All Things Considered

Part 6 of a 6-part series

The economic upheaval of the past several years has had a big impact on the nation's politics — from the president down to the precinct level.

In Florida's Miami-Dade County, it's changed the whole tone of local government.

Carlos Gimenez has been a fixture here for many years — as a member of the Board of County Commissioners, and before that as city manager and fire chief in the City of Miami.

But now he suddenly finds himself in a new job.

Behind the current Federal Aviation Administration shutdown, there is a labor dispute — one that brings out the lobbying forces of the airline industry and the unions. And some of the talent that involves is truly impressive, even by K Street standards.

Los Angeles County supervisors are refusing to turn over subpoenaed records involving the deaths of youngsters under supervision by the Department of Children and Family Services. The state auditor, who is also looking at child deaths in Alameda, Fresno and Sacramento, says L.A. county's refusal is a crime. The Legislature ordered an investigation into the L.A. deaths earlier this year after a Los Angeles Times report found that more than 70 children have died since 2008 of abuse or neglect after coming under the purview of county social workers.

The 57th Newport Jazz Festival kicks off Friday in Newport, Rhode Island. The thousands of attendees grooving out to jazz may not be able to hear it, but festival's founder, George Wein, has taken both the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk festivals in a new direction this year.

Oil and gas industry leaders say support for cleaner-burning natural gas is on the rise among policymakers in western states.  But officials attending the Colorado Oil and Gas Association’s annual meeting say support for actually extracting the natural gas on western lands is another story.