Dec 28, 2022

The government’s labor watchdog is getting a bigger budget

Scott Olson/Getty Images

During a time of growing support for unions, the National Labor Relations Board is getting a budget boost. Plus, oil drilling in West Texas leads to major earthquakes.

Segments From this episode

What to expect from the 2023 Farm Bill

by Savannah Peters

Dec 28, 2022

Advocates for everything from nutrition programs to tribal food sovereignty to climate and sustainability initiatives will be keeping an eye on the bill next year.

Above, a sign alerting customers about SNAP food stamps benefits — which are funded through the Farm Bill — is displayed at a Brooklyn grocery store.

Scott Heins/Getty Images

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Federal agency that oversees unions will get first funding boost in a decade

by Meghan McCarty Carino

Dec 28, 2022

The National Labor Relations Board's resources have been stretched thin at a time when union organizing is surging.

Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

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Which products — and people — are left out of the FSA bonanza?

by Stephanie Hughes

Dec 28, 2022

The end-of-year deadline often means a rush to buy eligible items, like thermometers, pain relievers and feminine hygiene products.

Feminine hygiene products, like tampons, became FSA-eligible in 2020.

Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

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In the West Texas oil patch, a boom in drilling has led to a growing number of earthquakes

by Travis Bubenik

Dec 28, 2022

After multiple near-record Texas earthquakes, oil and gas regulators say they’re stepping up efforts to reduce quakes triggered by industry activity.

A truck travels through the West Texas oil patch. Earthquakes that have rocked the region have been tied to the area's booming oil industry.

Mitch Borden

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Can Mediterranean search and rescue NGOs survive in 2023?

by Frey Lindsay

Dec 28, 2022

The job of finding and rescuing people in the Mediterranean Sea has been carried out by charities since EU member states stopped their operations. But with spiralling fuel costs and competition for donations with other humanitarian causes, one NGO is concerned for the future of its funding.

BBC

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Truckers aren't too enthused about an AI revolution

by Kimberly Adams and Sarah Leeson

Dec 28, 2022

Autonomous vehicle tech has advanced quite a bit, but we're nowhere close to replacing truck drivers with AI yet ― and we probably don't want to.

AI technology isn't so much being integrated into trucks as it is invading cabs, says Karen Levy.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Newsmakers

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Music from the episode

Origins Tennis

Be Alright The Foreign Exchange

Lau's Lament Eric Lau

Just the Two of Us Gover Washington Jr. feat. Bill Whithers

Open the Gate Zach Bryan

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer II

Andie Corban Producer I

Sarah Leeson Producer I

Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II

Richard Cunningham Associate Producer I

Dylan Miettinen Associate Digital Producer

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