Podcasts about report for america

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Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2024 35:55

On this episode, we're joined by Bennet Goldstein. Bennet covers agriculture and the environment in the heartland for Wisconsin Watch as part of Report for America. He works on the Mississippi River Basin Agriculture and Water Desk – a collaborative reporting group. He previously worked for newspapers in Iowa and Nebraska.Bennett talked about the purpose of the Ag and Water Desk, which covers 31 states, and the 10 command-prompts that help guide the desk's mission of covering important, impactful stories. He explained the desk's collaborative approachHe gave examples of stories he worked on, including- Opposition to the starting of a pig farm in a small Wisconsin town- The pollution in Lake Superior, whose water is important to the fishing industry for the Ojibwe Native American tribe.- LGBTQ farmers in the Midwest and how that challenges the traditional husband and wife own the farm, son inherits it stereotype. He also wrote about how doing the story changed his perception about being gay and covering what he covers. And he shared the important (and humorous) role that gossip has played in his career path.We hope you're inspired by this episode and others we've done recently to learn more about Report for America.Report for America is a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.They are accepting applications to be part of their next reporter class through January 31st.If you're interested, I recommend visiting their website at reportforamerica.org. And check out the video promoting the Ag and Water Desk.Bennett's salute: Lane DeGregory, Tampa Bay TimesThank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com,Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)Tweet us at @journalismpod.Subscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.comAnd find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

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Full Conversation- BIPOC Media on the Fight for Fair Wages — & Anti-racist Unions

The Laura Flanders Show

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 42:35

The following full uncut conversation is from our recent episode "BIPOC Media on the Fight for Fair Wages — & Anti-racist Unions." It is available here as a podcast thanks to generous contributions from listeners like you. Thank you. Become a member supporter at LauraFlanders.org/donateTake Our Survey: Vote for your favorite LF Show episodes Description: From auto plants to Amazon warehouses, to Hollywood studios, pharmacies and hospitals, almost half a million workers have gone on strike so far this year. Many are celebrating this revival of labor power, but what does it mean for workers of color — often hardest hit — and least well treated even by traditional labor organizations? Worker rights and racial justice are linked, but mainstream media often fails to make the connection. In this “Meet the BIPOC Press” episode co-hosted by Laura Flanders and Sara Lomax, Co-founder of URL Media, we explore the diversity of today's unionized workforce and their demands. What happens when media bring a race-smart angle to their reporting? Joining us are Queens, New York-based reporter Amir Khafagy, reporting on the intersection of labor and immigration at Documented; and News Editor Carolyn Copeland, who is tracking national labor coverage with her team at Prism.“Whenever you're talking about unions, you're always talking about people of color because people of color are more likely to belong to a union . . . Union issues are always a racial justice issue.” - Carolyn Copeland“We have this sense of the burly Trade Union white guy that sometimes votes Republican. But lately, what we've seen now is the trade unions have come to realize that the historical animosity they had, especially towards immigrant workers and Black and Latino workers, has actually hurt their movement.“ - Amir Khafagy“There has been a generational concern in Philadelphia about the racial gap in access to union participation . . . A lot of Black and BIPOC workers have not been able to join some of the unions in Philadelphia, skilled trades, et cetera. And it's really created a racial hierarchy in the unions.” - Sara LomaxGuests:Carolyn Copeland: News Editor, PrismAmir Khafagy: Journalist, Report for America Member, DocumentedSara Lomax: Co-Founder, URL Media; President & CEO, WURD Radio Full Episode Notes are located HERE. They include related episodes, articles, and more.

Survey Asks ‘What Do You Like About Sacramento?' | CalMatters EDD Investigation | Sac Observer's 60th Anniversary Gala

Insight with Beth Ruyak

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2023

City of Sacramento launches its annual community survey. CalMatters investigation reveals ongoing unemployment issues and fraud losses within California's EDD. The Sacramento Observer celebrates with a 60th anniversary gala. Survey Asks ‘What Do You Like About Sacramento?' What do you like about Sacramento? Is there something you'd like to see improved? Every year the City of Sacramento asks residents to participate in a survey about how they feel about the community. And this year's opportunity to speak your mind has just launched. Sacramento City Auditor Jorge Oseguera joins us to discuss the survey. We'll learn how Sacramento city leaders use the information to guide policy decisions and allocate funds to areas that need attention, based on the feedback they receive. CalMatters EDD Investigation California is launching a massive overhaul of its unemployment and disability agency EDD, following one of the largest waves of fraud in US history, when suspected scammers reaped billions of dollars in unemployment aid during pandemic job losses. A new investigation from CalMatters Reporter Lauren Hepler reveals what caused the crash that touched 1 in 8 Californians, and the devastating consequences to real workers who went without unemployment benefits for weeks and months on end. CalMatters is a non-profit newsroom that is a content sharing partner with public media stations across the state. Sac Observer's 60th Anniversary Gala Larry Lee, President and Publisher of The Sacramento Observer, shares the history of becoming one of the leading African American newspapers in the country, ahead of the paper's 60th Anniversary Gala Celebration. Sac Observer and CapRadio have a unique partnership with Report For America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. This conversation first aired in July.

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What Next TBD: Tech Disrupts the School Bus

Trumpcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2023 27:40

When Howard County signed a $27 million contract with the start-up Zum, the company promised to modernize the way schools provide transportation. But when the school year started, that's not what happened. Guest: Daniel Zawodny, covering transportation for the Baltimore Banner and corps member of Report For America. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you'll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hawai'i Wildfires, Blue-Fin Tuna Science, Maine's New Lithium Deposit. August 11, 2023, Part 1

Science Friday

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2023 47:13

We have a new podcast! It's called Universe Of Art, and it's all about artists who use science to bring their creations to the next level. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Devastating Fires Might Become More Common In Hawaii As of Friday morning, at least 55 were dead and thousands were seeking shelter on Maui, after wildfires tore across the Hawaiian island. Officials there say that the fires, once rare, have caused billions of dollars in damage, and the Biden administration has made federal disaster relief available. The fires were driven by strong, dry winds from nearby Hurricane Dora, and were made worse by ongoing drought conditions. The region has grown hotter and drier, and highly flammable invasive grasses have been crowding out native vegetation. Bethany Brookshire, freelance science journalist and author of the book Pests: How Humans Created Animal Villains, joins Ira Flatow to talk about this story and others from this week in science news, including an investigation into unknown genes in our genome, a 390 million year-old moss that might not survive climate change, and a fish that plays hide and seek to get to its prey. A Tuna's Reel Life Adventures Bluefin tuna is typically sliced into small pieces, its ruby red flesh rolled into sushi. But don't let those tiny sashimi slices fool you. Bluefin tuna are colossal creatures—on average, they're about 500 pounds. The biggest one ever caught was a whopping 1,500 pounds. They can travel thousands of miles at breakneck speeds, and their skin changes color! The fish, once in danger of extinction, have now rebounded due to a combination of scientific advances and possibly as a result of climate change. Ira talks with Karen Pinchin, science journalist and author of the new book, Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and The Future of Our Seas about a tuna nicknamed Amelia who traveled across the world, the fisherman who tagged her, and what their stories can help us better understand about the mighty fish. Read an excerpt of the book here. Preserving Acadia National Park's Vanishing Birdsong Acadia National Park in Maine is home to more than 300 bird species. Climate change is affecting the range of many of these birds, to the extent that some may not be found in the area in the future. A team of volunteers has made it their mission to record as many bird sounds as possible—while they still can. Laura Sebastianelli is the founder and lead researcher of the Schoodic Notes Bird Sounds of Acadia project. She's helped collect more than 1,200 bird sounds on tape, with the hopes of aiding future researchers. Sebastianelli joins Ira to talk about the project. World's Richest Lithium Deposit Faces Opposition To Mining Five years ago, professional gem hunters Mary and Gary Freeman stumbled upon the richest known lithium deposit in the world in the woods of western Maine. Lithium is a silvery metal many consider to be key to the transition to a clean energy future, thanks to its role in technology like lithium-ion batteries. The Maine deposit could be a way for the United States to be independent in their lithium sourcing. But there's stiff opposition to digging up the mineral within Maine. Kate Cough, reporter and enterprise editor for The Maine Monitor, reported this story in collaboration with Time Magazine. Cough is a Report For America corps member. She joins Ira to discuss the debate. To stay updated on all-things-science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

