http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/ en Copyright 2009 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:57:44 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Protests from University of California students erupted Thursday after school officials approved a 32 percent tuition increase to make up for shrinking state funds. Members of the board of regents that governs the 10 schools under the University of California system voted to raise undergraduate tuition by $2,500 in response to the crippling state budget crisis that means less state support for education. Many of the student protesters were worried that the tuition increase would prevent them from getting an education or would put them in debt for years. "My sister is starting college next year," said UCLA student Karissa Cognata. "We can't afford it." In this video, NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports on how the California budget shortfall is impacting higher education. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/calif_students_protest_tuition.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/calif_students_protest_tuition.html economics government socialstudies us budget business California civics classroom current events economy education government protests recession university of california Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:57:44 +0000 Nearly 10 months after President Obama asked the Democrat-led Congress to send him a health care reform bill, the Senate has come closer than ever to debating Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's $848 billion bill in the face of stubborn Republican opposition. The Congressional Budget Office said that 94 percent of Americans would be covered under the bill including 31 million who are currently uninsured. It includes a public, government-run health insurance option but allows states to opt out. Republicans criticized Senator Reid's bill saying that it would raise taxes, cut funds to Medicare for senior citizens and increase the power of the federal government over individual choice in health care. Senator Reid needs 60 votes in order to bring the bill to the floor for debate and he will spend the coming weeks hankering for the support of on-the-fence Democrats like Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska and independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. The first part of this video is a report on the coming showdown in the Senate over health care reform and in the second part of this video, health analyst Susan Dentzer explains the next steps in the process for putting health care legislation on the president's desk. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/health_reform_showdown_in_sena.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/health_reform_showdown_in_sena.html government health history socialstudies us civics classroom Congress government Harry Reid health health care history jim lehrer lesson plan newshour extra newshour with jim lehrer Senate social studies teachers Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:57:14 +0000 This video looks at the political instability that still exists in Bosnia Herzegovina 14 years after the end of a civil war that killed 100,000 people. In Bosnia Herzegovina, the Eastern European nation once part of Yugoslavia, normal life as slowly returned to the streets of communities devastated by the etnic war that expelled Bosnian Muslims during the 1990s. Families like the Garibovic's have returned to their homes and are trying to rebuild their lives as minorities in Bosnia. Although many contend that the country has moved away from its past after the peace agreement to stop the bloodshed, others say that tensions among local officials and communities are still high. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/bosnia_still_fragile_after_14.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/bosnia_still_fragile_after_14.html government history socialstudies world bosnia civil war classroom conflict europe government history lesson plan social studies teachers war world history yugoslavia Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:28:31 +0000 According to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 50 million Americans had a hard time putting food on the table in 2008 -- one in seven American households, an increase of 13 million people the year before. The report also said that 17 million children nationwide did not have enough to eat last year. President Obama expressed concern that the report showed that hunger rates were at their highest since first recorded in 1995. In this video, NewsHour correspondent reports on the new findings from the Agriculture Department and then speaks to two regional food bank experts about how they have seen hunger play out at food banks in their communities during the recession. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/hunger_in_america_on_the_rise.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/hunger_in_america_on_the_rise.html economics government health socialstudies us barack obama civics current events economics economy food food security government health health care hunger newshour newshour extra NewsHour with Jim Lehrer recession social studies us Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:15 +0000 With President Obama making his three-day trip to China this week, GlobalPost correspondent Josh Shin hits the streets of Beijing to talk to residents about their thoughts on how the U.S. president is doing. In this video, Shin hears from, among others, a Chinese software auditor who is unsatisfied with Obama's position on trade with China and a factory worker who is concerned about the U.S. relationship with Taiwan, which is technically part of China, but has very different political and economic systems than the communist mainland. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/beijing_residents_react_to_oba.