Space Craft: Artist Brings Lessons Down to Earth

Philadelphia, PA

WHYY - Astronaut Tim, aka Tim Belknap, is not really an astronaut, and he's not really in space. But the artist, who specializes in kinetic sculpture, built a mock space pod to teach kids about space travel. The project began as a reaction to the dismantling of NASA's space shuttle program last year. Peter Crimmins reports Belknap created the performance to inspire a fascination with outer space.

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Video by Lindsay Lazarski.

Miners’ Prospects Reverse of Economic Downturn

Silver Valley, ID

N3 - They say the days when you could go from high school to a high-paying, blue collar job are long gone. But there are places in the Northwest where those days still exist — if you're willing to work a mile underground. For gold and silver miners, it looks like boom times right now with rising salaries, and more job opportunities. Jessica Robinson reports even a recent layoff in north Idaho doesn't look like other layoffs.

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Inside a Farm Auction

Forest City, IA

Iowa Public Radio - Iowa farmland is selling for record highs, and many of those sales are at emotion-filled auctions. Competing bidders, often neighbors, are attracting crowds in small towns across the state. Dean Borg reports from a North Iowa farm land auction.

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A Rare Winter Trip Along 'The Roof of California'

Sierra Nevada, CA

KQED - A long-awaited line of Pacific storms is bringing a blend of rain and snow to California, after one of the driest and warmest early winters on record. As Dan Brekke reports, the dry conditions made for some rare opportunities in the Sierra Nevada high country.

The Mirage: A Fake Tavern that Exposed Real Corruption

Chicago, IL

WBEZ - Like a lot of reporters, Pam Zekman got calls all the time from small-business owners who complained about being shaken down for bribes by city inspectors. But nobody would go on the record. Dan Weissman reports what happened next became legendary

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Business and Environmentalists Vie for a Lakebed

Sevier Lake, UT

KUER - The entire surface of Sevier Dry Lake - almost 200 square miles - has been leased to Emerald Peak Mining.  The company has yet to decide whether it will begin a full-scale operation to extract the potash - or salts - and in the meantime, the it has run into opposition from environmentalists who say the lake is best left alone. Dan Bammes reports.

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Foreign Shrimp Threaten Gulf Ecosystem

Gulf of Mexico

StateImpact Texas - Huge shrimp that can grow over a foot long are showing up in nets all along the Gulf Coast. It might sound like a tasty surprise, but as Mose Buchele reports, it's also a mystery that could threaten the ecosystem of the entire Gulf.

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Perry Goes All Out in South Carolina

Columbia, SC

KUT - Texas Governor Rick Perry needs a strong showing in the South Carolina primary next week to continue his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Money and support will dry up with another fifth-place finish. Ben Philpott reports the Perry campaign’s latest strategy is attacking the business practices of frontrunner Mitt Romney.

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Facing Economic Woes at Home, Greeks Look to NY for New Prospects

New York, NY

WNYC - With Greece’s economy reeling and its unemployment rate about 18 percent, some Greeks are trying their luck in the U.S.  Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska reports that's especially true in the stronghold of Astoria, Queens, where Greek stores, restaurants and travel agencies dot Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street.

Feral Hogs Invade Adirondacks

Peru, NY

North Country Public Radio - Invasive plants and animals have been a big problem in the North Country for decades. But farmers in Clinton County are wrestling with a new invasive animal - and this one weighs three hundred pounds and comes with tusks.  Brian Mann reports feral pigs or boars have established a breeding population on the eastern edge of the Adirondack Park.

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Japanese "Lesson Study" Aims to Improve Teaching

Chicago, IL

WBEZ - There’s been lots of talk lately about how to evaluate teachers. Now, "lesson study," a Japanese strategy for helping teachers improve their craft, is catching on in Chicago and garnering praise from both school districts and teachers unions. Linda Lutton reports.

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2012: Year of the Cloud

Stamford, CT

WNPR - For many companies, cloud computing is still kind of a fuzzy concept. But the IT professionals think 2012 is the year it will come into sharp focus. Harriet Jones reports many businesses will spend this year figuring out how the cloud make sense for them, and how to integrate it into their IT strategies.

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