Participation Nation
4:03 pm
Sat August 25, 2012

Replanting Trees In New Orleans

Credit iStockphoto.com
City Park in New Orleans.

Originally published on Thu September 20, 2012 10:18 am

More than 100,000 trees — including many beautiful live oaks and magnolias — were lost when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

In response, Hike For KaTREEna — a nonprofit group dedicated to reforesting the Crescent City — was created.

Since 2006, more than 10,000 volunteers have helped to plant 13,400 trees — including oaks, cypress, red maples, crepe myrtles, magnolias, redbuds, Savannah hollies and citrus trees such as navel orange, satsuma, lemon, lime and grapefruit.

Read more
The Two-Way
2:42 pm
Sat August 25, 2012

Neil Armstrong, First Man To Walk On the Moon, Dies

Originally published on Sun August 26, 2012 4:28 pm

Former astronaut Neil Armstrong, known for his words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," has died. The first man ever to walk on the moon was 82.

Update at 5:15 p.m. ET:

Armstrong's family has released a statement, saying he died following cardiovascular procedures. NASA published it here. They say, "Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job."

Read more
The Two-Way
1:11 pm
Sat August 25, 2012

In Killing New York Gunman, Police Also Shot Bystanders

Credit Louis Lanzano / AP
Police investigate a shooting at the Empire State Building in New York on Friday.

Originally published on Sat August 25, 2012 8:42 pm

The shooting outside the Empire State Building on Friday took a new turn Saturday: New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says all nine bystanders wounded in the deadly incident were "struck either by fragments or bullets fired by the police."

Read more
Participation Nation
12:03 pm
Sat August 25, 2012

Art Of Mentoring In Minneapolis

Credit Courtesy of MPTA
Preparing a wall for a mural.

Originally published on Thu September 20, 2012 10:33 am

Cross the Mississippi River on Saint Paul's Marshall Avenue and it morphs into Minneapolis' Lake Street — a colorful kaleidoscope of cultures.

As Lake Street's collection of murals grows, so does its sense of safety, beauty and community — thanks to groups of artist-activists.

Read more
Music Interviews
11:03 am
Sat August 25, 2012

Chilly Gonzales: Pianist, Rapper, Provocateur

Credit Alexandre Isard
Chilly Gonzales' latest album is Solo Piano II.

Originally published on Sat August 25, 2012 7:16 pm

The Salt
8:13 am
Sat August 25, 2012

On A Quest To Roll Out The Bourbon Barrel And Fill It With Hot Sauce

Credit Scott Olson / Getty Images
Used bourbon barrels like these at the Goose Island Brewery in Chicago are finding new life by bringing distinctive flavor to beer, cocktails and hot sauce.

Originally published on Mon October 15, 2012 9:39 am

Washington, D.C. blogger Sam Hiersteiner is a hot sauce fan turned maker. He's already harvested two pounds of chiles — serranos, jalapenos, and habaneros — from his 30-plant pepper garden this month, and he's ready to mash them into hot sauce as soon as more ripen. Last year, he mashed fifty pounds total.While he loved the results, he thought it would be even better with a whisper of the flavor imparted by a barrel used for aging bourbon.

Read more
Fresh Air Weekend
8:03 am
Sat August 25, 2012

Fresh Air Weekend: Mike Birbiglia, Bill Hader

Credit Adam Beckman / IFC Films
Scenes in the movie Sleepwalk With Me -- about Mike Birbiglia's sleep disorder — made him emotional while filming them.

Originally published on Fri August 31, 2012 5:10 pm

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Read more
Favorite Sessions
7:03 am
Sat August 25, 2012

Doug Paisley: The Outcast's Apostle

Credit Courtesy of Dave Christensen
Doug Paisley gets personal at Pendarvis Farm during Pickathon Music Festival in Oregon.

Originally published on Wed October 17, 2012 11:02 am

With the voice of a classic country crooner, singer-songwriter Doug Paisley writes lyrics to which everyone can relate. While fiddles sound off in the background, Paisley takes a break from Oregon's Pickathon Music Festival to perform a new acoustic song for opbmusic.org.

Read more
Participation Nation
6:03 am
Sat August 25, 2012

Handlebar Help In Rochester, N.Y.

Credit Courtesy of RCB
Dan Lill of R Community Bikes.

R Community Bikes is a grassroots organization in Rochester that repairs and gives away bikes to people in need.

The vision and tireless work of Dan Lill has helped this group grow from a seasonal bike clinic in a soup kitchen parking lot — with two would-be bike mechanics — to a full fledged nonprofit with 50-60 active volunteer bike mechanics and a 6,000 square foot shop-and-warehouse that provides free repairs to the entire population.

Read more

Tanner spent the first 10 years of his career in print as a travel and features writer for Southern Living magazine in Birmingham, Alabama.

He then transitioned into multimedia reporting, using sound, video, and photography to tell his stories.

A graduate of the University of Alabama, Tanner is a world traveler, folk art collector, foodie, and he always tries the local beer on tap.

Pages