In addition to daily news coverage, the WKSU news team regularly delves into topics that deserve closer attention and coverage.
Opioids: Turning the Tide in the CrisisDay after day, week after week, the headlines in Northeast Ohio and across much of the country contain news of tragic loss: lives lost to opioids. It’s a problem that knows no bounds: geography, race, gender, level of education or income.
The problem took on new urgency this summer as the powerful elephant sedative, Carfentanil, began hitting the streets. First responders armed with their only weapon, the overdose antidote Naloxone, have struggled to keep up with what’s become an overwhelming problem. It’s an issue that’s straining public and social resources. What has become clear is that business as usual is not going to fix the problem.
Grounded: The Dehubbing of the Region's Airports
In 2014, less than four years after Continental and United announced they were merging, United shut down its hub at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. The number of nonstop flights offered by United is now a quarter of what it once was. But the loss of direct access to many destinations around the country was just the latest blow to air travel in the region. In the last decade, Pittsburgh also lost its hub status, and Cincinnati has seen the number of direct flights reduced drastically.
For the casual traveler, the loss of direct flights to/from many cities has made flying less convenient but at the same time, less expensive. What’s been the impact on businesses located here? Has it caused companies to reconsider the region as for their headquarters or operations? And what of the business traveller?
The Business of HealthIt’s a common sight in Northeast Ohio. Travelling down the highway as you approach an exit, on one side of the road, there’s a shiny new outpost of the Cleveland Clinic, on the other side, one belonging to University Hospital. A few exits down the highway, you might see the exact same thing. In town after town, you come across facilities for both. It’s an indication of just how dynamic the overall healthcare industry is and how the marketplace is evolving.
For seven weeks, WKSU News will examine various facets of the economic impact of the healthcare industry in “The Business of Health.” The series provides an overarching look at how big medicine directly and indirectly affects the lives of the residents of Northeast Ohio and whether they’re sharing in the economic benefits and getting the healthcare options they need at a cost they can afford. That’s Tuesday’s during December and January on Morning Edition.
KABIR BHATIA/WKSUWhen it comes to recycling plastic, most people check for a number on the bottom of every container. But what does that number actually mean, and why are…
JOE GUNDERMAN/WKSUChanges in international markets along with skyrocketing processing costs have thrown the industry into a tailspin.In this first installment of our series…
This story was originally published on July 22, 2019.Fifty years ago a burning river mobilized a generation of environmental activism. Citizens pushed for…
When the Cuyahoga River caught fire 50 years ago it helped spark an environmental movement in America. However, there was little coverage at the time and…
Over the past 50 years, freight traffic on the lower Cuyahoga River has increasingly competed with smaller watercraft as the river has rebounded to become…
The Cuyahoga River and many other Northern Ohio streams and rivers are part of the Lake Erie Watershed, which encompasses 33 of Ohio's 88 counties, or…
In the early 1970s there was a cooperative effort between the United States and Canada to lower the amount of pollutants entering the Great Lakes. Around…
Fifty years ago, the Cuyahoga River caught on fire. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. And it really didn’t become a big deal nationally until…
An estimated one-point-nine million U.S. veterans are now receiving mental health services. But studies commissioned by Congress and the Department of…
In the world of mental health, emergency hospitalization can be a loaded topic. For some people, the image of a psychiatric hospital brings to mind movies…
Northeast Ohio police are increasingly turning to new methods when responding to people experiencing a mental-health crisis as police departments are…
One of the barriers to finding the right mental health care in Ohio can be the cost. However, there are providers who offer services at little or no cost…
Nearly 60 years ago, mental-health treatment began its move from massive warehouses like the old Massillon State Hospital to community-based care. But the…
Editor's note: Mike Quirk was originally misidentified in this story.Mental-health care can be hard to access in much of Ohio, especially away from the…
