The State of Things

A childhood spent in downtown Manhattan did not dampen Adam Summers ’ passion for the outdoors. His family took yearly trips to Canada’s woods and streams, which instilled in him a special passion for marine life. Now a comparative bio-mechanist, Summers is an expert in the evolution, anatomy and movement of fish. He has consulted with Pixar on its animated films “Finding Nemo” and “Finding Dory.” Summers is also leading a sweeping new initiative to scan and digitize all of the planet’s 33,000

Why are some people rich and others poor? Answering this elusive question has been the lifelong work of economist William (Sandy) Darity . Darity was an observant child, and from an early age he picked up on how wealth disparities divide communities.

Elements of President Donald Trump’s travel ban went into effect Thursday evening. The Supreme Court determined the modified ban can apply to foreigners who do not have a “bonafide relationship with any person or entity in the United States.” This applies to foreign nationals of six majority-Muslim countries and refugees from any country.

In the new play “Space Girl” by Mora V. Harris, 16-year-old Arugula Suarez wants to be just like everybody else. But she is an alien from the planet Zlagdor, so it is not always easy for her to blend in. Arugula and her father Nancy have been sent to Earth to see if the planet is worth saving. As they decide Earth’s fate, Arugula must also navigate the social politics of high school without blowing her cover. She finds comfort in a wacky blend of things, including roller derby and salad.

Brothers Dan and Kiko Freiburg grew up subconsciously absorbing the rhythms and beats of the music from their mother’s native Brazil. But their own musical tastes range from death metal to gypsy jazz. They moved to New York and found two other musicians with an equal desire to create a new group and a new sound. The band, which changed its name to Added Color in 2017, began writing music, touring and releasing EPs – all mostly on its own.

Twin siblings Alexander and Cleopatra are back on another big adventure. In the graphic novel “Knife’s Edge” (Farrar, Straus & Giroux/2017) the duo pair up to find a hidden treasure they believe is rightfully theirs. But their voyage to track the prize reveals new mysteries about their family and its potentially nefarious past.

State lawmakers are rushing to tackle a large number of bills in an effort to wrap up their legislative session for summer break. One of the top priorities for Republican legislators was to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of the state budget bill. That override passed through the House with a 76-43 vote on Wednesday .

Coming up as a comedian in New York City, Ted Alexandro has long appreciated the city’s diverse comic scene. On any given night, he says you can see acts ranging from comic newbies to veteran comedians like Chris Rock who are trying out new material in underground clubs.

Earlier this week, the BET Awards recognized some of the best in black entertainment. At the awards, Chicago-based artist and activist Chance the Rapper delivered a stirring speech after receiving the BET Humanitarian Award. Chance the Rapper was praised for recently donating $1 million to Chicago Public Schools.

North Carolina has been battling a growing opioid addiction epidemic. New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from North Carolina hospitals show the rise in intravenous drug use is also causing a sharp increase in the rate of heart infections.