CFR: Books in the crossfire; WHQR's Community Agenda update; meet Nikolai

Cape Fear Rundown

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2023 25:56

Welcome back to the Cape fear Rundown. Cami is back from her travels, and the show continues! This week: Episode 50. 50 episodes young, right? On this episode, we're going to be talking to James about the upcoming New Hanover County school board meeting and where the county is in the book debate. Then, Kelly joins us to talk about our Community Agenda, and finally, we finally get to talk to Nikolai Mather, our Report For America fellow who is indeed real.

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Morning Magazine Podcast – Thursday, July 13, 2023

KGNU Morning Magazine Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2023 26:30

On today’s Morning Magazine, you'll get the inside scoop on Boulder's new eBike rebate program. We'll also introduce KGNU's new Climate and Environment reporter, who just started with us as a Report For America corp member. Then, “Radio Nibbles” host John […]

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Amir Khafagy, Reporter, Documented (Report for America)

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Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2023 36:18

On today's show we're joined by Amir Khafagy. Amir is a labor reporter for Documented – journalism created with and for immigrants and how policy affects their lives. He's of Egyptian and Puerto Rican descent and grew up in a Muslim household. He's with Documented as part of the Report for America Program.Amir talked about his working-class upbringing, his work as a student and labor organizer that preceded his time as a journalist, and the work he currently does. He discussed the importance of covering both labor and immigration and explained how he comes up with story ideas (sometimes they even come from The People's Court!).He also spoke about the importance of Report for America and why the world needs more journalists from working class backgrounds.Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback at journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website at thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod.Amir's Salutes: Labor reporters Mike Elk, Kim Kelly, and Claudia Aponte.America Needs More Working-Class Journalists articlehttps://www.nbcuacademy.com/catalog/working-class-journalistsFollow Amir on Twitter at http://twitter.com/amirkhafagyFind his work here - https://documentedny.com/author/amirkhafagy91/

Raegan Miller, Reporter KRBD (Ketchikan, Alaska) + Report for America

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Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2023 30:54

On this episode, we're joined by Raegan Miller. Raegan is a reporter for KRBD, a radio station in Ketchikan, Alaska. She covers Alaska Native and rural issues as part of the Report for America program.Raegan talked about making the transition from print to radio and covering stories in very small towns where she often gets recognized. She discussed about the kinds of stories she covered and how she works through everything from getting sound to writing. And she explained what went into a 20-minute interview with a group that included the governor of Alaska.Raegan also talked about the help she's gotten from the Report for America program and gave tips to those who might end up participating in it.Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback at journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website at thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod.Raegan's salute: Theo Greenly, KUCB Radio in Unalaska, Alaska.Raegan's stories can be found at https://www.krbd.org/author/raegan-miller/More information on Report for America can be found at ReportforAmerica.org

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A conversation with Report for America member Olivia Sun; The Colorado River Compact

The Daily Sun-Up

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2022 12:38

Today - an encore Daily Sun-Up that first aired back in early October. We speak with Colorado Sun photographer Olivia Sun. Olivia is assigned to The Sun as a Report for America corps member - like the Peace Corps, only for journalists.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colorado Sun photographer Olivia Sun on Report for America; Sixteenth Street comes alive

The Daily Sun-Up

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2022 14:19

Today - we're speaking with Colorado Sun photographer Olivia Sun who came to The Sun as a Report for America corps member. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Conversations with Alan - Andrew Lapin 11-17-2021

The Locher Room

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2022 64:30

Please join me for the 10th episode in the Conversations with Alan series in The Locher Room to meet journalist Andrew Lapin. Andrew will be here to discuss his new podcast series RADIOACTIVE that explores the life and legacy of Father Charles Coughlin, America's “High Priest of Hate” and notorious antisemite.In the 1930s and 1940s, Coughlin became one of the first to use radio as a platform to preach religion, politics, and hate to an audience of some 30 million listeners weekly. Coughlin's growing fanbase came with clout and he soon had the ears of stars in celebrity, industry, and politics including Babe Ruth, Henry Ford, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. How did one man manage to gain power and popularity while openly supporting Hitler and broadcasting antisemitism?Andrew has been working on RADIOACTIVE since 2017. In his eight part series, he weaves together interviews with prominent scholars, writers, and broadcasters and rarely heard archival materials to tell the story of Father Coughlin's rise from a small and snow-covered parish up north to America's first media star, and his sharp and violent fall from grace. Lapin starts with his own experience, growing up Jewish just minutes away from Coughlin's Shrine of the Little Flower. He explores Coughlin's rise to fame as it parallels America's descent into the Great Depression. With more than 50 million Americans currently getting much of their news from talk radio, and with on-air personalities cultivating a following and influencing politics, RADIOACTIVE tells the story of the genre's stormy birth, and how an unscrupulous and bigoted conman used a new medium to get much too close to political power, a story as alarmingly relevant today as it was in the 1930s.RADIOACTIVE dives into the history and circumstances of Father Coughlin's reign to process how he was able to gain power, why it took so long to stop him, and the lasting impacts still seen today. Father Coughlin's story serves as a cautionary tale; but have we learned the lesson?Andrew Lapin:Andrew is the Managing Editor for Local News for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and a writer, editor and podcaster with 10+ years of experience in journalism and publishing. Prior to his current job he was the Editor for the Detroit Jewish News, where he oversaw the editorial direction and digital strategy of the historic 78-year-old publication. Under his tenure, DJN received 13 awards from the Society for Professional Journalists-Detroit chapter and was the only religious news organization in 2020 to be selected as a Report For America host newsroom.Original Airdate: 11/17/2021

Introducing Anna Pope, KUAF's Report For America Reporter

Ozarks at Large Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 5:45

Anna Pope is the newest voice at Ozarks at Large. As a reporter for Report for America, she's covering the subjects of rural life and of growth in northwest Arkansas for us. Her first story is on tomorrow's show, but we meet her today.

