WBAA Podcasts

American farmers are less confident about current and future conditions than they were a month ago, according to the September Ag Economy Barometer report . The report recorded the weakest farmer sentiment since July 2020.

Infrastructure like hospitals, power plants, and roads are at more of a risk for flooding over the next 30 years than residential homes. That makes cities' most basic and critical operations less functional during a flood.

The Indiana Department of Health announced today (Monday) the state surpassed 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week denied a request from a group of truckers to hear their appeal in a case over Indiana Toll Road rates.

Indiana education officials took the next step to revamp school accountability this week. The State Board of Education approved a list of student characteristics for the state to track as part of a new school performance dashboard it's developing . Board members finalized a total of five knowledge and skill areas the dashboard will focus on: academic mastery; career and postsecondary experiences and credentials; collaboration and communication skills; work ethic; and digital, financial and...

In "Diary of a Young Naturalist," 15 year old author Dara McAnulty gives us several perspectives simultaneously: That of a teenager making their way into adulthood; that of person with autism interacting with family, school fellows, and the wider world avaible through social media; and that of an individual passionate about nature learning and exploring the landscape and habitat of Northern Ireland. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

An Indiana court said this week the state did have the authority to end federal unemployment benefits before an end date set by Congress. But it’s too late to affect unemployed Hoosiers, coming nearly a month after benefits ended nationwide.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is suing an Indiana-based company that he said helped send at least 4.8 million illegal robocalls to Hoosiers.

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly is joining other pharmaceutical companies in arguing against legislation that aims to reduce drug costs.

President Joe Biden has chosen a new administrator to oversee Region 5 of the Environmental Protection Agency — which covers Indiana and other Great Lakes states. Debra Shore will replace Kurt Thiede who was appointed during the Trump administration.

This week on WBAA’s Ask The Mayor: Lafayette’s city budget was presented this month, with raises for city employees and reminders that COVID-19 will continue to impact the financial outlook on a number of fronts in the coming year. What are the spending priorities, and what will local officials continue to watch as they consider where to cut costs?

Health care for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. can be difficult to navigate. Today we hear from doctors behind research that shows not only the inequities faced, but the moral distress it causes clinicians who can’t treat treatable diseases. Produced by Mariam Sobh. Guests: Offny Herrera Dialysis Patient Dr. Simit Doshi Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Nephrology, Indiana University; Medical Director for Home Dialysis, Davita Dialysis Dr. Alexia Torke...

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Purdue President Mitch Daniels, and officials with Saab gathered in West Lafayette Wednesday for the grand opening of a new manufacturing and research facility.

Today we spend the hour catching up with public media reporters around the state, to dig a little deeper into their latest stories. We get the latest news on COVID-19 numbers and trends around the state from our digital producer, talk to investigative education reporters to learn why Indiana violated federal law by issuing emergency special education licenses, and hear from a health equity reporter about her new story on a community park in Indianapolis. Produced by Drew Daudelin. Guests:...

Hoosier businesses are back to dealing with the issues that were top of mind prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual Indiana Chamber of Commerce survey shows more than half say they are unable to find enough qualified workers.

Employers are waiting for details on President Joe Biden’s promised rule making employers with more than 100 workers require vaccinations or testing. Businesses and workers have questions on how Indiana’s government will respond when the rule comes.

The number of reported COVID-19 cases in Hoosier schools has been declining in recent weeks.

The 30th Anniversary of the Heartland International Film Festival started last week and continues until this Sunday, with movies screening at theaters around Indianapolis. Today we talk to Heartland’s artistic director about how they put it together this year, and to three filmmakers with movies featured at the festival about their projects, and what it’s like working on movies during a pandemic. Produced by Drew Daudelin. Guests: Bob Massie Executive Producer, “Letter’s Home” Rocky Walls...

Indiana lawmakers are among those worried that the state’s rush to end emergency permits for special education teachers will leave schools with unfilled positions to help students with disabilities. Indiana violated federal law without repercussions for years by issuing emergency permits for unqualified educators to teach special education , including more than 1,200 licenses in the 2019-20 school year. Now the state aims to comply with federal law by requiring special education teachers to...

Not being able to read can greatly impact a person’s chances of employment and their quality of life. Today we learn about efforts to improve literacy in Indiana, and learn more about where this issue stems from. We also discuss a new project in Indianapolis that aims to fund local efforts, from small nonprofits to individuals, working to help more kids learn how to read around the state. Produced by Micah Yason. Guests: Charles Cole III Founder and Executive Director, Energy Convertors;...