San Francisco Public Press (https://www.sfpublicpress.org/2011/12/)
In the Public Press, elites don’t dictate coverage
If you missed it, the Winter 2011 edition of the Public Press (Issue 5) went on sale in November, and it came on the heels of a national conversation about how to fund and fortify community journalism. » Read more
By Laurel Rosenhall and Chase Davis, California Watch
Business interests were the top bill-killers inside California’s Capitol during Gov. Jerry Brown’s first year back in office, as concerns about the state’s weak economy cut into labor’s newfound clout. Legislative data show business interests wielded strong influence, despite a Capitol dominated by Democrats in the Legislature and governor’s office. Business lobbyists defeated bills that would have cut back various tax breaks, required employers to give workers unpaid bereavement leave and prolonged the foreclosure process. In the current economy, “all legislators are more sensitive to the argument that something would be a job killer or harmful for investment or expansion,” said Dorothy Rothrock, a lobbyist for the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, which represents major businesses around the state. “That’s made it easier for us to stop or amend bills to make them less hostile or burdensome.”
We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. With less than a week left in 2011, we are in the final stretch of our end-of-year fundraising drive. Please help the San Francisco Public Press flourish as an independent news source. Every dollar you donate up to $3,000 will be matched by our board of directors through Dec. 31.
By Lauren Sommer, KQED News
Something that has been missing from San Francisco Bay since World War II appears to be making a comeback: Harbor porpoises are showing up in growing numbers, and researchers are trying to understand why they’re returning. The walkway across the Golden Gate Bridge is almost always packed with people taking photos. But Bill Keener isn’t here for snapshots of the stunning views. He’s aiming his massive telephoto lens at a dark shape in the water 200 feet below. “There’s a porpoise right there, coming very, very close,” he says.
Gabriel Thompson worked alongside immigrants in the back of restaurants in New York City and in factories that produced some of the most basic foods in the American diet: lettuce and chicken.
Not an immigrant himself, Thompson used his investigative reporting techniques to lift a veil on working conditions that many undocumented immigrants and low-income Americans face daily. » Read more
By Lance Williams, California Watch
As far as Medicare knew, Darlene Courtois fell ill last year with kwashiorkor, a dangerous form of malnutrition usually seen among starving children during African famines. At least that’s what her hospital claimed in the bill it sent to Medicare, records show. But Courtois, 64, says she wasn’t treated for malnutrition during the five days she spent at Shasta Regional Medical Center after she was hurt in a fall. She’s overweight, not emaciated, she said. And she said she never heard the word for the malady – a virulent illness with symptoms including emaciated arms, a distended belly and distinctive swelling of the feet or legs – until asked about it by a reporter.
We’ve had a great response to our fundraising drive so far, but we still need your help to reach our $6,000 goal. Our board of directors will match donations up to $3,000 til the end of the year. One more week! Please support independent public media in San Francisco by becoming a member today. Our first intern, Ambika Kandasamy, shares her perspective on working in a nonprofit newsroom
How did you get involved with the Public Press?
We hope you are enjoying hearing from some of the key people involved with the San Francisco Public Press. Today our series continues with two intrepid beat reporters who lead our coverage on housing & homelessness and transportation. Please become a member, so we can continue reporting stories that matter to the community. Our board of directors will match donations up to $3,000 until Dec. 31!
Public Press staff writer Ambika Kandasamy reported this story for Shareable.net. See her original posting and links to other resources and Shareable articles on ways to barter time with others.
Denise Minter, a vendor at the Bay Area Community Exchange’s recently held holiday fair in San Francisco, was selling Gomasio, a Japanese condiment made from toasted sesame seeds and sea salt. » Read more
By Paul Epstein and Alison Hawkes, Bay Nature
In the past, a consumer had mainly two choices: real or artificial. Another voice has joined the debate over the “best” Christmas tree. “Sustainable” trees have hit holiday stands to become a viable option for green consumers. But what does the label “sustainable” mean and are these trees worth the premium price? The most trustworthy of sustainably grown trees are akin to organic produce.