. The report also included some information on the meeting Abbas and Sharon will have in Egypt, and pointed out that Rice will not be there. The reporter seemed to think that this was a good idea, because initial talks and agreements should be between Arab and Israeli leaders, not leaders outside the region.

Kurds and Shiits are expected to work together on the new Iraqi government, but the question remains, do Kurds really want to be part of Iraq? A poll suggests that they want independence, but reports indicate that the poll was fabricated, and that lots of folks want to be part of the new Iraq. An interview with some Kurdish leaders seemed to say that the reports about a poll are a distraction, and that most of the Kurdish leadership wants very much to participate in building a better Iraq. This does not mean there are not those who desire an independent Kurdistan, just that at this point, it is not a priority for most regular people and a majority of their leaders.

I thought it was cool that NPR was doing a report on Virginia as part of a series on red state/blue gov, blue state/red gov issues. The interview with Mark Warner was terrific -- he is a really great politician, and did an excellent job staying with his points and talking positively about Virginia. I had never really known much about Warner. He founded Nextel? Go figure. He was also able to do something almost no governor before him has done, and that is to get a tax increase through the legislature. He did this by appealing to republican sensibilities, and now is well known for his ability to bridge the red/blue divide. Turns out he is the number one governor in the history of Virginia for controlling spending, which he trots out to counter the "pro-tax" label some would like to stick on him. Like I said, he really stuck to his messages and did not get derailed.

Today is budget day at the White House, and guess what's not included? I knew you could guess it -- the WAR in IRAQ!! Gee. NPR asked about how the war, SS, and tax cuts would be reflected in the deficit reporting, but Robert Reichower dodged the question. Mostly he said that they use 5 year projections, but most of these issues would affect the budget after that 5 year period. The budget is typically done in 1, 2 and 3 year increments, because things like war, ss spending and tax cuts create too much uncertancy. NPR asked how Bush planned to hold down spending, and the answer? He will propose a series of unrealistic cuts and won't have any success getting them through, but then he will be able to say, "hey, I tried!" The only thing that is really holding back spending is the potential rise in interest rates and worries about inflation/economic growth.

A Little Bit of News 2/4/05

Only listened to a bit of Morning Edition and noted what was on The Connection.

This is going to be quick today, because this week has been really rushed and I have only a few minutes to post. Excuse any stupid misspellings, please.

The first report I heard was on the number of Iraqi forces trained, and the report Wolfowitz made to the Armed Services Committee. Wolfowitz testified that there are 136,000 Iraqi security forces, but only about 40k of these are actually fully trained. The rest are not ready for much of anything. Later that same day, a spokesperson inflated the number of security forces that are fully trained. These contradictions have enraged the press -- didn't we just learn from our speakers in class "don't lie...we will find out anyway"? So now the senate has stepped in to say the administration must stop inflating the numbers and get back to reality. So true, so true.

Then there was a report on same sex couples and legislation in California. A legislator namesd Mark Leno wants to pass a law like the one in Mass. Interview with a couple: Jackie and Monique, just two parents raising two kids, a very normal family ("apple pie" family, as they said). Jackie said she did not care about the legislation. The domestic partner laws that cover her situation are enough for her. Monique thought that full marriage rights would not hurt. On the other side, people say the issue is dead, it will never pass. Farther to the right of that, some legislators are trying to get a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and stripping gays of domestic partner rights as well. People are crazy. A complicated issue. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

There was a report on the documentary Born into Brothals. It has been nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar. It took 7 years to make and NPR says it is an excellent film. The film is about the brothals in Calcutta and the children who live in them. Sounds interesting. Perhaps the library will get a copy.

The last report was about Bob Marley. His 60th birthday would've been today. I have never liked Marley or Regge music, so I tuned out for the most part.

The Connection was all about news from the mideast. I got pissed about the one guy who kept compairing Israelis to Saddam. Give me a break. As if no Arab nation ever tried to kill all the Jews living there. Pu-leez. Poor poor Palistine, poor poor Arabs -- but the good thing was that one of the other panel members spoke up and said something sensible. The situation the Palistinians are in and continue to be in is for the most part self-imposed, to continue the international attention on their "plight" -- at any time the people there could've made something out of the areas where they live, but they choose not to. Well, I don't know, but all I can say is, it is not like Israel invented the attacks against them by huge numbers of Arab aggressors. Hmm.

