ROLLING WITH THE RADIO

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Monday, June 30th 2008 at 7:38

When Tucson Unified School District students return to school in August, they'll have a new companion if they ride the school bus...the radio.

EXPOSING THE MEDIA

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Friday, June 27th 2008 at 8:43

It's not that often we have a new show to tell you about, with NPR's 500-pound gorillas taking big chunks of the radio schedule, but today we can.

GETTING READY FOR THE ELECTION

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Thursday, June 26th 2008 at 7:50

In the months ahead, politics will be a major feature on this website. The fun now comes in developing the best local site, with YOU in mind.

MORE DEVELOPMENTS ON CITY MANAGER

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Wednesday, June 25th 2008 at 7:32

Councilman Steve Leal this week sent an email to City Manager Mike Hein, demanding his resignation. Now, other council members have weighed in on the flap.

A HOT WEEK FOR POLITICS

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Tuesday, June 24th 2008 at 7:27

The sweltering month of June usually is a very slow time for politics in Tucson, but not this time around. A couple of new developments this week have the local politicos talking.

GETTING THE WEEK STARTED

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Monday, June 23rd 2008 at 6:36

It's not a lot, but gas prices are down in Arizona. Really, it's nothing to get excited about, but the average price for a gallon of self-service unleaded regular-grade gasoline fell by a 1/2 cent since yesterday. I know, that's like saying the high temperature is only supposed to be 107, instead of 108.

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Friday, June 20th 2008 at 9:14

Since I started this blog about two weeks ago, I've been asked many questions about the website from '"viewers" and people within the station. I'll tackle a couple right now.

MAYOR IS SOMBER

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Thursday, June 19th 2008 at 8:54

The economy is so bad these days, even the always-optimistic Tucson Mayor, Bob Walkup, has a hard-time putting a positive spin on the current conditions.

REDISCOVERING THE TAP

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Wednesday, June 18th 2008 at 7:21

A recent report by the Associated Press says more people are dumping the bottled water habit and going back to their faucets.

SUN TRAN FARE HIKE HEARING

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Tuesday, June 17th 2008 at 6:48

Update: Fare hike proposal defeated

If you ride the city bus and want to voice your opinions on proposed fare increases, tonight (Tuesday) is your chance. The Tucson City Council holds a public hearing on Sun Tran's request.

MONSOON IS HERE...REALLY

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Monday, June 16th 2008 at 6:14

This is the first summer thunderstorm season in Arizona that's being defined by a specific date, rather than current weather conditions. The only problem is, there's no rain yet.

END-OF-WEEK NOTES

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Friday, June 13th 2008 at 10:08

It was an interesting week here at Arizona Public Media. The blogs were launched, new ideas are in development and a certain staff member came back from vacation with a story of a random meeting.

PHOENIX MARS LANDER IS WORKING.

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Thursday, June 12th 2008 at 11:02

It seems like the too-clumpy soil managed to finally fit into an oven for testing. That's one of the key missions of the University of Arizona. A little vibration helped break apart the soil, so the first experiments can begin.

INFO GALORE

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Wednesday, June 11th 2008 at 11:57

If you like politics and strong debate, be sure to tune in to Political Conversations and Arizona Spotlight this week, or listen to the podcasts that should be up by Friday morning.

GETTING INFORMATION...SLOWLY

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Tuesday, June 10th 2008 at 8:01

A University of Arizona researcher has concluded there's an inequity when it comes to accessing health information via the Internet. UA Communications Department Assistant Professor Steve Rains' research is published in the national Communication Research Journal.

THE WEEK AHEAD...

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Monday, June 9th 2008 at 6:18

It's the summer slowdown, but there are a couple of things of note that should be transpiring this week. The Arizona Legislature loses a veteran and Tucson may make another change downtown...

WELCOME!

From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Friday, June 6th 2008 at 11:51

At last, a place to talk about what goes on behind the scenes of the new Arizona Public Media. I'll be focusing on news topics and what's going on with our website. The tech-guys have their own blog, so I'll focus on the content, which is a new area of responsibility for me.