Along the Mexico border, like everywhere, businesses have seen a drop in foot traffic during the pandemic. Unlike other parts of the country, the loss of customers is partly due to an action by the Federal Government: The closure of the border to nonessential travel. On this episode of The Shakeout, we weigh the economic effects this policy has had for cities on both sides of the border.
The oil industry is in the midst of one of the worst busts on record. The price of oil is a third less than it was in January, and for every dollar the price drops, Texas stands to lose $85 million a year in economic impact. We travel to Midland and Odessa to talk to people who work in and around the oil fields about how they are weathering the collapse in the market.
There's a short list of things health experts have implored everyone to do: Wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay home. On this episode of The Shakeout, we explore the ramifications of that last point. Every industry that caters to travelers is facing a huge, growing shortfall, particularly in Texas, home to two major airlines and a sprawling tourism sector. With outbreaks of the virus still rippling across the United States and the rest of the world, the public remains justifiably wary of getting on a crowded plane or checking into a hotel. That wariness translates to a deep uncertainty among workers whose jobs in those industries are on the line, while those who already lost their jobs are trying to figure out what happens next.
If you’re like us, climate change leaves you with a lot of questions, and they’re not about the rate of ocean warming — they’re about practical things that affect our everyday lives. So, for us and for you, we created a podcast about it.array(3) {
[0]=>
string(84) "https://cpa.ds.npr.org/wwno/audio/2020/10/201023_life_raft_trailer_sticky_tripod.mp3"
[1]=>
string(0) ""
[2]=>
string(1) "0"
}
In Episode 6: A battle for the GOP in Idaho. Plus: "confrontational politics." What it is and how the Dorr brothers are popularizing it. And an unexpected update about the Dorr family.
In Episode 5: We're reminded that this country's relationship with guns has always been about race. So we trace the history of the No Compromise movement back to a meeting of white nationalists in Colorado in the early 1990s.
A behind the scenes conversation with hosts Lisa Hagen and Chris Haxel. We hear how they got the idea for the show, their own relationship to guns and what's next on the podcast. Plus questions from fans like you.
In Episode 4: The Dorr brothers have become known for their network of ultra pro-gun Facebook groups. But their family name has also been connected to an extreme religious movement that has sought to eliminate public education, outlaw homosexuality and replace all laws with rules from the Old Testament. Lisa and Chris dig into the roots of the Dorr family to learn more.
The sheer scale of the other economic damage of the pandemic has led some to call for equally large-scale reforms. For instance, Universal Basic Income. Paul calls in San Antonio Express News financial columnist Michael Taylor to break down the pros and cons of Universal Basic Income. Small-scale studies show that providing cash directly to people impacted by disasters is efficient and effective. But critics of Alaska's long-running Permanent Fund Dividend, America's largest experiment in UBI, will attest to the unforeseen political challenge of balancing a state's budget around an annual cash giveaway. The permanent fund is the closest thing to UBI America has tried, and its been going on for nearly 40 years.