#cctvontheroad

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Kentucky explores alternatives to coal

The U.S. State of Kentucky is trying to find ways to move to a cheaper and a more energy efficient way of producing electricity. It's the same problem developing countries around the world face: how to transition from coal to renewable forms of energy like solar and wind. CCTV's Jessica Stone traveled to Kentucky to see what nations can learn from that state's experience.

Kentucky explores alternatives to coalEastern Kentucky's economic lifeblood centers on coal mining. For that reason, it can be tough to convince people there's a better way. Times are tough in that part of the state where the area is shedding coal jobs by the thousands. Some say the time is ripe for change.

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Missouri residents weigh in on US foreign policy

American service members have reported mixed emotions as the last of the coalition bases in Afghanistan are handed over Afghan military. The last two bases, one American, and one British, were turned over to Afghan control last weekend and all NATO combat troops are set to depart Afghanistan by December. The fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan has claimed more than 2,300 American lives, and more than 450 British soldiers.

Even as the U.S. is draws down combat operations in Afghanistan, it remains in a renewed battle in Iraq, and now in Syria in the fight against the Islamic State, or ISIL. Opinions about how the U.S. should fight the terrorist group are wide ranging with just six days to go before an important midterm election.

CCTV America's Sean Callebs speaks to residents Waynesville, Missouri, a small town outside of a the Army training base of Fort Leonard Wood, as part of our ongoing series, Route 2014: The road to the U.S. election.

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CCTV Photographer Don Stanke already the guest of honor at the historic Boone Tavern KY #cctvontheroad @CCTV_America pic.twitter.com/aemtFNlLPw

— Jessica Stone (@JessicaStoneTV)

October 27, 2014

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Route 2014: Views on immigration reform in Chicago

CCTV’s Sean Callebs begins his Route 2014 series with a look at the hot-button issue of immigration reform. There are two things candidates in Chicago could almost always count on in November – cold weather and a strong democratic showing from the Latino community. But Hispanic voters in the U.S. are angry, and frustrated with what they say are broken promises from President Obama to reform immigration laws –and make the country a better place for the undocumented workers. Latinos are threatening to stay away from the polls to show Democrats they can’t take their vote for granted.

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Snapshot of Memphis & Nashville, Tennessee

For the last leg of our #cctvontheroad trip, we travel to two very different Tennessee cities: Memphis and Nashville, where we will continue talking to folks about income inequality and the battle for a fair minimum wage. Tennessee is among five states, all in the south, with no minimum wage law. Instead, employees in Tennessee receive the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

The contrasts between Memphis and Nashville are stark. While they are only 200 miles apart, Nashville has one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation and was considered a boom city by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Meanwhile Memphis has one of the poorest metropolitan areas with more than a quarter of its population living in poverty.

Memphis, Nashville Demographics

Population Memphis (city): 653,450 in 2013 Nashville-Davidson: 634,464 in 2013 Tennessee: 6.5 million

Race Memphis White: 29.4 percent Black: 63.3 percent Asian: 1.6 percent Two or more races: 1.4 percent Hispanic or Latino (may include other races): 27.5 percent Foreign born persons (2008-2012): 6.1 percent

Nashville White: 60.5 percent Black: 28.4 percent Asian: 3.1 percent Two or more races (may include other races): 2.5 percent Hispanic or Latino: 10 percent Foreign born persons (2008-2012): 12 percent

Economy

GDP (real GDP 2008-2013) Greater Memphis: $63.2 billion in 2013 Greater Nashville: $95.1 billion in 2013 Tennessee: $287.6 billion in 2013

GDP percent change (real GDP from 2012-2013) Memphis: -0.1 percent Nashville: 1.9 percent Tennessee: 0.8 percent US: 1.8 percent

Unemployment Greater Memphis: 8.5 percent in August Greater Nashville: 6.1 percent in August Tennessee: 7.4 percent in August US: 6.1 in August

Poverty Level (Persons living below the poverty level 2008-2012) Memphis: 26.2 percent Nashville: 19 percent Tennessee: 17.3 percent US: 14.5 percent

Income Inequality (The higher the score, the greater the inequality) Greater Memphis GINI score: 0.463 in 2011 Greater Nashville GINI score: 0.463 in 2011 Tennessee GINI score: 0.468 in 2010 US average GINI score: 0.469 in 2010

Money in Politics

There aren’t any tossup elections in Tennessee in November, but candidates continue to raise millions. Here’s how much some of the larger campaigns have raised as compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Senate * Lamar Alexander, Republican, Incumbent: $8.9 million raised * Gordon Ball, Democrat: $454,161 raised

Tennessee 3rd District * Chuck Fleischmann, Republican, Incumbent: $1.2 million raised * Mary Margaret Headrick, Democrat: $65,027 raised

Tennessee 7th District * Marsha Blackburn, Republican, Incumbent: $1.6 million raised * All other challengers raised nothing

Tennessee 8th District * Steve Fincher, Republican, Incumbent: $1.4 million raised * All other challengers raised nothing

Hot-button issues

Healthcare Tennessee did not expand Medicaid, and approximately 162,000 uninsured residents have lost out on $2 billion in federal funding. Gov. Bill Haslam said in August that the state may soon submit a proposal to the federal government to expand the state’s Medicaid program.

Immigration Undocumented immigrants made up 2.2 percent of the population, and 3.1 percent of the labor force in 2010.

