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NAFTA Environmental Concerns, the Smart Meters Debate & Arpaio's Challengers

Adrian Florido
/
Fronteras

Utility smart meters  help you and the electric company save money, but are they hazardous to your health and part of a sinister plot? The latest story in the NAFTA series examines the environmental impact that the monumental agreement has had over the past 20 years.  Sheriff Joe Arpaio looks to still be in the lead heading into the final weeks before the election, but the challengers are making it interesting.

Advanced Utility Technology? Or Plot To Take Over The World?

Smart electric meters are being installed in homes across the southwest. The meters are smart because they’re digital and have a wireless connection to the utility. Homeowners can also track their own electricity use. Power regulators and the electric industry love them because they save money and can save electricity. But there is a growing concern that the smart meters’ low-level radio frequency is somehow causing health problems – and some say the smart meters are part of a plan to take over the country. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies reports.

20 Years Later, Environmentalists Still Unhappy With NAFTA

When the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed 20 years ago, one of the big concerns was how the treaty would impact the environment. Would factories rush south of the border to take advantage of lax environmental enforcement?  In the latest story from our NAFTA, 20 Years Later series, Fronteras reporter Adrian Florido looks at the state of environmental protections in the free trade era.

Arpaio's Challengers Attack Sheriff, One Another

In the last weeks before Election Day, the race for Maricopa County Sheriff is far from decided. While the long-serving Joe Arpaio still appears to be in the lead, one of his opponents has gained momentum and the other is railing against charges that his candidacy is a sham. From Phoenix, Nick Blumberg reports.

Crystal Chavez was Texas Public Radio’s Morning Edition host for three years, until January 2015.