State of Things
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Moral Mondays: Modern Day Civil Disobedience In The...
If you've gone to the legislature these past four Mondays, you likely encountered a group of demonstrators singing, chanting, holding hands and raising signs. And a lot of them are getting arrested. Since April 29th, 153 people have arrested at what the NAACP and other organizers are calling "Moral Mondays."A group of community members and scholars joined Host Frank Stasio on WUNC's The State of Things to talk about the recent arrests, as well as the theory and history behind civil...
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'Big Fish' Author Pens Fifth Novel
Daniel Wallace is best known for his debut novel “Big Fish,” which became a Hollywood movie.which became a Hollywood movie and is soon debuting as a musical. But he's written four more novels since then. His latest is called "The Kings and Queens of Roam," and it follows two sisters as they grow up in an imaginary former textile town.
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Poet Explores How Childlike "Boyishness" Exists Where...
Tanya Olson will tell you that being an eight-year-old child in the world allows you a lot of room to be whoever and whatever you want. You can be a whale, a man, a spaceship, and few will tell you otherwise. After that age though, the feeling doesn't necessarily go away. She explores that desire to transform in her first book of poems, "Boyishly" (YesYes Books, 2013). Tanya Olson is a poet and an English professor at Vance-Granville Community College.
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UNC Professor Educates Maya Descendants
Patricia McAnany had a moment of clarity when a young girl of Maya descent asked her why all the Maya people had to die. McAnany knew that the ancient Maya civilization collapsed in the 8th and 9th centuries, but she also knew that the Maya people continued to exist right up until the modern day.
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Why Do Political Activists Burn Out?
Claudia Horwitz was a young political activist who worked to raise awareness around hunger and homelessness. She found a high burn-out rate among activists she worked with it. Through her career, Claudia saw people drop out of political organizing for a variety of reasons, such as exhaustion, lack of progress, illness and addiction.
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Lawmakers Meet Drop-Dead Legislative Deadline
The deadline for Crossover hit the North Carolina General Assembly yesterday, striking some bills dead for the session. The self-imposed deadline requires that legislation pass at least one chamber to stay under consideration.A variety of legislation was pushed through this week, including measures that would reform the grievance process for fired state workers, allow health insurers in health exchanges to refuse coverage for abortion and a law that would ban the Muslim Sharia law in North...
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Local Musician Puts Out New Album With The Dead Tongues
After spending some time on instrumental projects, Triangle music scene fixture Ryan Gustafson decided it was time to write lyrics again. His latest project is The Dead Tongues, which released an album earlier this year.
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Education Power Grab In Wake County
County School Boards have long since been in charge of school construction. However, the Senate recently passed a bill that would hand over school construction to county commissioners in 10 North Carolina counties. Many people who oppose the bill argue that county commissioners may have experience building prisons but not schools. This is one bill out of many that have been progressing through the Senate recently.
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The Kids Are Alright. In Fact, They're Knitting and...
You may have noticed a DIY trend among young people these days. Some are getting into knitting sweaters; others are keeping backyard chicken coups. Otherwise, they are making cheese, canning, beekeeping and growing their own vegetables. These labor-intensive homemaking projects may not be just a trend towards rustic pleasures. Emily Matchar calls this movement the New Domesticity. And she documents this phenomenon in her new book, "Homeward Bound: Why Women are Embracing the New...
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New Music Incorporates Stories of North Carolina Jews
The Jewish Heritage Foundation of North Carolina has been collecting the stories of the state's Jews for years. Now, those recorded interviews are part of an original musical composition - "Down Home: The Cantata."
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Is The Southern Accent Fading In Raleigh?
It’s no secret that Raleigh and other parts of the Triangle have changed drastically in the past decades. But new linguistic research shows that along with social and industrial change, the Triangle is seeing its Southern accent fade.
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First Openly Lesbian Presbyterian Pastor, One Year In
When Katie Ricks became the Associate Pastor of the Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill last year, she was the first openly lesbian pastor in the country ordained by the Presbyterian Church.
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Foodie Musician Gathers Huge Ensemble, Releases Album
Andy McGowan is making his mark on Durham with the restaurant Geer Street Garden, but by night, he and, sometimes, 15 of his closest friends form D-Town Brass and jam until the early hours. They’ve just released two albums, “UR” and “Golden Belt.”
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Additional Fish Test Positive For Toxic PCBs
Some of the information in this story has been updated. State officials and dozens of concerned residents debated the merits of an environmental report about the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin last night. The study found elevated levels of toxic PCBs in nine fish. That compares to previous testing that revealed elevated PCB levels in three fish.
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Professor Examines Overlooked Writers Of The 19th Century
When we think of the classics of 19th Century literature, names like Melville and Hawthorne come to mind. But what about their contemporaries? What makes ones writer a master and another forgotten? Phillip Gura, professor of American literature and culture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, tackles that subject in his newest book, “Truth’s Ragged Edge: The Rise of the American Novel” (FSG/2013).