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Chris Jones, 100 Days in Appalachia, Report for America

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Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2022 52:25

On this episode, we're joined by Chris Jones. Chris is a photojournalist and investigative reporter and covers domestic extremism for the collaborative non-profit website, 100 Days in Appalachia as a member of the Report for America program. He served as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps from 2010–2014 and that included 2 deployments in Afghanistan. Chris talked about his path to working in journalism and the work he's done. He covered the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 as a photojournalist and explained how he got some of the pictures he got (including one that led to an arrest).Chris also talked about other projects he's done, including a piece for the New York Times on military challenge coins and their larger representation within the war in Afghanistan, and a 23-minute documentary and story that ran on The Intercept about a former Democrat city council member in West Virginia who stormed the U.S. Capitol.He also discussed do's and don'ts related to covering domestic extremism and work he's doing to help reporters in that area, as well as how Report for America has helped him.Our other interviews with Report for America reporters include22. Morgan Mullings (Boston's Black community)39. Kassidy Arena (Iowa Public Radio)47. Farnoush Amiri (local government in Ohio)57. Carrington Tatum (environmental racism for MLK50)

What Works Episode 10 | Jaida Grey Eagle

What Works: The Future of Local News

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2022 30:59

Jaida Grey Eagle is a photojournalist working for the Sahan Journal in Minneapolis through Report For America. She is Oglala Lakota and was born in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and raised in Minneapolis. Her photography has been published in a wide range of publications, and featured on a billboard on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. She is also a co-producer of "Sisters Rising," a documentary film about six Native American women reclaiming person and tribal sovereignty in the face of sexual violence. Dan and Ellen offer quick takes on paywalls and media companies that target well-heeled readers, and on Evan Smith's announcement that he's stepping down from the Texas Tribune.

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More prescribed fire may be on its way to Mendocino National Forest

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2021 6:30

For Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Friday, Nov. 12. I'm Sonia Waraich.Catastrophic wildfires are growing in size every year, threatening lives, communities and entire ecosystems. Historically, the U.S. Forest Service's approach to managing fires was to suppress them at all costs. Now, the agency is recognizing that intentionally setting low-intensity fires in the forest can help control the way fires burn there in the future by leaving less flammable material on the ground.A few weeks ago, the Forest Service reached an important step in being able to conduct prescribed fires more frequently in Mendocino National Forest. The agency released an environmental assessment for its prescribed fire and fuels management strategy in the forest. It's been working on the assessment since 2019.The assessment states that the agency can't control the weather or the way Mendocino National Forest is laid out, but it can control one of the three variables related to wildland fires: the amount of flammable material, or fuels, in the forest.It's a sunny weekend in October and the U.S. Forest Service is leading a trip through the Mendocino National Forest. They're taking a group of us through the burn scar of the August Complex fires that happened last year.We get a panoramic view of the forest as we head uphill. Most of it is burnt, but there's one noticeable patch of green that pops out in the otherwise charred landscape. Amy Galetka is a fuels specialist and she explains how that area is green because of an escaped prescribed fire, known as the Baseball Fire, that burned there a few months before the August Complex. “The only other very small patch of green I found was from a prescribed fire we did in 2019.”Galetka says more prescribed fire projects like that can ensure the forest stays healthy even if an unplanned fire passes through the area. But it's going to take some time to get to the point where the agency can rely on prescribed fires exclusively. That's because the forest was historically managed for timber production and, as a result, the way it's structured doesn't make much sense from a fire and fuels perspective.“It was originally, I don't know it was from the 60s or 70s, it's fairly old, but it was set up as a timber project, so the units, as far as a pure fire and fuels standpoint, made absolutely no sense. They're small, they're not continuous. And pretty much none of them survived the fire well.”“The hope going forward is to make the units that we bake make more sense together from a fire and fuels perspective, not necessarily just taking into account timber and then trying to make them more continuous.”The environmental assessment for the prescribed fire and fuels management strategy in Mendocino National Forest is going to allow the Forest Service to do landscape-wide fire management instead of focusing on individual, smaller projects that don't really end up influencing fire behavior much.But you can't start conducting those prescribed fires right away. The forest has become overgrown as a result of past management practices. Galetka says thinning needs to be done in those areas first. “Prescribed fire, you have to have very set conditions. If it's too thick, it's going to burn too hot or too cold. So it's really hard to control the fire if the fuels are too thick to begin with. It's hard enough when the fuels are ideal to get the fire effects that you want and maintain control versus having fuels that are too thick and it just makes it that much harder. You need to have that many more staff to maintain things with prescribed fire. I mean, eventually, once you've had a few entries, you've done thinning, you've had one underburn go through, after that, yeah it gets easier and easier. You can start maintaining everything just with prescribed fire, and it's not everywhere. Not everywhere needs to have some sort of mechanical intervention first, but most places will.”Ann Carlson is the forest supervisor at Mendocino and she explains why it's important to burn the slash that results from that thinning in burn piles.“When we've gone back and done the visiting of where we've done treatment, if we're only part way through the plan, like we thinned the trees and we have piles underneath, a lot of times you'll see piles. But we didn't burn the piles. Then when the wildfire came through, it actually ended up killing the trees. Even though they were nicely spaced, we had these loads of fuels that burned under a wildfire situation versus our controlled pile burning, which then, like you say, we get the right conditions and it doesn't get too hot.”“You rearranged the fuels, but did not reduce the fuel loading.”“Yeah exactly.”A draft of the environmental assessment is currently available for review until Nov. 22. You can visit KZYX's Report For America partner The Mendocino Voice at mendovoice.com if you'd like to find out more about the Forest Service's prescribed fire and fuels strategy for Mendocino National Forest.For the KZYX News, I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local stories, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Researchers test prototype with global potential in Jackson Demonstration State Forest

