98. Yanqi Xu on How Alvo's Huge Tire Pile Led to a Crisis of Democracy

Alvo is a small town of about 115 between Omaha and Lincoln. The
kind of place you probably haven’t ever thought about unless you
live near it. The kind of place that can be easy to romanticize
as a typical small town in the Heartland. And where nobody is
looking, sometimes it’s because there’s nothing to see. But other
times, there’s so much under the surface that it can be difficult
to wrap your mind around all of it. Flatwater Free Press reporter
Yanqi Xu is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch on today's show to
look at Alvo for a story of toxic contamination and a cultural
crisis that stems from a pile of tires. Read her original
reporting here.