December 8, 2000
Econ 101
RealAudio
David Brancaccio attends the senior economics class at Cuba High, home of the Wildcats, on a day when they role play to increase productivity in Peanut Butter and Jelly making. Plus he gets a bit of insight as to what America's future leaders would like to do after high school.

The Truman/Dewey Election
RealAudio
With the current election being as exciting as it is, what was the Truman/Dewey election like? David Brancaccio speaks to Archivist Randy Sowell.

Q&A with Poet Aleida Rodriguez
RealAudio
Host David Brancaccio interviews Aleida Rodriguez who describes what it was like to leave Cuba as a child and arrive in America.

The Numbers With David Anderson
RealAudio
In honor of our time in middle America, David Anderson, Sr. VP of Investments at Gold Bank in Kansas City, MO, comments on the market this week.

December 7, 2000
"Trucks Stop America Stops"
RealAudio
How does the trucking industry fit into the larger economic landscape? What other concerns are there? Host David Brancaccio talks to several truck drivers to find out how the daily grind of their job and the economy affects their lives.

Biotech in Missouri
RealAudio
Missouri is banking its future on being the "biobelt." But with growing controversy around the biotech industry and objections to some of its products (like genetically modified crops) from the global community, is it a smart strategy?

The Good and Bad of Globalism, a Commentary by Robert Reich
RealAudio
Globalism has helped small communities like Cubabring cash flow into the town by demand for products from the rest of the world. But if the world goes into a recession, it will hit these small towns especially hard.

What Things Cost
RealAudio
Did you know a 3 bedroom home on an acre of land will only cost you $102,000 in Cuba, MO? Find out more...

December 6, 2000
Q&A with Dennis Roedemeier
RealAudio
People have said leadership was key in turning Cuba around. Much of that is thanks to Dennis Roedemeier, Director of Development for the State of Missouri, within the Department of Economic Development. Missouri was the first state to set up office in Africa. Why? Because "...we are either going to participate in this global economy or we will be run over by the global economy." (See http://www.ecodev.state.mo.us/ and http://www.state.mo.us/)

Missouri's Exports
RealAudio
So just what does Missouri make and where does it go? Who are their biggest trading partners? Some surprising answers.

New Madrid Farmers
RealAudio
We've seen how business has been able to expand thanks to the global market. But what happens when there are restriction? Farmers in New Madrid, Missouri and Diplomats from Cuba who visited the area in the fall are ready to forgive the past and begin trading. But with embargos still firmly in place, there is little hope that trade will begin, even though demand for agricultural products would be high and cost low.

The Joys of Growing Apples: A Commentary by Leona Heitsch
RealAudio
Even though there's not a big economic incentive to grow apples, Leona Heitsch shares her thoughts on other reasons for going into the business.

December 5, 2000
A Tour of Cuba, MO
RealAudio
Host David Brancaccio does a tour of Cuba with Ray Mortimeyer, former mayor turned mail carrier, who presided over the town's turnaround. David joins him on his mail route and gets a historic run-down of the town.

Tour Cuba
View slideshow
What's there to see in the "middle of the middle"? Our intrepid host (and photographer!) David Brancaccio shows us the sights from his point of view.

Cuba vs. Cuba
RealAudio
Yesterday we learned how much it costs to live in Cuba, MO vs. New York, NY. But how does this little known small town compare with its more famous counter-part, Cuba, Cuba?

The Last Line of Defense...a Commentary by Percy Pascoe
RealAudio
In a climate where corporate America seems to be buying out newspapers left and right, Founder and Editor of "Cuba Free Press" and the "Steelville Star," Percy Pasco, argues the virtues and benefits of a small town paper. Independent papers are "the last line of defense of editorial freedom in America" and should never be compromised and sold to be turned into a money machine.

AFL-CIO
RealAudio
There's another dimension to the economic turnaround of Cuba, MO. The labor crisis that hit the town in 1984 didn't affect some of the manufacturing companies as much as the migration of factories brought by the North American Free Trade Agreement a decade later. In this interview, the sentiment is that NAFTA and other free trade agreements have only resulted in lose-lose situations for people on both sides of the border.

December 4, 2000
An Overview
RealAudio
Host David Brancaccio explains "Why Cuba???" and shows how globalism is local.

The Barrel Maker
RealAudio | View slideshow
Meet Leroy McGinniss. He is as internationally savvy as they come. This "small town" barrel maker used to send his oak barrels to Kentucky to hold bourbon. Now he ships all around the world - Scotland, South Africa, and France - and has expanded into wine barrels, thanks to the global marketplace.

Cuba vs. New York
RealAudio
So how does living in Cuba, MO affect your wallet? Marketplace compares the cost of living in Cuba verses some of America's other well known cities.

Going Global in MO, by Jim Bogan
RealAudio
A Missouri poet takes us on a trip through familiar "international" places but these have a distinct local flavor.
(Visit Jim Bogan's Web site http://www.umr.edu/~jbogan/ozark.htm)