Earmarks, Jobs and Environment: West Reads for Jan. 31 — Feb. 6

News organizations on “Real Rural,” a project produced in collaboration with the center: KQED, The California Report, The Bay Citizen, Lost Coast Outpost, Eureka Times-Standard, The Salinas Californian, Redding Record Searchlight.

Online

“Rural Jobs Four Years After Recession,” Daily Yonder, Feb. 6: “The recession began in December 2007. Four years later, job losses in rural counties surpass those in urban or exurban communities.”

“In Post-Earmark Era, Small Cities Step Up Lobbying to Fight for Federal Grants,” New York Times, Feb. 2: “More than a year after Congress forswore earmarks, the oft-criticized legislative gimmick that financed pet projects, communities that relied on federal money for legitimate needs say they are facing a harsh budget reality.”

“Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation,” New York Times, Feb. 2: “Wind River, as has been true for much of its turbulent history, bucked the trend: violent crime there increased by 7 percent during the surge, according to the Department of Justice.”

“Increasing Density and Diversity Likely to Make Western States More Blue,” Atlantic Cities, Feb. 1: “Author David F. Damore writes that in these six states, the boundaries are being reshaped by high rates of population growth, the geographic concentration of that growth in urban areas and the growing number of minority residents there.”

“Study: NM Could Lead in Nuclear Waste Solution,” Albuquerque Journal, Jan. 27: “The report cites the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, which stores nuclear waste near Carlsbad, as a premier example of how to site a nuclear waste disposal.”

“Sacrificing the desert to save the Earth,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 5: “Environmentalists are torn over the high cost of breaking reliance on fossil fuels. Public comment has been sought, but insiders are calling the shots.”

“California lawmakers keep school buses rolling,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 3: “School buses are likely to keep rolling for now, as the Legislature on Thursday restored $248 million for home-to-school transportation that was particularly crucial for small and rural school districts that need to take students across long distances.”