PressWatch

The Federal Reserve Bank and its operations are continually in the news. Most people believe "the Fed," as it is called, is a government agency, but it is actually an independent organization, much like the U.S. Postal Service. There is a branch of the Fed here in Minneapolis. It's a beautiful building, maybe something about the building itself and the artwork housed inside could be included. A story could be sort of a walking tour, describing the building, the art inside, what the various departments do, how their work has changed as checks are used less and less, stuff like that. The Fed has recently been critcized for its lack of oversight over subprime lending explosion and exploring that would make it topical. However, I'm not convinced that the sources below would give a balanced picture, so any suggestions of local sources would be helpful (I can think of many national ones).

David Fettig is Minneapolis Fed Vice President and Director of Public Affairs: 612-204-5274
U of Mn Department of Economics Associate Professor Fabrizio Perri, author of “Financial Globalization and Real Regionalization�: (612) 625-7504
Chris Farrell, economics analyst for MPR, NPR and other publications: 651-229-1378 (he would not be so easy to get, so another suggestion would be welcomed)

Posted by Monique Dubos at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier this month there was an international story about 1,000 journalist being killed on the job in the last 10 years. I didn't see it much in the local or national press. Tuesday night (3/27) Frontline had a piece by a Philipine journalist highlighting some of the more prominent journalist assasinations, such as Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, that was very compelling. While newspapers are cutting down on their foreign coverage, arguments can be made for newspapers recommitting to supporting foreign correspondents on their staff.

A local angle could look at journalists who have worked overseas, not necessarily in war zones, and their thoughts, ideas, fears about relatiation against journalists and why (or whether) the danger is worth it. Students of journalism can also be included in the conversation for a "what am I getting myself into" perspective.

Kevin Diaz, foreign correspondent for Star Tribune and McClathy: kdiaz@mcclatchydc.com
Mark Pedelty, author of "War Stories: The Culture of Foreign Correspondents": (612) 625-6383
Doug McGill, writes about the need for more "glocal" reporting that ties local communities to the broader world: 507-535-0951

Posted by Monique Dubos at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A pair of wild turkeys claims several blocks on the East Bank campus as their stomping grounds. Harold and Maude, as I have named them, can be seen foraging in the courtyards of residence halls near the river, strutting down Harvard in front of the hospital, or stopping traffic on Washington. I've personally seen a fox trotting along East River Road and an opposum snacking on a squirrel in the courtyard of Pioneer Residence Hall. What other wild animals call the University - or the river flats that skirt the southern edge of the East Bank - home, and how do the student and wildlife populations cope with each other?

-David E. Andersen, Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology (field of interest: Impacts of human activity on wildlife populations): 612-626-1222
-Edward K. Boggess, Deputy Director DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife: 651-259-5190
-Clark Thomas, Facilities Operations Supervisor for Pioneer Residence Hall: 612-624-6127

Posted by Monique Dubos at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Excelsior Energy is planning to build new coal plants with so-called "clean coal technology." Named the Mesaba Energy Project, the federal government has already earmarked lots of dollars, and Governor Pawlenty has pledged to do the same from the Minnesota treasury. CAMP, Citizens Against the Mesaba Project, is the organization formed to stop the project on the grounds that the additional energy is not needed and that "clean" technology is anything but. What tactics does a small but dedicated group of activists use to stop such a juggernaut?

Sources:

Attorney Carol A. Overland represents local individuals trying to protect their health and property: 612-227-8638
Frank Weber is a concerned Iron Range resident and CAMP member: 218-885-3177
Charlotte Neigh is CAMP Co-Chair: 218-245-1844

Posted by Monique Dubos at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)