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/beijing_residents_react_to_oba.html economics government history socialstudies us world Asia barack obama China classroom current events Economy government Hu jintao jim lehrer lesson plan newshour newshour with jim lehrer social studies teachers trade US world Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:40:03 +0000 President Obama kicked off a nine-day trip to Asia with a visit to Japan, where the newly elected prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, is seeking a more "equal partnership" with the U.S. and the closing of an unpopular Marine base in Okinawa. Tokyo has been America's key ally in Asia since the end of World War II, but must now cope with China's continuing rise as a regional and global power. By next year, China could eclipse Japan as the world's second largest economy. And, on this trip, the president will spend three days in China and just 24 hours in Japan. President Obama sought to reassure Japan's new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/president_obama_visits_japan_a.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/president_obama_visits_japan_a.html economics economicsdownload environment environmentdownload government governmentdownload history historydownload socialstudies socialstudiesdownload world worlddownload china japan japanese prime minister obama okinawa world war II world war two Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:02:17 +0000 Over the past three years, nearly 32,000 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the U.S. to escape persecution back home, but many find a whole new host of challenges here in America where jobs and resources are becoming scarce. Government-funded resettlement agencies that provide medical care and cash assistance to arriving Iraqis are overwhelmed by the large number of refugees, and there are fewer entry-level jobs because of the recession. While the government has promised to provide more assistance in the future, some Iraqis worry that they will be forced to leave the U.S. and possibly go back to Iraq. In this video, NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Kaye reports from El Cajon, near San Diego, where more Iraqis have settled than any other city. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/iraqi_refugees_in_america.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/iraqi_refugees_in_america.html history us world immigration immigration reform Iraq iraq war refugees rights war on terror Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:13:31 +0000 German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other world leaders at the renowned Brandenberg Gate in Berlin to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a physical barrier between the democracies of the U.S. and Western Europe and the Soviet-dominated East. For over two decades, the city of Berlin was divided between East and West. Families and friends were split apart by the wall and, though many Easterners tried to escape to the West, many didn't make it. In this video, NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Brown looks at where Germany stands today 20 years after the fall of the wall. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/germany_celebrates_the_fall_of.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/germany_celebrates_the_fall_of.html government history socialstudies world Berlin Wall Cold War Communism education Europe Germany government lesson plan newshour newshour extra newshour with jim lehrer Russia social studies Soviet Union teacher Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:00:23 +0000 The economy lost another 190,000 jobs last month sending unemployment to 10.2 percent -- the first double digits since 1983. But a new and growing trend may be even more important: a whopping one third of all workers, according to the General Accounting Office, are now freelance-- meaning that they are not formally working for a company and no longer have the safety net of unemployment insurance. Sara Horowitz is trying to protect this large group of workers in a freelancer's union, providing health, dental, disability and life insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, and lobbying to make laws more freelancer-friendly. The union's organizing campaign has already signed up 175,000 members to create a "new deal" for the new insecurity of work. In this report, NewsHour Economics Correspondent Paul Solman talks to freelance organizers and workers about why they have made the choices they have, and how they plan to survive in the down turn. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/freelancers_struggle_in_changi.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/freelancers_struggle_in_changi.html economics socialstudies us benefits freelancers jobs unemployment unions work workers Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:36:23 +0000 Loud and often politically controversial TV and radio talk show hosts are dominating the ratings and influencing the way that Americans think and talk about politics. Show anchors like Glenn Beck, known for their over-the-top style and extreme political views, attract huge audiences. Ratings for programs with conservative anchors far exceed the numbers of liberal talk show hosts (although conservatives argue that news organizations such as CNN, MSNBC and the New York Times have a liberal slant). Talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh are often harshly critical of President Obama and his policies. This summer, Glenn Beck helped rally Obama opponents to attend last summer's rowdy health care town hall meetings. Limbaugh and Beck critics say that they provoke uncivil and possibly dangerous rhetoric while supporters argue that advocacy and free speech have always been a part of American media. In this video, NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Brown examines the impact of television and radio talk show hosts and how they affect the way Americans think about politics. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/tv_radio_hosts_stir_up_controv.