>> RIGHT NOW ON "MATTER OF FACT," A GRUELING SCHEDULE. DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. FIREFIGHTERS PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE EVERYDAY. AND NOW A SHORTAGE IS MAKING THINGS EVEN HARDER. >> WE STILL HAVE 911 CALLS WE HAVE TO RUN. WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT WITH 80 LESS PEOPLE. >> A CENTRAL FLORIDA FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GETTING CREATIVE TO ATTRACT THE NEXT GENERATION OF FIREFIGHTERS. WILL IT WORK? PLUS. TAX DAY IS TWO WEEKS AWAY AND AMERICANS ARE ON HOLD WITH THE IRS. >> IRS HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY STARVED FOR RESOURCES. >> COULD AN $80 BILLION INCREASE FOR THE AGENCY MAKE YOUR FILING PROCESS EASIER? >> I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY. IS IT? >> WE TALK TO A SYRACUSE PROFESSOR WHO HAS KEPT A CLOSE EYE ON HOW THE IRS WORKS FOR DECADES. AND. THEY MADE HISTORY AT THE SUPREME COURT. >> I STILL REMAIN THE ONLY PERSON IN U.S. HISTORY TO BE DENIED A TRADEMARK FOR SLANT BECAUSE I WAS TOO ASIAN TO RECEIVE IT. >> NOW, THE SLANTS EIGHT-YEAR LEGAL BATTLE IS BEING TOLD TO A NEW GENERATION. AT THE OPERA. ♪ ♪ ♪ SOLEDAD: I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WELCOME TO "MATTER OF FACT." LONGER LINES, SLOWER SERVICE, AND MORE INCONVENIENCE. THE PANDEMIC HAS FOREVER CHANGED THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE. AT THE START OF THE YEAR, THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED FIVE MILLION MORE POSITIONS AVAILABLE THAN PEOPLE TO FILL THEM. BUT JOB SHORTAGES ARE NOT JUST HEADACHES, THEY COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. THERE ARE REPORTS OF FIREFIGHTER SHORTAGES, BOTH CAREER AND VOLUNTEER, IN MAJOR CITIES AND RURAL TOWNS. ALTHOUGH IT’S HARD TO NAIL DOWN AN EXACT TOTAL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN MARION COUNTY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, THE DEPARTMENT IS HAVING TROUBLE FILLING VACANCIES, AND KEEPING UP WITH SOARING DEMAND. 911 CALLS HAVE DOUBLED THERE IN THE LAST DECADE. OUR CORRESPONDENT DAN LIEBERMAN HAS MORE ON HOW THE DEPARTMENT IS FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO RECRUIT STAFF AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY. >> WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DECIDED THEY DIDN’T WANT TO DO THIS JOB ANYMORE. WE’VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT THIS PROBLEM. THERE’S TOO MUCH AT STAKE. >> IT’S THE NIGHTMARE SCENARIO FOR U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATOR DR. LORI MOORE-MERRELL. >> SO THERE ARE DEPARTMENTS RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE U.S. WHERE THE SHORTAGES ARE SO SEVERE THAT THEY HAVE TO JUST SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS? >> THAT’S CORRECT, PARTICULARLY IN OUR VOLUNTEER CADRE. OUR VOLUNTEER STATIONS, THERE’S A LOT WHERE THERE’S NO ONE TO RESPOND. THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THERE IS NO ONE COMING FOR MILES AWAY. >> VOLUNTEER AND CAREER FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC STAFFING SHORTAGES, AND CHIEFS ACROSS THE NATION ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM. SO RIGHT NOW, I’M ABOUT 80 SHORT. I NEED