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How Storytelling Influences The Way We Think And Act
Joe McHugh says we spend too much time focusing on what information people consume instead of how they consume it. Conservatives may focus on Fox News, and liberals may love MSNBC, but McHugh says that’s not as important as the fact that members of both ideologies are watching television. He says the mediums we use can be as influential as the content they provide.
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Duke Professor Carries On Tradition Of Black Radical...
Fred Moten grew up in a home and in a time where revolution was not portrayed as a romantic dream for the future, but a vital necessity for survival. He was raised in Las Vegas in the late '60s and '70s by a family who understood the need for change.
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Lawmakers Push Slew Of Controversial Bills
Lawmakers were on a tear in the North Carolina General Assembly this past week, pushing forward a slew of controversial bills.The Senate tentatively passed a bill requiring seventh-graders to be taught that abortion can lead to premature delivery in future pregnancies. The controversy therecame about because the medical conclusion is based on disputed science. "I feel emotional about this one," said singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett during a State of Things news roundtable. "I have three...
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Acclaimed Band Releases New Album
When Birds and Arrows first started making music, they were writing a lot of love songs. But after 10 years of living in Chapel Hill, their music has evolved and become grounded in the North Carolina landscape. They've recently released their new album, Coyotes, which features a great deal of collaboration with other friends and musicians.
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The Centennial Anniversary Of Winston And Salem Becoming...
The Rhino Times has been the signature conservative newspaper in the Triad since January of 1992. But it’s recently announced its closing, after 21 years of service. In other news, today marks the centennial anniversary of the joining of Winston and Salem, to become Winston-Salem.
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Scientists And Musicians Collaborate To Explore The...
Music production is often considered a very “human” creation. But scientists have recently discovered the songs of mice, elephants, and other animals that human ears are unable to capture. Scientists and musicians in Greensboro have been exploring the world of biomusic, music produced by nature, beneath the ocean surface.
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Researcher Creates A Database Of Global Terrorist Groups
Veryan Khan has devoted the last decade to researching terrorist groups across the globe. Trackingterrorism.org is a database created by Khan, to curate information about different terrorist groups.
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The Complex Identities Of Some Of America's Most Famous...
Have you ever thought of Jay-Z having multiple personalities? There's Jay-Z, Sean Carter, Hova, and Jigga. And they're all wrapped up inside one black man. In Mark Anthony Neal's latest book "Looking For Leroy: Illegible Black Masculinities," he explores the complex identities of figures like Jay-Z, Avery Brooks and Luther Vandross (NYU Press; 2013).
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Why Legislators Are Changing State Environmental Policy
A variety of measures aimed at weakening environmental protections are making their way through the General Assembly. One would limit environmental regulations while another would repeal a six-year-old renewable energy policy. Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is changing its mission statement to reflect an emphasis on customer service, a move some call anti-science.
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Why Professional Wrestling Has Such Great Music
Paul Swartzelhas always been a fan of professional wrestling. It all goes back to North Carolina’s own Nature Boy Ric Flair and his delightful entrance music: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”
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Teenage Entrepreneur Wins Big In Tech Market
In the late '90s the Internet was king and everybody wanted a piece of it. Jud Bowman was a student at the North Carolina School of Science and Math when he had an idea for an Internet start up. It was called Motricity, and he managed to get investors onboard before things went south in the Internet market.
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How Does Money Affect An Election?
The previous State Elections Board's term expired just as they were beginning to investigate $235,000 of allegedly illegal political donations. The donations implicate Gov. Pat McCrory and legislators from both parties. Governor McCrory made the unusual decision of replacing all of the board members.
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Local Musicians Honor Ry Cooder
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Bill To Repeal NC Renewables Program Makes A Slow...
The North Carolina Renewables Program, instated in 2007, requires utility companies to produce a percentage of sales from efficiency efforts or renewable sources. The program has since pushed North Carolina up in solar farm research and also created jobs during a recession. Efforts to repeal the program have recently been introduced to the House and Senate, claiming that the programs will have a negative impact on the economy.
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The Life Of An Acclaimed Southern Writer Gets Made Into...
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Why Comic Books Don’t Have Heroic Female Characters
Comic book fans know the pleasure of becoming absorbed in an alternate world. One where weirdos and freaks reign supreme as superheroes and saviors. It’s the perfect escape for somebody that doesn’t feel as though they quite fit in. For Jeremy Whitley, comics were engrossing, so much so that he wanted to make his own. But then he had a daughter.
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Movie Shows Potential Future of Capitalism
In America, corporations are king. It’s hard to even think about capitalism without the corporate system that keeps it flowing here in the United States. A movie called "Shift Change" wants to transform the way you think about the economy. It highlights worker-owned businesses in North America and Spain that flip the paradigm of corporate control on its head.
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Author Sheds Light On Realities Of Mental Illness
When Alex McKeithen was a junior at Davidson College in the late '80s, his life changed. He was visiting Paris and studying art when one day he found himself stripping naked in public and proclaiming himself the seventh angel of the apocalypse. It was the beginning of an undiagnosed episode of bipolar disorder, and that experience is the focus of his memoir, "The Seventh Angel" (Lorimer Press/2012).
