Pitchroom

After Arizona and Aurora, will more guns make us safer?

July 25, 2012

Weapons confiscated by police on display prior to a news conference in City Hall addressing the proliferation of illegal guns in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Mark Stehle

On July 20 in Aurora, Colorado, 24-year-old James E. Holmes entered a sold out midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” armed with an extensive cache of weapons and ammunition. Donning body armor and a gas mask, Holmes carried a semiautomatic assault rifle, at least one .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun into the theater.

The roomful of moviegoers eagerly awaiting the highly-anticipated Batman sequel quickly degenerated into a nightmarish scene, as Holmes opened fire and began shooting indiscriminately, killing a dozen and wounding 58 others, many of whom remain in critical condition.

As the nation begins to grapple with this seemingly senseless act of violence, both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney have avoided calls for new gun laws.

A long-time proponent of more stringent firearm regulations, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg admonished both the President and Governor Romney on the John Gambling show. “Soothing words are nice, but maybe it’s time that the two people who want to be President of the United States stand up and tell us what they are going to do about it,” he said. “There are so many murders with guns every day; it’s just got to stop.”

In a statement, Dan Gross, President of the Brady Campaign echoed Bloomberg’s call. “This tragedy is another grim reminder that guns are the enablers of mass killers and that our nation pays an unacceptable price for our failure to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people,” he said. “We are outraged.”

Meanwhile, pro-gun activists contend that lessening impediments to legally carrying concealed weaponry may be the answer. Luke O’Dell of the Colorado-based group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners told the New York Times that, “Potentially, if there had been a law-abiding citizen who had been able to carry in the theater, it’s possible the death toll would have been less.”

Following the 2011 Arizona shooting – when shooter Jared Loughner killed six and left former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and 13 others wounded – Need to Know sat down for a second time with proponents of the “Open Carry” movement, who contend that more guns on America’s streets will make us safer.

“It’s like a fire extinguisher. Until you have a fire, you don’t need it. But you have it,” said one open carry advocate in our report.

Watch Guns Battle: The Fight Over Gun Control Laws on PBS. See more from Need To Know.

Do you agree? Can fewer rules restricting concealed weapons improve our safety? Or should greater regulations be placed on obtaining guns in the first place?

Let us know your thoughts and questions by reaching out on Facebook, Twitter, or share your opinion in the comment section below.

Last modified: July 25, 2012 at 12:50 pm
 

Election 2012: What do you need to know?

May 24, 2012

In the run up to this year’s election, Need to Know has explored a range of issues that will impact the way Americans will vote this fall. From the future of nuclear power in the U.S. and the housing crisis in hard-hit areas like Nevada to addressing issues of fairness in our tax code, we’ve sought to cover the real issues that affect our viewers.

As NTK gears up to bring you more stories of how Election 2012 will affect communities all around the nation, tell us: What issues do you want to see covered? What stories are most important to you? Let us know on Facebook,Twitter, or in the comments below.

Last modified: May 24, 2012 at 10:50 am
 

Putting a plug in America’s brain drain

May 10, 2012

Entrepreneurship and technological innovation are both key to America’s economic future. But as Brianna Lee noted back in August, the “country’s economic downturn and the American immigration system seem to be driving away many of the very innovators needed” to secure growth.

Here in the U.S., we’ve begun to see both “brain drain,” the emigration of American talent to foreign countries, and “reverse brain drain,” where immigrants educated in the U.S. return to their countries of origin. With opportunities in countries such as China and Brazil, it has become a challenge for American employers to retain top-tier talent.

There are two key factors to take into consideration. The first of which is the issue of how best to retain talented immigrants, who often study in the U.S. The visa to remain employed in America, the H1 B, is limited both in quantity and scope. Plus, the number granted has actually decreased in recent years. The New York Times reported, “Since 2004, there has been a growing gap between the number of H-1B visas sought and those granted, through a lottery. In 2008, companies made 163,000 applications for the 65,000 slots.”

The other factor important to the conversation is that American students continue to lag behind their global counterparts in Asia and Europe, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Scores from the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) confirmed this achievement gap: out of 34 countries, the U.S. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math.

The Economist looked at the resulting “talent mismatch” last fall, in an effort to explain the seemingly paradoxical trend where unemployment remains high, but skilled workers are in short supply. “Globalization and technological innovation are bringing about long-term changes in the world economy that are altering the structure of the labor market,” wrote Matthew Bishop.

So, readers: How do we spur innovation at home? And how do we stay competitive in the global race for talent?

 

 

Last modified: May 10, 2012 at 10:48 am
 

A rising tide of anxiety?

April 26, 2012

Waist deep floodwaters in the home of Jess Dawson in Moree, Northern New South Wales, Australia in February 2012. Photo: AP Photo/Jess Dawson

Extreme weather — from Hurricane Katrina to the earthquakes in Japan – is captivating in the way that few things are, and its effects are oftentimes dramatic and devastating. So much so that rising tides and flooding can fade from view at times. But recently, Sir Bob Watson, chief scientist at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the U.K. told The Guardian that, “If you had to pick one particular issue I think the flooding issue is the most dominant.”

Flooding continues to wreak havoc around the world: from low-lying areas in the U.S. (like Norfolk, Va., which is the subject of our upcoming broadcast) to the island nation of the Maldives, where coastal erosion threatens to submerge the country under water.  When the waters rise, the mass exodus that ensues can lead to a trecherous journey for thousands of displaced people. Last year in Sri Lanka, flooding affected a million people, resulting in the death of 23. Monsoons in Pakistan in 2010 created ‘heart-wrenching’ disaster for some 20 million residents. (See images of the  flooded zones here.)