A LITTLE OVER 500 UNIFORMED PERSONNEL. SO WE’RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO BRIDGE THAT GAP. >> MARION COUNTY, IN RURAL CENTRAL FLORIDA, HAS ONE OF THE MOST UNDERSTAFFED FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE. IT SERVES A GROWING POPULATION OF SOME 400,000 AND INCLUDES THE LARGEST RETIREMENT COMMUNITY IN THE NATION. >> WE CAN’T REDUCE SERVICES. WE STILL HAVE 911 CALLS WE HAVE TO RUN. WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT WITH 80 LESS PEOPLE. SO THAT EQUATES TO BEING BUSIER ON YOUR SHIFT. IT EQUATES TO MANDATORY OVERTIME, WHICH MEANS TOMORROW MAYBE YOU CAN’T GO HOME WHEN YOU WERE SCHEDULED TO GO HOME. >> FIREFIGHTER RYAN LIETS KNOWS ALL TOO WELL ABOUT MANDATORY OVERTIME. HE USED TO WORK AN AVERAGE OF 60 HOURS PER WEEK. NOW, HE HAS TO WORK AS MUCH AS 100 HOURS. SOMETIMES IT’S LITERALLY AN HOUR -- >> SOMETIMES IT’S LITERALLY AN HOUR BEFORE YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET OFF, AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT PHONE CALL TO YOUR WIFE. >> LIETZ IS MARRIED WITH THREE KIDS, AND HIS WIFE SARA HAS HER OWN DEMANDING JOB AS A NURSE, AND OFTEN HAS TO COVER FOR HIM. >> PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY, IT DRAINS YOU TO HAVE TO BE THERE FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS. WHEN I’M HOME, I LIKE TO BE HOME WITH THEM AND NOT PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY DRAINED. >> HOW DO YOU TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT YOUR JOB? >> IT’S GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE I DON’T WANT ANYBODY THAT I LOVE TO BECOME A FIREFIGHTER AND HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS. I STILL LOVE TO TO SAY THAT I’M A FIREFIGHTER. I LOVE TO SHOW OFF FOR MY KIDS. AND WHEN THEY COME TO THE STATION THEY DO GET EXCITED. BUT THE MOST HAPPY THEY GET IS WHEN I GET HOME. >> SOME OF THE HIGHEST SHORTAGES FOR FIREFIGHTERS IN THE WHOLE STATE OF FLORIDA ARE RIGHT HERE IN MARION COUNTY. WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S SO BAD HERE? >> WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH PAY AND PEOPLE SEE THAT THE MANDATORY OVERTIMES ARE HERE AND THAT’S HAPPENING ACROSS THE STATE. BUT HERE THERE SEEMS TO BE NO END. >> MARION COUNTY AS COMPARED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE REALLY IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT HAS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF VACANCIES. >> FIRE CHIEF HAROLD THEIS HELPED LEAD A STATEWIDE SURVEY OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO STUDY WHAT’S CAUSING THE SHORTAGES. >> WHEN YOU FOUND THAT NEARLY 3,000 FIREFIGHTERS ARE GOING TO RETIRE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, ARE THERE ENOUGH NEW HIRES TO FILL THOSE SPOTS? >> WELL, IT CERTAINLY HASN’T BEEN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I’M NOT REALLY SURE WHERE THE SHIFT TURNED WHERE YOUTH WERE NO LONGER AS INTERESTED IN ENTERING PUBLIC SAFETY AS THEY ONCE DID. BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE IT HAS HAPPENED. >> THEIS WANTS THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND WHAT’S AT STAKE, FEWER FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES. >> ONE COUNTY SOUTH OF US HAD OTHER COUNTIES COME IN TO THEIR JURISDICTION TO RUN CALLS BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING TO TAKE UNITS OUT OF SERVICE. >> WHAT CAN THAT LEAD TO? I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? LONGER RESPONSE TIMES? >> YES. >> POTENTIALLY A HOUSE BURNING, LIVES LOST? >> IT LEADS TO ALL THOSE THINGS. AND THAT’S WHY THIS IS SUCH A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR US. