News

Dec 6, 2010

What’s the real unemployment rate?

We had some good news on the national job market in October with a 151,000 jobs being added and the unemployment rate holding steady at 9.6 percent. But N.C. Cooperative Extension economist Mike Walden says that the rate doesn't tell us the whole unemployment picture. 

Dec 3, 2010

Extension Gardener now online

Plants with silvery leaves and pale blooms can make your garden glow on winter nights. Find out more about "Plants That Shine After Dark" in the winter issue of Extension Gardener e-newsletter. 

Dec 3, 2010

Debt ideas

President Obama set up a commission to look at ways to reduce the size of the national debt, and the two commission co-chairs released ideas for accomplishing this goal. N.C. State University extension economist Mike Walden reviews the highlights. 

Dec 2, 2010

Holiday cheer

Enjoy the beauty of the holiday season at the 2010 Poinsettia Open House Sunday, Dec. 5, 1-5 p.m. at the Ruby C. McSwain Center, JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Road in Raleigh. The event is free and open to the public, as well as interested growers. 

Dec 2, 2010

Job crash

We now have enough information available to reach some conclusions about how bad the recession has been, says N.C. State University economist Mike Walden. And compared to other recent recessions, the latest has been brutal in terms of job losses. 

Dec 1, 2010

North Carolina to serve as FoodCorps site for program to help grow healthy children

A national effort to improve children’s knowledge of and access to healthy food will have a presence at five North Carolina locations beginning next year. 

Dec 1, 2010

New blood

There was new blood in the latest World Series: The Texas Rangers had never been in the series, and the San Francisco Giants hadn’t been there in almost a decade. And, says N.C. State University economist (and baseball fan) Mike Walden, there's also new blood in business. 

Nov 30, 2010

Wilson wins teaching award

Dr. Elizabeth B. Wilson, associate professor of agricultural and extension education in N.C. State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, received a 2010 Regional Teaching Award at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities 123rd Annual Meeting in Dallas. 

Nov 30, 2010

Costa Rica faculty visit Chatham farms

Two faculty members from University of Costa Rica recently visited farms in Chatham County in November, as part of an information exchange with scientists at N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University. Photos of the visit are available on Debbie Roos's Growing Small Farms website. 

Nov 30, 2010

Negative interest rates

Normally we think of interest rates being a positive number. That is, if we borrow some money, we have to pay some interest rate on the loan -- meaning we’ll pay back more than we borrowed. Or if we invest, we expect to earn money -- that is, interest on my funds. But a new investment recently offered a negative interest rate. N.C. Cooperative Extension economist Mike Walden explains.