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Exhibit Explores Attention Through TINY Art
Who says bigger is always better? It seems that the smallest things hold our world together. If you unscrewed the back of your watch, you would see a whole world of washers and gears and screws that held together your concept of time. The Carrack recently opened the exhibit "TINY: Attention, Exploded." The exhibit works to explore who we relate to the small.
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Gov. Pat McCrory Revamps The NC Board Of Elections
Last Friday, Gov. Pat McCrory appointed an entirely new staff to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Earlier that week the board was set to begin an investigation into contributions to McCrory's campaign. A one-hundred percent turnover is unusual and leaves many speculating whether or not it has to do with this investigation.John Frank is a political reporter for the News and Observer and joined Host Frank Stasio today to talk about the turnover.
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Photographer Spends Forty Years Capturing Rural County
Many photographers in today's day and age seek to capture as many worlds as they can in their lifetime. Paul Kwilecki did all of this while staying in Decatur County, Georgia for over four decades.
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Top Raleigh Chef Takes The National Stage As A James...
To Ashley Christensen, a restaurant is not just a place where you sit down to eat. It’s an entire concept. She carefully plots an immersive experience for her diners.
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Exploring Media's Impact In A Time Of Crisis
As the media covered the tragic Boston Marathon bombing, they also made mistakes. News outlets, with reputations built on truth and accuracy, spent air-time speculating rather than reporting. Some of the early, incorrect reports posed threats to innocent people who were wrongly-implicated in the bombing.
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North Carolinians Share Their Music In Senegal
Diali Cissokho, a Senegalese musician, moved to the United States several years ago hoping to meet like-minded musicians. He formed the band Kaira Ba with four North Carolina natives.
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Student Reporters Put Together Stories Of Humor And...
A group of student journalists is getting a course in professional radio reporting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and it's opened a world of experience to them. One of the students,Mark Haywood, had the opportunity to report on an incident of human trafficking right in his hometown of Randolph County, North Carolina.
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What Is A Bastard Film?
A bastard film is a film that does not fit into any particular category. Bastard films are offensive, disturbing or just plain nonsensical.
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What Is The Future Of Fracking In North Carolina?
The natural gas extraction process called hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, has been a source of debate and contention in the state for quite some time now. It involves drilling horizontally through thousands of feet of shale and blasting the shale with water, sand and chemicals to release natural gas. Several states allow the process, some are in the process of figuring out how to regulate it, and some, like New York, have placed a moratorium on the process due to environmental...
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Exonerees Share Stories Of Wrongful Conviction At...
Across the country, 306 wrongfully convicted inmates have been exonerated because of DNA evidence. The number of people exonerated through other means is hard to calculate, since not all states keep records of exonerees. It might be close to 1,000. But that could be a gross undercount. Over 100 exonerees and many others gathered in Charlotte this past weekend for the 2013 Innocence Network Conference.
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Local Filmmaker Takes Over Reality TV
Bill Hayes is the founder of Figure 8 Films, a Carrboro production company which created hits like "Jon Kate Plus 8," "Nineteen Kids and Counting," and "Sister Wives."Hayes grew up on a chicken, tobacco and dairy farm in the quiet town of Mt. Airy, North Carolina. When colleagues and friends told him he was crazy for starting a production company in North Carolina, he said, "why not?" Bill Hayes joins host Frank Stasio to discuss his success as a documentarian, producer and director.
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Election Results
A recap of yesterday's national and state elections outcomes.
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The Supportive State
A conversation about how our ideas about family, work, dependency and autonomy are reflected in our public policy and laws.
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The Tipsy Gene
UNC Medical School researchers have discovered a new gene variant that protects against alcoholism.
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The "Eternal Governor"
Political blogger Gary Pearce and former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt come together to talk about Hunt's legendary political career as documented in a new biography.
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Meet Larry Wheeler
North Carolina Museum of Art director Larry Wheeler talks about how he made his dream of a $75 million expansion come true using social and political skills.
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Greg Humphreys
Musician Greg Humphreys discusses and plays live from his new album "Realign Your Mind."
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Fright Night Flicks
A look at the wide range of films featuring elements of horror and the supernatural with a panel of movie experts.
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The Yadkin River Story
The creators of a new multimedia project about the importance of the Yadkin River to the communities it runs through talk about the stories they found.
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Moogfest
A preview of the upcoming Asheville, NC music festival Moogfest and the inventor who was the inspiration behind it.
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Vampire Empire
Husband-and-wife author team Clay and Susan Griffith talk about creating their new supernatural literary series "Vampire Empire."
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The State of Gay Rights
A look at some of the important headlines involving the gay community in a roundtable discussion about the issues facing homosexuals today.
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Studying Up for the Midterms
A preview of what to expect this midterm election season from Democrats, Republicans and the headline-making Tea Party.