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2021 6:29

For Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Friday, Nov. 5. I'm Sonia Waraich.Climate change is intensifying and the window to make changes that can stop that intensification is closing. Many scientists and engineers around the world are racing to invent or improve technology that can mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis. One of those technologies is being tested out in our own backyard in Jackson Demonstration State Forest.A little gray fan is whirring on this contraption that looks kind of like an air duct standing at a 45 degree angle. It's attached to a black barrel with a short, black plastic tube. Behind it, there's a huge pile of slash, or chopped down trees.“So this is where the residue comes down, and there's this mechanical system here.”Kevin Kung is a researcher from MIT and one of the people who built this prototype. He's explaining how the residue that goes into the machine basically gets roasted through a special chemical reaction. Residue is just another word for slash and agricultural waste like coconut shells and rice husks. “And as it goes up, we do inject air at certain places, it's called oxygening torrefaction, that's why you can sort of hear the whirring of the blowers, we're trying to start those right now. Once it goes up, it gets collected in this chamber here, and that's where the final product is.”The final product is a charcoal-based fertilizer called biochar. That's not the only thing the prototype makes, but has been a focal point for Kung and another researcher named Vidyut Mohan. The two of them started a company called Takachar to make“Small-scale, low-cost portable systems that can latch onto the back of tractors and pickup trucks that could be deployed to rural, hard-to-access regions.”This prototype offers big hopes for reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires locally and air pollution globally. It takes things that loggers and farmers would otherwise burn, like slash and agricultural waste, and turns it into things they can sell like biochar.“Biochar is simply charcoal that has been made intentionally for the purposes of adding to soil.”Dr. Caroline Masiello is an expert on biochar from Rice University in Texas. She says people have been putting charcoal in their soil for thousands of years..“When I moved to Houston, I went to the local nursery and I noticed they had big bags of charcoal out and I asked the guy, ‘Hey, so why are you selling charcoal?' and he said, ‘Oh, you put it in the bad gumbo soil here and things grow better.'”The charcoal-based soil amendments have different properties depending on the type of residue that's being used to make it.“Biochar made from forestry, from wood products, is going to be extremely low in nitrogen and phosphorus. So you're not adding a nutrient to the system, but it does add reactive surfaces to the system and those reactive surfaces do a good job of holding onto nutrients.”Biochar also reduces carbon dioxide emissions by taking residue that would have rapidly decomposed and turning it into a substance that decomposes more slowly. “If the lumber industry has sawdust waste, that's a great source for biochar because that material would decompose to CO2 very rapidly otherwise and if you convert it to charcoal then it's not going to decompose to CO2.”However, Masiello cautions you have to make sure the trees being used to make biochar weren't already serving an important role in the forest for it to make sense as a climate strategy.“You wouldn't cut down an intact forest to make biochar.”Back in Jackson State, Kung explains how most residues in the forest and on farms are often very loose, wet and bulky. That makes them difficult to transport and leads to farmers and loggers doing things that aren't exactly climate friendly to get rid of them.“So if you are on a farm, often what you have to do is burn down residues in the open air and if it's in a forested area, the buildup of that residue can exacerbate wildfires. So in both cases it's not only a waste but also a lot of pollution that could be caused because of the burning and so forth.”The Takachar prototype being tested in Jackson State is supposed to incentivize putting a stop to that polluting behavior. And it isn't just for use in forests. The technology has already been successfully used in a pilot program with 5,000 farmers in Kenya. Now, the company has a couple of pilots running in Indian rice paddies alongside the one in Mendocino. Kung says the objective is to learn more about adapting what they've developed in the lab to real-world settings.“Thinking about, well if people are using this kind of Bobcat, how does it load stuff? And if people are chipping things, then how could we potentially just take the output of that directly into our reactor. So we have to design in a way that's appropriate for these other machine forms that are working onsite.” Researchers are expecting to demonstrate the prototype for interested community members this spring.To learn more about the biochar prototype, including how to work with the pilot program, visit KZYX's Report for America partner The Mendocino Voice at mendovoice.com.For the KZYX News, I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local coverage, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

Weekend storm helped but didn't end the drought or fire season

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2021 6:30

For Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Friday, Oct. 29. I'm Sonia Waraich.The drought's been relentless in California over the past couple of years and the past fall was particularly brutal. Dozens of wells went dry in Mendocino. Dried out soil and fuels elevated the risk of wildfires. And reservoir levels and the streamflow in many rivers reached historic lows.But this past weekend the rain came. There are now signs of recovery, but the situation has been so dire for so long that one rainstorm isn't going to end the drought or fire season. Without more rain, things could dry out and go back to the way they were before the storm hit.The county got anywhere from 4 to 13 inches of rain depending on where you were. That was enough rain for the city of Fort Bragg to rescind its drought emergency. But nearby, the town of Mendocino is holding off on declaring the end to its own. Ryan Rhoades manages the district's water supply and he says the board decided to maintain its Stage 4 water emergency earlier this week.“It's still so early in the season and we don't know how much more rain is coming. While we are happy, we're cautiously optimistic. Hope for more rain, but prepare for more drought.”Right now the National Weather Service says it's too early to say whether or not wetter weather systems passing through the West Coast will extend as far south as Mendocino County. This could be the first rain of many or it could be the one of the only significant rainstorms of the season.“Don't let a little bit of early rain sort of fool you into thinking we're totally out of the woods because the drought's not going to return or the drought's over because that may not be the case.”Rhoades says what's as important as the amount of rain that falls is the amount of time that rain falls over. Right now the soil doesn't exactly have the capacity to absorb all of that water because the ground is hard and dry because of the drought.“A lot of that water is just flowing over the surface and over the edge of the cliffs. That's not helpful because it's not retaining it in the aquifer.”Despite that, the rain did help some.“I had my first phone call and recorded report of a well that's recovering. A well that's been dry for the past couple of months is now producing again. The homeowner was ecstatic. He said, it's been running for 25 minutes and we have water. So that's great news. I hope to receive more reports like that.”So far, Rhoades says two people have reported that their wells recovered. That's good news, but, again, their wells recovering doesn't necessarily mean the aquifer is being recharged.“While lot of the wells in Mendocino are shallow and they're under the influence of surface water, a heavy rain might make it look like their wells are recovering but the reality is when you get 4 inches in 24 hours, that's not enough time for that water to really soak deep into recharge the aquifer.”A similar situation is playing out with the fire season. The rainfall over the weekend allowed firefighters to contain over 90% of the remaining fires in Northern California. But Cal Fire's Isaac Sanchez says it would be premature to declare fire season over, too. And the drought exacerbates the fire season. That's because the rain did help in the short term, but the long term is a different story.“That's something that we need, as well as the snowpack that started to accumulate up in the Sierras. But unfortunately, we're not expecting much more rain coming up. There's always a potential for something to change, but I know that we're going to be dry for the next seven to 10 days with no prospects that I'm aware of at this point anyway, of follow up rain. And ultimately that's what we want to see. We want to see several rain storms come through before we can really kind of, you know, take a breath essentially.”The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting it's going to be dry in Southern California for the rest of this year and going into next. What happens with precipitation in Northern California is still anyone's best guess. Regardless, it's going to be hotter than usual across most of California.“If we see another week or two weeks of dry conditions, warm temperatures. The rain that we experienced will, as far as the dead fuel moistures that are out there, it'll be like it never happened.” Like the rainfall, the temperature in Northern California can go either way over the next few months. But because Cal Fire is a state agency, Sanchez says it makes decisions around staffing based on what's happening in the entire state. And the southern part of the state isn't doing so well.“We're still within a drought, and it takes repeated rainstorm events for us to feel comfortable in reducing staffing and moving over to transitional staffing and winter staffing levels. But as of right now, unless there are follow-up storms that bring more precipitation we don't anticipate that we'll be doing transitional staffing because we're expecting it to be dry for the rest of this year and early next year.” Sanchez says people should stay prepared for a wildfire even in Northern California given the possibility things stay drier than what used to be normal.“It's not going to take long for that to dry out. So maintain that vigilance. Recognize that you have a role in preventing the next wildfire and, of course, be prepared in the event that a fire does break out in your area.” For the KZYX News, I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local coverage, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

U.S. Forest Service plans salvage logging research in Mendocino National Forest

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Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2021 6:29

For Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Friday, Oct. 22. I'm Sonia Waraich.Fire and forest ecologists virtually all agree that prescribed and cultural fires will be an important tool to stop catastrophic wildfires from ripping through the state's forests. But what should we do about forestland that's already been burned by a fire? The U.S. Forest Service's answer in the Mendocino National Forest is salvage logging. That's a somewhat controversial practice when they cut down and remove dead trees to keep the amount of flammable material in the forest to a minimum.Cynthia Snyder is an insect specialist and one of the people on a field trip through the parts of the forest where the August Complex Fire hit last year. She's hacked off a piece of bark from one of the burnt trees nearby and shows us the insect boring holes and frass, or little wood scraps, they leave behind.Those bugs are damaging the wood of those trees and making it harder for the Forest Service to find loggers to do the work. But research is showing salvage logging may not always be the best tool to use in every situation.So the Forest Service is building on that research. Hydrologist Hilda Kwan describes the research project and the agency's prescription: salvage logging some, all or none of the dead trees in a specified plot.Silviculturist Radek Glebocki explains why this site specifically was chosen.That was U.S. Forest Service silviculturist Radek Glebocki, hydrologist Hilda Kwan and entomologist Cynthia Synder on a tour of the parts of the Mendocino National Forest that were burned by the August complex fire last year.For the KZYX News, I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local coverage, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

