John Ydstie has covered the economy, Wall Street, and the Federal Reserve at NPR for nearly three decades. Over the years, NPR has also employed Ydstie's reporting skills to cover major stories like the aftermath of Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina, the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He was a lead reporter in NPR's coverage of the global financial crisis and the Great Recession, as well as the network's coverage of President Trump's economic policies. Ydstie has also been a guest host on the NPR news programs Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. Ydstie stepped back from full-time reporting in late 2018, but plans to continue to contribute to NPR through part-time assignments and work on special projects.
Marco Island Center for the Arts is celebrating the start of Christmas week with “Singin' and Swingin' – The Holiday Songbook.” It’s a musical revue that features singer Charlie Blum. He’ll not only perform. Director Hyla Crane points out that he’s also the one who chose the music for the show.
The Sarasota County Fire Department wants the community to have a safe holiday season by sharing safety tips and demonstrating the possible dangers of a dry tree and flammable holiday décor. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage or against the home outside. Decorations should be at least three feet away from heat sources.
For the first time in a decade, a black bear hunt has returned to Florida. FWC reports that they received over 163,000 applications for the chance to win one of only 172 bear tags.