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Paul Brown & the Mostly Mountain Boys
NPR News Anchor and master musician Paul Brown talks about the connections between his passion for journalism and his passion for music.
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Here is a Human Being
Duke University professor Misha Angrist talks about having his genome mapped and how that process is changing our notions of privacy and identity.
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Husband & Wife, Fact & Fiction
Novelist Leah Stewart on separating her own reality from her characters' lives.
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American Wasteland
Journalist Jonathan Bloom, author of "American Wasteland," explains how America wastes nearly half of the food it produces every year.
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Meet Ira David Wood III
A conversation with the founder of Raleigh's Theatre in the Park, actor Ira David Wood III.
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The R.A. Fountain General Store
Host Frank Stasio visits the R.A. Fountain General Store for a lesson about the history of the place and a live music performance.
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Dean of Equal Education
A conversation about equal education with UNC's Dean of the School of Education.
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The Blue Ridge Parkway at 75
A look at the history and enduring majesty of the 75-year-old Blue Ridge Parkway.
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150 Years of Social Activism, But No Pool
Celebrating 150 years of the Campus Y at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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A Privilege to Die
Journalist Thanassis Cambanis covers the Middle East; his first book is about the complex structure of the Islamic movement Hezbollah.
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Music Maker Blues Revue
Three blues musicians under the Music Maker Relief Foundation umbrella perform live in the studio.
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Working Against Unemployment
Examining the scope of unemployment in North Carolina and discussing ways to create more jobs faster to reduce the jobless rate.
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Laughter is the Best Medicine
A look at the healing powers of laughter and humor.
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Southern Jews
A preview on an upcoming conference in Chapel Hill about the Southern Jewish experience.
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Reluctant Pilgrim
Author Enuma Okoro discusses her spiritual journey and her spiritual memoir, "Reluctant Pilgrim."
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Radcliffe Bailey
Mixed media artist Radcliffe Bailey on expressing the African-American in his work.
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Meet Ike Atkinson
A conversation with Ike Atkinson, a military veteran who led a large drug trafficking ring after his retirement from the Army.
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Spirituality & Scandals
A look at the sex scandal surrounding megachurch leader Bishop Eddie Long and what it might mean for opening dialogue about homosexuality in the black church community.
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Spooky Science
Gary Schwartz talks about his determination to prove the existence of ghostly spirits with science.
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Maya Acuzena
Grammy winning singer-songwriter Maya Acuzena performs live and talks about her support for reproductive rights.
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The Greatest Show on Earth
Famed atheist Richard Dawkins talks about his latest book, "The Greatest Show on Earth," which argues against creationism.
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The Poverty Project
A look at a joint effort by Duke University and the University of North Carolina to change to conversation about who is poor in America.
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Banktown
Charlotte Observer Rick Rothacker on his new book "Banktown," which takes a look at the past, present and predicted future of Charlotte's banking industry.
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Is the Net Neutral Territory?
A look at the issue of net neutrality with a panel of cyberspace experts.
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Meet Mike Franzak
Retired Marine Mike Franzak talks about his memoir, "A Nightmare's Prayer," which chronicles his experience serving in Afghanistan.
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White House Diary
Former President Jimmy Carter on his new book, "White House Diary."
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The Old Ceremony
The Old Ceremony talks about and plays live from a new album, "Tender Age."
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The Charlie Poole Project
Musician Loudon Wainwright and producer Dick Connette talk about their Grammy-winning CD that celebrates the music of NC native Charlie Poole.
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Children No More
Sci-fi writer Mark L. Van Name's latest book features a plot about child soldiers on another planet, but the author draws from his own experience as a member of a youth military group.
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Child Soldiers
A look at the experience of child soldiers and ways to reintegrate them into their family lives and communities.
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Musical Exiles
A preview of the Greensboro Symphony's latest concert, which features the music of exiled composers Beethoven and Brahm.
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Returning From War
A look at how military re-entry will affect communities as troops return from war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Zero History
A look at the career of famed sci-fi writer William Gibson, author of a new book, "Zero History."
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Meet Joe's Diner
Joe Bushfan, the owner of Joe's Diner in Durham, and Dan Hill, the restaurant's finacier, talk about making the East Durham community safer and stronger.
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Special Election Broadcast: Elaine Marshall
A special election broadcast interview with US Senate candidate Elaine Marshall, who is running against incumbent Richard Burr.
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Blue Devils, Crimson Tide
A look at football coach Wallace Wade, whose legacy links the University of Alabama with Duke University.
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Gospel Earth
Poet Jeffrey Beam on his new collection about alternative spirituality, "Gospel Earth."
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Yeardley
The filmmakers behind the indie drama "Yeardley" talk in-depth about the movie project.
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NC Science Festival
A 16-day celebration of science makes learning accessible to the masses.
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Pecha Kucha at SparkCon
A Japanese public speaking style makes its way to Raleigh.
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The Faulkner Collection
William Faulkner's inspiration for "Go Down Moses" could have been a plantation owner's diary that's housed at the University of North Carolina.