Desalination plant arrives in Fort Bragg, state passes prescribed burn legislation

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2021 6:29

For Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Friday, Oct. 15. I'm Sonia Waraich. It's a Wednesday afternoon in late September and technicians from San Diego are installing a desalination unit at the Fort Bragg water plant. Heath Daniels works for the city and will be responsible for operating the desalination system when the Noyo River's water becomes too salty. The river water can become salty during king tides, which happen when the moon's gravitational pull causes water levels to rise several inches. That's been an issue because the river hasn't provided enough fresh water to dilute the saltwater that gets into it during those events, which prevented the city from being able to pump water from the river. For the moment, the rain's eliminated the need for the city to use the desalination system.Daniels says the desalination system is standing ready for when the streamflow in the Noyo does get too low again. City Manager Tabatha Miller told the Fort Bragg City Council on Tuesday that they did end up using it recently for a few days.The rain and the arrival of the desalination system have left the city in a secure enough position to downgrade its drought emergency from a Stage 4 water crisis to a Stage 2 water alert. Miller says the drought isn't over yet, but people in the city don't have to conserve as much as they were during the summertime.There's no need to get water trucked in from Ukiah anymore either. The city put a stop to that last week.On top of all of that, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting Mendocino County has a pretty good chance of getting its usual amount of rainfall through the rest of the year.The impacts of the drought might be less severe for the moment, but catastrophic wildfires are still raging across the state. Scientists say the solution is to fight fire with fire and now the state agrees. Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law the last of three bills that are going to make it easier to conduct a prescribed burn on private land. Lenya Quinn Davidson is with the UC Cooperative Extension and an authority on prescribed fires.Experts recognize we need more of these fires on the landscape in California, so the state decided to make it easier for tribes and private landowners to conduct burns without having to worry about paying the firefighting costs if the fire got out of control. Twenty million dollars was also set aside in the state wildfire budget for a prescribed fire claims fund.Quinn-Davidson says the fact that you couldn't get insurance made it really difficult to do a prescribed burn even with increased investment from the state. But she says the benefits of conducting prescribed fires can't be overstated. A prescribed fire project in Sequoia National Park was able to change the behavior of the wildfire there and protect the General Sherman Tree, which is the largest tree on Earth.For KZYX News, I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local coverage, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

The Bootleg Fire may be over, but the impacts will be felt for some time

Think Out Loud

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2021 15:09

Scientists from the U.S. Forest Service have analyzed the soil in the area burned by the Bootleg Fire for danger of erosion. The Klamath Tribes are concerned that the rainy season will bring large amounts of sediment and nutrients from the burn area into the Upper Klamath Lake, which is already having problems with toxic algae blooms. Alex Schwartz, environmental reporter for the Klamath Falls Herald and News and Report For America, wrote about all this in a recent article.

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USFS temporarily halts prescribed burns

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2021 6:29

For Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Monday, Sept. 20. I'm Sonia Waraich.Prescribed burns aren't happening on Forest Service land right now and it's unclear when that's going to change, but it needs to be sooner rather than later according to the people who study the intersection of forests and fires.Last month, the chief of the U.S. Forest Service sent a letter to forest managers saying prescribed burns are effectively banned on Forest Service land because firefighting resources across the country are too strained. Prescribed burns will only be considered for approval if the regional forester and chief's office sign off on it. And that's only if the region is at a preparedness level of 2 or less. An organization called the National Multi-Agency Coordination Group assigns those preparedness levels to regions and the country as a whole based on factors like the number of large fires happening at that moment and the availability of firefighting resources. Right now, the country and northern California are at a 5, on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest. Firefighting resources are basically at capacity.But that decision didn't go over too well with fire and forest scientists. Forty of them signed a letter asking Chief Randy Moore to bring decision-making on prescribed burns back to the forest and district levels. They say that makes more sense since conditions in some regions are ideal for prescribed burns right now and the window of time available for setting those fires is small. Moore has yet to respond to that letter.“Just because prescribed fires aren't actively happening doesn't mean that the Forest Service employees are not trying to get that on the landscape.”Angela Chongpinitchai is Mendocino National Forest's forest fires planner and fuels specialist and she may be difficult to hear at times because she was calling in from the front lines of the Dixie Fire. She says she can't address the letter or speak for the chief, but says neither she nor the agency are strangers to the benefits of prescribed fires.“It increases resiliency to pathogens and pests, it increases biodiversity of both plants and wildlife, it creates more desirable wildlife habitat in those mosaic patches and it maximizes carbon sequestration in the trees.”Chongpinitchai says prescribed burns are still a priority for the Forest Service and it hasn't stopped working toward expanding the use of prescribed fires on its land.Last year Gov. Newsom and the Forest Service entered into the Agreement for Shared Stewardship of California's Forest and Rangelands. Even though it's not binding, the Forest Service and state agree to reducing wildfire risk on 500,000 acres of land each per year. Some of that risk reduction includes ramping up prescribed burns.“Prescribed fire is something that's great and it's something that we try to promote. It's much more challenging than I think folks understand. Even firefighters may not understand how hard it is to get a prescribed burn planned and implemented.”The Mendocino National Forest has been working on getting prescribed fires started on 650,000 acres of the forest since August 2019. Right now the forestwide prescribed fire project is going through the environmental assessment process. The project will also need clearance from agencies like the California Air Resources Board and State Water Resources Control Board. “This project specifically for the Mendocino is going to allow us more flexibility to have more windows of opportunity to get more prescribed fire acres accomplished each year. It doesn't mean we haven't been doing it, it's just not at the level and scale that needs to be done to treat the acres of forest out west.”Even after the assessments and the clearances, Chongpinitchai says prescribed burns can only happen within small windows of time, which is what the fire and forest scientists wrote in their letter. That window isn't open yet for the Mendocino National Forest. Chongpinitchai says they need to wait for fuel moisture to increase, for winds to die down and possibly for the temperature to decrease, too. The variability of the landscape also has to be factored in since the two recent fires that swept through Mendocino National Forest altered the forest ecosystems.“So with this project, we will have different goals depending on where we're implementing it in the forest. So it could be something like cleaning up the fuels that are left from these catastrophic wildfires or it could be going in for the first time and introducing fire to a green area that has not had fire, but needs fire.”In the meantime, the Forest Service has been implementing other fuels reduction projects that will complement the prescribed burns.“It's situationally dependent. Some areas will benefit from something like mastication or any other removal of fuel buildup and other places, you're using prescribed fire hand-in-hand with those types of fuels treatments.”For the KZYX News, I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local stories, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Mendocino National Forest reopens to the public