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE’RE DOING TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT IS MARKETING OF THE FIRE SERVICE. >> SOME CLAIM WE ARE HEROES. >> AND YOU CAN SEE THE CREATIVITY IN THESE VIDEOS. IT USES THE IMAGERY OF, YOU KNOW, THE HERO AND PROTECTING YOUR COMMUNITY, REALLY TRYING TO HIT THOSE EMOTIONAL WORDS AND EMOTIONAL PHRASES THAT ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THE BUSINESS. >> WE’RE FOCUSING LOCALLY ON TRYING TO HIRE LOCAL PEOPLE, FEEDING THE FIRE SERVICE THROUGH THE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS, THROUGH MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS, FINDING PEOPLE THAT MAYBE CAN’T GO TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO GO TO SCHOOL AND HIRING THEM AND PAYING THEM TO GO TO SCHOOL. WE’RE REALLY GOOD AT HIRING PEOPLE. WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AT KEEPING THEM HERE. >> MAKING SURE THE NATION’S SAFETY NET REMAINS STRONG FOR EVERYONE. FOR "MATTER OF FACT," I’M DAN LIEBERMAN IN FLORIDA. >> NEXT ON MATTER OF FACT, LAST YEAR, IRS AGENTS ANSWERED ABOUT 10% OF THE 73 MILLION CALLS FROM TAXPAYERS. >> THEY CAN’T GET THROUGH ON THE PHONE LINES, THEY’RE STUCK >> WE TALK TO A STATISTICIAN WHO HAS BEEN TRACKING THE IRS SINCE THE 1970S. CAN NEW FUNDING TURN THE AGENCY AROUND? PLUS. AN ASIAN-AMERICAN ROCK GROUP’S LEGAL BATTLE, AND VICTORY, AT THE SUPREME COURT. IT IS NOW BEING PERFORMED AS AN OPERA. AND LATER. WE RETURN TO PUERTO RICO WHERE A COMMUNITY IS REFUSING TO GO WITHOUT POWER AFTER A MAJOR STORM, AGAIN. THEY’VE CREATED THEIR OWN MICROGRID. YOU ARE WATCHING "MATTER OF FACT," AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED NEWS MAGAZINE. SOLEDAD: LOVE IT OR HATE THE IRS, WELL ACTUALLY LET’S BE REAL -- NOBODY LOVES THE IRS. BUT IT DOES PERFORM THE NECESSARY FUNCTION OF COLLECTING TAXES, WHICH MEANS WE CAN HAVE THINGS LIKE BRIDGES, MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. IMPORTANT STUFF. WITH LESS FUNDING OVER THE YEARS, THE AGENCY HAS DOWNSIZED ITS STAFF AND IS USING OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY. MEANING LONGER WAIT TIMES TO SPEAK WITH AN IRS AGENT, IF YOU CAN GET THROUGH AT ALL. LAST YEAR, THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT BECAME LAW, GIVING THE IRS 80 BILLION DOLLARS. THE MONEY WILL BE USED OVER THE NEXT DECADE TO HIRE MORE STAFF AND MODERNIZE THE AGENCY. SUSAN LONG IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TRANSACTIONAL RECORDS ACCESS CLEARINGHOUSE, OR TRAC. SHE’S BEEN STUDYING IRS RECORDS SINCE THE 1970S. SUSAN LONG, SO NICE TO HAVE YOU. TAKE ME BACK TO THE 1970S WHEN YOU STARTED REALLY TRACKING, IF YOU WILL, THE IRS. WHY DID YOU START? WHAT INFORMATION WERE YOU LOOKING FOR? >> WELL, I WAS A GRADUATE STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON BACK THEN, BUT I WANTED DATA FOR MY DISSERTATION LOOKING AT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TAX AUDITS. SOLEDAD: YOUR ORGANIZATION FOUND IN 2021 THAT PEOPLE WHO MADE LESS THAN $25,000 WERE BEING AUDITED AT A RATE FIVE TIMES HIGHER THAN OTHER AMERICANS. WHY ARE LOWER INCOME AMERICANS BEING TARGETED IN THIS WAY? >> WELL, BECAUSE THEY’RE REALLY EASY MARKS. THEY TOOK THE ANTI POVERTY EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT AND IRS CAN SEND THEM A LETTER IN THE MAIL AND ASK A LOT OF COMPLICATED QUESTIONS. AND IF THOSE TAXPAYERS DON’T RESPOND BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE ANYONE TO ASSIST THEM AND THEY CAN’T GET THROUGH ON THE PHONE LINES, THEY’RE STUCK AND THEY END UP HAVING THE MONEY ASSESSED AGAINST THEM. SOLEDAD: SO DO YOU THINK BY ADDING MONEY TO THE IRS AND GETTING MORE PEOPLE JUST TO ANSWER THE PHONES, IT’S ACTUALLY GOING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THAT $25,000 AND LOWER INCOME BRACKET TO BE AUDITED LESS FREQUENTLY, OR AT LEAST TO HAVE A BETTER OPTION IN NAVIGATING THOSE LETTERS? >> YES, I DO THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. SOLEDAD: THERE IS ACTUALLY THIS MASSIVE GAP, RIGHT, IN COLLECTIONS. WHAT CAUSES THAT GAP AND HOW COME THEY’RE NOT COLLECTING IT? >> THAT TAKES IRS HIRING REVENUE AGENTS. THOSE ARE EXPERIENCED, HIGHLY QUALIFIED PEOPLE THAT CAN AUDIT THESE COMPLICATED RETURNS. BASICALLY, THEIR STUDIES MAY SHOW TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS POTENTIALLY IF NOTHING IS DONE WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AND TO COLLECT IT, YOU’VE GOT TO AUDIT WHERE THE MONEY IS. THAT IS THE MILLIONAIRES AND THE BIG COMPANIES. SOLEDAD: THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO I THINK ARE CONCERNED THAT ACTUALLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THAT THE IRS WILL START TARGETING MORE MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS WITH AUDITS AND NOT NECESSARILY GO AFTER THE VERY RICH PEOPLE. DO YOU THINK THAT’S A VALID CONCERN? >> MOST TAXPAYERS HAVE A W-2 AND YOUR MONEY IS WITHHELD AND THEY ARE 1099S THAT TELL IRS, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER KINDS OF MONEY YOU HAVE RECEIVED. THEY PROMISE, RIGHT, THAT IN FACT, NO ONE THAT IS MAKING LESS THAN $400,000 WILL BE AUDITED MORE. SOLEDAD: I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I FIND TAXES SO COMPLICATED. >> OH, I AGREE. BUT THAT’S CONGRESS. IF WE WANT SOMETHING THAT IS EASIER TO COMPLY WITH, WE SHOULD BE TALKING TO OUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. IRS, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE JUST HANDED THE LAW -- THEY DID NOT WRITE IT, BUT THEY ARE GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY. SOLEDAD: SUSAN LONG, THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME. >> COMING UP, AN ASIAN AMERICAN BAND GOES FROM ROCK TO OPERA. THE SLANTS RETURN TO OUR SHOW WITH A PREVIEW OF OPENING NIGHT. SOLEDAD. -- SOLEDAD: IT MIGHT BE SURPRISING TO HEAR THAT CLASSICAL MUSIC IS INCREASING IN POPULARITY AMONG GEN Z AND YOUNG MILLENNIALS, IT’S CREDITED WITH HELPING TO EASE PANDEMIC STRESS. NOW TRADITIONAL OPERA COMPANIES ARE USING MORE CONTEMPORARY