The State of Things

In the mid ‘90s , writer Jamie Kalven became immersed in Stateway Gardens, an impoverished and embattled public housing community on the South Side of Chicago.

For Gigi Dover & the Big Love , Americana isn't limited to American styles of music. The group hails from Charlotte and composes Southern folk using worldly instruments like the sitar and rebab. Through its latest album, " Travelin' Thru ," the band continues to strengthen the grassroots music scene in Charlotte. Host Frank Stasio talks with Gigi Dover about the band's evolution and musical palette. Gigi Dover performs live in the studio on vocals with Eric Lovell on guitar and vocals and

The North Carolina House outlined a $22.9 billion spending plan that calls for about $350 million in tax cuts. It allots funding for pension adjustments for state retirees and $181 million for teacher raises.

John T. Edge is a James Beard award-winning writer and author of the new book “ The Potlikker Papers ” (Penguin Press/ 2017). Edge grew up in rural Georgia eating biscuits and drinking sweet tea. He spent his career amassing stories of Southern food and the people who cook it.

Patricia Lockwood grew up in a Catholic family in the Midwest. But her family’s circumstances were a little different: Lockwood’s father was a priest. Throughout her upbringing, Lockwood navigated her father’s larger-than-life personality and the institutional bindings of the Catholic church.

Film remakes can introduce a beloved film to a new audience or take a mediocre movie to a new level of greatness. But when a remake is badly executed, it can butcher a cherished classic. On this edition of “Movies on the Radio,” film experts Marsha Gordon and Laura Boyes pick apart the artistry of a remake.

Seismic blasting is a controversial technique used to map offshore oil reserves. In January of 2017, the Obama administration officially denied applications for seismic blasting in the Atlantic, but the Trump administration reversed that decision with an executive order a few months later. The announcement brought many in coastal communities out to protest, stating concerns about the impact of seismic blasting on marine life and tourism.

Part guidebook, part preservation effort, " Living at the Water's Edge: A Heritage Guide to the Outer Banks Byway " (The University of North Carolina Press/2017) takes visitors to the proverbial porches of those who live along the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway . The 21 unincorporated communities from Whalebone Junction to North River Bridge are unique.

In his new novel, “ Extraordinary Adventures ” (St. Martin’s Press/2017), writer Daniel Wallace features the story of a middle-aged man who lives an “extra-ordinary” life. But one day, Edsel Bronfman’s mundane routine takes a turn when he receives a free weekend at a beachfront condo. But there is a catch: Bronfman must find a partner to accompany him on his trip within 79 days .

Note: this segment is a rebroadcast from November 10, 2016. A new documentary explores the personal journey of North Carolina veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Alex Sutton. Sutton carves out a life as a farmer after three military combat tours in Iraq. But his path to healing is marked by stark contrasts between bucolic farm life with his wife and children, and the challenge of grappling with both post-traumatic stress disorder and his own post-war identity.