Wonking Week: My Little Town Blues

In this week’s audio newsletter, we discuss the perilous state of the arts (and our economy). In addition, Emily Badger examines new plans announced by the FCC to bring broadband access to all.

Author:
Updated:: Jun 14, 2017
Original:: Feb 16, 2011

Audio portions for this week’s Wonking Week podcast were drawn from:
The outro to our second story came from the 1951 movie trailer to the film adaptation of Richard Wright’s Native Son. The outro to our third story was a cello piece by Nickleus. The outro to our interview with Emily Badger was taken from a video speech by FCC Chairman Julius Genakowski.

Environment

California desert town takes back the night, wins rare "Dark Sky" award

Social Justice

The U.S. has a rough track record with how it treats new parents, but there are reasons to believe that this could soon be a thing of the past.

News in Brief

A new report concludes that the Graham-Cassidy proposal would reduce federal funding to states by $215 billion by 2026.

A long exposure picture of a Perseid meteor crossing the night sky and stars trails.

Social Justice

The International Astronomical Union has established a committee to finalize a list of official star names. Some companies offer unofficial naming rights for purchase. But the voices of certain communities are often left behind.