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/tv_radio_hosts_stir_up_controv.html government history socialstudies us arts classroom english Glenn Beck journalism Keith Olbermann language arts lesson plan media newshour newshour with jim lehrer radio Sean Hannity social studies teachers television Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:04:14 +0000 In this report from Learning Matters television, correspondent John Tulenko reports on the education programs in Rochester City public schools that have received federal stimulus dollars. During the last fiscal year, Rochester City Schools had a $50 million budget shortfall and was expecting to fire about 500 employees, which would have cut significant programs for the city. But the federal stimulus program signed by the president in February sent $100 billion to the nation's schools to be spent over two years. Rochester received $30 million, enough to restore jobs and continue the work of unique education programs that many students and parents rely on. Stimulus funds run out after two years, however, and districts will have to find the money to continue sponsoring school programs. In this video, John Tulenko talks to city officials, educators and the students directly affected by funding from the national stimulus program. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/stimulus_dollars_helping_schoo.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/stimulus_dollars_helping_schoo.html economics government socialstudies us Barack Obama classroom current events economics economy education government lesson plan newshour recession schools stimulus Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:49:07 +0000 One year since the onset of the financial crisis, some signs of recovery have already taken hold. But is this financial meltdown really any different from crises of the past? "No", say economists Kenneth Rogoff and Carmen Reinhardt in their new book, "This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly". Reinhardt and Rogoff combed through over eight centuries of global financial data and found cycles of boom and bust, of arrogance and ignorance in all continents over time. They identified inflow of foreign debt, deregulation of markets, and short term debt as key indicators of a crisis looming. Now you too can submit your own questions to Ken Rogoff and Carmen Reinhart "here":http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2009/11/ask-rogoff-and-reinhart-questi.html. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/800_years_of_financial_crises.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/800_years_of_financial_crises.html economics government history us world arrogance crisis economics financial crisis history meltdown world history Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:51:01 +0000 The Solix Biofuels Company out in the Colorado Desert is one of about 200 companies trying to find a way to make biofuels out of algae by extracting its natural oils. The company has found an investment partner in the nearby Southern Ute Indian Tribe, whose reservation sits on top of an enormous natural gas field, providing Solix with the land, carbon dioxide and water that their process needs. But according to Solix CEO Doug Henston, the success of the project will ultimately depend on how cheaply they can produce this alternative form of energy to compete with the price of traditional oil. In this video from the NewsHour's Science Unit, correspondent Tom Bearden reports on efforts by scientists to turn algae into clean fuel. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/turning_pond_scum_into_fuel.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/11/turning_pond_scum_into_fuel.html economics environment government science socialstudies us classroom climate change current events earth science environment lesson plan newshour NewsHour with Jim Lehrer science technology us Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:09:57 +0000 Dr. Kinari Webb runs an environmentally friendly health clinic on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo that offers patients living in extreme poverty access to affordable health care. Health in Harmony allows patients to pay for treatment in everything from baskets to seeds to manure. The clinic uses these payments to treat, not just patients, but the rapidly receding rainforest. Dr. Webb hopes that the clinic's green practices - like teaching villagers to farm organically - will help stop the deforestation that brings disease and famine to the villages of Borneo. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/10/borneo_clinic_helps_patients_a.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/10/borneo_clinic_helps_patients_a.html environment health science socialstudies world Asia Borneo classroom earth environment green health health care lesson plan newshour NewsHour with Jim Lehrer organic science social studies teachers Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:16:22 +0000 The American labor movement has changed dramatically over the last few decades. Unionization has decreased form 35 percent of workers in 1949 to 12.5 percent today, and public support is shrinking. In this video, Richard Trumka, the new president of the largest group of unions, the AFL-CIO, says he hopes to change the image of the AFL-CIO as overwhelmingly old, male and white by attracting younger workers, more women and people of color. He also has to deal with divisions within the movement, such as the formation of the rival Service Employees International Union four years ago, and big hurdles in Congress, where unions are fighting for health care reform and major labor legislation that would make it easier for workers to form a union. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/10/labor_leader_richard_trumka.html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2009/10/labor_leader_richard_trumka.html AFL-CIO business card check civics Congress current events economy history labor lobbying recession Richard Trumka social studies unions workers Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:00:10 +0000