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2021 6:29

For Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Friday, Sept. 17. I'm Sonia Waraich.Mendocino National Forest is open to the public again after a historic closure.The U.S. Forest Service ended the regional closure order at 13 of the 18 national forests in California at midnight Thursday. It reopened the parks a couple days early because of improving weather and fire conditions, at least in some parts of the state. This was the second time in the Forest Service's 116-year history that it closed public access to all its trails and campgrounds in California. The first time was on Sept. 9 of last year when the sky turned orange because of all the wildfires blazing across the state.“Enacting a statewide forest closure order is not the decision that we at the Forest Service wanted to make. We went through options A through Y and when options A through Y weren't working, we had to go to Option Zed, which in this case was enacting a forest closure order.”Samantha Reho is a spokesperson with the Forest Service's Pacific Southwest region, which includes California, Hawaii and Pacific Islands associated with the U.S.“By enacting this closure order, it essentially gave our personnel and resources the time and space to be able to focus specifically on fire since this is a priority event time, as well as to make sure that we're keeping those in our communities and our people safe.”Access to visitors was initially closed late last month to reduce the likelihood of human-caused fires on National Forest land during a period of high fire risk and limited firefighting resources. “The numbers change routinely, but it's upwards of 70 to 80% of all fire starts are caused by human and human error.”More than half of all wildfires happening in the U.S. right now are happening in California already. And even though the Forest Service doesn't track search-and-rescue operations at the moment, a report from the Pew Charitable Trust done last year found an increasing number of visitors to National Forest lands has driven up search-and-rescue calls.“So in a hypothetical situation if we had a hiker who was injured and needs to be medevaced, because of how strained resources are, we would have to take a helicopter or another vehicle and pull it away from a fire to be able to help that hiker and that's not a risk we wanted to take.”The Pacific Southwest's regional forester, Jennifer Eberlien, made the decisions to close and reopen the forests and Reho says that neither decision was made lightly.“This decision was made by the regional forester here in California, this was her decision, in consultation with the forest supervisors at each of the 18 national forests, as well as other partners that we have including the Pacific Crest Trail Association.”There were three main factors that went into the decision to lift the regional closure order. First, the fire risk is lessening in the rest of the country so more firefighting resources are expected to become available for California. Secondly, a regional closure order makes less sense because weather conditions across the state become more variable going into the fall, so the agency is planning on tailoring closures and other restrictions to local conditions. Lastly, visits to the forests decline significantly after Labor Day, reducing the risk of human-caused fires.Most of the forests that remain closed are in Southern California. “Four of those forests, specifically in Southern California -- the Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland and Los Padres -- those will go under a slight extension through next Wednesday, Sept. 22 and the Eldorado National Forest is still under closure order due to the Caldor Fire and that goes through Sept. 30.”Even in the forests that are open to the public now, fire restrictions are still in place. Forest supervisors can still limit the use of open flames like campfires, charcoal and propane gas. For visitors to Mendocino National Forest, that means campfires, camp stoves and other sources of open flames are prohibited through Oct. 31. You can't smoke outside during that time either; smoking will only be allowed inside an enclosed vehicle or building.Individuals who violate the open flame restriction can be fined up to $5,000 and groups can be fined up to $10,000. There's also the potential for up to 6 months of imprisonment, as well as the possibility of both fines and imprisonment.Even though Mendocino National Forest has reopened to the public, it's important to keep in mind that trails and campgrounds that were closed as a result of the August Complex fires will remain closed until further notice.While the national forests were closed, Reho pointed out many of California's state and national parks remained open during the Labor Day holiday. California State Parks and the National Parks Service manage those lands and have different priorities than the Forest Service.“The U.S. Forest Service is administered under the U.S. Department of Agriculture whereas the National Parks Service is under the U.S. Department of the Interior. … If you look at the National Parks Service, they really stress recreation and preservation of specific lands, whereas the Forest Service, we're a lot bigger.”Alongside its decision to close the national forests, the Forest Service made another somewhat controversial decision to temporarily stop prescribed burns while firefighting resources remain limited, but fire ecologists think that's the wrong move. Tune in Monday to find out more.For the KZYX News, I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local stories, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

County supervisors approve water-hauling subsidies for businesses, residents

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2021 6:30

From Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Friday, Sept. 3. I'm Sonia Waraich.Eric Hillesland and his wife Elaine own two inns in the town of Mendocino – the Raku House Inn and Alegria Oceanfront Inn and Cottages. They're across the street from each other and have an amazing view of the ocean.In the two decades that they've owned the place, Hillesland said they've usually had to buy water for the inn, but it's never been at the magnitude it is right now.Hillesland has had to pay more to haul that water, too. He was paying $300 per truckload at the start of the year when water was available from Fort Bragg and was paying $600 per truckload last month when it was coming from Irish Beach.Demand has been high. Summer is Mendocino's busy season and people have been flocking to the coast more this year than in years past. Hillesland and other coastal business owners say they're not worried. They feel confident that the local government is going to handle the situation. Especially since Tuesday when the county supervisors unanimously decided to cover most of the cost of long-hauling the water to the coast for businesses. So far that's only for the first four or five weeks of countys new water hauling program.Josh Metz has been hired by the county to coordinate its drought response. He describes the program.Earlier this summer, the City of Ukiah agreed to send some of its water supply to the coast, but how to deliver the water in an efficient and cost-effective is still a question. The county was initially considering using the Skunk Train to get the water to Fort Bragg, but that plan fell apart. For the past few weeks, the county has set its sights on trucking the water to the coast, but it's still searching for a way to pay for it.Despite that,at the virtual meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors said it would subsidize 100% of the long-hauling cost for residents and 80% of the cost for businesses. Residents and businesses would still have to pay the water and local delivery costs.Last month, the supervisors decided to start the program with just under $1 million from the county's $22 million PG&E disaster settlement fund. Supervisors expressed the desire to replenish the PG&E funds quickly through other funding sources like tax revenue generated by tourists or state grant money. That's because the settlement money has become a bit of a sore spot.The board almost approved a list of projects to fund with the PG&E money last month until it got negative feedback about how it was planning on using the money.The county already submitted a couple of grant applications to the state to cover the cost of the program. The county's drought coordinator Josh Metz says that none of the funding is guaranteed and it's not certain whether the state would cover the entire cost of the subsidy. Depending on how things go with the grant process, the state may pick up either a percentage or all of the tab.The county's deputy CEO Janelle Rausays finding an affordable water hauler in the area has also been an issue. So far only one qualified business has expressed interest and it's from out of the area. That means the company's drivers would likely need a per diem. Rausays it's also unclear how many gallons per day the company would be able to transport. The county needs to transport about 75,000 gallons per day at 27 cents per gallon.Back in Mendocino, Hillesland says he has enough water for the time being and he can find ways to navigate around the drought, like cutting back on reservations or passing on higher water costs to customers. Residents can't do that.For the KZYX News. I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local stories, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast where you get your podcasts.

