Chinese currency appreciation: You “yuan” it, you got it!
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Earlier this week, China did something totally out of character: it allowed its currency – the renminbi, or “yuan” as its sometimes called – to rise against the dollar. Continue Reading
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK | The billion dollar question
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We are looking for the opinions and perspectives of people who received support from Medicaid, GAMC, or MinnesotaCare – now or in the past. If you are currently receiving any benefits, how will this year’s changes affect you or your family? How does the cost of health care affect the family purchases you make, or the healthcare options you select? We are also interested in hearing from anyone who works in or studies the complex world of public health care costs and finances, who may have a perspective on how GAMC and Medicaid options may affect the bottom line to the state of Minnesota. If you have stories, contacts or information for this story, email Lawrence Schumacher – lawrence@tcdailyplanet.net Background Inside the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA) passed this spring in congress, and quickly signed into law by President Obama, is a choice that each state must make regarding the expansion of Medicaid. Continue Reading
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK | Census Enumerators
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The 2010 US Census has been in full-swing for several months now, and after the initial forms were mailed to all American households, a small army of enumerators have been deployed to follow up on all non-responsive addresses, working to fill in the blanks on information about who lives where throughout the country, and what sort of demographic background they have. This process has been massive in scale, with the U.S. Census Bureau becoming, briefly, the largest employer in the country, mainly in the form of those temporary enumerator jobs. Do you have any stories of experience as an enumerator or know someone who has? Were there any issues with safety or security when dealing with people door-to-door? Were there people who simply refused to cooperate with the Census? Continue Reading
Building a new hazardous waste facility in NE Minneapolis
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This past Tuesday, the Minneapolis Transportation & Public Works Committee took one step closer to building a site for the recycling of household hazardous waste (HHW) within the city limits, a
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK | For rent?
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In the Twin Cities, 28 percent of residents make their homes in rental properties. How much do they pay? How much is too much for rent? Do the Twin Cities have enough rental property to meet the needs of renters?The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says rent should be no more than 30 percent of total income. HUD says $899 is the average FMR in the Twin Cities. Continue Reading
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK | Crime reporting and statistics
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Do you ever wonder about crime in your neighborhood? Crime reports can be some of the most sensational items included in a news broadcast or publication, but isolated incidents don’t give a full picture. News media often rely on statistical information to provide context to a story, but how can you know what the statistics mean and when they are significant? When a triple-homicide took place in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside area this past January, news reporting focused not just on the events of that evening, but included an analysis of trends in crime statistics — specifically murder rates — in Minneapolis. Were murders on the rise? Continue Reading