KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler

Colorado Springs Learns To Live With Fire

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:38:00 +0000

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RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Colorado is often the site of devastating forest fires, but the city of Colorado Springs has been hit particularly hard as of late. In the span of just one year, more than 800 homes have been destroyed from wildfires in and around the city. This time last year, it was the Waldo Canyon fire, and now it's the Black Forest fire. NPR's Kirk Siegler spent the week in Colorado Springs and sent this report.

KIRK SIEGLER, BYLINE: For the second year in a row, the Colorado Springs area has been beset by large, destructive wildfires.

Rain, Cooler Weather Slow Colorado Fire

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. In Colorado, cooler weather and some rain has helped crews begin to get a handle on the Black Forest fire that's burning just north of Colorado Springs. Yesterday, several thousand people were allowed back into their homes, but an estimated 30,000 people remain evacuated from the area.

The blaze has claimed two lives and it has destroyed at least 470 homes.

Rail Project At L.A. Port Draws Environmental Group Ire

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:57:00 +0000

In California, a high-profile lawsuit is seeking to halt construction of a new $500 million rail yard next to the Port of Los Angeles.

Baptist Church In Oklahoma Churns Out Meals For Victims

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Sat, 25 May 2013 09:55:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Hundreds of volunteers have come to Moore, Okla., this week to help the community after Monday's deadly tornado. Some people are cleaning debris, others are bringing out water and supplies to people whose lives have been turned upside down.

Yahoo To Buy Tumblr In An Attempt To Revitalize Itself

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:06:00 +0000

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(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with a big blogging buyout.

Today, Yahoo announced its purchase of the blogging site Tumblr. The $1.1 billion deal was unanimously approved by Yahoo's board. Analysts say the acquisition is Yahoo's attempt to revitalize itself.

NPR's Kirk Siegler has more.

KIRK SIEGLER, BYLINE: Tumblr is a New York-based social media and blogging site that has been growing rapidly, thanks in part to the exploding use of smartphones and tablets.

Calif. Law To Require Ships To Cut Pollution

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:06:00 +0000

California is about to become the first state to require shore power at its ports. A new law mandates at least half of a shipping line's fleet to shut down their diesel engines and plug into shore-side electric power when they unload their cargo. It's part of a larger effort to cut pollution at the state's busiest ports, but costs have been a sticking point.

LA Mayor Candidates Try To Persuade Voters To Pay Attention

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:02:00 +0000

The candidates have spent a record amount of money.

On Southern California Cruise, A Splash Of 'Urban Ocean'

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Sun, 05 May 2013 09:24:00 +0000

A cruise run by the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., sounds like a picturesque summer outing. But the Urban Ocean boat cruise highlights the juxtaposition of a powerful port with a fragile ecosystem: You're just as likely to see trash as you are to see marine life.

In front of the aquarium, school kids are running around, eager to go inside and pet the sharks and see the penguins.

Why An Immigration Deal Won't Solve The Farmworker Shortage

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:57:00 +0000

The Salinas Valley in Northern California grows about 80 percent of the country's lettuce, and it takes a lot of people to pick and pack it. In a field owned by Duda Farm Fresh Foods, a dozen lechugueros, or lettuce pickers, are bent at the waist, cutting heads of iceberg lettuce. They work frantically to stay in front of a line of 12 more packers, who seal them with tape and toss them onto a conveyor belt.

"There's a lot more going on here than meets the eye," says Sammy Duda, the company's vice president.

Looking To Broaden Appeal, RNC Heads To Hollywood

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:31:00 +0000

The Republican National Committee is holding its spring meeting in the Democratic stronghold of Hollywood this week — part of an effort to broaden the party's appeal.

So far, there are sharp divisions among RNC delegates about the future direction of the GOP. But there's general agreement that the party isn't effectively communicating its message.

At a sometimes raucous afternoon meeting Wednesday, speaker after speaker walked up to the microphone and made pleas about the future of the GOP. "We need to multiply, not divide," one said.