States have increased food stamp funding as part of the federal stimulus plan. Some experts say it’s a good way to jolt the sagging economy back to life. But gauging the effect of the stimulus is a challenge...and those watching disagree over what kind of impact it will have. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports Friday on Morning Edition. And - along with a number of cities across the country Colorado Springs is cutting back on its July 4th celebration this year due to lack of funds. NPR's Jeff Brady has a round-up. Also on Morning Edition - when it comes time to sort out the Jackson estate, a lot of the sorting will be done by the billionaires and companies that co-owned, frequently with majority interest, Jackson's business investments. One example is Sony/ATV, the entity that holds a large part of the Beatles catalogue as well as other music. In the end, Jackson owned roughly a quarter of this company but it was one of his most lucrative investments. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.

Music from Blue Plum Festival Featured on Friday

Visitors at Johnson City's Blue Plum Festival. Photo courtesy of the Johnson City Press. On 5 and 6 June, downtown Johnson City hosted the 10th annual Blue Plum Festival, a celebration of music and arts. WETS producer Dan Sewell was there to record music from the Main Street Stage. Friday on Roots and Branches, we’ll hear some of those performances by artists such as Deliah Low, Goose Creek Symphony, Malcolm Holcombe, Sol Drive Train, the Buck Hoffman Band, Sierra Hull, The Lee Boys, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Acoustic Syndicate, and much more. Join us Friday at noon on Roots and Branches for two hours of music recorded live at the Blue Plum Festival. This program is made possible by Soundcheck Music and Grogan Advisory Services.

Ombudsman Comments Spark Debate

Alicia Shepard joined NPR in October 2007 for a two-year appointment as the Ombudsman for the network. In that role, she claimed on 21 June that waterboarding, as practiced by Americans on terror captives, should not be called "torture," although she later mentioned in an interview that "I think that it does... constitute torture." http://www.npr.org/ombudsman/2009/06/harsh_interrogation_techniques.html On Tuesday, Glenn Greenwald wrote in Salon that "[a]nyone who believes that NPR is a "liberal" media outlet -- and anyone who wants to understand the decay of American journalism -- should read this column..." http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/06/22/npr/index.html Shepard refused to do an interview with Greenwald http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/06/30/shepard/index.html and wrote another column for NPR to clarify her position. http://www.npr.org/ombudsman/2009/06/torture_round_two.html Greenwald wrote, "This active media complicity in concealing that our Government created a systematic torture regime -- by refusing ever to say so -- is one of the principal reasons it was allowed to happen for so long . . ." http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/07/02/npr/index.html Greenwald contends that nearly all of American journalism shares a fault exemplified by a quote from PBS newsman Jim Lehrer: "I don’t deal in terms like "blatantly untrue." That’s for other people to decide when something’s 'blatantly untrue.' There’s always a germ of truth in just about everything . . . " Greenwald writes, "But remember: don't ever call them 'stenographers.' That's insulting and offensive. Rather, what they do is called 'reporting,' by which they mean: 'We call people in power and write down what they say really accurately and then we faithfully repeat what 'each side says' without commenting on it or judging it (except where it's our Government's claims against some foreign country, in which case we state our Government's claims as fact).'"

Chip Taylor and Kendel Carson, performing live on Roots and Branches on Tuesday, 23 June 2009.

Business Matters Podcast Now Available

Fred Mackara and Larry Grogan WETS-FM's newest program, Business Matters,is now available as a podcast. Simply follow this link to subscribe free of charge: http://winkler.podhoster.com/ Business Matters looks at economic and business developments in the greater Tri-Cities region. The program is hosted by Dr. Fred Mackara and Larry Grogan. Business Matters is a weekly radio show discussing “matters of business and why business matters to you,” according to Grogan. Business Matters is dedicated to thoughtful discussion of major economic issues with a focus on how and why these issues are important to the Tri-Cities region. The program is broadcast at 7 am on Saturdays, but with the new podcast, you can hear the program on your schedule. The two most recent programs will always be available at the site linked above.

Farewell and Congratulations to a Special Colleague

On Friday, 29 May, an era came to an end at WETS-FM as Judy Harwood retired after 30 years of service. You can read more here.

Listen to WETS on iPhone

WETS is now streaming live on the Public Radio Tuner, which allows you to listen on your iPod or iPhone Touch. Click here for simple instructions on loading the application. But please realize that streaming costs the station real money. If you're not already a member of WETS, please consider making a tax deductible donation now. Thanks!

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