Foreclosure rates are down in California - have we seen the bottom? One year after the disastrous BP Oil Spill how is the gulf recovering? How to help autistic children lead meaningful lives.
Foreclosure rates are down in California
California may finally be seeing a silver lining in the beleaguered housing market: the number of default notices filed by banks in the first quarter of 2011 is the lowest in four years. Industry analysts report that, at just over 68,000, the number of foreclosure notices is down by 2.2 percent from the previous quarter, and nearly 16 percent from 2010. While this cheery news could be a sign that the worst of the foreclosure mess is behind us, experts caution that are still plenty of foreclosures on the books to sort through. In fact, repossessions of homes already in the process are up by over 21 percent from the previous quarter. Yet the question remains - why the significant drop in foreclosures? Analysts suggest an improved employment outlook and continuing investigations into shoddy foreclosure practices by state and federal officials. As numbers continue to fluctuate throughout the industry, what does it mean for California’s real estate market? Have we finally seen the bottom of the barrel? If you’ve been facing foreclosure, has your situation changed?
Guests:
John Karevoll, Analyst, DataQuick Information Systems
Richard Green, Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate
How to help autistic children lead meaningful lives
Autism affects one out of every 110 children born in the United States, making it more prominent than HIV, cancer and diabetes combined. In the past twenty years, diagnoses of autism have grown exponentially and it has been compared to an epidemic of sorts by those attempting to fight the disorder in the trenches. One of those people is Dr. Ricki G. Robinson, author of Autism Solutions: How to Create a Healthy and Meaningful Life for Your Child. Robinson takes a holistic approach to the treatment of autism and explores the disorder from original diagnosis, through treatment and finally to the beginning of the patient’s adult life. The author attempts to provide parents and caretakers with as much information as possible on a wide variety of topics pertinent to those affected by autism so that an individualized approached can be made specific to each child. She covers possible causes for autism and how to identify it in your infant, the physical and neurological characteristics of the disorder, treatment options, abnormal behaviors and how to harness them for positive growth. What explains the recent spike in children with autism? What can be done to best help and nurture those who are affected? Can autism ever fully be cured?
Guest:
Dr. Ricki G. Robinson, M.D., M.P.H., author of Autism Solutions: How to Create a Healthy and Meaningful Life for Your Child
One year after the disastrous BP Oil Spill, how is the gulf recovering?
It’s been a year since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded into flames, killing 11 workers and sparking the largest ecological disaster in the nation’s history. The damage crushed the gulf region that was just starting to get back on even footing after hurricane Katrina. We’ll take a look back at the oil spill and examine the toll of the event from a policy, economic and human perspective. We’ll speak to the man charged with stopping the massive leak, Admiral Thad Allen, to find out how he accomplished that herculean task and whether the government perhaps ceded too much control to BP. We’ll also get the latest news from the gulf and talk to a couple of residents about how they’re eking out a living in this devastated region of the country.
Guests:
Admiral Thad Allen (Ret. Coast Guard), Former National Incident Commander of the BP oil spill, currently Senior Fellow at the Rand Corporation
Eileen Fleming, NPR Reporter covering the Gulf
Mike Foster, VP Marketing of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Tourism
David Pettit, Senior Attorney for the National Resources Defense Council
Darla Rooks, 30 year veteran shrimper, Captain of The Cajun Queen
Ryan Lambert, Owner of Cajun Fishing Adventure