THEMES AND MUSICAL SCORES TO LURE YOUNGER AUDIENCES. OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT JOIE CHEN RECONNECTED WITH SOMEONE WE FIRST MET LAST YEAR ON THE MATTER OF FACT LISTENING TOUR. ONE OF OUR TRAILBLAZERS AND TROUBLEMAKERS, MUSICIAN SIMON TAM. HE’S NOW TAKEN HIS SLANT ON THE AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM TO A VERY DIFFERENT STAGE. >> IN THIS TEST OF FREE SPEECH HIS WAS THE VOICE NOT HEARD. >> NO, THAT IS NOT US YOU ARE SPEAKING ♪ >> AT LEAST UNTIL NOW. >> NO, YOU DON’T KNOW OUR COMMUNITY ♪ >> THESE ARE THE WORDS SIMON TAM WANTED BUT DIDN’T GET TO SAY AT THE SUPREME COURT, NOW SUNG BY KOREAN-AMERICAN TENOR MATTHEW PEARCE, IN A PERFORMANCE THAT CHRONICLES TAM’S NEARLY DECADE-LONG LEGAL ODYSSEY ON BEHALF OF HIS ASIAN AMERICAN ROCK BAND, THE SLANTS. >> WE SING FOR THE JAPANESE AND THE CHINESE AND THE DIRTY KNEES ♪ >> TAM FOUGHT TO TRADEMARK THE SLANTS NAME, WHICH THE U.S. PATENT OFFICE INSISTED WOULD DISPARAGE ASIAN AMERICANS, THAT WOULD BE ASIAN AMERICANS LIKE SIMON TAM. >> I STILL REMAIN THE ONLY PERSON IN U.S. HISTORY TO BE DENIED A TRADEMARK FOR SLANT BECAUSE I WAS TOO ASIAN TO RECEIVE IT. >> THAT’S CRAZY. >> IT IS A BIT RIDICULOUS. >> BUT IN SOME WAYS INSPIRING. AFTER THE BAND FINALLY WON ITS SUPREME COURT CASE, TAM AND BANDMATE JOE JIANG STARTED A FOUNDATION FOR YOUNG ACTIVISTS, THEY GOT BOOKED AS FREE SPEECH EXPERTS, AND WERE COMMISSIONED TO COMPOSE THEIR NEXT ACT, AN OPERA. WHAT DID YOU THINK? >> THAT’S A GREAT IDEA. GO AHEAD AND DO IT BECAUSE I AM NOT QUALIFIED TO WRITE AN OPERA. >> BUT ONE YEAR LATER, THE OPERA THEATER OF ST. LOUIS PREMIERED SLANTED. AN AMERICAN ROCK OPERA COMPOSED BY JOE JIANG AND SIMON TAM. >> IF IT CREATES MORE ROLES FOR PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE US ON STAGE, IF IT CREATES MORE ROLES FOR ASIAN AMERICANS, I WILL DO IT. >> WE GOT A SNEAK PEAK AT THE FINAL PRODUCT DURING DRESS REHEARSALS. >> FREE SPEECH. HATE SPEECH. FREE SPEECH. >> SLANTED IS ONE OF THREE IN THE OPERA THEATER’S NEW WORKS COLLECTIVE WHICH FEATURES MARGINALIZED ARTISTS AND STORYLINES AND AIMS TO MAKE OPERA MORE ACCESSIBLE, ESPECIALLY TO YOUNGER AND MORE DIVERSE AUDIENCES. THE OPERA THEATER’S AHN LE. >> THINK THAT PEOPLE FEEL OPERA IS THIS ELITIST, EXPENSIVE ART FORM, THAT IT’S ONLY OPEN TO A SELECT FEW, WHEN THE REALITY IS THAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE MASSES. >> TO COMBAT THAT PERCEPTION THE ST LOUIS COMPANY WENT EVEN FURTHER. IN A FIRST FOR AMERICAN OPERA, ASKING A COMMITTEE OF LOCAL CITIZENS -- NOT EXPERTS -- TO CHOOSE WHICH OPERAS TO COMMISSION. >> WHY TAKE THAT RISK? >> I THINK THAT RISK IS NECESSARY TO KEEP OUR ART FORM ALIVE. IF PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR US TO RETHINK WHAT WE DO TO MAKE IT RELEVANT TO THEM, THIS IS A NECESSARY STEP. SO YES, IT’S RISKY, BUT IT’S ALSO COMPLETELY NECESSARY. >> SLANTED TELLS THE STORY OF JUST ONE BAND, BUT CARRIES A UNIVERSAL THEME OF ISOLATION, AND OF BELONGING. >> I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE INVISIBLE AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES. EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WHEN YOU’RE NOT HEARD AND HOW DEVASTATING THAT CAN BE. >> DIRECTOR RAJENDRA MAHARAJ CENTERED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PLACE ON THE PRODUCTION. >> WE’RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO FERGUS -- FERGUSON. >> ST. LOUIS HASN’T FORGOTTEN THE 2014 POLICE KILLING OF MIKE BROWN OR THE EMERGENCE OF BLACK LIVES MATTER ACTIVISM HERE >> WE ARE NOT JUST MAKING PIECES OF WORK FOR THE PATRONS OF THE OPERA. WE ARE BRINGING COMMUNITY HOPEFULLY FROM FERGUSON, FROM OTHER PARTS OF ST LOUIS AND OTHER NEARBY TOWNS AND JUST, CONNECTING THEM. ♪ >> CONNECTING THOSE AUDIENCES TO STORIES THAT DESERVE TO BE HEARD. AS THE CURTAIN DRAWS ON A NEW ACT. FOR MATTER OF FACT, I’M JOIE CHEN IN ST LOUIS. SOLEDAD: THE OPERA THEATER OF ST. LOUIS PLANS TO PREMIERE A TOTAL OF SIX NEW WORKS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. AHEAD ON "MATTER OF FACT." AN UPDATE ON HOW PUERTO RICO IS TURNING TO THE SUN TO POWER THEIR GRID. TO STAY UP-TO-DATE, SIGN-UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT MATTEROFFACT.TV. SOLEDAD: NOW AN UPDATE ON PUERTO RICO’S EFFORT TO UPGRADE ITS POWER GRID TO WITHSTAND EXTREME WEATHER. IN 2017, HURRICANE MARIA CUT POWER ON THE ISLAND FOR NEARLY A YEAR. MATTER OF FACT VISITED PUERTO RICO ABOUT A YEAR AFTER MARIA MADE LANDFALL AND THERE WAS STILL WIDESPREAD DAMAGE. I MET COMMUNITY GROUPS AND RESIDENTS ADVOCATING FOR A SOLAR SOLUTION FOR THEIR ELECTRICITY NEEDS. >> IF ANOTHER HURRICANE PASSES, WE HAVE ELECTRICITY, BECAUSE WE DON’T PAY NO MORE FOR THE BIG PLANT. SOLEDAD: LAST SEPTEMBER, HURRICANE FIONA HIT THE ISLAND. BATTERING THE ALREADY DISTRESSED INFRASTRUCTURE. THE TOWN OF ADJUNTAS HAS INSTALLED A COOPERATIVELY-OWNED SOLAR MICRO-GRID. IT CAN POWER 14 LOCAL BUSINESSES FOR TEN DAYS, IF THE CONNECTION TO THE MAIN GRID FAILS. PUERTO RICO’S GOVERNMENT HAS A GOAL TO RUN THE ENTIRE ISLAND ON RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2050. >> STILL HAD ON "MATTER OF FACT." SALMON, OIL, AND GOLD. HOW AN UNPOPULAR PURCHASE BECAME A WIN FOR THE U.S. SOLEDAD: FINALLY, WE’RE MARKING AN ANNIVERSARY ABOUT AN UNPOPULAR LAND DEAL THAT BENEFITS MANY AMERICANS. ON MARCH 30, 1867, THE U.S. AGREED TO BUY ALASKA FROM RUSSIA FOR $7.2 MILLION. THEN SECRETARY OF STATE, WILLIAM SEWARD WAS MOCKED FOR INVESTING IN WHAT WAS SEEN AS WORTHLESS TERRITORY. CRITICS CALLED IT SEWARD’S FOLLY AND SEWARD’S ICEBOX ALASKA WAS AN ENORMOUS WILDERNESS, DESOLATE, FREEZING COLD, WITH LITTLE INFRASTRUCTURE AND FEW PEOPLE. THAT WOULD SOON CHANGE. IN THE 1880S, THE FIRST ECONOMIC BOOM CAME FROM SALMON FISHING. BY 1917, ALASKA PRODUCED HALF OF THE WORLD’S CANNED SALMON. THEN GOLD WAS FOUND IN THE YUKON IN THE LATE 1890S. THE NEXT BIG DISCOVERY WAS OIL IN 1957. IT BECAME THE REGION’S MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC DRIVER. ALASKA’S IMPORTANCE WAS FINALLY RECOGNIZED IN 1959 WHEN IT BECAME THE 49TH STATE IN THE UNION. PLUS, THE ALASKA PURCHASE ENDED RUSSIA’S PRESENCE IN NORTH AMERICA. THAT’S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF "MATTER OF FACT." I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WE’LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. >> LISTEN TO MATTER OF FACT WITH SOLEDAD O’BRIEN ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PROVIDER. WATCH US DURING THE WEEK ON FYI AND YOUTUBE. ♪ ♪