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Happy Birthday, New Bern!
New Bern, NC celebrates 300 years.
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For the Record
A look at "The Record: Contemporary Art & Vinyl," a new exhibit at Duke University's Nasher Museum.
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Superchunk Returns
Superchunk, the godparents of the Triangle's indie music scene, returns with its first album in 9 years.
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Meet Chuck Davis
African-American Dance Ensemble founder Chuck Davis talks about his life and how dance can be an agent for social change.
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Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat
Psychologist Hal Herzog on his new book about human-animal interactions and the moral inconsistencies of people's relationships to other species on the planet.
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The Gravy Boys
Americana band The Gravy Boys play live in the studio.
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Playing Hopscotch
A look at a new music festival that will bring 120 alternative bands to downtown Raleigh.
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100 Years of Sickle Cell
A look at the first documented case of sickle cell anemia with help from East Carolina University researcher Todd Savitt.
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Poetry Union
Married poets Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar talk about their literary journey and how it landed them in North Carolina.
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Katrina, 5 Years After
New Orleans photographer Donn Young brings a program to the University of North Carolina that remembers the impact of Hurricane Katrina.
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Rock the Casbah
A new live-music venue opens in Durham.
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The Way of Kings
Author Brandon Sanderson talks about his new book.
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The Truth About Migration
How Latino immigration affects Mexico.
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Punishment in North Carolina
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The History of North Carolina Courts
The colonial legal history of The Tar Heel State.
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Uncle Paul's Prison Radio Hour
Paul Williams, the host of a prison-request rock show on WKNC, talks about playing what prisoners want to hear.
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Crack Laws Reformed
A look at the evolution of the law surrounding crack sentencing.
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Incarcerated Artists
The challenges to creating art in prison and a look at the socially and politically charged work of incarcerated artists.
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No Tomorrow
A look at "No Tomorrow", a documentary with a unique angle on the country's death penalty.
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Evidence on Trial
An examination of the NC State Bureau of Investigation's crime lab and the role forensic evidence plays in court.
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Meet Greg Taylor
"The State of Things" Law & Order Week kicks off with a conversation with Greg Taylor, a man who spent 17 years in prison following a wrongful murder conviction.
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Remembering Bill Phillips
Remembering country music singer Bill Phillips, who passed away in August 2010.
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New Stories From The South Turns 25
Annual fiction anthology "New Stories from the South" turns 25.
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Embarrassing Fruits
Chapel Hill indie band Embarrassing Fruits play live.
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Overcoming Offensive Language
A look at ways to overcome offensive language in a culture where words are tied to racial, religious and gender identity.
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The Final Frontier
A scientific and philosophical conversation about man's relationship with space.
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Miracle Mondays
A new organization aims to beautify children's hospitals to help kids heal faster.
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Fifth Born II: The Hundredth Turtle
Durham novelist and Piedmont Laureate Zelda Lockhart on her new book, "Fifth Born II: The Hundredth Turtle."
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What You Will
The Town of Cary is attempting to create a thriving outdoor theater scene in the Triangle with a Shakespeare production.
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Meet The New New South
A look at what defines the American South today and how the region's race relations and business landscape have changed.
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Chris Hendricks Band
Durham singer-songwriter Chris Hendricks has spent the summer touring. He’s been up and down the East Coast opening for established acts like Amy Grant and Diamond Rio. Now, he’s preparing to celebrate the release of his band’s first CD called “Noise.”
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Who Benefits from Summer Vacation?
The traditional school calendar is based on the country's former agrarian lifestyle which includes a long break in the summer months. But while summer vacation is enriching and exciting for kids with parents who can afford camps and recreational programs, the summer can be boring and isolating for kids in low-income families.
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Bitter Melon & Bok Choy
Western North Carolina's Hmong community is bringing some traditional agricultural treats to local markets.
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The BBC on SOT
BBC World Service host Robin Lustig visits North Carolina.
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The Wolf Tree
Author Jean Claude Bemis releases "The Wolf Tree," the 2nd novel in his young adult American folklore series.
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Understanding Picky Eaters
Nancy Zucker, head of the Duke Center for Eating Disorders, feels for people who simply don't like certain foods. Not only is their diet limited by their tastes but they suffer social pressures to conform to other people's expectations of what they should eat. Zucker has initiated an online survey to gather data bout finicky eaters in order to study the problem in a methodical manner.
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Daydream Believers
Studies by psychologists at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro have revealed that what people daydream about can affect what they remember.
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Money Talks: Vulnerable Farmers
As we head into what are traditionally the most active months of hurricane season, we take a look at the fragile financial net that protects so many of our state's farmers from ruin.
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North Carolina and World War II
Popular images of World War II are usually set overseas, but that doesn't mean foreign soldiers didn't make their way to American shores. When the military took prisoners, it often shipped them back to the United States for safekeeping. More than 10,000 German prisoners of war were kept in internment camps in North Carolina.
