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Erika Beras

Reporter

SHORT BIO

Erika Beras is a former reporter at Marketplace. She has covered wealth & poverty, aging and other beats for Marketplace's programs.

Latest Stories (345)

Can medical marijuana become the economic engine of a city?

by Erika Beras
Sep 15, 2017
Leaders in McKeesport, Pennsylvania are hoping the medical marijuana industry can revitalize the city.
Chayne Rouse and his sister Kayla Wilkes wait in line to apply for jobs at Pure Penn. 
Erika Beras/ Marketplace
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The Big Promise

When transportation barriers become economic barriers

by Erika Beras
Aug 18, 2017
The types of jobs that are open to residents of Erie City, Pennsylvania, can depend on their access to transportation.
Rhonda Glover and her youngest son Romeo, ride an Erie bus across town.
Erika Beras/Marketplace
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The annual performance review gets a reboot

by Erika Beras
Jul 13, 2017
Companies have learned that a steady stream of feedback is more effective than a yearly review.
Tom Quitoni is a quality assurance manager at Schell Games. There, managers review workers, workers review managers and everyone provides feedback on others in the company. “It gives you a unique perspective,” Quitoni said.
Erika Beras/Marketplace
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Walmart tries to make better savers out of the unbanked

by Erika Beras
Jul 7, 2017
A prepaid debit card program with a savings plan called the Vault links prizes to savings.
Latoya Roberts and her three children shop at a Walmart in a suburb outside of Pittsburgh.
Erika Beras/Marketplace
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The Big Promise

Erie worries its natural beauty — and tourism — will suffer under budget cuts

by Erika Beras
Jun 12, 2017
Federal funds help fight beach erosion, protecting an industry that draws $1 billion a year from visitors.
Matt Greene, director of operations at Presque Isle State Park, said government funds help fight beach erosion that uproots trees.
Erika Beras
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The Big Promise

Prisons try to curb addiction with a drug that heroin-proofs your brain

by Erika Beras
Jun 2, 2017
Inmates leaving Erie County Prison get a shot of Vivitrol before they are released.
Dennis Rodgers, 29, is serving a sentence in the Erie County Prison stemming from drug abuse. A candidate for Vivitrol, he says, “This is a good shot to be completely clean.”
Erika Beras
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The Big Promise

How health care is healing Erie's ailing economy

by Erika Beras
May 24, 2017
The city's two biggest hospital systems employ nearly 7,000 people.
Health care “is a very, very core thing to the community,” said Marc Bryant, a former paper mill engineer who is now a nurse at UPMC Hamot.
Erika Beras
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Why Pittsburgh is buying $1,200 garbage cans

by Erika Beras
May 18, 2017
The smart cans are meant to save time and money, but some trash collectors are skeptical.
Robert Sledge, from the Department of Public Works, empties trash cans in downtown Pittsburgh.
Erika Beras
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Robot-Proof Jobs

Can Pittsburgh keep its workers from being replaced by smart machines?

by Erika Beras
Apr 19, 2017
The city is becoming a giant proving ground for automation and artificial intelligence.
A passenger looks on as he rides in a pilot model of an Uber self-driving car in Pittsburgh.
ANGELO MERENDINO/AFP/Getty Images
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Beacons help Waze users navigate Pittsburgh's tricky tunnel exits

by Erika Beras
Apr 17, 2017
The $30 gadgets are meant to solve 'tunnel blindness' and prevent accidents.
The Waze app indicates a tunnel is on the route and prompts you to use Bluetooth so the app continues working.  
Erika Beras
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