Faring Well in a Tough EconomyThe stock market is fluctuating, unemployment is rising and cuts are coming for state and local governments. But as Gabe Bullard reports, some Louisville businesses ARE thriving in the downturn.Air Quality at National ParksWith the Clean Air Interstate Rule up in the air, states—and the national parks within their boundaries—are in a holding pattern with air quality plans. Meanwhile, Kentucky-based Mammoth Cave National Park has some of the worst air quality and visibility of any park in the country. No one knows whether CAIR will be reinstated. And with all the uncertainty, many states are lagging behind on turning in plans required by the 1999 "haze rule" to improve visibility in parks. Now, the National Parks Conservation Association has sued the EPA over the stragglers. WFPL’s Kristin Espeland reports on the confusion over pollution in the parks.
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- Clean Air Interstate Rule
- EPA’s Visibility/Regional Haze program
- "Dark Horizons," report from the National Parks Conservation Association
Arts Groups and the EconomySure, the end-of-the-year holidays have significant meaning for different faiths, but this time is also when arts organizations take stock of their current season…and plan for the next. Elizabeth Kramer reports on how the current economy is factoring into what we might see and hear in the future.Water Company Rate IncreaseGabe Bullard talks with Metro Councilwoman Tina Ward-Pugh, who is leading the council’s investigation into the Louisville Water Company’s rate increase.
Disappearing Mailboxes When’s the last time you sent an email or paid a bill online? Now how about the last time you sent a letter? This year the U-S Postal Service will deliver eight billion fewer letters than it did seven years ago.This sharp decline is why blue mailboxes are disappearing from America’s postal landscape. Stephanie Sanders reports.Young Professionals in LouisvilleHow is the Louisville region faring when it comes to attracting and keeping talented young professionals? That was the focus of a recent summit in Louisville called "Beyond Boundaries: Building Our 21st Century Community." It was co-sponsored by the local groups the Bingham Fellows and Wired 65. One of the speakers at that event was Rebecca Ryan, the Co-CEO of Next Generation Consulting, based in Madison, Wisconsin. She joined us for a conversation about the summit and young professionals.
National Day of Listening Tens of thousands of people across the country have participated in a radio project called StoryCorps. In a booth in Grand Central Station or in Airstream trailers outfitted as recording studios, pairs of people have gone inside to share stories about their lives. Those conversations have been recorded, preserved at the Library of Congress and in some cases aired on NPR.The stories are a Friday favorite on Morning Edition because they are sometimes funny, sometimes emotional, and always genuine. Something about the intimacy of that conversation makes for great radio and an ever greater preservation of that relationship.The founder of StoryCorps, Dave Isay, spoke with Stephanie Sanders about the project, the newly-formed National Day of Listening, and how you can participate in the act of love known as ‘listening’.
