NCPR Top Stories of the Week

President-elect Barack Obama takes office on January 20th. We've asking people to think big about what his Administration might accomplish. J.W. Wiley teaches philosophy and interdisciplinary studies at Plattsburgh State and is the Director of the Center for Diversity, Pluralism and Inclusion. He's an African American who works as a diversity consultant for major corporations. Wiley says Barack Obama's election has already redefined America's conversation about race and social injustice.

In our occasional series, Moving the World, we meet North Country people who take their skills, expertise and resources to share with communities around the globe.

This summer, eight women from Canton and Watertown traveled to Malawi, a landlocked former British colony in east Africa. The CIA's world fact book ranks Malawi as the poorest country in the world. Wikipedia agrees that Malawi is among the world's least developed countries. It's also among the most densely populated, though it's mostly rural, and the economy mostly based in agriculture. The North Country women, from Canton and Watertown churches, brought donated medical supplies, eyeglasses, soccer balls. They were invited into peoples' homes. They met with widows struggling to earn the means to raise their children. They visited schools and medical clinics. The Canton group was led by Linda Potter, who joined Martha Foley and Todd Moe in the studio to share stories and sounds from the visit.

Beginning tomorrow, lawmakers in Albany will debate ways to slash New York’s state budget. The collapse of tax revenue from Wall Street has already triggered a hiring freeze statewide, along with a first-round of belt-tightening at most state agencies. Deeper cuts could be especially painful here in the North Country. Many towns rely on government spending to fuel the local economy. Brian Mann has this profile Malone, in Franklin County, where prisons, schools, and the local hospital all look to Albany for a big chunk of their budgets.

Researchers, local government leaders and state officials gathered this week in Tupper Lake to talk about the impact of global climate change in the Adirondacks. The conference at the Wild Center offered a snapshot of the best new science on global warming. Organizers also hope to chart local strategies for reducing carbon emissions in the region. As Brian Mann reports, they hope that cutting pollution can also lead to lower energy costs for businesses and governments.