Tag: North America

The Takeaway

Pork producers push back at H1N1 fears

Monday, May 04, 2009

In the wake of fears over the spread of so-called "swine influenza," pork prices have plummeted. In Alberta, Canada, pigs have been quarantined after catching the flu from a farm employee. In Egypt, riot police clashed with pig farmers while trying to stop farmers from slaughtering their own animals. In Iraq, three wild boars at the Baghdad zoo were slaughtered. Swine flu means bad news for pigs and pig farmers, despite loud messages from the World Health Organization and CDC that the flu is not spread by eating pork. The Takeaway talks to Mike Faga, a Human Resources Director with Iowa Select Farms, the largest pig producer in Iowa.

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The Takeaway

Takeaway sports wrap: From the NBA to the NHL

Monday, May 04, 2009

Imagine this: It's Game Seven of the most hyped NBA playoff in recent memory...and your TV goes out. Takeaway Contributor and sports blogger Ibrahim Abdul-Matin fled to the nearest sports bar for the exhausting finale of the now epic Celtics-Bulls match up. He's got his thoughts on what's up next in the NBA and in the NHL, where the semi-finals are finally bringing hockey fever to Washington D.C.

ESPN has some of the highlights of the Celtics-Bull game, but if you missed it, you missed out:

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The Takeaway

Despite a tough economy, some industries are still hiring

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Jobless numbers are the highest levels in decades and there's been little good news for people who find themselves without work. But, believe it or not, there is still such a thing as a growth industry. It's just a matter of knowing which doors you need to get a foot into. The Takeaway talks to Marci Alboher, writer of the Working the New Economy blog on Yahoo!'s Shine. Share your tips for finding work in a down economy.

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The Takeaway

Is advocacy really saving Darfur?

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The American public is famously divided on almost every issue: from politics to war to the place of religion in society. But in the past five years there is one cause that has united Americans of liberal and conservative leanings and of Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths: outrage over the ongoing conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. Since former Secretary of State Collin Powell identified the conflict in Darfur as a genocide in 2004, we've been up in arms and out in the streets, demanding an end to abuses by the Sudanese government. But how much has our advocacy actually achieved? And can we accurately call Darfur a genocide? The Takeaway talks to Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of Government at Columbia University and author of the book, Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics and the War on Terror.

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The Takeaway

Watch your head! Keeping yourself sane in hard economic times

Monday, April 13, 2009

Tough economic times aren’t just hitting us in the pocket, they’re hitting many of us in the head as well. Last week Pam Belluck from the New York Times reported on the heightened psychological anxiety many people are experiencing due to the economy— a phenomenon we're calling Recession Depression. But once you start worrying about the economy, what can you do to stop? For some advice on how to cope with psychological stress brought on by the economic downturn, The Takeaway talks to Dr. Robin Kerner, a clinical psychologist at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City.
"Some of that discharge is actually a good thing, though, if you don't recommend firearms or throwing objects that can hurt somebody. But the idea of keeping it bottled up, that's not healthy and that actually can cause a lot of those physical symptoms of stress."
—Clinical psychologist Dr. Robin Kerner on dealing with anxiety over the economy

For more, read Pam Belluck's article, Recession Anxiety Seeps Into Everyday Lives in the New York Times.

Also, check out the government's website, Getting Through Tough Economic Times for more information on the signs of recession depression and where to get help.

Read Dr. Kerner's notes from the segment.

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The Takeaway

Help, but no bailout, for auto suppliers

Friday, March 20, 2009

The U.S. Treasury will give five billion dollars to auto suppliers in a bid to inject liquidity into the struggling industry that employs 500,000 people in the U.S. But you can’t call this one a bailout. Automakers GM and Chrysler now have to decide which suppliers will survive and which will fail. The Takeaway talks to Justin Hyde, Washington Correspondent for the Detroit Free Press.

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The Takeaway

And a-one count, and a two-count, and a-three count: Why the Chicago Cubs were being allegedly extorted by the governor of Illinois

Thursday, December 11, 2008 - 06:55 AM

By Jeff Beresford-Howe

Why would Gov. Blagojevich try to extort the Chicago Cubs?

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The Takeaway

Jeff Beresford-Howe: Gold-flecked cake or a third baseman?

Friday, December 05, 2008 - 07:13 AM

By Jeff Beresford-Howe

Pitch-perfect as usual, major league baseball management gathers in Las Vegas this weekend for the annual Winter Meeting tradefest. The venue is the Bellagio Hotel, a place where there are Picassos in the dining room, caviar fusion facials help keep you hydrated in the harsh desert air and you can ...

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The Takeaway

The big three automakers are back on Capitol Hill

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

They're back--and this time they didn't travel by private jet. The CEOs of the Big Three car companies are on Capitol Hill today, once again making their case to Congress for a twenty-five-billion-dollar bailout. Ford CEO Alan Mulally actually made the 9 hour drive from Detroit to DC, presumably in a Ford vehicle. Bill Vlasic, Detroit Bureau Chief for the New York Times, explains to The Takeaway how the executives are likely to approach lawmakers this time around.
"Of the three, Ford is clearly in the best shape. It's ironic because about three years ago Ford was considered by far to be in the worst shape."
—Bill Vlasic on the big three automakers

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The Takeaway

What President-elect Obama needs to know about NATO

Monday, December 01, 2008

Our series America's Briefing Book continues with former Supreme Commander of NATO General (Ret.) Wesley Clark helping us find out what President-elect Barack Obama needs to know about NATO. Clark names some external security challenges for Barack Obama, including finding the right way to get out of Iraq. He says this accord between Iraq and the US is positive but not the final answer. Clark also says we have to have a strategy for Afghanistan that works and use non-military units of power more.

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The Takeaway

On the Ballot: Same-sex marriage

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Dan Fritz of California's KPFK discusses Proposition 8, the ballot measure that would amend the California constitution and ban same-sex marriage in California.

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The Takeaway

The future of American oil could be in a small South Dakota farming community

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The solution to high gas prices may not be offshore drilling. For a remote community in South Dakota, the future is not farming, it's oil. Plans are underway to make Union County, S.D., home to the nation’s first new oil refinery in 30 years. The company behind the project bills the refinery as a "green energy center" and many local politicians support the plans, but it's a sore point for residents closest to the site.

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The Takeaway

Investigative report: Hastiness in natural gas drilling jeopardizes local water

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The sharp rise in energy prices has pushed states to speed through legislation that allows companies to drill for gas. The potential for revenue is enormous, but what's the cost? WNYC's Ilya Marritz and ProPublica's Abrahm Lustgarten explain the potential environmental consequences of the rush for new energy as New York presses ahead with its plans to tap gas underneath the Catskill Mountains.

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