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. -
Biomass was rising a decade ago as a carbon-neutral energy. But the industry is sputtering as oil and natural gas booms, and some scientists are questioning if it's actually good for the environment. -
A firm in New York is making brightly colored, personalized covers for prosthetic legs that each wearer helps design — sort of like a tattoo. -
The Onondaga Nation, a Native American tribe in New York, is hosting the world indoor lacrosse championship. It's the first time an indigenous sovereign territory has hosted a major sports tournament.
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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.