Mendocino supervisors OK using PG&E funds to truck water to the coast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2021 6:29

From Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, this is the KZYX News for Friday, Aug. 27. I'm Sonia Waraich.The drought situation on the coast is getting worse. Elk, Irish Beach, Mendocino Unified School District and Westport said they will no longer sell water to haulers supplying homes and businesses in Mendocino, which rely on that water. On Tuesday, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting to talk about how to get water flowing from inland to the coast as soon as possible. The supervisors ended up voting to fund a water hauling program with just under $1 million of the PG&E disaster settlement funds. That program will cover the cost of hauling water from Ukiah to the coast and it's estimated to only cost residents 3 cents per gallon for the water and 24 cents per gallon for local hauling. In total, the program is expected to cost $3.84 million for four months.County staff is seeking grant funding and other assistance from the state, which is expected to cover the cost of hauling the water long distance from Ukiah to the coast.But that program only applies to water being bought for home use. So far, it seems like businesses are out of luck. They'd have to pay almost $1,000 more per truckload to cover the cost to haul the water from Ukiah.1st District Supervisor Glenn McGourty abstained from the vote and said he didn't feel comfortable using the PG&E money to fund the program. “I'm very supportive of helping everybody on the coast. I just kind of feel like we could do this with a little bit more time. Maybe we don't have a little bit more time, but that's what my reluctance is. It just feels like we're moving awful quick and unless everybody signs their agreement for PG&E money in blood, we want to make damn sure it gets paid back.”At a meeting earlier this month, the supervisors held off on approving a list of projects to be funded by the disaster settlement. That's because Potter and Redwood valley residents were upset that not enough money was going toward their community, which experienced the fire that led to the settlement funds.At the start of the meeting, 5th District Supervisor Ted Williams suggested using the county's transient occupancy tax revenue to jump start the program. The transient occupancy tax, also called the TOT, is collected anytime visitors stay overnight at hotels and other lodging in the county. The TOT is expected to bring in over $5 million this year, and 75% of that is generated on the coast. And the coast is suffering the worst consequences of the drought right now. Ryan Rhoades, superintendent of Mendocino's water district, said 25 wells went dry in the district last month, the highest number on record for any given month. And that's out of 420 wells total.“As you all know it's a dire situation, but we're teetering on catastrophic. Right now there is virtually no bulk water for sale on the coast. Residents and businesses are scared.”County CEO Carmel Angelo said using the PG&E funds would be more expedient than using the TOT funds. “Since 2017, I can tell you, that we diverted many, many resources, county resources, from other areas so that we could support Redwood Valley, Potter Valley and the fire region. And we would do that again and again and again, and most likely we will. This is a time when the town of Mendocino is in such a crisis – and the whole coast – and we do know that 75% of TOT comes from the coast. And so I respectfully request that this board really look at the item at hand in front of you. And I know you don't want to use PG&E but the quickest way to get water to the town of Mendocino is with the item in front of you. That we would use PG&E money and that we would absolutely replace it – whether it's grant dollars or TOT dollars.”That seemed to convince most of the supervisors to change their positions. Supervisor Williams said the board needed to do whatever it could to get water to the coast right away.“I mean seriously water needs to be flowing tomorrow or the next day, not a month out. We're in bad shape today, but if you look at where the drought will be a month from now, we're going to be in dire straits.” But he said he was still concerned about how businesses would fare with no access to any kind of assistance from the government.“It's my understanding that we're going to address the life safety, residential water concern and pass along the actual cost for commercial users. And it sounds like the actual cost may be $945 per truckload, which business has told us likely will not work. They will likely close their doors. Does the board see the need to have any sort of follow up or next steps on that item, how to save our local economy from what this sticker price will cost, or are we done?”Supervisor McGourty suggested businesses take a look at some market-based solutions, like adding a water surcharge to their customers' bills. 2nd District Supervisor Maureen Mulheren said businesses were coming out of a pandemic and doing the best they could to conserve in the face of the drought.“I would like to see an opportunity, just as we had with COVID relief funds, to not only – COVID relief funds went to support tenants that were behind on their rent and they went to support landlords that also could not receive funds from their tenants. So for me, having some kind of opportunity for businesses to be reimbursed or grants based on occupancy, whatever that might look like, I think that is important.”Mulheren added that it was just a matter of time before other parts of the county needed similar assistance.For the KZYX News. I'm Sonia Waraich, a Report For America corps member. For all our local stories, with photos and more, visit KZYX.org. You can also subscribe to the KZYX News podcast where you get your podcasts.

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Farnoush Amiri of the Associated Press, Report for America

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2021 30:23

Farnoush Amiri is one of the busiest journalists we've gotten to interview. She is currently a reporter for the Associated Press as part of the Report for America, covering a broad range of stories out of Columbus, Ohio. She is also a vice-president for the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA), and a co-director of the Voices program for the Asian-American Journalists Association (AAJA). Farnoush talked about her career path, which began at The Hollywood Reporter, where she learned lessons still applicable today. She talked about her current job, and what a week is like covering everything from state government to the pandemic to any other news happening in her coverage area. She also discussed her most notable story – a piece for NPR's Code Switch on a harrowing incident involving her family and the police at a time when post-9/11 tensions were high. Farnoush also spoke about the priorities of the AAJA and what the Voices program does to help train young journalists and build awareness for problematic issues, such as prominent organizations hiring interns largely from Ivy League schools. She also addressed the current priorities for the SAJA and why she is taking on these leadership positions.

COVID-19 exposes growing need for mental health reporting

It's All Journalism

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2021 43:17

Camalot Todd is a mental health reporter at Spectrum News 1 in Buffalo through a partnership with Report for America. She talks with It's All Journalism host Michael O'Connell about her background covering this topic and how the pandemic created challenges and a greater need for this kind of reporting. Keep up with the latest news about the It's All Journalism podcast, sign up for our weekly email newsletter. Also, listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, PodcastOne, Soundcloud, or Stitcher.

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IPR's Kassidy Arena Helps Teach Young Journalists

Talk of Iowa

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2021 17:52

Host Charity Nebbe speaks with IPR's Kassidy Arena about her volunteer project through Report For America.

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Kassidy Arena (Iowa Public Radio & Report For America)

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Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2021 27:16

This week, Mark Simon and Emmy Liederman are joined by Kassidy Arena, a reporter for Iowa Public Radio and a product of the Report For America program.Kassidy talked about her radio career and the work she does covering issues impacting Iowa's growing Latino community. She also discussed her background as a journalist and how she didn't think she would go into radio because she was hard of hearing, but was able to carve a path that led to her current position.Kassidy also continued discussions we've had on previous episodes regarding building trust in your sources and reporting for people rather than at them. She also gave her thoughts on the value of the Report for America program and Iowa Public Radio, and paid tribute to a recently deceased colleague in the industry.Mark and Emmy then discussed Kassidy's interview. Mike Fabey provided this week's tribute to Dr. Cole.Thank you for listening. Please rate and review if you can. Stay safe and stay well.Important LinksKassidy's story on Iowa's English-only law

Todd Franko- "The Original Vindicator, Greatest Golfer and Report For America

The MLO Bros

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2021 88:17

Great Audio Only Version of our discussion with Todd Franko- Topics include Todd being an editor at The Vindicator during The Fall of The Vindicator , Greatest Golfer competition and his current company Report for America, a company that uses donations to place reporters into communities! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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Morgan Mullings of the Bay State Banner & Report For America On The Beginning of a Journalism Career

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Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2021 38:24