The News 2/3/05

Great NPR fact-checking on the State of the Union.
On Social Security: Trouble after 2042, dire emergency! Fund bankrupt! Alas! Alack!! Turns out, this is just not true. Even in 2042 the fund will be able to pay 70% of benefits. On the other side, the rhetoric about a 40% "cut" b/c of reforms is also overblown.
How about tort reform? No one understands the issue. There is no way to prove that lawsuits negatively impact the economy. Lawsuits can be useful and the issue needs to be fully understood before we go about curtailing people's rights to seek justice.
Education: Sigh. What can I say. Bush lies and lies and lies about this program. THere is absolutely no proof that it is working in any way. Taken on average, the program is doing nothing but causing heartache for teachers everywhere who now have to teach to some dumb test instead of working on getting children to actually learn skills they can use in real life. When was the last time you took a standardized test to get ahead in your job, say? And when was the last time you had to use general problem-solving skills? My bet is that you've done the latter far more than the former. (I have to say, I interjected a lot of my personal feelings here, in case you did not notice.)
Deficit: Bush says: I will cut it in half by 2009 without cutting back on ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVE (by this I mean domestic programs). Well, hate to burst your bubble on this one, chief, but domestic programs only account for 16% of the budget. How do you get a reduction by half (that would be 50%) out of cutting some of 16% of the budget? Hmmm. I'll have to think on that one for a while. Quite a while. He failed to mention any cuts in defense spending, which is the bulk of our spending. Oh well. Who listens to this sh*t anyway, right?
On spreading democracy: Bush said he was all for speading democracy and not tolerating human rights abuses anywhere, but his policies over the last 4 years say otherwise. They say, "It is ok to be non-democratic as long as you have lots of oil or a huge economy."
Well, there you have it. NPR did a very nice job on covering the speech, including getting the opinions of three diverse groups:
Retirees in MO: some were skeptical of Social Security reform, (mostly democrats), but all were convinced that there was no crisis. Both sides agreed that the ideals Bush communicated were great, but they did not see how we could achieve them without sacrificing some -- like paying higher taxes.
Grad students from Tufts U.: "puzzled silence" on SS reform. Did not understand why Bush is acting like there is a fire. They understand that SS will not be their sole support in retirement and already had private accounts to make up for the gap. Duh. They did not hear enough about Afghanastan or the environment or global economics. Too much focus on "non-emergency" domestic issues.
Ft. Lewis, WA (big military base): Went to a bar called galloping gerties. Most of the young men there support the "private account" idea. Many people are deployed, so everyone at home still is worried about a timetable for Iraq. Some want to pull out ASAP, some don't. For the most part, people were not paying attention to the speech (you could hardly hear it over the music) -- they were too busy listening to the juke box and playing pool. By far more important than the state of our nation.

There was also an interesting report on campaign finance reform, which is being spearheaded by John McCain. He is going after 527s (like moveon.org and Swift Boat Veterins for Truth). Both sides were represented here, the reformers who want to see huge donations to 527s go away and those who think that cracking down on 527s curtails free speech. Very interesting.

News Today 2/1/05

Listened to the usual suspects today.

First, Anthony Cortisman (did I spell that right?) reported that there were 260 attacks in Iraq on election day, most being minor and causing little damage or loss of life. The good thing was people went out to vote anyway, and there were more Sunnis than expected (though still a very low percentage).

So, 90 minutes a day exercise for us American slackers. Get your fat asses out of those chairs! So says our government in a report that NPR covered today. But specialists say, "Say what!!??" Apparently you get the most bang for your buck in the first 20-30 minutes of your workout, so that is why experts have been saying for a long time, "at least get out for 20 minutes, if you can do no more." The idea is that people have enough trouble as it is making time to exercise, why make it absolutely impossible by saying 90 minutes a day. What people need to do, instead of worrying about the length of time spent working out and government standards, is to make "unbreakable appointments" for ourselves so we can exercise, even if it is only 20 minutes. Also, it helps to have a buddy -- like-minded people who are committed to healthy living can help you stick to your guns to get up and get out every day. The upshot is this: Most experts agree, 1/2 hour a day 5 days a week is best for most people. The best thing you can do is grab a friend and take a walk. So, what are you waiting for? Go take a walk!!

A very cool report came next, following up on some of the new government nutrition guidelines released last week. In West Oakland, CA, there is a new farmer's market that sells subsidized organic produce to poor city residents, mostly blacks. Most produce goes for $.50 - $1 a pound. They are working off a grant to improve nutrition in poor neighborhoods. The program helps both farmers and the residents of the neighborhood. The whole program is really a PR campaign to change the minds of residents about what to eat. Interviews were great, very positive and supportive and showed the need for some major changes in the area food-outlet offerings.

The Connection was about redistricting, and the initiative by Ahh-nold to change things in California. Very interesting.

Also, I have discovered a great program: Counterspin -- all about how PR affects the news. A terrific program. You can listen anytime via the link above.