Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Teacher Shortage, Firefighter Shortage, and Winning the Drought
Here in California, more than 80,000 jobs were lost in public schools during the recession. Now, as the budget picture improves, school districts are looking to fill more than 20,000 positions...but it’s not going to be easy. And in the fourth year of a drought, California may be thirsty, but it’s also resilient. Is California 'winning the drought.'
By Madeleine Brand • • 50m ListenIt’s the first day of the new school year for LA public schools, and there’s good news for teachers: they aren’t being laid off anymore. In fact, cities across the country are having the opposite problem: they can’t hire enough of them. And the situation looks like it could get worse in the future. Then, the wildfire situation is so bad in the West, national fire officials have announced they’re bringing in soldiers to help fight the flames. And in the fourth year of a serious California drought, you’d think the Golden State might shrivel up and keel over. Yes, there are some serious ramifications from the lack of rain and snowfall. But while California may be thirsty, it’s also resilient. Finally, Many of us dread making a customer service phone call. In response, companies have turned to interactive voice response systems. But these systems are increasingly complicated and ineffective. Now, some companies are trying to change the dynamic and let the customer dictate the terms of the service call.
In this episode
5 storiesLAUSD Teacher Shortage
It’s the first day of the new school year for LA public schools, and there’s good news for teachers: they aren’t being laid off anymore. In fact, cities across the country are having the opposite problem: they can’t hire enough of them. Here in California, more than 80,000 jobs were lost in public schools during the recession.
Read the story9 minFirefighter Shortage
Ninety-five wildfires are burning right now on more than a million acres in California and other Western states. The situation is so bad, national fire officials have announced they’re bringing in soldiers to help fight the flames. It’s the first time in nearly a decade that active troops have been called in to fight wildfires.
Read the story8 minWinning the Drought
In the fourth year of a serious California drought, you’d think the Golden State might shrivel up and keel over. Yes, there are some serious ramifications from the lack of rain and snowfall. But while California may be thirsty, it’s also resilient.
Read the story14 minChallenging Birthright Citizenship
Not all Americans are fans of our “birthright citizenship,” which grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. Lindsey Graham, Donald Trump, Scott Walker, and Rand Paul have come out against it.
Read the story9 minAutomated Customer Service
Many of us dread making a customer service phone call. In response, companies have turned to interactive voice response systems — IVRs — to handle customer inquiries, save money, and simplify things. But automated customer service systems are increasingly complicated. Too often, they’re ineffective.
Read the story7 min