On this episode, Mark Simon talked to Bay State Banner reporter Morgan Mullings, a recent grad of St. John's, whose opportunity to begin her professional journalism career began via Report for America.Morgan talked about her work with the Banner, and why it's important for a newspaper whose readership is geared to the African-American community to have a young black female writer. She shared her experience in past internships and what led her to apply to Report For America, which helps place aspiring journalists with news outlets to fill important needs in their coverage.Morgan also talked about her passion for news literacy, how she comes up with story ideas, the different type of writing she's done, and gave tips for both applying to Report for America (applications for this year due January 31) and getting around Boston (spoiler: get a bike!).Thank you for listening. If you have any thoughts on this episode, please e-mail us at journalismsalute@gmail.com or find us on Twitter at @JournalismPod. Please rate and review the podcast if you can.Important LinksMorgan Mullings TwitterBay State Banner websiteBay State Banner TwitterReport for America websiteReport for America Twitter

EP. 10 - Journalist and Author Kevin Knodell

FS Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2021 173:21

Kevin Knodell covers the military and veterans in Hawaii and the greater Pacific for Civil Beat as a corps member for Report For America, a national nonprofit that places journalists in local news rooms. As a freelance journalist, he has reported from the field on Northeast Syria's Kurdish-led Rojava Revolution, reported on wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, explored Iraqi Kurdistan's nightlife and interviewed refugees using art to fight terrorist ideology.Follow:YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/freelancesocietyIG: https://www.instagram.com/freelancesociety/FB: https://www.facebook.com/freelancesocietymedia/Website: https://freelancesociety.co/

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An Interview with MacArthur Foundation 100&Change Finalist: Report for America

Business of Giving

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2020 35:43

The following is a conversation between Steven Waldman, President and Co-Founder of Report for America, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. And it is indeed a pleasure to welcome to the show one of the six finalists of the MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition. He is Steven Waldman, the President and Co-Founder of Report for America.

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On the Ground with Report for America: Woods Hole, Massachusetts

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 13:11

For most of us, it's hard to ignore the rising threat of climate change. But the sheer magnitude of the devastation it could cause is daunting. For those journalists trying to convey the sense of urgency to the public, it can become overwhelming. Living on Cape Cod, where towns and residents are trying to beat back rising tides with seawalls and sand, WCAI climate change reporter Eve Zuckoff is finding it difficult to build barriers of her own – between the existential threat she covers professionally and her life outside of work. Learn more: https://gtruth.co/35kZh5Z We'd like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at *‪(339) 365-3754*. We listen to everything you send us and we might even share some of them on this podcast.

On the Ground with Report for America: Chicago's South Side

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2020 19:07

For many growing up in Chicago, the barber shop is a refuge. Raised on the Windy City's West Side, Report for America corps member Manny Ramos knows that fact well. "Barbers do more than just cut hair," he says, "they record history." They hear about the aspirations of the people whose hair they trim, and whose major life events they mark together. Ramos' reporting shows us how the barber shop has come to play a key role as a "community center" in Chicago, and how the loss of one barber rippled through the South Side. Learn more: https://gtruth.co/2E8THIN We'd like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at *‪(339) 365-3754*. We listen to everything you send us and we might even share some of them on this podcast.

On the Ground with Report for America: Inside Mississippi's Prison System

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2020 19:23

In August 2018, well before any thought of a pandemic sweeping the country, Mississippi's prison system saw a spike in inmate deaths. Correctional officials attributed many of these to “natural causes.” But these deaths aren't the only concerns for inmates and their families. Conditions in some of these prisons – men sleeping five to a cell or the sparse and unappetizing meals they get on a day to day basis or what the showers look like – have come to light through documentation by the inmates themselves. For this episode, Report for America corps member Michelle Liu takes us inside her investigation into these unexplained deaths, why the victims' families remain in the dark and what life is like for the inmates within the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Read Liu's in-depth reporting and further reporting on inmate rights, along with some of the sounds behind the story here: https://gtruth.co/3fEo4TY We'd like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at *‪(339) 365-3754*. We listen to everything you send us and we might even share some of them on this podcast.

On the Ground with Report for America: Bird Singers of the American Southwest

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2020 24:27

Bird Singing is an oral tradition that has been passed down for centuries among the tribes across the American Southwest. These stories are sung by male members of tribes – from young boys to elders – whose only accompaniment is a gourd fashioned into a shaker. But the threat of COVID-19 has forced these traditions online, in isolation. See video of Bird Singers performing here: https://gtruth.co/2X4lyjh We'd like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at *‪(339) 365-3754*. We listen to everything you send us and we might even share some of them on this podcast.

On the Ground with Report for America: Deadly Force--An Investigative Report

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2020 22:09

“Deadly Force,” a new podcast series from Report for America host newsroom WPLN in Nashville, focuses on the trial of the first Nashville police officer to be charged with murder for shooting someone in the line of duty. Through newly uncovered documents, original interviews and audio footage, Deadly Force gets a glimpse into the mind of a police officer struggling to make sense of when to use his gun and the culture in Nashville surrounding the use of force. We speak with reporter Samantha Max on how the investigative report unfolded, and the status of the murder trial, which had been delayed due to COVID-19. https://gtruth.co/3jcoyUd We'd like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at *‪(339) 365-3754*. We listen to everything you send us and we might even share some of them on this podcast.

On the Ground with Report for America: Almost Independence Day

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2020 11:04

July 3, 2018. It was almost Independence Day. Lee Eric Evans straightened a flag pole on his aunt's front porch. He carefully unfurled an American flag so that it hung properly, making sure it didn't touch the ground. Lee, who is 26 years old, was fussing over the flag for the 4th of July celebrations in the Farish Street Historic District which would happen the next day. I was working on a story about the importance of the District as a hub of black-owned businesses in the 1920's and 1930s. I wanted to understand how this once-thriving economy had descended into neglect and how the city had become seized by violence. I told Lee Eric why I thought the story was important, and asked if I could talk with him about the neighborhood. Within days, Lee Eric Evans would be shot dead: https://thegroundtruthproject.org/portrait-struggle-violence-mississippi/ We'd like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at *‪(339) 365-3754*. We listen to everything you send us and we might even share some of them on this podcast.

On the Ground with Report for America: Pandemic and Protest, Coast to Coast, Part 2

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2020 21:33

Report for America corps member Chris Ehrmann continues on his road trip across America, picking up in St. Louis, where economic recovery depends on where you live. Chris listens to protesters from Denver to Los Angeles, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, who are wondering, is this a tipping point? https://thegroundtruthproject.org/on-the-ground-with-report-for-america-pandemic-and-protest/ We'd like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at *‪(339) 365-3754*. We listen to everything you send us and we might even share some of them on this podcast.

On the Ground with Report for America: Pandemic and Protest, Coast to Coast, Part 1

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2020 22:09

Report for America corps member Chris Ehrmann embarked on a road trip across America, literally, from Times Square to Los Angeles, California. He traced the new landscape of COVID-19 across time zones and state lines. He spoke to those whose loved ones have been directly impacted by the virus, squaring off against those impacted by a devastated economy. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, his journey to witness a nation under lockdown was suddenly layered with thousands of protestors pouring into the streets demanding justice. https://thegroundtruthproject.org/on-the-ground-with-report-for-america-pandemic-and-protest/ We'd like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at *‪(339) 365-3754*. We listen to everything you send us and we might even share some of them on this podcast.

On the Ground with Report for America - Trailer