David Sommerstein
David Sommerstein, a contributor from North Country Public Radio (NCPR), has covered the St. Lawrence Valley, Thousand Islands, Watertown, Fort Drum and Tug Hill regions since 2000. Sommerstein has reported extensively on agriculture in New York State, Fort Drum’s engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the lives of undocumented Latino immigrants on area dairy farms. He’s won numerous national and regional awards for his reporting from the Associated Press, the Public Radio News Directors Association, and the Radio-Television News Directors Association. He's regularly featured on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Only a Game, and PRI’s The World.
Sommerstein started his career in radio as a sit-in jazz and Latin DJ at Buffalo NPR affiliate WBFO. He’s a huge baseball fan, speaks fluent Spanish, and hosts a bilingual music show featuring funk, hip hop, Latin and world beats, called The Beat Authority.
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Massena, N.Y., has hemorrhaged factory jobs over the past decade. Now, digital currency mining firms have come to town, promising jobs and investment. -
One of the fastest Olympic events is the luge. Lying down, feet first and traveling at speeds faster than 90 mph. The difference between winning and losing is tiny and a man from New York is doing his part to help athletes win gold.
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Most of the ice wine in the Unites States comes from Canada and Germany. But now, American wineries in places like upstate New York and Michigan are also starting to produce some of their own. -
For people living on a reservation that sits on the U.S.-Canada border, there are many struggles to overcome — including stereotypes and discrimination. -
The plan is on hold while a legal battle plays out. Even if it's upheld, the Trump administration is likely to appeal to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, states are looking at energy alternatives. -
Such workshops are being closed across the U.S., more than 15 years after the Supreme Court said separate work settings constitute discrimination. But advocates say clients have nowhere else to go. -
Val James became the first American-born black player in the NHL in 1982. He faced vicious racism, including fans throwing bananas on the ice. After 30 years in silence, he is talking about it now.
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Paul Smith's College, in upstate New York, is among a handful of higher ed institutions offering coursework in craft beer. Be forewarned: The classes are heavier on the science than the partying. -
While snowed-in Buffalo, N.Y. digs out, some Buffaloans are trying to figure out how to get home for Thanksgiving. That includes college students preparing for a difficult drive.
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Bear is traditional American grub, and hunting bear for meat can help control overpopulation. But bear meat isn't going to make its way into restaurants or onto the average dinner table anytime soon.