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Meet Adrian Bejan
Adrian Bejan, inventor of the constructal law of design in nature, talks about growing up in communist Romania and his passion for engineering.
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Composed
Country artist Rosanne Cash on her new memoir, "Composed."
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Anoop Desai
Former "American Idol" contestant and NC native Anoop Desai performs live.
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Brewing Up Change
The opening of a new brewery in Durham signals change in NC's beer landscape.
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Diversity in Wake County Schools
A look at the controversy and debate over the Wake County School Board's decision to create a policy that ends diversity in Raleigh schools.
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The Aging of the Baby Boom Generation
A look at the journey of the Baby Boom Generation and what the future holds for its members.
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Share the Love
Scott Morgan talks about starting a food bank for hungry pets.
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You Lost Me There
Chapel Hill author Rosecrans Baldwin discusses his debut novel, "You Lost Me There."
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Gen Silent
A new documentary by Stu Maddux examines the challenges facing gay seniors.
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The Irregardless Cafe's 35th Anniversary
Celebrating the 35th anniversary of a North Carolina culinary institution, The Irregardless Cafe.
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Imagining the Afterlife
In a world where almost nothing is for sure, there is one certainty: death. But does existence continue beyond the end of life?
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A New Era for Contemporary Art
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem has built a national reputation for being on the cutting edge of artistic expression during its five decades of existence. Today SECCA is entering a new era, marked by recent renovations, new leadership and its joining of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.
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African-American Actresses
In the early 20th century, Hollywood began offering more on-screen opportunities to African-American actresses. However, the roles black women were asked to play fell deep into stereotypes about the African-American community. Though the characters of “Mammy,” the voodoo queen or the hypersexualized vixen were all too common roles for early black actresses, their contributions to cinema are significant in the narrative of Hollywood history.
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The Long Fight Over 751 South
Real estate developers and neighbors of a plot of land on N.C. 751 in south Durham County have been battling for two years over the future of the 167-acre site known as 751 South. Opponents say the residential and commercial development is too close to Jordan Lake. Developers say it would bring tax revenue to the county
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Discovering Haiti's Declaration of Independence
Duke University graduate student Julia Gaffield happened upon a rare copy of Haiti's Declaration of Independence from 1804. What does her discovery mean for historians and for Haitians at home and abroad?
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Strayhorn House
A conversation about preserving the Strayhorn house, a home built by freed slaves in Carrboro, NC.
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Meet Ann Ross
North Carolina State University Forensic Anthropologist Ann Ross has a British father and a Chilean mother. She grew up in the Canal Zone in Panama among many Americans and Ross is interested in identity, but not necessarily her own. She uses bones to identify the remains of victims of murder and other atrocities. She's applied her expertise to some of the most politically and emotionally sensitive places on earth including the Balkans, Panama, Chile, Africa and Rocky Mount, NC.
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YahZarah
YahZarah joins host Frank Stasio for a live, in-studio performance and to talk about working with the Grammy-nominated group The Foreign Exchange and how she defeated the music business in the battle for creative authority of her own music.
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Undaunted Heart
It was a scandal that rocked Chapel Hill in the aftermath of the Civil War. Ella Swain, youngest daughter of the President of the University of North Carolina, fell in love with and married the Union General whose troops came to occupy the town. Suzy Barile, the couples’ great-great-granddaughter, tells their true and tragic love story in a new book of nonfiction, “Undaunted Heart: The True Story of a Southern Belle & a Yankee General” (Eno Publishers/2009).
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Raleigh Wide Open
Just a few short years ago, downtown Raleigh was a place of work, but little play. After 5 p.m., the streets cleared out like in an old Western. That all began to change in 2006 when the Raleigh Wide Open Festival brought 70,000 people to downtown Raleigh for a day of fun, food and frolicking. Since then, the festival has continued to draw big crowds and, in many ways, the story of its success is the story of downtown Raleigh's success.
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Healing Seekers
Amy Greeson’s search for natural medical treatments has taken her to some of the most remote locations on the planet. Her organization, Healing Seekers, works to raise awareness about the value of indigenous medicine. They produce web documentaries of each exhibition and collect plant samples to use in cancer and AIDS research.
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Race and the Death Penalty in N.C.
Under the Racial Justice Act, August 10, 2010 is the filing deadline for inmates on death row who want their cases reconsidered because of what they consider to be an unfair racial basis during the punishment phase of their trials. University of North Carolina Law School Professor Robert Mosteller and UNC historian Seth Kotch have taken a close look at the history of the role race has played in the implementation of the death penalty in North Carolina. They wrote an article for the North...
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Writer By Day, Bartender By Night
bartender Gregg Cusick never thought he'd make it as a writer even after deciding to split his professional time between making drinks and making stories. Though he's had some small successes with writing over the years, his most recent win of the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition is bringing him some real attention.
