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The Source: Veteran Unemployment | Midnight In Mexico

In the first segment:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate among veterans is much higher than that of their civilian counterparts. The rate fell below 10 percent last year and hovers in the 9 percent range, more than 2 points higher than the national average.  

Lack of job training, rough transitions from the military, and stereotypes on the effects of military service plague this population. What will it take to bring these numbers down?  What are the real experiences of employers with their veteran employees?

We talk about it today with Kara Hill from Hill Brothers Construction, Mary Batch from Toyota, and Robert Cano from G.I. Forum, a local nonprofit that provides social services to veterans.

Learn more about this topic:

In the second segment:

130604-source-midnight-in-mexico.mp3

In his new book, "Midnight in Mexico," Alfredo Corchado takes us into the heart of Mexico's drug war, a war that has cost 80,000 people their lives and made some very wealthy and powerful.  

His hopes that Mexico could become a place of prosperity and political accountability were challenged time and again, and as the violence of the mid-2000's exploded he was tipped off that he himself was on the list of the powerful Zeta's drug cartel, and could be the next victim of the war.  

His first-hand account and reportage are powerful narratives in the new book.

*The Source airs at 3 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM - audio from this show will be posted by 5:30 p.m.

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Paul Flahive can be reached at Paul@tpr.org