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BPR News Presents: The Porch Episode 005

In this episode of BPR News Presents: The Porch, we talk with  -

  • Emma Johnson, the climate science fellow for The Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting.  She'sbeen examining how climate change is hurting Western North Carolina's famed trout fishing, and whether the pandemic has slowed or continued the damage.
  • Dr. Edward Lopez, the director of Western Carolina University's Center for the Study of Free Enterprise, which recently put out a report looking at North Carolina's potential for economic recovery post-pandemic.  He's joined by Emma Blair Fedison, a graduate student at George Mason University, who also worked on the study.
  • Cicely Rogers and Toshia Sitton, of the REGAL Learning Pod at Pisgah View Apartments in West Asheville.  REGAL -- which stands for Relevant Education Grows All Learners - is a framework that aims to support students of color by offering an inclusive learning space, led by adults in their own community.  Six students from Asheville City Schools meet regularly at the REGAL Pod at Pisgah View Apartments.

(The BPR News Presents theme song is The Vibes by Audiobinger.  Other music featured in this episode includes Impulsing by Borrtex)

Matt Bush joined Blue Ridge Public Radio as news director in August 2016. Excited at the opportunity the build up the news service for both stations as well as help launch BPR News, Matt made the jump to Western North Carolina from Washington D.C. For the 8 years prior to coming to Asheville, he worked at the NPR member station in the nation's capital as a reporter and anchor. Matt primarily covered the state of Maryland, including 6 years of covering the statehouse in Annapolis. Prior to that, he worked at WMAL in Washington and Metro Networks in Pittsburgh, the city he was born and raised in.