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Al's Morning Meeting

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Al Tompkins
Story ideas that you can localize and enterprise. Posted by 7:30 a.m. Mon-Fri.
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A dozen sites
I'm diggin'


*1. "Wired" explains how to figure out who is behind a Twitter page.

2. Check out FarmVille, Facebook's fastest growing application.

3. Before any health care reform vote, watch Steve Kroft's "60 Minutes Story" on the $60 billion in Medicare fraud that poisons the system each year.

4. Slate reported that some companies under criminal investigation still received stimulus money.

*5. USA Today reporters Brad Heath and Blake Morrison, WNYC's Radio Rookies and others won Casey Medals for their coverage of children. Watch this video of Heath and Morrison talking about their 8-month investigation of toxic air outside America's schools.

6. The Washington Post reveals how Washington, D.C., which has the nation's highest rate of AIDS cases, wasted millions of dollars on AIDS care.

7. The Association of Independents in Radio has provided a one-stop shopping page for people trying to sell freelance radio stories.

8. Sidewalks are in such bad shape in some cash-strapped towns that people who use wheelchairs are having to ride along the street instead.

*9. There's a new wearable HD camera for sports and action video that costs less than $350. Watch this sample video.

*10. The Tennessean's "Life on Hold" project looks at the lives of 20-year-olds trying to "figure it all out." The project features some really nice multimedia.

11. What words do you use that your readers don't understand? The New York Times tracks the words that its readers look up.

12. Read Beth Macy's first-person account about her Roanoke Times' project, "Age of Uncertainty." The series is about her community's aging senior citizens and the people who care for them.

All of my Diggin' sites are saved on Poynter's del.icio.us page.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but relies on the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. We will correct errors and inaccuracies when we become aware of them.


Resources for Continued Coverage of the Swine Flu
Posted by Al Tompkins at 3:57 PM on Apr. 27, 2009
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Covering The Swine Flu, As U.S. Declares Public Health Emergency
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As of Monday afternoon, the number of swine flu cases in the United States has grown to 40. Here is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's [CDC] latest tally for the United States.

In Mexico, 149 people are now believed to have died from the outbreak. Close to 2,000 have been hospitalized with serious pneumonia cases.

Of the 149 dead, 20 are believed to have had swine flu. The others had illnesses such as pneumonia or viral illnesses not confirmed as swine flu. The CDC is not recommending that travelers avoid Mexico yet.

The World Health Organization has a constantly updated world flu tracking page. There are also maps that track all kinds of health concerns, including swine flu. One look at this map and you won't want to leave your house.

Given the recent outbreaks, more companies may start selling pandemic prevention kits. And, no doubt, people may begin to wonder if this is some kind of bio-terrorism attack.

Story ideas
  • Will churches change the way they serve Communion?
  • How is all of this affecting airlines and cruise lines that make runs to Mexico?
  • During the Avian flu scare, some rich folks stockpiled Tamiflu. How hard is it to get your hands on it now?
CDC links

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Recent Comments:
Facts please? Let's see....150 dead, but only 20 CONFIRMED by lab reports... More.
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