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Billy Sugarfix's Carousel
Singer-songwriter Billy Sugarfix used to get by on tears, but all that is changing. Since he chronicled heartbreak with his last album, "Summer Tempests," his work has been taking a walk on the brighter side. Part of that may have to do with the fact that he's no longer alone. Billy now has a band, and they recently put out a new song called "If There's a Secret."
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Talking to Strangers
The Kitchen Sisters are not sisters and they don't share a kitchen, but their audio collaborations for NPR have been enchanting listeners for decades. As The Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva have produced award-winning pieces about hidden kitchens, Tupperware, self-proclaimed superheroes and many other offbeat and poignant characters. They are in North Carolina to discuss the intimate nature of radio production and their contribution to the anthology, "Reality Radio: Telling...
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Return to "Annie"
In 1977, Andrea McArdle originated the title role in “Annie” on Broadway and became the youngest actress ever to be nominated for a Tony Award. She lost out to a fellow castmember - the woman playing Annie’s nemesis, Miss Hannigan - that year, but now McArdle is back on stage in a new production of the classic story from North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh. This time, she’s taking on the role of Miss Hannigan just as Broadway prepares for the return of “Annie” in the play’s 35th anniversary...
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Meet Glenn Dicker
From the time he sang "I Feel Fine" in a junior high school talent show, Glenn Dicker wanted to be a music star. Things didn't turn out exactly as he had planned, but Dicker does make music happen as co-owner of Red Eye Distribution and Yep Roc Records.
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Swaso
The four members of Carrboro-based band Swaso are determined to wow their audiences with a combination of great music and a memorable stage show. Sometimes, they even go the extra mile with wild dancing, themed costumes and face paint. But Swaso’s music speaks for itself, drawing fond comparisons to the sounds of Prince, Lenny Kravitz and Jimi Hendrix. The charming foursome brings its powerful rock sound to our studio for a live performance and a chat with host Frank Stasio.
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Spaulding Family Reunion
About 700 members of the Spaulding family will descend on Raleigh, NC next week for the clan’s 18th bi-annual reunion. The Spauldings can trace their roots to Duplin County where Benjamin Spaulding, a freed slave, married Edith Delphi Jacobs, a Lumbee Indian, in the early 19th century. The Spauldings have ties to the founding and success of dozens of the state’s institutions like North Carolina Mutual Life insurance company, Mechanics & Farmers Bank and Lincoln Hospital.
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How We Age, How We Think
With Baby Boomers retiring left and right, questions of cognition and age are foremost in many senior citizen minds. Researchers at North Carolina State University set out to find information about how our aging population deals with the increasing complexity in the world.
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Titan on the River
Environmental groups have been fighting a project proposed by Titan Cement to build a cement mining and processing plant on the Northeast Cape Fear River in New Hanover County.
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Progress in the HIV-AIDS Fight
In a South African study partially led by Family Health International, a vaginal microbicide called tenofovir yielded encouraging results in protecting women from HIV.
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Her America
UNC Law professor Patricia Bryan on re-discovering the creative work of writer Susan Glaspell.
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Bull Spec Magazine
The founder of Bull Spec, a new speculative fiction literary magazine, and some of its contributors talk about writing fantasy, horror and sci-fi today.
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Protesting the School Board
WUNC reporter Dave DeWitt with a live update on the latest protest against the Wake County School Board's diversity policy.
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Book of Shadows
Author Alexandra Sokoloff talks about her fourth supernatural thriller, "Book of Shadows."
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The Love Language
Raleigh-based band The Love Language play live in the studio and talk about their latest CD, "Libraries."
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Meet Joseph Eger
By the time Joseph Eger was in his 30s, he was already considered a master of the French horn. His talent took him to play with orchestras in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, New York and Europe. But it was when he made the switch from playing to conducting that he found his true calling in life: helping the world’s societies achieve peace through music. In 1974, he founded the Symphony for United Nations, an orchestra with a mission to provide people with a shared musical experience that...
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FRANK
A new gallery and artist collective called FRANK is open in downtown Chapel Hill.
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The Symphonic Films
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The Alpha Theory
The Alpha Theory pays a visit to our studio to play live and talk about how their eclectic musical tastes influence their sound.
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Unsqueezed
Like most American women, Durham author Margot Starbuck knows the temptation of new shoes, highlighted hair and figure-flattering clothing. But as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian church, she also knows that being preoccupied with appearance isn’t a Christian value.
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Energy Disasters
Americans have been watching the drama in the Gulf coast unfold on the nightly news all summer long, but a less visible story about a different kind of environmental hazard is also happening now. The EPA is accepting public comment on its proposals to regulate the byproduct of burning coal: coal ash. The oil spill and the coal ash stories both deal with energy policy and regulation in the South.
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Against the Tide
When LeJhoyn Holland was released from prison, he had no Social Security card, no driver’s license and hardly any money. With hurdles like that to overcome, it’s no wonder that some 70 percent of North Carolina’s ex-offenders wind up back in prison. Today Holland has a job, a home and a life thanks to the work of an all-volunteer support team culled from local churches. Bill Rasor is the only member of Holland’s team who can truly understand what he’s going through. He too was recently...
