The Euthanasia Debate Continues

Baltimore, MD

WYPR - As America's baby-boomers grow older and live longer, quality of life has become an important aspect in the discussion of how to best care for an aging population. Some believe those suffering from a debilitating or terminal illness should have the right to end their lives with the assistance of others. Sarah Richards reports Doctor Larry Egbert is waiting to find out whether his activism in the right-to-die movement is going to land him in jail.

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Making Breastfeeding the Norm

Ft. Myers, FL

WGCU - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that only two out of five women in the U.S. breastfeed their babies for the first six months. It’s a statistic the Women, Infants and Children program or WIC is trying to change. Farah Dosani reports on the effort to make breastfeeding the cultural norm.

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Do "Secure Communities" Secure Communities?

Denver, CO

KUNC - Governor Bill Ritter is weighing whether Colorado will become part of a new federal program aimed at deporting illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes. As Bente Birkeland reports, law enforcement agencies have mixed feelings about moving forward.

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Green Pest Control an Emerging Industry

Fayetteville, AR

KUAF - Franchise pest control companies like Orkin and Terminex have been around for decades helping homeowners to cope with bug infestation. But with growing concern about potential effects from chemical exposure, some residents seek a greener alternative. Jacqueline Froelich reports on this emerging industry.

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Texas County Most Likely to Deport "Non-Criminal" Undocumented Immigrants

Austin, TX

KUT - Undocumented immigrants are more likely to be deported from the Travis County jail solely because of their immigration status, than from any other county in the county. Mose Buchele reports.

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Library System Turns to Public for Funding Solutions

Pittsburgh, PA

WDUQ - The Carnegie Library opened its doors 115 years ago and was the first in the country to add branches. But today—like many libraries around the country—it’s facing a funding crisis. Larkin Page-Jacobs reports the organization is turning to its patrons to help drum up ideas to make ends meet.

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Wetlands Restoration Aims to Buffer against Rising Sea Levels

San Francisco, CA

The California Report - This summer, earth-movers on the shores of San Francisco Bay dug in to start the biggest wetlands restoration project ever in the western U.S. Craig Miller reports the project is intended to preserve habitat for endangered species, but wetlands are also a key line of defense against rising sea levels.

Budget Woes Thwart Improvements to Prison Medical Care

Pasadena, CA

KPCC - Today, California spends $1 billion more on medical care for inmates than it did in 2005 when a federal judge found that care so flawed that he seized control of the system and appointed a receiver to improve it. Prison officials say the problem’s now fixed – and it’s time to put them back in charge. But as Julie Small reports, California's prison medical system still lacks critical reforms.

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Political Fallout from the Blagojevich Trial

Chicago, IL

WBEZ - The jury's verdict against Rod Blagojevich has given the very public ex-Illinois governor something to shout about. He was found guilty on one count, but the jury was stumped on 23 others. Sam Hudzik reports the likelihood of a retrial means this story continues - legally and politically.

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Pianos on Streets Invite Passersby to Play

Everett, WA

KPLU - A public art event is creating impromptu music on street corners. Inspired by a British artist’s idea, eight brightly-colored pianos are now scattered around downtown Everett. Florangela Davila visited the pianos and the variety of people who are playing them.

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Kentucky Mine Takes On Chinese Competition

Murray, KY

WKMS - You may never have heard of fluoride's stronger cousin, fluorspar, but it's all around you, in your paint, your steel . . . even in your toothpaste. Not much of the mineral has been mined in the U.S. in the past decade, because China also mines it and sells it at rock-bottom prices. But Chinese fluorspar prices are rising and, as Angela Hatton reports, that's prompting one mining company to rediscover western Kentucky's fluorspar deposits. 

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Despite Progress, Sewage Persists in Great Lakes

Cleveland, OH

The Allegheny Front - The number of health advisory days and beach closings along the Lake Erie shoreline has been going down. That means there's been less pollution than in years past. But Julie Grant reports that there's still a lot of sewage being dumped into the Great Lakes and some beach-goers want more to be done to keep the water clean.

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Building the Indian Country Economy

Red Lake, MN

Minnesota Public Radio - There's an apparent lack of commerce in Red Lake; no coffee shops or clothing stores, no movie theaters or bowling alleys. But Red Lake officials hope to change that. They've partnered with the American Indian Economic Development Fund, an organization that provides loans and training for start-up businesses in Indian Country. Tom Robertson reports.


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Some Chinese Immigrants Use Caribbean Boats to Gain Entry to U.S.

Miami, FL

WLRN - Every now and again, Coast Guard officials intercept a smuggling boat off South Florida shores and find something you might not expect. They find Chinese immigrants on board. Their numbers are relatively small, but Chinese immigrants have been trickling into South Florida for years, often in the same overcrowded boats that carry immigrants from Haiti or the Dominican Republic. Ruth Morris takes a look at the routes that bring them here, and the risks along the way.

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Peak Visitor Season Meets Construction Projects in Yellowstone

Gardiner, MT

YPR -  July set a new record for visits at Yellowstone National Park with more than 957,000 people. That's the largest number to ever come to the park in any month. It's also the first time in Yellowstone history that visitation for the first seven months of the year topped the two-million mark. So with visitation at the world's first national park at an all-time high, Jackie Yamanaka reports on how Yellowstone's roads and prime attractions are handling all of the traffic.

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City Farmers Struggle to Make Ends Meet

Denver, CO

Colorado Public Radio - Some people don’t just want to eat what they grow, they want to sell it too. But Zachary Barr finds that it’s nearly impossible to make a living as an urban farmer. 

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New Tests Expose Low Quality Olive Oil

Davis, CA

KXJZ - A recent study exposed some name-brand olive oils as lower grade than the extra-virgin quality claimed on their labels. A specially outfitted olive oil lab used sophisticated techniques that drew fire from the olive oil industry. Elaine Corn reports.

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Eagle Comeback Pressures Coastal Seabirds

Cape Meares, OR

OPB - The comeback of the bald eagle is one of the most celebrated success stories of modern conservation. But along the Pacific Northwest coast, the majestic eagles are marauders. Tom Banse reports that their increasing numbers are putting other bird populations at risk.

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Costs and Benefits of Illegal Immigration are Unequally Distributed

San Diego, CA

KPBS - California remained the leading state of residence for unauthorized immigrant population in 2009, with 2.6 million. And while some powerful interest groups want change, others are trying to maintain the status quo. Alison St John looks at the winners and losers under the current system.

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