It began as a six-month assignment covering the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. But NPR reporter Adrian Florido has been on the ground in Puerto Rico for more than a year now.
This hour, we check in with Florido. What changes has he observed since arriving on the island?
Later, we consider the impact Maria and other major storms have had on the environment in Puerto Rico.
And finally, students at UConn now have the opportunity to enroll in a course on… cannabis horticulture. Yes, you read that right. We sit down with Prof. Gerry Berkowitz to learn more.
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
GUESTS:
- Adrian Florido - Reporter covering Puerto Rico for NPR's National Desk (@adrianflorido)
- William McDowell - Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of New Hampshire and Director of the New Hampshire Water Resources Research Center
- Shira Schoenberg - Political reporter for The Springfield Republican and MassLive.com (@shiraschoenberg)
- Gerry Berkowitz - Professor of plant science at UConn
READING LIST:
Poynter: NPR's Adrian Florido: What covering Puerto Rico taught me - "Florido believes media overplay the resourceful, resilient Puerto Rican trope — there is plenty of anger and impatience over the neglect from both the Trump administration and the commonwealth’s government. Yet many mainlanders don’t understand just why Puerto Rico is such as asset to the United States and often has a soulfulness that puts many mainlanders to shame."
Forbes: The Startling Thing Hurricanes Are Doing To Puerto Rico Watersheds - "The findings, reported in Washington, D.C. this week, show very high levels of nitrate in watersheds and streams of Puerto Rico almost a year after Hurricane Irma and Maria, respectively."
Hartford Courant: UConn To Offer Cannabis Course, But It's Not About Getting High - "Berkowitz says UConn will be one of the first universities in the country to offer students the chance to learn the science behind cannabis horticulture."
Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