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The Kingsbury Manx
The Kingsbury Manx began 10 years ago as a group of middle school friends and grew into one of the most established music acts in Chapel Hill. The band takes the stage at Duke Gardens tonight as part of the 3rd annual Music in the Gardens series. First, they perform live in our studio and discuss their new album, “Ascenseur Ouvert,” with host Frank Stasio.
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Way to Glow
A new exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh brings to light the amazing phenomena of bioluminescence. A pair of scientists who will deliver lectures in conjunction with the exhibit join host Laura Leslie to talk about the wondrous creatures, on land and below sea, that put off their own light, and how that glow is helping researchers uncover the mysteries of cellular biology.
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DNA Collection
Among the other laws the legislature passed was one that allows law enforcement officers to collect DNA samples from suspects arrested for violent felonies. The debate over the measure was tense, with proponents hoping the measure would help keep criminals off the streets and opponents concerned about the erosion of personal freedoms.
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Who's Getting Tax Breaks?
The N.C. General Assembly wrapped up its short session on Saturday after approving several provisions that will let corporations off the hook for millions of dollars in taxes. Proponents say the state needs these tax incentives to attract businesses and jobs to the state. Opponents say it's corporate welfare.
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Jazz With a Kick
The musicians who join percussionist Brevan Hampden in the quartet Primera Jazz are looking to stir things up a little. All of them play with other groups, including The Beast, which focuses on hip-hop-infused jazz, and Orchesta Gardel, a many-membered salsa band. Playing with Primera Jazz gives them a chance to experiment with Latin influences that don't have a place in their other projects.
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The Singer-Songwriter's Singer-Songwriter
David Dondero's poetic, quirky lyrics have won him devoted fans across the country. In 2006, NPR's All Songs Considered named him one of our best living songwriters, and he is frequently called this generation's Townes Van Zandt.
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10 By 10 Festival
Directors at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro chose from 550 plays, submitted from playwrights from around the world, in picking the 10 short works to be showcased in this year's 10 By 10 Festival. Every play presented lasts less than 10 minutes. The perennially popular festival extends its run this year from two weeks to three, running July 8 through 25. It will feature five world premieres,including "Somewhere Out There" by Carrboro resident David Rabinowitz. Rabinowitz and Jeri Lynn Schulke,...
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" Turns 50
It's hard to find an American, particularly a Southerner, who hasn't read, "To Kill a Mockingbird." Harper Lee's young adult novel, set in a small Alabama town during the Great Depression, explores issues of race and class, innocence and accusation, and the needs of the individual versus those of the community. The film adaptation features Gregory Peck's iconic portrayal of the widowed lawyer Atticus Finch. And the voice of Finch's young daughter Scout, who narrates the book, resonates...
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Doubles
Right when Nic Brown's rock-n-roll career was taking off with the band Athenaeum in the 1990s, a tennis player named Tripp was also rocketing to the top of his game. The two became good friends and Brown spent a lot of time traveling with Tripp and seeing behind the professional tennis curtain. Brown superimposes the world of rock-n-roll onto the world of professional tennis in his new novel "Doubles" (Counterpoint/2010). The book is an exploration of partnership, betrayal, photography and...
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India & The World Bank
India borrowed a record $9.3 billion from the World Bank this fiscal year. The country, where about 1/3rd of the world’s poor live, has long been the bank’s biggest borrower since the institution was founded in the 1940s. Elon University Political Science professor Jason Kirk was interested in the how India’s relationship with the World Bank has developed over time. Kirk has written a new book that explores the connection between India’s people, politics and poverty and the popular...
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Phish Phans Rejoice
Despite sparse radio play and a lack of mainstream success, Phish developed one of the largest cult followings of any band in the 1990s. After years of nearly constant touring, the band called it quits in 2004, only to reunite five years later, to the joy of its dedicated fan base. Thursday night, Phish returns to Time Warner Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek in Raleigh for the first time since the group’s reunion. We discuss the band's rich history in the Triangle, and what it means to truly...
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Muslim-American Self-Portraits
Photographer Todd Drake on giving voice to North Carolina's Muslim communities through self-portraits.
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Samantha Crain
An interview and live music performance from Ramseur Records folk rocker Samantha Crain.
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Meet Alexis Pauline Gumbs
A conversation with Durham feminist activist Alexis Pauline Gumbs.
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Believing in Bigfoot
A recent Bigfoot sighting in Casar, NC continues the long tradition of the mythic creature in the Tar Heel State.
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N.C. School of Traditional Music
The founders of the N.C. School of Traditional Music on the importance of preserving roots traditions.
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TRKFest 2010
A preview of TRKFest 2010 with Chapel Hill band Veelee.
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Personalized Medicine & the Law
A look at how mapping the human genome has affected the practice of personalized medicine.
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Around the World, Under Water
An interview with writer and SCUBA expert Eric Douglas.
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Taste of Place
A conversation about the importance of pride of place in the production of food.
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