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Last Tuesday, May 12, 2015, an Amtrak train traveling from Washington, D.C. to New York City derailed when going around a sharp curve at over 100 miles an hour. At least eight people were killed and 200 injured. As the cleanup and investigation continues, people are looking for answers. Listen to this story about the history of Amtrak’s founding and funding and how this has shaped the troubled rail system’s infrastructure.
Story Length: 2:50
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AIR DATE: 05/13/2015
February 20, 2015
5:06
Large American cities are known for their traffic jams - roads full of cars going nowhere. A new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation predicts that in 30 years this gridlock will be occurring in nearly all cities. As the U.S. population and U.S. manufacturing grow, more people and manufactured goods will be on the move. Our current infrastructure of roads and bridges will need a major overhaul to keep up. Listen to learn more about the problems and proposed solutions to this infrastructure puzzle.
Read MoreFebruary 8, 2015
2:17
President Obama’s 2015 White House budget reflects a new focus on the middle class. After cutting the deficit and coming out of the recession the President is using the budget to target uneven economic growth and support the middle class. Listen to learn why and how the president is shifting his budget focus.
Read MoreDecember 30, 2014
2:59
Our economy relies on long haul truckers driving goods across the country. But the pressure to make deadlines and earn money can come at the expense of sleep. In 2012, 3,500 people died as a result of large truck crashes and in many cases it’s because the driver fell asleep. Congress recently rolled back a regulation that increases the sleep requirements for drivers. Do these regulations fight driver fatigue or do they just push truck traffic to rush hour? Listen to learn more about these regulations and their effect.
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