The State of Things

We define ourselves based on our beliefs like conservatism, liberalism, socialism, or capitalism. In the 2016 election, these differing ideologies came to the forefront but these ideas are not as timeless as many believe. Frank Stasio speaks with UNC History Professor Lloyd Kramer about the historical emergence of the ideologies that shape day to day relationships and civic engagement. Kramer gives a seminar at the Friday Center on the influence of Western “Isms” on Thursday Feb. 9.

Triangle-based Americana band, The Gravy Boys , recently emerged from the recording studio with a fresh batch of songs with influences ranging from pop to bluegrass. Their new tracks are rich and layered, and channel their foot-stomping stage performances. The Gravy Boys’ Steve Storms, Steve Celestini, Bill Spagnardi, Joe Spagnardi, and Tom Spagnardi join host Frank Stasio in the State of Things studio to share their new songs and to chat about the blurred boundaries of Americana music in North

The U.S. Senate convened early this morning to move forward on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. In a rare move, Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled the vote to advance the decision for 6:30am. Critics say DeVos lacks any educational experience and is unqualified to serve. DeVos is one of several controversial nominations by President Trump. Host Frank Stasio talks with political junkie Ken Rudin about the confirmation and the latest in political news.

President Trump’s travel ban on immigrants and refugees from seven countries last week left thousands of international students on college campuses feeling uncertain about their futures. Officials at universities in North Carolina continue to reassure international students of their security, but the ban’s effect remains uncertain. More than 17,000 students currently enrolled in the U.S. are from the countries included in the travel ban, and many university officials worry that the new

During his campaign, Donald Trump said he would eliminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The program, also known as DACA, was put in place in 2012 by the Obama administration. It allows young adults who came to the United States without documentation as children to receive a two-year renewable protection from deportation, a work permit, and a Social Security number. But since the election, President Trump has suggested he will not roll back the program in its entirety.

At a primetime press conference Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump announced appellate court judge Neil Gorsuch as his pick for the Supreme Court. If confirmed, the 49-year-old judge from Colorado would take up the seat left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The first weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency have been marked by a slew of controversial executive orders prompting sweeping policy changes on immigration and healthcare. But what does a Trump presidency show Americans about their perspectives on government, society and their role in the world? Duke Law professor Jedediah Purdy examines the mechanisms Trump uses to gain support and the ways in which a Trump administration might echo political structures in history. Host Frank Stasio talks with

In 1955, a group of white men in the Mississippi Delta kidnapped and murdered a young boy named Emmett Till. Till was 14 years old from and was visiting relatives in Mississippi. News of the tragedy spread as Till’s murder helped spark the modern civil rights movement. In his new book “The Blood of Emmett Till” (Simon & Schuster/2017), writer Tim Tyson examines race relations in Chicago and the Mississippi Delta in the 20th century and how this case became an international story. Using oral

More than two million Soviet Jews were killed during the Holocaust, yet their lives and experiences are not well documented in Holocaust history.

Iris Morales was among the first women to join The Young Lords, a Puerto Rican nationalist group founded in the late 1960s that aimed to fight the colonial status of Puerto Rico in addition to poverty and racial inequality within the United States.