For Teens, Healthier Lifestyle Not Always in Reach

Washington, D.C.

WAMU - Many teens live in perfect situations to pack on pounds: access to high calorie foods and limited opportunities for exercise. But Kavitha Cardoza reports for some D.C. teens who want to live healthier lifestyles, making the change requires overcoming greater challenges.

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Urban Homesteaders Face Trademark Challenge

photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty

Oakland, CA

The California Report - In cities across California and the U.S., the term "urban homesteading" is being enthusiastically adopted by people growing their own food. Kelly Wilkinson says the movement has gone mainstream, it's run up against mainstream problems -- including an intellectual property battle.

Should Access to Public Land be Free?

Sedona, AZ

Arizona Public Radio - If you've ever gone for a hike in Sedona's world-famous red rock country, you've probably bought a Red Rock Pass. While the five dollar daily fee may not seem like a big deal, a recent court decision has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to take a second look at the Pass. And as Daniel Kraker reports, it's also revived a larger, more philosophical debate over access to public lands across the west.

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Will February Outrage Last through Recall Season?

Madison, WI

WUWM - Signatures have now been turned in for half of the 16 state senators targeted for recall. Petitions have been filed against five Republicans and three Democrats, over the issue of collective bargaining rights for public workers.
Groups are seeking the ouster of Republicans, for their support of Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to strip most bargaining rights. Democratic lawmakers are targeted because they left the state in an effort to prevent Walker’s bill from passing. Ann-Elise Henzl has this update.

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Good Friday: Hot Hits from the Bible

Seattle, WA

KPLU - Pop Stars and Nuns. They don’t usually go together, with some notable exceptions.
But in 1973 Sister Janet Mead, a Roman Catholic nun from Australia had an international smash hit on her hands with her single “The Lord’s Prayer.”  John Kessler and John Maynard offer up this montage of hot hits from the bible...

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College Degrees For Inmates, Even the Lifers

Nashville, TN

WPLN - In Tennessee a free college education is possible – in prison. Lipscomb University, a Christian school in Nashville, has offered courses at the Tennessee Prison For Women since 2007, as part of its community outreach. And starting this year the school is creating a path for inmates to earn a degree. Anne Marshall reports this should help them get jobs once they’re out, if they get out.

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Elk Creek Sitting atop Rare Earth

Elk Creek, NE

NET - Niobium and other rare earth elements were discovered here in the 1970's. At the time, the mining company that found it elected not to dig it up. Now those minerals are in demand. Niobium is used to make light-weight steel super hard and currently it's mined in China, Brazil and Canada. But Bill Kelly reports a deposit may sit under the farms outside of the town of Elk Creek, Nebraska, population 116.


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Civil War Aftermath Still Impacts Race in KY

Richmond, KY

WEKU - A border state during America's Civil War, Kentucky is said to have joined the Confederacy after the war ended. Ron Smith reports that legacy had an impact on race relations that some say continues today. 

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Law Would Ban Secret Photos of Farm Animals

Stuart, IA

Iowa Public Radio - Taking clandestine pictures of farm animals could soon become a felony in Iowa. Big livestock operations are pushing a bill that would forbid animal-rights activists from going undercover to document conditions at farms. The activists ask: what does the industry have to hide? Kathleen Masterson reports.

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Rural Gangs a Growing Problem

Near Moses Lake, WA

Northwest News Network - Gang violence is mostly a big city problem. But in parts of the rural Northwest, police are grappling with gang rivalries, graffiti and even drive-by shootings. The series "Living In Gangland" takes a look at a resurgence of gang activity - especially in rural areas. In part one of the series, Austin Jenkins goes on patrol with a Washington Fish and Wildlife cop. 

Click here to listen to Part 1. 

Outlook, WA -  Anna King reports on the tiny unincorporated township of Outlook, and one woman who is fighting to get the town back.

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Yakima County, WA - Some women may not actively choose the gang life, but its perils affect them nonetheless. Anna King profiles a mother and daughter and their struggle with gangs. 

Click here to listen to Part 3.

Revamped Watergate Exhibit Sets Record Straight

Yorba Linda, CA

KPCC - For years, some historians dismissed the Watergate exhibit at the Nixon Presidential Library as a whitewash. That's changed now that a revamped exhibit at the museum documents in exhaustive detail the events that led to the downfall of a president. Steven Cuevas reports the exhibit make-over was hard won.

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Consumers Still Reluctant to Eat Gulf Seafood

Bon Secour, AL

WBHM - It's been almost a year since millions of barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. If you're still a little leery about eating seafood from the gulf, you're not alone. One study found about 70% of consumers nationwide are concerned about seafood safety. Almost a quarter have reduced how much they eat. Alabama's seafood industry says the catch has been tested and is safe. But as Andrew Yeager reports, getting that message out isn't easy

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Smuggling a Way of Life in New Mexico Border Town

Las Cruces, NM

Fronteras - Federal law enforcement regularly arrests people for smuggling weapons across the border into Mexico. But it’s not everyday that they detain a mayor, a town trustee and a police chief as suspected gun traffickers. That was the situation earlier this month in Columbus, New Mexico, a small border town better known for being invaded by Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa in 1916. Monica Ortiz Uribe reports residents here say smuggling is a way of life.

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Japanese Tsunami Spurs Interest in Elevated Safe Havens

Westport, WA

Northwest News Network - Some coastal communities are considering building tall, sturdy structures for refuge in case of a tsunami. Tom Banse reports

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Vets Face Long Wait for Compensation

Salisbury, NC

WFAE - Scores of veterans are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with disabilities that make it difficult or impossible to get a job. But the backlog to get VA disability benefits is thousands of claims deep, so veterans often wait a year to get compensation. Meanwhile, their marriages suffer and they fall behind on their bills. Julie Rose reports VA officials in North Carolina are taking a new approach to reduce that backlog.

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With Deployment Uncertain, Wedding Plans Fast-Tracked

Kasson, MN

Minnesota Public Radio - Thousands of soldiers in the National Guard are preparing to leave home for at least a year. In just a couple months, nearly 2,400 citizen soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division Red Bulls will be shipped to Kuwait as part of the U.S. drawdown phase in Iraq. Elizabeth Baier reports for one soldier from Dodge Center, the uncertainty of a deployment meant scrambling to plan his bride's dream wedding - in less than a week.

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