Gay Marriage In 2006, Tennessee voters passed a constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. In March 2014, a federal judge ruled that the marriages of three same-sex couples who were married out of the state must be respected in Tennessee. The ruling is now being appealed to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. On Oct. 6, 2014, the U.S. Supreme court said it would’t hear appeals from five states who had same-sex marriage bans invalidated by lower federal courts, however this did not include the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. However proponents of gay marriage said that the Supreme Court action sends a strong message to other courts.

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Snapshot of Little Rock, Arkansas

We left the Show Me State behind and headed into Little Rock, where we hit up the Arkansas State Fair to hear what people think about income disparity in America. The state is home to the six Walmart heirs, who are among the wealthiest people in the world with a combined wealth of $145 billion. That's as much as the combined wealth of 1.8 million median-income Americans, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Little Rock Demographics

2013 Population Little Rock: 197,357 Greater Little Rock: 724,000 Arkansas: 2.9 million Race (Little Rock only) White: 48.9 percent Black: 42.3 percent Asian: 2.7 percent Two or more races: 1.7 percent Hispanic or Latino: 6.8 percent (may include other races) Foreign born persons (2008-2012): 7.3 percent

Economy

GDP Arkansas: $124 billion in 2013 GDP Growth Greater Little Rock: 0.7 percent in 2013 Arkansas: 2.4 percent in 2013 US: 1.8 percent in 2013 Unemployment Greater Little Rock: 5.7 percent in August 2014 Arkansas: 6.3 percent August 2014

Poverty Level Persons living below the poverty level (2008-2012)  Little Rock: 18.2 percent Arkansas: 18.7 percent USA: 14.9 percent

Income Inequality (The higher the score, the greater the inequality) Arkansas GINI score: .458 in 2010 Little Rock GINI score: .45 (somewhat low) US average GINI score: .469

Money in Politics

The Cook Political Report has tracked two Arkansas races in November that it considers tossup elections. Here's how much they raised, as compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics Senate * Mark Pryor, Democrat, Incumbent: $8.9 million raised * Tom Cotton, Republican, $7.1 million raised Arkansas 2nd District * French Hill, Republican, $1.2 million raised * Patrick Henry Hays, Democrat $879,000 raised

Hot-button issues

Healthcare Arkansas is one of the few southern states to expand Medicaid. Gov. Mike Beebe signed it into law in April 2013. The state will use federal money for Medicaid expansion but private insurance for 250,000 eligible low-income residents.

Immigration Undocumented immigrants made up 1.8 percent of the population, and 3 percent of the labor force in 2010.

Gay Marriage In 2004, Arkansas voters passed a constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage and civil unions. In May 2014, a state judge ruled that the ban was unconstituional. The state’s attorney general appealed and the state supreme court suspended the judge’s ruling and halted the issuances of marriage licenses to gay couples. Meanwhile, a lawsuit challenging the legality of the gay marriage ban continues to work its way through the system. On Oct. 6, 2014, the U.S. Supreme court said it would’t hear appeals from five states who had same-sex marriage bans invalidated by lower federal courts. On Oct. 9, 2014, the state supreme court refused to delay proceedings on the lawsuit challenging the Arkansan gay marriage ban, allowing it to continue.

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Snapshot of St. Louis, Missouri

For our next stop in #CCTVontheRoad, we meet the good folk in St. Louie to explore the impact of healthcare reform. Missouri's legislature has not voted to expand Medicaid, which means the state won't have access to nearly $2 billion in federal funding to assist 300,000 uninsured Missourians.

St. Louis Demographics

Population: St. Louis: 318,416 Greater St. Louis metro area: 2.8 million (about 46 percent of the state)

Race (Greater St. Louis): White: 76.5 percent Black: 18.4 percent Asian: 2.1 percent Two or more races: 1.8 percent Hispanic or Latino: 2.6 percent (may include other races) Foreign born persons (St. Louis only, 2008-2012): 6.8 percent

Economy

GDP Greater St. Louis: $5.27 billion in 2013 Missouri: $276 billion in 2013 US: 16.8 trillion in 2013

GDP Growth Missouri: .8 percent US: 1.8 percent

Poverty level St. Louis city: 29.3 percent St. Louis county: 12.1 percent

Unemployment St. Louis metro area: 6.6 percent in August 2014 Missouri: 6.3 percent in August 2014

Income Inequality (The higher the score, the greater the inequality) Missouri GINI score: .455 in 2010 (US average: .469 Gini doesn’t vary much state by state, except for DC) St. Louis GINI score: .461 (medium) US average Gini score: .469  

Hot-button issues

Healthcare Missouri did not vote to expand Medicaid, and approximately 300,000 uninsured residents have lost out on $2 billion in federal funding.

Immigration Undocumented immigrants made up .9 percent of the population, and 1.2 percent of the labor force in 2010.

Gay Marriage In 2004 the voters approved a gay marriage ban. On Oct. 3, a state judge struck down part of the ban by ordering the state to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in other states. On Oct. 6, the U.S. Supreme court said it would’t hear appeals from five states who had same-sex marriage bans invalidated by lower federal courts. This effectively recognizes gay marriages in 11 states, including Missouri. Residents of Missouri can still challenge the ban in state courts, and are likely to win once challenges reach the federal court.

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So long Chicago @AndrewSmith810 says "bean" nice seeing you. Like what I did there? #cctvontheroad pic.twitter.com/UCgLOW7dmw

— Sean Callebs (@seancctv)

October 8, 2014