While the cause-and-effect link between human activity and climate change remains a hot-button issue, many scientists are in agreement that human behaviors have contributed to global warming. And a 2011 study in Nature directly linked rising greenhouse-gas levels with the growing intensity of rain and snow in the Northern Hemisphere, and the increased risk of flooding in the United Kingdom.

We want to hear from you about this issue. Do you live in a low-lying area threatened by floods? Do you think climate change has affected your habitat? If so, how?

Last modified: April 26, 2012 at 3:05 pm
 

Reaching across the aisle

March 27, 2012

They say we’re the most partisan electorate in a generation. But it hasn’t always been that way in our houses of Congress and our state Senate chambers. Cross-party relationships have spurred myriad legislation. Just today the New York Times published a video on Ted Kennedy and Mitt Romney’s unorthodox partnership. One of the best examples of Democrats and Republicans coming together is the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, later named the McCain-Feingold Bill after its spearheaders, Russ Feingold and John McCain.

Texas, a state known for its tough-on-crime position, has benefited from the work of two legislators crossing the ideological divide. State Sen. John Whitmire of the 15th district had long been an advocate of prison reform in the state. So when State Rep. Jerry Madden of the 67th district heeded Governor Rick Perry’s declaration that he wanted no new prisons built, the two created an unlikely coalition.

State Senator John Whitmire and State Representative Jerry Madden. Photo: Texas Senate Media

We chronicle this story and that of the reentry court system these two individuals have been able to set up for non-violent offenders to get out of jail and into rehabilitation programs. It’s a remarkable story both of bipartisan efforts but also of the power to alter the course of so many lives in the process.

Tell us, what do you think is the root cause of overcrowding in our prisons? What other issues could benefit from a bipartisan effort?

Last modified: March 27, 2012 at 5:46 pm
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Reaching out to vets

March 21, 2012

Photo: Flickr/kmccaul

The important conversation on caring for our veterans has all too often taken a back seat this election season. Despite the nascent economic recovery, many returning soldiers continue to struggle to find good jobs. Homelessness also continues to be an agonizing reality for many vets.

The situation was noticeably dire in 2011, when the statistics showed the unemployment rate for young male veterans (18 to 24) was a whopping 29.1 percent (nearly double the national average for similarly aged males.) Though this number may be easing in tandem with the lowering national unemployment rate, tackling the original spike requires an ongoing effort. As for homeless female vets, their numbers have also increased (from 4 to 8 percent ) according to the GAO.

There are projects and advocates out there who seek to curtail the problem. The U.S. Dept of Veterans, for example, has a launched a contest calling on developers to create an app for volunteers to locate opportunities to connect vets with shelter, food and medical resources. And just this week, chronically homeless vets have moved forward with a lawsuit fronted by the ACLU.

Last year we showed you the “enduring sacrifice“ and economic difficulties facing today’s vets. This week we return to the issues of joblessness and homelessness, and look at how some of these individuals have fared in the time since we last talked to them.

Tell us, do you think we do enough for veterans of our most current wars and our historic wars? What more could we do to help veterans once they come home?

 

Last modified: March 21, 2012 at 10:55 am
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Neighborhood inequalities in America: Do you see them?

March 15, 2012

Though the market appears to be attempting a comeback, we want to highlight the continuing economic disparity in American cities. The economy in many neighborhoods across this country continues to stagnate (if not decline) and appears to do so along racial and socioeconomic lines.  Back in 2011, we reported on the growing economic inequalities, ” if wealth can be described as the thing that buys homes and gets our kids to college, nearly half of the American people are unable to do either as they have virtually no wealth at all.”

Has this changed at all in the past year? Just this week, the BBC took a current look at the startling incongruity of one neighborhood  in the city of St. Louis.

Back in September, Scott Simon reported on “The Corner,” made famous by David Simon of the critically acclaimed HBO hit “The Wire.”  This week we revisit the area to try to address this question of progression, economic recovery and what recovery means for some of our hardest hit communities.

Tell us, where has U.S. policy fallen short in addressing the growing wealth gap in our cities? Should city governments work within their communities to create economic opportunities? Or should this be an issue to discuss on the national stage?

Let us know on Facebook , Twitter, or in the comments below.

Last modified: March 15, 2012 at 11:16 am
 

Election 2012: What stories do you want to see?

December 20, 2011

Photo: AP/Ron Edmonds

From income inequality to immigration, the environment, America’s ongoing jobs crisis and the inner workings of Congress, we’ve brought you the most important stories facing Americans in the lead-up to next year’s presidential race. The year is coming to a close, but politics will hit the ground running in 2012. The Iowa caucuses are set for January 3, and will set the stage for the months leading up to the final showdown for the presidency in November.

As NTK gears up to bring you more stories of how Election 2012 will affect communities all around the nation, tell us: What issues do you want to see covered? What stories are most important to you? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.

Last modified: December 20, 2011 at 3:44 pm
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Were you better off four years ago than you are today?

December 2, 2011

The release of the November jobs report – showing an 8.6 percent unemployment rate, the lowest in two years – is giving off a glimmer of hope, despite cautionary words from economic analysts. Still, many Americans are continuing to feel the same financial pressures and uncertainty that have become the norm of the new economy.

In this week’s episode of Need to Know, we traveled to northern Ohio to follow up with of the middle-class workers we profiled two months ago. Although they are still employed, they face cuts to benefits and wages that seemed constant and stable just four years ago, before the onset of the economic downturn.

Tell us: Do you think you were better off four years ago than you are now? How? Let us know in the comments below, through our Tumblr site or by emailing us at ntkonpbs@gmail.com.

Last modified: December 2, 2011 at 4:33 pm