Canadian oil is boosting midwest economy, but at what cost?
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/michigan/local-michigan-976530.mp3 Green energy is often said to be the future of the Midwest economy. But old fashioned fossil fuels could be having...
View ArticleRoad Trip: Norwalk saves its company (Part 4)
When a company bears the name of its hometown, it can be hard to separate the two. Such is the case with Norwalk Furniture and the town of Norwalk in Northern Ohio. Sue Lesch is the towns mayor. It...
View ArticleRoad Trip: Orrville, more than a company town (Part 5)
Our Changing Gears team has been on the road this week traveling to some of our company towns in the Midwest. Changing Gears is a Michigan Radio project looking at the economic transformation of the...
View ArticleTaxing Cigarettes for the Arts
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/michigan/local-michigan-981280.mp3 Its a tough time for arts funding around the nation. Kansas, as an example, just cut all its state support. Its a...
View ArticleCoal regulations could reshape Midwest energy
The Midwest relies so heavily on one source of power that some call us the coal belt. Coal is cheap and plentiful, but thats about to change. A wave of government regulations is about to hit the...
View ArticleThe "Google of manufacturing?" One company shows a possible future
Depending on who you ask, American manufacturing is either the way out of our bad economy, or its dead. Whatever you think, theres no denying that manufacturing has changed. Thats the story of Thogus...
View ArticleCan health care be a magic bullet for the Midwest? (Part 3)
Detroit is the latest metro area vying to become a medical destination. The hope is that its hospital systems can draw patients from outside its region, helping the local economy. In short, Detroit...
View ArticleTeaching after a year in the crossfire
Its been a tough few years for teachers. Classes are bigger. Pay is down. Benefits cost more. And, in the last year, teachers across the Midwest have been at the center of collective bargaining fights...
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